In the Know

Watch videos and learn more about Exercise, Nutrition and Stress

Not-so-common Exercise Tips

Nicolette S. Shriver, M.S., ACSM HFI, Intrinsic Coach ®
Health Advisor and Health Coach Supervisor, CIGNA

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Sleep is exercise! If you are sleep deprived, a good night's rest may increase your metabolic function more than an extra workout session at the gym. Combining exercise with plenty of sleep is a great way to manage your weight.

Stretching is strength training - it makes you stronger! Stretching (as in Yoga and Pilates) creates an eccentric muscular contraction, which can be twice as effective at increasing the strength of muscle fibers as focused lifting, which creates a concentric contraction.

There are various types of muscular contraction - isometric, concentric, eccentric - that describe the length of the muscle during contraction. During isometric, there is no lengthening or shortening of the muscle. During concentric, there is shortening, and during eccentric there is lengthening. Most strength training exercises have a concentric and eccentric phase. For example, the biceps curl - the upward movement is concentric, while the downward movement to the starting position is eccentric. The eccentric phase, when done correctly, can be the most strength inducing part of the exercise.

For the best abdominal workout, take a walk or just sit down! Instead of doing hundreds of crunches or purchasing the newest "ab blasting" gimmick you see advertised on TV, try working your abdominal muscles throughout the day through a method called "engaging your core." To do this effectively, you need to pull the navel to the spine. Be consistent in this action during your daily activities.

When you're sitting, the goal is to use your abdominals to support your body. When you're walking, engage your core to move forward, and be sure not to lean forward when you're in a hurry.

At first, sitting up in your seat with engaged abdominals can be very tiring, so start slowly by doing a few minutes at a time. The goal is to work up to the day when you can sit without any other support without fatigue for long periods.

Engaging your abdominal muscles for long periods during normal daily activities is an effective way of gaining core strength because those muscles are postural and are made for endurance. So you must use them in that manner to get the most out of them. While doing five minutes of crunches might be helpful to strengthen these muscles for that task, if you want to take the strain off of your back and gain functional strength, you need to work your abs in the way that you want to use them. So go ahead, sit down and get a great ab workout!

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Stephanie Templeton, Registered Dietitian, CIGNA
Kim Hohol, Registered Dietitian, CIGNA

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General Tips

• Replace meats with beans, lentils, soy, or nuts. These are often less expensive but are just as nutritious as meats, and have lower saturated fat content. You can reduce your grocery bill significantly by eating meatless meals at least two or more times per week.
• Prepare meals with more grains. The majority of your diet should come from grains, cereals, breads, pasta, and rice, which also tend to cost less than other foods. Make sure that half of your intake is from whole grains, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole grain breads. Stock up on these items when they're on sale.
• Do more "scratch" cooking using whole foods instead of processed or prepared foods, and replace expensive junk foods with healthy snacks like fresh fruit or healthy homemade treats. Try these easy, healthy and inexpensive recipes.
• When cooking a big meal, make extra to freeze, or use later in the week for lunches or quick suppers. Try doubling recipes and then freeze half.
• Use store brands whenever you can. Store brand cereals and canned goods have the same nutritional value as higher-priced national brands.
• Limit dining out to keep down costs. Restaurant foods can be higher in fat, salt, and calories.
• Don't forget to drink plenty of water, but use filtered tap water instead of buying expensive bottled water.

Plan Ahead

• Set aside time for planning meals and make a grocery list. Include healthy snack ideas and main menu items.
• Look at recipes ahead of time and add the items you'll need to the grocery list. That will help you avoid extra trips to the store.
• Use weekly store sale ads to help plan meals. Some grocery stores advertise a recipe of the week and sell the ingredients at a discount. This is a great way to get a new recipe and save money on the ingredients.
• Set time aside for grocery shopping so you're not rushed. It's best if you have time to compare prices and package sizes.
• Make a food budget and try to keep purchases within your weekly allowance.

Shopping Tips

• Don't shop when you're hungry! You'll buy things you don't need and waste money.
• Shop for inexpensive cuts of meat that work well in stews and casseroles. Buy extra vegetables and beans to add to casseroles and soups to make the meal go further. Stock up on canned tuna and salmon when they're on sale so you can make a quick tuna casserole or salmon patties.
• Buy fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season and generally cheaper. Choose frozen next for nutrition and check cost. Stock up on canned items when on sale. Choose low-sodium vegetables or fruit packaged in its own juice.
• Limit processed foods, such as snack crackers, cookies, chips, and pre-packaged meals. Limit the amount of soda and high-calorie beverages you purchase.
• Take advantage of specials on staples, such as broth, soups, pasta, rice, canned vegetables, even bread and meat. Many of these items have a long shelf life or can be frozen for short periods of time.
• Look high and low on grocery store shelves to find less expensive generic or store brands. Stores deliberately place the highest-priced brand-name items at eye level, so look up and down for the best values.
• Look for the unit price on the shelf for best price comparison. Sometimes that bargain price isn't that much of a bargain when you look at the unit price.
• Sign up for a frequent shopper card at your local store, for additional savings.
• Use coupons, but only for foods you truly want to purchase. A food isn't a bargain if no one eats it!
• Shop at discount grocery stores with mostly non-branded items.

Go Green

• Choose healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts, and low-fat yogurts. Avoid buying individually packaged and processed snacks. Use your own food containers to measure out your daily serving - save more, waste less!
• Buying in bulk is usually cheaper. You can freeze perishable items (such as meat, milk, and even bread) in smaller portions to use as needed. It's always a good idea to buy non-perishable items in bulk, as long as you can eat it all. A bonus with bulk buying is that it's environmentally friendly - there's less packaging!
• Fill reusable cups and bottles with filtered tap water.

In the Kitchen and Pantry

• Keep your home food inventory low. You should have a reasonable amount of staple items on hand, but don't buy so much that you won't have time to use them before they spoil. Choose recipes that use common ingredients, so you can keep your inventory lower.
• Keep dried herbs and spices, condiments and sauces on hand. However, limit specialty seasonings and sauces that can be expensive and are used for just one recipe.
• Save your vegetable trimmings to make your own vegetable stock for casseroles, soups, and crock-pot cooking.

There's no magic formula for healthy cooking on a budget. Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes a little planning, creativity, and work. But when you think of the rewards - better health and more money - you'll see it's well worth the effort!

Stress for Success

Megan Thorp, M.A.
Lead Wellness Coach, Health Solutions, CIGNA

Tony Massey, M.D.
Medical Director, Health Solutions, CIGNA

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We're always hearing about how stressed out people are and how important it is to manage stress to stay healthy. But some stress - the kind that motivates you - is actually good for you. The key is to know the difference between good and bad stress and then use the good stress to your advantage.

Good stress …

• Energizes and motivates, while bad stress can make you feel overwhelmed or even physically ill
• Pushes you to achieve your goals.
• Prevents boredom
• Can help you perform tasks more efficiently
• Provides the type of emotional challenge that helps you feel in control and provides a sense of accomplishment.

Good stress adds anticipation and excitement to life - and most people thrive with a certain amount of stress. The goal is not to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it and use it to help you achieve your goals. Remember, a lack of stress can make you feel bored and unmotivated, but with too much stress you can pop, like a balloon filled with too much air!

Harnessing Good Stress:

• You can't make all stress go away, but you can change how you react to it. Try to stay calm and act deliberately to gain control of the situation.
• Focus on the task at hand. An unexpected deadline can give a burst of energy, but don't feel like you have to tackle everything at once. Prioritize.
• If you feel overwhelmed, just say "no" to taking on more tasks.
• Try looking at stress as an opportunity to stretch your skills or achieve personal growth.

Even if you initially perceive the stress you're feeling as "bad," you can turn it into "good" stress. Take a step back from the situation and look for what kind of opportunity it might present. To deal with the stressful situation, do you need to develop new skills or behaviors? In what ways will you grow by coping with the situation? By changing your perception of the situation from "impossible and overwhelming" to "opportunity for personal growth," you can turn the stress to your advantage.