There are certain
periods of the year in which the users of a gym show a special concern for
their physical appearance, usually the weeks before the summer holidays and the
subsequent ones. The reasons are well known by all fitness professionals, on
the one hand the need to wear a beautiful figure when the warmth of the summer
season invites to take off clothes and dress more lightly and adjusted to the
body and on the other the disappointing feeling of having failed in the
attempt, one more summer and a few kilos that are added to those already left
over. This concern is especially acute in the case of women, always and still
subjected to the dictates of fashion and the critical views of a society that
has elevated aesthetics to the rank of worship. Later we will enter into the
problem that this pressure generates in women and its implications in the field
of health. A high percentage of the consultations we receive from fitness
instructors come from the female field and always focus on reducing body fat
levels and eliminating those localized deposits that resist being eliminated.
The endless sessions of aerobics, reducing creams, girdles or shaping exercises
did not help. Thus, for a few weeks the woman surrenders in a compulsive way,
to a frenetic physical activity with the hope of achieving those objectives
that are so clear, as repeatedly exposed at the beginning of each training
session.
Unfortunately, in spite
of good intentions, the enthusiasm is diluted a few days later, drowned in a
sea of sweat, entering again into a dynamic of conformism and impotence. This
reality would not go from being anecdotal if it were not because all the
excesses that come to commit in pursuit of a slender and attractive silhouette,
carry consequences that in the best of cases result in hypoglycemia, falls of
tension or general weakness and in the worst, they can cause serious disorders
that deserve to be analyzed in detail. In this regard, I must say that one of
the tasks that the professional of physical activity and health must develop,
whatever their field of work, is to inform their students about the risks of
certain practices. To mention a few, we could talk about the
"lightning" diets that appear in some nutrition magazines, under such
striking titles as: "lose three kilos in a week with the papaya
diet". We could also talk about the famous pills that take away hunger or
those that increase diuretics or laxatives. The professionals already know the
nefarious effects of such procedures and in spite of the recommendations that
we make to the aspirants to "Miss malnutrition" or "Miss
fainting", they continue to be carried out irresponsibly, either due to
lack of information or unconsciousness. I have always believed that giving information
to students is never a waste of time for the professional, it is an obligation
inherent in the development of our profession and we should not hide behind the
poor or no use that the student makes of that information, to save us the
effort. The objective of this article, aimed especially at the woman who
trains, is to offer that information that I believe must be possessed by any
person who wishes to develop a healthy physical activity.
THE FEMALE CONDITION
During puberty, both in
men and women, a series of changes occur at the physical levels that are
motivated by the hormonal production that determines secondary sexual
characteristics. In the case of women, there is a marked increase in fatty
deposits, mainly in the breasts, hips, buttocks and thighs.
We must say that while
women, in general, have a lower muscle development and consequently a lower
ability to develop strength, speed or power, the same degree of muscle
development between a man and a woman, the values of these capabilities are
same. Nothing prevents a woman from proportionally developing her muscles,
according to her individual capacity as a man would. Good proof of this are the
countless athletes of many specialties who achieve marked muscle development,
deserving special mention athletes fitness or bodybuilding that get a degree of
hypertrophy that many men would like. I will not go into judging whether these
developments are aesthetically pleasing or not, even if I have my opinion, but
I believe that each woman must define her own femininity. Of course, in order
to reach that competitive level, the organism and the musculoskeletal system
must undergo intense, regular and often dangerous training that in no way
envisages health as a priority. In this regard I must say that I have had the
opportunity to observe that many sporadic practitioners of sports activities
try to imitate the procedures that athletes follow to improve their physical
form. This, from my point of view, constitutes a serious error, since athletes
train to improve their performance in view of the competition, without
prioritizing their health and many of the exercises they perform are harmful
and over time they charge their tribute in form of chronic injuries. We must
never forget that the number one goal of physical activity is to improve health
and quality of life, ensuring a lifelong practice. To give an example in the
field of bodybuilding, the Free Sentadilla with bar may be an excellent
exercise to hypertrophy the quadriceps and the thigh in general, but it would
never occur to me to prescribe that exercise to a person, male or female, who
what is intended is to develop a safe practice and absent unnecessary risks.
TRAINING OBJECTIVES
As I have already
mentioned, the main concern of women when going to a gym is to lose fat from
those areas in which it accumulates excessively (buttocks, hips, thighs and /
or lower abdomen), although sometimes, the problem It is of generalized
obesity. That is why many "sharp" monitors design specific programs to
reduce that fat locally, thus reinforcing the belief that this is possible. And
they do it because in that way they content the woman who hears what she wants
to hear and believe that telling the truth will discourage her and they will
lose a client. But sooner or later the woman will end up discovering the truth
and she will feel doubly disappointed, both in the activity, and in the monitor
that deceived her and fed false hopes. I sincerely believe that after having
listened to the objectives that the student poses, it is better to inform him
of what he can really expect from bodybuilding and training in general and to
establish priorities. Once it has been clarified that the organism does not
have the capacity to reduce localized fat levels and that losing fat depends
fundamentally on the type of feeding that is followed (leaving aside genetics),
we must emphasize that the objectives of physical activity should be focused on
the improvement of physical condition: increase oxygen consumption capacity,
decrease resting heart rate, increase energy levels, improve joint mobility,
correct bad postures, improve strength levels, etc. If we add to this the
desire to correct bad dietary habits and banish harmful behaviors such as late
nights, consume addictive substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
and also try to find emotional balance, we will have achieved some real goals
important for the development of a full and satisfactory life. And where is the
aesthetics in all this approach?. Well and although it is disappointing for
many women, in the second term. But unfortunately, aesthetics remains and more
if possible in our society, a priority and this becomes clear when after having
argued to the lady with cartridge belts all the above, says: yes, all that is
fine, but How do I remove the cartridge belts?.
THE RISKS OF A BAD PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
I am convinced that
most users of a gym do not have the right information to be able to decide
which activities are the most appropriate to be able to get the most out of their
efforts. Even today, the policy of gyms tending not to enhance the figure of
the room monitor in favor of the figure of the personal trainer, prevents many
users from accessing information that I believe essential to possess. Some
fitness rooms give all the impression of being like zombie movies where people
move around tiredly, without purpose and without knowing where they are going.
I have always believed that a gym is a health center where people go to educate
themselves in training and a meeting place for all those who share the ideal of
improving their health and why not? His physical appearance. But in the light
of new trends, gyms have become business centers, wastewater treatment plants,
party halls and a breeding ground for injuries. Do you think I exaggerate?
Well, you just have to look around and chat with people. For the reasons I
explained earlier regarding the athletic model of training that many people
follow and others that we can point to: unhealthy diets, miraculous
supplements, efforts that exceed the capacity of the organism to adapt,
excessive frequency of training, repetitive practice of some sports ( tennis,
golf, squash, jogging, etc.), the rate of injuries is increasing and health,
far from improving, worsens. Let's look at some of the most serious problems
that women who practice sports in an inadequate way can suffer:
·
Menstrual dysfunctions. Some athletes
who reach puberty with extremely low levels of body fat, suffer the absence of
menarche or onset of menstruation, which must occur generally over 13 years and
that is delayed, in the case of these athletes up to 16 years or more Likewise,
a woman who, due to the demands of her sport, follows a hypocaloric diet that
reduces her body fat deposits below a healthy level, will experience the
disappearance of the rule or secondary amenorrhea. Other factors that influence
the appearance of amenorrhea are: high stress, hormonal alterations, excessive
training or eating disorders.
·
Eating disorders: This is a topical
issue due to the increase in cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia among
adolescents, with girls being the most affected. The most important symptoms of
anorexia are: rejection towards one's own body, obsession with weight and
marked fear of gaining weight, distortion of perception of the corporal outline
and absence of menstrual cycles. If we want to act in time, we must be alert to
certain daily behaviors that reveal the individual suffering from this disease,
such as: weight loss accused, wearing very loose clothing, compulsive and
obsessive physical exercise, unwarranted mood swings , avoid group meals or
family and irregularities in behavior. Bulimia nervosa, on the other hand,
predisposes to eat in an exaggerated, hasty way and with little time difference
between intakes. The patient causes vomiting to avoid fattening and develops a
frantic physical activity in an effort to burn calories that may have been
"saved". He usually fasts and consumes laxative products to
compensate for binge eating and lives in a permanent fear of not being able to
stop eating. The signs that betray the patient of bulimia are: continuous
changes in body weight (ups and downs), obsession with body weight, visits to
the bathroom after meals, alternating between very strict diets and binge,
compulsive exercise and being very critical towards the body itself.
· Osteoporosis: It
is a reduction in bone mass due to hypoplasia of the bone matrix with
deficiency of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Although it can affect both sexes,
it is especially common in women and manifests after the onset of menopause,
also observed in cases of estrogen or androgen deficiency, hypovitaminosis C or
hyperthyroidism. It is located preferably in the vertebral column and in the
pelvis and is the cause of spontaneous fractures that, when reached at a
certain age, can lead to very serious complications. To prevent it, it is
strongly recommended the regular practice of physical exercise, consume foods
rich in calcium and carry out hormone replacement therapy. Unfortunately, the
type of diet that is followed in many sports is absent from dairy products and
this leads to a deficit in calcium intake.
In light of the above,
I cannot help but end by appealing to common sense and encourage physical
activity professionals not to give up their efforts to inform their students of
the benefits of responsible practice and to warn of the risks inherent to a bad
practice. And, of course, advise women who decide to perform physical exercise
that they do not lose sight of the truly important objectives when it comes to
obtaining lasting benefits and improving their health.
