Step Training for Fitness and Fun

Within the last few years, step training’s popularity has climbed rapidly. An estimated 10 million people have tried step training.

Could 10 million steppers be wrong? On the contrary—vigorous stepping provides the cardiovascular benefits of running but stresses the joints little more than walking. Performed to invigorating music with creative choreography, this low-impact workout is also lots of fun.

Before beginning a step-training class, be sure that your step—the platform—is secure and at the proper height for your fitness level. If you are new to step training, or just beginning a fitness program, start with a platform height of 4 to 6 inches. (Regardless of fitness level, the platform height should not require bending your knees more than 90 degrees.)

Keep the area around your platform dry and remove objects that could interfere with your workout.

Proper body alignment during step training helps prevent injuries. While stepping:

Relax your neck and keep it straight.Always keep your knees soft and don’t lock the knee joints.Maintain good posture with the shoulders back, chest lifted and pelvis tucked under.Lean from the ankles, not the waist, as you step onto the platform; do not bend from the hips.Don’t arch your back.Correct stepping technique also prevents injuries and improves your workout:Always place your entire foot on the platform; no part of the foot should hang over the edge.Step close to the platform, allowing the heels to contact the floor. Note: Only the ball of the foot, not the heel, should touch the floor during lunges or other rapidly repeated movements (called “repeaters”).Step quietly. Pounding can unduly stress the ankles and knees.Keep an eye on the platform at all times.Don’t use hand weights. They may increase the risk of injury and provide no significant benefit.

If you initially find step training difficult to follow, focus on learning the foot patterns and omit arm movements. You can add arm movements later.

Remember that raising your arms above shoulder level makes your heart work harder and can leave you breathless. So, if you have a hard time keeping up, lower your arms and catch your breath.

To avoid injuries caused by too much stepping, alternate step-training classes with a variety of aerobic workouts like bicycling, walking or other recreational activities.

Step-training workouts may seem difficult at first, but beware—they’re habit-forming! Just remember to maintain proper body alignment and stepping technique to keep you stepping injury-free for years to come.

American Council on Exercise—Step Training by Sabra Bonelli

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Be a Savvy Fitness Shopper

The benefits of exercise are well-researched and well-documented. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case with advertising claims for exercise equipment.

Some advertisers claim—without evidence—that their exercise products offer a quick, easy way to shape up, keep fit and lose weight. The truth is, there’s no such thing as a no-work, no-sweat way to a healthy, toned body.

Deriving the benefits of exercise requires doing the work.

Before you jump into the next home fitness fad, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers this advice: Exercise good judgment and carefully evaluate advertising claims for exercise products.

Read the performance claims critically. Be leery of those that say the equipment or device can:

Provide easy or effortless results or burn excessive calories. The claims may be true for athletes in top physical condition, but not for most people.Help you burn more calories or lose weight faster than other types of equipment. In general, exercise equipment that works the whole body or major parts of it probably helps you burn more calories than devices that work one part of the body. And, the more you use the equipment, the more calories you’ll burn.Help you “spot reduce”—for example, help you trim your hips or lose the proverbial “spare tire.” Toning and losing weight in one particular area of the body requires regular exercise that works the whole body.Always read the fine print. The advertised results may be based on more than just the use of the machine; they also may be based on restricting calories. The fine print may explain this.

Be skeptical of testimonials or before-and-after pictures from “satisfied” customers. Their experiences may not be typical: Just because one person had success with the equipment doesn’t mean you will, too. As for those popular celebrity endorsements, they, too, are no proof that the equipment will work as claimed.

After you’ve evaluated the advertised claims—but before you make a final purchasing decision—consider these questions:

Will the equipment help you achieve your desired goal, whether it’s to build strength, increase flexibility, improve endurance or enhance your health?Will you stick to the program? Before you buy, prove to yourself that you’re ready to act on your good intentions.To help you choose the best equipment for your needs, check out consumer and fitness magazines that rate exercise equipment. Then test various pieces of equipment at a local gym, recreation center or retailer to find the machine or device that feels comfortable to you.Don’t be fooled by companies that advertise “three easy payments of” or “only $49.95 a month.” The advertised price may not include shipping and handling fees, sales tax, and delivery and set-up fees. Ask about all the costs before you close the deal.Get details on warranties, guarantees and return policies: A “30-day money-back guarantee” may not sound as good if you’re responsible for paying a hefty fee to return a bulky piece of equipment.Check out the company’s customer and support services. Call the advertised toll-free number to get an idea of how easy it is to reach a company representative and how helpful he or she is.

You may get a great deal on a piece of fitness equipment from a secondhand store, consignment shop, yard sale or the classified ads. Buy wisely: Items bought secondhand usually aren’t returnable and don’t carry the warranties that new equipment does.

Whether used or new, home exercise equipment can be a great way to shape up—but only if you use it regularly. Don’t be taken in by claims of quick, easy and effortless results: There’s no such thing as a no-work, no-sweat way to a toned body.

Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Office of Consumer and Business Education—Avoiding the Muscle Hustle: Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0051-tips-buying-exercise-equipmentThe Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint, or to get free information on any of a variety of consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP, or use the complaint form at www.ftc.gov.

The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

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Cross-training for Fun and Fitness

Tired of the same old workout? Looking for a level of fitness that your current exercise routine can’t offer? Are you experiencing nagging injuries that just don’t seem to heal? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a likely candidate for cross-training.

Cross-training is simply a way of adding variety to your exercise program. You can vary your aerobic routine and incorporate some muscular strength and flexibility training as well.

And if you think cross-training is new, think again. Athletes have been cross-training since the days of the Olympic decathlons and pentathlons of ancient Greece. The past decade has seen the popularity of the triathlon reach international proportions, introducing the concept of cross-training to even the most recreational athletes.

The benefits of cross-training are numerous. It reduces the risk of injury because the same muscles, bones and joints are not continuously subjected to the stresses of the same activity.

Cross-training also adds variety to your workouts, making your routine more interesting and easier to stick with. For the athlete, it provides a break from the rigors and stresses of single-sport training. Cross-training will improve your overall fitness and, over an extended period of time, may ultimately lead to improved performance.

Whether you are new to exercise or a competitive athlete, the essentials of cross-training are the same. You can choose to vary your routine from workout to workout, or simply add a new component to your existing exercise program.

One of the easiest ways to start cross-training is to alternate between activities—walking one day and swimming or bicycling the next. Or, you can alternate these activities within a single workout, spending five minutes on a treadmill, five minutes on a stationary cycle, and so on for a total of 30 minutes.

More experienced exercisers might begin an hour-long workout with a 15-minute jog to a nearby pool. After a 20-minute swim and perhaps a few minutes of calisthenics, they can finish off their workout with a 15-minute jog back home and several minutes of flexibility exercises.

If you’re looking to increase your endurance level, try alternating low-level aerobic activities, such as 20 minutes of stationary cycling, with 10 minutes of higher-intensity exercise, such as stair-stepping or jumping rope. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend on the more intense activity.

These formulas can be used with just about any type of activity—as long as you enjoy it. Combining a group of aerobic activities into one workout at steady or varying intensities is an excellent way to fight the boredom that comes from performing the same daily workout routine.

All exercise sessions, whether they involve cross-training or not, should begin and end with low-level aerobic exercise and stretching to effectively warm up and cool down. And remember, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.

Cross Training Improves Fitness and Reduces Injury: www.sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/Cross_Training.htm
Mayo Clinic—Cross-training: Rev up Your Exercise Program With Variety: www.mayoclinic.com/health/cross-training/SM00112
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery—Cross Training: www.orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00339

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Engineering the fitness of older patients for chemotherapy: An exploration of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in practice

Impact Factor:1.137 | Ranking:21/36 in Social Sciences, Biomedical | 81/136 in Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | 5-Year Impact Factor:1.396Source:2012 Journal Citation Reports® (Thomson Reuters, 2013)
Alexandra L McCarthy al.mccarthy{at}qut.edu.au

Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology; Division of Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Australia Peta S Cook

University of Tasmania, AustraliaPatsy Yates

Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology; Division of Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Australia Clinicians often report that currently available methods to assess older patients, including standard clinical consultations, do not elicit the information necessary to make an appropriate cancer treatment recommendation for older cancer patients. An increasingly popular way of assessing the potential of older patients to cope with chemotherapy is a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment. What constitutes Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, however, is open to interpretation and varies from one setting to another. Furthermore, Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment’s usefulness as a predictor of fitness for chemotherapy and as a determinant of actual treatment is not well understood. In this article, we analyse how Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment was developed for use in a large cancer service in an Australian capital city. Drawing upon Actor–Network Theory, our findings reveal how, during its development, Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment was made both a tool and a science. Furthermore, we briefly explore the tensions that we experienced as scholars who analyse medico-scientific practices and as practitioner–designers charged with improving the very tools we critique. Our study contributes towards geriatric oncology by scrutinising the medicalisation of ageing, unravelling the practices of standardisation and illuminating the multiplicity of ‘fitness for chemotherapy’.

© 2013 SAGE Publications. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC

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