Merritt Clubs Blog

Looking at these pictures, I am reminded of why I love CrossFit. I can see the agony and determination on our faces. What’s more difficult to see is the the elation. This was one of the most fun and challenging competitions I’ve ever experienced. The pictures are from the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Challenge, a team competition for CrossFitters from the entire Mid-Atlantic region. This weekend I’ll be competing for a second time. A lot has happened in the last year, including a shoulder injury, a lot of time off and rehab. Leading up to this point every time I think about it I fight back the urge to toss my cookies. All the old self-doubts surface. Am I ready to compete again? Will I hurt my shoulder? What if I let my teammates down? And so, on. What's worse is after last year I know just how bad it hurts physically. Why on Earth then, would I voluntarily put myself through the agony once again?

Looking at these pictures, I am reminded of why I love CrossFit. I can see the agony and determination on our faces. What’s more difficult to see is the the elation. This was one of the most fun and challenging competitions I’ve ever experienced. The pictures are from the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Challenge, a team competition for CrossFitters from the entire Mid-Atlantic region. This weekend I’ll be competing for a second time. A lot has happened in the last year, including a shoulder injury, a lot of time off and rehab. Leading up to this point every time I think about it I fight back the urge to toss my cookies. All the old self-doubts surface. Am I ready to compete again? Will I hurt my shoulder? What if I let my teammates down? And so, on. What's worse is after last year I know just how bad it hurts physically. Why on Earth then, would I voluntarily put myself through the agony once again?

Bias notwithstanding, my mom is pretty amazing. She plays tennis like I CrossFit...as much as possible. About 6 months ago she started having low back pain, which migrated into her hip, then through her glute and down her leg. It would come and go, and it would change locations. She didn’t think too much about it. That is, until she ended up in the hospital with severe back pain earlier this winter. To add to her pain, she hasn't been able to play tennis or engage in her normal social interactions. It's been a pretty miserable winter.

Like many Americans, for the last 30 years or so she has sat at a desk for 8 hours a day. She commutes to work 30 minutes each direction, so another hour is spent in the car. Add another hour or two for dinner and any tv she might watch and suddenly she is sitting for over 10 hours each day. Even though she is active, playing tennis five to six days a week for an hour or more, mountain biking and gardening on the weekends, a new study indicates that all the sitting could be taking a toll.

It’s well known that the more sedentary you are, the greater the risk of all disease and mortality. But a recent study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, indicates sitting is a health hazard all by itself. It found that regardless of how much they exercise, for individuals 60 or older, each additional hour of sitting per day increases the likelihood of becoming physically disabled by 50%. Meaning, if sitting for 10 hours daily gave you a 6% risk of becoming disabled, bumping up your sitting time only one more hour to 11 hours a day would increase your risk by an additional 3%. The study found each hour per day spent sitting increased the odds of problems with daily living by 46%. Increasing exercise did not negate the risk.

Why is sitting so bad for you and what can you do about it?

There was a great Washington Post infographic recently about the dangers of sitting. I printed out copies and posted it above every computer in the office at the gym. I’m looking at it right now and reminding myself to sit up tall while I type. The dangers include organ damage, muscle degeneration, neck, shoulder and back pain, decreased circulation and bone density problems, not to mention increased disability and mortality risk.

You can’t make up for it at the gym. In order to maintain your muscles’ ability to do low-intensity, basic tasks you have to use them for a long duration throughout the entire day doing said low-intensity, basic tasks. You have to incorporate non-fatiguing activity into your daily routine as much as possible to stave off the negative health effects of sitting. Lifting weights a few times a week won't work your muscles the same way. That means incorporate walking around the office several times a day, walking to a co-worker's desk instead of sending a message, using a far away printer or bathroom on another floor, parking at the far end of the parking lot, and standing while you talk on the phone. Here are some other great ideas to keep you moving throughout the day, complete with a difficulty, sweatiness and humiliation rating.

My mom has regained her ability to get around and exercise. She's been getting out on the court a couple times a week, but it is literally a pain in the butt. That’s a referred pain joke. I couldn’t help myself. She is coping with degenerating disks, and compressed nerves. Sitting has likely contributed more to her current condition than a lack of exercise. It turns out the old saying is true; move it or lose it!

Chances are by now you’ve heard about the “surprising” appearance and percentage of body weight lost by the most recent winner of The Biggest Loser. Rachel Frederickson, lost almost 60% of her body weight in only five months. The trainers and other contestants could hardly contain their surprise and seeming concern at her reveal and final weigh-in. This would be more shocking if it weren’t the logical outcome of a contest conducted in the manner of The Biggest Loser. The contest is judged on total weight loss and pays no attention to body composition; the percentages of fat mass versus lean body mass. There are some wonderful aspects of the show, but this aspect is very misleading. Don’t be fooled.

In this post I mention that weight is only one aspect of a person’s overall health...the one everyone obsesses over. Unfortunately, our attention to the number on the scale is misguided. What most of us are really concerned about is our body fat - a percentage of our overall weight. When most people say they want to lose weight, they really mean that they want to lose fat. The two are not synonymous. However, some people are still under the illusion that gaining muscle is bad, because it contributes to the total number on the scale or for fear of becoming bulky.

Gaining muscle is NOT bad. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself, especially if you are trying to lose fat. Muscle is expensive, calorically speaking. It takes a lot of calories to maintain and build muscle. The more muscle you have the more energy (calories/food) your body needs to maintain it. Gaining muscle helps you burn fat for energy even at rest, helping you reach your weight loss goals (or fat loss goals) even quicker. Gaining muscle will also make your stronger, not bulkier. Cinnamon buns make you bulky, not dumbbells.

Additionally, when you are too preoccupied with the number on the scale it is way more tempting to crash diet. When people crash diet (ever heard of the master cleanse?) they lose weight for sure - both fat and muscle weight. However, at some point after a crash diet you have to start eating food again. When the inevitable occurs your metabolism is now slower because you’ve lost calorie burning muscle. Meaning, you’ll gain more fat eating the same amount of food that you were eating before. And the cycle begins. You starve yourself to lose weight, you lose fat and muscle, eventually you have to start eating again, but now you get even fatter than you were before, so you starve yourself again to lose some weight…

Stop telling yourself that the number on the scale is the enemy!

Television shows like The Biggest Loser are for entertainment first and foremost. Unfortunately, they perpetuate idea that the scale is the enemy. Contestants are rewarded for losing the most weight, not the most body fat. The insane amount of weight the contestants lose each week is not realistic. It makes a more realistic and sustainable rate of weight loss seem disappointing. If you are trying to lose weight (and keep it off), you want to maintain your muscle mass, if not build upon it. Therefore, ideally most people will be losing some fat, and gaining some muscle each week. That’s why we say it is safe and most effective to lose 1-2 pounds each week...not 25. You have to take a gradual approach to weight loss if you want the results to be long lasting. Remember it’s a journey.

It’s time to end that unhealthy relationship with the scale. To get a more accurate picture of your overall health and weight loss progress find out your body composition. Ask a personal trainer to help you find your body fat percentage, or check out the Bod Pod that comes to Merritt several times each year. It is a quick and highly accurate way to test your body composition and get your estimated daily energy expenditure (the number of calories you burn daily ). The scale is not the be all and end all measurement of your health and fitness. Don’t give it more importance than it deserves.

Joanna Meade (view bio) is a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer at the Downtown Athletic Club. She is a Level OneCrossFit instructor and competitor. She can be reached at Merritt Athletic Clubs Downtown Club at 410-332-0906 or click here for a Free CrossFit Session.