They don’t call them lazy, hazy days of summer without cause. Now that we’re at the halfway point, for many of us our fitness routine goes on vacation for the summer. Unfortunately, the summer season often presents a difficult time of year to maintain a fitness regimen. Much of the difficulty appears to be in maintaining a routine. “Between vacations, keeping the kids entertained on break, and other summertime events, fitness often gets pushed to the proverbial back burner,” says Dr. Scott Weiss, board certified athletic trainer and co-founder of Bodhizone, physical therapy and wellness center in New York City. “It seems that most people associate weight gain with wintertime and the holiday season; and summertime as the season of bikini bodies and being more active. But recent studies have now found that summertime weight gain is very common and many people gain more weight in the summer than they do during the winter holiday.” In 2012, Scott was selected to be a member of the USOC's sports medical team for the Olympic Games in London where he provided emergency medical and physical therapy services to all our U.S. athletes. He also served in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games.
What are the common reasons for summer weight gain? According to Dr. Weiss, vacations, less regimented workout routines and increased alcohol and bad food consumption.
Finding it difficult to maintain your fitness routine in summer? You're not alone. Dr. Weiss shares his tips on how to keep the momentum going to avoid summertime weight gain.
1. Watch the Booze. Somehow we forget that alcohol is high in calories. In actuality, alcohol has 7 calories per gram. Fat is obviously higher at 9 calories per gram but even carbs and proteins don’t have that high of a caloric count. Proteins and carbohydrates both share 4 calories per gram. So be aware of the alcohol you drink because those calories will sneak up on you.
2. Portion Control. It is proven over and over in the medical literature that simply limiting your portion during meals translates into a substantial reduction in the total daily calories thus a reduction of weight over time. Furthermore, this method of portion control has also been proven as a healthy choice of weight reduction because your body has time to adapt.
3. Plan Ahead. Summertime usually brings on vacations and for some, an increased social schedule. It is imperative that you plan your exercise session in advance. Plan to spend about an hour a day doing some form of exercise either outdoors or indoors preferably outdoors to ensure adequate vitamin D from the sun. If you are traveling, see what classes are provided and what sports /dance classes are available at the hotel or resort. Most of the time, there is something for everyone, so plan ahead.
4. Don’t Go to the Party Hungry. This is kind of like going the supermarket hungry. You just eat the wrong foods because you are starving. If you are health conscious, then they probably won’t have anything you like anyway. Be satisfied, eat exactly what you want before you go.
5. Audit your Weight. I know many people don’t like to know the exact number on the scale but these days you have to audit everything about your body in order to stay in good health. Knowing your weight or body composition is important so don’t fear getting on a scale, knowing vital body statistics can save your life one day.
Meet Dr. Scott Weiss, D.P.T., A.T., CSCS. www.bodhizone.com
Dr. Scott Weiss is a licensed physical therapist and board certified athletic trainer in the state of New York. He is also a registered exercise physiologist, strength and conditioning specialist and advanced personal trainer with over fifteen years of experience. Scott possesses both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in exercise physiology and a doctorate in physical therapy. His affiliations and certifications with all the major certifying bodies domestically and internationally like the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), American Society of Exercise Physiologist (ASEP), allows him to be a consultant to collegiate, professional and Olympic athletes as well as a trainer to the stars. Throughout his career he had the pleasure and good fortune to work with some of the world’s elite athletes. These include several United States Olympic Teams, National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL) and the New York Liberty-WNBA. In 2012, Scott was selected to be a member of the USOC's sports medical team for the Olympic Games in London where he provided emergency medical and physical therapy services to all our U.S. athletes. He also served in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games.
Scott’s emphasis of research and area of expertise in physical therapy is rehabilitation of the knee and shoulder. As a registered exercise physiologist, his interests are in biomechanics of movement and cardiac rehabilitation. As an author and lecturer, Dr. Weiss has written a myriad of articles and has lectured in almost every university in greater New York. His lectures and articles are on the prevention of exercise injures, flexibility, weight-loss and integrative medicine. Many of these articles can be seen on this website.
His clinical experience over the years fostered his ideas into research so far that he has been published in peer reviewed medical journals. Scott also lectures for both profit and non-profit organizations on exercise, nutrition, public health, safety and first aid. Dr. Weiss is involved with charitable organizations and gives his time freely to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, The Boomer Esiasion Foundation, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, NY Road Runners Club (NYC Marathon), Long Island Transplant Organization and many high-schools and colleges in New York State.
Scott is presently the owner and clinical director of Bodhizone for Human Performance & Sports Physical Therapy, PC. He has four offices in New York City, midtown east, upper east side, down in gramercy and in Astoria, Queens. A physical therapy or fitness session at Bodhizone is guaranteed to be unique and effective each and every time. Scott and his staff combine yoga, martial arts, sports, physical therapy and functional strength training into many of the workouts, enabling you the patient, to heal while improving your overall health and fitness level. Bodhizone specializes in creating sport specific workouts for all sports and customizing physical and fitness training sessions to meet your rehabilitation goals and needs of your body.