kg/m^2 = BMI (Best Movie Invented...No, I'm kidding)

As the school year approaches, more physicals will be issued; so arrives the topic of BMI.

Let’s say someone is 5’5”, 215lbs. By the BMI standard, this person is considered obese (BMI = 35.9). Let’s keep the same weight and change the height: 6’2”, 215lbs (BMI = 28.0) is considered to be overweight and on the cusp of obesity. (Whoa, hold up, Derek! Just wait one dag on minute! You mean to tell me that I can’t have that extra muffin in the morning?) Y’all, I never said that! I’m saying that BMI (Body Mass Index) is useful yet slightly misleading.

In these cases, we have two different heights with the same weight. Now, the 5’5”er is closer to the obesity range. Should that person get discouraged? No! The 6’2”er has a case that can apply to anyone. This person could be exceptionally ripped or doused in gristle!

Look at the number of athletes who fall in to this 6’2er category. Obese? Not at all. Muscular? Yes. So, why the confusion? Because BMI is what it is…an index. It is not…I’ll repeat: it is NOT a measurement. It’s a guideline. It does not even have a value. Do you think an athlete is concerned about his/her BMI? I hope not. They should be more concerned about their performance. So, if they are not concerned why are you overly concerned? Yea, but Derek the doctor said I need to lose 20lbs. 20lbs is a good goal. But, the doc didn’t say he wanted you to lose 5 points on your BMI – that does not make the most sense. Because of the BMI confusion, the amount of weight lost is more important.

Other more important measurements include the following: body fat, lean muscle percentage, circumference measurements. If you change these your BMI can rise, drop, or remain the same. The only absolute constant thing about BMI is your height if you have stopped growing. It is possible to gain muscle and remain at the same weight, which indirectly would still make your BMI the same index number if you’re the 5’5er or the 6’2”er at 215lbs. See, it’s a little misleading.

But, BUT! BMI is still useful because it provides a warning. Take the 6’2”er from above. As soon as this type of person stops his workout intensity/level, those bulging muscles wilt. Yea, that’s a good term: wilt. Case and point – NFL Linemen post retirement (I know they’re not 6’2”, 215), Dan Marino and Nutrisystem.

Wilting - it reminds us of the conversational phrase, “lose it or use it.”

Yoga and Pilates: Two Peas in a Pod

It’s only a thought.

You might have seen a group of people carrying yoga and Pilates' mats as they scamper to class. You may have never seen it. But, these two gigs are like siblings. Yoga is the sis and Pilates is the brother. But, they get along in the end. Better yet…they’re both brothers from the same mother: anything you can do I do better; I can do anything better than you type of brothers.

Let me fill you in. Yoga has its special kinds: ashtanga, vinyasa, hot (bikram), power, prenatal, and more. Pilates has its special kinds: Stott, Windsor, mat, reformer, and German (OK, it’s not called German. It started in Germany.) Both of them can correct posture, have strange poses, increase flexibility potential, and work wonders for your core. Pilates tends to strengthen a little more than its bro. Yoga seems to dive a little more into Zen formation – it’s supposed to be peaceful/restful, but you do run into the occasional “fired up” yoga instructor or participant.

Yoga, so I have heard/read can help you manage hunger. Take that weight loss! However, I am not buying into this characteristic because it seems like a simple mind-over-matter technique that can be accomplished doing other things as well.

Men, we are always searching for classes or types of exercises that are manly. If you look in on a yoga or Pilates class, they are female dominated (like most fitness classes). But, if you want to impress your lady or a lady, show her your tree pose or the 100 as shown here:

Lastly, can an athlete perform yoga and Pilates? Of course! A lot of athletes have very tight muscles and need the extra flexibility to move in a better range. Yoga should not be the main component of an athlete's strength and conditioning program, but it could help with posture, flexibility, and relaxation.

Pilates is also a plus for athletes. Certain Pilates moves will be used in a rehabilitation setting, and this correlates to functional movement. The Pilates will also strengthen the mid-section/core. A strong and powerful core equals a strong and powerful mover.

Just do NOT do this.

Tale of the Tape: Time vs. Priority

I respect everyone’s time and realize that everyone has different agendas, many responsibilities, and sometimes not enough help to get everything done. However, I also realize that time and priorities are two different things. Sometimes, we say we do not have time to do something. But, we actually should say we have not made something a particular priority. Check…just check this out:

24 (hours in a day) x 7 (days in the week) = 168 hours in a week

168 – 42 (hours of sleep in a week for those that average 6 hrs a night) = 126 hours (remain). We’ll call this “6-R” for the six hours of sleep per night route.

168 – 56 (hours of sleep in a week for those that average 8 hrs a night) = 112 hours (remain). We’ll call this “8-R” for the eight hours of sleep per night route.

6-R: 126 – 7 (avg. hrs. to get ready in a week) = 119 hours remain
8-R: 112 – 7 (same) = 105 hours remain

6-R: 119 – 25 (avg. commute in hours a week. Some areas have a higher average commute.)= 94 hrs. remain
8-R: 105 – 25 (same) = 80 hrs. remain

6-R: 94 – 40 (avg. hours in a work week) = 54 hrs. remain
8-R: 80 – 40 (same) = 40 hrs. remain

6-R: 54 – 7 (avg. hrs/wk to eat and to prepare food) = 47 hrs. remain
8-R: 40 – 7 (same) = 33 hrs. remain

6-R: 47 – 19 (avg. hrs/wk spent watching TV) = 28 hrs. remain
8-R: 33- 19 (same) = 14 hrs. remain

6-R: 28 – 8.89 (avg. # of hours spent on the phone, socializing per week) = 19.11 hrs. remain
8-R: 14 – 8.89 (same) = 5.11 hrs. remain

6-R: 19.11 – 5.83 (avg. hrs per week of religion/church) = 13.28 hrs. remain
8-R: 5.11 – 5.83 (same) = -0.72 hrs. remain (We have lost the 8-hour per night sleepers)

OK, so I left out: time on the Internet, shopping, longer commutes, working overtime, time needed to care for a loved one, time needed to care for kids, and average time playing video games. All of them have an effect. It is also true that some people average less than six hours of sleep per night. Yet, the main issue is that there is still time left during the week to accomplish things that we say we cannot accomplish due to lack of time regardless if we average 6 to 8 hours sleep per night. If we make these things on our agenda a priority, we can perhaps get them done in a timely manner.

For this case, I am of course applying it to working out. I do often hear people say that they are too busy to take care of their bodies physically, mentally, and spiritually. If this is not a problem for you, you may realize that you can adjust your schedule to bring other activities to the forefront.

However, by knocking out some of the superfluous activities (i.e., 14 hrs/wk of TV watching; 13 hrs/wk on the Internet, most of it is not as productive as possible) agendas and goals can be completed. For the quintessential 8-hour sleeper, time is lost if the above schedule is followed. If you find yourself, going overtime with time, then adjustments need to be made in your schedule.

I know there is more to this information.

Tale of Two Cities

Two years ago, this list comprised of your top 10 fittest cities, according to Men’s Health and Fitness:

1-5	6-10
Colorado	VA Beach
Minneapolis	Seattle
Albuquerque	Honolulu
Denver	San Francisco
Portland	Milwaukee

With the Southeast and the Southwest as the least fit areas.

According to Travel & Leisure in 2009, it was reported that the top 10 included:

1-5	6-10
Denver	Minneapolis/St. Paul
Portland	Miami
Austin	San Francisco
San Diego	Honolulu
Seattle	Los Angeles

Foreshadowing: Boston #14, DC #21

Welcome in 2010, Forbes Magazine and the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), the more reputable source on this topic, weigh their rankings. Now, where are the top two cities on this list located? Washington, DC and Boston, MA.

You may say to yourself, “DC is #1? But, the heat hit me in the face this morning!” Or, “Boston is #2? But, it’s bitterly cold!” I don’t blame you for saying these things. I mean, why isn't Honolulu, Miami, LA, or any other warm climate cities at the top of the list? Well, I guess they’re lolly-gagging in the sun.

As a matter of fact, I do not know the correlation between fittest cities and climate. I mean, Minneapolis is high on the list of the fittest. The results show that to be the fittest goes beyond climate control and location. DC and Boston happen to be two of the most diligent working cities in the 50 states with plenty of outdoor activities.

I’m just a little surprised by DC’s #1 ranking in this category (but scenery and parks have the potential to play a factor). I’m not too surprised with Boston’s rank considering all of the students and the city is health-crazed. But hey, these two cities deserve the top rankings.

Any which, who does these polls? How do you rank a fittest city? If you ask me, have you seen the size and athletic prowess of the rats in DC and Boston? That’s enough to make anyone move fast!

Travel happy!