As our bodies age, we begin to lose strength and mobility, which can cause us to become more dependent on others for our daily activities. Debi Wilkins, MS, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, shares how starting an exercise routine focused on increasing strength, endurance, balance and mobility can be key to maintaining independence and making daily movements easier.

Where to Begin

At any age, you need to speak with your primary care physician to make sure you are healthy enough to begin an exercise program. If you have no prior experience exercising or you haven’t exercised in years, it’s essential to start small. Wilkins says, “work on consistency and focus on safety.” One safety tip she recommends is having footwear that is properly fitted, supportive and the athletic type. Your footwear should be comfortable, with adequate traction, and stability.

In addition to having the proper footwear, it’s important to do exercises you feel comfortable and confident in doing. Try not to overexert your body as this can lead to improper form and/or injury. Wilkins shares tips to help you avoid injury while beginning an exercise routine.

• Always warm up before a workout and cool down afterwards. Learn more: The Facts About Warming Up and Cooling Down.
• Start slowly and progress gradually
• If lifting weights, only lift weights you are comfortable with and listen to your body. Read Strength Training 101 to learn how to properly start weight training.
• Work out with a friend or a trainer who can watch your form. Read Partner Training: Why Having a Workout Buddy is Worth It to learn more.

Once you begin exercising and doing aerobic activities, Wilkins recommends the talk test during your workouts. “The talk test is a simple way to evaluate how hard you are working during aerobic activity,” says Wilkins. The ability to carry on a conversation is related to the intensity with which you are working. You should be able to carry on with a conversation while exercising. In addition, wearing a heart rate monitor can also help you keep an eye on your heart rate to see if it is increasing too fast or high.

What to Work On

Strength Training

It’s recommended for older adults to focus major muscle groups, especially on the legs, hips, core and upper body. But why are these muscle groups helpful as you age?

• Strengthening your legs and hips is important for walking, getting up from a chair and maintaining balance.
• Strengthening your core supports posture, stability and balance.
• Strengthening your upper body helps with everyday activity such as carrying items, lifting grandkids, doing chores and daily personal care.

For older adults beginning a strength training program, functional strength should be the main goal to help you stay active and independent. Learn more about functional movements with Fitness Files article, Functional Training Can Improve Daily Movements.

Watch our Exercise Moves Video on Exercises for Shoulder Mobility, Pain and Recovery to learn how a variety of ranges of motion protects your shoulders and help enhance overall movement in daily activities.

Balance

“Balance naturally declines as we get older, but we can do things to improve it,” says Wilkins. Balance issues can come from loss of muscle in the legs, core and hips, poor vision or certain medications.  Strength training is also a great way to help with stability while walking, getting up and down from a chair and standing. Wilkins shares exercises to help improve your balance such as:

• Standing on one leg (holding on a support if needed)
• Heel to toe walking
• Step-ups

“Balance issues are a big reason older people fall. By improving your balance as you age, you also help prevent future injuries,” says Wilkins.

Read Better Balance At Any Age to learn how balance is the foundation of moving well.

Decreasing Stress

Exercise helps more than just your physical body, it has been shown to help decrease levels of stress. Exercise can help by increasing energy, strength and improving sleep by releasing endorphins to the brain that act as a mood elevator—lowering levels of stress hormones called cortisol.

Older adults can have high levels of stress due to:

• Declining health
• Loss of loved ones
• Possible financial burdens
• Poor living situations
• Loneliness

In addition to improving mood, exercise is also a great way to increase confidence in group situations and offer opportunities for social interaction.

Wilkins recommends anyone beginning an exercise program see a professional fitness trainer to learn proper form and technique. For more information about professional fitness training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Imbalance, discomfort or a recent injury can be a reason to begin Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT). But what is MAT and how can it help your body recover and move more efficiently? “MAT is a way of assessing asymmetry on the right and left side of the body as well as finding a way to alleviate discomfort from moving while doing everyday activities,” says Ryan Sheppard, MSEd, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center.

MAT is a hands-on process focused on identifying the root of pain and discomfort in the body rather than simply a tool to help relieve pain. With the help of understanding the importance of each muscle movement and how the muscle connects to the brain and nervous system, a MAT professional can help you reinforce the stabilization of your muscles.

Who Can Benefit from MAT

MAT is recommended for anyone, when you don’t use a muscle for an extended period or experience too much trauma, your muscles can start to shut down, which is the body’s way of protecting the muscles from being overstressed or overused. When this happens for prolonged periods of time, stretching and flexibility exercises aren’t enough to get the muscles moving like they used to. “When recovering from an injury, many people believe it’s best to not move in fear of causing further injury, but with MAT, you can regain regular movement more easily and become stronger at the same time,” says Sheppard. If you recently had an injury, it is recommended to be cleared to exercise by your doctor before doing MAT. If you have an injury that is causing inflammation and swelling, this could impede your range of motion, so it is recommended to wait two to three weeks before starting MAT.

For those who suffer from chronic pain, MAT can also alleviate discomfort by helping the body work more efficiently. Since the muscular system runs head to toe, a huge percentage of a body’s weight comes from muscles. “If the muscle system is operating more efficiently, you can decrease inflammation and stress on joints, which can lead to a decrease of chronic pain,” Sheppard explains.  

Even if you are not feeling any obvious discomfort, you can still benefit from MAT. “Asymmetries in the body and muscular imbalances can be caused by our everyday movements due to the excessive use of using only one side of the body,” says Sheppard. For example, imbalances can be caused by:

• Overusing your dominant hand or foot
• Playing a sport such as tennis or golf that predominately uses one side of your body
• A past injury causing you to avoid the use of one side of your body to escape pain or discomfort

What to Expect During A MAT Session

During your first MAT session, which usually takes 20-60 minutes, the MAT professional assesses your:

• Upper body
• Lower body
• Core
• Trunk
• Spine  

This assessment evaluates your range of motion and if you have any pain or discomfort while moving. You perform movements using one side of your body and then repeat them using the other side to see the difference in strength on each side. Some examples of movements can include:

• Hip external rotations
• Shoulder external rotations
• Glute extension

Watch Paige Cervantes, Certified Muscle Activation Technique® Specialist, as she shares some examples of movements you may perform during your MAT session in this Exercise Moves video, Improve Movement with Muscle Activation Techniques®.

Depending on the recommendation from the MAT professional, you can have up to two MAT sessions per week. After experiencing improvement in your sessions, you can start to go one or twice monthly.

While nobody can become completely symmetrical, MAT sessions can help close the gap.

The assessment also tests the movement from the shortest part of the muscle called concentric movement, which is usually the hardest position for people to show strength. Measuring your strength with concentric movements can determine if you need to improve functional strength. In addition to improving movement, these muscle tests can help with activating neuroplasticity, a way of activating the brain’s ability to recognize new or improve functionality of a muscle.

To help improve your body’s symmetry and balance, Sheppard recommends trying unilateral strength training. This training ensures you are doing the same number of reps with the same weight on each side, such as lunges, leg deadlifts and arm rows. “Unilateral strength training is an ideal way to help decrease the asymmetric movements we typically perform in our everyday life, such as reaching, carrying, throwing and even walking,” says Sheppard.

Not all fitness professionals are qualified to practice MAT; only MAT-certified trainers can provide this service.

Book your Cooper Fitness Center MAT session today by contacting Mary Edwards, MS, Fitness Director of Cooper Fitness Center:  medwards@cooperfitnesscenter.com | 972.367.6939

Increasing your muscle strength isn’t the only benefit you can achieve from strength training. “Anyone can benefit from weight training, whether you’re a beginner, athlete, older adult or just interested in mixing up your workout routine,” says Cole Jackson, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center. Jackson shares benefits to expect from strength training include:

• Improved muscular strength

• Improved body composition

• Increased physical function

• Improved overall health

“As people age, they experience a decline in muscle mass, strength and bone density,” says Jackson. But with the help of strength training, you can stimulate muscle growth, improve strength and support bone growth. In addition, strength training can help older adults maintain independence and improve overall physical function.

Even with so many benefits of strength training, the machines and exercises can be intimidating. Jackson shares tips to help you start your strength training journey and exercise safely.

Find What’s Right for You

When determining which machines or exercises to begin your strength training program with, it’s important to know how to properly use the machines and/or equipment. A professional fitness trainer is an excellent resource. They can evaluate your current fitness level, develop an exercise program including strength training to help you get started and show you how each piece of equipment works. “Tons of content is also available online that demonstrates how to use certain machines and proper form,” Jackson says.

Watch our Exercise Moves video library for guidance on different exercises from Cooper Fitness Center professional fitness trainers.

Next, finding what weight is best for you is determined by how much you can safely lift during your workout. Not everyone starts with the same weight, and if you try lifting a weight too heavy to handle, it can lead to injury. “Don’t sacrifice form to lift heavier weights,” says Jackson.

Safety and Technique

During your workout, it’s important to use proper form for each exercise. “Proper form ensures the intended muscles are being trained effectively while reducing unnecessary stress on your muscles and body overall,” says Jackson. Work out with a friend or professional fitness trainer who can watch your form and let you know if you need to make any changes. Jackson also explains, “a friend can be great for assistance as they can help spot you when performing heavy lifting.”

Jackson recommends and demonstrates how to properly use a few strength training machines in the Exercise Moves video, Tips for Strength Training Form and Technique.

Other ways to help avoid injuries include:

• Use a fully controlled range of motion
• Use proper breathing techniques
• Keep the training environment organized
• Use safety equipment when necessary

It’s also important to always warm up before your strength training workouts. These warm-ups should prepare your body for movement by:

• Improving blood flow
• Elevating heart rate
• Improving joint mobility
• Activating muscles needed for the exercises you’re going to perform

Improvement Takes Time

You can’t expect to lift heavy weights during your first session; the increase of weight is gradual and depends on the individual. To help determine if it’s time to increase your weight, try adding two or more additional repetitions than you’re used to. If you can complete these repetitions without any struggle, it may be time to increase the weight you are lifting. Listen to your body and avoid unnecessary fatigue or injury.

Cardiovascular training can also help improve your strength training. “You can improve aerobic capacity and overall conditioning by adding cardiovascular training to your weekly workout routine,” says Jackson. For more information about cardiovascular training, read Cardiovascular Exercise: More than Running.

Safe and effective strength training requires patience, proper progression and long-term improvement rather than short-term results. Jackson says, “do the exercises you enjoy while being safe; the gym is full of equipment like cables and free weights, and at the end of the day, you just need to be consistent.”

For professional help with creating a proper strength training program designed to meet your goals, schedule a session with a Cooper Fitness Center professional fitness trainer. Visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Remember PE class in school? We enjoyed running around the gym or playground with friends, playing hopscotch or doing crab walks. What we may not have realized is that we were working on our balance. Yet as we age, our balance wavers, just as our activity fluctuates. Moving on from PE classes to team sports to elite running or fitness classes, our bodies need stability to perform at their best. Cooper Fitness Center Professional Fitness Trainers Paul Mossa and Jonah Villarreal explore the relationship between balance and coordination and the key to improving daily movements with strength training.

Balance and Coordination Go Hand-in-hand

Balance is the foundation to moving well. Poor balance results in slower everyday movements and can make simple activities such as sitting, standing and picking up a gallon of milk more difficult. “You need both balance and coordination together to move well,” says Mossa. Good coordination, which typically declines with age, improves reaction time and helps you move more quickly. 

“I work with a lot of clients who say they have poor balance and cannot move as quickly as they used to,” says Mossa. As we age, our joints and muscles become weaker, making our circle of stability smaller. Your circle of stability is determined by how far and how easily you are able to move away from your center of gravity. Incorporating balance- and coordination-specific exercises into your exercise routine will help increase your circle of stability, strengthening your joints and muscles and improving your daily movements. Additionally, improved balance and coordination prevent injuries and falls, improve fine motor skills and increase your overall range of motion. Villareal shares, “the moment most of my clients really start to improve is when they stop just doing the exercise and start understanding why they are doing it.” Mossa recommends practicing and testing your balance at least three times a week, if not daily to build strength and reduce your risk of falls and injury.

Functional Exercises

In addition to balance and coordination, functional exercises can also help you train for your everyday life. “While everybody’s life is different, some common exercises target the movements people do daily,” says Mossa. These exercises help you perform your daily activities and can build muscle and improve mobility, balance and stability. Mossa explains, “balance and function are closely related. Daily activities, or functional movements, require good balance.”

Examples of functional exercises:

• Carrying: Any kind of loaded carry with one or two arms
• Squatting: Any type of squat with body weight, dumbbells, cables or barbells
• Single leg: lunges, balance, step-ups and side lunges
• Hip hinge: Romanian deadlifts or single-leg Romanian deadlifts
• Pushing: push-ups, bench press, shoulder press and cable press
• Pulling: pull-ups, cable rows, dumbbell rows and body rows

“Exercises performed from a stable, bilateral position like squatting, carrying, pushing and pulling are a great way to build the strength that supports overall balance,” says Villareal.

Villareal demonstrates these exercises in this Exercise Moves video, Improve Balance, Coordination and Mobility.

Test Your Balance

Testing your balance can help pinpoint weak points you may have in your muscles and determine what you need to work on. Test your balance with one of the following movements. 

1. Single-leg Balance: With feet placed shoulder width apart, slowly raise one of your knees to 90 degrees. Try to stand with your chest upright without wobbling or moving around. Repeat with the opposite leg.
2. Tightrope Balance: Place one foot in front of the other, like you are on a tightrope. Try to stand still with your chest upright. Take it a step further by lifting your back heel off the ground.

If you can perform the above movements without losing your balance or moving around, you have good balance. You can progress the movements and make them more difficult by closing your eyes. “Closing your eyes has to do with spatial awareness,” says Mossa. Eliminating your vision while exercising lowers your brain’s cognitive resources, allowing you to use your other senses. “Spatial awareness is knowing where your body is in relation to your environment; so testing your balance with your eyes both open and closed can tell you if you need to work on this.”

For a demonstration of balance exercises, watch the following Exercise Moves video Testing and Improving Your Balance.

Your Core Is Key

Many people believe improving balance comes from practicing standing on one foot. While this kind of movement can help test balance, building lower body strength through your ankles, knees, hips and core builds better balance.

“Strength training is a great way to improve your balance,” says Mossa. “Incorporating exercises that target your lower body and all planes of motion (forward and backward, left to right and up and down) increases stability and creates smoother, quicker movements.” A result of aging is becoming slower in our movements which can be seen through dragging your feet and not being able to move as far or as fast as you used to. Building muscle strength can help combat this.

Mossa says, “Exercises such as squats, leg press and lunges are great for building lower body strength. You can target all planes of motion by changing the direction of the exercise such as lunging forward and backward. If the movements are too difficult at first, you can modify them by holding onto a wall or chair while performing the exercises.”

“Your body is incredibly efficient, and efficiency is not always your friend when you are learning to move better,” says Villareal, “Slow down, be intentional and let the right muscles do the work.”

A Boost in Brain Health 

Improving your coordination and proprioception—being aware of where your body is in space and being able to control it—also helps with balance. The agility ladder is a great way to increase reaction time, coordination and proprioception. Improving coordination also increases your brain health by promoting fine motor skills. Your fine motor skills are essential in helping you move smoothly, respond to things quickly and know which part of your body to move when.

Test and practice your balance regularly. Mossa says, “As we age, it gets harder to move but if you regularly incorporate strength training into your exercise routine and work toward better balance and coordination, you’ll be able to move more and move better and longer.”

For more information on personal training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a professional fitness trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

When you think of wearable fitness technology, a smartwatch may be the first image that comes to mind. However, wearable fitness trackers have been used for decades. The pedometer, developed in 1965, was the first wearable fitness tracker designed to track the number of steps you take. Nowadays, your smartwatch or phone can track steps, elevation, distance and even the calories you burn. With technology so accessible, Carla Sottovia, PhD, Director of Fitness and Personal Trainer Education at Cooper Fitness Center, says, “it’s important to learn how tracking this information can help better your workout and your overall health.”

Wearable fitness trackers come in different forms:

• Smartwatches
• Smartphones
• Slim activity bands
• Heart rate monitors
• Rings

In some cases, you can even connect your wearable fitness technology to an exercise machine in a gym. For example, if you walk on a treadmill that connects to your device, the distance, amount of time you were on the machine and other metrics may automatically sync to your device.

Tracking

Your wearable fitness trackers track more than just your steps. In addition to movement, this technology can track:

• Quality of sleep
• Health data such as heart rate, oxygen and stress levels
• Your distance and elevation level
• Safety detection in case of a fall or emergency
• Time in a sedentary position

Wearable fitness devices can also anticipate your moving patterns based on your daily activity. For example, if you usually complete your step goal during the evening, you will receive a notification reminding you to finish your movement at your usual time. Additionally, if you are sedentary for too long, your device can alert you to stand up and stretch or go for a walk.

Learn more about The Advantages of Tracking Your Fitness where Sottovia shares how creating a goal on your wearable fitness tracker can help you reach your fitness goals.

Accountability

Sottovia explains how wearable technology can be viewed as a “training partner on your phone.” On some smartwatches, you can receive badges based on your accomplishments. “Gamification encourages people to finish and accomplish their goals in a way it doesn’t seem like a chore,” says Sottovia. One of the most common goal settings is reaching a certain number of steps per day. Creating a step goal does not require you to step into the gym; your wearable fitness tracker counts every step you take, whether that’s while shopping for groceries, walking the dog or going on a stroll in your neighborhood.

Tracking technology can also be shared with friends and family, creating another level of accountability. You can encourage others to finish their badges or goals or congratulate someone on completing their daily or weekly goals.

Creating a Workout

Using this tracking information isn’t just meant to help you create a workout routine you do on your own at home or in the gym. Sottovia says, “as a professional fitness trainer, I’ve used this technology to help with accountability with my clients. I can see how intense they’re exercising or the amount of movement my client has performed days prior to our training sessions and determine the amount of movement needed for the day to make sure the client is reaching their goals.” For those starting out it’s important to create simple and achievable goals you can track.

Simple weekly fitness goals:

• 10,000 steps per day (about 2,000 steps per mile)
• At least 300 minutes of activity per week consisting of:
  • Cardio three times per week
  • Resistance training two times per week

Once you can reach these milestones consistently, you should adjust your goals to continue to improve your health.

Watch our video Exercise Moves on Technology for Fitness where Shawn Smith, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, shares how wearable technology can help with motivation and real time feedback when achieving your fitness goals.

Wearable fitness technology is a tool meant to aid you in bettering your health, and a professional fitness trainer can provide you with expert guidance and safe exercise recommendations appropriate to your fitness level to help you reach your health goals. Reach out to a Cooper Fitness Center Professional Fitness Trainer by visiting cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Creating a fitness plan is essential to establishing and accomplishing your goals. But designing a balanced plan that involves all muscles in the body is essential to reaching your ultimate fitness goal. Chris Parker, MS, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, says “working certain body parts more than others creates an imbalance throughout the body. Creating a proper plan is key to ensuring you are getting the most out of your workout.” For example, Parker shares that weightlifters who focus on the development of their upper muscle groups can, over time, cause poor posture evident by a forward rolling of the shoulders. “This poor posture can cause pain or injury in the shoulder joint due to muscle imbalances between the anterior and posterior muscles associated with the shoulder. It also leads to a decrease in lifting performance as both shortened anterior muscles and lengthened posterior muscles become weaker and less efficient at completing their job.”

To avoid an imbalanced workout, Parker explains the top five movement types that should be included in your new or existing fitness plan.

1. Lower Body Push: This lower body movement type is meant to “push” an object away from you. This push is done using primarily quadriceps as well as your glutes depending on the exercise. Examples of lower body push exercises are:
   • Squats
   • Lunges
   • Machine Knee Extensions
     
     
2. Lower Body Pulls: This movement is performed by using the lower posterior muscles: glutes and hamstrings. Instead of pushing an object away, you pull the object toward your body. Examples of lower body pulls are:
   • Romanian Deadlifts
   • Slide board Hamstring Curl
   • Machine Leg Curls
     
     
3. Upper Body Push: This movement requires the use of your chest, shoulders and triceps. Examples of upper body push exercises are:
   • Bench Press
   • Push-ups
   • Dumbbell Press
     
     
4. Upper Body Pulls: This movement type targets your back muscles including your lats, rhomboids and traps. This movement also incorporates your biceps.
   • Pull-ups
   • Seated Row
   • Lat Pulldown
     
     
5. Core Workouts: Your core consists of your lower back, hips and stomach. Examples of core exercises are:
   • Cable Chops
   • Side Planks
   • Stability Ball Crunches
     
     

Parker recommends two to three sets of 8-15 reps for each movement type for a typical strength training program. “Based on your weekly fitness plan, these movements can be spread throughout your week,” says Parker. Below are two examples of incorporating all five movements into your week.

1. Complete full-body workouts consisting of each movement type can be done twice a week, preferably with 2-3 days of rest in between.
   
   
2. Completing 1-2 movements per day six days per week is a helpful way to increase the volume for each movement type in your weekly routine. For example, you may pair both upper body movement types two days per week, pair both lower body movement types two days per week and complete a variety of core exercises two days per week.
   
   

These five movements allow for a variety of different exercises, so changing up your fitness routine with these new movement types may be what you need to reach your goals. Parker says “when you’re trying a new exercise, it can feel uncomfortable and awkward, but that’s normal. Taking the time to practice and feel comfortable with new exercises will result in a more balanced body.”

For more information about creating a balanced fitness plan with a Cooper Fitness Center’s Professional Fitness Trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, can be a valuable addition to anyone’s exercise routine. EMS training involves electrical impulses stimulating the contraction of your muscles, allowing you to get more results in less time. “A typical 60-minute training session only targets a few muscle groups,” says Dave McGarry, EMS Program Director at Cooper Fitness Center. “While 20-minute EMS training sessions are whole-body workouts stimulating multiple muscle groups at the same time.”

The time-efficient EMS workout also benefits you by:

• Increasing strength, endurance and energy
• Accelerating metabolism
• Being easy on your joints

McGarry explains, “EMS whole-body training is easy to fit into anybody’s routine due to its flexibility and personalization to an individual’s fitness goals and lifestyle.”

So how do you add EMS training into your fitness plan? McGarry shares ways to implement EMS into a variety of fitness plans.

1. Non-exerciser

For someone who doesn’t currently exercise, what do you recommend? What other types of exercises complement EMS training?

EMS sessions are great for beginners, especially those who are not familiar with resistance training. To get started, I suggest doing EMS two times a week for four weeks to develop the base foundation of the training. From there, depending on your goal, you may want to reduce the sessions to once a week in order to add other types of exercise into your routine such as:

• Walking or jogging outdoors or on a treadmill
• Cycling
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Stretching classes

2. For someone who currently takes HIIT classes

How do you recommend adding EMS training for someone who currently does HIIT twice a week? What EMS movements and exercises should they do while training?

Once you begin EMS, I recommend one HIIT workout and one EMS training session a week. That way you’re not putting as much stress on your joints. Your EMS training can include HIIT exercises such as:

• Single leg squats
• Single leg dead lifts
• Jump squats

3. Tennis players

Two tennis player scenarios—one who does traditional strength training two times per week and one who doesn’t strength train. How would you incorporate EMS into their fitness plans? What are some recommended movements and intensities?

For the tennis player who does strength training, EMS once a week is a beneficial addition, especially if focusing on endurance training. For the tennis player who doesn’t strength train, EMS two times a week can help better their endurance and strength. Several movements to try in the EMS suit are:

• Sit-ups, standing crunches or lateral torso rotations
• Overhead press

4. Working mom

For a working mom who runs in the morning, how could she implement EMS into her fitness plan? How can moms benefit from doing EMS?

Obviously working moms are super busy but it’s important they take care of themselves. Ideally, they should try to get two, 20-minute EMS sessions before or after work each week. These sessions help moms:

• Build stronger muscles, which can help maintain bone density as they age
• Maintain their lean mass, which helps later in perimenopause

5. Business professional who enjoys swimming

For a business professional who swims laps in the pool but wants to find a quick and impactful strength training workout for their busy life, how does EMS meet that need?

EMS helps improve muscle development and endurance—both of which are essential for building speed, particularly in swimming. The shorter duration training allows you to spend less time in the gym while getting an effective whole-body workout. I recommend two EMS sessions per week.

6. Someone who lifts weights

For someone who strength trains regularly, what would you say to encourage them to try EMS? How can EMS enhance their current routine and the strength training results they may already be experiencing? 

Your one hour of strength training is cut to 20 minutes with EMS. This training helps take away the strain on your body when lifting heavy weights. Eventually EMS will help you lift heavier weights as the EMS suit helps activate deeper muscles, where traditional strength training takes longer to activate.

While EMS can be easily added to any workout routine, McGarry explains that EMS training should only be done at most twice per week with 48 hours in between to get the full recovery from the past session. “Like any other workout, you should stretch five to 10 minutes after the session and get plenty of hydration,” says McGarry.

EMS is recommended for anyone who wants to change their traditional weekly training and lower the amount of time spent in the gym. Cooper Fitness Center’s XBODY EMS training is available to members and the general public who are 18+. Customized to your health and fitness goals, one-on-one sessions are offered with a professional fitness trainer. To learn more, visit our EMS web page.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications are exploding in popularity for weight loss. While many are seeing the pounds fall off, without complementing the medication with other healthy lifestyle habits—including proper nutrition and regular exercise—health risks may arise.   

GLP-1s act similarly to hormones naturally created in the gut and brain and trigger the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugars are elevated. They promote satiety by slowing gastric emptying and target brain receptors involved in reducing appetite. These drugs have been shown to help people lose more than 15% of their body weight.

Nutrition

Because GLP-1s change how much you eat, nutrition matters more than ever. A healthy nutrition plan supports optimal results by protecting lean muscle mass and managing side effects. Getting enough protein, fiber and calories as well as staying hydrated are keys to long-term success.

Protein intake is important to help you maintain muscle mass as you lose weight. Protein intake should be up to 1.5 g/kg of body weight per day. For example a 175-pound person, needs 119 g of protein per day.

Tips to Meet Your Protein Needs

• Include a protein source at all meals and snacks.
• When eating your meals, eat the protein first to ensure you consume adequate amounts.
• If needed, consider supplementing with a ready-to-drink protein shake such as Oikos®, Slate®, Fairlife® and OWYN™.

GLP-1s slow down gastric emptying which can lead to constipation. Fiber is important to help manage constipation as it promotes regular bowel movements and supports overall gastrointestinal health. Women should aim for 21 g or more per day and men should aim for 30 g or more per day. Some examples of foods high in fiber include:

• Beans
• Oats
• Berries with seeds
• Chia seeds
• Vegetables
• Whole wheat pasta
• Edamame (steamed or dry roasted)

Fueling your body properly with a reduced appetite can be hard. Cutting calories too low can lead to insufficient intakes of essential vitamins and minerals. Signs of nutrient deficiencies include:

• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Skin flakiness
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle loss

To better reach your recommended calorie count as well as your fiber and protein goals, eating smaller, more frequent meals might be helpful. Smoothies are another way to add more nutrient-dense foods into your diet, especially if you pair them with protein powder. Some foods to include in your smoothies are:

• Avocado
• Nut butter
• Greek yogurt
• Chia/flaxseeds
• Spinach
• Kale
• Fruits, especially berries

Dehydration can worsen nausea, constipation and fatigue. When your appetite is reduced your thirst mechanism might be also. Staying hydrated is important to help manage side effects as well as support digestion. Sip fluids consistently throughout the day. Try water with fruit, lemon or cucumber along with herbal teas or broths. If you find drinking fluids with your meals fills you up too quickly, consider separating fluids from mealtime.

Exercise

While on GLP-1s, regular exercise and physical activity should be part of your routine to help maintain and increase muscle mass. GLP-1s usually induce a low appetite, and if you are not eating enough protein, your body will begin to lose muscle leading to muscle weakness and its side effects such as decreased mobility and increased risk of falling.

Benefits of gaining muscle mass include:

• Metabolism support
• Blood sugar management
• Improved joint health
• Increased bone density

When selecting exercises to include into your routine, multi-joint exercises are the best choice. With multi-joint exercises, you are able to use most or all of your large muscle groups providing the most return for the time and energy of the workout.

Recommended Movement Patterns

Squat Pattern – Split Squat

• Uses your quads, glutes and inner thighs
• Improves balance and core stability
• Great lower-body exercise without needing heavy weights

Hinge Pattern – Dumbbell Deadlift

• Targets the glutes, hamstrings and muscles supporting your spine
• Targets powerful hip extensions and builds total body strength

Upper Pull – One-arm Dumbbell Row

• Works the lats, upper back, rear shoulders and biceps
• Strong pulling helps posture and shoulder strength

Upper Push – Dumbbell Chest Press

• Trains the chest, shoulders and triceps
• A joint-friendly way to build pressing strength

For these exercises, it is recommended to do six to 12 reps. For those who are just starting, moderate-to-higher repetition ranges (10-15 or even 15-20 reps) are typically more appropriate. A higher range of reps:

• Facilitates learning proper technique
• Improves movement proficiency and joint tolerance
• Builds confidence under load
• Allows meaningful effort without excessive mechanical risk

Shawn Smith and Jonah Villarreal, Professional Fitness Trainers at Cooper Fitness Center, demonstrate these exercises in “Strength Training with GLP-1s” Exercise Moves video.

Managing Common Side Effects

Up to 50% of patients on a GLP-1 may experience side effects which often occur during dose escalation and may decrease over time. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation which can range from mild to severe. It’s important you speak with your prescribing physician if you experience any side effects. Below are some tips to help you manage side effects with food.

Nausea and heartburn

• Avoid skipping meals
• Choose smaller, more frequent meals
• Avoid lying down after eating
• Limit spicy and high fat greasy foods

Diarrhea

• Reduce high fat greasy foods
• Limit large portions
• Rehydrate with fluids and electrolytes

Constipation

• Slowly increase fiber; women, 21 g or more per day; men, 30 g or more per day
• Stay well-hydrated; it’s recommended to drink half of your body weight in ounces
• Exercise may also help with constipation

If you find navigating your diet confusing or difficult while taking a GLP-1 medication, working with a registered dietitian nutritionist who understands what your body needs can make the process smoother and more sustainable.

For more information about Cooper Clinic Nutrition’s GLP-1 Nutrition for Life services and to schedule a one-on-one consultation, visit cooperclinicnutrition.com or call 972.560.2655.

For more information on personal training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a professional fitness trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Article written by Hannah Salzbrenner, MS, RDN, LD, Cooper Clinic Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and Shawn Smith, Cooper Fitness Center Professional Fitness Trainer.

Want strong, toned abs or wondering how you might be able to reduce back instability and pain and increase mobility and functional movement? The answer is in your core and how you strengthen it. 

Let’s first review exactly which muscles comprise “the core” of your body. While we often think abs when we hear the word core, it goes far beyond just your stomach muscles. The core extends from your shoulders to your hips and includes abdominal muscles, lower back muscles and the diaphragm.  

“The core is the pillar of our body,” says Mary Edwards, MS, Fitness Director and Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center. “You can equate it to a pillar in a building. Any structural instability in that pillar compromises the structural integrity of the building. The same is true in our body. Any core instability or weakness can pose risk of injury.”

In addition to reducing risk of injury during physical activity or while performing activities of daily living, exercising your core also improves balance, helping your body to withstand the impact of gravity and keep your body upright. A strong core also improves athletic performance and power.

Edwards and her husband, Shannon Edwards, also a Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, share tips to help develop a strong core. 

Dos and Don’ts of Core Training

Do incorporate core work into every exercise routine. Core work can be done at the beginning of the workout, something trainers refer to as “prehab.” Prehab is an effort to “turn on” core muscles before we begin to work out. This includes upright core-based movements to activate core such as:

• Cable Rotation
• Cable Anti-rotation Press
• Kettlebell Carry
• Cable Chop or Lift in Split Stance
• Half Kneeling Position

Core training can be incorporated into circuit training—lower body movement, upper body movement and core exercise. 

Do make nutrition a priority. Focus on foods that are most naturally nutritious, such as lean meats, fruits and vegetables. Choose brown versus white grains. Understand portions and know what kind of serving size you should have in regard to protein sources and carbohydrates. As a general rule of thumb, one portion of protein should equal the size of the palm of your hand. A portion of carbs should equal half a cup or less. Protein intake certainly helps with muscle building, repair and recovery. However, by eating a balanced diet including a sampling of all the food groups, you are able to get the recommended intake of the various essential nutrients.  

To create a complete wellness plan to complement core training, consider connecting with a Cooper Clinic registered dietitian nutritionist to help you refine your nutrition to support your fitness goals.

Do modify a plank by using your knees instead of feet. When doing a situp, keep your arms tucked in close rather than extended over your head to reduce the force of gravity. You can adjust the load of an exercise by using just body weight instead of adding weights. You may also reduce the number of reps or duration of the exercise depending on your fitness level.  

With only 24 hours in a day, it can be difficult to fit everything in a daily schedule of work, school, family time and other commitments. With these busy schedules, exercising may become a task that can be put aside until you feel you have more time. However, as Kenneth Cooper, MD, MPH, Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics says, “if you cannot find time to exercise, you better find the time to be sick.” Every bit of movement you add into your day is beneficial. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a quick walk in your neighborhood, parking farther away from the entrance to get in extra steps. These are all ways to move more in short amounts of time.

Planned workouts can also be short, yet effective. “Instead of an hour-long workout,” Sam Laceky, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, says, “scheduling shorter workouts is beneficial in taking care of your health.” While you’re exercising for less time, quick workouts can be effective when you increase your intensity and resistance and make them a part of your daily routine.

Intensifying Your Workout

With a short amount of time available for a quick workout, it’s assumed you need to use your maximum speed throughout the entire workout. Rather, Laceky explains it’s best to prioritize the intensity than finishing the workout quickly. Similarly to high-intensity interval training, these workouts require you to do intense movements in combination with short breaks.

If you cannot work at a high intensity (medications or medical reason) or are new to exercise, you may consider adding challenge to your workout by completing two to three exercises in a row (core – lower – upper) or using compound movements, for example starting with a squat, resting, followed by a row and resting again.

Warming Up Your Body

To make sure your body is well equipped for these intense workouts, it’s important to properly warm up your body. Laceky explains, “a warm-up isn’t just stretching your arms and legs; it’s about activating the muscles you plan on using in your workout.” For example, if your workout includes lunges or squats, you should warm up your lower body and hips.

In addition to warming up, knowing the proper form for these exercises is also key to avoiding injury and getting the most of your quick workouts. “At times, doing fast motions means poor form. Focusing on the correct form helps you to prevent injury and execute your exercises correctly,” says Laceky.

Measuring Your Progress

As with any exercise program, you can become accustomed to the intensity of your workouts. Laceky shares, “you need to transition or evolve your workouts based on your fitness needs and goals and how you feel that day or week. If you stick with the same workouts, you’re not challenging yourself or your body.” You’ll reach a plateau hindering your progress—for example, strength, endurance or weight loss.

Wearable fitness technology, such as Myzone®, Fitbit® and Apple Watch, is a great way to monitor and track your exercise intensity and progress. These devices allow you to see your heart rate zone, a form of measurement that reads your maximum heart rate and identifies the level of intensity you reach during your workout. For short workouts, Laceky recommends exercising at an 85%-90% intensity. For a less intensive workout, 65%-75% intensity is recommended. Learn how to track and read heart rate zones with the Fitness Files article Tracking Heart Rate During Exercise.

Exercises to Consider

Creating a quick workout depends on your fitness needs and goals and should vary based on how you feel that day or week. The main component to a quick workout involves push exercises, pull exercises, squats, lunges, hinges and carries. “If you add at least one of each component, you’ll be able to work the upper and lower body, core and engage grip strength, providing you with a balanced workout,” says Laceky.

Laceky also shares the following recommendations to help broaden your movements and continue your balanced workouts:

• Two to three sessions of resistance training per week
• 150 minutes of cardio weekly
• Balance exercises for upper and lower body

Watch Mary Edwards, MS, Fitness Director at Cooper Fitness Center, as she demonstrates a Quick & Effective Workout: Core, Lower, Upper, Upper workout pairing core exercises with upper and lower body exercises.

Additional Resources

• 5 Movement Types for a Balanced Workout
• The Push and Pull of Balanced Strength Training

Creating a Habit

Making time for these quick workouts can be beneficial to your health and overall well-being. “It may take a few weeks to a few months for exercise to become a habit, but being consistent and continuing to work out multiple times a week can make a big difference to your life,” says Laceky. Finding a buddy who can be a part of these workouts is an excellent way to stay consistent and accountable.

Adding a quick workout to your daily routine can be the first step to prioritizing and improving your health. “Take full advantage of your time; your health is an investment in your future,” says Laceky.

For more information about professional fitness training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.