Mike Arteaga's Blog

Eliminate Knee Pain!

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:29:00 GMT

Eliminate Knee Pain!!

Weak leg muscles cause deterioration of the knee joint resulting in knee pain. Conversely, strengthening the legs has been shown to actually increase knee cartilage volume (thickness) when done properly.

Strengthening the leg muscles is the most important thing you can do to prevent knee pain from osteoarthritis and all other causes. It also raises the “breaking point” of the knee joint so that knee injury is less likely to occur!

According to Dr. Henry Lodge, nationally known gerontologist and the best-selling author of Younger Next Year, “Whenever I see a patient who has been recommended for knee replacement (they are “bone on bone”), I get them on those machines (leg extension and leg curl machines) and 60% of the time they never have the surgery!”

The quadriceps muscles, which are located on the front of the thigh, are the primary muscle group that supports the knee. The Leg Extension machine is the best way to strengthen them. Leg extensions work the quads through a full range of motion, as opposed to the leg press or barbell squats which only work the quads through a limited range and have zero resistance at the all important point of full contraction. The MedX Leg Extension machines that we have at each club are best Leg Extension machines ever built! They utilize a number of innovations but most importantly, they incorporate a new technology that nearly eliminates the friction that is inherent in weight machines.

A common mistake is to skip leg strengthening exercises because "I already worked my legs on the bike or treadmill.” Without specific strengthening exercises, the legs get weaker every year no matter how much aerobic (CV) exercise you perform. The MedX leg extension combined with the MedX leg curl machine simply prevent muscle loss in the legs. These two machines strengthen the quadriceps faster and more efficiently than any other method

Leg extensions, like all strengthening exercises, should be started at an easy level and very gradually moved to more challenging levels, where the weight can only be lifted slowly no more than 7 to 10 times. One set on the leg extensions and one on the leg curl is all you need when done correctly. The movement should be slow, at least four full seconds to raise the weight, a full second hold on top and four full seconds to lower it. The slower the weight is moved, the less momentum you use and the more you stimulate the muscle involved. Slow movement also prevents injury, even when working very hard.

Double check your speed with this self test! Watch the top of weight stack and see if when you lift the weight to the top, you can hold it at its high point for a full second without dropping at all. If it drops even slightly you have too much weight and you are using momentum to raise it. (You are moving it to fast and throwing it.)

The exercise should be performed through as broad a pain-free range of motion as possible. If pain develops at any time, the resistance and the range of motion should immediately be decreased to a pain-free level. Continue at that level for at least a few weeks before small increases are again attempted. Generally as strength increases, the pain-free range also slowly increases. Patience is the key to successful rehabilitation.

When recovering from a knee injury, the body heals faster with movement, whenever it is possible. Although there are occasionally situations when immobilization for knee injuries may be appropriate, generally it is avoided because it causes rapid muscle loss along with other deterioration. Muscle loss is devastating to a knee injury because the muscles are the essential support system for the knee. In addition, as the muscles atrophy (get weaker and smaller), the bones and all the connective tissue deteriorate, getting thinner and weaker, slowing the healing process.

If an injury has occurred, once the doctor has ok’d exercise, you should work with one of our trainers to find what pain-free range of motion you can perform for the muscles that surround the knee. Each exercise should be started at a very easy level. As you get stronger, the pain and discomfort will slowly recede , and often vanish in time. In addition, the stronger the muscles are, the less likely you are to re-injure the area.

Keep your knees healthy and make sure to include Leg Extensions and Leg Curl twice a week, for life!

Mike Arteaga

Exercise and investing for your future - similar, but different!

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:03:00 GMT

On the one hand, there's regular exercise. On the other, investing in your retirement.

Let's first look at the similarities.

The earlier you start, the better off you'll be.
We're told again and again there is no better time to begin planning for your future than right now. We look at calculations and projections and see that if we started investing when we were younger, we'd be that much further ahead of the game. Recently, research published in the August 25th American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that people who began exercising in early adulthood, and continued, were significantly more fit and healthy as they aged.

It's never too late to start.
So, you think the bus has left the station? No way! There's no time like right now to begin investing in yourself. Sure, it may be a little uncomfortable at first, but in the long run you will be able to reap the benefits.

It's best to see the guidance of professionals to educate yourself.
There are retirement advisers and fitness trainers, both ready, willing, and able to guide you through a sometimes confusing world. Our fitness team is always ready to answer any question you may have and help you meet your realistic goals.

There are bad investments!
Absolutely! Fad diets, odd exercise contraptions, and empty promises are like mines in a minefield, ready to waste your time, money, and health. In planning for your future, both financially and health wise, you have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul - a lifetime, in fact.

In some ways, the two are different. For example, when investing in your retirement, the payoff sometimes seems a long way away, especially if you're starting early. However, oftentimes when beginning an exercise program, the positive side effects can be felt right away. This helps us get through that early stage of beginning a program.

And, unlike retirement investing, with exercise you don't have to look at a statement to see how you're doing. Taking two steps at a time, increasing your weights on the Circuit, running that 5K, increasing resistance in Group Ride, dancing at your grandchild's wedding, going a little farther on the treadmill, trying that new group exercise class and having a terrific time, all signs that you're investment in yourself is paying off.

Lose fat now, and keep it off!

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:58:00 GMT

Here at Mike Arteaga's we talk about 'losing fat,' as opposed to 'losing weight.' To us, the difference is very important, because your long-term health depends on a proper approach to fat loss.

When your goal is simply 'weight loss,' you risk losing water and muscle along with fat, which usually results in a very fast decline in 'weight' and the appearance of quick success. The problem occurs when you lose muscle, the weight always comes back, but usually in the form of water and fat instead.

So, if you approach this personal project with the wrong mindset and machinery, you'll ultimately be replacing muscle with fat, which we can establish is completely the opposite of your original goal.

There are basically two essential components to fat loss:
1. Take in fewer calories than you burn.
2. Balance your workout with strengthening exercises in addition to cardiovascular exercise.

Sometimes we feel that we can eat - and drink - anything we want just because we workout. Not true. When your calorie intake exceeds your calorie burn, you're working against yourself.

We also sometimes think, okay in order to lose weight I'm going to run, bike, swim, step, and treadmill myself to the weight I want. All of these exercises are wonderful, however without strength training they will only provide half of the answer. Basically, muscle burns significantly more calories than fat, so as you build muscle you are employing it as an ally against fat.

Finally, the ultimate question, when will I see results?

When you begin a strength training program with a Fitness Trainer on our strength training Circuit and, over time, regularly increase your weights, this is progress and is an important measure of your success. You're building muscle and burning fat.

As for cardiovascular progress, are you now walking for 30 minutes when you used to only walk for 10 minutes? Did you extend that run a little further? Are you able to increase your resistance in Group Ride? This is progress.

Also, for most people the stomach, hip, and thigh area is the first place fat begins to show and the first place we begin to see changes in our bodies. When these measurements go down, that is success.

Recently, we had a member embark on a year-long journey with a personal trainer. At the end of her first year, she and her trainer talked about the changes that had occurred over the past 12 months - in short, her body weight was the exact same as when she began her program, but she had dropped two dress sizes. If she had been measuring her success purely with a scale, she might have become discouraged, however she had clearly lost fat, gained muscle, and was feeling fantastic.

Our Team is here to speak with you if you want to begin losing fat, tracking your progress, or are becoming discouraged with your workouts. That's why we're here!

Get to know fat...then lose it!

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:58:00 GMT

Do you know how fat works?

You know that friend you have who doesn’t believe it’s necessary to exercise because he or she is thin? They might be surprised to know they are gaining body fat every day even though it isn’t obviously visible.

When someone isn’t exercising particularly when they are past their 20s, they begin to lose muscle every day. This alone is not a healthy situation, but what compounds the problem is that the body is replacing the lost muscle with fat.

Years ago, one of our members dragged his wife in for a fitness evaluation. At the time, we were doing evaluations which included body composition measurements, which measures the amount of fat in your body. She insisted she hated exercise and saw no need to do it, because as she said “look at me dear, I’m very thin, what do I need exercise for?"

Well, we tested her and she was somewhere between 40 to 45% body fat, actually scoring as obese! It was an amazingly high percentage of body fat, which at her weight indicated she had almost no muscle. As a result, her risk of heart disease, cancer, and a myriad of other diseases was extremely high, yet she believed that being 'skinny' was healthy and that she was protected from these diseases.

Dr. Stephen Blair nationally known epidemiologist confirmed with one of his landmark studies that it’s not body weight that gives us a protection from disease, but actually fitness level. Dr. Blair’s study followed a group of obese men who were moderately fit as tested with a treadmill for over 20 years. These obese, moderately fit men had the same premature death rate from all diseases as thin men who were moderately fit and remarkably a five-times lower premature death rate than then thin men who were in the low fit category.

Conclusion = skinny is not fit.

The assumption has always been that thinness protected a person against disease and if somebody was obese the likelihood of disease skyrocketed. Dr. Blair has undeniably confirmed that its fitness, not weight, that provides protection from disease. Dr Blair's message to physicians at medical conventions is “get off your patients backs about losing weight and get on their backs about exercising!”

In today’s world, with the overabundance and focus on food, staying thin is quite a challenge. It is great news for a large portion of our population that anyone can protect themselves from deterioration and disease with exercise, even if they don’t lose weight.

The body as it turns out is also quite deceiving when it comes to body fat. As we age we lose muscle - the new scientific term for this is 'sarcopenia.' As muscle fibers shrink, the muscles simultaneously begin to fill with fat, making our bodies appear to be the same over time when in fact our percentage of body fat is increasing. It’s only when the muscles accumulate all the fat they can hold that the fat begins to accumulate visibly. In women usually it begins on the hips and with men around the midsection.

If you’re inactive and this fat begins to appear it’s a mistake to believe that you’re just beginning to get fat. The reality is you’re already quite fat and beginning to spill fat subcutaneously, under the skin. At this point you’re already at a very high risk for multitude of diseases.

Fat generally comes of in reverse order from how it was added, but you can break this cycle. With exercise you can rebuild the muscle tissue and begin to clean the fat out of the muscles first, before you lose the subcutaneous fat.

So, now that you get how fat works, it's time to get rid of it!

- Mike

Make your summer (and life) the best it can be!

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:02:00 GMT

'Aerobic exercise saves your life, strength training makes it worth living.'

The words belong to Harry Lodge, co-author of "Younger Next Year," their meaning belongs to you.

My Team's mission is to make regular exercise a permanent part of your life...so that you can enjoy that life and live it to the fullest. We want you to dance at your grandchildren's wedding, live independently for your entire life, and enjoy all that the world has to offer in whichever way makes you happy.

From hikers to gardeners, golfers to runners, cyclists to shoppers, grandparents to new parents, whatever path you've chosen, aerobic exercise will enable you to move and strength training will make that movement the best it can be.

Can the aerobic/strengthening exercise tandem prepare you for a 5K or your first triathlon? Of course, but that's only a small part of the fitness story. The combination also prepares you for the precious moments of life, like carrying your children, going for a long walk on the beach, tackling a home improvement project, you name it...

I've even heard people say that they can sit through a movie easier once they've spent some time strengthening their back and legs!

'Aerobic exercise saves your life, strength training makes it worth living.'

The words belong to Harry Lodge, co-author of "Younger Next Year," their meaning belongs to you.

My Team's mission is to make regular exercise a permanent part of your life...so that you can enjoy that life and live it to the fullest. We want you to dance at your grandchildren's wedding, live independently for your entire life, and enjoy all that the world has to offer in whichever way makes you happy.

From hikers to gardeners, golfers to runners, cyclists to shoppers, grandparents to new parents, whatever path you've chosen, aerobic exercise will enable you to move and strength training will make that movement the best it can be.

Can the aerobic/strengthening exercise tandem prepare you for a 5K or your first triathlon? Of course, but that's only a small part of the fitness story. The combination also prepares you for the precious moments of life, like carrying your children, going for a long walk on the beach, tackling a home improvement project, you name it...

I've even heard people say that they can sit through a movie easier once they've spent some time strengthening their back and legs!

It doesn't matter what you hope to do this summer or in life, the aerobic/strengthening exercise combination will make it easier and more enjoyable. Let us help - make an appointment with a Fitness Trainer or ask one of us how you can get started down the path of fitness for life!

To life!

-Mike

Recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes? We can help!

Fri, 27 May 2011 18:04:00 GMT

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?

We can help.

Along with a healthy diet, regular exercise can cure Type 2 diabetes. At Mike Arteaga’s Health and Fitness Centers, we suggest that our members balance their workout between cardiovascular and strength training, two key components in battling Type 2 diabetes.

Regular exercise is your best medicine when it comes to preventing certain diseases and curing others. When it comes to diabetes, you can increase your chances of successfully controlling Type 1 when you add regular exercise to your life, along with the proper diet and a good working partnership with your doctor.

As for Type 2, the benefits are even greater because of the likelihood of curing it with a combination of exercise and healthy eating habits. Our members are living success stories, and their doctors are thrilled.

Additionally, the American Diabetes Association is here to offer help, hope and support through programs like their new, free, Living With Type 2 Diabetes program. You can take advantage of their programs online at diabetes.org/living or by calling 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383.)

Contact us at 452-5050 or 691=6161 and see how easy it is to become a member at Mike Arteaga’s Fitness Centers so you can begin taking the best and most successful medication known – regular exercise!

May's Newsletter is here!

Thu, 05 May 2011 16:11:00 GMT

Click for the latest info...

Relieve your back pain!

Mon, 02 May 2011 16:34:00 GMT

A message from Mike:

I've just made it easier for you to stop living with back or neck pain!

Our Healthy Back and Neck program is so effective, we are now backing it up with a 100-percent money back guarantee.

It's simple - you get pain relief or a 100 percent refund!

Because, whether you or someone you love is facing surgery, has a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or is just living with back and neck pain, our Healthy Back and Neck Program can help.

We've helped thousands by eliminating their pain and, in many cases, allowing them to avoid surgery.

And now, if you give our Healthy Back and Neck program a try and don't feel it's helped, we will give you a full refund.

Call us at 452-5050 in Poughkeepsie or 691-6161 in Highland and ask for information about our Healthy Back and Neck Program or visit us at mikearteaga.com.

Give us a call today, you have absolutely nothing to lose but your pain!
With our new money back guarantee, when you give our Healthy Back and Neck program a try, the only thing you have to lose is your back or neck pain! Click here to listen!

For more info on the program, click here!

Aging study surprises researchers!

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:01:00 GMT

A recent study into the effects of exercise on aging shocked researchers, and made a few others begin their exercise programs immediately.

Professor of pediatrics and medicine, Dr Mark Tarnopolsky, and colleagues from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario used a litter of mice that had been modified to have a defect in a gene involved in repairing mitochondria, which supply energy for the cells. When the mice were three months old (roughly equivalent to 20 years in humans) they then forced some of the mice to exercise on a treadmill for 45 minutes a few times a week, while giving the others no exercise.

Dr. Tarnopolsky, a professor at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, said he and his colleagues had expected to find that exercise would affect the muscles including the heart, but they did not expect it would affect every tissue and bodily system studied, as it did.

“Exercise alters the course of aging,” said Dr. Tarnopolsky. It reduced or eliminated almost all every detrimental effect of aging in the exercising mice. None of the side effects of aging showed up in the mice that were put on exercise regimens, while the sedentary mice aged much more quickly.

Dr. Tarnopolsky students were so impressed, “I think they all exercise now,” he said.

Don't go on a diet...instead, change how you eat!

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 02:46:00 GMT

by Jason Hutchings, B.S. Nutrition Science,
A.S. Exercise Science, N.E.S.T.A. Certified Personal Trainer

It’s been said the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

That same approach should be taken to eating healthy – it’s a process rather than a one-shot deal. And, research backs it up.

A 2007 study conducted by the University of California Los Angeles reviewed 31 long-term diet studies to find that:

On average, up to two-thirds of people who lose 5 to 10 percent of their weight in the first six months of a diet gain it back – and then some – within four to five years.
One of the best predictors of weight gain is having been on a diet at some point in the past.

So instead of dieting, change how you eat. Rather than three pieces of pizza, eat two. If you have two scoops of sugar in your coffee, one scoop can work. Everything needs to be in moderation, because multiple, small changes add up to a big change in the end.

Some other tips for creating healthy eating habits include:

Do Your Shopping on the outside of the supermarket

The outside edges of the supermarket are where you will find your fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and dairy. These foods are more nutrient dense and have less preservatives, additives and chemicals than all the processed foods in the aisles. Most of your whole, unaltered foods are going to be found here.

Adding whole foods to your diet enables you to enjoy all the nutrition offered by these foods the way that nature intended.

Carbohydrates are not your enemy; they are your bodies' preferred source of fuel

All the fad diets you hear about these days are all about carbohydrate restriction. Low and No carbohydrate style of dieting more likely means low or no energy rather than reduction in body fat.

Rather than eating a low carbohydrate diet, choose the proper amount of good carbohydrates. Learn how to follow the Glycemic index so that you can eat the proper amount of the right carbohydrates. Get your carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits and keep your energy up.

Fats aren't the enemy, they are essential

Whenever anyone talks about diet and exercise, they are looking to lose fat and gain muscle. They automatically assume that all dietary fat is bad. This is not the case. Many Major research institutions, including the Harvard School of Public Health, no longer believes that dietary fat, even saturated is bad for heart health.

This doesn't mean you can go out and eat all of the steak and eggs you can handle, but moderated fat intake can actually assist your weight loss. Always avoid trans fats, but unsaturated and saturated fats can and should be consumed in moderation.

Also, make sure you get the proper amounts of your essential fats. Your essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6, and 9) are required for healthy cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous function. Also, look for fish, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds and leafy vegetables.

Plan your meals ahead of time

Planning out our meals ahead of time helps us to avoid periods of hunger. When we are hungry our senses lead us follow whatever appeals to us. Whether it is what we smell first, see first or whatever is convenient, we find ourselves making rash decisions to make poor food choices because of our hunger.

Plan your food out for the day in small regular meals so that you aren't hungry. Bring some healthy snacks with you to keep you fueled throughout your day.

Balance your good nutrition with regular exercise

When you exercise regularly, your fuel needs increase, so it’s important to meet those needs wisely. Too often people think exercising regularly is an excuse to eat junk food. If real health and fitness is your goal, you must make sure your eating and exercise habits are in synch.

Your body is the engine you need to keep running for a good, long time, so make sure you’re putting in only the best fuel!

Strengthening exercises are essential!

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:01:00 GMT

"I’ve heard about weight lifting…but I’m afraid I’ll hurt myself!"

Weight lifting - or strengthening exercise - is essential for your health and should be a part of everyone’s exercise program!

It is the only safe way to build bone strength, keep the joints pain free, and control body fat.

Here are some tips to get you exercising safely and correctly:

First, schedule a session with a Fitness Trainer…it’s included in your membership!
Start on the Circuit…our MedX machines are designed to ensure you work your entire muscle.
Start lifting lighter weights…then make small increases as it gets easier.
Use slow, steady movements…injury occurs when weights are lifted incorrectly.

Building muscle is a key component of fat loss, since each pound of muscle burns about 50 calories a day while each pound of fat burns only 2 to 3 calories.

If you have any questions, e-mail me at mikesquestions@gmail.com

To your health!

- Mike

Don't Give Up!

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:19:00 GMT

"My New Year’s resolution was to get in shape, but I’m not seeing results quick enough – I’m ready to give up!"

Whatever you do, don’t give up! Getting in shape is a lifetime commitment, and sometimes we look in the wrong place for results.

Here are some tips to get you through the resolution blues:

Meet with a Fitness Trainer…make sure your exercise routine has the right mix of cardiovascular and strengthening.
Challenge yourself by increasing your weights…or your time on a cardio machine…or intensifying your movements in a group exercise class.
Make an appointment with a personal trainer and participate in small group trainings - this can really shake up your workout and point you in new, exciting directions.
Try something different...explore other options like a group exercise class or Cardio Cinema.

If you have increased your weights on the Circuit…or spend more time on your favorite cardio machine…YOU ARE making progress…slow and steady wins with health and fitness every time!

If you have any questions, e-mail me at mikesquestions@gmail.com

To your health!

- Mike

Fruits and vegetables: How do you rate?

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 20:47:00 GMT

According to an article in the January, 2011 issue of Consumer Reports' On Health, we're just not getting enough fruit and vegetables.

We may have the best intentions, but we're falling short of the recommended two to four daily serving of fruit and three to five daily servings of veggies!

Here are some tips to add a few savory servings of fruit and vegetables to your day:

1. Make a habit of buying them at the grocery store - start at the fruit and vegetable aisle.

2. Experiment with different fruits and veggies - just like exercise you should stick with what you love, but change it up every now and then.

3. Add fruit to what you're already eating, like cold or hot cereal or yogurt.

4. When you're making breakfast, how about a veggie omelet?

5. Make sure that sandwich you're packing has some lettuce, tomato, onion, etc.

6. Keep a bowl of fruit within easy reach on the kitchen counter or your desk at work so that you can grab a piece of fruit when you're hungry.

7. Buy packaged, ready-to-eat fresh vegetables and fruits - these cut down on preparation time.

8. Keep dried fruit on hand for a snack that is easy to take with you when you're away from home.

Why does this matter? According to the article in On Health, "A diet high in fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of many causes of premature death. Fruit and vegetables supply important nutrients and disease-fighting compounds, and giving them prominence in your diet can help avoid excess weight gain."

Along with regular exercise, healthy eating habits can make a huge difference in the quality of our lives.

To your health!

The newsletter's here!

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:15:00 GMT

Take a look!

New Child Care Rates!

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:38:00 GMT

Child Care rates change January 17

Beginning Monday, January 17, Child Care rates will be $3 per child per visit, - and a visit will now be defined as a two-hour period.

For example, a parent who drops their two children off at 5:45 pm for a 6:00class, takes the class, showers and picks up their children from Child Care at 7:30 pm will pay $6 ($3 per child.)

If a parent is more than 10 minutes late, over the two hour maximum visit, they will be charged an additional $3 per child.

Along with the new rate system, we've been happy to feature a Wii in Child Care, which has gotten a lot of action lately. We've purposely picked games that encourage movement, like dancing, and the children (and staff) seem to love it!