It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.
-Moliere

September 2007, Brett

Are You Balanced?

We speak of balance between work and home life, or perhaps between needs and wants. But in balancing your activity, there are several things to consider. Whether the balance is in the type and length of the activity, or the balance of the muscles in the body, it is vital for all of us to achieve this balance. Losing this balance puts us at a higher risk for short term injury or long term disease risk.  Finding this balance is not particularly challenging, but it does take some conscious effort. 

First, let’s look at the type of activity that many of us like to participate in for fitness. There are those who swear by a gym setting, others wouldn’t step foot in the door of a fitness center.  The type of activity we are talking about here involves balance across the various aspects of fitness. For instance, it wouldn’t take you very long to think of someone who fits into any of these categories:

Cardio Kings/Queens—In their eyes, exercise is good, as long as it involves getting on a treadmill, bike, or other piece of cardio equipment.  Weights are for “other” people, but not for them.

• Advantage—they often will hit the recommendations of at least 30 minutes (often much more) on most days of the week, their awareness of where their bodies are in space is improved, and they are at a decreased risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. 
• Disadvantage—they miss out on the benefits of muscular strength development such as increase calorie burning, greater ability to do daily tasks, and protection of the joints.  If the cardio activity is not weight bearing, such as a bicycle, they lose out on the protective benefits of the impact on bone density.

Muscle Heads—You don’t have to be a behemoth of a person with 2% body fat to fit into this category.  This category is made up of people who do various forms of resistance training from dumbbells to machines, but think it close to blasphemy to get on a piece of cardio equipment.

• Advantage—if done properly with good form, their joints are stronger, they have higher bone density, they burn calories for longer periods of time.
• Disadvantage—they may be at risk for greater injury if their form is incorrect, and while they may be able to bench press a Buick, they can’t run more than a block before being completely winded.

Yoga/Pilates Junkies—Thinking that if it worked thousands of years ago, or that all the celebrities are doing it, it must be right, this group eschews all other activity to focus on individual muscles for static holds (harder than it looks, I know), core exercises, and stretches. 

• Advantage—problem areas such as the low back, hamstrings, and shoulder muscles receive attention perhaps more than other types of activity, they are more aware of positioning than the others, at least in stationary positions. 
• Disadvantage—while their core is strong, their hearts and lungs suffer from the inattention.  Also, if the form or intensity is incorrect, the problem areas such as the low back may be aggravated. 

These are only a few of the categories of exercisers who place too much emphasis on one aspect of fitness.  Simply put, none of them will have the best overall health and fitness than one that involves a little of everything.  If we were training for an Olympic event, that would be another story, but for general health and well being, follow the guidelines that were recently updated by the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine.  Adults should be active on most days (at least 5) of the week for at least 30 minutes of activity.  While it says 30 minutes, more benefit occurs with more time spent in the exercise.  This activity should be moderately intense, at least increasing your activity to a point that makes you feel your heart beat faster and your lungs breathe harder.  Also included in these recommendations is the need for strength training at least twice a week.  Include stretching exercises and other flexibility exercises to keep your body balanced.

A balanced body is much healthier than one that emphasizes one aspect of fitness more than another.  Remember that if you have done the same thing for a long time, and are not getting the results you need, it only makes sense to try something different.  Another aspect of balance is to know when to take a rest.  If you don’t lift weights, give it a try, but make sure you give yourself 48 hours of rest between lift days.  If you don’t do cardio, don’t try to run a marathon straight off.  Build up to a level that is challenging but not crippling.  Most important, have fun; it makes your workout much more enjoyable and you a lot more pleasant to be around as well. 

If you have questions on this, or any other fitness topic, email Brett McIff, MSPH, CSCS at bmciff@utah.gov, or join the Move It! list serv by sending a blank email to join-moveit@list.utah.gov.  Keep Moving!