Category: Fitness

Summer Training: Beat the Heat

It is now the middle of summer, arguably the hottest part of the year. With the temperature regularly reaching the mid 90’s, it is extremely important to take certain precautions when exercising outdoors.

If you are exercising outside, then the time of day is important. Try to avoid exercising during the hotter parts of the day, typically from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If at all possible try to work out early in the morning before the heat hits, or in the

evening when the heat begins to dissipate. During your workouts, choose shaded trails or pathways that keep you out of the sun. If you exercise at night, be sure to do so with a partner and wear brightly colored or reflective clothing so that you are easily visible.

When looking at the weather be sure to take the humidity into account; many weather reports now include an actual temperature and a “feels like” temperature which factors in humidity. Relative humidity affects the body’s ability to cool itself, and studies have found that your exercise capacity is progressively impaired as the relative humidity increases.

Always stay hydrated. You should already be drinking throughout the day, but on warm days make sure that you drink a glass or two of water before heading out. Carry a bottle of water or even a hydration pack, and try to take a drink every 15 minutes, even when you’re not thirsty. When you’re done with your workout, replenish your lost fluids by having a few more glasses of water.

Wear lightweight, breathable, and light-colored clothing. The lighter color actually will reflect heat, and loose, lightweight clothing doesn’t trap heat or prevent sweating. You may also want to try specially designed exercise shirts and shorts made for training in warm weather. They are often made from material meant to help keep you cool.

Always put on sunscreen before going out into the summer sun. Use something with ultraviolet protection and at least 15 SPF, preferably higher. It is important to protect your skin year round, and remember that you can still get burned or suffer sun damage to your skin even on cloudy days.

Listen to your body, and look out for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Signs of heat exhaustion may include fatigue, weakness, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, and an increase in body temperature. Symptoms of heat stroke include temperatures above 104, an inability to sweat, acute respiratory distress, and loss of consciousness. Stop immediately if you’re feeling dizzy, faint or nauseous, and take shelter from the sun.

Summer is a great time to be outside, so stay safe and have fun!

Summer Training: Be Flexible

Flexibility training is an important aspect of any exercise regime. Achieving your optimum level of flexibility increases your body’s resistance to muscular injury by allowing your joints to move through their full range of motion.

Flexibility training targets two different tissue adaptations: elasticity and plasticity. Elasticity refers to the muscles ability to return to original resting length after a stretch. Plasticity refers to the muscles tendency to assume a new and greater length after a stretch, even after the force is removed. The primary goal of stretching is to produce a plastic deformation over time, which causes a permanent increase in our range of motion. Some tips to help achieve this are:

Emphasize stretching to the point of minor discomfort
Hold the stretch for at least 15 to 30 seconds
Stretch after you have sufficiently warmed up the muscles

There are many factors that influence flexibility, some include: joint structure, age, core temperature, and activity levels. While not all of these factors are controllable, we can implement different practices to increase our flexibility.

Traditionally static stretches are completed during warm ups for the majority of our stretching. Holding positions such as a standing quadriceps stretch, a hurdler stretch, or a basic sit and reach. Another option is to use active mobility exercises, such as dynamic stretching, to help warm up the muscles dynamically and take the joints through their full range of motion. That is not to say that static stretches do not have their place in routines. It is good practice to use static stretches after the cool down of your workout.

Dynamic stretches use controlled movements to improve range of motion, loosen muscles, increases heart rate, increase body temperature, and increase blood flow to help you exercise efficiently. Dynamic stretching is most effective when it is activity-specific. The best time to perform dynamic stretches is during a warm-up routine. Several examples of dynamic stretches include walking lunges, straight leg kicks, high knee walks, and arm swings. Once your workout is complete it is a good idea to perform a cool down, and then perform those static stretches. Remember to hold the stretch until you feel a light pull on the muscle. While holding the stretch, be sure to relax. If you are unable to relax, that is a good sign that you may need to lighten the stretch just a little. As you feel less tension you can increase the stretch again until you feel the same light pull. Hold this position, and then relax. You should be able to notice a difference after 3 to 4 weeks.

Spring Training: Powerlifting

Mason Recreation just held its semi-annual powerlifting competition on April 27. The meet consisted of the three traditional lifts, the squat, bench, and deadlift. Now that the meet is done, let’s take a close look at these three compound lifts. When completing any of these lifts make sure that you start out with a light weight and always use a spotter.

Squat

The squat targets the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, and requires you to stabilize your core. Implementing squats into your leg routine can strengthens your legs, increases flexibility, and strengthens the muscles around your knees.

To begin, set the bar in the rack at about mid-chest level. Then position your feet shoulder width apart, directly under the bar. Place the bar evenly above your upper back muscles at the base of your neck.

By lifting the elbow up, you can create a shelf for the bar to rest on so that it is not resting directly on your spine.

Step forward and then begin the movement downwards with your weight on your heels and sink your hips by moving them backwards as if you were going to sit in a chair.

Keep your chest up and look forward to maintain a straight back. Once your hips are parallel with the ground, drive your heels downward and extend your hips and knees to return to the starting position. To avoid a knee injury, do not sink forward by moving your knees in front of your toes.

Deadlift

The deadlift is a total body lift with emphasis on the lower back and hamstrings.

To begin, stand centered over the bar, with your feet slightly more than shoulder width apart.

Grab the bar with an over-under grip so your arms are vertical to the floor. Sink your hips downward, and bend through your knees until your shins touch the bar. Begin to pull upwards, keeping the bar close to your body and your weight on your heels for the duration of the lift.

Keep your chest centered over the bar, and maintain a straight back through the entire lift. Bring the bar up past your knees to your thighs, and drive your hips forward to complete the lift.

Once you are at the top of the movement, lower the bar by pushing your hips back first, and then bend your knees once the bar reaches knee level.

Bench Press

The Bench Press is an upper body lift that targets your pectorals and triceps. To begin the lift, place your feet firmly on the ground and lie flat on the weight bench with your shoulders centered on the pad.

Try to space your grip so that when the bar touches your chest, your forearms are perpendicular to the ground. Squeezing the bar, and keeping your upper-back tight and your chest up, unrack the weight and bring the barbell down to the peak of your chest.

Lower the bar until your elbows are parallel to the floor. Press the bar in a straight line above your chest, not towards your face. Keep the bar above your elbows during the whole lift.

Spring Training: Running

Spring is finally here! What better way to enjoy the weather than going outside for a run? Running may seem basic, but there are actually many factors to consider if one plans on logging some miles this year. Let’s cover some of the basics to help you enjoy your run.

Shoes: Purchasing running shoes is literally where the rubber hits the road. A good pair of shoes increases comfort and can help prevent injuries. The process can be overwhelming, so do your research and get properly fitted by a sales associate. How long should a pair of shoes last? Generally you should be replacing your shoes every 300-400 miles or every six months. It is also important to consider what type of surfaces you will run on.

Warm up and Cool-down: Each run should begin with a warm-up and end with a cool down. The warm up raises the temperature of the muscles for optimal flexibility and efficiency. It also serves to slowly raise your heart rate, which helps minimize the stress on your heart. On average, your warm up should last between 5-10 minutes. The importance of the cool down is to maintain good blood flow and to allow the heart rate to gradually return to resting levels. The cool down should also last about 5-10 minutes.

Stretching: Stretching is something that should be done every time you run. When practiced properly, stretching can help prevent injuries, reduce muscle soreness, and has the potential to improve performance. One way to do this is to implement dynamic stretching into your warm up routine. Examples of dynamic exercise are walking lunges, hurdle walks, high knees, and T walks. When you finish your run, be sure to utilize a foam roller. Regular usage increases flexibility, decreases muscle tension, and helps prevent injuries. After rolling, finish up by performing some static stretching to give your body that final stretch.

Running in warm weather: The key is to stay hydrated. Water is pivotal to your body’s ability to function. Exercise performance is impaired when the body is dehydrated by as little as 2percent of the body weight. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, during, and after your run.

The next thing to consider is keeping cool. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that will allow your body to breathe and cool itself down naturally. If possible, a run early in the morning or later in the evening is a good option to avoid the heat.

February Love

February is the month of love. Many people may have felt the stress of finding a Valentine for Valentine’s Day, but before you can focus on being with someone else for a day or maybe even longer, you need to learn to love yourself first.

Love your body. Love yourself. You may think that sounds lame, but it’s important. Unlike relationships your body is with you for the rest of your life. So treat it with the respect it deserves.

Here are 5 ways to love your body this month and every month after.

1. Get enough sleep. For those of you who are awake for over 12 hours every day, working out and sleeping for only 4 or 5 hours, that is not enough. You’re body is eventually going to break down and get sick or injured. According to Laura Blue of Time magazine, 6.5 to 7.5 hours a day is ideal for your body to feel rested.

2. Have a good attitude. It’s the little things, like not thinking negative things about your body or comparing it to celebrities. You have to remain positive because your body and mind need that to remain motivated towards change.

3. Put yourself first. Most people do so much for others that they don’t have enough time to do what they want. If you want to exercise make time for it or even if you want to read a book schedule that it in. Turn off your cell phone or put it on silent (because I know some of you are attached) and just enjoy time alone, trust me, you need it.

4. Challenge yourself. You don’t have to do anything drastic like sign up for your first marathon but setting simple goals like stay at the gym for 45 minutes today instead of 30 minutes can benefit you overall. It’s up to you to challenge yourself, your body will thank you later!

5. Eat green. Now not everybody loves fruit and vegetables but they’re really good for your body. They provide a good source of fiber, phytonutrients as well as vitamins and minerals.

If you have other ways you love your body on a daily basis feel free to share!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”

Einstein couldn’t have said it better. We’re moving into the winter months and the best thing you can do is just keep moving. Don’t be discouraged by your past weight struggles or your lack of motivation to go to the gym in the cold weather.

Just hop on a bike and keep moving. Literally.

That’s right, I’m talking about spinning.

It’s a fast workout that will help get you in the best shape. The Aquatic and Fitness Center offer it 6 days a week so there’s no excuse not to come!

Spinning has a ton of benefits that can help you, no matter what stage you are in on your fitness journey!

If you can’t do high impact workouts, spinning is perfect for you because it doesn’t put any pressure on your knees.
You can work at your own pace, meaning that you can adjust your own resistance level as you go. You don’t have to worry about keeping up with everyone else.
You can burn a lot of calories. It’s possible to burn an average of 500 calories in a 45 minute spin class
You can also build muscle in your core, butt and thighs in one sitting! It’s a full body workout without having to memorize any intense moves to work specific body parts.
When you do attend a spinning class make sure you come prepared with a bottle full of water, maybe even two and a towel. You will sweat… a lot.

But remember sweat is just fat crying anyways.

Chilly!

Brrr.. It’s cold out there

The clocks have been set back and now you have an extra hour in your day. What are you going to do?

Exercise of course!

Andy Prishack of Select Physical Therapy of Fairfax has a few suggestions for how to exercise in the cold weather.

Remember this fun acronym that may not make much sense..but go with it

BOS SHOT

B-uddy.. find one, it’s so much easier to get outside and get moving when you have someone encouraging you to get out there. Remember when your parents told you about the buddy system? Well it applies to workouts as well.
O-overdress… don’t do it. I know it’s going to be freezing when you get out there.. hey it’s the truth. We’re supposed to get a really cold winter this year. But when you start moving you’re going to regret over dressing. A good rule of thumb is to dress like it’s 20 degrees warmer outside than it really is.
S-hades.. Wear some. For some odd reason many people only think to wear sunglasses in the summer. But the sun shines year around people! The combination of the sun and the snow can cause blindness so go get those shades that you packed away with your summer wardrobe and get going!
S-unscreen.. Okay now you probably think our friend at Select Physical Therapy are crazy. But you need to protect your skin and yourself during the winter months because the sun can still be harmful.
H-ydrate… In the summer months its easier to know when your dehydrated and need to replenish yourself but when its freezing outside the last thing you want to think about is drinking something cold.
O-pen your eyes.. When you exercise outside you probably aren’t thinking about frostbite, but you should because it has negative effects. Be aware of the effects of the weather and what they may do to your body
T-emperature… Make sure you pay attention to it. Believe it or not you may eventually get used to exercising outside but you shouldn’t if the temperature is below zero.