Lisa Sabin’s - Running And Being

Everyone knows that Americans need to get moving. As a nation we are becoming more and more sedentary. Elementary school children are starting to have weight problems. Middle School and High School physical education programs aren’t addressing the problem very effectively. Even sports minded people rarely continue playing their sport after High School.

Our lives just become busier and busier as we get out of college, join the work force and have families. The results are a lot of people are suffering from health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, insomnia, heart disease & high cholesterol. These health problems can be turned around. Just a 10lb reduction in weight can make a huge difference in reducing cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, even help us sleep better.

Our bodies are designed for movement. It’s time to take matters into our own hands and take charge of our health and fitness. A few life style changes and commitment to your health is what it takes. The rewards are well worth it.

FAQ

What should I do? How much cardio? Do I need to lift weights? What about stretching? How often do I need to work out?

“Always check with your physician before beginning an exercise program. Most of us are able to begin an exercise program without restriction if we start slow. However, it is always important to check with your doctor, especially if you are an adult that hasn’t been very active.”

“American College of Sports Medicine’s guidelines for healthy aerobic activity are: Exercise 3 to 5 days each week. Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes before aerobic activity. Maintain your exercise intensity for 30 to 45 minutes. Gradually decrease the intensity of your workout, then stretch to cool down during the last 5 to 10 minutes. If weight loss is a major goal, participate in your aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes for five days each week.”

“Guidelines for strength or resistance training are to lift weights 2 to 3 times per week. Always allow 24 to 48 hours of rest before lifting the same muscle group. Lift in a slow controlled manner. Each repetition should take at least 4 – 6 seconds. Exhale on exertion. Choose a weight such that the last 1-2 repetitions are very difficult. Increase the weight when all repetitions can be performed easily and with proper technique.”

“Guidelines for maintaining flexibility are stretch 2 to 3 times per week. Hold a stretch for 10 to 20 seconds. Stretch statically, never bounce.”

Pitfalls

1) Burn out. Some people jump in and try to do too much too soon, running the risk of overtraining, which can lead to injury.
2) Inconsistency. Some people are so sporadic in their program, one week they workout every day the next week they don’t work out at all. Their results will be sporadic and inconsistent as well. They will wonder why they do not progress.
3) Diet. It doesn’t matter what you do in the gym if you aren’t eating nutritiously or if you are consuming too many calories. A healthy low fat diet, which includes plenty of fruit, vegetables, and fiber is best for maintaining a healthy weight. Cut the processed food and junk food. Cut down on dining out. Restaurant serving sizes are much larger than RDA, recommended daily allowance. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
4) Commitment. It takes a serious commitment to make exercise a part of your life. Think of it like brushing your teeth. Make it part of your routine. Don’t let your other commitments take precedence over your commitment to your health.

You don’t have to hire a trainer to get started on a fitness program, but there are certain benefits to working with a professional. Trainers will provide motivation through challenging, meaningful workouts that keep you focused as you progress toward your goals. Through experience and knowledge, they are able create workouts that are appropriate for you and your abilities. Time is valuable. A good trainer will ensure that you get the most out of your workout time.

Always look for a trainer who is certified. The top certifications for personal trainers come from ACSM, American College of Sports Medicine, NSCA, National Strength & Conditioning Association, & ACE American Counsel on Exercise.

Recommendations For Exercise For Adults Under 65:

1. Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days per week or vigorously intense cardio for 20 minutes a day, 3 days per week.

2. Do 8-10 strength-training exercises, 8-12 repetitions of each exercise twice per week.

Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.

Although the 2007 recommendations are similar to the 1995 recommendations at the core, eight improvements have been made:

1. Moderate-intensity physical activity has been clarified.
The 1995 document simply specified “most, preferably all days per week” as the recommended frequency while the new recommendation identifies five days per week as the recommended minimum.

2. Vigorous-intensity physical activity has been explicitly incorporated into the recommendation.
To acknowledge both the preferences of some adults for vigorous-intensity physical activity and the substantial science base related to participation in such activity, the recommendation has been clarified to encourage participation in either moderate- and/or vigorous-intensity physical activity. Vigorous-intensity physical activity was implicit in the 1995 recommendation. It is now explicitly an integral part of the physical activity recommendation.

3. Specified: Moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities are complementary in the production of health benefits and that a variety of activities can be combined to meet the recommendation.
This combining of activities is based on the amount (intensity x duration) of activity performed during the week and uses the concept of METs (metabolic equivalents) to assign an intensity value to a specific activity.

4. Specified: Aerobic activity needed is in addition to routine activities of daily life.
The updated recommendation now clearly states that the recommended amount of aerobic activity (whether of moderate- or vigorous-intensity) is in addition to routine activities of daily living which are of light intensity, such as self care, casual walking or grocery shopping, or less than 10 minutes of duration such as walking to the parking lot or taking out the trash. Few activities in contemporary life are conducted routinely at a moderate intensity for at least 10 minutes in duration. However, moderate- or vigorous-intensity activities performed as a part of daily life (e.g., brisk walking to work, gardening with shovel, carpentry) performed in bouts of 10 minutes or more can be counted towards the recommendation. Although implied, this concept was not effectively communicated in the original recommendation.

5. “More is better.”
The new recommendation emphasizes the important fact that physical activity above the recommended minimum amount provides even greater health benefits. The point of maximum benefit for most health benefits has not been established but likely varies with genetic endowment, age, sex, health status, body composition and other factors. Exceeding the minimum recommendation further reduces the risk of inactivity-related chronic disease. Although the dose-response relation was acknowledged in the 1995 recommendation, this fact is now explicit.

6. Short bouts of exercise.
Although the original recommendation introduced the concept of accumulating short bouts of physical activity toward the 30-minute goal, there was confusion regarding how short these episodes could be. For consistency and clarity, the minimum length of these short bouts is clarified as being 10 minutes.

7. Muscle-strengthening recommendation now included.
Muscle-strengthening activities have now been incorporated into the physical activity recommendation. Although the 1995 recommendation mentioned the importance of muscular strength and endurance, it stopped short of making specific declarations in this area. Available evidence now allows the integration of muscle strengthening activities into the core recommendation.

8. Clarification in wording.
Minor wording changes in the recommendation have been made to enhance clarity in communications. For example, the term “aerobic,” or endurance, has been added to clarify the type of physical activity being recommended and to differentiate it from muscle-strengthening exercises, which are now part of the core recommendations.

The ACSM is making it easier for people to understand how much exercise is really needed to maintain health and to lose weight. I think the option of shortening the exercise bout, but increasing the intensity, makes sense for a lot of people. Good information!