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RadioMD Presents: To Your Good Health Radio | Original Air Date: January 22, 2015
Host: David Friedman, DC
Guest: Jay Cardiello

Chews-4-Health presents To Your Good Health Radio. Here are Melanie Cole, MS, and Dr. David Friedman.

MELANIE: With us today is globally recognized fitness and nutrition expert and author of the book, Cardio Core 4 X 4 Fitness. He's the editor at large at Shape magazine, contributing editor for Men's Fitness, celebrity fitness editor for Star and OK! magazines, here to show us how to incorporate fitness into your life.

Welcome back, Jay Cardiello.

Here's Dr. David Friedman.

FRIEDMAN: Jay, welcome back. Great information on that last segment. Let me ask you, you know, people use a four-letter word a lot when they try to avoid working out and that word is "time". T-I-M-E. There's just not enough of it to fit in a workout. For those that are too time crunched to do crunches, how long do people really need to work out to be effective?

CARDIELLO: Sure. Well, the CDC recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate to intense exercise.

FRIEDMAN: Per week?

CARDIELLO: Per week. What happens is that they say, "Well, I don't have the time." A lot of parents, say "I have children. I have this. I have so much going on. I have PTA meetings." You can incorporate exercise throughout your day. One of the easiest exercises that you could actually do is stand on one leg while you're brushing your teeth. Now, if you don't brush your teeth, I can't help you. The point here is that you're increasing your balance. You're increasing symmetry. If you think about it, two big things we lose as we age, is symmetry and balance. So, if you're standing there brushing your teeth, wash your mouth out. Then, switch to the opposing leg, you're increasing core strength and actually, you're strengthening your body. So, those are things you could start doing and if you want to advance that move, what you can do is step away from the sink and while you're on the phone, stand on one leg while you're on a pillow or sofa cushion. What we call that is proprioception training and that's really going to call the muscles in the body to fire. It's more efficient and just like if you're walking, you're always on one leg, but what we do is, when we train sometimes is we train bilaterally. So, things like sofa cushions, standing on one leg while you're brushing your teeth are ways you can incorporate exercise throughout your day.

FRIEDMAN: Interesting. People wouldn't think of that as being exercise. What about, I heard, sitting on an exercise ball while you're sitting at the computer helps your core as well.

CARDIELLO: It does. It does. There are so many studies right now connected to sedentary behavior and poor health. Now, the thing with the stability ball, it is great. Just putting yourself and the body being able to move laterally. There are chairs out there, like Swapper has a great chair. It's an ergonomically designed chair where you can go not only side to side, what we call laterally. It's forward and what it does is allow a more compact positioning meaning it's going to keep your posture straight up without having them stretch out like the stability ball. It's ergonomically designed meaning it's going up and down. It can move with your body, keeping your spine in line.

So, stability balls are a good choice, but a more effective choice would be something like the Swapper or this is what I always tell people. Take half of your calls in the day standing up or on one leg and then the rest of the calls throughout the day in a seated position. But, I always say, every 90 minutes you should get up, move around and then sit back down. It will cause your brain to refocus and you're not overloading your mind.

FRIEDMAN: Interesting. Great. I know that you have a 20-minute, no gym, cardio core workout. Is that 20 minutes per day? Is that all that's needed to get the full amount of minutes you need every week?

CARDIELLO: It is anywhere from 20 minutes per day or, again, it is 20 minutes four times a week. The thing is that, I do not do repetitions, so you move at your own pace. So, whether you're first time getting off the couch or you're an elite athlete, we work in 30 second increments and we do body weight protocols because I always say, "The best gym you have is your body. The membership only expires when you stop." But, we train in a 4 x 4 space, which is great because you're not turning your house into a gym. Then, also, too, you're doing movement exercises that go at all 3 phases or angles of the body, especially the shoulder and hip that rotate 360 degrees, it works at every angle. Because if you think about it, the reaching up, I see so many accidents when people travel, they reach up for that luggage and they balance themselves on one leg and they fall back and they bop you in the head. Exercise and the protocols I implement in this program, you're standing on one leg, you're reaching up, you're coming down, you're touching your toe. So, things that you're doing functionally every day.

FRIEDMAN: You bring up a good point. I see people that just reach up and put their luggage in an overhead compartment at an airport and come in with debilitating neck pain. It wasn't heavy, it's just, like you said, that movement you're not used to being that high with anything because they're restricted in their small, little box that they're used to being when they're typing on the computer. Their hands don't go above their head.

CARDIELLO: Exactly. And, if you think about it, we're spending, it used to be a 9 to 5, now we're going 8 to 6, 8 to 8. So, being in that sedentary position decreases circulation. Nutrients aren't flowing. The posture is being decreased and then you're putting yourself in a position…I saw this first hand with my wife, once she reached down top pick up my son out of his crib, she was getting lower back pain. So, what we did is, we increased the flexibility, had her standing on leg and she was there, with more control of a situation as opposed to be out of control when a situation presented itself. That's one thing that people are: they're in a space, they're contained and when they get in a position where they have to be functional, injury occurs.

FRIEDMAN: Yes. That makes sense. It's kind of like taking a car out on the racetrack when it's just been driving around the neighborhood for 10 years.

CARDIELLO: Exactly.

FRIEDMAN: It's probably going to break down. Let me ask you, if somebody came to you and said, "Jay, I have a wedding to go to in 3 weeks. I need to burn fat quickly so I can fit into this dress," what would you give them for advice? Is there a great exercise for people just on a mission? They've got a cruise or a wedding and they want to burn quickly.

CARDIELLO: That's great. I'm going to answer in a 3-fold situation. Number one, are you getting enough sleep? I know the stress of a wedding is crazy, especially when you're planning so much. But, you've got to get sleep in order for your body to grow and for it to achieve its goal. Two, take the best supplement in the world. It's called "water". Half your body weight in ounces a day. Why? Because when you're stressed and a woman is going through planning and she wants to fit in her dress, she may, stress causes what? Binge eating. Overeating. So, water not only hydrates the body. It's going to what? Suppress that appetite. Make you feel full, especially if you're adding things like soluble fibers like lemons.

Now, one of the best things to do since you're going to be so active, instead of wearing dress shoes while you're doing your wedding planning. Throw on sneakers. They're going to be rushing from point "A" to "B" running up and down stairs, trying to get everything organized. Implement something that's feasible and that you can accomplish.

FRIEDMAN: That's great. So, yes. I love the best supplement is water. So many people are dehydrated. A lot of people think, "Hey, my coffee has water." That dehydrates you even more. My beer has water. Not the same thing, folks.

CARDIELLO: Exactly. Exactly. We run to too many stores to try to find that magic pill when all you've got to do is open up your faucet.

FRIEDMAN: That's great. In the minute we have left, is there anything that you recommend for motivation to get in shape? Do you recommend posting pictures of people in shape? Padlocking the refrigerators? The one specific thing or an affirmation?

CARDIELLO: Yes. You never want to ask yourself this question, "What if?" I always tell people what you're focus is on, the end…how you're going to feel? If you have a thought within 5 seconds, write it down. Marriage yourself to that goal and go for it, whether it's writing it down, texting it, emailing it. You've made that commitment. You gave yourself that affirmation.

FRIEDMAN: That's great. As it is happening, as it's going to be. Not "what if" or "maybe it will" or doubting yourself. Be positive about that you're going to achieve it. Yes, you mentioned that before. That's such a big thing. People say, "Well, maybe if I do," or, "I probably won't, but I'll try". Negative. Negative. You've got to really impact. "I'm going to achieve. I'm going to be this way. I'm going to fit in that dress again." Somebody told me she puts a picture of 20 years ago of her dress on the mirror and she looks at it and says, "I will get in that dress, again". Every day, "I will" not "I want to, I'm thinking about it, I hope I can," but she says, "I will be in that dress again." It's kind of a good brain point on focusing on not the "what if" it's basically, "can I or will I". That makes a lot of sense. Fantastic stuff, Jay.

MELANIE: It's great to use that really good, positive reinforcement, especially women. We're negative self-talkers. Boy, we're expert at that. This is great information, Jay. Thanks so much.

To learn about Jay Cardiello, you can purchase his book, Cardio Core 4 x 4 Fitness or his DVDs on transforming your life. Go to CardielloFitness.com. That's CardielloFitness.com. You can follow him on Twitter at Jay Cardiello just as you can follow Dr. David Friedman on Twitter @DrDavidFriedman.

If you missed any of the great information, you can listen any time on demand or on the go at ToYourGoodHealthRadio.com.

This is Melanie Cole with Dr. David Friedman.

Remember to stay well and stay tuned. There's more coming up.

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