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Where few women are … and more need to be!
 My May 5th, 2009 newsletter includes an article entitled “Where Have the Women Gone? In it, I comment on how women have become so much more sedentary than their female predecessors and their male counterparts. At all playing fields, courts and parks, there is a huge disparity between the numbers of men versus the numbers of women playing sports and exercising vigorously. The declining number of active females has been occurring concurrently with rising rates of female obesity and over-fatness.
Fortunately, however, there still are women who defy this deadly trend. One example is this week’s fit bod role model, Deb Brown-Schlueter. In response to my May 5th article, Deb emailed me to comment on how she too has observed that far fewer women play sports (and work out with weights) today than 10 years ago.
 It’s truly a pleasure and honor to know women like Deb, who are willing to do what it takes to look great, feel great and, more importantly, function optimally in all facets of life. Hopefully, an increasing number of women will look to women like Deb as role models of health, vitality, and youthfulness. My hope is that more young women will seek to emulate such healthful lifestyles. If/when that happens, we will all benefit from reductions in a variety of diseases (heart and lung, cancer, diabetes, etc.), reduced health care costs, increased productivity, creativity, and improved emotional and mental well-being. An added bonus is that there is joy in movement. All these benefits are what people like Deb have come to realize and embrace, through their physically active lifestyles.
Model: Deb Brown-Schlueter
Age: 50, as of June 8th Height: 5’2.5”(62.5”)
Waist: 27.25” Hips: 36”
Waist-to-hip ratio: 0.76 = Excellent (Ideal measures: 0.7 for women; 0.9 for men)
Waist-relative-to-height: 62.5/2 = 31; Deb’s waistline is nearly 4 inches less than ½ her height = excellent (height/2 minus 3 to 5 inches for women or minus 2-3 inches for men).
Body fat %: 18% = Excellent (most healthful / fit body fat range for younger women is 18-22% of total body weight).
Weight: 119 lbs.
 Garment Size: 2 petite or zero petite, depending on manufacturer (Because garment manufacturers have been scaling down size measurements, Deb has been forced to wear smaller and smaller sizes, even though she has maintained her proportions, and increased her lean body weight).
Occupation: Partner/Managing Director at Peppercom, a public relations agency.
Preferred Approach to Fitness: Deb works out in a gym every weekday, Mondays through Fridays; Strength training: 3 times per week (Mon., Wed. and Fri.), 15 minutes each workout; she uses a combination of free weight and machine exercises. On alternate days, Deb challenges her core region, doing a series of abdominal exercises, including work with a medicine ball, stability ball, free weights and machines. Aerobics: 25-30 minutes, daily, exercising on either the elliptical, arc, or treadmill machines. She likes mixing it up (a great way to keep the body shocked). Flexibility: no specific exercises; she maintains flexibility through her workouts and activities. Physical activity: paddleball every Saturday and Sunday, with husband, for 80 minutes each time; ice hockey every Saturday night, 1 hour; power walk from work to home every night – 25 minutes.
 Primary motivations: the desire to feel good, have more energy, and to slow down the effects of aging. Deb feels more fit now than when she was a teen. (Anyone who exercises with vigor should feel this way.)
Nutritional approach: Eat 5-6 times per day. SAMPLE: Breakfast (prior to workouts): Kashi Go Lean Crunch with fruit and fat-free milk….on Saturdays or Sundays, she makes multigrain pancakes with fruit. Snack (8:30): fruits. Snack (10:30): health bar; Lunch (12-12:30 p.m.): either Energy Kitchen (health restaurant) or healthy salad. Snack (3:30 or 4 p.m.): fruit or health bar. Dinner (8 p.m.): always healthy options, including grilled foods, etc. Snack/dessert (after dinner): fruit or “healthy” oatmeal cookie. Beverages: 1 large cup of coffee every morning; 1 cup of juice (orange or grapefruit); water (several cups per day); one protein drink after every workout; occasional glass of white wine – one or two per month.
REMEMBER FOLKS: eat to live, don’t live to eat.
Sleep: average 5 hours on work days; 8-9 hours on off days. Normal waking hours during the week is 4:55 a.m. If she has too much work, she wakes up at 3 or 4 a.m.
KEEP IN MIND: the fitter you are, the more energy you’ll have – always!
Ladies, from Deb’s example, here’s your chance to eradicate four of the most popular excuses for being sedentary and/or out of shape … if you choose to: 1) no time; 2) you’ve borne children; 3) you’re older than 25; and 4) you’re a woman.
“JUST DO IT!” Get out there, be in motion, and live life to its fullest!
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