Help.....Urgent

[Cronos Impera]

I want to loose weight and solve the problem with the spinal cord ( I don't want to get a hump, but it's already forming). Can you recommand me the fastest exercise program for it ( 5-6 weeks). Please.....:help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help:

[GoreBag]

Well, diet and exercise will get 'er done. How much weight do you aim to lose?

[Kralizec]

Spinal cord? :inquisitive:

Stay away from junk food, soda and beer. I think swimming might be one of the best sport for losing weight but I'll let somebody else answer that.

[Lehesu]

Swimming is probably the best all-around fitness activity, followed by running. Not quite sure what the "spinal cord" thing is...

[Geoffrey S]

Swimming is probably the best all-around fitness activity, followed by running. Not quite sure what the "spinal cord" thing is...
Seconded. Good for the condition and fun to do if you're a patient type.

[Samurai Waki]

I would say swimming. But I have negative buoyancy so swimming is twice as hard for me, because if I jump into anything deep I sink like a rock and until I either hit the bottom or run out of breath I start paddling to the top again. :laugh4:

[Big_John]

ok, i'm not sure about the spinal cord stuff.. but i got a little carried away on the losing weight part..

nutrition: the quickest thing you can do is eliminate (or nearly at least) simple sugars and starches from your diet. this means no more bread, pasta, rice, sugary foods of any sort. if it has flour (or any processed grain) or sugar in it, don't eat it. your meals should be about 50% meat-protein (50% of it fish) and 50% vegetables (and some beans).

fruit is OK in moderation.. use it to replace deserts or eat some if you desperately you crave something sweet. potatoes are very starchy, but they are OK in moderation.

also, eat lots of essential fatty acids. they help your body metabolize fat. many fish have lots of EFAs (salmon is loaded with it) but also you should eat "bird food" for this, e.g. almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds. use seeds and nuts as snacks.

you want to stay away from saturated and trans fats though. therefor, absolutely no fast food or junk food of any kind (this should be obvious). you also want to eliminate alcohol from your diet while you're trying to lose weight.

you want to eat often. smaller meals, more often. ~6 meals a day is good. you never want to be hungry. hunger is your body telling you that your blood sugar is too low. to lose weight, you want your blood sugar levels stable. think of blood sugar, and your body in general, as a fire that needs to be constantly fed. you want to eat something about every 3 hours. that's about 3 good meals and 3 small "snack" meals a day.

finally, drink lots of water. drink about you weight (in kilos) in ounces of water per day. so if you weigh 90kg, drink 90 ounces (~2.5L) of water

exercise: there are 2 main things you want to do here:
1) build muscle mass. this will cause your body to burn more calories and reduce body fat.
2) mix up your exercises. this will help keep you from being bored and will make your body work more.

you don't need or really want to exhaust yourself working out. if you're exhausted after working out, you've done too much, and you'll end up paying for it later (by missing workouts due to fatigue later in the week or by getting injured). 30mins-1hr is all you really need to do per day.

you want to do some moderate strength training, and core training in addition to any aerobic exercise. strength training can be weight lifting or "resistance" training (a classic example is the standard push-up). core training is simply exercise that is focused on your "core" the area between the rib cage and the upper leg. strengthening and toning these muscles creates a "powerhouse", raising your metabolism and getting your body to burn fat more quickly.

some good exercises for core training:

push ups: you know what these are, there are various sorts you can do.. use google to find different varieties
supermans: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Superman
bridges: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Butt+Lift+(Bridge)
side bridges: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Side+Bridge
and a whole host of different kinds of crunches.. from normal sit-ups to bicycle crunches to "roll-ups" to pullovers and accordian crunches.
edit: here are some good crunches: i recommend the "air bike", "bent knee hip raise" and "butt up":
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Abdominals

you'll want to do some of the above every day or so, in addition to your other exercise for the day. do some aerobic (swiming, jogging, sports like basketball or soccer) every day, weight training at least 3 times a week. about 30-45 mins a day, no more than an hour per each exercise period.. so 30 mins of core/strength, 30 mins of swimming one day would be good. and add an additional 30 mins of lifting every other day or so. but try to break it up into 30min segments if you can. ideally, you want to do 30 mins of something in the morning, as soon as you get up, before you've eaten anything. aerobic or core exercises are good for this. then do another 30 mins in the afternoon.

here's a good web-site for exercises: http://www.alpharubicon.com/med/keepfitgrntalon.htm

another good type of workout is shadow boxing and shadow kicking. i can go into more depth on that if you want.

"burpees" are also good, but they are pretty hardcore.. you probably don't want to do these until later on: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rossboxing2.htm


it's important to remember a few things while exercising:

1) go slowly and concentrate on form. going too fast/breaking form in any workout will lessen it's effects and probably lead to injury. focus on what you are doing, concentrate on the motion. keeping focused will help you go slower and keep good form.

2) try to push yourself. if you feel like your muscles can't do any more of a particular exercise, try doing just one more rep.

3) conversely, don't over do it. limiting your workouts to 30-45 mins at a time will help you from doing too much, but also 'listen' to your body. if you start to feel real pain from a movement, stop doing it.

4) reps aren't important. don't aim for a certain arbitrary number. just do as many as you can of a certain exercise, and write down how may you did.. try to increase this number a bit every couple of weeks or so.. so if you can do 11 push-ups, do 11.. and in a couple of weeks try doing 13 or 15.




well, that's what i know about.. let me know if you have any questions and check out that website i linked (keeping fit by "green talon").. it has some pretty good stuff in it.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I want to loose weight and solve the problem with the spinal cord ( I don't want to get a hump, but it's already forming). Can you recommand me the fastest exercise program for it ( 5-6 weeks). Please.....:help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help:

Is this what you mean by hump?

http://www.lajollaspine.com/graphics/sdsd_kyph.gif

It's fixable.

In addition to what big john said, interval sprints are good for losing fat, and fasted (before breakfast) morning aerobic exercise is good as well.

[Hurin_Rules]

Not sure about humps, but I had back problems for years (car accidents) and nothing helped me all that much until I started to do yoga. It is centred on the spine (just like humans!), and all about improving core strength. I highly recommend it to anyone with back problems. Just be aware that there are many different styles. Some are so hard core they are a workout in themselves (ashtanga); some are very mellow and will just relax you. Be aware that teachers' approaches vary incredibly as well. Just keep trying to find one that suits you.

Good luck

[Big_John]

yes, both yoga and pilates are very good to add to any weekly workout routine.

[Fragony]

You don't want to ruin your back, you would do better to go to a profesional instead of asking advice on a forum. Human body is a complicated thing.

[GoreBag]

You don't want to ruin your back, you would do better to go to a profesional instead of asking advice on a forum. Human body is a complicated thing.

I was under the impression that certain members of the forum were professionals.

I would go with Big John's advice, and stress the importance of burpees. They're quite effective in tiring your muscles and draining your breath.

[Fragony]

I was under the impression that certain members of the forum were professionals.


Ya, but a problem with his spinal cord they can't see from behind their monitors. Wrong advice could cause a lot of damage.

[Rodion Romanovich]

I want to loose weight and solve the problem with the spinal cord ( I don't want to get a hump, but it's already forming). Can you recommand me the fastest exercise program for it ( 5-6 weeks). Please.....:help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help:

remember one thing, and this is probably the most valuable tips on weight loss that exists - the diet you use to lose weight to get down to your desired weight is the diet you need to keep after the weight loss program or you'll regain your initial weight after the weight loss program. If you can't keep up the exercise and eating habits you use to lose weight then you'll probably not lose too much weight. It's a simplification, often you can keep the weight with slightly less exercise than you used to lose the weight, but if you see the weight loss speed decreasing towards the end of the weight loss program it means you're current exercise and food dose is exactly what you need to maintain your new body. The point is that as you lose weight and get a smaller body you need less food for maintenance so you need to eat a lot less after the program than before it.

I'd recommend using low-intensive long-distance running, swimming or skiing to lose the weight, but if you're not in good shape it's better to work on improving muscle strength and condition first so you can run 3-4 kilometers with pretty good speed before going on to running 8-10 kilometers. Remove all junk food, fast food and similar. Drinking much water will keep your appetite for food down and help you remove hunger feelings better. Removing junk food as a habit will also remove some hunger feelings as junk food tends to increase the hunger feelings somehow. Use relaxation programs and calm music to try and get rid of the desire to eat or nervousness caused by not eating, but don't exaggerate how little you eat each day, take it in small steps at the time. Write down your weight changes during the diet but don't get scared if you gain weight or don't lose anything at all during the first week or two. Remember that weight can differ by more than 1 kg depending on what time of the day the weighing is done. For diet, eat a lot of meat and vegetables, use beans, wholeseed and similar food rather than white bread and sweet stuff, but don't make horrible over-ambitious diet food - make food that tastes good. As for a hump on your back, use a light exercise program, light stretching of your musculus sternocleidomastoideus (you can find which muslce that is in an anatomics book), and simply try to sit with a good pose with straightened out back for as long as you can, the rest, and as soon as you can enter a good pose again. Running and walking will also improve the body pose, especially if you make sure to not run faster or longer than that you can maintain a good pose during the entire running/walking session. Never exaggerate anything or feel pressure, if you're feeling your instincts take over your weight loss program make sure to use "meditation". With meditation I just mean lying down, relaxing, trying to figure out why you got the stress feeling, and have some calm music in the background, and don't abort the "meditation" until you've gotten rid of the feeling of pressure.

[GoreBag]

Ya, but a problem with his spinal cord they can't see from behind their monitors. Wrong advice could cause a lot of damage.

I thought he was simply referring to problems that arise due to being overweight and having poor posture.

[Cronos Impera]

Thanks for your feedback and advice brothers. Thanks, I'll try to follow your exercise problems and I will be posting some pictures with beore and after when I get some results.
The main issue is the hump. When I use the computer my back gets into a bad posture and I was wandering how to choose the best posture and stick with it....
Thanks again....

[Duke Malcolm]

For the matter of your back and posture, sit with a straight back, do not slouch, even when at a computer, think hard about not slouching or lounge. Spend less time on a computer, sit in an armless chair (arms encourage one to slouch, you know) and read a book for a while with only the small of the back (the bit above posterior) against the chair. If you slouch, then more of your back will be touching the chair. Think consciously about one's posture, it generally helps.

[Big_John]

also the "core" exercises i talked about will help with posture because they strengthen the muscles involved in posture (middle & lower back, abs, obliques, pelvic muscles, etc.)

[Rodion Romanovich]

I was wandering how to choose the best posture and stick with it....
Thanks again....
I've heard that sticking to a single posture when working isn't too good. I've been recommended to switch between many postures rather than sticking to a single good posture. I feel that sticking to a good posture up to 2 hours a day is sufficient to avoid getting a problem with a hump. But that changing posture often while working is more important than having good postures doesn't mean it's a bad thing to make the working environment more ergonomic. I'd say the best idea is to keep the screen as high as possible in comparison to the height of the chair you're sitting on, while keeping the mouse pad as low as possible. Judging from own experiences, the screen should be kept at eye height, but if that can't be achieved it can be put lower but rotated so it points upwards. The mouse pad and keyboard should be approximately just below the position of your elbow when you hold the elbow next to your side while sitting in a good posture. Unfortunately the furniture industry is still very backwards and it's really difficult getting any furniture that allows keeping the screen high enough and the mouse and keyboard low enough...

[Aenlic]

Assuming we're only talking about hunching over while sitting at the computer and not something more serious...

Stretch, Cronos. Speaking from experience, I have 2 severely herniated lumbar discs and spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the canal through the vertebrae which carries the spinal cord. Over the years, I've seen many therapists. Stretching is extremely important to your muscular and skeletal health, and yet is very often overlooked by most people.

When sitting at a computer (or sitting anywhere for long periods), every 30 minutes or so stretch. Like a cat, as a physical therapist once put it. Make both hands into fists and grasp the thumb of one hand in the other, push your arms straight out stretching your back and shoulder muscles. Then raise both arms into the air straight over your head and stretch again. Then rotate your arms in their sockets in a big wheel both clockwise and counter-clockwise. Now your neck. Turn your head to the right and look over your shoulder while keeping your shoulders straight. Repeat looking to the left. Do this three or four times each side. Now put your chin on your chest, or down in other words, and rock your head gently - gently! - back and forth. Feel the stretch between your shoulder blades. Tilt your head back and do the same. Make a habit of this routine and you'll feel much better during and after long computer sessions.

See a doctor. Don't take our advice as the gospel. And stretch!

[Drisos]

don't eat too much fat stuff etc. and just do whatever tires you. :) (physically)