Military Muscle: Strive for balance in diet, consistency in exercise - Military Health, military health and wellness, military physical fitness - Military Times

Military Muscle: Strive for balance in diet, consistency in exercise

More than once I’ve based a column on responses generated from past articles, and this week, I’d like to clarify two matters:

Nutrition

I am not a licensed dietitian, so I keep my recommendations to information that is well-supported by science. Here are some constants that I have observed:

• “Fad” diets that pervade the market don’t seem to work for the long haul. The thousands of people I have worked with over the past eight years have done best when they ate a balanced diet consumed in three meals with one or two snacks midway between. It’s all about balance.

• Sugar is not a poison, nor is whole-grain wheat a panacea. I have had some clients who were consuming a six-pack of soda every day or eating 80 percent of their meals at fast-food establishments. That’s not balance.

• The pervasive issue is portion size. Often getting a client to eat the recommended portions is enough to start the weight-control process. Those who eat something for breakfast do better than those who don’t. It does not have to be a lot, and it shouldn’t always be a farmer’s breakfast unless you do a lot of heavy work during the day.

• The universal truth has not changed. If you take in more than you expend: you will gain weight.

• Carbohydrates are your principal source of energy and should make up about 50 percent of your daily diet.

Exercise

• Cardio, strength and flexibility work together. You have to hit all three areas.

• My clients range from teen athletes to active-duty with orders to SEAL support groups to seniors (my oldest is 92) who want to keep their quality of life at a high level. There is not a single approach to exercise.

• The easiest way to fail is to take a halfway approach or go hard but be inconsistent. No matter what your goals are, consistency is the only way they will be accomplished.

• Ask a trainer about correct technique versus simply “tossing iron.” You not only will start to make gains but also avoid unnecessary injury.

• Rest can be as important as training. You need physical and mental vacations.

• You can do heavy workouts regardless of age or sex. I have an 82-year-old who can do 36 push-ups with the body armor vest, a woman who can outdo most of the guys in the tire flip, and a 77-year-old woman who can do 10 horizontal pull-ups with a 150-pound vest on.

Happy birthday, America!

Bob Thomas is director of the Navy Wellness Center in Pensacola, Fla. Email him at jomof14@cox.net.