DIY Exercise - American College of Sports Medicine

THEME: DIY EXERCISEDIY: A StrengthTraining Programfor Your Homeby Stephen Ball, Ph.D.Muscular strength and endurance is acomponent of fitness that is necessary foroptimal well-being and quality of life.Unfortunately, the cost of joining a healthclub or gym is a major barrier for manypeople who want to do resistance training.Membership costs vary depending on thecity and facility’s services, but feesgenerally range from $25 to $100 permonth. Additional initiation fees may runinto the hundreds. In addition, theinconvenience of traveling to a facility andworking out with strangers is not appealingto everyone.A cost-effective and convenient alternativeto a gym membership is turning your livingroom or basement into your own personaltraining facility. Of course your home gymwill not have expensive strength trainingmachines, such as hip sleds or assistedpull-up machines. However, with amoderate investment and a goodimagination, you can get a great workout inthe comfort of your own home.What You Need1. Space. You’ll need an open space thatallows freedom of movement and is voidof hazards that you might step on, bumpinto or trip over. A rearranged livingroom or an open garage stall withadequate traction will work well. You willneed about 100 square feet (10' x 10').2. Equipment. Invest in a few dumbbells(new about $0.50 per pound) orresistance bands ($10-$20) and astability ball ($30). Most strength trainingexercises can be performed with thisbasic equipment. An adjustable benchthat changes angles for your upperbody is not necessary, but it would offeradditional variety.3. Plan. Don’t begin resistance training untilyou have developed a plan. It isimportant that you have a structuredprogram that includes 8-10 exercises totarget the major muscle groups of thebody. It is always wise to consult a localfitness expert and follow the ACSMguidelines for strength training. If youare a novice, a fitness professional willbe able to give you advice beyond whatis described here. Perform 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions at least twice a week.Make sure to do a brief warm-up beforestarting your session.Tips for Strength Training• Control the weight. It is important toperform each exercise in a controlledmanner. Lower the weight slowly sinceyou are working the same muscles aswhen you are lifting. To control speed ofmovement, try using a one-two-threecount. The up phase (concentric orlifting) is completed quickly to a count of“one,” and the down phase (eccentric orlowering) is completed slowly to a countof “two-three.”• Breathe. Ideally, you should exhale whenthe weight is being raised and inhalewhen the weight is being lowered. Don'tever hold your breath. It might help tocount out loud the one-two-three countduring the movement.• Go to failure. An estimated 70 percent ofstrength gains can occur in the first set oftraining if performed to failure, otherwisecalled “rep out.” Failure or “repping out”means doing as many reps as possiblefor whatever resistance selected. Goingto failure is challenging, but it willmaximize your fitness response in aminimal amount of time. The takeaway isthat you can get away with doing onlyone set if you perform that set to failure.Ideally, you should select a weight sothat you fail between 8-12 repetitions. Asyou get stronger, you will need toincrease the weight or the repetitions toelicit more gains.• Progress slowly. The famous saying“Rome wasn’t built in a day” applieshere. Don’t expect miraculous resultsimmediately. Rather, work toward yourgoals slowly, and appreciate the processof being active. During your first fewworkouts, use a light resistance, focus onyour form and don’t go to failure just yet.Also, be sure to allow time for recoverybetween sets (30-120 seconds) andbetween workouts (1-2 days). Your firstfew workouts might only last 15-20minutes.• Include variation. It is not unusual forworkouts to become stale and for fitnessgains to level off. These plateaus areexpected and indicate that you arebecoming more trained. Don’t getdiscouraged. If your workout gets oldand boring, try different exercises andvary the number of repetitions, the weightor resistance, and the amount of restbetween sets. These changes are likelyto stimulate muscle adaptation andpromote greater enjoyment of exercise.• Add on. Creating your own home gym isnot a massive financial obligation and willnot take much space. Over time, addmore equipment to your collection, andcontinue to expand the possibilities ofyour home training center. For example,build on to your collection with amedicine ball, Bosu ® ball or additionalfree weights.• Do something. When it comes to strengthtraining—and exercise in general—doingsomething is truly better than continuingto be sedentary. Of course, more isbetter than some, and it’s possible totrain too much. It is not necessary to joina gym to enjoy the benefits of strengthtraining. You can definitely do some inthe comfort of your own home.Full Body—A Sample HomeWorkout PlanSquat—for hips, thighs and buttocks1. From the sitting position with your feetshoulder-width apart and your toes infront of your knees, lean forward slightlyand stand up without locking yourknees.2. Slowly lower your body back to a seatedposition where your upper legs areapproximately parallel to the floor.3. Alternative—Place a stability ballbetween your middle-back and a wall,and lean back into the ball whileperforming these same movements.(continued on page 4)ACSM Fit Society Page, Winter 2012 3

Strength Training (continued from page 3)Chest Press—for chest muscles andtriceps1. Lie on your back with your feet flat andknees bent.2. Grip dumbbells and extend upward butdon’t lock the elbows. Slowly lower tothe starting position.3. Alternatives—Sit on a stability ball andperform same movement. Simple pushupsalso work these muscles. A variationin push-ups could be putting your feeton a chair simulating an incline chestpress.Back Extension—for buttocks (gluteals)and low back1. Lie face down on the floor.2. Raise left arm and right leg off the floorwith head and neck in line with the arm.Hold for 1-2 seconds, and then slowlylower the arm and leg back to thestarting position. Repeat this movementfor the right arm and left leg.3. Alternative—Perform the movement onall fours or lying face down on a stabilityball.Standing Lunges—for front of thighs(quadriceps) and buttocks2. Push with the front leg, driving your heelinto the floor, to return to the startingposition.3. Alternative—Using a regular-heightchair, do bench step-ups from the floorin an “up-up-down-down” pattern. Toincrease resistance in this exercise, holddumbbells in your hands.DB Shoulder Press—for shoulders1. Perform this movement sitting in aregular chair, standing or sitting on astability ball. Hold a dumbbell in eachhand with an overhand grip. Make a 90-degree angle with your arms by raisingthe dumbbells so they are level with yourears.2. Slowly raise dumbbells over your headuntil arms are fully extended, but do notlock your elbows. Slowly lower thedumbbells to the starting position.3. Alternative—Perform a lateral raise bylifting the arms to the sides with a slightbend in the elbows. Keep the weightsand arms below shoulder height. Youwill likely need lower weight for thisexercise compared to shoulder press.Pelvic Tilt—for abdominals and buttocks2. Raise your pelvis so your buttocks andlower back are off the floor. Pause, andthen slowly lower your pelvis to the floor.3. Alternatives—Perform a standard crunchwhile sitting on a stability ball or on thefloor. Try a reverse curl by lying on yourback and place arms to the side with thepalms face down and knees bent. Raisethe knees to the chest lifting the hips offthe floor.Leg Curl—for back of thighs (hamstrings)1. Stand behind a chair, and with your footflexed, slowly bend one leg at the knee,raising your heel up toward yourbuttocks. Keep your support leg slightlybent.2. Slowly lower your foot back to theground. Add ankle weights to increaseresistance or use a resistance band.3. Alternative—Perform a hamstring rollusing a stability ball. Lie on your backwith your knees bent and your heels onthe ball. Raise your hips off the floor androll the ball away from you until your legsare straight. Roll the ball inward andoutward.Dumbbell Row—for back musculature andbiceps1. With one leg, step backward until thethigh of the forward leg is parallel to theground or as far as feels comfortable.Your back knee should come close tothe floor but not touch it.1. Lie on the floor with feet flat on theground and knees bent. Keep arms atyour sides with palms facing the floor.1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.Hold a dumbbell in each hand withelbows slightly bent. Bend forward at thewaist and keep a slight bend in theknees.2. Pull dumbbells up to your sides untilyour upper arms are almost parallel tothe ground. Slowly return the dumbbellsto the starting position.3. Alternative—With resistance bands,stand on the band in its most middlesection while holding the ends of theresistance band with your hands.(continued on page 5)4 ACSM Fit Society Page, Winter 2012

Strength Training (continued from page 4)Biceps Curl—for bicepsTHEME: DIY EXERCISEDIY: ImprovingYour Flexibilityand Balanceby A. Lynn Millar, P.T., Ph.D., FACSM1. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand andyour palms facing your thighs.2. Slowly lift the weights and rotate yourforearm so that your palms end upfacing your shoulders at the top of themovement. Slowly lower to the startingposition so that your palms are facingyour thighs.3. Alternative—With resistance bands,stand on the band in its most middlelocation while holding the ends of theresistance band with your hands whileperforming the movement.Side Plank—for core1. Lie on your side with left leg on top ofthe right. Raise upper body and placeright elbow beneath the right shoulder.2. Your elbow should be bent at a 90-degree angle and resting on the ground.Hold for up to 60 seconds.3. Alternative—Perform a standard plankby lying face down resting on theforearms with your palms flat on thefloor. Rise up onto your toes and rest onyour elbows, keeping your back straightand flat.The exercise photos under “Full Body—A Sample Home WorkoutPlan” were provided by Stephen Ball, Ph.D., and the University ofMissouri.Two parts of fitness that are oftenoverlooked are flexibility and balance. Thismay be because of conflicting informationregarding their importance or relevance.However, both can play a vital role inoverall fitness and function. Tight musclescan contribute to back pain or difficultyperforming simple tasks, such as puttingobjects into overhead cupboards. Whilepoor balance is known to increase the riskof falls in older persons, it may also affectsports performance in younger individuals.Luckily, it is very easy to work on bothflexibility and balance on your own.To train flexibility, stretching or repeatedmovement through a joint’s complete rangeof motion will work to increase joint rangeor prevent loss of motion, respectively. Tostretch a muscle, it should be put in aposition that produces a slight pull on themuscle but not to the point of pain. With astatic stretch, the position in which a slightstretch is felt should be held 15-30seconds, and each stretch should berepeated 3-5 times on each side of thebody. The primary note regarding stretchposition is that it should not cause pain ortake the joint past the normal range. Thereare several forms of dynamic stretching,with the key difference being that dynamicstretches take the joint and musclesthrough the full range of motion, oftenrepeatedly.ACSM guidelines recommend thatstretching activities be done at least twodays per week. If you have lost some jointmotion or feel stiff, range of motion orstretching activities should be done daily.The muscles that are most often tight arethe hamstrings, hip flexors, calves andchest muscles. Each of these can bestretched using different positions, andsome general motions may stretch morethan one muscle group. For simplicity’ssake, only common static stretches will bedescribed below.• Hamstrings. Sit on the ground with legsstraight in front of you. Gently leanforward from the hips (try to keep theback fairly straight) until a stretch is felton the back of the thighs.• Hip flexors. Stand on one foot, and bringthe other foot to the buttocks. Pull backgently, while keeping your knee pointedat the ground and your hip straight. Ifneeded, hold onto a counter or chair tokeep your balance.• Calves. Step forward with one leg. Shiftyour weight toward the front leg whilekeeping the back heel on the ground. Ifyou press the hip of your back legforward, this will also help stretch the hipflexors.• Chest muscles. Standing in a corner,bring hands up to shoulder height andplace against the wall on either side.Keeping hands in position, lean bodyforward until a stretch is felt in the front ofthe chest. This can also be done using adoorway, turning away from the hand thatis on the wall.Problems with tripping or falling oftenindicate difficulty with balance. Ideally, youshould be able to stand on one leg for atleast 20 seconds unsupported for static(not moving) balance. Balance activitiescan be started with simple position shiftsfor those that already have balance issues.Shifting should take place in all directions,including angles, with different placementsof the feet. Improving balance requires aprogressive challenge. This can be doneby increasing the number of repetitions or(continued on page 6)ACSM Fit Society Page, Winter 2012 5

Flexibility (continued from page 5)the length of a balance activity, addingmovement to make the activity moredynamic, or by reducing input from othersenses, such as by closing the eyes. Inaddition, the amount of support from thearms can be progressed by using bothhands, then one hand, then one finger, andfinally no assistance. ACSM guidelinessuggest such activities be done at leasttwo days per week. A simple progressionat home might be:• Weight shifts. Step side-to-side, forwardand backward. Then step forward andbackward at an angle.• Single leg stance. Stand next to acounter or chair for support. Stand onone leg and touch the toe of the other legto the front, side and back.• Single leg stance with movement. Standnext to a counter or chair for support.Stand on one leg and perform a partialsquat. Repeat five times with each leg.This will also help with thigh strength.Alternative: turn slightly to the left, thenright, moving only at the hip. Repeat fivetimes with each leg.Other activities can also be used forflexibility and balance. Tai chi, an activitybased on martial arts, is excellent forbalance because it uses multiple types ofweight shifts as well as standing on oneleg for short periods of time. Yoga usesdifferent body positions and moresustained holds, thus it can also be usedto improve static balance and flexibility.There are numerous DVDs and other aidsavailable for those wishing to learn one ofthese activities. The key to any stretchingor balance program is regularity, and theseactivities are not meant to be done at ahigh intensity.THEME: DIY EXERCISEDIY: StressManagement forthe Modern Adultby Greg Chertok, M.Ed., CC-AASPWhen addressing your overall health, it’scritical to view mental health as a keycomponent. Your mental health is basedupon a number of factors, one of which isyour ability to manage stress. Stress iswhat happens when we perceive an eventin a way that causes negative emotions,anxiety and tension. If not managedquickly or properly, a great deal of yourbodily energy and resources will beconsumed by stress, and this willcompromise your immune system and maylead to physiological effects such asimpaired sleep, headaches, muscle pain,depression and more. It serves us well,then, to learn how to effectively managestress, as doing so greatly improves ouroverall wellness. Below are convenient doit-yourselfstrategies that can help.Breathing Exercises and MuscleRelaxation ExercisesMany people respond positively to both,which are considered “muscle-to-mind”relaxation strategies. Breathing properly isrelaxing, in part because it increases theamount of oxygen in the blood. Oxygenplays a key role in supplying energy to thebody’s muscles, and good circulationfacilitates the removal of waste productsfrom the tissues. Unfortunately, manyindividuals have never learned deep,diaphragmatic breathing, and most areunaware that their breathing patterns aredisrupted under stress (we tend to eitherhold our breath or breathe quickly andshallowly from the upper chest whenanxious).Do it yourself: Put one hand on yourabdomen and the other hand on yourupper chest. If you are taking a properdeep breath from the diaphragm—the thinmuscle that separates the chest andabdominal cavities—the hand on yourabdomen should move out while inhaling.While exhaling, the hand on your chestshould remain relatively still. Once you’recomfortable with the breath cycle, committo taking several minutes per day to simplyconcentrate on your breathing. Thismeditative break in the day can inducevery calming relaxation.Progressive muscle relaxation, a techniquedeveloped by in the early 1920s, is anotherstrategy that involves the tensing andrelaxing of key muscle groups. Sincemuscle tension accompanies anxiety,learning to relax the muscular tension mayeffectively reduce anxiety.Do it yourself: Sit or lie in a comfortableposition. With your eyes closed, tense themuscles in your legs for 10 seconds, thenrelease the tension for 20 seconds,noticing the difference between thefeelings of the tension and relaxation. Trythis with other muscle groups, particularlythose in the abdomen, chest, arms andface. Find time to practice once a day for10 minutes. The technique becomes moreeffective with practice, so stay committed!StretchingStretching has a positive effect on physicaland mental health. Stretching promotesmind/body awareness, as successfulcompletion of each physical stretchrequires mindfulness of your bodilypositions, breathing and control of yourtension level. Stretching also improvescirculation and range of motion, decreasesmuscle tension and reduces pain andsoreness after exercise. A stretched,lengthened muscle is typically less likely tostrain or tear than a tight, shortened one.Do it yourself: Dedicate 10 minutes per dayto stretching your muscles, particularlythose in your legs, arms and neck.Engaging in relaxation breathing during thestretch will help maximize the activity.(continued on page 7)6 ACSM Fit Society Page, Winter 2012

Nutrition (continued from page 7)• Sodium, sugar and trans fat often hide inunsuspected foods. For example,canned soups can be surprisingly high insodium, and sugar is often added topasta sauce. Likewise, trans fats areubiquitous in processed foods. It pays toread food labels. Avoid products thathave added sugar (sucrose, glucose,high-fructose corn syrup) or trans fat(hydrogenated or partially hydrogenatedoil).Increase your intake of fruits andvegetables, whole grains, fish anddairy productsThese foods contain a multitude ofvitamins, minerals and other compounds(i.e., fiber and antioxidants) that promotehealth. We recommend that you:• Eat more fruits and vegetables at mealsand snacks. Fruits and vegetables areexcellent sources of vitamins, mineralsand dietary fiber. They also add color,which not only makes our plate morevisually appealing, but adds theantioxidant power of phytonutrients.• Swap whole grains for processed ones.Choose brown rice and whole wheatpasta. Experiment with quick-cookinggrains like quinoa and millet. Read foodlabels to select baked goods and cerealsthat are made with whole grains.• Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurtand cottage cheese as a high-proteinsnack that is also packed with calciumand vitamin D. As an alternative to dairyproducts, select soy milk or orange juicethat has been fortified with calcium andvitamin D.• At least two times per week, chooseseafood rather than meat to increaseyour intake of omega-3 fatty acids.Be a conscientious consumer wheneating out.• Ask for salad dressing, butter, sourcream and sauces on the side, so youcan control how much is added.• Avoid dishes that are prepared withcream or served with a cream sauce.• Select foods that have been steamed,broiled or baked, rather than fried orsautéed.• Restaurants are notorious for servingexcessively large portions. Don’t hesitateto ask for a take-home container.• For dessert, choose fruit sorbet or pie(and leave the crust), or share yourdessert with a friend.THE ATHLETE’S KITCHENWinterNutrition—Fueling for ColdWeather Exerciseby Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., FACSMIf you are a winter athlete, you want to paycareful attention to your sports diet.Otherwise, lack of food and fluids can takethe fun out of your outdoor activities. Thesetips can to help you fuel wisely for coldweather workouts.Winter Hydration• Failing to drink enough fluids is a majormistake made by winter athletes. A studycomparing hydration status of athleteswho skied or played football or soccerreported the skiers had the highest rateof chronic dehydration. Before onecompetition, 11 of the 12 alpine skiersshowed up dehydrated.• Some winter athletes purposefully skimpon fluids to minimize the need to urinate.There’s no doubt that undoing layer afterlayer of clothing (ski suit, hockey gear,etc.) can be a hassle. Yet, dehydrationhurts performance and is one cause offailed mountaineering adventures.• Cold blunts the thirst mechanism; you’llfeel less thirsty despite significant sweatloss and may not think to drink.• Winter athletes (especially those skiing athigh altitude) need to consciouslyconsume fluids to replace the watervapor that gets exhaled via breathing.When you inhale cold, dry air, your bodywarms and humidifies that air. As youexhale, you lose significant amounts ofwater. You can see this vapor (“steam”)when you breathe.• Unless you are hot, you do not want todrink icy water (i.e., from a water bottlekept on your bike or outside pocket ofyour back pack). Cold water can coolyou off and give you the chills. The betterbet is having an insulated water bottle ora bottle filled with hot sports drink thencovered with a wool sock to help retainthe heat.• Dress in layers, so you sweat less.Sweaty clothing drains body heat. As theweather becomes “tropical” inside yourexercise outfit, make the effort to stripdown. You’ll stay drier and warmer.Simply taking off a hat is cooling; 30percent to 40 percent of body heat getslost through the head.Winter FuelYou need adequate pre-exercise fuel togenerate body heat. Hence, you want tofuel up before you embark on winterexercise, particularly before you ski, runoutside or embark on any outside activityin extreme cold.• Food’s overall warming effect is known asthermogenesis (that is, “heat making”).Thirty to sixty minutes after you eat, yourbody generates about 10 percent moreheat than when you have an emptystomach. Hence, eating not onlyprovides fuel but also increases heatproduction (warmth).• Aerobic workout can increase yourmetabolism by 7-10 times above theresting level. This means that if you wereto exercise hard for an hour anddissipate no heat, you could cookyourself in the process. In the summer,your body sweats heavily to dissipate thisheat. But in the winter, the warmth helpsyou survive in a cold environment.Exercise is an excellent way to warm upin the winter.• If you become chilled during winterexercise (or even when swimming, forthat matter), you’ll likely find yourselfsearching for food. A drop in bodytemperature stimulates the appetite andyou experience hunger. Your body wantsfuel to “stoke the furnace” so it cangenerate heat.• For safety’s sake, you should always carrysome source of emergency food (such asan energy bar) with you in case you slip onthe ice or experience some incident thatleaves you static in a frigid environment.Winter campers, for example, commonlykeep a supply of dried fruit, chocolate orcookies within reach, in case they wake upcold at 3:00AM.(continued on page 9)8 ACSM Fit Society Page, Winter 2012

Athlete’s Kitchen (continued from page 8)Q&A (continued from page 2)however, the weight of your extra clothingis minimal. Think twice before chowingdown!Winter Recovery Foods• To chase away chills, replenish depletedglycogen stores and rehydrate yourbody, enjoy warm carbohydrates with alittle protein, such as hot cocoa madewith milk, oatmeal with nuts, lentil soup,chili or pasta with meatballs. The warmfood, added to the thermogenic effect ofeating, contributes to rapid recovery.• In comparison, eating cold foods andfrozen fluids can chill your body. That is,save the slushie (ice slurry) for summerworkouts; it will cool you off. In winter,you want warm foods to fuel yourworkouts. Bring out the mulled cider orthermos of soup!Energy NeedsCold weather itself does not increaseenergy needs, but you will burn extracalories if your body temperature dropsand you start to shiver. Shivering isinvoluntary muscle tensing that generatesheat.• When you first become slightly chilled(such as when watching an outdoorfootball game), you’ll find yourself doingan isometric type of muscle tensing thatcan increase your metabolic rate two tofour times.• As you get further chilled, you’ll findyourself hopping from foot to foot andjumping around. This is nature’s way toget you to generate heat and warm yourbody.• If you become so cold that you start toshiver, these vigorous muscularcontractions generate lots of heat—perhaps 400 calories per hour. Suchintense shivering quickly depletes yourmuscle glycogen stores and drains yourenergy. This is when you’ll be glad youhave emergency food with you.• Your body uses a considerable amountof energy to warm and humidify the airyou breathe when you exercise in thecold. For example, if you were to burn600 calories while cross-country skiingfor an hour in 0° F weather, you mightuse about 150 of those calories to warmthe inspired air. In summer, you wouldhave dissipated that heat via sweat.• If you wear heavy clothes, you will burn afew more calories carrying the extraweight of skis, boots, heavy parka, snowshoes, etc. The Army allows 10 percentmore calories for heavily clad troops whoexercise in the cold. If you are a runner,Winter Weight GainMany athletes bemoan winter weight gain.Some eat too much because they arebored and less active. Others experienceseasonal affective disorder (SAD), and thechange of seasons has a marked effectupon their mood. Changes in brainchemicals increase carbohydrate cravingsand the desire to eat more. Thetemptations of winter holiday foods canalso contribute to weight gain.To limit winter weight gain, stay active.Exercise helps manage health, weight andthe winter blues. The tricks are to invest inproper clothing, fuel well and preventdehydration so you can stay warm andenjoy winter’s outdoor wonderland.George T. Doran in 1981, each letteroutlines a quality of the approach: S standsfor specific; M for measurable; A forattainable or achievable; R for relevant orrealistic; and T for timely.A specific goal will usually answer thesefive “w” questions:• What: What do I want to accomplish?• Why: What are the specific reasons,purpose or benefits of accomplishing thisgoal?• Who: Who is involved?• Where: Where will this take place?• Which: Which requirements andconstraints should I consider?Try answering these questions to see howyou can achieve your personal goals. Thisapproach to setting and solving personalgoals will help you measure and quantifysuccess. It’s better to set an achievablegoal than aim unreasonably high. Don’tforget to set a reasonable timeline whichcan help you frame the challenge at hand.Go ahead and set a new goal for 2012!ACSM Fit Society Page, Winter 2012 9

Smartphone (continued from page 2)healthy choices and monitor caloric intakewith fast food. This app has about 140different restaurants in its database and isconstantly being updated. No food calorieapp will have all the eateries in your city,but most chain restaurants are listed inFast Food Calorie Lookup. Some seasonalspecials might not be listed, though. Forpeople monitoring their points, the UltimateWeight Watchers Diary and WeightWatchers Calculator add up dietary points,exercise points and points remaining inyour daily intake. When you are groceryshopping, WW ScanCalc will give younutritional information based on a barcodethen relate it to Weight Waters points.Further, there are apps with grocery listsand recipes for people on a diabetic orhypertensive diet. Be careful to not justtrust the apps for the information but be aknowledgeable consumer, as some appsunintentionally misreport nutritionalinformation.Noteworthy Diet and WeightManagement Apps: MyNetDiary, CalorieCounter & Diet TrackerAs you might assume, using yoursmartphone with various apps can makefor a great training partner, give terrificworkout ideas, provide valuable dietaryinformation, or even find you a newcooking recipe. There are a few things youshould note about using your smartphonefor health and fitness, though. Using yoursmartphone as your music player duringexercise can be enjoyable, but it canincrease your risk of being distracted. Ifyou carry your smartphone while youexercise, use a Ziploc plastic bag aroundthe phone, so sweat won’t ruin it. Everyfitness app will be better if you take thetime to set up the app thoroughly. Finally,remember that smartphone technologiesare wonderful tools to enhance yourfitness, but they can never replace afitness professional with years ofaccumulated experience, education andwisdom.*Note: product reviews presented in this articlereflect opinions of the author and do notnecessarily reflect positions or policies of ACSM.