Andrew Furia, owner of two World Gym locations in Victorville, is a firm believer — no pun intended — in the partnership of proper exercise and a sensible, healthy diet to maintain a healthy weight.
“It’s a good marriage,” he said.
“When the Daily Press asked us to be a sponsor of the High Desert Slimdown Challenge and provide a workout facility for the participants, we were excited,” he said. “Probably 80 percent of our members are people like the Slimdown participants. They aren’t into bodybuilding. They just want to lose weight.”
Andrew has had a lifelong interest in fitness and weight control and has seen firsthand the benefits of using a personal trainer.
“Personal trainers are an integral part of any weight loss program,” he said. “Without proper instruction or guidance from an expert on use of weights and machines, people are almost certain to fail.”
The personal touch works. “You can buy a fitness book — and I don’t think there has been a bad fitness book written — but most people need help learning how to exercise to change their metabolism so their bodies burn more calories more efficiently,” he said.
Why use free weights and machines? “They are designed to help tear down muscle fibers,” Andrew said. “You eat protein which rebuilds the fibers. Then you have stronger muscles.”
Stronger muscles mean you are more fit, you have more energy, and your metabolism works more efficiently — a triple whammy.
A personal trainer can also help you improve your workout technique and show you different exercises to target the areas you want to work on.
Recently Andrew helped a member who was having problems building his biceps — the large muscle on the front of the upper arm.
“I watched him work out, and he was doing exercises targeting the triceps muscle at the back of the upper arm,” Andrew said. “It took me 45 seconds to show him the exercises he should be doing.”
Personal trainers can also help plan an exercise strategy. If you’ve been working on your legs for several days, switching to a series of workouts targeting your core or upper body will give the leg muscles a chance to recover.
“Everyone is different,” Andrew said. “Each workout plan is personalized for the individual.”
Knowledge is power — a truism that also applies to exercise. “I see the same members — people who know how to use the equipment — on a regular basis,” Andrew said. “Those who aren’t sure what they are doing get intimidated and lose interest.”
The “regulars” he refers to are mostly moms and dads who want more energy and want to live longer, healthier lives.
Exercise must be combined with a sensible diet — protein, fat, and something from each of the four food groups. World Gym has different supplements and protein shakes to help you.
Looking slim and trim all boils down to eating right, eating sensibly, and educating yourself on the benefits of the right kinds of exercise. Andrew believes 45 minutes to an hour three times a week is enough exercise to take care of one’s body. “People who say they don’t have time to exercise just aren’t making the time to exercise,” he said.
World Gym is 18,000 square feet of exercise equipment and room to work out. It is open from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. with childcare hours recently extended to help moms picking their children up from school. New childcare hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tanning facilities, a pro shop, and personal trainers on staff are also available. You can receive up to three free personal training sessions of 45 minutes each to help you decide to join, and there is also a women’s only area inside the gym, with equipment especially designed for women.
The parent company of World Gym, Planet Fitness, calls each of their facilities a No-Judgment Zone. With that philosophy, people who become members will win and lose — and lose. They’ll win by joining World Gym — and lose both weight and inches.
“We will continue to support the Slimdown Challenge,” Andrew said, “and we are here to help everyone.”
World Gym is located in Victorville at 13785 Park Avenue, (760) 243-4020, and at 12284 Industrial Blvd., (760) 951-4959.

After dieting and exercising diligently for months, you’ve finally lost those last three pounds that somehow seemed the hardest to shed, bringing your total number of pounds lost to 25! You are so excited, as you are now at your ideal weight and love your new figure. You feel more confident and energized. “What an accomplishment,” you say to yourself. “My hard work and efforts have finally paid off.” The hardest part is over, you think. But don’t kid yourself, since the hardest part, keeping those 25 pounds from creeping back on, is yet to come.

1. Eat well-balanced meals. Eat a variety of foods everyday from each of the five food groups: milk, meat, fruit, vegetable, and bread. And allow for an occasional treat.

2. Limit fat and sugar. Cut down on foods high in fat and sugar, or substitute with reduced-calorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages. The fat in your diet should be limited to 30 percent or less of total calories each day. And calories still count!

3. Evaluate your eating patterns. Sometimes six small meals a day can help you control your hunger. If you prefer to stay with eating three main meals, always plan for some low-calorie, between-meal snacks to help you avoid overeating at your next main meal.
4. Exercise. Determine what type of physical activity best suits your lifestyle. You should work your way up to regular aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging or swimming, since it is a key factor in achieving permanent weight loss and improving health. For maximum benefits, most health experts recommend exercising 30 minutes or more on most, and preferably all, days of the week.

5. Learn weight-maintenance behavior and continue to modify it by: accepting the fact that you will still be tempted by fattening foods; realizing you can eat tempting foods in moderation so you won’t feel deprived; increasing low-calorie and low-fat choices; trying new forms of exercise. (By making exercise fun, you will likely stick to it.)

6. Know your eating habits. Do you overindulge when eating your favorite foods? Do you eat when you’re depressed or worried? Do you use food as a reward? Keeping track of your eating habits in a food diary may help you cut down on how much you eat. Don’t let a temporary setback get you down. Go right back to your winning ways!

As obesity rates continue to rise nationwide, fad diets offering a quick fix are becoming more and more prevalent. While some people might swear by such diets, the goal of dieting is sustainable long-term health, something many fad diets simply can’t offer.
In lieu of seeking avenues for rapid weight loss, people looking to make a change during this dieting season, should heed the advice of professionals who suggest making subtle changes to daily routines as a means of weight management. By making the right changes an ongoing part of their lifestyles, dieters are more likely to keep the weight off permanently. Such an accomplishment can greatly reduce a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Laura Molseed, a registered dietitian at Del Monte Foods, offers these tips for healthy, sustainable weight loss.
Live a more ‘fruit’ful life. As more Americans are recognizing the country’s growing obesity problem, healthier foods continue to move to the forefront of diets. Foods low in calories, Trans fat and sugar, such as fruits and vegetables, can help many Americans lower their weight, manage their blood sugar levels and maintain a healthy heart.
“Fruits and vegetables are naturally low-calorie foods that are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber,” said Molseed. “Taking simple steps toward a healthy lifestyle each day will yield significant results in your overall health. For starters, just add one more serving of fruit, vegetables or tomatoes daily, and one more serving weekly of tuna, to your diet.”
Leading consumer goods companies are responding to consumers’ demand for healthy, convenient items that they can keep in their pantry with innovative new products. In particular, Molseed recommends new Del Monte® No Sugar Added products, which contain 50 to 70 percent fewer calories and less sugar than regular Del Monte fruit products without sacrificing taste. Del Monte No Sugar Added products are made with SPLENDA®, a no-calorie sweetener made from sugar that still offers the flavor of regular sugar but without the unnecessary calories.
Snack, but snack wisely. Part of the reason many fad diets fail to result in long-term health is because they set unrealistic guidelines by which to follow. For instance, as good as a shake might taste a couple of times per day; sooner or later dieters are going to want real, tangible food.
Instead of starving themselves between meals, dieters are encouraged to make smart choices when it comes to snacking. In fact, small, healthy snacks can help to motivate your metabolism and boost energy. There is a variety of on-the go snacks available to calorie-conscious consumers, including the above-mentioned No Sugar Added fruit cups from Del Monte, as well as low-fat pretzels and high-protein nuts.
Make your food work for you. Dieters tend to look at food as the enemy, but that’s not necessarily the case. While large portions of anything is never a good idea, moderate portions of healthy foods can actually help dieters reach their goals of achieving optimal health. Single-serving products like fruit cups, yogurt, pouch tuna and even cookies are a great way to ensure that you’re getting the proper number of servings of the foods you need, while regulating your portions.
Make exercise as much a part of your routine as diet. No successful weight loss regimen is complete without incorporating exercise into the daily routine. Simply eating healthier and smaller portions is not enough to achieve optimal health. In addition to eating fewer calories through such foods as fruits and vegetables, dieters need to exercise to help burn off excess calories, which can linger in spite of your best efforts to alter your diet.
Though the season for dieting is upon us all, it’s important for dieters to keep in mind that a commitment to weight loss is also a commitment to keeping the weight off. With the right approach, even the most subtle changes can end up making all the difference.

The public knows that exercise is good for them. But despite service announcements and words of wisdom from doctors, at least 60 percent of adults in this country are not physically active. Many people argue that they just don't have time for it with jobs, family, chores and other time commitments often taking precedence over fitness routines.
Contrary to popular belief, even busy individuals can make time for exercise if they think creatively. By integrating tasks and changing habits, one just may find he is challenging his body with enough daily exercise. Exercise can offer the following: extended longevity, improved mood and protection against the development of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, obesity, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, colon cancer, and depression. Regular physical activity improves the overall quality of life.
1. Take the stairs: Modern conveniences like elevators and escalators are handy, but you don't exert any energy by using these devices. Make a habit of using the stairs at malls, office buildings, apartment buildings, and even take a few extra trips up and down your home staircase. Just by doing this you can get your heart pumping and work muscles in your calves and thighs.
2. Find excuses to walk: In an effort to save time, people often park as close to store entrances as possible, or drive around neighborhoods looking for the closest spot when visiting friends or family. Break this habit and park further away. By doing so you'll be adding exercise to your routine and it really won't take up much of your time. You can also walk the track at an area high school or join a walking club. Seniors who enjoy walking in a climate-controlled environment may find a few laps around the mall (all the while window shopping) is an enjoyable way to exert energy and pass the time.
3. Pump iron during commercials: Resistance and strength training is an important component of fitness and doesn't require a lot of fancy equipment. Simply store a set of dumbbells or resistance elastics by the sofa. During the commercials of your favorite show, do a few repetitions of exercises that will work the major muscles of the body (you can find charts of exercises online or consult with a fitness professional). During one hour-long program you could put in 20 minutes of strength training.
4. Make mundane activities fitness-friendly: Just tackling chores around the house can add up to a workout. Vigorous housecleaning, including mopping and vacuuming can burn between 180 and 130 calories per 30 minutes depending upon weight and gender. Similarly, gardening, playing with the kids or joining a sports team can be fun ways to burn calories - and won't seem like exercise at all.

As a person who has struggled with weight my whole life, I can relate to what the Slimdown Challenge participants are going through. I have always bounced back and forth off the weight scale from a hefty 175 pounds to a fit 130 pounds for as far back as I can remember. For a shorty like me standing at 5’2’’ tall, this is not a good thing, especially with a weak lower back and slow metabolism. The biggest challenge for me seems to be maintaining motivation to commit and also giving up my addiction to any type of food that contains the word “creamy” or “chocolate” in its name.
So when I began writing weekly articles about the Slim Down Challenge, not only did I learn more about nutrition, exercise and what people go through to maintain both, but I also began to see the changes in the contestants bodies and personalities, as the pounds slowly sloughed off.
I realized the determination is takes to come down from an uncomfortable weight that makes you feel self-conscious in public, so a controllable weight that makes you feel in charge of your life. I’ve seen not just the contestants’ victories in losing weight, but also the obstacles they’ve had to face, such as meeting discouraging opinions from family or even hateful comments from people who are less tolerant for others.
The contest has lost a couple of teams for reasons such as these, but those who stay are overcoming the odds. They’re showing others that no matter how old you are, what health issues you have or even how many hours of work you put in a day, you can find a way to make adjustments to your life and lose weight, regardless of what anyone else says.
These contestants are a symbol for what the rest of us experience each day. Now, they drive by fast food restaurants without stopping, go on vacations and ignore the buffets, and they’ve been exercising for at least three to four hours every day. These individuals are an inspiration to me.
I watched them at this week’s meeting in awe as they put in all their effort to sweat it out through Gary Gant’s strenuous boot camp. They have shown me there is no reason why I can’t lose weight as well. I participated with them in the exercises and as the fatigue slowly took over my body, seeing my teammates on either side of me kept me going, because I saw they were sweating and giving it everything they had too.
Their heart and tenacity in reaching their goals is not only commendable, but courageous. They’ve made a commitment and chosen to work through this commitment in the public eye. All of us who have needed someone to show us “it can be done” are depending on them to keep going. This is a lot of pressure, but it doesn’t seem to faze these contestants. They’re doing it for themselves and their families and they’re focused on obtaining a higher quality of life.
They work hard not just because there is a new car from Sunland Ford waiting for the winner of the competition, but because they decided to make a change about their weight and about their lifestyles. In doing so, they’ve shown people like me that we can do the same.

Daily Press co-sponsored last week's inaugural Riverwalk and Tri-City Bike Tour. The event drew 558 registered participants, among them High Desert Slimdown challengers John and LeAnn Spence. Teamed up with their neighbor Gladys Schnell and Slimdown Registered Dietitian Melanie Ajanwachuku, they took on the challenging and sandy 5k walk. As they crossed the finish line, all participants received a medal for completion. Check out the photos in the photo library.

This is the third article in a series on lower extremity running injuries and treatment. Previous segments have focused on causes and prevention. In this article we will cover two of the more common specific diagnoses.

Pain at tendon or ligament
Most injuries are caused by repetitive stress to tendon or ligamentous structures and have been traditionally been thought of as inflammatory. During the early phase of these injuries an inflammatory response may set in that could properly be called tendonitis or fascitis. Chronic pain at tendon or ligament insertions actually doesn’t demonstrate inflammation on microscopic exam and is more properly called tendinopathy or tendinosis. These nagging injuries require much time and eventually graduated strengthening to heal properly.

Treatment
• Anti-inflammatory medications may help the pain but really have no effect on correction of the underlying problem.
• Cutting back running intensity, duration, and or volume.
• Ice the area of discomfort several times a day and perform gentle stretching.
• Identify the change that preceded the problem. Identify the source, then alter the plan; go back to the old brand of shoes, change direction every few laps when running distance on the track, or vary the running surface.
• Use a swimming pool for running workouts or engage in cross training on a stationary bike while allowing the body time to heal.
• Early intervention, is always more effective and will ultimately help you achieve your goals.

Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome
The patient will typically have problems squatting, climbing or descending stairs and hills, and may get pain and stiffness after periods of rest with knee flexion such as during driving or sitting in a movie theater. Pain in the knee often presents after an unrelated injury that induces additional muscle imbalance or loss of flexibility. The lower extremity is a kinetic chain, “the hip bone is connected to the knee bone is connected to the leg bone, etc.” Problems with hip rotation, tightness around the knee or excessive pronation in the foot can contribute.

Treatment
• A foot orthotic or a shoe designed with more stability will sometimes help knee pain in the overpronator.
• Athletes who overpronate usually have low arches, “flat feet”. Make sure you have balanced flexibility in the trunk down to the ankle.
• Strengthening of the back, hip, and hamstring musculature will often help to correct anterior knee problems.
• Avoid excessive hill running or jumping sports until symptoms improve. Stay off the leg extension machine in the weight room.
More specific diagnoses will be covered in the next article.
Riverwalk Start Time
Tri-City Bike Tour

Registration and Check-In – 5:00 am
Start Time – 6:00am at Jess Ranch Community Church

½ Marathon and 5K

Registration and Check-In 6:00am
½ Marathon and Relay Start Time – 7:00am
5K Start Time – 7:00am

Kid’s Fun Run

Check-In 6:00-7:45am
Start Time – 8:00am

All participants will receive a Riverwalk T-shirt and finishing medial.

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE

HBT Events

In the first article of this series some basic exercise principles were introduced. You now have a better understanding of the basic mechanisms that lead to running injuries.

One of the most common overtraining errors is experienced by all of us at one time or another. Muscle soreness we experience 1 or 2 days after an exercise session represents an early warning sign. It has been extensively studied and carries the pnemonic, DOMS, for delayed onset muscle soreness. It’s okay to train through this problem if the symptoms are minor and don’t progress but, if the pain is disabling and you can barely get out of bed, then take another day or two of rest with some light stretching. Tone down the intensity and rebuild more slowly during the next set of training episodes.

In short, follow a reasonable training schedule that allows for easy days interspersed with harder days. Pay attention to the aches and pains and don’t ignore them if they persist. It is better to take a rest day or very easy day than it is too push too hard and overtrain.

Major risk factors for running injuries:

1) Weekly running mileage is the most easily identified and most critical risk factor. Be patient, build a base that is appropriate to your situation. Set your goals reasonably and enjoy the process. Injury rate goes up exponentially when running more than 40 miles per week. Serious runners may exceed this mileage but training needs to be more carefully monitored. Increasing the mileage is only one part of the running fitness equation and there are many other ways of performance enhancement such as improving running efficiency or manipulating workout regimens.

2) Recent injury – returning too soon or at too high a training intensity after injury

3) 3 years or less of current running experience. It takes time for your body to adapt. In general, the soft tissue takes longer to develop than the cardiovascular capacity. Athletes at all levels are capable of pushing themselves to soft tissue injury.

4) Recent change in training regimen which can mean higher frequency of workouts, increased intensity such as speed or hill work or duration as outlined in number one above.

5) Environmental changes – a new shoe, running surface, weather

6) Change in technique

7) Lack of flexibility

8) Muscle imbalance or poor strength

Prevention

By now, the main guiding principles for injury prevention should be clear:

1) Adequate rest and recovery including sleep

2) Sound nutrition – remember you are stressing the body with exercise. You are placing an increased demand on the human physiology which requires adequate fuel and cofactors to help in the repair process. Your diet should consist of a balance of lean protein, fresh fruits/vegetables, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Most of us overdo the simple carbohydrates and are lacking in the vegetable department. Vegetables contain critical metabolic cofactors, anti-oxidants, and phytonutrients important for exercise performance and recovery. During the first hour or two after exercise there is a physiologic window of opportunity. Consume a nutrient drink that includes a balance of carbohydrates and protein. It is often difficult to consume a whole food meal immediately after a hard workout and a properly balanced recovery drink can greatly enhance recovery and ultimately, improvement. Unfortunately, the fitness industry has been inundated with a vast array of choices most of which have not been adequately researched. Your body needs both protein for structural repair and carbohydrate to replenish spent glycogen.

3) Adequate hydration before, during, and after exercise. (Your urine should be light colored and free of particulate matter, i.e. clear not cloudy)

4) Shoes in good condition and designed for running. Most shoes have lost their functional structure by 300 miles.

5) Maintain or train adequate active flexibility. Active flexibility is the range of motion you can achieve with your muscles only, without aids such as a partner, an object, or manual pressure using your other body parts.

6) Adequate dynamic warm-up and cool down. Pre-exercise warm-up should consist of movement prep type dynamic exercise that both warms the muscles and preps active flexibility. Warm-up should not end more than 5 minutes before engaging in the training or race event. Traditional static stretching should be reserved for after exercise or in a separate session.

This concludes the second installment of this series. In the final article, I will discuss some of the most common running injuries and their treatment. You should already know how to avoid these injuries by following the guidelines discussed above.

The Riverwalk takes place Saturday, July 14th. For more information, please visit www.hbtevents.com

Daily Press presents The Riverwalk & 1/2 Marathon to take place Saturday, July 14. The article below is part of a training guide for people wanting to prepare for the 1/2 marathon. The Slimdown contestants and the public is invited to walk a 5k at the event. We hope that you will join us. For more information, please visit www.hbtevents.com

This is the first in a series of articles intended to help the novice or average fitness runner learn more about the most common causes of running injuries and their treatment. Running is a sport that places significant stresses on the human body. Each stride incurs ground reaction forces that are several times body weight. Many runners will suffer an injury that impacts practice or performance schedules, but, most of these injuries can be easily resolved with proper treatment and can be prevented with just a little knowledge and discipline.
Fitness is a broad term which in running athletes is usually measured as a timed distance. Running fitness is achieved through training, nutrition, skill development, and proper mental attitude. A more general definition of fitness would include mental and physical health and a functional capacity which results in an enjoyable quality of life. Most of us run because it makes us feel better and we enjoy a challenge.
Visualize for a moment a “dome” that encompasses the range of physical abilities that you possess at any point in time. Today, you can run a seven minute mile or bench press 250 pounds. These activities fall within your personal “dome.” You fall 15 feet and break a leg, you have suffered a supra-maximal stress, a force was applied to your bone that exceeded the physiologic limits of your “dome”. As a result of this injury, your “dome” immediately shrinks. You can’t run anymore, in fact, you can barely walk with crutches until the injury heals. During a training session, say a hard run or a one hour weight lifting session, our body endures a stress which causes some disruption of normal tissue structure. At the end of that workout, our capacity or “dome” temporarily shrinks from the fatigue of the exercise session but the loss is short lived. With proper rest, adaptation will occur and the body will get stronger or gain speed/ endurance. It is not the exercise that makes us stronger, it is the body’s adaptation or healing response that results in a period of supercompensation. With regular bouts of exercise interspersed with adequate rest or healing time, we will continue to improve and our physiologic capacity increases, the so-called “dome” enlarges and we can run faster or lift more weight. However, if we try to repeat an excessive level of exercise without an adequate period of recovery further small breakdowns will occur. These repetitive events pile up before the body has a chance to adapt, the tissue fails and an injury occurs. Conversely, if the exercise stress is too low then no adaptation occurs and we don’t improve our capacity. In other words, there is an optimal stress for achieving fitness improvement.
Injury that occurs as a result of inadequate rest and recovery is called overtraining. It can manifest as a painful nagging tendonitis or even major system dysfunction that affects mood and energy levels in day to day living. Too often, an athlete becomes impatient to gain faster improvement and rapidly increases workout mileage or intensity and then stubbornly ignores the warning signs until a major debilitating condition arises or he suffers a catastrophic failure such as a complete muscle or ligament tear and subsequently loses weeks or months of hard work. In elite runners, who often have tremendous pain tolerance and drive, these injuries can end Olympic dreams or setback gains for years.
The next article will cover some of the specific risk factors and causes of running injuries.

-David Surdyka, M.D.

Do you want to make your exercise program Fun?
Here is something that you can do by yourself or with a large group of people. Get a deck of cards (and take out the two's, three's and four's). If working out alone chip through the deck of cards on your own if working out with other people then make it a group effort.
Here is how to play.
Each of the 4 suits represents a different exercise.
For example,
• Diamonds = push-ups,
• Spades = squats
• Clubs = crunches
• Hearts = jumping jacks.
Whatever suit you draw is the exercise you do, and the
number on the card equals the number of reps that you do
(Face Cards = 10 reps and Aces = 11 reps).
If in a large group then each person draws a different card, does their exercise and then goes to the next card. Try to complete the deck as quickly as you can.
Play for 20-30 minutes and you will get a great cardio and muscular strength workout all in one. Time efficient and Fun what more could you ask for?
Written by Gary Gant,MS,ATC,CSCS.
Gary runs an adult fitness camp 3 days a week to discover more check out www.desertfitnesscamp.com Call today and ask about the special for Daily Press readers only! Call 760-885-9675 or e-mail gary@desertfitnesscamp.com to learn more. (Special Thanks to Scott Colby of www.womensfitnesscamp.com for his help in writing this article.)