Fitness - Moving Crew

The Moving Crew is here to take your questions, comments, stories and ideas about personal fitness.

Health section editor Craig Stoltz and section contributor John Briley were online Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 11:30 a.m. ET to talk with you throughout the hour.

As the Moving Crew, we specialize in helping beginners get started, regular exercisers reach the next level and everybody avoid injuries, stick with their programs and have fun.

And because the fitness world can be so intimidating to folks who are overweight and sedentary -- and since they can benefit so much from a fitness program -- we take special pride in helping them along the path to fitness.

--The Moving Crew

The Moving Crew will be online to take questions every other Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. ET.

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The transcript follows.

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John Briley: Good autumn day you, Crewsters! I finally got out hiking this weekend - on a section of Appalachian Trail near on South Mountain near Jefferson, Md. - and was feeling pretty good about my four-hour effort until I met a dude who was taking a rest.

"Where'd you start?" I asked.

"Maine."

"Oh. Where you going?"

"Georgia."

"Huh."

Said he hoped to finish by Christmas. The point? I dunno, maybe that there's always another level, so just get out there and do whatever you can. I still had a blast and got some exercise on my little day hike.

Also, I am flying solo here today - just like that maniac hiker - and will try hard to blast through the questions but I might not get to all of them. Which means we'd better get started. To the board...

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Arlington, Va.: Hi Crew!

I lift weights pretty regularly just for general fitness and toning. I began doing yoga just a few weeks ago, and I can't seem to find a way to rotate in days I do yoga with my existing cardio vs. strength routine, because yoga often works some of my muscles to near exhaustion, and I don't want to do strength exercises on consecutive days.

I enjoy the yoga more. Will I get the same bone density-building and toning benefits if I replace strength training with more yoga? Other thoughts?

Thanks!

John Briley: Hi Arlington. Absolutely. Yoga is weight-bearing and -- as you know now from muscle soreness -- definitely provides strength training. Also incorporates balance and flexibility. If your goal is to puff up like a bursted grape, then you won't want to abandon weight training, but if you want to be fit, balanced and healthy for everyday living and most recreational sports, yoga is fabulous.

If it gets too light/easy, talk to your teacher about the next level.

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Side stitches: In an effort to heed the advice of the Moving Crew, I've started mixing up my cardio to now include a few miles on the treadmill. I'm doing three miles at a pace between 5.5-6 mph. My question: I get the worst side cramps, and they usually persist. Am I drinking too much water? Not enough? Is there anything you can do to stop them? Thanks!

John Briley: I used to get these and still do during certain runs. Two suggestions: Build up core strength -- front and back -- and try engaging those muscles when you run (this really does help).

And yes, be wary of eating or drinking too much in the couple hours before working out. You want to be hydrated but not bloated. Some people need to eat something in the 30 to 60 minutes before exercise, but if this describes you, keep it light.

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Wrist exercises: Hi John,

Are there any exercises I can do to strengthen my wrists to help prevent injury? Thanks!

John Briley: You can try very light dumbbell lifts with *just* your wrist (lay your forearm on your thigh and start with, like, two or three pounds). Do two sets of 20 in the three directions that your wrist will allow (unless you have space-alien capabilities, your wrist will not turn all the way so that your thumb is facing the floor, so skip that direction).

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Woodbridge, Va.: I can allot about two hours each morning to working out. Currently, I am doing 50 minutes of cardio, 5-10 of stretching, 30-45 of weight lifting, which only leaves 15 minutes for shower/change/get to office. The trainer at my fitness center recommends lifting two sets of 12 reps. What are your thoughts on lifting one set of 15 reps using more weight to reduce the weight lifting time?

John Briley: Hi WB: Single-set lifting is fine for most of us, and probably you too, as long as the one set brings you to "failure" on the final rep (i.e., you could not do one more in proper form). You could even do 12 reps.

While I applaud the two-hours-per-day effort, perhaps you could dial back a bit. We recommend skipping at least one day a week (which you might do on weekends) and having at least a couple days a week of lighter workouts. So perhaps 15 minutes of cardio warmup and some light lifting and flexibility training.

You certainly should not be lifting every day. Experts say two to three days a week is all you need, unless you are playing a competitive sport.

Hope this helps.

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Washington, D.C.: I am a 52-year-old woman. I am 4-foot-11 and 150 pounds. I have hyper-thyroidism and Graves disease. I am consistently gaining weight and feel most of it is due to slow digestive problems. Please advise me of an exercise plan I can follow and a diet plan that will help me lose this weight.

John Briley: I can try to help on exercise. Sally Squires' Lean Plate Club - 1 p.m. today - is the standard-bearing diet chat!

Get out and walk, starting somewhat slow but ensuring that you feel the workouts via hard breathing and some sweat. Do this for a few weeks to acclimate your body to exercise, then ramp it up a bit (say, go from 15 minutes a day to 25, then 30 after another couple weeks). after a month or so, start to work with some weights. Again, make sure this is mildly challenging - nothing extreme to start because lifting can cause injury - and stick to major muscle groups (chest, back, butt, thighs, abs) to start.

Given your med condition, your doc should be able to advise re calories intake, but our basic formula is that, to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume, ideally running about a 300-cal-per-day deficit.

You can see how many calories daily activities burn at www.caloriesperhour.com.

Just start working movement into your life - raking leaves, doing situps while watching TV, walking over to a friend's house, etc. - and look for excuses to move, not vice versa.

Good luck! Keep us posted on progress.

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Rosslyn: Okay, it is getting cold and dark out, so it is harder to run outside. I enjoy running outside, but the treadmill at the gym bores me and sometimes makes me dizzy. I also feel like I don't get nearly as good of a workout. Any suggestions for getting a good treadmill workout in 20-30 minutes? Should I run for a certain distance or for a certain time? Do any other indoor machines (stationary bike, elliptical, etc.) work as well or better than a treadmill?

John Briley: I feel your pain Ros. as we say often, INTERVALS! and you can do these numerous ways to keep the dreadmill interesting (at least somewhat). So get warmed up, then establish your *normal* pace for a few minutes, then jack up the speed or incline for 30 seconds - this should be very hard - then back it down to where you were, recover for 60 to 90 seconds, and do it again. start with five or six of those, then finish the run at standard pace, cool down and go "phew!".

Couple notes: Don't do more than three interval days per week - two is usually sufficient - because they are demanding.

At least one day per week, try a stationary bike or elliptical or rowing machine, both to mix it up and get other muscles a little work.

Last: the dizziness thing is worrying. Do you eat enough? sleep enough? Hydrate? It is convenient to blame indoor air for these issues, but there's probably at least something else contributing to that. If it persists, back your workouts down and/or talk to your doctor.

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Alexandria, Va.: The biggest running event in the DC area is this Sunday and no mention?!

Any tips on: 1. Getting hydrated and nourished enough before the 8:30 start; 2. Staying warm!

John Briley: Oh, right, that real long race affiliated with that branch of the military! How could we forget?

Seriously, you're right, we owe a nod to the Marine Corps Marathon. Huge event for many area runners. I've run many shorter races and a couple triathlons, and here's my strategy. Carb up a bit in the Thursday-Friday range, but not so heavy Saturday (I do a sushi dinner the night before racing. Gives me great day-of energy).

Get up at least two hours pre-race to get your body into the day, have a nutritious but not obscenely huge breakfast at least 90 minutes pre start, drink enough to quench your thirst but not so much to bloat you, then warm up with some light jogging (first) then stretching around the start line.

Tech fabrics - and running stores have a wide selection - are best (not cotton), and layer up with light layers so you can take a garment off mid-race if needed and tie it around your waist. Obviously depends on the weather. if windy, you'll want a light windbreaker. If not, you should heat up quickly. You *do not* want to be toasty warm at start. If you are, you'll be BAKING within 20 minutes. 'Course you don't want to start freezing either - no fun at all and makes for tight muscles. So somewhere in between.

I could go on but I'm solo here and have to grab other questions. most important: have fun out there!

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Alexandria, Va.: Hi, I had a very successful summer and lost 25 pounds through the magic of more exercise and better nutritional choices. I have 25 more to go. My challenge is that I drove to work and made it a habit to go directly to the gym after work; now I'm on the Metro and have to go home, get changed and drive to the gym. Depending on Metro, I have a 15-30 minute window before leaving for the 7 p.m. exercise class, and I'm usually starving when I get home (during the summer, I went to the 6 p.m. classes). I've tried eating nothing, but get really fatigued halfway through the workout; other times I overeat and feel really sluggish. What do you recommend for a light snack before an aerobic or weightlifting class (protein? carb?) that will keep my weight-loss goal in view? Thanks!

John Briley: A little cottage cheese and an apple. Or a grapefruit (the citrus assuages your hunger, but might be too acidic for you). And of course a tall glass of water.

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Greencastle, Pa.: Hi John!

Saw your advice about not lifting every day. What about a three-day split twice a week (assuming you take one full day of rest)?

An example: chest and back on Day 1. Bis, tris and shoulders on Day 2. Abs and legs on Day 3.

In that case, wouldn't a daily (six days, plus one day to rest) strength training plan be okay? Thanks!

John Briley: Yeah, that would work, just remember not to go too hard on the cardio all the time. I know this can be addictive -- it was me for many years -- but I suffered over-training symptoms from this, including lagging performance in recreational sports and a couple of injuries that I attribute directly to pushing it too hard too consistently.

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Follow on question about Yoga: Lately I have been putting off my weight training sessions because am a little bored with them. If I did some yoga classes instead would I reap the same benefits I get from traditional weight training. Am not looking to bulk up -- just build strength and tone my body. Thanks.

John Briley: Yes, as long as you don't get into a wimp yoga class. Most studios let you drop into a class (and pay the one-time fee of course) so you can try a teacher before committing.

And by "wimp" I mean too light for your goals. Those classes may be perfectly appropriate for many people. Just trying to forestall the flood of angry letters from yoga teachers!

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Plantar Fascitis: Hello. I am a runner with moderate plantar fascitis. Can I still run (about 16 miles per week) or should I give it a break for several months? I have done all the things such as Advil, night splints, stretching, etc.

Thanks.

John Briley: Give it a break, at least for a couple weeks. Other things, which worked for me, include alternating ice and heat. get a couple of buckets at Home Depot, fill one with ice water and the other with warm water (hot but not scalding) and do three five minute dunks in each, ending with the ice.

I also kept pillows on the floor next to my bed so that my first steps of the day were soft. Sounds wussy-ish but it really helped (I think). Return to running gingerly and modify your program based on the pain.

It almost certainly will not disappear after a couple but should be able to ease back into running as long as it is improving somewhat as go along. If it gets worse at any point or even flat-lines for more than a week, you are doing too much.

Be patient with this one, it takes a while to heal. Some people have tried and endorse a laser treatment, but I know little about it.

Good luck.

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Re: wrist exercises: In addition to the light weight work, you might want to consider push-ups, especially variations.

On knuckles -- sounds harder than it is, and a set of push-up bars replicate the positioning without putting strain on your knuckles.

On fingertips -- great for wrists and grip

On the backs of your hands -- this is sort of advanced, and you might want some sort of padding under your hands for these.

These sound more difficult than they are, and get easier with practice. They are written in ascending order of difficulty.

John Briley: Hey, thanks. Good stuff.

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Herndon, Va.: I usually get up, run outside, and then go to the gym and left three days a week. With is being so dark in the mornings, I am finding I don't have time to run outside and lift before work. However, I was thinking of lifting first, while it's still dark, before I run. I've never done this. Are there any problems with doing strength training before cardio?

John Briley: Not necessarily but there are risks with lifting first thing in the a.m. For one, you have more fluid in the disks of your back for the first hour or so after waking up (it accumulates while you sleep) and that equals more pressure inside your disks - i.e., more prone to injury. this self-moderates as the day progresses.

So you can do it, just make sure you warm up and avoid the back exercises until later in your workout.

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Rockville, Md.: I just started using the erg (rowing) machine in my gym last week. Had a trainer who's a rower show me how to do it, so I think my technique is correct. However while I feel the muscles in my back and arms working, I'm not really feeling it in my legs, nor are they sore at all. Is this normal, or any guesses on what I could be doing incorrectly? My legs are fully extended before I begin pulling my arms back. Thanks!

John Briley: Hmmm. Could be that you need to up resistance, or lean farther forward at the start of the backstroke.

Also, while the erg is an all-body workout you won't necessarily feel every muscle cooked after every session. Could be that you just have super strong legs (??).

Check Concept2 for more tips. And keep it up - great machine!

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Scheduling...: I'm relatively new to working out -- started running about a year ago. I'm 26, in good shape, and now that I lost the weight (fat) I gained in grad school, I'm trying to build muscle. I'm wary to stop running, as I now sit at a desk for 10 hours a day.

Is running three times a week for 40 minutes a lifting weights two times a week a good way to increase muscle without losing the cardio I need?

Thanks!

John Briley: Yep, as along as you are challenging yourself during those lifting sessions AND working a full range of muscles -- front and back. Lots of people go into the gym, do a bunch of chest and arms work and call it a week. this leads to musculoskeletal imbalance, which is bad in many ways.

You could even add another cardio day, though if you do perhaps try something other than running to give your body a break from the pounding.

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Snack before workout:: And really just about any time: Banana and peanut butter. Not too much, so you don't overload on calories, but it's very filling, yummy, and will hold you over for an hour or two.

John Briley: Yes! Good!

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Bowie, Md.: Hello Moving Crew,

Is it okay to lift weights everyday if you alternate muscles? For example, Monday work chest, triceps and shoulders; Tuesday work back and biceps, Wednesday same as Monday, etc. Thanks!

John Briley: Yes, sort of, but working the same muscles *hard* every other day is still a bit much. any way to structure it so get back to the Monday sets on Thursday? That would ensure adequate recovery time.

Of course, if you're doing it and you feel good and are able to pick up small cars and hurl them around your hometown, what the heck? Stick with it. Your body will tell you when you're overdoing it (chronic tiredness, chronic muscle soreness/tightness, unexplained clumsiness, etc.).

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Morning Workout: Hi guys -- I've started going to the gym pre-work, as I stay later and later at my office. Should I eat before I go downstairs and use the treadmill? Or should I wait and have breakfast after my run and before work?

Thanks!

John Briley: Small snack before starting, eat more when done.

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Alexandria, Va.: Hi there, I have two questions:

If I can't fit a cardio class (i.e. step or spinning) into my day, I will run on the treadmill or use the elliptical machine. My question: When I run on the treadmill as compared to when I used the elliptical for the same amount of time, I sweat more, my face gets red, and I breathe harder - basically I experience a much higher perceived level of exertion than when on the elliptical. Yet for the same amount of time spent on each piece of equipment, I am "told" (based on the workout summary provided) that I am burning more calories -- 300 calories for 30 minutes of running on the treadmill vs. 450 calories for 30 minutes on the elliptical. This seems counterintuitive in that I feel like I am working much harder on the treadmill but burning fewer calories. Incidentally, I am doing interval training/hills on both pieces of equipment. My questions: why the disparity between perceived exertion and actual calories burned, and which is the "better" exercise do you think? Thanks!

My second question:

My boyfriend (who turns 44 next month) has been working out five days a week pretty much without fail for the past 20 years. Because his job is very demanding and he works long hours, he wakes up at 5 a.m. every day in order to get to the gym before work. While physically he is in excellent shape, at the end of the day he will fall asleep in about 3-4 seconds - no exaggeration - because he is so exhausted. He realizes he is chronically sleep-deprived, but would rather miss sleep than workouts. I realize there is probably a question for Carolyn Hax in here about the state of the relationship, but that aside, I wonder about the cost/benefits of making the choice to forego sleep in favor of exercise. I am encouraging him to "sleep in" until 7 a.m. two days a week so that he would be working out only three days a week. Your thoughts?

John Briley: In reverse order: Re boyfriend, see my above answer on over-training. I can empathize -- I can't live without exercise -- but at some point something has to give. It might not be sleep or exercise: Maybe he can find a new, less-taxing job (??). Just trying to help you think outside the box.

On the other question, those cal counters are not always precise. Plus, running is a high-impact activity while elliptical is virtually non-impact.

More likely, you are not using the elliptical properly. Don't worry, I did it wrong for years before I got pro help last spring for a column, which we will post here in a second. After 30 minutes in proper form, I was dust - first time ever I had an elliptical workout that equaled the exertion of running. Column coming up momentarily...

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Damascus: Having a debate with a work out buddy,

She gets on the stationary bike and cranks up the resistance and then just powers through. Her rpm is low but she is putting out a ton of energy. Strengthening and toning her leg she says. I say lower the resistance and pick up the RPM to get the cardio out of the bike and then use the weights to gain muscle strength. Who is right here?

John Briley: Both of you. The higher resistance will burn the cals faster but risks knee aggravation and of course is much more painful from the outset. She's definitely getting the cardio with the resistance, but of course so are you (I assume you achieve panting and sweating, right?).

All a matter of preference.

Of course, the quicker pedaling also recruits a different set of muscle fibers than does the grunt-it-out style, and if you're want to boost your agility and reaction time, the quicker motion can help with that.

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Bethesda, Md.: What is the definition of physical fitness or being "in shape"? I find these terms so vague as to be almost useless. For example, am I "in shape" or "physically fit" because I can run 2.5 miles at 9 minutes per mile, or am I "out of shape" because two years ago I could run 4 miles at 8 minutes per mile? Obviously I am less fit than I used to be, but more so than if I didn't exercise at all. Your thoughts?

John Briley: Excellent question, to which I do not have a clear-cut answer, but I give you this: Being in shape means you can climb a few flights of stairs without panting or having to stop for rest and have the energy to meet the demands of the day while keeping something in reserve for an emergency.

Sounds like you have correctly self-diagnosed: You are in shape but not as fit as you once were.

I know there is a better answer to this - probably on the Fitness Columnist SAT, which thankfully I never took - and I will research and have it at the ready for future chats. Maybe even write a column on it!

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PF tip: For the person with PF: never go barefoot, and always make sure you wear something with arch support for that inflamed fascia muscle. Birkenstocks have really helped me out, and I wear them in the house from the moment I get out of bed till the moment I get back in.

John Briley: thanks!

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washingtonpost.com: All That Sweat Is No Elliptical Illusion (Post, April 18)

John Briley: here's the ellip column...

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D.C. area: Have any of you tried gyrotonics? it's supposed to be amazing! Do you know of any instructors or studios on the Orange line?

John Briley: I tried it and found it okay, but there was another client there who had been doing it for months and loved it. I think it is best if you've had injuries or mobility issues and need to work back into balance.

Not sure about studios. I tried it up near Tenleytown (NW D.C.).

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on snacking before working out: I feel the same pain with the poster re: logistics. I'm sure many of us do. I had the same problem of being ravishingly hungry. Cottage cheese wouldn't make sense when on-the-go, so I carry Clif bars or Luna bars in my gym bag to quench the cravings. I know the poster was looking for something to keep calories down, but maybe s/he could eat only half before actual dinner?

John Briley: Good suggestion, though some of these bars taste horrid. Still, in a pinch...

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Washington, D.C.: My primary exercise is jogging on a treadmill. I find that, as a result, my hamstrings feel tight and I tend to shuffle around all day. Any suggestions?

John Briley: ALERT! Stretch, mix up your routine, consider yoga - even one day a week - but do something, anything to address this. I spent five - count 'em, FIVE - months healing a torn hammy, and I would not wish that on anyone.

It will take a while to re-establish flexibility here but please do it.

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John Briley: Alright, kids, class dismissed. I know I did not get to a lot of questions today, but we should have more support at the next chat -- Nov. 7 -- so please re-join us then.

Until then, witches and pumpkins and ghosts and why in the world is Halloween not a national holiday?

- Boo.

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