Total Gym

Fitness Psych – Sweat Away Stress

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

One of the more popular “fixes” for stress is exercise. More and more physicians and mental health professionals are “prescribing” exercise to help their patients deal with a variety of ills including anxiety, tension and other negative emotions. I consider the therapeutic benefits of consistent exercise to be unrivaled.

Exercise not only reduces current stress, but it acts as a buffer against future stressful events and even serves as a “tranquilizer” against feelings of anxiety. Moreover, exercise builds self-control, personal confidence, a sense of mastery over life—important elements in managing life’s stressors.

By increasing blood flow to the brain and releasing hormones that stimulate the nervous system, exercise increases substances that positively affect mood. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a major part of our neuroendocrine system, directly influences and sends feedback messages to these three parts of our bodies. It controls our reactions to stress and many other bodily processes.

When we are under stress, the HPA axis – and specifically our adrenal glands – release cortisol/epinephrine/norepinephrine. Exercise essentially tells this HPA axis to take a break and instead release endorphins. These endorphins are “morphine-like” chemicals that alter our perception of pain and relieve symptoms of stress, giving us a feeling of happiness and increasing our sense of well-being. While many experience an anti-anxiety response to exercise, others feel that exercise reduces depression as well.

While there are many psychophysiological benefits to exercise, particularly increasing the flow of oxygen in the body and strengthening the heart and elasticity of blood vessels, endorphins are the most noteworthy “stress management chemicals.”

The award-winning Total Gym GTS

What does all this have to do with Total Gym? Everything! If exercise is not fun and enjoyable, you won’t do it. When has exercising on Total Gym not been pleasurable or gratifying? It’s hard to say. Whether you find solitude relaxing or if you prefer socializing to help de-stress, a full-body workout, heavy or light, is the best way to get your mood-pleasing chemistry in order.

There is no single exercise routine that has been found to be ideal for stress relief. Whatever works best for you and offers the right balance for your needs, is the best exercise.

Consider the variety of exercise programs you can do on your Total Gym and you will see that you can implement each or all of the following anti-stress workouts:

1. Aerobics for enhanced cardiovascular health and endurance.
2. Resistance training for enhanced muscle mass and strength.
3. Stretching for enhanced joint mobility and flexibility.

Whichever you enjoy, and all are important, exercise in ways that fit your readiness curve.  Your health, other symptoms, age and body type are essential to consider. The nice thing about the Total Gym is the ease with which you naturally exercise in a way that automatically stays within your abilities and natural body movements.

Patience is a virtue; especially when using exercise to help melt away stress. It won’t happen overnight, but what will happen overnight is a better night’s sleep. Virtually anything that you do on the Total Gym will ease your stress, so stick with it and you’ll wipe away stress as you wipe away sweat!

Follow Dr. Mantell on Twitter @FitnessPsych

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania after completing his M.S. degree in clinical psychology at Hahnemnann Medical College where he wrote his thesis on the psychological aspects of obesity. He coaches world-class athletes and fitness enthusaists for performance enhancement. He is Senior Consultant for Behavioral Sciences for ACE, on the faculty of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute, a national Community Ambassador for Experience Life Magazine’s health initiative and for FitFluentials, appears weekly on San Diego’s CW channel 6, is a consultant to Les Mills International, writes for IHRSA, is a member of the Sports Medicine Team at the Sporting Club of San Diego and the La Jolla Sports Club specializing in fitness psychology, writes the “San Diego Fitness Psychology” column and “San Diego Life Coach Examiner.” He is also a writer and consultant to the Total Gym company. Dr. Mantell has written two best-selling books and appears regularly on radio and TV.

Fitness Psych – Total Gym Can Improve School Performance

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

The January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine reported an interesting and illuminating piece of research that has caught the attention of many of us concerned about the lack of exercise among America’s school age children.

Get this …

The ratio of children defined as “seriously overweight” has gone up to 1 in 3, tripling since the 1970s.

Children between the ages of 10-13, who are already obese, are likely to have a 70% chance of obesity persisting into their adult years.

It’s time to pay attention!

We can either ignore these hard facts OR curb childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, emotional disturbance, immunity issues, poor self-esteem and, according to the newest research, poor grades in school—but we can’t do both. 

Exercise could benefit children’s academic performance through increased blood and oxygen flow to the brain. It can also lower their stress levels, improve their mood and increase growth factors that support synaptic plasticity—just like exercise does for adults. In fact, like adults, children benefit from an hour each day of vigorous activity to derive maximal health and school-related benefits.

Allowing children to sit for long periods of time and overuse digital toys, in addition to parents focusing too much on competitive team sports and “winning,” coupled with negative comments about children’s activities, according to the American Council on Exercise, will be harmful to the physical well-being of our nation’s youth. And, according to the latest research, promotes poor academic performance.

“…we [have] found strong evidence of a significant positive relationship between physical activity and academic performance. The findings of one high-quality intervention study and one high-quality observational study suggest that being more physically active is positively related to improved academic performance in children, ages 6-18.” – this according to the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine report.

Here’s where the Total Gym becomes a true family exercise center.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends age-appropriate exercises that your child enjoys, including cardiovascular, strength training and bone strengthening activities. These can all be safely and easily accomplished on the very same equipment moms and dads enjoy at home or at the gym—the Total Gym!

Specific Total Gym full body exercises are available for youngsters here.

Like adults, children can safely work to their comfort level on squats, calf raises, front pullovers, lying triceps extensions, chest presses, bicep curls, push ups, pull ups and many more exercises.

Committing to provide your children with aerobic activity, muscle and bone strengthening activity, while helping to promote academic performance, is a true “win.” Of course, parental supervision is always required when children are enjoying the Total Gym.

Explain to your children the value of exercise to their health and yours. Be sure your children see you enjoying the Total Gym and create a “buddy system” approach to exercise. You can also encourage your children to bring a friend, with that child’s parental permission, to create a group activity. Make it fun … perhaps even establish a family “fitness night” each week complete with healthy nutrition and rewards.

The best exercises for children are the ones they will do. Making it playful on the Total Gym makes it very inviting for children and motivates youngsters to continue to meet their fitness needs.

Follow Dr. Mantell on Twitter @FitnessPsych

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania after completing his M.S. degree in clinical psychology at Hahnemnann Medical College where he wrote his thesis on the psychological aspects of obesity. He coaches world-class athletes and fitness enthusaists for performance enhancement. He is Senior Consultant for Behavioral Sciences for ACE, on the faculty of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute, a national Community Ambassador for Experience Life Magazine’s health initiative and for FitFluentials, appears weekly on San Diego’s CW channel 6, is a consultant to Les Mills International, writes for IHRSA, is a member of the Sports Medicine Team at the Sporting Club of San Diego and the La Jolla Sports Club specializing in fitness psychology, writes the “San Diego Fitness Psychology” column and “San Diego Life Coach Examiner.” He is also a writer and consultant to the Total Gym company. Dr. Mantell has written two best-selling books and appears regularly on radio and TV.

In PT with Jessie Carter – Holiday Shop But Don’t Drop!

By:  Physical Therapy Contributor Jessie Carter, PT

Low back pain has been a common theme around the clinic lately. Every year around this time, there seems to be an increase in patients complaining of back pain – aches and pains from shoveling snow, back strain from carrying shopping bags and packing gifts, and chronic pain patients want to address before the holidays.

I was out with the best of them on Black Friday braving the crowds. What started as a quick trip to snag some deals, however, turned into an all-night, exhausting event.

Consider these tips to keep your body from wearing down before you do:

• Wear comfortable shoes such as walking or running shoes when shopping. When it comes to walking the mall, comfort should win out over your cutest pair of heels to prevent stress to your ankles and feet.
• Lighten your load when you can. If you are shopping for a lot of items or for a long period of time, consider making frequent trips to your car to drop off packages. This provides extra exercise while reducing the stress on your back muscles.
• Distribute the weight of packages and shopping bags evenly on both sides of your body.  This means that you have to avoid holding all your bags in one hand to sip your favorite drink or fumble for your keys. This also means avoiding what I call “attitude standing” – propping all your weight through one hip (often times to hold a child propped on that same hip). Standing in this position can create undesirable forces through the hip joints, pelvis and spine.
• Women, keep your suitcase (I mean purse) weight to a minimum to avoid undue stress and fatigue. Only carry necessary items such as your wallet and keys. When carrying your purse, consider strapping that makes your body work the least or requires large joints over smaller joints to carry. For example, use a bag that has a shoulder strap or can be worn as a backpack instead of a purse with smaller handles.
• Plan ahead if possible. Whether you are going to campout to get the best deals or do a marathon shopping spree, you can ease physical and mental stress by making a list and avoiding prime shopping times. Remember that long lines and busy parking lots increase your time standing and walking.

While most back pain is mild and resolves on its own, some pain persists or comes back repeatedly over time. A lot of my patients, who have experienced low back pain for years, tell me they have tried multiple treatment options without success. They also report that each time the pain returns, it seems to get worse.

When you experience low back pain, one of the best things to do is to stay active and continue with your normal routine as much as possible, without the risk of further injury. This seems to contradict the old approach of “putting someone to bed” when they are down on their back. Bed rest for more than a day has been shown to actually slow recovery.

If your pain worsens or lasts more than a few days, then it is time to see a medical professional.  Immediate medical attention should be sought if you experience loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in the groin or inner thigh and/or pain that does not change with rest.

Continue your Total Gym routine over the holidays to maintain optimal strength and tone. Try these “Cable Core Work” exercises to target your snow shoveling and shopping muscles: the shoulders, back, arms and chest in conjunction with the core.

Arm Cable Exercises; Recruiting the Core

The mad rush of the holidays is here…following these simple tips and taking care of your body will allow you to enjoy the season and shop without the drop.

Happy rehabbing!

Jessie Carter is the owner of High Pointe Rehab in Clarksville, TN, where she utilizes Total Gym for physical therapy and fitness training to offer the full continuum of patient care. Jessie is a 2001 graduate of the University of Evansville (UE) in Evansville, IN, where she earned both her BS and Master’s degrees in physical therapy. Contact Jessie at jessie@highpointetn.com with your questions or ideas for future topics.

Fitness Psych – Exercise Addict?

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

Whether you exercise on your Total Gym at home, in a local health club or pound the pavement outside, admit it–you love it. Well, there’s love of exercise and then there’s too much love of exercise, the kind that appears to lead to compulsive behaviors.

Neurotransmitters and the brain’s reward system, including dopamine (or the “high” that drug addicts crave), play a critical role in the brain chemistry of those who appear to be “addicted to exercise.”

Is there really such as thing as “exercise addiction?”
Not formally, but it is a catchy phrase. Dr. William Glasser first used the term in 1976 when studying long-distance runners, and to date there is still no real agreement on whether people are genuinely “addicts” when it comes to exercise.

It’s been estimated that 1% to 8% of gym goers behave in ways regarding exercise that are similar to the way drug addicts act in relation to drugs, and some believe that 50% of those with clinical eating disorders are actually “dependent” on exercise as a way of dealing with feelings or emotions or to maintain self-esteem.

Signs of exercise addiction
Exercise addicts typically have low self-esteem and poor self- and/or body-image problems. Stress, anxiety, depression and/or anger can be the reason someone goes overboard on exercise. Here are some behavioral indicators of what some consider “exercise addiction:”

• Constant preoccupation with exercise throughout the day
• Never taking a day off even when injured or ill
• Feeling anxious and guilty if one misses an exercise session that “must” be made up
• Food choices based only on exercise, working out isolated from others
• Taking time off from work or school to exercise
• Lying about exercise
• Conflicts with friends and family arise due to the amount of exercise one does
• Using the amount of exercise one does as the basis for self-esteem that day
• Finding no pleasure in exercise but driven to do so anyway
• Never being satisfied with the exercise one has done

The thinking patterns of exercise “addicts” runs counter to healthy, rational thinking. For example, they believe, erroneously of course, “I either run an hour or it’s not worth it at all.” Or, “People who don’t exercise are fat.” Or, “I only feel good about myself when I exercise, so if I exercise I’ll never be depressed.”

These folks need a compassionate, judgment-free coach who won’t argue, embarrass or criticize, but will continually meet to move past their common resistance to discuss underlying issues. Some may require additional assistance from mental health and medical professionals, particularly when this behavior is related to an eating disorder, which is often the case.

Reasonable training with Total Gym
One of the most attractive aspects of exercising on a Total Gym is the integrated full-body workout one can get in a reasonable amount of time. Those with disordered or obligatory devotion to exercise will spend more than 2 hours per day, seven days per week exercising, far beyond what is considered “normal” or necessary. It takes over their lives.

For the rest of us who are healthy exercise and Total Gym “enthusiasts,” getting into healthy shape, maintaining fitness and creating positive emotional wellbeing can all be achieved with reasonable commitments to consistent full-body workouts as prescribed in the Total Gym DVDs, training programs and on-demand exercise videos that are available on TotalGym.com.

Follow Dr. Mantell on Twitter @FitnessPsych.

 Michael R. Mantell earned his Ph.D. degree at the University of Pennsylvania after completing his M.S. degree in clinical psychology at the Hahnemann Medical College, where he wrote his thesis on the psychology of obesity. He has served as Chief Psychologist of Children’s Hospital and Health Center of San Diego, and created and led the nationally recognized Psychological Services and Employee Assistance/Wellness program for the San Diego Police Department. He is a member of the Sports Medicine Team at The Sporting Club in La Jolla, California, maintains a private clinical practice in La Mesa, California, and writes and speaks for the American Council on Exercise.

Fitness Psych – Total Gym Adds Healthy Life-Years

If you work out in a gym take a look around. You’ll probably notice that about 1 in 4 people are in the baby boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964. There are 78 million baby boomers in America. Within less than 10 years, the 65+ population will increase by about 40% to 55 million adults. And of those 65+, 7 million will be 85+. Nearly 11 million of us boomers belong to gyms.

These people aren’t your grandparents. No, these are actively aging, healthy folks pushing off any age-related disability as late into life as they –ok, WE—can … if not forever.

This generation is looking at every anti-aging solution available, from specific nutritional recommendations to support mitochondrial energy production, to therapeutic levels of vitamin and mineral supplements, to smart drugs for preserving and enhancing oxygen supply and neural function in the brain, adding therapeutic doses of hormones, decreasing cortisol and enzymes like MAO, and heavy doses of “clean living.” This is the generation that is avoiding toxins, pesticides, pollution, using chelation to remove heavy metals from their bodies and avoiding radiation (good luck!).

Why? Are we just trying to live forever? No. We want to increase our “healthy life-years.” But there is a simpler, well-proven and ultimately healthier and frankly more enjoyable way to add life to our years and years to our lives. It involves movement, activity, exercise.

Inactivity doubles the risk of mobility limitations and propels cognitive decline. The amount of data demonstrating the effect of exercise in slowing the aging process is simply staggering.

We are looking for gentler, kinder “fitness” workouts like low-impact, comfort and diminished risk of injury, but that still leave us feeling like we got vigorous exercise. We know we need to incorporate training in posture, strength, endurance, flexibility and balance to promote the kind of activity-related benefits that favorably impact our hearts, weight, blood pressure, sexuality, blood chemistry, state of mind, physique and social abilities.

That’s where I believe the Total Gym comes in. At home or at the gym, the Top 5 Total Gym Exercises for boomers today are all a central part of the hundreds of exercises available on this fitness marvel.

1. Cardio – easy enough to use your full-body to get your heart pumping to the max in five minutes, kicking and pushing off the glideboard at an intensity level that you can increase as your fitness level improves.
2. Strength training – we lose 30% of our muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Normally, adults who are sedentary beyond age 50 can expect muscle loss of up to 0.4 pounds a year. This reduction in muscle strength leads to impairment in carrying out the ADLs, “activities of daily living.” Resistance training for each of the muscle groups, head to toe, is straightforward on the Total Gym. Bicep curls, chin-ups, chest presses, chest fly (incline, decline and lateral), shoulder presses, upright rows, front and lateral deltoid raises, pull-ups, kneeling rows, leg curls, squats, and many more are easy and efficient on the Total Gym.
3. Flexibility training—here’s where stretching and range of motion exercises become important to connective tissue, so regular stretching is an important part of the Total Gym ROM workout.
4. Balance training – musculoskeletal injuries are the number one reason people seek medical help and are among the leading causes of death for the 65+ population.  Balance training as you work your core muscles on the Total Gym, is built into nearly every exercise.
5. Core training – boomers can easily forget they have abs. The abdominal exercises available on the Total Gym, including crunches, reverse curls, sit-ups and side planks, will quickly reintroduce you to your six pack.

Find these and more Total Gym exercises at www.TotalGym.com/exercises.

Michael R. Mantell earned his Ph.D. degree at the University of Pennsylvania after completing his M.S. degree in clinical psychology at the Hahnemann Medical College, where he wrote his thesis on the psychology of obesity. He has served as Chief Psychologist of Children’s Hospital and Health Center of San Diego, and created and led the nationally recognized Psychological Services and Employee Assistance/Wellness program for the San Diego Police Department. He is a member of the Sports Medicine Team at The Sporting Club in La Jolla, California, maintains a private clinical practice in La Mesa, California, and writes and speaks for the American Council on Exercise.

In PT with Jessie Carter – Total Joints on the Total Gym?

Q:  I’ve had a total knee replacement, is it safe for me to work out on my Total Gym?

A:  This is a common question we receive at my clinic High Pointe Rehab. In a nutshell, the answer is absolutely! The Total Gym is a great equipment choice following both total knee and hip replacements. While it is important to adhere to certain restrictions, Total Gym is an integral part of our rehabilitation program for clients who have had either or both knee and hip surgeries.

The main goal after total joint replacement is to restore functional movement. This includes walking, squatting, and performing transitional movements, such as rolling over in bed and going from sit to stand and vice versa. To achieve this, exercises must focus on improving range of motion, strength, balance, and endurance. While there are different approaches used in therapy settings to focus on these goals, I prefer to perform the specific activities we are trying to restore.  I find that exercises with the feet planted (closed kinetic chain) are particularly effective. This includes squatting and heel/toe raises on the Total Gym. Beyond allowing us to strengthen the lower extremities and core musculature, these partial to full weight bearing exercises help to properly seat the implanted artificial joint components. For some patients, aquatic therapy unweights the joint too much while full weight bearing can be quite painful. The Total Gym offers the perfect medium.

An important thing to remember when returning to exercise following a total joint replacement is to follow the guidelines provided by the surgeon and physical therapist. With total knee replacements, our referring physicians discourage bending of the knee past 120 degrees therefore limiting squat depth. We also recommend avoiding knee compression or kneeling. Unfortunately, kneeling exercises on Total Gym might be out after a knee replacement!

Hip precautions are typically more involved but again this depends on the specific surgical technique. Our patients must avoid hip motion past midline, such as when crossing one leg over another or side lying and letting the top leg fall in front of the bottom leg. As with knee replacement, there are range of motion limitations with hip replacements. When squatting, patients must avoid going deeper than a 90 degree bend at the hip. This can be controlled when using exercise equipment but very difficult when getting up from a plush couch or low surface.

Right after surgery, patients are typically in pain and guard how much weight they put through the involved joint. The Total Gym allows me to decrease the weight through the painful joint to a tolerable level. With the patient’s back supported on the glideboard, I find that stability is improved and there is less tendency to “cheat” with the uninvolved side.  As strength increases, the glideboard is moved up to allow more weight bearing until the patient eventually resumes normal function.

Happy rehabbing!

Jessie Carter is the owner of High Pointe Rehab in Clarksville, TN, where she utilizes Total Gym for physical therapy and fitness training to offer the full continuum of patient care. Jessie is a 2001 graduate of the University of Evansville (UE) in Evansville, IN, where she earned both her BS and Master’s degrees in physical therapy. Contact Jessie at jessie@highpointetn.com with your questions or ideas for future topics.

Fitness Psych: Dieting = Gaining Weight

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

OK, let’s get serious. After all, it’s your life I’m talking about here. How much weight do you say you need to lose, and how much weight do you really need to lose? Often these two are a good ten pounds, or more, apart.

Not sure? Click here to calculate your body mass index. It’s one of a number of reliable indicators to screen for weight categories related to life threatening illnesses.

America is getting heavier and heavier. One conservative estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points to one-third of us being obese—not overweight—but obese. More troubling, they tell us that nearly 20% of children and teens are also more than just overweight—they are obese.

We are eating ourselves to death.

So if you are more than 20% over your “ideal weight,” or a man carrying more than 25% body fat or a women carrying more than 32% body fat, you are obese. OK we got past that. Now let’s do something about it.

Remember, healthy nutrition is king and exercise is queen. Want a healthy kingdom? You need both. That’s where full-body, functional workouts come in. You see, literally ANY diet will help you lose weight. That’s not the hard part. The hard part is keeping it off with genuine, healthy, lifestyle changes. Socrates had it correct when he said, “The rest of the world lives to eat, while I eat to live.”

Diet propaganda screaming about losing weight always reminds me of the magician who gets you to watch one hand when the other is hiding the card. Sure you can lose weight with any diet. The trouble is, at least as I have taught it to my patients over the years, diet=gaining weight, unless you have a post-diet plan. Even 20% of those who have bariatric bypass surgery regain their weight!

A Total Gym exercise plan can be an essential centerpiece of your post-diet healthy living plan, along with healthy nutrition and changing the way you think about yourself, your health and food intake. It’s important to manage your expectations and have a total-body game plan to increase a sense of being “able” to exercise, to avoid the feeling of “having to” exercise, and to erase the feeling of “learned helplessness” that comes from previous failed attempts at exercising.  The setting is all-important for comfort and self-esteem among those who may also face body-image issues.

A word about your readiness to get beyond just dieting. Mark Twain wasn’t necessarily attempting to motivate people to adopt a healthy life plan when he said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started,” though he may well have been. If you are reading this, you’ve identified yourself as contemplating, preparing or at the place where you are acting on establishing exercise as a habit.

You were designed for movement and activity and therefore it is essential in a post-diet healthy living plan to incorporate physical activity into your daily life. Still, half of those who begin exercise programming drop out within one year, and that means serious weight gain. Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and mobility are all valuable for weight loss and maintaining health and wellbeing.  Working on stability and mobility before you move to more dynamic forms of functional exercise, which the Total Gym allows, helps prevent injuries.

When it comes to a Total Gym workout, keep in mind that the more muscles you recruit in any given exercise, the more calories you will burn during that workout session. A properly designed and followed Total Gym workout regimen will maximize your calorie expenditure in less time when compared to those machines that isolate only a single body part. You are able to fluidly move multiple body parts in different directions (side to side, rotating, front and back) on the Total Gym and therefore increase your calorie expenditure. Add to the fact that this type of workout involves your entire body, and you see why you burn calories at an even higher intensity.

Get moving on your Total Gym and get healthy. After all, as someone once said, “Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip.”

Here’s to a long trip!

Michael R. Mantell earned his Ph.D. degree at the University of Pennsylvania after completing his M.S. degree in clinical psychology at the Hahnemann Medical College, where he wrote his thesis on the psychology of obesity. He has served as Chief Psychologist of Children’s Hospital and Health Center of San Diego, and created and led the nationally recognized Psychological Services and Employee Assistance/Wellness program for the San Diego Police Department. He is a member of the Sports Medicine Team at The Sporting Club in La Jolla, California, maintains a private clinical practice in La Mesa, California, and writes and speaks for the American Council on Exercise.