Vicky Hallett
Washington Post Health Section
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
11:00 AM
He's a veteran reporter, digging up the latest fitness news. She's an irreverent columnist with a knack for getting people off the couch and into the gym. No exercise question is too odd or embarrassing for them to answer.
Vicky Hallett and Howard Schneider are the MisFits, The Post's fitness writers. Vicky was online Tuesday, July 22 to take your fitness questions and discuss their recent columns.
The transcript follows
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Vicky Hallett: Hey y'all! I'm MisFitting alone again this week, so sorry in advance for any slow pokiness. But what's shaking with you?
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Washington, D.C.: Hi Vicky and Howard,
I am looking to purchase a reusable water bottle. I thought about getting a Nalgene bottle but want to avoid BP-A. Do you or the chatters have any recommendations? I would prefer something I could get at Dick's, City Sports or Target. I don't want to spend a lot of money. Thanks!
Vicky Hallett: You're in luck -- I just did a roundup of BPA-free bottles for Express.
And notice that Nalgene is one of the choices on there. The "everyday" line is BPA-free and happy, and still a value. I'm also a big fan of those Camelbak bottles. You can also ditch plastic altogether and go for something like Sigg. But those tend to be pricier.
Any chatter suggestions?
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Alexandria, Va.: I started bike commuting after five years. Yay, me! But it kicked my BUTT. How do I keep going when everyone whizzes past a wheezing me on the bike path?
Vicky Hallett: It's not a race, Alexandria! And you just got started (congrats, by the way). Give your body some time to get used to the new routine, and soon you'll be cycling faster and leaving others wheezing in your wake.
And, um, have you noticed it's crazy hot right now? You'll probably feel much faster once the temperature drops 20 degrees or so...
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Not Getting Faster: I run consistently at about 11 minute miles. I would really like to run faster, ideally at a 9 minute mile. Any good training tips to increase speed?
Vicky Hallett: My favorite word in all of exercise is the fartlek. Learn it, love it, embrace it. It's the Swedish word for "speed play," and it basically means running faster for a short period of time. It's like when two kids are walking and one of them says, "Race you to that tree." And it really can make you faster. Don't believe me? Check this out from Runner's World.
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Chicago: While working a treadmill at my local community center I can't help but notice that most of the ladies who also work the treadmill hang onto the bar. Do you burn more calories holding onto the bar of a treadmill or letting go?
Vicky Hallett: Most treadmills will complain if you try to hold on at a speed of higher than 4.5 mph, and for good reason: It's BAD for you. It can hurt your posture, mess with your muscles and cheat you out of balance benefits. If you're really worried you'll fall off, take the speed or incline down a bit.
(And to answer your question directly: You burn more calories when you're hands off.)
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Washington, D.C.: I'm at the start of a 4-week boot camp (workouts 5 days a week at 6 a.m.), and I'm looking for some good pre-workout snacks. Any suggestions? I've been eating half an apple with some peanut butter, but I'm guessing I'll want some variety by the end of this experience. To make this more challenging, I try to avoid dairy before workouts, and I hate bananas. Thanks!
Vicky Hallett: If you're into fruit but just not bananas, how about taking advantage of some stuff in season? A peach, a couple of apricots or a handful of blueberries sounds good right now. There's always dry cereal if you can't handle it in a bowl of milk. Granola. Bars of various stripes. Nuts...
What are you chatters nibbling on these days?
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Richmond, Va.: My favorite water bottle these days is the Klean Kanteen because you can easily fit ice cubes in the opening. I have some Siggs which are also good but ice requires a shove through the opening. I bought them online.
Vicky Hallett: Another way to get around that ice issue is to fill 'em at night and put them in the fridge so they're prechilled in the morning. But if you're not good at planning ahead, heed this ice cube warning!
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Fairfax, Va.: I promised myself I would attempt to get in shape this summer. I am about 40-50 lbs overweight. So, I started jogging. Very slow at first, but after 7 weeks, I am up to 4 miles 3 times per week. I haven't changed my diet, but figured the additional exercise would take off at least 10 lbs. No dice, after 7 weeks I have....gained 2 lbs. I know I'll have to change my eating, but what could be the reason for the lack of weight loss going from 0 to 12 miles per week?
Vicky Hallett: If I had to guess, I'd say you're probably eating more even if you don't realize it. It's a problem with people getting into exercise. They think, "I ran this morning, so I can totally get away with having that second bowl of ice cream." It's why a lot of folks training for marathons don't actually slim down the way they think they will...That's not to say there aren't health benefits of what you're doing! It's great for you. But if you really want to focus on losing weight, I'd take a much closer look at what's on your plate, too.
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Baltimore: I'm pregnant (currently 4 months) and trying to stay fit. I used to stay fit by taking regular dance classes and doing Pilates, but I'm worried about my center (balance) being impacted negatively by a protruding belly, making me unable to execute turns and jumps. I'm told swimming and walking are what I should be doing, but that seems kind of limiting. I walk daily, but I don't have access to a pool. What should I be doing, I understand I am supposed to put on weight, but I really don't want to get out of shape and weak.
Vicky Hallett: I think you're right to be worried about turning and jumping, but you don't need to quit Pilates (as long as you can find an instructor who's trained in prenatal work), and certainly you can do yoga. There's SO much prenatal yoga around here. I don't know the Baltimore studios very well, but I see Charm City Yoga does prenatal. (As does the appropriately-named Yoga For Moms: yogaformoms.com)
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Falls Church, Va.: I walk at 15 percent incline on the treadmill at 3.2 mph. I hold on to the bar since the incline is so steep. Would it be more effective if I brought down the incline to the point where I didn't need the bar? Just checking since I seem to receive conflicting information on this.
Vicky Hallett: I'm not an expert on this and I was thinking more in terms of running. So it's possible what you're doing is fine.
But...when you're walking on the treadmill it's to mimic taking a walk in the real world, right? When do you get to hang on to a bar when you're walking outside? If you lower the incline to a point where you can balance yourself, you'll be getting a much more functional workout, and you'll be engaging your core a whole lot more.
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Chinatown, D.C.: Love the chats -- they're my favorite part of Tuesday!
I've been running all summer and have lost almost 35 pounds. But lately, I've experienced a completely random and new problem -- the dreaded side stitch. I used to be able to run an hour at a time, but now all of a sudden I get 10 minutes in and I'm crippled by the pain in my side. Haven't been doing anything different than I used to, and I figured running would get easier the more in shape I got. Anyone have remedies for this?
Vicky Hallett: And we love you, dear Chinatown! And you know what else we love? Runner's World. Sorry to sound like such a shill for them, but this article has some suggestions for you on how to ditch the side stitch.
Coach Jenny says side stitches are commonly caused by irregular or fast-paced breathing, and that can be fixed by slowing down and steadying the rhythm of your breathing. Another possible culprit: A heavy meal before a run. Good luck figuring it out -- and congrats on those 35 pounds!
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For the 4-month prego woman: As I'm post-four-months prego, I can tell you what I did. I ran before pregnancy but was told not to during. Instead I did the elliptical. I was able to hold onto the rails but still get in a good workout. I did this up until I delivered and had no problems. AND I was able to keep weight gain to a recommended-for-me amount.
Vicky Hallett: Advice from the trenches! Thanks!
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Roanoke, Va.: Thanks for the chats! I just discovered them recently and I'm hooked! I'm training for my first marathon with a friend. We're using a training schedule she used with her Team in Training last year. I'm new to distance running and not having the benefit of a coach, I'm not sure where to turn when I have questions about injuries.
For the past three weeks I've been having a lot of trouble with my left knee. A guy at my local running store diagnosed the problem as IT Band Syndrome. He taught me a few stretches, but told me to run through the pain and not to stop training. I've done some research online and everything I've read says to stop running and let it heal. I can barely walk without limping, let alone run, so I've taken about a week off from running, but I'm not sure what to do next. See a doctor? If so, what kind? Keep running even if it hurts and I'm favoring my left leg? Help, please. Thank you!
Vicky Hallett: "Run through the pain" is just about the worst advice I've ever heard. Get thee to an orthopedist!
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Moving past a 5K: Hi!
I am training for a 10K but I get so unmotivated. I hit a wall at about a 5K/35 minutes. I've changed music, tried tv (but the gym has no sound), varied between indoor and out door.
Any suggestions to keep me going?
Vicky Hallett: Have you tried human contact? Running buddies can be more entertaining than even a TV with sound. And they're not so hard to find -- you can join an organized fun run (if you're local, Pacers and Fleet Feet do them), a club (like DC Road Runners or Reston Runners) or just find someone in your neighborhood (Craigslist can help you out).
Or, my new obsession is the Gold's Gym cardio cinema. Only four of the local gyms have them, but they're destined for greatness and ubiquity! It's a room with a big movie screen (with the sound on, of course) with cardio equipment. With the right movie, I think I could run a marathon.
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Early morning exercise/snacks: Hi,
First off, kudos to the person starting boot camp! Instead of eating early in the morning, try a 200-300 calorie snack (fruit, cereal, etc) before bed. I've done vigorous predawn workouts (5 a.m.) six days a week for several years now, and I've never eaten beforehand or had a problem with endurance as long as I'm drinking enough water and eating well the rest of the day. But since everyone's stomach is different, it may take some experimenting to see what works for you.
Vicky Hallett: So true -- experimentation with this stuff is always helpful. Eating right before bed can wreak havoc on some people's sleep schedules, but if you can't force yourself to eat in the morning, it might be the best solution.
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Vicky Hallett: Sorry gang, but that's all the time we (I mean I) have for today. But come back next week! We're kicking off the MisFits four-part guide to training like an Olympian.
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