Five Reasons You Must Start Resistance Training Today!

I love list posts.  They are so easy to write, and even easier to read.  If only adopting the habit they propose were so easy…

But in this case, it is!  Resistance training is not difficult to do.  You don’t need to join a gym.  There is no requirement for fancy equipment or expensive clothing.  While a routine does take a little bit of time, you will begin to see and feel significant results in as little as 20 minutes 2 or (ideally) 3 sessions per week.  You could multitask, and do your routine while watching Scrubs reruns.  How simple is that?

Your own body weight can provide all the resistance you want or need, or if you are so inclined, you can purchase some very reasonably priced resistance tubing to use in your living room.

Here’s the trick.  Don’t fall for the fitness magazine articles that suggest complex moves, or drop sets, or supersets, or unbelievably crazy-sets.  Pick exercises that target multiple muscle groups like squats, lunges, front and side plank, or good old fashioned push-ups, and just start doing them!  Here is why you should start today:

Reason 1) Resistance training is a friend of your metabolism.  Why is this?  As you begin to overload your muscles beyond what they are used to, you injure them slightly (don’t go for major injury…that doesn’t do any good at all).  You cause little tiny microtears in the muscle fibers, and this is why you are sore one or two days later.  But this is good news, because as your muscle fibers heal, they become stronger and bigger.  You add muscle mass, and over time, this increases your metabolic rate.

How does that work?  Body fat doesn’t do much.  It just sits there and looks back at you in the
mirror.  It doesn’t use up much energy.  Heck, it doesn’t even need much of a blood supply since it requires so little maintenance.  As a result, it burns very few calories.

On the other hand, muscle is very active.  It requires food (glucose and amino acids) and burns tons of calories by just being there.  Clearly, if you want to be a lean, mean, calorie burning machine, you want as much muscle as you can get.

Reason 2) Muscle, because it requires glucose and amino acids, is very sensitive to insulin.  Insulin opens the doorway to  to the little muscle cells, so glucose and amino acids can get in.  If you are insulin resistant, as in Type II diabetes  (and possibly CFRD), lifting weights will increase your insulin sensitivity as you build muscle mass.  A finely tuned insulin sensitivity mechanism is required for a stable blood glucose level, which leads to good health.

Reason 3) This is a big one for me, and maybe you can relate.  Building muscle and feeling and being strong physically is one area of my life where having cystic fibrosis doesn’t even matter!  My lungs may not be the best in the gym, but I will take on any woman my age in a push up or pull up contest!  This is a very empowering feeling…I have at least a modicum of control over my body which is otherwise at the mercy of my lung status.  Now, some days my lungs even interfere with my time at the gym, and that is OK.  I know that when I recover, I will be back, strutting around the gym with the big boys, knowing that my muscle fibers are no different than theirs:-)

If you have an illness other than CF, lifting may just provide the same benefit.  Lifting weights is a very black or white thing to do.  You do it and you see and feel results in as little as two or three weeks.  You have control of this.  It may not feel like you have control of much else, sometimes.  But you do have control over this.
Reason 4) More and more studies are showing that well-designed resistance training programs in post-treatment management of cancer patients and survivors are beneficial in improving health status and quality of life.   This is true in other chronic diseases as well.  Weight training is anabolic, meaning it builds up the body.  Often, treatment for illness is catabolic, or breaks down the body (think steroids or chemotherapy).  While these treatments are necessary, we can counter their bad side effect of breaking down tissue by weight training.

Reason 5) Weight training is fun!  Ok, maybe I’m in the minority thinking this, but stand by this statement.  When you get over the initial “I have no clue what I’m doing,” and move through the “Oh my God this huts,” you begin to see improvement!  And this is fun!

Are you ready to begin?  I’m starting a YouTube channel where I will teach easy, and very modifiable exercises that anyone can start doing today.  Check it out, and subscribe today!

ANTS AND ELEPHANTS

Well, it’s been awhile.  I’ve been a bit under the weather lately and haven’t posted anything as I’ve dealt with illness.  Now, I have a PICC line, through which I am receiving antibiotics, and the magic medicine is starting to work, so…I’m back..

This current illness has prompted several ideas for blog posts, although up until now, I haven’t had the energy to act on the ideas.  One topic that comes up frequently when I deal with my cystic fibrosis and it’s ever-present ups and downs is what my mind does with the very simple information that my body is not perfect.

Do you have ANTs?  By ANTs, I mean automatic negative thoughts.  Do you remember the last time you watched a colony of ants, as the workers stream in perfect lines to and from the ant colony with the single goal of procuring food and whatever else an ant needs to live a good ant life.  Perfect, tiny little single file lines of ants, determined to stay in line and do what is expected for an ant to do.

This is the way unhelpful thoughts travel in your brain.  They are a series of repetitive synapses that have traveled the same neuronal pathways in your brain so many times that they have worn grooves in the sand of your brain.  Now, they are automatic, as are their emotional and behavioral consequences.  So it is very appropriate for the acronym for “automatic negative thoughts” to be A.N.T.  I’ve read that humans have about 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day, and that 90% of them are repeats.  We think the same things, over and over and over.  It reminds me of that ant in a single file line, doing exactly what the ant in front of him/her (probably him I guess) does, without question.

Here are some examples of my ANTs:  “This disease sucks.  You just got through two months of P90X, only to have to stop!  You’ll never get through this 3 month program.  IV”s again?  I  (sometimes I’m “you” and sometimes I’m “I”  If you lived in my brain, you would have me committed.) already had 3 weeks of IV’s just a few months ago…My CF is progressing.  My lung function probably stinks right now…God, what if it doesn’t come back.  What if I am now on that downhill slope?  Oh man, I am coughing so hard…what if I start to bleed and never stop?  No one is here to help if I have massive hemoptysis…what would I do?  WHAT?  103 pounds…oh no… You’re disappearing.  How can you be losing so much weight?  What does THAT mean?  Do you now have to deal with CFRD and insulin, too?  That would really suck.  You know Julie, that CFRD usually means worsening of CF.  The good days are over.  Your luck has run out….” and on and on and on

They are automatic.  I don’t try to think them.  They just happen.  And they’ve happened before.  It doesn’t seem to matter to my brain that it is thinking useless, negative thoughts that it has already informed me of a million times, thank you.  They keep on coming.  I’ve tried to stop them..but that definitely does NOT work!  You can’t successfully tell yourself not to think something.  Just try…right now, try to NOT think of a pink elephant lying belly up in your living room.  See?  You can’t do it.  Just by imagining what you don’t want to think, you think it.

But I’ve learned a trick in dealing with these thoughts.  It’s come with practicing mindfulness, which simply means being aware of what is happening while it is happening.  In other words, I’m watching my thoughts.  And at the same time, I am watching what my body feels in response to these thoughts.  It’s not pretty.  What I see is a direct connection between negative thoughts and bad feelings.  “Duh,” you say.  “That’s a no-brainer!”  Exactly.  These processes occur below the level of your “brain,” or consciousness.  But when you become conscious of them, something pretty cool happens.  It turns out that you can’t be fully conscious of something you are doing that is harming you, and continue doing it.  When you directly experience the fact that negative thoughts lead to bad feelings, you will appreciate that you have direct control of how you feel.  All you need to do is decide to think alternative, more positive thoughts.

So instead of, “Your lung function probably sucks right now!” I can gently decide (consciously) to change the thought to, “Yes, my lungs are a bit under the weather now…..and that is why I am taking care of them by resting and infusing wonder drugs.  Thank God I have health insurance and access to  great health care!”  The ANT will try to take over, and I will have to be very alert for this, as the grooves run deep.  But as long as I catch them, I can always substitute a life and health affirming thought for the negative one.  Over time, the affirming thought grooves will deepen and the negative grooves will smooth over from disuse.

Try to catch your ANTs.  Remember, don’t try to force them away (remember the elephant).  When you catch and ANT, replace him with an affirming thought that carries with it positive feelings.  Is this Pollyanna, New Age garble thinking?  I don’t know.  But would you rather feel bad, anxious, worried and depressed, or hopeful and grateful for what is good in your life?  Which feelings do you think are healthier overall and better for you?  Does being depressed and worried help you in any way at all?  Will it change the outcome?  I would argue that being optimistic and grateful can change the outcome…for the better.  So why not give it a try?

The Gift of Giving

I have recently taken on a new challenge.  I love challenges!  THis morning I was sent an email link to the most fantastic site, called the 29 Day Giving Challenge.  It was started by a young woman with multiple sclerosis, who found happiness (check out her video on the home page) and abundance through the simple act of giving a small gift to someone else every day for 29 days in a row.  This has erupted into a huge movement of giving by thousands of people across the world!  Imagine.

So today is Day 1.  I just joined the Global Giving Village, as one of the 29 Day Giving Challenge member suggested.  I think I’ll update my giving here, to keep me honest.

You know, having CF is no picnic.  But when I check out these organizations and what they do, it reminds me first, that I really have so much to be grateful for, and second, that the quickest way to happiness is to give to others.  Of this, I am certain.

Now….off to the pharmacy for the third time this week!

What is the Right Career?

How is a career choice related to wellness?  First, when I write about wellness with CF, I am not simply talking about physical health and wellness, but also emotional well being…a sense of contentment and fulfillment.  Many things are related to this sense of wellbeing, and fortunately, most have little to do with physical health.

I’ve been reading and thinking a lot about happiness lately.  If you’ve read my column before, you probably know that I find the field of positive psychology fascinating.  Essentially, it is the study of what causes people to be happy and to live rich and fulfilling lives.  Happiness is a popular topic these days.  You see happiness “secrets” revealed on book and magazine covers, on PBS specials, on happiness blogs, websites…you name it.

My purpose is to mine the field of positive psychology and happiness research to come up with scientifically validated ways to improve the subjective wellbeing of people with chronic illness, and of course, cystic fibrosis is a perfect example.

So what does this have to do with career choice?

The research tells us that one of the most important elements of living a good, fulfilling life, is the ability to use your strengths in a manner that serves a purpose that is larger than yourself…one that you believe in deeply and that aligns with your core values.  Those people for whom work is a calling feel the most fulfilled.  And there is a strong positive correlation between happiness and using your strengths every day.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could do that and get paid?  You can…and you should strive to do just that.

We all have strengths, and I’m sure you have a very good idea of what your particular strengths are.  It has only been a recent discovery that people who are the happiest immerse themselves in using their strengths rather than using their finite amount of time and energy to “shore up” their weaknesses.  I believe that the very first thing to take into account when deciding a career path is “What are you good at?”  Notice, I didn’t say, “What do you think you can handle, given CF?”

If you want to try a fun and often revealing exercise, take the VIA Signature Strengths Survey at http://www.authentichappiness.org.  This is a series of 240 multiple-choice questions (it takes 45 minutes or so), and when you are done, you will immediately see which are your top five (or Signature) Strengths.   I thought I knew what my results would be, and I was close, but there were some that completely blew me away.  You will also get an interesting perspective on your own strengths by asking those that know you well what qualities they most admire in you.  Finally, make your own list of things you love to do and that you know you do well.  Try to narrow this down into five or six things in which you take great pride and satisfaction.  Combining all of these methods together will give you a very accurate map of the kind of career you will find most fulfilling.   It will be the one(s) where you see the need and the opportunity for these strengths at every turn.

Looking back to my decision to go to medical school to ultimately “cure cystic fibrosis,” I realize that I could have used this advice.  When one thinks of a good researcher, strengths like the capacity to love and be loved, humor, zest, curiosity and love of learning, and hope/optimism/future mindedness (my top five) are not the ones that first come to mind.   A great researcher would show strengths like industry, diligence, critical thinking, caution, judgment, ingenuity, and leadership (not even close to my top five).  While my passion was in the right place (curing CF), my strengths were not suited well to this career decision.

Now, this didn’t turn out all bad.  I loved going to medical school.  My love of learning and curiosity strengths were force-fed every day for 10 years of training.  I got to tell great pathology jokes.  But let’s just say that sitting around diagnosing cancer (after the intellectual thrill of figuring it out) did nothing for my zest, my hope and my optimism.  And who loves their pathologist?  Was I happy?  Not so much.  When it came time to retire to take care of my children and myself, I went through a slight existential crisis (well if I’m not a doctor, then who am I?), but then settled into post-physician existence quite happily.

Now I am entrenched in career number two, coaching and training wellness to people, who, like myself, live in less than perfect bodies that often require care and attention above and beyond the norm.  I use my strengths in a much more effective an ongoing way, and I am appreciated for them more than I ever was sitting at my microscope.  And, I care deeply about the meaning and usefulness of my work.  I feel that I am doing what I “should” be doing.  Given that I have always had a passion for fitness, nutrition and stress management, I get a kick out of sharing this with other people, and love learning even more about these topics.  This leads to a sense of fulfillment and contentment that I didn’t feel as a surgical pathologist.

So what can you learn from this story?  First, it pays to learn your strengths and give them serious consideration when choosing your career.  The same goes for following your passions, and figuring out a way to merge your core values with your daily job.  But finally, what you can learn from this story is that sometimes, despite your best intention, your “dream” job takes awhile to manifest.

You may decide on one path, and find out later that it doesn’t work out as well as you had hoped.  Or, you may love what you do for a time, and then physical challenges may force you to be more attentive to your own health needs than that particular job allows.  All of this happens…to everyone, really.  When you are first deciding on a career, in your early twenties, it may seem like you only get one chance, and you can’t afford to mess it up.

You might be making yourself crazy by thinking, I can do this now, but what if I get sick?  Sure, be practical.  You probably shouldn’t become a firefighter!  But why paralyze yourself by imagining what may happen in the future?

Barack Obama said something in his inaugural address that stuck me (actually, most of what he said struck me…but this I remember).  He said he rejected the notion that as a nation, we couldn’t both follow our values and be safe.  To paraphrase him, I reject the notion that as people with cystic fibrosis, we can’t both follow our passions and be well.

Your career is obviously a very personal choice…one that you will live with day in and day out.  Most people you talk to will give you practical advice:  Think about your health.  How stressed will you be?  Will you be able to care for yourself appropriately?  How healthy are you now?  What can you do now?

These are obviously important to consider.  But remember also to consider the following:  What are your strengths?  What are your values?  Is it more important to you to work your tail off doing what you love, or to work at a less stressful job so that you can place more energy and attention on your own health and family?  These aren’t right or wrong questions.  They are just questions…to which only you know the answers.

The Wellness Recovery Package

As a nation, we are in deep doo-doo.  Jobs are disappearing in droves.  People are losing their homes, their health care, their confidence in the “American Dream.”  It’s a tough time, no doubt.  At a time of crisis like this, the worst thing we could do is to ignore the fact that this is an extreme test of our stress resilience factor.  While clearly, some people are hurting more than others, the uncertainty we all face is stressful.

We will get through this, of course.  Despite all of our hand wringing, the universe will unfold and we will survive.  The question is, will we come out stronger and wiser, or will we be a collective frazzled mess.

I’m a fan of the stronger, wiser option.  One way to do that, is to use this opportunity to improve upon those things in our lives over which we have control.  We don’t have a lot to say about freeing up the credit market, but we can dump our own “toxic assets” by dropping a few pounds and getting closer to our ideal weight.  We may not be able to do much about our home’s dropping value, but we can focus instead on the value that those we love bring to our lives.  The obvious greed of Wall Street may make us mad as hell, but instead of letting it eat at our gastric lining, we can make use of that energy and hit a heavy bag with abandon.

As our President gives press conferences and leads town hall meetings delineating his Economic Recovery Plan designed to lead us out of this mess, I would like to propose my own “Wellness Recovery Plan.”

To use the same rhetorical tool as our President uses, I will describe my Plan as a combination of three things….a “three-legged stool,” if you will.  This is a very simple plan consisting of three things…three actions…to take each day, that together will work to improve your physical, mental and spiritual wellness.  I promise that if you do these three things consistently every day as we all work to get out of the economic hole we are in, you will emerge as our country will,  stronger and healthier.

The Plan is to take ONE step each day in each of three Initiatives:

1) The Movement Initiative
2) The Eat This, Not That Initiative
3) The Wealth Appreciation Initiative

The Movement Initiative

Every day until this crisis ends, make one choice in favor of movement.  This may be a choice to walk instead of drive.  It may be to stand and stretch during commercials instead of sitting numb as marketers feverishly peddle their junk food.  It may be a choice of stairs over the elevator.  The point is to, at least once a day, make a clear choice to do the healthier thing.

This doesn’t need to be a big deal.  It doesn’t have to be overwhelming.  I’m not asking you to train for a marathon.  These are small, easily accomplished tasks.  As you look for ways to make this choice each day, you will naturally become more conscious of how to be more active without even trying.  It will work….but only if you do it.

The Eat This, Not That Initiative

You can probably guess this one.  Again, it is a very small choice that I am asking you to make, every day.  We all know what the better choice is when we are faced with a nutritional quandary.  It is usually pretty obvious, but if you really are unsure, there are books out there to help (Eat This, Not That).  It may look like eating an apple instead of chips…or a drink of water instead of that Coke…or munching on a bowl of whole grain cereal at night instead of ice cream.  It could be as simple as drinking skim milk instead of whole milk.  If you make just one decision in the direction of better nutrition each day, by the end of this crisis you will be healthier, possibly lighter, and definitely more enlightened about how much control you really do have over your health.

The Wealth Appreciation Initiative

So your 401K doesn’t look so great right now.  It is depressing, but it is what it is.  You can focus on that and be bummed out and angry.  The result:  You will be bummed out, angry, and less wealthy than you were a year ago.

Option two:  You can focus on the wealth that exists in your life right now that cannot be taken away.  The result:   You will still be less financially wealthy than you were last year, but your emotional wealth will grow exponentially.

Take time every day to take an honest inventory of your true wealth.  This includes the important people in your life, the dogs who love you, the home you live in, the amount of material wealth that is in your life, especially when you think about the millions and millions of people around the world who have so much less.  We may think we have it bad…but compared to the rest of the world, we are still quite well off.  As you start focusing on what is good in your life, what isn’t so great takes on less importance.  It also simply feels a lot better.

That’s it!  It is a very simple plan.  It pales in complexity next to what the Senate and House must wrangle over this week.  But it will work.  And it is one way to take charge, right now, when life seems so out of control.

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