Women's History Month piece: "I Am Woman" by Laurie Towers

Originally published in

WHOM YOU KNOW blog and the TOPRICIN newsletter, March 2010

"I am Woman"...Celebrating the Ladies During Women's History Month....

By Laurie Towers

 Each culture develops a general perception of what the ideal female body type would be. Surely this could only be deemed unfair as the newer Western ideals can be a bit stringent and applauding of emaciated structures. Although these may look flattering in a pair of jeans, it becomes a futile effort to obtain or maintain in reality.

In design the male physicality has always been nurtured and subsidized for sport and strengthening prowess. Before adolescence however, males and females have very similar builds. At puberty, estrogen makes its entrance for the girls thus endorsing breast development and a wider pelvis to accommodate childbirth. Another feature of estrogen is to encourage the body to store its excess fat in the hips, thighs, abdomen. As you would imagine, this is hardly a welcomed gift and is usually met with either the fight of intake depravation or any other item that may reduce the appearance of this.

Throughout history, radical efforts have been embarked upon to reduce and alter a woman’s shape despite the fact that it would forfeit her certain rights of comfort. Corsets although considered a bit Barbaric now, were certainly a common dweller in a women's wardrobe by many cultures specifically during the Victorian era. Never totally obliterated from existence however, they do live on in a more humane presence by way of implementation of more comfortable and flexible materials. Truth be told, visual reduction or augmentation is a lucrative industry and will always exist as long as there is a society to subsidize this…and there always will be.

During the wars, both WWl and ll, many women found themselves having to venture out of the household to seek out the work that their husbands, now in battle, were pulled away from. It was during this time that an advertising frenzy began to heavily market products to women to encourage their retaining their femininity. As most women were now doing "man's work" they were a receptive and captive audience to this marketing angle, to which the print media profited greatly by way of the burgeoning advertising in magazines.  It wasn't until after the 1920's that American woman were no longer " under wraps" and began to wear clothing that displayed more of their bodies, and made way for increasing concerns of body image that of course, still plague us today. The more “voluptuous" appearance was no longer the ideal and it didn't take long for the concern to give birth to the diet craze.

Our culture has celebrated the athletic male body for thousands of years, but while the aesthetic beauty and strength of the male body has long been a common subject of art, women have not felt the same embrace. Throughout the 20th century though the new role of women both physically and intellectually had come to be re examined. We gained the right to vote, own property, enter into politics and other professions ordinarily reserved for the boys. Despite the many gains, the allowance of women to redefine their "bodies" remained culturally stagnant. It is still society that dictates the limitations on what is deemed "Aesthetically acceptable" as far as the female body is concerned. Women and girls of the 60's were assaulted with the visuals of Twiggy and Barbie dolls as the look to strive for. This look became the standard of impossibility that only proliferates the cycle of negative body image and cements the growth and profits of the diet industry. Thin was in, and there was no turning back. Until.......

The standards of femininity sketched by societal hands were certainly challenged in the late 70's when bodybuilding introduced a new type of feminine physique. The rules that dictated the "societal norm" as far as the female body should look like, was blown out of the water completely and for good. Never before have female bodies looked like this, in the recent or distant past. Muscles were visibly developed that were unheard of on the female form, and the proportion became bigger and most importantly...stronger. Mentally, emotionally and physically.

According to a recent survey of teenage girls, they list their primary source of news and issues on women's health, comes from the media. That has to make you wonder what chance does an expanding mind have if it are being spoon fed a distorted philosophy. As parents, mentors or just concerned adults, we can inspire and offer a more diverse and healthy image of women that would no doubt promote a more healthy self esteem. Our daughters deserve it, and so do our sons who will go out and marry not just the woman but all she encompasses due to what we nourish her with. This so that she doesn't succumb to pressure that some feel the need to in conforming to a societal ideal. So that she can grow, conquer and command her place in the world based on a fair starting point, and measured by merit and equal value. Baby steps and progress made day by day, but progress surely made. Perhaps still a long, long way to go....."until I make my brother understand"......

"Cold Weather Workouts" by Laurie Towers

     Originally published in TOPRICIN newsletter January 2010                                           

COLD WEATHER WORK-OUTS, Laurie Towers

As we look anxiously and hopefully to the nearing Spring, we are only so happy to give Old Man Winter a gentle wave of goodbye, as we see the blades of grass start to sprout and embrace the rebirth of nature as a whole.  We also seem to find our way back to the now thawed out, path to exercise and health, as outdoor and activities, and less clothing, are the featured incentives in this venture. But as there may still be every excuse to allow the cold, to keep us on the couch, we should definitely reconsider that exercise can exist in ALL seasons.

 Blame it on shorter days, blame it on light deprivation, now you may want to blame it on the recession , thats your call. Wherever you see fit to lay the fault, the fact of the matter is that people statistically tend to reduce their working out by a large margin in the winter months. the exception being only those ill fated New Years resolutions that have gym memberships spike right after the holidays, then dwindle after we shake the confetti from our hair.

The fact is the winter months offer some wonderful natural opportunities towards working out in addition to creating a wonderful landscape for it. Think about those endless hours of our youth playing in the snow. Those snowball fights and snowdrift jumping were not only endorphin releasing , but those movements were dripping with plyometric, velocity encouraging and cardio vascular activities. Guess what? Those were all the caloric burning FUN things we did as kids that kept our metabolism clicking away like a New York cab meter.

The truth is there are quite of few activities that can translate well from indoors to outdoors providing the proper preparation. Assuming the climate is compatible to it, walking, running and biking will always be mainstays with the investment of the proper insulation and clothing.

 a) Dressing in layers with cotton, wool or any other breathable material is highly preferred, as this will keep the moisture AWAY from the body. Hats worn to seal in the body's natural insulation, in addition to gloves.. Sunscreen and moisturizers can also create a barrier between the elements and exposed skin, and trainers should make sure that they make this information available to their clients.

b) Re hydrate the same as you would during the warmer months. A common and costly misconception is that because you don't sweat as much, your need to drink water is naturally cut in half. the fact is that you NEED to re hydrate at the same level as you normally would in the warmer months EVEN though , you will not necessarily feel as thirsty.

c)Trainers should make sure that their clients are properly warmed up, as the colder climate will promote more muscle shortening and restriction, thus leaving the muscle vulnerable to any insult or injury.

As with anything that goes on within the parameters of a workout session, the onus is on the trainer to keep it interesting and diverse. If you are going to use all that Mother Nature offers as a gym, you will find these activities enjoyable as well as beneficial. As snow provides a "Natural resistance" to our normal activities, simply walking, running and sled pulling, provide a wonderful and natural addition to any outdoor workout. For a more challenging walk, you can have your clients wear snowshoes for that little bit of extra effort that makes a difference.

On a personal note, I think that snow shoveling (when done correctly and good form..) is probably THE most complete and potent workout that you can have in the outdoors. It’s the marriage of velocity and endurance that gives you everything you need in one setting.

Revisiting my prior statement about New Years Resolutions and weight loss, body improvement. Having been in the field for nearly 20 years, I'm here to tell you that they never work. I often marvel at how many empty boxes of fitness gadgets, I see in people garbage bins after the holidays, but I NEVER see any difference in physiques when those layers of clothing come off in the summer months. Why? Simply because things done for a "short term" goal never work. A commitment to philosophy and lifestyle is the only ideology that keeps us on the right track. Its so funny how we are taught since childhood that we need to brush our teeth at least 4 times a day, threatened with the outcome of rotted teeth falling out of our heads if we don't. In actuality though, we use and treat our bodies far more abusively than we ever could our teeth ( I can hear the jaw clenching of every dentist in New York as I say that, but who cares...).  The truth is , it was NEVER engrained early on, that we need to treat our bodies in a mindful fashion. A simple commitment to a healthy , realistic diet( the occasional junk food..), so that the person doesn't have the resentment of deprivation and leave the door open to sabotage.  How often has any of us seen that happen? At least every other day in some fashion. Even the most well informed and inventive trainer, can give his or her client the best possible workout and environment for it, while they are IN their presence. The key here is…the client needs to hear their gospel when they are not........

 

"Battling Seasonal Affective Disorder with a Fit Lifestyle" by Laurie Towers

This article originally appeared in the TOPRICIN newsletter Oct 2010

"Dont let the sun go down on me...

Battling Seasonal Affective Disorder with a Fit Lifestyle"

By Laurie Towers

  As we cover our barbeques, and kiss them goodnight until the thaw of Spring, we bid adieu to the wafting aroma of a Coppertone summer complete with its outdoor activities and endless sunshine. Ah...the sunshine.  It can suddenly and surprisingly become very difficult to say goodbye to that in particular.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) also know as "winter depression" is a mood disorder in which people who usually present no depressive symptoms throughout the year, may start to exhibit certain features during the winter months. These mood variations re believed to be related to the reduction of light during this period., when our access to sunlight has been reduced by a substantial amount.  Symptoms may present as classic withdrawal dysphoria tendencies and pattern oversleeping/overeating from moderate to profound . In the latter case, medical interception and treatment would be warranted, but in the more moderate extremes, what are things we can do to deflect a bit of this from our daily proceedings.

Doctors regularly include exercise as standard protocol in managing depression. While exercise alone is not the panacea, it does promote many features that help promote healthy coping strategies, in addition to endorphin release.

When you exercise , your body releases these chemicals that will readily interact with receptors of your brain to reduce your body's perception of pain. They also have some sedation features as they also can trigger a euphoric feeling similar to that of morphine. A good example of this would be what we have come to label "runners high" where after the high exertion and endurance of running, many people have enjoyed that wonderful wash of a very heightened positive feeling.

Although when in the midst of a depressive state or episode it is often very hard to motivate yourself towards anything beyond sitting helplessly in it. Setting reasonable and simple goals will be an easier thing than overwhelming yourself with trying to tackle an entire new lifestyle in one setting. Keep in mind, that it doesn't take much exercise to lift your mood, so a simple walk around the block a couple of times a day to get things started, would serve you nicely. There is always room to augment the amount frequency and duration in the future but getting the ball rolling with some consistency is all you need to kick it off. Enlisting a friend is a wonderful idea as we are by nature, social creatures and do better with a support system and interaction. It also makes a commit deeper to the activity as we have a responsibility to the person accompanying us to be present for it.

As we become part of a consistent routine we will notice certain benefits suddenly presenting themselves.

_ Increase in energy

_Increase in self esteem

_Overall feeling of better health , which cant help but elevate your mood

_ Better sleeping pattern ( which is often interrupted when you become depressed)

Not to be discounted as a prominent factor in our moods and how better we can manage them, is our nutritional intake.

The colder seasons tend to endorse our cravings for carbohydrates and for a good amount of the population, it is a natural gravitation. Study's have shown that follow an extremely low carb diet will also run the risk of feeling depressed because certain chemicals in the brain that promote a feeling of well being (serotonin and tryptophan ) are triggered by carbohydrate rich food. Although the jury is still out on truly how carbohydrates affect mood and a melancholy, there are some general  guidelines put in place. 

Keep in mind that refined carbohydrates, sugars and sugary foods, will provide that instant gratification of an immediate high. What you need to know is that it is very short lived and once the "buzz" is gone, you are once again looking for food to make you feel better. There has been enough data established to support and enlist the help of complex carbohydrates to furnish you with a more realistic and lasting effect on the brain and your mood. Complex carbohydrates are readily available sources and can be found in.....

-Whole grains

-Cereals and breads

-Pastas, fruits and vegetables

Another prime mover in mood altering nutrients are the B vitamin family. Studies in Europe have shown for years that any deficiency in this area is directly linked to depression of varying levels. Other minerals that play a key role in mood stabilization are calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Some great sources of the above are....

Calcium: Dairy products, fish, soybeans, tofu, and kale

 Iron:   Red meats, clams, garbanzo beans, tomato juice and raisins

Magnesium: Wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, seafood, nuts and dairy products.

 Zinc:  Wheat bran, wheat germ, seafood, poultry, meat

Bottom line in all this is that both food and exercise play prominent roles in keeping our emotional and mental balance throughout our lives, but at certain points the difference can be much more noticeable and resonate deeper. When all is said and done, there is no better investment than a scrutinizing and considerate eye, when approaching all that you put into your body, and what you put your body through.

Grandma was right...you are what you eat.