Pink Glove Dance - New York Style!

OK, my breast cancer surviving New York friends, here's your chance to be part of the NY Pink Glove Dance.

Here's the original (which I posted last December because it's super fun!):


Get ready for Pink Glove Dance, the Sequel. The folks behind the video, Medline Industries, are shooting a new video in Times Square. Shooting takes place this Saturday, August 28th, at 10:00am. If you want to be part of the fun, visit the Pink Glove Dance website, www.pinkglovedance.com. Unfortunately, I can't be there:(

And a word about Medline. Medline Industries is a large manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies. They've also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise breast cancer awareness and fund free mammograms. This video was part of that effort - and at over 11 million views on Youtube, they succeeded in taking breast cancer awareness viral.

With all the stories of greed, corruption, and bad acts from companies, it's easy to forget that many companies do a lot of good in the world. So, thank you, Medline, for showing that corporate America can do good and do well. And I hope some of you can make it on Saturday. It should be fun. If any of you do make it, post pics!!

Julie

Goodbye

I just got news of the death of another friend. Unfortunately, this is part of life when you are a part of the cancer community. Everyone - patients, doctors, nurses, researchers - struggles mightily. But the sad fact is that sometimes people die.

And in this age of the internet, I didn't find out over coffee or by phone call. I saw someone's Facebook post.

I'm deeply saddened by the news. It's not like we were great friends, but I had always liked him. He was a terribly decent guy, interested in lots of things, and a good musician. He was an early hybrid car enthusiast (like me). We had some amusing conversations about our mutual obsession with mileage and low emissions. It had been a few years since I'd seen him, though, since our paths no longer converged.

But sometimes yet another cancer death can hit hard. Sometimes the sad news of someone I haven't seen for a long time, or even someone I only know through their column, blog, or Tweets, can take away my breath.

And I am angry. Yes, I'm angry at the far too premature loss of a good guy. But I'm also angry because I made a deal....

In the middle of radiation I was completely sure that I couldn't go on. I cried every single night, sure I didn't have it in me to go for one more treatment. And in the morning I would get up and go back to the hospital. I was completely exhausted, physically and mentally. Those were dark days. One morning while lying in my uncomfortable radiation mold, I had a sudden fit of dogged obstinacy. I decided I was too stubborn to quit, but I would not continue without a deal. I know this is not really the way the world works, but I made a deal with the universe anyway. I agreed to continue with all of my treatments - every single one - if, in return, no one else would ever have to go through this. That's it - no more cancer diagnoses, surgeries, treatments for everyone. I would finish mine, but no one else would have to.

Yes, of course, it's ridiculous - I know that. But I made the deal; I meant it; I upheld my end of the bargain; I meant it. So all these years later, at the news of yet another cancer death, I'm angry because I meant it.

Along with being angry, I am also grateful. I am grateful that, for whatever reason, I'm still here. I'm grateful that all the things my doctors did worked. I'm grateful that I could go to the gym this morning and kick my own butt with a tough shoulder/upper back workout. I'm grateful that I'm still around to be annoyed that it took so long to get an oil change on my car. I'm grateful that I can celebrate with another friend for her good news.

And I'm grateful that I had a chance to know a really good guy. Bye, Pete.

Julie

Want To Build Muscle? Light Weights Can Do Just Fine

Common wisdom is that to build muscle you have to lift heavy weights. You'll hear this at the gym, from friends, on the radio; and read it in countless fitness magazines and newspaper articles. Turns out, it's not really true (like far too much gym dogma).

New research from McMaster University has shown that lifting light weights can be just as effective as heavy weights for building muscle. But it's necessary to lift to the point of muscle fatigue. Instead of doing 5 or 10 reps., you have to lift until you can't lift anymore in good form - to the point of fatigue.  Researchers found similar levels of muscle gain among young men who lifted heavy weights (high load - low reps) compared to those who lifted light weights to the point of fatigue (low load - high reps).

This is important news for cancer survivors or anyone dealing with a debilitating health condition. I receive a number of emails from people asking about how much weight they should be lifting after a surgery or treatment. They've been told things (sometimes quite strongly) that don't necessarily make sense for them. In my work at Life-Cise, I always stress that people should exercise at levels that are appropriate for them. Hard and fast rules don't often apply if you've got health issues.

This research proves that it's not necessary to lift heavy weights to build or maintain muscle - very good news for anyone recovering from or in the midst of cancer treatment or surgery!

Julie

Exercising In A Heat Wave

This is turning out to be the summer of heat waves. Here in New York, July was the hottest since some time in the 1890s. August is no July...but the average daily temperature for August is already about 6 degrees above normal.

Exercising while it's nasty hot is tough. None of us really feels like working up more of a sweat. It's easy to feel lazy in this heat and humidity.

However, there are some ways to keep getting your daily exercise and stay relatively cool. I'm a big fan of outdoor exercise, but this may be a good time to move indoors. Workout at an air conditioned gym or rec center. Or go to the mall for a walk. Many malls are filled with walkers during the winter months; they're a good destination during hot summer months, too. If your apartment or house is air-conditioned, think about just staying indoors and doing some weight training.

Or swim. Get to a lake, the ocean, or your town pool. Even if you can't swim, you can still get some exercise and stay cool. Get in the water and walk. The resistance of the water will make your walk into a good workout, and you'll stay cool at the same time. Just remember to wear a waterproof sunscreen.

If you do go outdoors, take some reasonable precautions.


Drink plenty of fluids! Remember: thirst is a lagging indicator. By the time you feel thirsty, your body is already depleted.

Wear loose, light clothing. That may seem obvious, but it's always good to have a reminder. Clothing that allows air to get to your body will help keep you cooler.

Exercise early or late in the day when the temperature is slightly lower, and the sun not directly overhead.

Slow down a little. Our bodies have to work harder in the heat. The heat and humidity stress our heart and lungs. Our muscles have to work harder in the heat - and this is exacerbated if we're dehydrated. So go a little slower, or not as far.

And keep an eye out for warning signs of heat-related syndromes (cramps, exhaustion, stroke). This is true no matter where you are exercising, but especially if you are working out outdoors. Symptoms to look out for are:

*rapid heartbeat
*quick, shallow breathing
*heavy sweating; or, in a more severe case, cessation of sweating
*headache
*dizziness
*nausea
*heat cramps
*disorientation
*fever

If you do experience any heat-related issues, get to a cool place. Stay out of the sun. Lie down with your feet elevated slightly. Splash some cool water on yourself. Drink cool liquid - no alcohol or caffeine! And if you experience any of the more severe symptoms (disorientation, fainting, very rapid heartbeat or breathing, high fever), get medical help right away.

Of course, some of these symptoms are what happens normally if you are exercising at an intense level. Use your judgement. I think most of us who have ever had a serious illness learn to tell the difference between minor symptoms and serious, life-threatening warning signs. Those of us who have had chemotherapy learn the difference between general feeling-crappy-from-chemo and this is serious-call the doctor-crappy-from-chemo. Listen to your body. If you believe it's serious, if it feels different than what's normal for you when you're working out, call the doctor or get to the emergency room!

As an example, I offer my run a couple of days ago. It was well into the 90s and very humid (like most days lately). I waited until about 6pm, hoping it would be a little cooler. I ran for an hour. I ran slowly. I tried to stay in the shade. But still, an hour turned out to be too much. The last mile, I started getting a headache. I noticed that instead of sweating, I had goosebumps. I slowed down even more, but still had to get home. By the time I was home, I felt weak, headachy, and a little dizzy. Most troubling to me was that I had stopped sweating - very unusual since I sweat heavily when I run. I sat down in the shade, drank cool water. Once I caught my breath, I went in and splashed cool water on my face and arms. I continued drinking water as I sat under the ceiling fan. The symptoms all started to fade. I then headed down the hill to the town pool. I didn't really swim much, just floated in the cool water (and continued hydrating). By dinnertime I was tired, but back to normal. My little episode turned out to not be serious, but if I had ignored those warning signs, it quickly could have become very serious.

Don't give up your exercise just because it's hot. But do make adjustments. And if you make the appropriate adjustments but you still find yourself getting overheated, pay attention and take action.

Julie

Waist Size Tied To Health Risks

Do you have an apple-shaped body? If you do, you might want to redouble your efforts to exercise and eat right.

New research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, has found that a large waist circumference doubles the risk of death in people over age 50. Previous research has shown that abdominal fat increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, dementia, and asthma.

What was interesting about the new study was that waist size appears to be a better predictor of health risk than weight, normally measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is based on weight and height. In the current study, even people who fell within the "normal" BMI range, but had large waists for their size, showed an increased risk of death over a decade.

So, if you have a bulging belly - even if you haven't really gained a lot of weight overall - what should you do? You can't simply change your body type. There's no way to magically change your body from an apple shape to a perfect hour-glass figure. But still, you do have a lot of control.

Eat right. Choose healthier foods and eat reasonable portions. (If you choose a low sugar, low fat dessert, but then eat the entire carton, you really are defeating the whole purpose.)

Move more. Walk, ride a bike, swim, lift weights - just move. Moving more will increase the number of calories your body is burning.

And, no, you cannot target your stomach. Doing a whole bunch of crunches will definitely tighten up your abs, but it won't zap your belly fat. Contrary to what lots of diet pills, plans, and exercise gadgets claim, you cannot target weight loss. You body loses weight overall. Target exercises will just help tighten up those specific muscles (which is not a bad thing), but you won't lose fat from that area and not other parts of your body.

Losing fat happens because your body is burning more calories than you are taking in. And that leads back to eating better and moving more.

Julie

More On Stretching - Pay Attention To Those Hip Flexors

In my last post I gave one example of a good stretch for the hip flexors. Today, I want to spend more time with the hips because these muscles are so often overlooked.

We stretch our quads and our hamstrings, try to figure out ways to stretch out our backs, but too few of us even think about the tiny muscles of our hips. And that is a shame. Think about how much time we all spend sitting - at our desks, in our cars, on the train, in front of the TV. When we sit, the hip flexors tighten; that's how we bend at the hip. If we don't work to stretch those muscles, they remain tight.

Why does that matter? Take a look at where those muscles attach to the bone: the spine and the thigh. When any muscle remains tight, it over-stretches the muscles that work in opposition to it and creates imbalance. In the case of the hip flexors (psoas, iliacus, piriformis, tensor fasciae latae), that means the back and legs.  And over time that leads to pain.

How many people do you know with lower back pain? Most people assume that lower back pain means their lower back muscles are tight. In fact, most of the time, it's the opposite - those muscles are over-stretched because of tightness in the psoas and iliacus. This is so important to understand! - For students, truck drivers, people with long commutes, folks sitting at a desk all day, or my music colleagues.

In addition to the hip flexor stretch I gave in the last post, do this simple psoas stretch: Stand straight, step forward with one foot, keeping the back leg straight, foot flat on the ground. Your weight should be on the front, bent leg. The back leg should be straight with the heel down. Keep your torso up straight and push your hips slightly forward. You should feel a stretch in the front of the hip of the back leg.

Also, when you do get a break or get out of the car, try simply leaning backwards. Stand up, stretch your arms overhead (or place them on your lower back if you want a little extra support), and gently stretch backwards. Think of your body forming a "C" (or think of the shape of a banana).

Tight muscles, even small muscles, can wreak havoc on our bodies. They attach to bones and interact with other muscles, so the problem doesn't just stay with that one, small muscle. As an example, my hip flexors have gotten pretty tight lately (playing opera, too much time in the car, and lots & lots of bending over weeding). Suddenly, I've been feeling pain again in my knee (lateral collateral ligament - LCL) from last winter's skiing injury. Knee pain from tight hips? Sure. Both the psoas and iliacus attach to the femur (the large bone of the thigh). At the other end of the femur, so do the ligaments of the knee. Excessive tightness in the hip flexors affects the muscles of the thigh, which in turn affect the knee.

Our muscles and tendons are all connected to other muscles and tendons. The effect of tightness in one gets passed down the line. This is why it's so important to stretch properly to regain full range of motion after any surgery. It may not be noticeable at first, but, over time, tightness in the chest, shoulder, knee, foot, or anywhere, can result in far-flung problems.

So, whether from surgery or just daily life, pay attention to muscle tightness. And since so much of all of our daily lives affect our hip flexors, remember to give them a little attention, too.

Julie

Ow!...Tight... How To Stretch

Stretching. Seems pretty simple, right? Your muscles are tight, stretch them. Well, proper stretching will help. Stretch improperly, though, and you might end up injured and in worse shape than you started.

The most important rule for stretching is always stretch in a smooth, gentle manner - never sharp, bouncing, or jerky movements. Stretch just to the point of a little pull in the muscles, not to the point of sharp pain. Then hold that stretch for at least 10 seconds (more if you feel like it). Gently release.

Keep breathing while you do this, too. It's surprising how many people hold their breath while stretching. Holding your breath actually causes your body to tighten slightly - no what you want when you are trying to stretch.

After being away for almost a month, I've been spending a lot of time in my garden trying to excavate the vegetables from the weeds. I've been bending over and squatting for hours. My hamstrings have tightened up! And it's begun to affect how I feel when I'm running.

So I'm stretching. Here's a great stretch (easy & effective) for tight hamstrings. Put your weight on one leg with slightly bent knee. Hinge your torso slightly forward from the hip. Extend the other leg with knee straight. Place your heel on the ground with your foot flexed, toes up in the air. Bend your back knee a little more, sitting back on that leg. If you keep your foot flexed, you should feel a nice stretch through the back of the extended leg.

All that bending has also tightened up my hip flexors. A good stretch for that is to sit in a chair. Cross one leg over the other, ankle resting on opposite knee. Keep your back straight and hinge forward from the hips. As you lean forward, you should feel a good stretch in the hip of the bent leg. If your hip flexors are very tight, just sitting straight with your ankle crossed over the other knee might be enough of a stretch.

For these, as well as any stretch, always use proper form. To repeat (because I think it can never be said too many times, given the poor stretching technique I so often see): stretch just to the point of slight pull, hold for at least 10 seconds, and release. And keep breathing!

Julie

The Health Of Our Care - Insurance & Screening

According to a recent report from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention), more than 10,000 people in the U.S. die every year because they didn't get screened for breast or colon cancer. The good news is that more people are getting screened than ever before, but still more than a third of people who should get screened are not.

Based on a state-wide Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey in 2008, researchers found that colon cancer screenings increased from 52% of those who should get tested in 2002, to 63% in 2008. There are some income and racial disparities, with hispanics and people with low incomes and little formal education less likely to be screened. Screening rates among African-Americans have improved for colorectal cancer. Although screening rates have improved, Dr. Marcus Plescia, director of the CDC's division on cancer prevention and control says, "Rates are still not where they should be for a test that can make such a difference."

Unfortunately, the Surveillance Survey found vast differences in rates of colorectal and breast cancer screening for people with insurance compared to those who are uninsured. The report found that only 36% of people without insurance got screened for colorectal cancer; 66% of insured people got screened. For breast cancer screening, 84% of women with insurance got mammograms compared with only 56% of women with no insurance. Currently more than 46 million Americans have no health insurance. That's more than 15% of the population.

For screenings that have a large impact on outcomes, that is a difference that matters. The American Cancer Society estimates than many tens of thousands of lives could be saved if everyone got screened. They estimate that colon cancer screening alone could save 30,000 lives every year.

The problem with lack of insurance is about more than just not having the tests paid for. After all, many states have programs to offer routine cancer screening to low income and uninsured people. But most uninsured people don't have regular access to doctors and don't get the regular reminders of the importance of routine screening. Reminders matter! A study by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that automated phone reminders increased colon screening by 30%. Unfortunately, the uninsured fall outside the system of regular reminders.

Fifteen percent of the U.S. population doesn't get the regular kick in the butt that most of us get from our doctors and insurance companies. And even if they get the message on their own and want to get the exams, 15% of the U.S. population may not be able to afford the test, or may not know about or qualify for state programs. That's a lot of people and a lot of lives.

Julie