Lose Ten Pounds
in 20
Minutes?
by Grace Gagne
Plus! Publications
editorial@schuylkillplus.com

Of course I have your attention now! You’re thinking, “How is it possible to lose ten pounds in 20 minutes?” This was my husband’s suggestion after holding my handbag for several minutes recently.

With everyone springing into action cleaning their homes and yards, while making necessary improvements after a long, harsh winter; we tend to forget little improvements in our home and obvious improvements for ourselves.
This information is intended for women, but seeing as man purses or the “murse” is on the rise – men can pay attention too.

After a decade of commuting and traveling on and off for business and some recreation, I began to refine my purse into a small, well-packed suitcase. I had everything and anything any traveler would want – or at least any traveling companion I had on my adventures. You never know when someone may need headache medicine, toothpaste or floss, or a needle and thread for fixing a loose button.

I had to change my purse to accommodate a recent business trip, so having to clean-out the current one in use afforded me the opportunity to analyze what was weighing me down. During an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” – commercials only – I decided to dump everything out on the sofa and start from scratch by loading my smaller purse with only the essentials.
The huge pile of my purse’s contents landed on the sofa cushions like an avalanche of junk (so my husband says…). Once all of the items were put into piles and properly organized I had before me: one small umbrella; toiletries to stock a bathroom – including mouthwash, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, etc.; cell phone; wallet; daily planner; sugar substitute (enough to fill a small sugar bowl); at least 5 lipsticks and three lip glosses; other make-up essentials; tissues and an embroidered handkerchief; wet wipes; peppermints, breath mints and gum; a water bottle; a granola bar; my coupon clipper container complete with scissors, pen and paper; sunglasses; reading glasses; cough drops; hand lotion; hairbrush and spray; and a Band-Aid® (well, okay 4 of them).

Needless to say, I was carrying way too much. I guess I was afraid of being somewhere and not having all of the comforts of home. It’s so nice to be able to provide someone with Tylenol® at a moment’s notice or to be able to shield yourself from the rain if needed.

I managed to weed out most of what I was carrying and found that if I don’t have something with me; it’s not a huge problem. My wallet on the other hand is in need of attention. I decided to clean-out my wallet now so I can do other things during upcoming commercial breaks.

After finding five gift cards from the holidays; my car insurance card in case I’m in an accident and need the hotline number (which I would be too rattled to find anyway); my voter registration card (in case I get carded and someone needs proof of my political affiliation); a prepaid phone card (left over from many trips but not needed since I have my trusty cell phone aboard); another Band-Aid®; two debit cards; my license; a credit card; market discount card; employment I.D. card; movie rental card; and about ten other club discount cards – I was quite annoyed with all of the cards I’m carting around.

Of course, there’s a wallet-size wedding photo present to remind me of the person who prompted me to reduce my overall toting weight by ten pounds in the first place and the one who referred to my purse contents as an avalanche of junk. There’s a few business cards of people I may need to contact; a note with the serial number of the water filter my refrigerator needs; directions to a meeting place about seven miles from somewhere with a reference to “dog gone good food”; an index card with internet passwords for sites of interest; about ten coupons for restaurants, etc; a coupon for a half-dozen of bagels that expires in May; and a list of birthday cards I need to purchase this month. What I didn’t find is any cash. Generally, if I want cash, I need to use one of the two debit cards I’m carrying and get cash.

So, besides my license, the only other thing I need to have on my person is cash and I’ve been neglecting to put that in my purse for a long time. I should have at least $20 for an emergency. I’ve tried that, but I always end-up spending it and not replacing it. The driver’s license should stay as well as the medical-insurance cards; supermarket discount card and my automatic teller machine (ATM) cards.

If you are like me and find that you are hauling around more than necessary, take 20 minutes and lose the ten pounds. This exercise is good for your mind and also your back.
With huge designer bags being the latest fashion trend, many women are finding the bigger the bag – the bigger their back problems! So, not only are the four-inch heels causing women back pain; oversized handbags are also to blame for increased health problems. The American Physical Therapy Association recommends carrying loads of no more than 15 percent of body weight on the back and shoulders for extended periods of time and offers excellent information at www.apta.org. The website lead me to the following.

In response to a December 7, 2006 New York Times article on heavy handbags entitled, “Ouch! My Bag Is Killing Me,” by J. Courtney Sullivan; Marilyn M. Moffat, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, CSCS had this to say:

Carrying a bulky purse incorrectly may lead to imbalances, tightness, and/or weakness in the muscles of the back, neck, and shoulder, all of which may eventually cause pain. With improper carrying techniques of these oversized, over-weighted bags, women may experience neck spasms, increasing neck and even arm pain, and difficulty sleeping. Once the muscle tightness, weakness, and compensatory patterns are present, they don’t just go away on their own; the woman needs to make changes by removing the source of the stress.

Physical therapists recommend that fashion-conscious women:

Hold the head upright with the chin in and the shoulders gently back and down when carrying an oversized, over-weighted purse;

To maintain normal range of motion of the neck, tilt the head from side to side (earlobe to shoulder); look up and down; and turn the head to look over the shoulder;
Shrug the shoulders and do shoulder pinches to help with proper posture;

Frequently change the size and weight of the purse and never carry more than 10-15% of their body weight;
Adjust the shoulder strap so that the purse does not hang down low - the lower the purse hangs, the greater the strain or pull on the neck and shoulders;

Place the purse over the head so the strap is on one shoulder and crosses in front of the body - this will redistribute the weight and will also look a bit more fashionable than carrying the purse in front of the body;
Periodically throughout the day switch the shoulder on which the purse is carried, and avoid leaning over and picking up something while carrying the purse, which only increases the stress on the low back.

Physical therapists also recommend women perform neck movements throughout the day to alleviate the stress. While rest, massage, or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pills also may be taken to temporarily alleviate the symptoms, they are not the cure. The real cure lies in putting the “smart” into their fashion.

The bottom line is that you can still look good while being smart. Put the “smart” into your own fashion and treat yourself to a new purse. What better reason is there?