Fitness Mosaics
A collection of articles on health and fitness
by
Mark R. Hailey
Smashwords Edition
Fitness Mosaics
Copyright 2011 © Mark R. Hailey
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Before you begin any fitness program consult your physician.
Table of Contents
Eastern Europeans practice what we preach
Genetically programmed for success
Metabolism: Revving the body’s engine
Circuit Training: A full body workout
Wait, what did I last do? - Keeping a fitness journal
Eastern Europeans practice what we preach
Obesity. Not a day goes by when we are not confronted with this condition. Over 60% of our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and children are moderately to severely overweight.
The media bombards us with a barrage of doomsday reports on the obesity epidemic in America; broadcasting warnings of the fallout from diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and rising health care costs associated with being overweight. We are constantly reminded to always to eat right and exercise.
With obesity being so rampant in our country, we often forget that it is generally a Western condition.
This never became more evident to me than on a recent trip to visit my friend Alla in the Eastern European country of Latvia.
Latvia is the ex-Soviet republic now part of the European Union, and its capital, Riga, has a population of roughly 800,000. When I landed, the first thing that struck me was how gorgeous these people were. Upon closer inspection I realized that almost everyone was also in great physical condition. An entire population of, what seemed to be, a thin and physically fit people.
This above average fitness level seemed to show no age or social prejudice. Cab drivers, office workers, store clerks, bank tellers, street vendors, students, bar tenders, and so on were all in great physical condition. In a large population, busy about their day, I did not see one obese person. There was a certain Twilight Zone-ish quality about it.
As a health and fitness writer and certified personal trainer, this is not something I could simply ignore. Why did these people look this way? Genetically they are no different from Americans––but, look at them. The first place to start was with my friend Alla.
Alla is a stunning Russian woman in her mid forties, whose own fitness level exceeds that of most American women 10 years her junior.
I eagerly anticipated her disclosing some “Iron Curtain” fitness secrets long hidden from the West. Or, a “National Ministry of Health Plan” diligently executed by the population.
I was crushed to find she did not seem to have a clue as to what I was talking about, and quickly tired of my third-degree questioning of Eastern European fitness habits. Her stock answer became: “Marrk ... dis ist how vee loook ... vee dunt do anysing special.”
Over the course of my visit I realized that she was right; Eastern Europeans do not do anything special. That, in it self, was the key that helped solve the mystery. I was in a unique position to observe a population that seemed to effortlessly achieve the kind of body that so many Americans struggled but failed to realize.
The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place on day one. I had rented an apartment in Riga, and needed to buy groceries. Supermarkets in Latvia are just as modern as ours with one exceptional difference––the content. This is a cash and carry society that shops for dinner four or five nights a week. There is no driving the SUV up to the market and loading 15 bags of groceries in the back. You buy what you can carry home.
Noticeably absent were the prepackaged and processed meals full of sodium, high fructose corn syrup, and saturated fats that dominate American shelves. Dinner is prepared each night from raw materials, not unzipped and stuck in the microwave. Sodas were sold individually in 6 oz. and 12 oz. bottles––not the 20 oz. bottles that have become a staple here in the United States. There were wide varieties of breads, but the loaf sizes and slices were a fraction of the size of bread sold here. Snacks, like chips and a Russian form of cheese puff, were available, but in grotesquely smaller bags than on our shelves. What candy bars I saw were easily half the size of the ones sold in American stores.
Another piece of the puzzle came in the meals themselves. Eastern European cuisine is nothing remotely what one would consider “diet food.” Bread, cheese, sausage, meat, potatoes, beets, and cabbage in endless combinations dominated the menus. Also, beer, wine, and vodka flowed like rivers. What made Latvian food more “diet friendly” was the portion size.
After decades of Soviet shortages and feeding a family on what you could carry home, these are a people who know how to stretch a meal. Portion sizes, by necessity, were simply smaller. This, as an American, was something I had to get used to. Alla would complain about being full after dinner, while I had felt we had just finished appetizers. I estimated that, on average, Latvians consumed around 500 calories less per day than Americans did.
Another piece of this fitness puzzle was to be found in transportation. Between the urban landscape, and years of Soviet rule, few people in Riga have cars. In fact, in the historic Old Town section of Riga, cars are banned altogether. Trains, trams, buses, and taxies efficiently move the population around. In-between using the public transportation systems, they walk––and walk a lot.
Being summer, I saw thousands upon thousands of people out walking everywhere, and these people could really move. Alla, who is several inches shorter than I, clipped along at a pace that I was hard-pressed to keep up with––and she was in heels! At the pace and distance these people traveled, they easily burned an additional 500 calories more per day than we Americans. This, combined with their smaller caloric intake, puts them at a 1000-calorie advantage over us, and their bodies certainly reflected this difference. Hang on––it gets worse.
The final piece of the puzzle came in the form of leisure activities. From medieval times, through Soviet Union rule, to present day, Eastern Europeans embrace the importance of wellness and personal health. Spas, banyas, saunas, massage facilities, and mineral baths dot the landscape. Many of these ancient practices are incorporated into modern health and fitness clubs. As I walked along Riga’s streets, there seemed to be a “Fitness Klub” on every corner with machines, free weights, and exotic forms of group activities such as Flamenco and Belly Dancing––which are some of Alla’s favorites.
Unlike Americans, Eastern Europeans can enjoy the cosmetic benefits of fitness early on. They do not have to spend months or years in the gym ridding themselves of excess fat, and building up atrophied muscles. On top of an already lean and toned frame, they can quickly sculpt their bodies into the desired effect.
This above average body type has had ripple effects through the Eastern European social fabric––most notably with the female population. Endless, and I do mean endless, numbers of women with firm, fit, sexy bodies patrol the streets of Riga in what can only be described as an attractiveness arms race.
With good-looking bodies being the norm, the Latvian bar for beauty has been raised. When having a great body is not the only contributing factor in garnishing the attention of the opposite sex––or staying one step ahead of your own––glamour, attitude, and fashion have become close to a national obsession. Casual dress is virtually non-existent. Every woman I saw looked as though they had just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
Hair, makeup, and clothing all take center stage when a woman leaves the house. Alla was no exception; everywhere we went, no matter what the venue, she was always dressed to kill. The only ones there wearing tennis shoes were me––and the people playing tennis.