Welcome to "Rock Your Body," The State News' fitness and nutrition column. Each week we hit up our local experts with some questions and pass on their wisdom to you.
But, before we get to the goods, we thought we'd tell you a little bit about who'd giving you advice.
Jim Pivarnik: Jim is a professor of kinesiology and epidemiology. He is trained as an exercise physiologist, specializing in physical activity and exercise on chronic disease risk.
Tom Ostrander: Tom is the owner of Powerhouse Gym, 435 E. Grand River Ave. He is one of Michigan's top amateur bodybuilding competitors. Tom is a personal trainer with experience ranging from professional athletes to stay-at-home moms.
This week we asked:
SN: How does drinking affect weight loss? Are there any benefits?
Tom: Alcoholic beverages are simply empty calories, meaning they serve absolutely no purpose to the body in terms of providing energy, building muscle or muscle preservation.
Alcohol slows your metabolism. Your metabolism functions at its peak when you feed it regular, moderate, amounts of good food. When your metabolism is "smothered" with a load of excess empty calories, it slows down as if there is nothing for it to burn.
Jim: Moderate drinking might be associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease. This result has been shown fairly consistently in research, particularly in large studies where people were followed for many years.
Red wine is usually, but not always, the drink that appears to offer the best protection against heart disease. Moderate drinking of wine means no more than one or two, 5-ounce glasses per day.
It should be pointed out that there is a huge tradeoff here. Moderate drinking has been shown to increase risk for cancer, cirrhosis of the liver and hemorrhagic strokes.
SN: If you have never worked out, or haven't in a while, what is the best way to get started?
Jim: When beginning a physical activity program for the first time, or restarting one, I would almost always suggest walking for exercise.
I would suggest starting out with 20 minutes a day, three days per week for those whose activity level is very low (and assuming there is no medical reason precluding activity). Then work your way up to 30 to 40 minutes a day, five days per week.
Once you are comfortable walking, you might want to consider adding activities such as jogging, cycling, swimming and weight lifting. A few pointers from a certified trainer will go a long way.
Tom: Go Slow. It is best to start slow and gradually progress. If you have never exercised, or haven't in a while, a moderate amount will cause enough shock to your body to make it respond and progress right away.
You can put too much stress on your body and get burned out very quickly. Exercise should be a progressive activity.
Also, always remember that your muscle has memory. This means if you haven't exercised in a while and you're worried you've lost all you've worked for - don't. You will be back to your old form in half the time it took you to get there!
Amy Malow, a registered dietitian, contributed to Jim's alcohol response. If you would like to have your questions answered please e-mail them to msandu@msu.edu.
