Category: Fitness

Partner Workouts Work! by Jennifer Lehman, MS RYT

Are you looking for better results from your work outs? Recent research shows that having a workout partner or a virtual partner can make a difference in your workouts. From being accountable to someone to pushing yourself harder, working out with a partner is proving to be the way to go.

Research shows that exercisers not only achieve better results when working out with a partner, they achieve even greater results when working out with someone who has a higher fitness level. Additionally, when the exerciser is put on a “team” who works out with someone at a high fitness level, the results are even better. Results vary with some doubling their workout times and intensities up some even quadrupling their efforts. This not only suggests that greater results are achieved by partnering, but group exercisers often see the most dramatic results.

Other reasons to work out with a partner are:

You’re more likely to go to work out if you’re accountable to someone
You get to socialize while working out
Workout partners tend to keep each other “honest” with their nutrition goals
Partners who vow to make healthy life changes are more likely to succeed
Partner exercise preferences may vary providing opportunities to engage in activities you may not normally choose to do.

Whether you work out with one or more people, or you prefer a virtual partner, results show that more than likely, you’ll see better results. Below are a few virtual apps to choose from:

Runkeeper.com

Mapmyrun.com

Zombiesrungame.com

Sports-tracker.com

Should You Workout with a Partner?

We hear it all the time, whether it is from our super fit friend or one of the trainers at the gym, “workout with a partner!” Is it worth it? Does it actually help you maximize your workout potential? Or is iShouSht just another way for your best friend, Amanda, the marathon addict, to keep pestering you about going on a run with her? Mason Rec dug into some research to answer these questions for you and we found a resounding “yes!” Here is some of the most compelling research we came across:

The Maryland Athletic Club (MAC) has five huge reasons why you should workout with a partner:

A workout buddy provides motivation. The days you don’t want to work out, he or she will get you out the door. The days he/she feels like skipping, you will get her to the gym. When you want to give up completely, he/she will talk you into sticking with your plan.
They serve as spotters. Your partner can help spot you, keeping your workouts safer yet more challenging at the same time.
They increase your exercise arsenal. There are numerous strength moves you can do with your partner, like crunches with a medicine ball, partner pushups and leg tosses. These are fun and very effective.
They provide companionship. Working out can be lonely, especially long cardio sessions. Having a friend next to you to talk with while you slave away on the elliptical can make the time fly by.
They provide competition. Let’s be honest: We as human beings like to compete with one another. Try finding a workout partner who is just a little more fit than you are. By trying to keep up with them, you will challenge yourself in ways that you cannot do alone.

If these five reasons don’t get you to the gym with your newfound workout partner, maybe this will:

In 2012 The Society of Behavioral Medicine conducted the following study and found some pretty strong evidence that we should be partnering up before we hit the gym more often. Their study consisted of three groups of people that rode bikes in three different conditions. The first group rode their bikes independently. The second group rode their bikes with a virtual workout partner—a screen that looped video of someone also riding a bike (therefore the virtual partner could never rest before the live partner). The third group rode their bikes with a partner and was also informed that their performance would directly affect their partner’s. What were their results? The first group lasted an average of 10.6 minutes before having to rest, the second group lasted 19.8 minutes, and the third group lasted 21.9 minutes. That’s an 87% difference between riding independently and with a virtual partner, while riding with an actual partner doubled the amount of time spent riding. Quite literally, then, exercising with a partner can double your results.

By now, you’re searching for your ultimate workout partner! Once you’ve found them, be sure to head to the RAC’s Cage Gym on February 10^th at 8pm to take part in Be My Fit Valentine. If you find yourself still searching by Tuesday morning, come anyway! Partner planks are an awesome first date! Mason Recreation encourages all couples to attend, whether you want to workout with your boyfriend, your sister, your teammate, or your best friend, we will see you there!

Diary of a Happy Yogi: Yoga for Everyone by Ashley Whimpey

Due to Instagram and Tumblr posts, many believe yoga is all about putting your legs around your face, standing on your hands, or balancing on your head. It seems only the incredibly flexible, or those desiring to be, should practice yoga. These ideas are common misconceptions.

Yoga poses force concentration. The serenity from this concentration discovered in yoga follows you off the mat. It can allow you to discover a deeper sense of power within yourself. For example, when you are strength training. The calm state of mind allows you to function without worrying about injuring yourself because you have learned how to be aware of your body by listening to your body in yoga classes.

The flexibility benefits of yoga translate perfectly into strength training as well. Yoga classes involve activating your slow-twitch muscle fibers when you’re asked to hold poses. Throughout the progression of class your muscles get warmer. Then you may utilize muscles you may not have known you had. The warmth of the muscles allows you to sink deeper into poses, and increase blood flow.As you stretch, and flow through the movements your body tones and balances. The muscles lengthen but are being activated enough to exert more energy than when they were at rest.

Aside from improving on the yoga mat, you can use the flexibility to improve your performance in the weight room. Most gym users find it difficult to complete a deep squat. Improved flexibility will allow you to deepen a squat because of the flexibility in your hips. Lunges are more effective too because of the flexibility of the hip flexors and ankles.

Before setting up a strength training session following your yoga class, consider poses you may not know about that require a great deal of strength. How long could you hold your body in a tricep pushup position, elbows touching your sides, arms creating a 90 degree angle? How long can you balance on one leg, no matter what your arms or other leg are doing? Then, do it again. Simple poses can be difficult, and it’s not unlikely to work up a bit of a sweat in a yoga class. Instead of stacking strength training and yoga back to back, both should be completed separately. Since current research shows too loose or warm muscles (like after yoga) would make your immediate lifting session less effective. Aside from being too relaxed to offer a full power push, some yoga poses are actually quite intense, and could hinder your strength training performance.

Don’t just take my word for it. Tracy and Hart (2013) found that, “Yoga subjects exhibited increased deadlift strength, substantially increased lower back/hamstring flexibility, increased shoulder flexibility, and modestly decreased body fat when compared with a control group.”

Sweat or no sweat, the self reflection period at the closing of a class leaves any yogi with a new awareness of themselves. An optimum collision of strength, flexibility, and soul saturating success.

References:

Tracy, B., & Hart, C. (2013). Bikram Yoga Training and Physical Fitness in Healthy Young Adults. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 822-830.

Stay Fit for the Holidays – by Jennifer Lehman, MS RYT

The holidays can wreck even the most dedicated exerciser’s routine. With a schedule filled with visits from friends and family, shopping, and fun, maintaining your regular fitness program can be a real challenge. You can throw in the towel and wait until January to get back to your regular workouts, but that means you’ll lose some of the progress you’ve already made. Instead, you can schedule activities that will easily fit into your busy schedule. Below are a few ways to stay fit for the holidays.

Wherever you are for the holidays, look for ways to keep moving. If you’re in the mountains, ski, hike, or snowboard. If you’re on the coast, spend time walking on the beach or riding bikes. Plan family outings around physical activity that everyone can enjoy and provides time away from the hustle bustle.
Even during the busiest days, most people can schedule 30 minutes of some type of activity. Walking and running are easy to squeeze into a tight schedule. Or if you’re out and about and can swing by your local fitness center for a quick 30 minute workout, do it! Plan ahead and have workout clothes with you just in case.
Before your shopping day begins, take a few laps around each floor of the mall. That will give you time to window shop and work off a few calories!
Buy a short term holiday membership at your local fitness center. Most facilities offer a student or teacher membership for those who are only home for a few weeks.
Put together a body weight workout that can be done anywhere. A quick set of pushups, jumping jacks, squats, and sit ups can help to maintain your fitness level if you don’t have access to a gym.

Finding time to exercise might be a challenge, but it’s absolutely doable. Keep staying active top of mind and you’ll see you have extra time. By carefully planning how you can keep moving throughout the holidays, you will maintain or even increase your fitness level! So stay fit for the holidays!

Ann Moran – Her Exercise Success

by Jennifer Lehman, MS RYT

Ann Moran has walked consistently for many years. She gets up early every morning to walk her dog Sonny around the Mason campus. Rain or snow, Ann walks the 1.7 mile circle for 30 – 40 minutes to keep herself and Sonny in shape. But several years ago she noticed that even though she was walking, she wasn’t losing weight. Ann found AARP’s book, New American Diet, and began to craft a plan.

In January 2013, Ann made a new year’s resolution to control her diet in addition to her walks with Sonny. By October of that year, she had lost 38lbs going from 188 to 150! That inspired her to begin to consistently use the RAC and the AFC for additional cardio conditioning and calorie burning. October 2014 was her one year anniversary of exercising EVERY DAY for 45 – 60 minutes in one of those locations!

During the Fall of 2014, Ann saw the promotion for “Design Me a Workout” and started working with Olivia, one of the RAC trainers, to put together a strength training program for her and in only a short time, exercising three days per week, she’s seen visible results.

What does Ann attribute her success to? She says, “You have to make it a lifestyle change.” She tells friends and family alike, “You just have to do it! A lot of people have asked me what I have done. When I tell them what I have done and how long it took and what I am continuing to do. I hear “oh that’s a lot of work” and “maybe someday”. I really believe you have to want to do it. You can’t be successful if you don’t have the right frame of mind. Every now and then it’s ok to eat something you wouldn’t normally eat, but then you have to go back to paying attention. ”

On a recent department outing to the EDGE on the PW Campus, Ann was one of several staff members who made it to the top of the Tower! And in May, Ann reached her goal of 135lbs – only 10lbs more than when she was married! More good news is her 10 year old lab Sonny is a slim 85lbs and his vet says he’s in great shape!

The Gentlemen of Zumba!

What started out as a joke between friends has turned into a hobby and passion for two Mason students. Julius Boateng and Jordan Boyd found themselves in a Zumba class after taking a bet amongst their friends. Mason Recreation had the chance to catch up with Julius and Jordan to talk about their experiences in Mason’s Zumba classes.

Both Julius and Jordan work out differently outside of Zumba classes: Julius plays basketball and claims that the Zumba classes are just as intense as a basketball-training workout. Jordan enjoys lifting weights, usually before or after his Zumba class. Jordan also suffered a knee injury this summer, and believes that Zumba has helped him to build back strength in his recovery.

Despite their differences, both students agree, Zumba is an equal substitute for other high intensity workouts. Julius explains, however, that there is one difference, “Zumba doesn’t feel like a workout, it’s just pure enjoyment.” Jordan uses Zumba to add cardio into his workout regiment; he says that running on a treadmill is way too boring compared to these classes.

Julius and Jordan admit that in most of their Zumba classes, they are the minority. They say their classes are mostly women, but this doesn’t intimidate them. If anything, they say it makes it more fun. Julius explains, “I was comfortable, dancing is an exciting activity. It makes it easy to relax and just be yourself.”

Julius explains that there are no perquisites to Zumba, you can always go at your own pace. Jordan encourages everyone, “Jump right into ZUMBA!”

For the remainder of the Fall 2014 semester, Zumba is offered as follows:

Aquatic and Fitness Center Group Exercise Room

Zumba 15314553575_323f56d1ba_z

Monday 6:30-7:25pm

Tuesday 12:15-1:15pm

Wednesday 5:30-6:25pm

Thursday 6:30-7:25pm

Friday 5:30-6:25

Zumba Toning

Tuesday 6:30-7:25pm

Thursday 2:00-3:00pm

**Zumba Toning is a combination of cardio dance moves and dynamic resistance exercises using 2-3lb weights to give you an overall awesome, redefining, total body workout.**

RAC Multipurpose Room #4 (Yoga/Pilates Room)

Zumba

Wednesday and Thursday 5:15-6:15pm

4 Tips to Boost Your Happiness

Practice gratitude. It’s easy to get caught up in, and even addicted to, personal concerns, dramas, and defeats. Instead, focus on all positive things. Half the world lives on less than $2 a day. Most of us have cozy beds to sleep in, showers and baths, food in the fridge, cars to drive, and more stuff than we need. We live in an amazing state of freedom and our life choices abound. There are people who love you and need you. Remind yourself every day that your glass of life isn’t just half full, it’s flowing over.

Tune out negative noise. While you can’t avoid all the negative people and situations in your life, you can surely remove yourself from a lot of it. Turn off the TV, avoid hate radio like the plague, move gently away from constantly negative friends and acquaintances, and seek out more peaceful environments in your leisure time.
Look for miracles. You will find miracles in all the daily, often mundane aspects of your life: the wind singing through the trees, the song of a bird, a blossoming flower, the smile of a child. Pay attention, be fully in the moment, and the miracles will find you.
Formulate a mantra. Think of a simple phrase that affirms your journey towards greater happiness, like “I see the best in everyone” or “I am filled with joy.” Find what resonates with you and sing it to yourself silently all the time. Remember that the happier you are, the more you lift up everyone around you … and everyone around them.

– See more at: http://www.chopra.com/ccl/dont-worry-be-happy-4-ways-to-spread-happiness#sthash.B7aC4X06.R51MqOSy.dpuf