My experience visiting the ultra-gym

I spent this past weekend with my family in Chicago. My parents, brother and I were out visiting my sister and her fiancé for an extended weekend. Before our trip downtown, we me and my dad made the best of said fiancé’s guest passes at his local gym.

Now keep in mind, my gym experience ranges from the modest YMCA at home, and free access to the gym on campus when I’m at school. Needless to say, this super gym, which I’ll leave unnamed, blew anything I knew before out of the water.

The ultra-gym had about anything you could ever imagine. Even showing up on Good Friday, the place was pretty well stocked with all sorts of Chicagians. Still, I was pretty impressed to see the most cardio machines lined up like little soldiers I had ever seen in a workout facility.

However, I had a hard time getting my typical workout in. My dad put it best, when he said- “going to a new gym, you spend more time looking around for your favorite machines than actually using them”. I couldn’t agree more.

I think in general, I would have a difficult time belonging to an ultra-gym anyway. There’s something disheartening about no machine standing out from another, be it better lighting, or closer to a fan. I also find a sense of comfort in a smaller setting, with a bit better organization than simply a huge warehouse feeling.

What is your gym of choice like? Do you rely on regular favorites and more of a connection with your facility? Does a larger gym suite you better?

Message to readers-

A Sizable Apple has been up and running for 6 months now! I'd like to extend a huge thank you to all readers. You've kept this site up and your comments and suggestions continue to keep me on my toes!

I encourage all regular readers to sign up for the Feed Burner email subscription on the right hand side of the screen. Ensure you never miss a post as they are dropped directly in your inbox!

Looking ahead into the future of ASA, I'd love for this site to grow in quality of information and readership. Please share this site with your family and friends, and spread the word!

As always, PLEASE email me with any questions, concerns or suggestions at asizableapple@gmail.com

THANK YOU!!
- Dana

Ask A Pro: Leslie Goldman (Pt. 2)

The following is part two of an interview with health and fitness blogger, and author of 'Locker Room Diaries' Leslie Goldman. Check yesterdays post for the beginning of this interview.

A Sizable Apple: You have written about your own battles with self image in particularly battling an eating disorder, and also about binge eating. What advice do you have to maintaining a healthy lifestyle based on what you've learned from your past and reporting on others?

L. Goldman: Well, I never struggled with binge eating myself - my problem was anorexia in college. It was a very kind of cliché ED: I was the straight-A, perfectionist, eager-to-please young woman who goes off to college and freaks out and develops and eating disorder to cope with it, to cope with this new dis-order in her world. I lost a significant amount of weight; not so much that the fashion world would be appalled, but enough that I looked horrible. In terms of recovery, I got better physically within my freshman year, gaining most of the weight back. . . but it wasn’t until, I’d say, my junior year that I started looking deeper and realizing it wasn’t just about food—that it was so much more.

As for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, I have to say being ready to change is a critical step. You can’t really help someone if they don’t want to be helped. So once I was mentally and physically prepared to make a change, I made damn sure I had a good therapist. You can and should couch-hop a couple times if you don’t click with the guy or lady right away. I found a male social worker who is challenging and doesn’t coddle me. Some people like a softer approach. I wanted confrontation.

Also, I have to give a shout-out to medication. Honestly, Luvox saved me. I’m know some people out there are anti-antidepressants and so was I for the first few years of college. I thought there was a stigma. Little did I know that 10 years later, 95% of my friends would be on Zoloft, Paxil or Lexapro. That’s an exaggeration, obvious, but I do maintain that being on an SSRI helped to clear away the clouded vision I had of my body. It didn’t make me feel instantly pretty or skinny or sexy, but I feel it put me on a level playing field to fight the disease.

ASA: I think it's sometimes difficult for women to see fit fitness and nutrition writers/spokespeople discuss alternatives and workout plans that are made to look easy, without actually understanding what work a successful plan entails. What is your fitness plan like?

L. Goldman: I work out five to six days a week - which some may say is a lot, but it is key for my stress management and I can literally feel negativity build up inside me unless I unleash it through sweat and hard work! One of those days is a yoga class, then 4 days a week I'll do about 30 minutes of cardio (Love the StepMill machine...now that it's getting warmer in Chicago, I can't wait to run outside). I also lift weights twice a week. I wouldn't say my plan is easy, but it's become a vital part of who I am. I wake up early - 6am-ish, go workout, get my sweat on, shower and have the whole day to be productive. And goof off. I only wish I lived somewhere warm and hilly so I could go hiking...but I do love my Chicago!

ASA: What is fittodaytv.com about? Who is it geared towards and what is its mission?

L. Goldman: Fit Today is a Chicago show, the brainchild of NBC5 Fitness Team correspondent Andrea Metcalf. She asked me to be a co-host and of course, I accepted! My role centers on food and nutrition, so I've been interviewing leading area RDs, nutritionists, chefs and more. Dave, another co-host, is all about lifestyle Inspiration, a perfect fit for him because he lost 150 lbs (!!!) and is now a trainer. Joanne, the final co-host, does a bit of food, a bit of lifestyle. Andrea pulls everything together with general health and medicine.

For the past month or so, we've been filming on location at various Chicagoland area locations, such as Crunch Fitness, local hospitals and restaurants and even McDonalds, which is cosponsoring the show (a huge deal!) in an effort to promote their heathier offerings like the Asian Chicken Salad, Apple Dippers, Dasani bottled water and, my favorite (and I'm NOT just saying this because you know I've mentioned these before) the Fruit & Yogurt Parfait. In fact, starting last week, a photo of Andrea, Dave and myself, dressed in workout gear, is appearing on tray liners at more than 500 McDonald’s across Chicago and Northwest Indiana for two months! People are literally eating off of me!

Ask a pro: Leslie Goldman

‘Ask a pro’ is a special A Sizable Apple feature geared to bring quality information to readers through professionals in the health and nutrition field. Leslie Goldman (Master of Public Health) is the author of ‘Locker Room Diaries- the naked truth about women, body image, and re-imaging the ‘perfect’ body’.

Goldman is also a well known contributor to Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Health and People Magazine among many more. Her work can be found on the iVillage.com blog- The Weighting Game. Below is my interview with her discussing her health projects, and her personal commitment to health and fitness as well.

A Sizable Apple: Your book, "Locker Room Diaries" talks about women's body images, can you explain a little bit about image acceptance and the "perfect" body?

Leslie Goldman: The premise of Locker Room Diaries is that I spent about five years observing and talking with women of all shapes and sizes about their body image. Why is it, I wanted to know, that almost no one seems satisfied with her physique? I chose the locker room because, yes, it can be a nice retreat, a place to toss aside our worries of the day. But it is also where our flaws become most apparent beneath those awful fluorescent lights-- and where most of us can’t help but wonder how we “measure up.” Who hasn’t tried to sneak a peek to see how we stack up next to the woman at the locker next to us – Does she have cellulite? What does her stomach really look like under that t-shirt?

When we are naked, we are at our most vulnerable — physically and emotionally. There are no Miracle bras to lift our breasts to magnificent heights, no control-top panty hose to smooth away the dimples, no high heels to coax our calf muscles out of hiding. And without the armor of clothing, insecurities emerge, with nothing to hide us except a measly little towel. As someone who works out a lot and spends a lot of time in the locker room, I started hearing these comments from women – horrible comments that, if our partner or spouse uttered them, it would be considered emotional abuse…but if we say them to ourselves, it’s somehow acceptable.

Things like, “If I could just cut off this part of my leg, then I’d be perfect” or “The scale says 120…I’m so fat! Why can it just say 116?” I realized how what goes on in the women’s locker room can be viewed as a distillation of our of body-obsessed society’s impact on women.

For my book, I spoke with little three-year-old girls who talked about being on diets, pregnant women and new moms battling their shifting weight, women of all different ethnic backgrounds, women who had undergone gastric bypass, women who had overcome eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and compulsive over-exercising, and women in their 60s, 70s and 80s for the chapter on “the older generation.” Bottom line: The grass is always greener. Everyone wants what they can’t have (tall vs petite; slim vs athletic; 34A vs 40DD) and very, very few women were happy as they are. Of those who are, the majority of them fell in the “older women” category, which is why I especially enjoyed interviewing those women. They had so much wisdom to impart – many of them spoke of how the years have allowed them to view their body as more than just eye candy, but a tool for building a family, fighting off disease, caring for grandchildren. It became less about vanity and more about keeping themselves healthy and strong.

ASA: How can we change how we view the media to benefit our personal body images?

L. Goldman: We all know that companies, from perfumers to maternity apparel stores, use sex and women's bodies to sell their products. For the majority of Americans, it's accepted. Not many of us write letters to the heads of television channels or editors-in-chief of magazines, decrying the oppression of women. Surely some do, but for rest, we generally just flip the page or change the channel when these demoralizing ads appear.

Sometimes, we don't even realize an ad is especially oppressive or seriously digitally retouched. I tend to fall in the middle of the "do something" spectrum, perhaps a bit towards the proactive end. For my own sanity, I specifically avoid TV shows and publications known for ads showing pin-thin models, women lying in bloodied heaps on the floor, women as nothing more than a body part that needs to be whittled down.

There was a time where I actually tuned into the Howard Stern show -- why, I have no idea -- and it was only once I realized and said the words out loud, "Hey, this show makes me feel like crap!" that I switched channels forever. I also speak publicly about the effects ads and airbrushing can have on American women and men alike, and a hush falls over the crowd as recount a story from a psychologist colleague of mine: She was treating a woman for an eating disorder -- a patient who, coincidentally or not, worked in the art department for a major lingerie company (I won't name names...it's a secret). She said everything, from wiping away cellulite to lengthening navels to elongate the torso, took place via retouching software, only to be transmitted to thousands of consumers as "real."

The remainder of my interview with Leslie will appear on A Sizable Apple tomorrow!

How to fail at nutrition

After writing for A Sizable Apple for 8 months now, what I know about nutrition has significantly grown. Based on what I’ve learned, I’ve decided to compile a ‘how to’ on what I’ve learned, in reverse. Here’s my take- how to fail at nutrition.

1. Shop unprepared:

Heading to the grocery store listless can be a horrible mistake. Pair it up with running on errands on an empty stomach, and your trip can be seriously hazards to your health. Be empowered, and shop on a mission! The grocery store is the most vital stop to managing your waist line. Know what you’re going for, be it recipes already in mind, or a list of what’s missing from the pantry.

2. Skip breakfast

It’s called the most important meal of the day for a reason! If you’re normally not quite a morning person, pre-pack your morning start. No matter what, eat up! Breakfast helps keep your metabolism in check for the rest of the day.

3. Forget the labels

I’m no nutritionist, but knowing the basics on the back of packaging is easy and important! Make sure the serving size number matches up with what your normal serving is, and that you’re not spending your precious calorie dollars all in one place.

4. Pass up on all produce because of the expense

Fresh produce can get pricy, but that doesn’t mean you should skip it all together. Fruit and veggies come in a variety of different options, most of which keep longer in your fridge and put your wallet at ease. Make the best out of the frozen food section and canned fruits and veggies as well.

5. Be bland

Keeping up with the best nutrition requires creativity. Cut calories with olive oil in a spray bottle, substitute pasta and potatoes with cauliflower or tofu noodles. Keep up with food blogs, helpful nutrition magazines and healthy sites that promote healthy eating.

Mastering eating well is a difficult feat, but a little creativity and attention can go a long way from bringing home healthy goods from the grocery store, to learning how to eat them properly once they are home.

What your workout apparel says about you

I forgot how interesting going on vacation with your family could be. We got together this Easter in Chicago to visit my sister. Between my parents, siblings and I, there were a handful of necessary stops that were an absolute necessity for one of us, and a semi-bore for the rest. After seeing all Crate and Barrel had to offer per my sister’s request, we had to make a stop in Nike Town for my dad.

Personally, I never knew there was enough workout apparel to fill a three floor building. Seeing everything at Nike Town really got me thinking about the new obsession with workout clothes.

Admit it- when you’re at the gym, the woman with the full Adidas jumpsuit looks like she means business, while the man wearing tiny 70’s style gym shorts, a large sweatshirt and tube socks looks out of place. This isn’t just a difference in style, but the way sporting good companies are changing the way we view fitness.

What should it matter how we look while we’re working out? Workout gear has even extended past the gym as I’ve seen many fancy workout jackets and track pants around town on errands.

Stores like Nike and Adidas have taken full advantage of the national obesity awakening. Besides finding all the workout gear you could ever imagine, you can also find Nike brand polo shirts and Bermuda shorts.

Taking after my dad, I could 'oh' and 'ah' in Nike Town for awhile. I walked through the store looking at things that I would need to come back with a bigger wallet for, just to leave and realize none of that mattered. I’ve always been a classic t-shirt kind of girl, and no $80 zip-up will motivate me anymore to get out on the treadmill.

What is your normal workout wardrobe like?

Nutrition on a budget project- fake it with left-overs

My key clue to knowing it’s time to hit to grocery store again is when I see scraps left over in the fridge. The last bit of onion and bell pepper, maybe some left over meat from whatever I’ve made earlier that week. In attempts to save some cash, I’ve come up with a couple ways to fake real meals with left-overs.

Old veggies go a long way mixed with canned fish or chicken for a quick tuna melt, chicken salad or pair with pasta for a quick casserole. Getting creative with spices can turn ordinary fridge dwellers into something delicious.

Keep your eyes pealed at the grocery store for the isle with prepackaged seasoned mixes. Stocking up on cheep taco, meatloaf and even pasta sauce mixes add a kick to bland foods. Even left over meat that has already been seasoned can be remixed, and cooked again with new flavors for another meal. Throw any leftover veggies cut real thin with ground beef or tiny cubed chicken with a few tablespoons of water and half a package of meatloaf mix. Stir in any sort of white, brown or seasoned rice for the last few minutes. Stuff your mixture into hollowed out bell peppers and bake for a quick stuffed pepper dinner.

Don’t let random remainders at the end of the week get you down at night. Simple add-ins like sauce packages can make new favorites out of your old left overs.

Weight weighing on your mind

Be it New Years, an upcoming reunion, a wake up call or a change in outlook, health alerts come at different times and different times for everyone. No matter when your alarm goes off, don’t break off more than you can chew. A recent article in the New York Times showed that as the percentage of desired weight loss increases, men and women alike showed an increase in days feeling physically or mentally unhealthy. The article concludes that the boost in unhappiness may be a result of the constant stress of worrying. Especially for those who attempt to slim down with an event in mind, self pressure may foil weight loss plans.

With additional social and media pressures, too many weight loss goals are created around unhealthy or unrealistic goals. Attempting to mimic celebrity bodies or focusing on dress sizes may cause more harm than good. Understanding your body type and exercising and eating accordingly will produce the best results for you over time. More so, media perceptions of beautiful women as stick thin can produce stressful frustrating thoughts for dieters. Additional stressers and illness make sticking to healthy habits more difficult, which can hinder your overall goals.

Altering aspects of your lifestyle to become healthier takes time and patients. Taking your mind off a desired end result and focusing on small daily steps are good ways to relieve the worry.

Gaming to replace exercise?

Trying to fight against claims that they might be to fault for child obesity, video game systems are wasting no time trying to alter games to encourage kids to get moving.

Systems like Nintendo’s Wii and the game Dance Dance Revolution have transformed the old way of gaming into virtual activity. Cranky Fitness posted a great article with a link to a Science Daily article on the replacement of activity based gaming as exercise for children.

The recent change in gaming to an interactive, athletically inspired gaming have temporarily given gaming companies like Playstation and Nintendo a break from the dog house. Their response to child obesity and new habits of idle behavior is nice to see. However, as the Science Daily article concludes, these games should not be thought of as a replacement for exercise.

In a time where obesity trends are threatening the health and well being our society, modifications for healthy living should not substitute traditional habits of healthy eating and physical exercise. Games including activity do not practice full ranges of motion. Also, most games do not meet cardio fitness characteristics. More so, these games continue to hinder social interaction with others, and promote a lifestyle of staying indoors.

The idea that gaming may replace activity is ultimately another sign of the changes in our society. One aspect of society that stays uniform however, is a child’s admiration of older children, adults and role models. Encourage your children, siblings or younger friends to engage in an active lifestyle by demonstration. Video games should remain seen as toys, not alternatives for social skills or healthy behavior.

HPV Testing- more than your regular pap smear

One of my readers sent me some great information on getting tested for HPV, as well as some more background behind the virus. If you’re not on board with the vaccination and are sexually active, consider getting tested.

This site (http://www.thehpvtest.com/) has more information. Regular Pap smears are only 50 to 85 percent effective in identifying women with precancerous or cancerous cells, said Dr. Marie Savard.

Included in the information sent from this reader was a story from a cervical cancer survivor, Micheline Fornarotto. Below are some particularly outstanding parts from her story.

When my doctor asked me if I would consent to have an HPV test as part of my routine exam, I thought, “Sure, why not. I have nothing to worry about.” I’ve been with my husband for 11 years and never had any signs or symptoms of any STD. I assumed the test would come back normal.

My results came back and oddly enough my Pap test was normal but my HPV test was positive. I was totally devastated. How did I end up with HPV? My doctor helped ease my anxiety and reassured me that about 80 percent of women get HPV, but it often goes undetected for a long time. He told me there was nothing to be ashamed of: HPV is as common as a cold.

Six months later, when I returned to his office for the follow-up Pap and HPV test, my results showed I was still positive for HPV and I now had abnormal cells.

After another Pap smear and a colonoscopy came back clear, my doctor next scheduled me for a more invasive second procedure, a deep biopsy of my cervix (also known as a cone biopsy). This is when we finally found out what was really going on - I had a type of cervical cancer called adenocarcinoma.

Both my doctor and I were shocked at the diagnosis. I was even more so when I found out that the cancer was so invasive that I needed a hysterectomy. The cancer was beyond the margins of the biopsy and possibly beyond the cervix. The only lucky part of this diagnosis was that my oncologists agreed that we caught this early enough that I didn’t need any further treatments like chemo or radiation therapy, and surgery alone would be the cure.

Not all doctors will bring up HPV testing at your regular visits. Make sure to check with your doctor and get proper tests if needed. Thank you Tracy for the very informative email, and as always if any readers come across relevant information to A Sizable Apple, or questions, please feel free to email me at asizableapple@gmail.com

Media Portrayal of Women- Body Shape vs. Personality

Millions of Americans spend their weeknights around the television catching their favorite programs. Since the 1950’s when the TV craze began, we’ve grown connected to our watching our favorite actors and keeping up with the storylines of sitcoms. The widespread love of television and mass media created a struggle to appreciate personal identity outside of produced public figures.

Jennifer Aniston’s do-no-wrong character on the mid-90’s explosion, “Friends” is a vital example. The 1990’s Aniston hair craze proves the strength of public emulation of stars. Television became a place to subconsciously trend shop, picking and choosing favorite aspects from clothing, to personality traits.

The portrayal of women on screen has been a long time issue argued in many forms from feminism to media and psychology classes. Our favorite on screen personalities usually fit the 36-24-36 “perfect woman” mold. Female roles, villains or heroines alike, are rarely cast to over weight actresses in attempts for drama as viewers consider which beautiful woman to side with.

Even in television shows like “Scrubs”, the only large woman character is Nurse Laverne Roberts (played by Aloma Wright). Wright’s character is loved for her harsh attitude and despite finding pictures of Wright smiling; you would never catch her character with a grin.

Continuing the trend, in the sitcom “The King of Queens”, and even in the cartoon “Family Guy” and “The Simpson’s”, it’s made to believe that all three wives, slender in body type and kind, loving and always understanding in nature, would stand by their large husbands despite a show that thrives on their mistakes and antics.

Leah Remini’s character, Carrie Heffernan, although shown in a more powerful business position than her overweight husband Kevin James’ character Doug Heffernan, relies often on her looks as the punch line of jokes and despite arguments, accepts all of Doug’s mistakes and accidental destruction.

James’ character, alike the husband figures in “Family Guy” and “The Simpson’s” relies on his weight for humor, and no matter his faults or incompetence, always returns to the loveable teddy bear figure at the end of each show. This misconception shows the public acceptance of larger men.

Among a sea of actresses in the ‘perfect’ body type, a few have broken through. Roseanne Barr had great success with her show “Roseanne”, although she might not have had such luck if she tried portraying her character as high class.

Even America Ferrara’s character in “Ugly Betty” has been noticeably compromised on the cover of Glamour Magazine. Her slimmer arms, face and less curvaceous body have raised concern over the photo alterations of stars that have made their way to fame in larger figures.

While the average American woman wears a size 14, the average actress is a size 8 and shrinking. Television continues to portray the average woman far from what she actually is, while real women feel the wrath of these fake standards.

The math behind dieting

I’ve never been a math person. Maybe that’s why I’ve never been a diet person either. If it’s not required for a class or needed to figure out how much my roommates owe me for bills, I ain’t calculating it.

Both cooking and eating has always been enjoyable for me, and I don’t plan on ruining that now. The March 2008 edition of Women’s Health Magazine had a great mid magazine feature on ways to cut back on extra pounds without slaving over nutrition labels and calorie counting.

The first rule of thumb is to forget about calorie counting. Although already prepared dinners may make it easy, if you get creative and stray from the beaten path, you’re more likely to down guess what your meal is worth. The magazine suggest signing up for a deliver meal program like DeliciouslyYours (ediets.com) or Health Management Resources (hmrprogram.com) which will bring you correctly portioned healthy food to your door. Also suggested is looking in the frozen food isle, with guidelines. Dr. Elisa Zied, author of “So What Can I Eat?!” says to hunt for dinners less than 500 calories with at least 4 grams of fiber and no more than 15 grams of fat (less than 3 saturated and no trans fat), with fewer than 700 milligrams of sodium.

Most diets require keeping tabs on the percentages of foods eaten in a given day. Giving up favorites can be tough and can ultimately backfire. Focus at the grocery store on filling your cart mostly with fresh ingredients like fruits, vegetables and lean meats (chicken, turkey, flank steak, pork chops and fish). When you do need to go for the packaged foods, check that you’re buying whole wheat, and skip out on the high-fructose corn syrup, sugar and molasses.

Women’s Health Magazine also found that treadmill displays can be more fiction than fact. A review by a Duke University medical researcher found that treadmills inflate the number of calories you burn by 10-15 percent. Instead, hit the weights and up your pace, getting a double workout with strength and cardio. This routine can lead to an increase in your metabolic rate by up to 7 percent.

Diets don’t work for everybody, especially difficult standards set without your consent. Plan a nutritional diet that works for you, practicing meritocracy that fits into your lifestyle.

Instant Gratification- our addiction to the promise for fast results

In our fast pace world, the wait for weight loss is a hard concept to grasp. Despite what late night infomercials may want you to believe, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy figure is not something that can be bought, or accomplished within a week.

The truth is that our bodies don’t respond to the impatient lifestyles. Jumping on to quick body altering methods can be more harmful to the balance of our systems than good.

Despite understanding that natural weight loss is hard work, I’m constantly surprised by the reoccurring advertisements for weight loss supplements. Even magazines with the best fitness and exercise reputation still print bold promises of ‘easy ways to fab abs’ and ‘200 tips to looking great instantly’.

I find it disheartening that of all places to advertise these false promises, exercise magazines are jumping on the bandwagon as well. Where do health publications stand with loyalty to readers, verses sales? Instead of trying to lure in subscriptions with flashy instant gratification promises, maybe these publications can show more dedication to readers.

One in four teens carries STD

A recent study by the Center of Disease Control found that nearly 1 out of 4 teens carries an STD, the Human Papillomavirus being the most prevalent. Nearly 1,000 teenage girls were tested in the 2003-2004 government study. Of the girls tested, 18% were affected by HPV, which can cause cervical cancer.

The article, found on ABCnews.com, made my report on the Gardasil debate earlier this week even more relevant. The controversy, surrounding the vaccination protecting girls as young as 11 from a sexually transmitted disease, made a splash in the health community as the “one less” commercials flooded television.

While parents and some doctors continue to raise concerns about the vaccination being given to young females, news like that in the article mentioned above proves a need for the shot. As controversy continues, stats prove more females are being affected by HPV.

The vaccination, while recommended for females 11-12 and 14-24, can protect against cervical cancer until age 45.

Athletics- All natural or technologically enhanced?

Which do you prefer? Getting your exercise in the great outdoors, or treading on the treadmill, popping in DVDs or plugging into your headphones?

A decade ago, technology was found red handed as the reasoning behind the child obesity epidemic. Television, video games and iPods kept kids indoors and plugged in, stationary on the couch.

Now, a slew of electronics have come forward to shatter that idea. Nike’s recent partnership with Apple can do everything from keep record of your running distance, to change tracks on your iPod to fit the rhythm of your run.

A new Nike ad in the March 2008 edition of Women’s Health Magazine boasts how the Apple partnership can sense your speed and distance, showing them instantly on your iPod. After knowing your stats, the ad states “Boom. Now you’re being coached, pushed and encouraged”.

Technology’s transformation to the health field, which had previously been an anti-technology, personal driven field, has changed things. Nike claims their product can be your new drive, keep you encouraged, and produce the feedback of a coach.

Where do you stand with technology aiding in your workout routine? Do you rely on the stats from electronics to keep you going, or do you thrive on breathing in fresh air when you’re able to run outside?

Soreness and moving on after

You caught me red handed. After a tough workout, I’m just as prone to laying my sore butt on the couch for the entire following day. Although I know some activity would do me good, it’s much easier to accept keeping your hurt parts stationary instead.

However, after stealing some classic abs & legs of steal videos from my mom’s collection, I felt the need to release some of that built up acid from my hurtin’ muscles. One of my favorite methods to workout out some post workout woes is to hit the pool. The water keeps all pressure off your body. Be it a few laps, or just some floating, surrounding yourself in the water is relaxing and allows your body to stretch in different ways that the couch can’t quite handle.

Another great tip is to get some low impact work done. Head out for a walk with your family or friends, or watch your favorite show while stretching. If all else fails, get yourself going on a house clean or laundry. It’ll get you moving despite the soreness and get tasks accomplished as well.

If heading to any form of organized fitness activity is out of the question (which I can very much understand), hop in the bath or take a long shower. Despite a quick shower to get ready in the morning, I jumped back into the tub later that night, paying special attention to self massage the hurt areas. Working out the soreness yourself can get deeper than stretching, and also connects you to your body at a deeper level than normal.

No matter what your case of soreness is, find some joy in the fact that the pain is a sign of your body reacting to the hard work you’re putting in, and keep at it!

The Gardasil Debate: One less, or many more?

The commercials on television portray a group of strong and confident young women, standing up together free from cervical cancer. However the commercials for Gardasil, a vaccination for young girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV), has become the center of much medicinal and ethical debate.

Unlike measles or chickenpox, HPV is not transmitted by casual contact. Conception of the disease comes in the form of sexual activity. The vaccination, which protects against 4 types of HPV, protects against 70 percent of cervical cancers and high grade lesions as well as 90 percent of genital warts (source).

Children as young as 11 years old are recommended for the vaccination, which leaves many parents up in arms over the series of administered shots. While parents and government officials debating against the vaccination fight for the abstinence of young women, collected data continues to show a drop in age for sexual activity; one specific article finding that 25 percent of males and females are sexually active by the time they enter ninth grade.

Do we protect our children from illness as best as we can with the medicine provided, or do we hold into account ethical principals and personal choices that can save them from contracting cervical cancer all together?

With proper early on sexual education, young women can learn to prevent cervical cancer by abstinence. While some argue that the vaccination allows young women the freedom of sexual exploration with protection, Gardasil only protects against a fraction of the other issues sexual activity brings up. Abstinence or vaccination, shouldn’t we provide all our young women with the same protection against cervical cancer no matter their personal decisions? Should we make sure our young girls are “one less”, or depend on their morals and choices as a determining factor?

Hiatus-

Readers-

Due to a hectic week and some site upgrades, I'll be taking a break from updating. Please check back next week for new A Sizable Apple posts!

As always, for ideas, questions or comments, please email me at asizableapple@gmail.com.

Thanks!