Ladies Only Please! An EMS Workout

For women of all ages and sizes, there is no better time to get fit inside and out than now. The No. 1 killer of women--just as it is of men--is heart disease, so the main emphasis here is a heart-healthy attitude. Good nutrition is a great start, but heart health is not just about what you eat: Three to five days of exercise per week is what you need to get the heart in shape. The following exercise program will not only help your heart, but tone up arms, tighten and lift the buttocks, trim the abdominal area and shape the thighs. These are exercises that can be done at home or at the station.

     Disclaimer: If you have back or joint pain or are unsure of your general health, consult a physician before starting this or any exercise program.

The Four Basics
     There are four primary basics to get the best out of any workout:

• Correct breathing: Inhale through your nose and exhale out of your mouth. Inhaling through your nose keeps your muscles from fatiguing quickly; plus, those annoying nose hairs are filters, so that the air you breathe is cleaner.
  
• Core awareness: Keep your tummy pulled in and abdominal muscles tight when doing all exercises. This burns fat and strengthens your "core" (abdominal area). A stronger core improves posture and helps prevent back injuries, which are all too prevalent in EMS work.
  
• Heart rate: Choose the appropriate intensity level of your workout. If you want to burn fat and tone muscles, do your exercises fast enough to raise your heart rate, unless otherwise noted. If you only need to tone and build muscle in certain areas, then do the exercises more slowly.
  
• Attention: Focus your attention on the muscles you are working on. This may sound odd, but it works. When exercising your arms, for example, watch your bicep as the muscle moves down and up for a full bicep curl. Do the same with all of the toning exercises listed below for each muscle. Now let's get started!

Exercise: Deep Breathing
  Reps: 10
     Stand with your feet together, knees slightly bent, and arms down at your sides. As you inhale through your nose, bring your arms above your head and clasp your hands together, stretch your core and expand your ribs. As you exhale through your mouth, bring your arms and hands down in front of you into the praying position. Pull your core in and collapse your ribs by pushing all your air out.

Exercise: Cardio Warm-Up
  Time: 5 minutes
     Warm up by walking around the ambulance, the parking lot, the building, or by marching in place at an easy pace. This exercise warms up the muscles and gets the heart pumping.

Exercise: Stretches
  Time: Hold each stretch for 10-15 seconds
     Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Drop your chin and inhale as you roll your body downward, one vertebrae at a time, touching your fingers to the floor between your feet. If you can't reach the floor yet, stretch as far as you can, but don't "bounce" to get there. It will improve with time. Exhale through your mouth as you move your hands over to your left ankle and then back to the center, and over to your right ankle and then back to center.

     Inhale as you roll your body back upright, one vertebrae at a time. Exhale.
     Clasp your hands behind your back and pull your hands and arms upward, holding for 10-15 seconds. Keep your back straight and your core (belly) tight.

Exercise: Cardio Workout
  Time: 20 minutes
     The best cardio workout for women is speed walking. Start walking at a steady, brisk pace, with elbows bent 90° and arms swinging with every step--and put some vigor into that swing. Taking longer strides will help tighten and lift the buttocks. Keep your core tight as you walk for an optimal workout.

Exercise: Cardio Cool Down
  Time: 5 minutes
     Start slowing down the pace of your cardio workout to slow your heart down and let your muscles relax for the toning exercises.

Exercise: Crunches
  Reps: 12
     Start by lying flat on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head without clasping them. Inhale as you raise your knees and bring your feet up level with them. Exhale while lifting your head, neck and shoulders slightly off the ground. Tighten and squeeze your core as you come up, keeping the small of your back flat on the ground. Hold for five seconds, then slowly uncurl, inhaling, until you are back into starting position. If you feel any lower back pain, lower your knees or stop the exercise.

Exercise: Bicycle Crunches
  Reps: 20
     Lie flat on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Bring your knees and feet up as above. Place your hands behind your neck with the elbows up. Inhale as you straighten your left leg, keeping it elevated slightly above the ground. Exhale while bringing your head, neck and shoulders off of the ground. Hold for five seconds, inhaling. Exhale as you bring your left elbow to the right knee. Inhale as you come back to the center, neutral position. Exhale.
     Switch sides: Inhale, bringing your left knee in and straightening your right leg. Exhale as you bring your right elbow to the left knee. Repeat 10 times slowly and 10 times quickly. Remember to keep the small of your back pressed to the floor, tightening your core. The bicycle works your abdominal muscles in the front and the oblique ones to the sides.

Exercise: Squats
  Reps: 12
     Squats are done by lowering yourself as if you are going to sit on the rear bumper of the truck--keeping your back straight and your abdominals tight--but, before your behind touches the bumper, you slowly stand back up. Here's how these go:
     Stand with your back to the rear of the ambulance, your feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale. Bend your arms so that your elbows are to the side. Exhale as you squat down, extending your arms out in front of you. Inhale and squeeze your buttocks as you stand back up. If you feel knee pain, widen your stance and remember to keep your back straight and your core tight.

Exercise: Standing Push-Ups
  Reps: 12
     Stand an arm's length from the back or side of the ambulance. Face the rig and stand with feet shoulder-width apart, your palms shoulder height and flat against the vehicle. Exhale as you bend your arms, bringing your nose to the side of the truck. Inhale as you push against it, returning to standing position. As always, keep your back straight and your core and buttocks tight. Be careful not to overextend your elbows when pushing back upright.

Exercise: Bicep Curl
  Reps: 12 on each side
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, shoulders back, back straight. Extend your arms straight down at your sides and inhale. While holding an IV bag in each hand--or whatever is handy at about that weight--curl up your left arm into a full bicep curl on your exhale. Bring the left arm down, inhaling. Curl the right arm as you exhale, and bring it down again, inhaling. Repeat 12 times, each arm.

Exercise: Tricep Burn
  Reps: 12 on each side
     Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and back straight. Holding an IV bag, extend your right arm behind you, while exhaling. Keep extending until you feel the tricep tighten. Repeat 12 times on each side. Remember to keep the core tight and back straight.

Optimizing Your Workout
     This routine should last approximately 45-50 minutes. Doing it 3-5 days a week will put you on your way to a better heart-healthy body. If you are going to do this routine five or more days per week, try doing the cardio and upper body one day, then the cardio and lower body the next day. Alternating these exercises will keep the muscles working hard and prevent them from leveling out (the proverbial plateau). If you want to do the full routine, then do it on nonconsecutive days for an optimal workout. For those who are in shape but have "trouble areas," increase the repetitions to two sets instead of one.

Nutrition Tips
     Always keep water with you. You should drink the equivalent of eight glasses per day. Not only is water healthy, but it also keeps your pores clean and your skin radiant. Cut out carbonated drinks. Not only are they a waste of calories, but the carbonation will make you retain fluids. If you need a caffeine boost, try drinking tea.

     Another important part of nutrition is choosing the right kind of food. Always eat breakfast--even if it's a bowl of cereal. Just make sure the cereal has whole grain and fiber. The more fiber you eat, the longer you will stay full. Try eating small portions every two to three hours. For example: Breakfast, fruit, lunch, snack and dinner. This will keep you from overeating at lunch and dinner. A snack suggestion would be a sliced apple with two teaspoons of light peanut butter. This snack is full of fiber and protein and will also curb a craving for sweets. Other good snacks would be whole grain crackers, or fruit of any sort. Keep an eye on serving sizes to keep your snack under 150 calories.

     For those who cannot avoid fast foods, remember that an active woman should be eating no more than 1,200-1,500 calories per day. A Big Mac from McDonald's has 560 calories and 30g of fat. You could substitute that with their California Cobb salad with grilled chicken and Cobb dressing. The salad with dressing has 400 calories and 20g of fat. It also has 34g of protein versus the 8g of protein in a Big Mac. You could even have a fruit and yogurt parfait for dessert or save it for your next snack.

     This ladies workout program is only a start. Developing a heart-healthy attitude takes time. If it helps, try finding a partner to work out with and to help you make more nutritional eating choices.

Stephanie Wohnhas is a ladies fitness and nutrition advisor from Dublin, OH. As a trainer she has developed specialized programs for working women and mothers that incorporate their busy schedules into the training. She is currently completing a degree in nutrition.

David W. Powers is a board-certified expert in both Traumatic Stress and Emergency Crisis Response by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. He can be reached at Docbeaker@aol.com.