Key to good health: Develop routine exercises, eating habits
by Tucson Citizen on Apr. 25, 2007, under Body, Local
Shapiro does pulls ups in his backyard
Name: Ari Shapiro
Age: 40
Occupation: Owner of XOOM Juice
Height: 5 feet 9 inches
Weight: 170
Weight when you started: 205 (four years ago)
Main health accomplishments: Lowered my cholesterol from 203 in 2003 to 150 in 2006. Reduced my blood pressure to 100/60. Lost 35 pounds. I am functioning more efficiently and I have more energy. Never do I “crash.” I also feel clearer – my skin, eyes, even my brain feels better!
Background: In Tucson six years. I was into skiing when I was younger. I raced mountain bikes for 10 years in the ’90s. I gained weight from 185 to 205 after I moved here due to inactivity and random eating. Now, I’m in this very stable middle ground and healthier than ever.
What motivated you to change your health? I developed my own routine of calisthenics and stretches and was excited to see how easy it was to keep getting better. I realized the body responds to habits both ways. If you have bad habits, the body continues to want you to smoke or eat junk foods. If you start good habits, the body wants more. It’s harder now for me to miss a workout than to work out.
How did you change your thinking in order to meet your health goals? I don’t think you have to be extreme about it. I would replace extreme with routine – that’s the trick!
What were the biggest changes you made to your diet? First, I cut out processed foods. I looked to eat clean – avoiding things with wrappers and junk food. I’d choose an apple instead of a candy bar or have a pure latte in the morning (no sugar, creams, syrups or toppings.) If I had a drink at night, I’d have red wine. I replaced junk food with whole food. Once you start giving your body clean sources of nutrients, it craves more. Two years ago I cut out chicken, beef and pork and reduced my portions. I now eat well under 2,000 calories a day and I am very routine about what I eat.
Tell me about your fitness routine and how you get results? I don’t go to a gym. I don’t have a personal trainer. I’ve never once done a diet. My fitness routine is simple. I do calisthenics and stretching six days a week, and alternate push-ups and pull-ups. Due to a back injury, I went for low-stress activities using my body and gravity as the primary forces. I started with three sets of 20 push-ups and 50 crunches. I now do about 70 push-ups and 250 crunches at a time, but that’s my whole theory. I added just five or 10 at a time and that kept me motivated. People say my stretches are yogaesque. I just do what feels good and works for me. I get cardiovascular exercise by hiking with my dog. I also commute by bicycle.
What sort of equipment do you use to stay in shape? I use a yoga stability ball for crunches and stretching. I had a herniated disk due to a mountain bike accident and nothing helped the chronic pain except the yoga ball. It allowed me to build core strength and take the stress off my lower back. I have an old school Everlast pull-up bar that I got at Big 5 for $10. I love it. (It’s the exercise from gym class that none of us could do.) When I got it two years ago, I could do one pull up. Now I can do 10.
What is the biggest mistake you think people make in their approach to health and fitness? We live in a world where everything is big and not just portions, but TVs, cars, exercise equipment and especially the so-called solutions. You have to lose 30 pounds now or cut out all carbs and fat. I think people would fare better if they thought smaller. There are so many small measures you can do that over time accumulate and get you to the same spot if you just stick to them.
You said Jack LaLanne “The Godfather of Fitness” is your role model, why? Jack LaLanne is one of my heroes because he keeps it simple and is living proof of his own philosophy of eating naturally and staying fit. He is 93 and looks 50. I also like his “retro” approach in this age of complicated equipment, diets etc. His blender and juicer are incredible values.
What is your next health and fitness goal? My friend Daisy DeCoster and I have a goal to ride our bikes to the top of Mount Lemmon before the summer. So far we’ve made it to Molino Basin, which is about one-quarter of the way up.
What are the first things people should do if they want to follow your advice? Think small! Set moderate goals. It’s easy to stay motivated if you do a simple routine every day. One of the hardest things to do in life is break patterns. I think of it like a light switch. Instead of saying, “I was off and now I’m on,” view it as a dimmer. Keep nudging in the right direction and before you know it you will be on a different pattern.
Shapiro with his dogs several years ago before he lost weight.
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ARI’S SAMPLE WORKOUT
Weekly: hike with dog four miles, one to three days a week, as schedule allows.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: push-ups, crunches, stretching.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: pull-ups, crunches, stretching.
Sunday: rest (Ride motorcycle)
HIS SAMPLE DIET
Breakfast: Organic soy latte (two espresso shots and 12 ounces of soy milk (has 12 grams of protein).
Snack: Some fruit, yogurt or granola.
Lunch: A XOOM smoothie made with soy milk and orange juice, acai (a Brazilian fruit that is high in antioxidants), bananas, berries, soy protein, oat bran, flax seed, granola and sometimes almonds.
Dinner: A veggie burrito made with black beans, vegetables and guacamole; a salad with spinach leaves, feta cheese, fresh mushrooms; or an omelet.
Desert: I slice up an apple and throw some Muenster cheese on it.
