Cabel McElderry — Red Deer Personal Trainer

Exercise Your Immune System

This flu season is like none I remember. Looking at the news feed on Facebook reads like a tragic stock ticker displaying all the people who are or are afraid of catching the latest super flu. If you are not sick, you know someone who is or are bombarded with the risks and fears of the latest epidemic. As a personal trainer in Red Deer I am deeply bothered by the escalation of flu pandemics in recent years, from H1N1 and beyond to all the mass public paranoia. Don’t get me wrong, I am not in any way down playing the severity of the situation but sometimes our fears begin to supersede logic and some times even common sense.

In a time such as this one thing is certainly clear, as a society we’re not taking very good care of ourselves. Our body, the miraculous machine that it is, is designed to protect itself. Due to lack of maintenance many bodies are not meeting this task very well at the moment. Much like our cars we need to provide the proper fuels and regular tune ups.

With all the hoopla surrounding the flu in the world of fitness professionals we are seeing plenty of information re-circulate citing
studies demonstrating the link between moderate exercise and immune system strength and enhancement. Physorg.com began a recent article with the following, “It appears as though exercise pain does have plenty of gain when it comes to
fighting off the severe effects of the flu.”

The studies of five Iowa researches that were discussed in this article explained the results of testing in a group of mice exposed to the influenza virus. Mice that ran on a treadmill regularly for three and a half months had greatly diminished amounts of the virus within their bodies as opposed to the test group. Even a group that exercised for 45 minutes only on the day of infection still experienced diminished effects of the flu.

Another article on sportsmedicine.about.com explained how studies have shown recreational exercisers to report fewer colds once they began exercising. As quoted from the article, “Moderate exercise has been linked to a positive immune system response and a temporary boost in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria. It is believed that regular, consistent exercise can lead to substantial benefits in immune system health over the long-term.”

The article went on to explain that even more studies have shown the link between moderate exercise and the immune system. It is believed that exercise allows the immune cells to circulate more rapidly and kill bacteria faster. Once exercise ends the immune system generally returns to normal within a few hours, but when performed on a near daily basis there appears to be a cumulative effect to the immune system.

Now with all this being said I think it’s important to clarify what exactly this means when it comes to exercising the immune system, as the wrong exercise can have the completely opposite effect.

Generally for immune-enhancement the activity performed should be cardiovascular activity performed at a steady pace for the duration. On an effort scale of 1-10 (10 being the most difficult) it should be moderately difficult to a maximum of about a 6-7. Resistance training often has the opposite effect once you are feeling the symptoms of illness or are actually sick. Though resistance training is a very key component of good health when we are otherwise healthy, it will not be of any benefit in boosting our compromised immune system when we are sick. In fact when sick the resources required for recovery of tissues naturally damaged in resistance training may worsen symptoms or further compromise the immune system.

The moral of this story is: maintain good habits and provide regular body maintenance to live a long healthy life. (And yes guys even we need to do cardio on a regular basis.)

High Protein Pancakes

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1 1/2 Cups of 1% Cottage Cheese

6 Eggs

3/4 Cup Flour

1/4 Tsp Salt

3oz Olive Oil

3/4 Cup Skim Milk

1/2 Tsp Vanilla

** Makes 45-30 Pancakes

Some Like it Hot! (Yoga Style)

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If you haven’t already you should try Hot Yoga. I know you don’t like stretching and I know you don’t stretch nearly enough. No I am not psychic it’s just a very obvious fact that very few of us enjoy stretching or even come close to stretching enough to maintain good muscle balance, tone and function.

Shauna Clark at the Amaryllis Centre was kind enough to provide us with a staff and family class night to introduce many of us to the benefits of Hot Yoga. I’m sure you’ve heard of Hot Yoga by now as it’s become a fairly common buzz word these last few years.

Hot Yoga is just as it sounds, Yoga in a very warm room, usually in the neighbourhood of 37-40 degrees Celsius. Now if the thought of doing any kind of exercise in a room that warm frightens you you’re not alone, both my wife and I don’t generally function well for extended periods in a hot environment. However the heat of the Yoga studio didn’t bother me at all and I am sure you will find the same as long as you drink ample amounts of water prior to your class.

As a fitness professional I’ve referred many clients to Yoga classes throughout the years to compensate for the missing stretching from our North American lifestyles. You see the average adult should really be stretching for 20-30 minutes per day to maintain normal muscle balance and tone. If we did I suspect both Advil and Tylenol would teeter on the verge of bankruptcy. Our lifestyles thanks to chairs, computers, ergonomic everything and long work hours have made pain a normal part of life. Our body is built with opposing pair muscle groups that allow us to perform all of our movement miracles. But as time goes on technology continues to reduce movement in trade for efficiency and we find ourselves only performing a few movement patterns day in and day out. Less but more repetitive movements leads ultimately to pain, exercise and stretching are critical if you wish to enjoy a long, healthy pain free life.

If you dislike stretching as much as the rest of us than Hot Yoga can provide many benefits for you. The heated room really enhances circulation, super circulation leads to much faster progress in developing flexibility and muscle balance. Additionally the elevated body temperature will lead to swift and effective detoxification as well as a major metabolic boost, among other benefits.

As a final word the detail oriented personal trainer side of me feels it’s critical to mention the one drawback to Yoga like most exercise disciplines is that it doesn’t consider you as an individual or you specific movement patterns, though I do find it to be nicely well rounded. Also remember like any discipline not all instructors are equal, we really have a great relationship with Shauna and endorse her facility fully but make sure you feel comfortable with who you’re working with. Besides we know you’re not going to stretch anyways so the best program is the one you will actually do. I don’t believe Hot Yoga should be the only form of exercise you do but do recommend you give it worthy consideration to become a regular part of your total exercise program. You never know you might even see me in a class or two because I don’t like stretching either.

The Freakiest Holiday of the Year

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The freakiest holiday of the year is only but days away. In an effort to gather some interesting information about the holiday I came across a frightening fact. In 2004 a census study of our southern cousins produced a scary piece of information. The average American consumed 25 lbs of candy a year with the majority consumed around Halloween. Whether we like to admit it or not our habits are not greatly different then our south border counterparts. 25 lbs of sugar and fat would yield approximately 60,000 calories or enough to produce 17 lbs of new body fat. My, that sounds frightfully delicious. Now consider if this is repeated on an annual basis and begins at a young age, it’s not hard to see why obesity is such a growing problem in society and perhaps why diseases such as Type II diabetes are becoming increasingly prevalent.

To continue with this frightful math our poor individual now carrying 17lbs of unneeded mass decides to get ambitious upon reading this article and is determined to offset this consumption with exercise to ensure they don’t need to spend the winter months looking for larger pants. Each hour spent at a fast walk on our beloved treadmill burns approximately 500 calories. At 3500 calories a pound all those wondrously sweet morsels have now committed our hero to a mere 119 hours on the treadmill. So book the time off work now or slot your treadmill holiday into your child’s schedule in place of the next summer vacation now. 3 weeks on the treadmill in mid-July sounds like a fun family time for sure. So all of my horrifying humor aside, Halloween is a tough holiday to provide healthy alternatives for. The very nature of the holiday centres around the immortal words “Trick or Treat” and these days tricks likely don’t earn the respect and admiration they maybe once did. As a “Treat” is pretty much the standard expectation for every goblin and ghoul that graces your steps it’s difficult to have their best interests at heart. The more desirable the treat, likely the worse it is for them and should you opt for a “healthier” treat you are still stuck providing something that is securely packaged which is synonymous with processed and full of preservatives. It really is a lose-lose situation at best.

Now hopefully I haven’t painted myself to be too big a target for all the rotten eggs but on Saturday when all the ghosts and ghouls are gone it’s important to remember that one of the scary truths about Halloween may stick with you a lot longer. As they say a moment on the lips…

Cumulative Effect

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The key to success at just about anything in life is consistency. You do just about anything often enough you are either going to get better at it or achieve the desired result. This is very much one of the core values of exercise and nutrition to reach any goal. For example let’s take weight loss. A common misconception amongst those trying to achieve substantial weight loss is the idea of burning calories. It’s fairly common knowledge that a pound of bodyfat is equivalent to about 3500 calories. Now our keen sense of logic kicks in and makes us rationalize that if we were to burn an additional 3500 calories through exercise than we should lose a pound of fat. Accordingly the same logic would apply to nutritional restriction; if we restrict our bodies from 3500 calories over the course of a week logic would suggest that we would lose an additional pound of fat. Unfortunately our body does not work on such simplistic mechanics.

Major increases in energy expenditure and nutritional restriction may at first produce good results when it comes to weight loss but it’s almost certain that these results will not be lasting. As fitness professionals we will attempt to teach you that it’s not about the immediate action you take but rather about the cumulative effect. Let’s take exercise for example. When we complete a cardiovascular exercise with a sustained elevated heart rate for a period of time after a while our body responds with a cascade of hormones that elevates our metabolic rate. Once this occurs continuing to exercise at the same intensity will burn more calories but not have significant further effect on metabolism. This elevated state of metabolism slowly begins to decrease back to the previous but over a span of hours. (This period of elevated metabolism can also be further lengthened with the addition of an effective weight training program completed on a regular basis. The effective use of weight training creates a further complimentary hormonal cascade that provides additional enhancement to your metabolism.)

So the key to weight loss is consistency. It’s common for us to have someone explain that they diligently complete long cardio sessions but only a couple times of week. We’re always busy so it makes sense that on certain days you would just make a bigger commitment and get it out of the way, unfortunately this is not nearly as effective. If you are someone routinely completing 60 minutes of exercise 3 days per week I can guarantee that your results will be dramatically increased by reducing to 20-30 minutes per day for 6 days per week. Mathematically you could burn the exact same number of calories but it’s not about the number but rather the cumulative effect.

Farewell to Adam Green Potluck Dinner!!!!

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	Time has come to say farewell to one of our most senior trainers here at One to 1. Sadly Adam will be moving on to bigger and better things with his growing buisness…. but we thought he should go out with a bang… and some food! Because we all know Adam LOVES food! So we are gathering at the studio at 6pm on Tues, Oct 25th for a POTLUCK dinner/snack. As many of you know that have been to the facility, we dont have alot of room, so finger food would probably be best! Feel free to stop by, taste some cuisine from some of our trainers and chat away with Adam and the rest of the staff! Everyone is welcome, especially current and past clients of Adams! Hope to see you there!

Time has come to say farewell to one of our most senior trainers here at One to 1. Sadly Adam will be moving on to bigger and better things with his growing buisness…. but we thought he should go out with a bang… and some food! Because we all know Adam LOVES food!

So we are gathering at the studio at 6pm on Tues, Oct 25th for a POTLUCK dinner/snack. As many of you know that have been to the facility, we dont have alot of room, so finger food would probably be best! Feel free to stop by, taste some cuisine from some of our trainers and chat away with Adam and the rest of the staff! Everyone is welcome, especially current and past clients of Adams!

Hope to see you there!

Regain Your Well-Being

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Central Alberta Wellness Network

presents

“Regain Your Well-Being”

Thursday, October 6, 2011

7:00pm – 9:00pm

Location:

Hoffman Chiropractic & Wellness Centre

10-B, 5111 22 Street

Red Deer, Alberta

Seating is extremely limited and this event will likely fill up quickly so

pre-register today by calling

403-346-2297.

No charge to attend

Open to the public

Informative and Engaging Topics Include:

Food Intolerances and Your Health

Speaker: Dr. Shane Johnson, ND

Is what you are eating harmful to your health? Particular foods can contribute to conditions such as diabetes and obesity, but many of us are experiencing immune responses to the foods that we are consuming and do not even know it. Dr. Johnson, Naturopathic Physician, will discuss common clinical signs and symptoms of those individuals suffering from food intolerances, what testing is available to determine the foods that an individual is reacting to, and how food intolerances are treated.

Pain — Posture and Exercises You Should Do to Fix It

Speaker: Cabel McElderry of One-to-1 Fitness

It’s not normal to live with pain, knees, back, elbows, hips and shoulders, they don’t have to hurt. Did you know that the wrong exercises can lead to or worsen the common aches and pains that many people already feel? In this brief session learn how you can eliminate the so called “common aches and pains that come with age.” Learn what exercises you should focus on and which ones to avoid or perform less, more importantly learn why.

Cabel McElderry is a Registered Massage Therapist, Hollistic Lifestyle Coach, Crossfit Certified and a CanFitPro Pro-Personal Trainer. He’s listed as one of the top 100 fitness entrpreneurs in North America, is an international guest speaker, the only local personal trainer qualified to certify other personal trainers and has been considered to be Red Deer’s top fitness expert for more than a decade.

What Toxic Chemicals MUST You Eliminate From Your Home?

Speaker: Tina Henry of Green Clean Red Deer

EDC is the accepted acronym for “Endocrine Disrupting Chemical”. Your endocrine system is comprised of several glands throughout your body that release hormones (also knows as chemical messengers) that serve to keep your body in optimal health. More specifically, your endocrine system is responsible for your metabolism, your growth, and even your emotional state. Your liver, heart, kidneys and reproductive organs are also considered to be part of your endocrine system. These organs release hormones that trigger specific reactions with regards to blood pressure, fertility, digestion and so much more. When you consider the importance of your endocrine system, it is easy to acknowledge the importance of avoiding anything that could disrupt it! Come and learn what to look for in your home.

My Top 5 Nutrition & Wellness Secrets for

Maximized Living

Speaker: Dr. Norman Hoffman, DC

Tips and tricks to make your healthy living plan even better. A great opportunity to learn new ways to get the most out of your nutrition and exercise program to help you lose weight, have more energy, decrease pain and sharpen your brain. Don’t miss this one!

Dr. Hoffman has been in private practice for 17 years with a focus on family wellness and prevention. He has spoken nationally to chiropractors and patient groups of over 250 people. He is certified in Sports Chiropractic, Applied Kinesiology and Nutrition.

Deciphering Food Labels

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Reading a food label these days can carry the complexity of learning a second language. The list of multi-syllabic ingredient names in many household foods is astonishing. The average supermarket could probably designate one or two whole aisles to diet, low-fat, “health” foods. Many of these products under the guise of improving our health or aiding in our pursuit
of a fitter look may actually be stacking the deck against us with all the obscure ingredients. Help your efforts by becoming label savy.

A few tips about reading food labels:

The longer the list of ingredients, likely the worse it is for you.
Avoid products with many ingredients ending in–ose. These are generally cleverly hidden types of sugar.
Sugar alcohols are common in many diet products to replace sugar. (mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, glycerol to name a
few) Sugar alcohols are molecularly modified to prevent complete absorption in the small intestine. This means they wind up in the colon often resulting in intestinal gas and increasing the chances of diarrhea.
Always pay attention to the serving size – many diet products are simply smaller servings of their non-diet affiliates.
No such thing as zero calories – absolutely nothing in the world of food is zero calories except maybe water. Something
labelled as zero calories can still contain up to 5 cals per serving, this is deemed acceptable by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
No such thing as fat-free – on a similar note manufacturers can also claim it is fat-free as long as it is less than
0.5g/serving.

Combine a small serving size with the above claims and it’s easy to see how your favourite diet product could be undermining your dieting efforts, causing gas or indigestion, and contributing to constipation or
diarrhea.

To demonstrate this discussion I picked out a couple items currently residing in our pantry that I thought would be typical household items. First was a box of wheat thins, from the ingredient list I selected monocalcium phosphate. Wikipedia tells me that monocalcium phosphate is a common ingredient in fertilizer used in the food industry to make baked goods
rise. Compared to the horrors of some seriously processed foods doesn’t sound too bad, that is if you don’t mind eating fertilizer. Second was a box of Kraft Dinner, I mean come on everyone has Kraft Dinner kicking around. My ingredient
of choice from the KD was calcium chloride, at a glance the –ide suffix tells us it’s likely a salt (1 serving of KD contains half your recommended daily intake of salt). In concentration Wikipedia identifies calcium chloride as a skin irritant, one that can burn the esophogus if ingested. For safety it recommends you wear gloves and a face shield when handling it, that should make
your next batch of KD interesting.

Now I am being a little sarcastic as there are plenty worse food ingredients out there in frozen dinners, candy, fast food, and things from the snack aisle, I just don’t have any of those handy at the moment. The point is that we take many ingredient lists for granted because it’s common to see a lot of ingredients and have no idea what they are. The point is when it comes
to diet foods, and products designed to help us get into shape they are simply not always what they seem. This is why as trainers we preach the use of whole foods and avoiding many additives. If you don’t eat it, it can’t hurt you. Many people comment this makes eating very bland; it’s interesting that in our world we have created so many artificial ingredients that heighten the sensation on our palette so much we think that evolution has fallen behind on providing the
satisfaction of our taste buds.

Food for Fitness Day and Trainer Challenge a Complete Success!

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This year was the 3rd annual Food for Fitness Day and we couldn’t be happier with the results! It looked like a slow start, but we managed to raise $2000 and 800lbs of food for the Red Deer Food Bank and in turn we completed over 20 appointments yesturday (Tues, Sept 13) at no charge to our clients! Nicole and Desiree got the top donations from their clients, and at 530pm Dr. Norm Hoffman came in to give us a presentation on the importance of good posture, then we started into our Trainer Challenge at 630pm. 4 grueling challenges were lined up for our group of 6 personal trainers, and they were scored by their speed and number of reps in each challenge. Overall, Corey came out on top, followed closely by Adam and Josh. It was a close competition, but the real winners were our awesome clients who came as spectators even though it was a chilly September evening.

We would like to thank all of our clients for their dedication and participation in our event, as well as Dr. Norm Hoffman for graciously coming by to speak to us. Also, Susan from One Tooth Activewear and Taryn from Urban Easle dropped by with some giveaways and to show their support! Thanks alot guys!

Sunny 94 Presents “Ask the Trainer”

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Ever wondered what the best fat burning food is? How to get rid of fat underneath the arms? Why a new “diet” seems to work initially then stops? What the three top exercises are to prevent and eliminate headaches? Here’s your chance to ask…

Cabel McElderry is considered to be one of Red Deer’s top fitness experts, he’s written for the Red Deer Advocate for over seven years, now also has regular columns in the Red Deer Express and Ask the Experts and has personally gained and lost more than 1000lbs! Having helped thousands of local people shed unwanted pounds and reach their fitness goals he’s very comitted with his team at One-to-1 Fitness to help many more…

Ask a question, win the prize!

Submit your fitness, weight loss, nutrition, exercise or health related question below. Each week we’ll make our best effort to answer all of your questions on our website and our Facebook page BUT each day we’ll answer one question on air with Kristi Mingo on Sunny 94, if we pick your question you win! (You don’t even have to be listening we’ll contact you to let you know, could it get any easier?)

If we pick your question you win a $150 Gift Card from One-to-1 Fitness.

Every Monday one of the previous weeks daily winners will also win One Month of Group Personal Training and One Month of Infrared Therapy. (Valued at over $300)

Ask the Trainer

Note: Contest for promotional purposes only. Gift cards may not be applied to an existing program but may be used at time of renewal or for any new regularly priced program or additional service program (excluding rejuvenation services provided by Adam Green.) Gift cards have no cash value, may not be redeemed for cash and no change will be given. Prizes from the Sunny 94 radio promotion may not be combined with any other offer, some exceptions may apply.

Contest runs September 6 – 26, 2011

Name
Email
Phone (If you’d like us to call you if you win.)
Hey Cabel I wanna know… (My question is)

Exercise Your Immune System

High Protein Pancakes

Some Like it Hot! (Yoga Style)

The Freakiest Holiday of the Year

Cumulative Effect

Farewell to Adam Green Potluck Dinner!!!!

Regain Your Well-Being

Deciphering Food Labels

Food for Fitness Day and Trainer Challenge a Complete Success!

Sunny 94 Presents “Ask the Trainer”

Ask a question, win the prize!

Ask the Trainer

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