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WebAerobics What do the new findings linking phosphoric acid in soda to bone loss in women mean? Denise Howard It means what we've already known all along, and this is just one more reason to do so: we should drink fewer sodas and more water in its place. WebAerobics Recently, someone wrote that it is a myth that lactic acid causes pain after exercise. The person claimed that lactic acid is present during exercise, and it can be responsible for pain experienced during exercise. He/she said pain experienced after exercise is attributable to fine muscle tears. Is this true? Denise Howard I assume by "pain" you mean delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Nobody knows for sure what causes DOMS. Both the lactic acid idea and the muscle micro-tears idea have been around for some time. Lactic acid certainly causes the burning sensation in a muscle that's contracted and working without being allowed to relax between repetitions (e.g., the old Jane Fonda "go for the burn" leg-lifts). Lactic acid is a by-product of the anaerobic energy system; if the muscle stays contracted, there's not an opportunity for the lactic acid to be flushed away so it builds up to the characteristic burning sensation. WebAerobics What do you think about "interval"-type training? Denise Howard I think it's terrific! If you really challenge yourself during the work intervals, it's entirely possible to burn significantly more calories over the course of the workout--even with the very easy recovery intervals--than one would during a steady-state workout of the same length. It's also a quicker way to increasing one's aerobic capacity and raising one's anaerobic threshold. WebAerobics How much water should an average person drink per day? A recreational athlete? An athlete? Denise Howard All of them should drink enough water so that their urine is as nearly colorless as possible all the time. WebAerobics How should pregnant women modify their exercise programs as their due dates approach? Denise Howard Since every pregnancy is different, the best thing for her to do is to stay in touch with her ob/gyn about her exercise efforts in relation to her pregnancy. During pregnancy is not the time to start an exercise program, but there's not usually a need to discontinue a program if she's been on it for a few months before the pregnancy. From the day that she learns she's pregnant she needs to be gentler with any stretches she does, because the hormone relaxin starts to loosen joints and connective tissues and makes her more susceptible to injury. In the third trimester she needs to modify any abdominal exercises she does to be sure that her abdominal muscles don't separate down the middle and that the weight of the fetus doesn't press on certain nerves and blood vessels. Otherwise, whatever her ob/gyn clears her to do should be fine; her workout intensity will tend to be self-limiting, so no worries about overdoing it. WebAerobics Why is it important to keep the spine aligned during exericise? Denise Howard I presume you mean "to keep the spine aligned correctly for a given exercise". For the same reasons it's important to use proper form for any exercise: to maximize its effectiveness while minimizing the risk of injury. WebAerobics What advice would you give someone who just made a commitment to start an exercise program as part of a new, healthier lifestyle? Denise Howard Don't overdo it! Take your time easing into the program, increasing the intensity or the duration one at a time and only a small amount at a time. Don't expect your body to morph overnight or within a couple of weeks--it took years for you to get out of shape so you should expect it to take awhile to get back into shape. Work out at the time of day when it's most convenient, when you're most likely to be able to do it regularly and consistently--consistency is key to your success in meeting your exercise goals. WebAerobics Since the ideal fat/lean content is different fpr men and women, should women have the same goal of "washboard" abs that some men have? Denise Howard No. The female body stores fat in different areas from the male body, one of which is the lower abdomen. The degree to which any of the areas is used is determined strictly by genetics. Fashion magazines would have us believe that women are supposed to have perfectly flat bellies, but this is actually very unusual and makes for a highly unrealistic goal for real women. Additionally, the body fat percentage most often quoted for men to begin to see the "washboard" is around 6%; at this level women will have stopped menstruating--a very serious health state to be avoided. WebAerobics Do you think women entering menopause should increase (or begin) physical exercise/activity? Why? Denise Howard Yes. It's been shown pretty convincingly that bone density drops off rather dramatically after menopause among women who don't exercise, leaving them more susceptible to broken bones. A regular exercise program that includes weight-bearing activity (e.g., running, weightlifting, tennis, aerobics classes) encourages bones to hang onto the minerals they have, and pick up more. WebAerobics What would you describe as your biggest challenge as a instructor/fitness professional? Denise Howard Getting folks to apply themselves to their workout instead of simply half-heartedly going through the motions! Too many folks don't seem to realize that they wouldn't have to spend nearly as much time working out to burn the same number of calories, if only they'd apply themselves to the movements. This goes for all sorts of activities, from jogging to aerobics classes to bicycling to stairmasters to weight machines. |
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