Tom Seabourne Ph.D
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Q:I
have read that vitamins aren't absorbed well but that we need them if
we are on a low-calorie diet. What gives? Paul, Gladewater
A:I agree with you on both counts! Many of us overdose on vitamins that create expensive urine (especially too much vitamin C, B's and other water soluble vitamins). However, your other point is well taken in that with a low calorie diet and soil depletion, supplementation is a must. Kenneth Cooper, M.D., at the Aerobics Center in Dallas, Texas suggests that supplementing with antioxidants (vitamin C, E, beta carotene), folic acid, and omega three's (flaxseed or fish oil) may help prevent certain types of age related diseases (e.g. cancer, etc.) Be sure to take your vitamins with meals to enhance absorbability. Also some of your water soluble vitamins may be taken in different dosages through the day as recommended on the label.
Q:I'm the worst when it's about beginning an exercise program. What should I do? Penny (e-mail)
A:Don't worry, you are not alone! There are several stages to beginning an exercise program:
- Pre-contemplative - thinking about exercising.
- Contemplative - Thinking about what you will do.
- Planning - Deciding what type of exercise you will do.
- Action - Doing it.
- Maintenance - Continuing your exercise program as a habit.
It sounds like you have gotten through the precontemplative and contemplative stage. Now it's time to hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to develop your plan. Then you can implement your program (action) and you will be on your way to a stronger healthier body!
Q:How do you breathe during weight training? Margie (e-mail)
A:When you are training with light weights, just breathe normally. You are right however to adjust your breathing depending on your level of intensity. The rule of thumb is to "exhale" on the exertion phase and inhale on the recovery phase. So if you are doing a squat you would exhale as you extend your knees from a squat position to a standing position. On the lat pulldown however, you would exhale as you pull the bar down to the front of your neck and inhale as your elbows extend.
Off the record though Margie, there are times when you will see people hold their breath while they lift VERY heavy weight. They do this in order to stabilize their spine using intra-abdominal pressure (don't try this though, as it increases blood pressure and could cause a Valsalva maneuver.
Relaxation:Everything that you wanted to know (and more)!
Take a deep breath before you step onto the field. Exhale tension from your muscles. Notice the difference between tension and relaxation. Learning to relax may be your single most important lesson.
You already know how to lie down on a cozy couch and watch television in a stupor, but this is not relaxation. Relaxation is recognizing your performance anxiety and staying loose instead. This requires practice.
Day 1: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. Breathe from your diaphragm. Place your right hand on your chest and your left hand on your abdomen. Breathe so that only your left hand moves. Place your arms to your sides. Continue this exercise for five minutes. Thought for the Day: No matter how you behave externally, be at peace internally.
Day 2: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. Breathe from your diaphragm. This time, whenever any distracting thoughts enter your mind (e.g. what am I having for dinner) just let them go in one ear and out the other. Continue this exercise for five minutes. Thought for the Day: Watch your thoughts.
Day 3: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. Breathe from your diaphragm. Every time you exhale, say the word "relax" to yourself. Continue this exercise for five minutes. Thought for the Day: This is "right brain" thinking.
Day 4: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. Breathe from your diaphragm. Every time you exhale, say the word "relax" to yourself. Whenever any distracting thoughts enter your mind, just let them go in one ear and out the other. Continue this exercise for five minutes. Thought for the Day: Don’t flinch when a car back fires.
Day 5: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. Breathe from your diaphragm. Every time you exhale, say the word "relax" to yourself. Whenever any distracting thoughts enter your mind, just let them go in one ear and out the other. Continue this exercise for five minutes. If you are able do this exercise without distraction continue to "Day 6". If not stay at "Day 5". Thought for the Day: Anxiety is the opposite of this. Take this onto the playing field. Progressive Relaxation.
Relaxation techniques help you to control your activation level both on and off the court. The first strategy you learned was body/mind breathing. Now tackle progressive relaxation.
Have you ever performed a bench press and you pressed your head so hard into the bench that your neck hurt the next day? Progressive relaxation is the cure. Progressive relaxation teaches you the difference between tension and relaxation. You learn to contract and relax muscle groups until you can feel the difference between tension and relaxation. During this process you contract and relax muscle groups separately. Then with practice, you contract a specific muscle group or combine groups so you can relax your whole body at once. When you can do this, you will be able to find the level of activation you need for your sport.
Staying at the proper activation level is difficult. If you let things get out of your grasp, before you know it, you are nervous and out of control. Practice progressive relaxation so you can modify your level of activation. Your goal is to remain at your optimum level of activation for peak performance.
Day 6: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. Breathe from your diaphragm. Press your feet into the floor, one, two, and three, relax. Notice the difference between the tension and relaxation. Press your knees together, one, two, three, relax. Feel the difference between tension and relaxation. Contract your abdominal muscles by pressing your lower back into the chair, one, two, and three, relax. Enjoy the relaxation. Thought for the Day: Be "in the moment". No thoughts of winning or losing.
Day 7: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. Breathe from your diaphragm. Squeeze your hands into fists, one, two, and three, relax. Notice the difference between tension and relaxation. Shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, one, two, and three, relax. Feel the difference between tension and relaxation. Retract your shoulder blades by pulling them together, one, two, and three, relax. Enjoy the difference between tension and relaxation. Thought for the Day: Avoid anxiety or change your reaction to anxiety.
Day 8 – Day 14: Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes. Breathe from your diaphragm. Mentally select various muscle groups within your body. Before you actually start, close your eyes and enjoy the rest for a minute or so. Accept any perceptions or emerging thoughts and let them pass by like leaves floating on a creek. Do not ponder or brood, and try not to daydream. If an important idea surfaces, return to it later when this exercise is finished. Begin contracting and relaxing the muscle groups in any order you select. Tighten each group and hold the tension for about three seconds, and then relax for about 30 seconds. As you do this, focus your inner perception on the muscles that you have just exercised. You will sense that the process of relaxation will progress after you release the muscles. Let it happen that way and enjoy it. Repeat one time for each muscle. Thought for the Day: When you don’t have time to relax and focus, that is when you need to the most.
