Health is lifetime commitment, says guru

MANILA, Philippines - Visiting fitness expert Jamie Howell yesterday called on impatient weight-loss chasers to stay away from quick-fix solutions that could create damaging side effects and instead redirect their efforts in making a commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

Howell, 35, is in town to conduct a workshop as the global presenter of Trigger Point’s revolutionary fitness and conditioning tool called the SMRT-CORE Grid. The Texas native will demonstrate how to use the Grid and discuss its features in an eight-hour workshop at Planet Infinity in the Crossroads 77 building on Mother Ignacia Ave., Quezon City, today.

Over 100 physical therapists, sports medicine practitioners, strength and conditioning coaches, podiatrists, chiropractors, massage therapists, orthopaedic surgeons, sports team executives, head coaches and athletes are expected to attend the workshop organized by SportFit, the country’s exclusive distributor of high-tech conditioning tools, equipment and facilities including the Grid.

The last two days, Howell presided in a master trainers certification workshop where 18 participants from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea and the Philippines participated. The Filipino delegation was made up of Reema Chanco, Chappy Callanta, Lei Carino, Lindzi Arellano and Jerdy Conde. Howell leaves Manila back to the US tonight.

A 3.4 GPA honor student in sports management, fitness and wellness at the California University of Pennsylvania, Howell said she gave up plans of becoming a lawyer to pursue a career in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

“I was a sophomore in college when I delivered the first of my three children and I put on 80 pounds to balloon to 210 pounds,” she said. “I did competitive sports in high school, playing basketball and track, but health issues set me back. I tore a meniscus and had hip and lower back problems. In college, I decided to concentrate on my studies. When I got pregnant and delivered my first child 12 years ago, I made a commitment to bring down my weight to what it was before. It took me a year to go back to 130 pounds. That was when I decided to make physical fitness a commitment. I did my Master’s studies in exercise science and health promotions. It wasn’t easy living this commitment particularly when I was doing post-graduate studies, going to class and studying at home from midnight to 2 a.m. to find time during the day to exercise. But I got it done.”

Howell said enrolling in a fitness program requires not just a commitment but also enjoyment. “I teach group fitness classes and do personal training in zumba, yoga and Les Mills exercise programs,” she said. “The first thing I do before suggesting a program is I look at my client’s body which is usually shaped by diet, daily living and cultural patterns. It doesn’t matter if it’s an Asian or Western body. The elements make the body what it is. Then I prescribe a program that the client enjoys. If you don’t enjoy the program, you won’t stick with it. If you don’t like to dance, you won’t enjoy zumba. You’ve got to go with your passion. I also look at other factors like age and fitness level. For first-timers, I prescribe two to three days a week of light workouts before slowly increasing the intensity.”

Howell, whose children are 6, 9 and 12 years old, said quick-fix solutions don’t work. “A lot of people try it for instant weight loss because they’ve got a wedding to attend or a prom or some special event,” she said. “Health is a lifestyle. You take it a day at a time and it involves a change in your attitude. Using things like diuretics or drugs could trigger side effects which you don’t want. I don’t believe in steroids or performance enhancing drugs, too. It’s like telling your body to be healthy in an unhealthy way. For an athlete, you want to be the best you can be with what God has given you. It’s about training and living a healthy lifestyle without using unnatural things.”

Howell said the Grid is a popular tool among pro athletes in hockey, soccer, football and basketball. The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets are known to rely on the Grid as a tool that’s easy to carry and use in the gym, at home or on the road. “It’s difficult to pinpoint which athletes are in the best physical condition because their training is sport-specific like you don’t want too much muscle on a sprinter,” she explained. “I see the gymnast as the athlete who relies heavily on fitness because the sport requires the body flexibility that a functional training program provides.  I would also include the swimmer in this category. Our team, particularly (biomechanical specialist) Cassidy Phillips, is involved in the training of American rowers and the men’s and women’s basketball teams competing in the London Olympics and we’re excited to share the Trigger Point technology with elite athletes.”

Howell said her daily regimen involves a 10-minute workout of foam rolling with the Grid early in the morning, a 30-minute to an hour MCT (myofascial compression techniques) conditioning at noon and a 10-minute restorative routine at the end of the day. Thrice a week, she does a 30-minute workout with the Grid before turning in. She also includes some running and gymwork during the week. Howell’s mission to promote physical fitness takes her around the world spreading the good news of Trigger Point’s technology of combining total body myofascial training, core integration and functional stabilization in a single format.