Training Tip:

Exercise boosts your immune system, right? Well, it depends. Repeated studies have found that some kinds of exercise help, but endurance training isn’t one of them.

Moderate exercise boosts immunity. A study in Brain, Behavior and Immunity, found that, after being exposed to the virus, mice who exercised moderately had the lowest rates of flu.  The mice who exercised to exhaustion fared worst; they had higher rates and more severe symptoms of the flu than even the sedentary mice.

Further studies help explain why. Moderate exercise seems to bring about the right balance of immune cells. When you exercise too long or too hard, a critical group of cells, called T1 helper cells, drop to dangerously low levels, hurting your ability to fight off infection.

Other immune cells also drop after prolonged exercise, according to a study of Brazilian soccer players in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. After a hard 70-minute match, their levels of vital infection-fighters (known as immunoglobulins and found in your saliva) had dropped significantly.

If you do get sick, you need to allow ample recovery time before resuming training. A study of nearly 1700 finishers of the Stockholm Marathon found that a full one-third of those who had an infectious illness in the three weeks before the race got sick again in the three weeks after.

So what’s the upshot? If you’re unwilling to moderate your training during flu season, be sure to take extra precautions to avoid falling ill. If you do fall ill, be sure to recover fully before resuming training.

Training Tip:

So you want to start running for the New Year? That’s great. Running can be a fun (and even Zen) way to get fit. But if not done right, it can also be a way to get injured. To ease in safely, you need good running shoes, sure; you also need to start off at the right pace.

Pushing yourself too hard too soon can result in the sort of pain that turns you off running altogether; sadly, that sometimes happens with novice runners. Instead, take it a bit slower, at least at first. The best results are rarely the quickest results.

A heart rate monitor can set the right pace for your age and fitness level. Prefer to wait and see if running’s for you before making that investment? Then start with the ‘talk test’: if you can talk while running, you’re in the proper zone. You shouldn’t be able to sing, but you shouldn’t be gasping for breath either.

Alternately, try this tip from a Runner’s World writer: time yourself on a one-mile trial run while going at a pace that’s only moderately challenging. Then on your next longer run, go at one to two minutes per mile slower than that.

If you feel pain, you should stop, of course. But don’t stop altogether if you only get a little winded before you 20 or 30-minute run is up (and that’s the most you should be doing at first). Instead, walk for a bit until you get a second wind. Alternating walking with running is common: for novices, it’s a sort of ‘active break’; for seasoned runners, it’s called interval training.

Resolving to have a healthier New Year? Then check out the new issue of GO. Our newsletter’s 2012 Resolution special has tips and resources to make this resolution the one that lasts!

Our Fitness Expert Molly has a five-step plan to start (or restart) exercising. Plus we feature tips for effective goal-setting, for new runners, and to strengthen willpower.

Registered Dietician Katie Cavuto Boyle debuts her monthly column with a cafeteria-style plan to eat better in 2012. And to help you keep a better-eating resolution, we examine a fascinating study on hormones, lies, and milkshakes, with bonus tips to outsmart your demanding stomach!

Plus, we share a simple, seasonal pasta recipe packed with ‘power vegetables’ and creamy goat cheese; and we hear how a disastrous dress fitting inspired one woman to her first 5K!

You can make 2012 the year that your resolution sticks – even if 2011’s didn’t! To reap the benefits this year, check out the complete issue of GO today!

For Your Health:

Be Your Own ‘Goalkeeper’

Keep your weight-loss resolution with our 3 sure-fire goal-setting steps, plus 4 bonus tips!

For Your Health:

Goal-Setting 1-2-3

If you didn’t succeed with your 2011 resolution, then you need to do something different to succeed with 2012’s. Try these three steps (and four bonus tips!) to set and meet your New Year’s goal.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you probably already have a good idea of where you want to be: back in your old jeans with the 34” waist, or in your favorite size-6 dress, for instance. But let’s hold off on that long-term goal to start…

1. Create an Action Plan

Before you get too attached to a goal weight and a target date, set an Action Plan. That is, decide what you will realistically do to achieve your goal. How often will you exercise? What dietary changes will you make?

An Action Plan takes the guesswork out of your resolution. It doesn’t just answer ‘what’ and ‘when’ like a goal does; an Action Plan tells you ‘how.’ It also prevents you from ‘resolving’ to lose too much weight, too soon, which will only discourage you.

Better still, an Action Plan defines success by your efforts every day: if you follow your plan (get to the gym and have fresh fruit for dessert, for example) you’ve succeeded!  By contrast, even a realistic long-term goal may leave you waiting for months before you can say “I did it!”

To help you stick to your Action Plan, write it down; putting it in black and white helps steel your resolve. Then notify your support network – your friends, family, and anyone you can count on for positive reinforcement.

2. Set a Long-term Goal

Give your Action Plan a couple of weeks. Once you know how effective it is – how much progress you make when you follow it – you can then figure out how long it will really take to reach your final goal. In other words, you can now set a fact-based Long-term Goal.

To set that Long-term Goal, you can either proceed with – or revise – your Action Plan. For example, if your final goal is to lose 20 pounds, and your Action Plan shed one pound a week, then you can either:

• Set a Long-term Goal to stay the course for 20 weeks total, or…
• Revise your Action Plan for more activity and fewer calories to get their sooner.

3. Set your 1^st Short-term Goal

While you work toward achieving your Long-term Goal, you should set Short-Term Goals to keep you excited along the way.

If your Long-term Goal will take six months to achieve, then you might plan a series of one-month goals (i.e. double what your Action Plan tells you that you can achieve in two weeks).

Plus 4 Tips to Keep You on Track

▪ Be patient with yourself. It may take longer than expected, and it will certainly take longer than you’d like. If you didn’t gain it overnight, then don’t expect to lose it overnight either.

Also, consider how long you waited to start. If you’re like most people, you procrastinated for longer than the resolution itself will take to achieve! If you’ve already proven that you can be patient with getting nowhere, then being patient with progress should be easy.

▪ Be forgiving if you have a few setbacks. Most of us do. It’s your ability to get back in the saddle that will make the difference!

▪ Remind yourself why you’re doing this. You might put an appropriate photo or Post-It note where you’ll see it regularly:

• Want to fit your old jeans? Then choose a picture of yourself from when you could; or hang the jeans near your refrigerator!
• Trying to dodge a family history of heart disease? Then perhaps pick a photo of a loved one who suffered from it.
• Tired of getting winded climbing the stairs? Then post words of encouragement at the top and bottom of those stairs.

▪ Reward yourself for each Short-term Goal that you achieve. Don’t reward with anything that will slow your progress. (Hopefully, your Action Plan allows a little leeway for you to enjoy some of your favorite foods, though less often and in smaller quantities).

You could buy yourself something, but instead, reward with an experience. Research into happiness tells us that money spent on an event brings more satisfaction than money spent on a thing. So take a friend out to dinner, go dancing, get a massage, or do whatever you find fun and don’t do often enough.

Of course, getting and staying fit is its own reward. It helps you feel better, fills you with pride, and signals your body to release mood-boosting hormones for an all-natural ‘high.’ We all want to enjoy the finer things in life; just remember that physical activity is one of them.

You should consult your physician before beginning any exercise or diet program. GO Newsletter articles are offered as introductions to basic concepts and are not comprehensive or necessarily applicable to a particular individual’s circumstances.

Wellness Notes:

Extra Pounds from Impulse Purchases (and 5 Ways to Avoid Them)

You’re waiting in the checkout line. You’re bored, impatient, maybe even hungry. For whatever reason, you see snacks by the counter and ask ‘Why not?’ The answer is, ‘because those calories equal up to eight pounds a year.’ Fortunately, those pounds can be avoided.

The Perils of the Checkout Line

Retailers put those tempting treats near the register precisely because you’re likely to pick them up while waiting. They know that we’re most tempted by high-calorie foods that provide poor (if any) nutrition.

Worse yet, those ‘impulse purchases’ are frequent and fattening, according to a 2007 study from IHL Consulting Group that looked at our behavior at the checkout counter.

The researchers found that the average woman eats more than 14,300 calories a year in impulse purchases alone. That would add about 4.1 pounds per year solely from candy, chips and soda bought last minute in the checkout line.

For young men, it’s even worse. Guys between 18 and 25 consume calories totaling eight pounds each year in impulse purchases alone.

Strategies for Lean Shopping

Try these tips to avoid high-calorie impulse snacking on your next shopping marathon:

1. Be Your Own Cashier

The study found one solution: use the self-checkout lanes. Impulse purchases drop as much as 32% among consumers using the self-checkout lanes.

That makes sense. For one, retailers typically stock more snacks near their full-service lanes. Self-checkout lanes also tend to have shorter lines, so you’re there for less time. And the checkout process requires more of your attention, so you’re less focused on your stomach.

2. Stick to the List

You can also slow impulse purchases by making a shopping list for every store. (Even the big-box home improvement stores keep candy bars at the checkout lanes!) Stick to your list, and you’ll leave the store with fewer calories.

3. Carry a Smart Snack

When you’re planning a full day or errands, getting hungry is just about inevitable. Carry a healthier snack with you, and you can’t rationalize that you need empty calories to keep you going.

Some good options include

• Fresh Fruit – Apples and bananas travel well and can be eaten with less mess than, say, an orange.
• Dried Fruit – Dried mango, bananas, plums and more are even easier for on-the-go snacking.
• Trail Mix – Just nuts and raisins are all you need. Avoid mixes with chocolate chips (typically, those chips are semi-sweet and not the higher-cacao dark chocolate that research has linked with better heart health) or with candy-coated pieces.
• Chewing Gum – Some studies have shown that sugar-free gum may curb your appetite.

4. Read the Labels.

When you do choose a packaged snack, be sure to read the Ingredient and Nutrition Labels. Granola/protein bars can be packed with sugars. Even popcorn (which counts as a whole grain) can have shockingly high amounts of saturated fat when it’s popped in cheap oils.

5. Think Before You Snack.

Awareness is always defense #1.  Take the ‘impulse’ out of impulse purchases, and think twice before grabbing a chocolate bar or cheese snack. Are you really fighting a blood-sugar dip? Or are you eating emotionally and just ‘feeding’ your boredom or stress?

You may still give in sometimes, but cutting back is a smart, small step toward better health.

You should consult your physician before beginning any exercise or diet program. GO Newsletter articles are offered as introductions to basic concepts and are not comprehensive or necessarily applicable to a particular individual’s circumstances.

Fitness 101:

Jump Rope for Fun & Fitness

If you could add one simple exercise to your weekly routine that would make a dramatic impact on your fitness level, would you do it?  It’s an exercise you may have done as a kid, and one you can do just about anywhere:  jumping rope.

Many people think they’re not coordinated enough to jump rope.  The first few times are often a struggle. But don’t decide too quickly that it’s not for you – with these introductory tips and a little perseverance, you’ll be jumping rope (and burning tons of calories) in no time!

Why Jump Rope?

I have many clients and friends who train for marathons and other long-distance runs, and it’s no small feat.  It requires building up stamina over time and eventually going on very long runs to prepare for the big day.  The problem is that it leaves little or no time for cross-training.

Along with incorporating strength exercises, it’s also important to add another form of cardiovascular exercise; jumping rope is an excellent choice.  It not only enhances the endurance built during those long runs, it also helps develop speed, agility, strength, power, and balance.

If you’re not a runner and want to get into great shape quickly, jumping rope may just be your next favorite activity. You burn roughly the same number of calories jumping rope for 10 minutes as you do jogging for 30. And who wouldn’t love getting such a great workout in a short period of time?

Getting Started

To begin, you’ll need (or may already have) the following items:

1. A great pair of athletic shoes that provide excellent support
2. A really good jump rope that fits your body (ask for help when picking one out at your local sporting goods store, or check for a sizing guide if ordering online)
3. Your favorite get-your-body-moving music

Once you have your jump rope, shoes and music, the fun begins.  Jumping rope requires the coordination of many muscle groups to work in harmony, which makes it a little frustrating at first. Just be patient until you get into the swing of it.

Keep it Simple

For your first workout, simply pretend to use the rope.  Notice how many songs you ‘jumped’ to.  If you made it through three songs, you probably jumped for about 10 minutes.  Set a goal of finishing a certain number of songs – this gives you extra incentive and prevents you from quitting mid-song.

Once you can jump for 10 minutes without stopping, bring out your jump rope.  You can either jump while twirling it beside you or jump through it.  It’s up to you – just jump.

Precautions

It’s a high-impact workout, so if you have ankle, hip or knee issues, ask your doctor if it’s right for you. To minimize the impact, make sure you don’t jump too high, and keep a slight bend in your knees as you land.

Always choose a surface that has a little give to it.  You don’t want to jump on concrete or stone surfaces, as it will make you more susceptible to injury.

The Best Instructor

If you’re serious about jump-rope training and want to learn more, look up my friend Buddy Lee’s.  Buddy, a twenty-time national wrestling champion and two-time Marine Athlete of the Year, is the world’s leading jump-rope training expert.

You can learn workouts and progressions for warm-ups, cool-downs, sports-specific training, and sample programs used by elite athletes.  You can even see videos of Buddy in action.  You won’t believe your eyes!

Jump Your Way to Health,

Molly

You should consult your physician before beginning any exercise or diet program. GO Newsletter articles are offered as introductions to basic concepts and are not comprehensive or necessarily applicable to a particular individual’s circumstances.

The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s are no time to lose weight. You’ll be extra-busy and will likely indulge more than usual. But these six tips can keep you from gaining even a pound:

1. Pass the (Edible) Buck.

According to Miss Manners, your only duty as the recipient of a gift is to properly thank the giver. In other words, it’s fine to ‘re-gift’ fruitcakes, candy, and sausage-and-cheese baskets. If you’re not comfortable with that, then consider donating them to a local homeless shelter or food bank.

2. Try the Faucet-First Policy.

We all do it – come home and head straight for the refrigerator. Instead, detour to the sink. Drink some water so you don’t mistake thirst for hunger. (And while you’re there, wash your hands to fight cold and flu germs.)

3. Learn to Say ‘No.’

Even adults feel peer pressure. So remember: you’re not required to accept every offer of food, even if someone spent time making it. It’s not rude to smile and say, “I’m going to pass, thank you.”

4. Go the Brick-and-Mortar Route.

Online shopping is easy, but taking the easy way is one big reason why we gain weight! So put on your walking shoes, let shopping bags be your hand weights, and sprint or stroll through your list.

5. Tell Santa if You’d Like to Lose a Few.

A good gift should say, “I care.” But giving someone a gym membership or any weight-loss tool can feel more like saying, “You’ve really let yourself go!” … unless such a gift is asked for.

If you want to lose weight in the New Year, tell your loved ones that you want gifts that’ll help you do that. It’s also a good way to get moral support. Besides, if you don’t tell them, they may get you a sweater that (with some effort and planning) will be too big for you by winter’s end.

6. Schedule your ‘Me’ Time.

Don’t let seasonal stress lead you to overeat. Block out some time to do whatever it is that keeps you feeling sane. Active ‘me’ time is even better; walking, weight lifting, or even dancing will also help burn off the calories you choose to indulge in and (surprisingly) energize you for the tasks ahead.

Want to reach the New Year without padding your waistline? Then unwrap GO‘s Winter Special:

• 3 research-based ways to burn more fat, plus 5 no-gain tips from one surprisingly common source of empty calories – the checkout line!
• Our Fitness Expert Molly’s jump rope intro to make exercise as fun and easy as when you were a kid
• Registered Dietician Jyni’s frozen-food buyer’s guide to avoid hidden calories and polysyllabic additives in your heat-and-serve meals
• Immune-boosting recommendations to stay active during cold & flu season
• 5 heart-healthy party tips to keep your festivities from taking a tragic turn, from the GO Archive
• EatingWell’s recipe for a Pear, Apple & Cranberry Tarte Tatin, which is a fancy name for a surprisingly simple upside-down tart

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, we each gain an average of about one pound (0.8 to be exact, research shows). That may be less than you’d expect, but here’s the bad news: we aren’t losing this weight. Over time, it contributes significantly to the slow creep outwards at our waistlines.

The good news is that it can be halted with simple steps to cut and burn calories while still enjoying the festivities.

Before-Dinner Tips:

▪ Find recipes that flavor with herbs, garlic or citrus, not butter or cream.

▪ Have a healthy breakfast and, if you’re eating late, a light lunch. If you arrive to dinner hungry, you’re sure to overeat.

Dinner Tips:

▪ Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit (greens, cranberry sauce). Split the other half between protein (turkey, fish, beans) and grains (rice, bread).
▪ Use a light touch on the gravy ladle.
▪ Wait 15 minutes before getting seconds; by then, you may feel full enough to pass.

After-Dinner Tips:

▪ Sample or share desserts instead of having whole servings. Or just pick your favorite and have only that one.
▪ Make an extra effort to exercise during and after the holidays to burn off the extra calories that you choose to enjoy.

How’s your health outlook? A new body of research indicates that you can answer that by checking your ZIP Code. (Baltimore Sun)

Just two sugar-sweetened drinks a day can drastically boost your heart disease risk – and it’s worse if you’re not obese. (LA Times)

Don’t give into peer pressure. Try these 11 nice ways to say ‘no’ to food. (SparkPeople)

New guidelines suggest cholesterol screenings for kids as young as nine. (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Acupuncture, massage, and other complementary therapies can increasingly be found in hospitals. (Kaiser Health News)

Rising prostate cancer rates may be linked to estrogen in our water supply from birth-control pills. (Winnipeg Free Press)

As the upcoming DSM 5 is still being drafted, some therapists are asking, do we already have too many ways to be mentally unhealthy? (NewsWorks)