Exercise Adherence Techniques.

Getting started and continuing an exercise program can be a challenging yet, rewarding undertaking. Fifty percent of those who begin an exercise program will drop out with-in six months. You can implement various techniques to improve your adherence to these new lifestyle changes.

Determine where you are going to exercise. Some people find it more convenient to exercise at home. Others may find they have fewer distractions at an exercise facility. If you choose to exercise at a gym, pick one that is nearby, since you may be less likely to exercise at a club that is further away.

You are more likely to stick with your program if it is fun and convenient. Start by identifying activities that you enjoy. Then, determine the most convenient time to exercise with the least distractions.

Your first few workouts should be brief and well within your abilities. Gradually increase the duration and intensity of your exercise. Do not start out with a program your coach had you perform in high school or college. Individualise your program and begin back gradually. When working out with a partner, try to choose someone with a similar fitness level. As a beginner, you may work too hard if you exercise with an experienced partner. Studies have demonstrated you are less likely to continue your program if you exercise at higher intensities too soon. Likewise, long workouts are also associated with higher drop out rates.

Set realistic goals that contribute to long term lifestyle changes. Set both behavioral and outcome goals. A behavior goal could be exercising on weekdays at 7 P.M. for 30 minutes. Examples of outcome goals include losing 10 pounds in 2 months or jumping 1 inch higher by next game season. Understand the objectives behind your outcome goals so you can set appropriate behavioral goals. Focus on achieving your behavior goals since you will have much more control in achieving this type of goal. Do not get discouraged if your short term outcome goals are not achieved by your initial deadline. Change your behavioral goals in accordance to the achievement of your outcome goals. Re-evaluate your plan if you discover a more effective means to attain your objectives or are not certain you can consistently achieve your behavioral goals.

Commit to your goals. Initially, you may be very motivated to stick to your program. It is not unusual for your motivation to dip occasionally. To get yourself through these times, try these techniques:

Establish a routine so physical activity becomes a habit. Plan on a definite time to exercise. Write these times in your planner as you would an appointment. Set recurring alarms on your watch or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) just before your scheduled time to exercise. Set out your workout clothes or pack your workout bag the night before.

If you feel like not working out, agree with yourself to have a very short, light workout. Quite often, after getting ready and warming up, you will find enough motivation to push through a full workout. If you miss your scheduled workout, realize not all is lost. Forgive yourself and reevaluate your behavioral plan. Adjust your strategies to prevent future drop outs and recommit to your program. Develop a back up plan in case of unforeseen circumstances. Agree not to use your back up plan unless absolutely necessary. If you have not successfully stuck to your program in the past, analyze past obstacles and implement new strategies to overcome these barriers.

Perform a variety of exercises and activities. Engage in utilitarian activities such as walking to the store, walking the dog, or catching up on yard work. Try new activities you think you may enjoy. Consider less traditional forms of exercise like kayaking, urban hiking, or participating in sports leagues or pickup games. Check to see if your company offers wellness incentive programs, fitness facilities, or corporate sports competitions. Perhaps, plan and train for an adventure vacation or sports event. Learn about these new activities by reading an instructional book, joining a training group, or hiring a personal trainer.

Plan your workouts by selecting exercises for the next month or week. Implement a variety of activities. Consider scheduling a different activity on specific days of the week adjusting in accordance of your changing interests. If you workout with weights, change your exercise program every month to alleviate boredom and to restimulate progress. When walking, jogging, or cycling, vary exercise routes or trails. Use diversions such as listening to music, watching television, or reading during exercises that you would otherwise find a bit boring.

Utilize social support. Find an exercise partner, hire a personal trainer, or exercise in a group setting. A training partner or exercise instructor can provide feedback, assistance, and motivation. Participate in physical activities with your spouse, family, or friends. Be creative. Every week, take turns having family members choose their favorite family activity.

Share your goals with those close to you or others that are likely to ask you about your progress. Ask them for their support. Having explained that you have set aside a particular time to exercise can potentially minimize future conflicts or misunderstandings. Those close to you will have the opportunity to understand the importance of your goals and the time you have set aside for them.

Write your goals on paper and post them where they are in view for you to see every day (e.g. refrigerator, mirror, date book, etc.). Some people may even find it helpful to sign a personal fitness contract with their personal trainer or friend.

Monitor your progress. Record your activity and progress in an exercise diary or log. You can even record your diet in a journal or a food exchange check list. Consider purchasing an electronic monitoring gadget like a pedometer, heart rate monitor, or stop watch to track your progress.

Find an exercise professional who can monitor your progress. Regular fitness tests can objectively measure the effectiveness of your program and can possibly save you months or even years of hard work. If progress is not significant, immediate changes can be made to your program. A fitness professional can help you decide the tests most compatible with your fitness goals and how often you should test.

Although some individuals may thrive on competition, many beginners may get discouraged when they compare their fitness levels and abilities with others. Comparing yourself to others may bring about either disappointment or conceit. Remember, it is not so important where you are today as it is where you will be tomorrow.

Certainly, you do not need to implement every strategy outlined in this article. Start out with the techniques you believe will have the most impact in your adherence to your program: find activities you find fun and convenient, set goals, start out gradually, monitor your progress, perform a variety of exercises and activities, use diversions, and utilize social support.

Source: exrx.net

The Importance of Frequent Meals.

Any person who is involved in any kind of fitness regime, knows that eating small meals frequently throughout the day, is better than having a few large meals. There are numerous benefits to doing the same. Increased meal frequency appears to have a positive effect on various blood markers of health, particularly LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and insulin. It also appears to help decrease hunger and improve appetite control.

However, due to varied lifestyles, it may not always be possible to have small meals throughout the day. The logistical requirement of carrying around your meals with you throughout the day, the availability of a microwave to heat them before consumption, and adequate time and place to actually have the food, puts a lot of people off. Nevertheless, if you are someone who has decided to go ahead and adopt such a meal plan, here are a few pointers to get you started.

• Eat a snack during the time you are without food the longest during your waking hours
• Eat small meals every 2.5 or 4 hours throughout the day
• Plan 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks distributed throughout the day, every 2.5 to 4 hours
• If eating less than 3 meals, eat an additional meal
• Introduce breakfast by drinking milk, fruit or vegetable juice
• Add an additional food to breakfast
• Eat cereal for bedtime snack instead of a high fat snack food
• Prepare extra for meals so leftovers are on hand
• Plan time for preparing a nutritious lunch or snack for hard to get away times
• Slightly decrease portion sizes of your largest meals

A little bit of planning too, in this regard, would go a long way.

• Write weekly menu with accompanying shopping list
• Keep shopping list (with pen or pencil) conveniently located in kitchen
• Prepare foods the evening before and refrigerate for the next day

In order to make this change to your lifestyle more motivating and to keep yourself committed to it, you may try doing a few more things. Pick one goal each week that you feel confident you can modify in your diet for years to come. Every week, record date of commitment by goal. Share your goal with those close to you and put a note of your goal on your refrigerator so you are more likely to succeed.

Good Luck!

The Importance of Posture

Ever tweaked a muscle when working out? Whether due to a loss of focus or chronic poor form, getting hurt when exercising can be a huge setback. Good posture means maintaining correct alignment of your body in a seated position, while standing, and during motion. Most athletes and active people pay attention to posture during exercise, but after a few minutes at the desk we start to slump. Being able to maintain good posture is a combination of flexibility, strength, endurance, and awareness. Most people have the ability to achieve proper alignment, however in just seconds they can start to lose their alignment.

Posture is both static and dynamic, yet we must practice good posture in the gym but also at home. Attempting great posture during lifts will not always translate over to good posture sitting or even standing. It is a combination of the numbers game. Meaning, the average person spends roughly seven hours a day sitting at work, then add in driving time, meals, watching TV, and other activities. This can translate into over twelve hours a day sitting. No amount of good posture while lifting for the hour or two you work out can make up for the sheer amount of time spent in poor position while sitting.

Positioning in exercise is critical to force output, energy conservation, and safety. An athlete in a good position is resilient and tends to remain injury free. The body is meant to move large loads and have great endurance. Poor positioning and posture not only require additional energy but also strain the body in unnatural ways and directly correlates to higher injury rates.Fortunately, weight lifting and cardio needn’t be dangerous if you can keep a few concepts in mind.

First, try this posture test: When viewed from the side, an imaginary vertical line should pass through your earlobe, the tip of your shoulder, midway through your trunk, over the bony part of your thigh, and then through both your knee and ankle. If there is any deviation from this alignment, like if your ears are in front of your shoulders or your shoulders roll toward your chest, you are set-up for potential injury.

Aside from maintaining ideal posture, try these technique modifications to avoid injuring yourself during 5 common exercises:

1. SQUAT:

Don’t let you knees drop inward. This common mistake can be remedied if you actively spread your knees apart.

Our advice: Doing air squats with a mini band around your thighs is a good way to train proper technique.

2. DEADLIFT:

Avoid low back injury by maintaining your natural lumbar curvature.

Our advice: Imagine a broomstick running along the length of your spine; if your pelvis curls off the bottom of the stick during the deadlift, then you’ve lost your lumbar curve.

3. SHOULDER PRESS:

Decrease the risk of shoulder impingement by mimicking the natural plane of shoulder motion.

Our advice: Hold your elbows slightly forward of your chest, rather than directly at your sides.

4. PLANK:

Spare yourself unnecessary spinal compression by preventing your head and belly from sagging to the floor.

Our advice: Tighten your core and shoulder girdle so that you are one straight line from the top of your skull to your ankles.

5. RUNNING:

Land as softly as possible to decrease impact on your joints.

Our advice: One method to do this is by decreasing your stride length, while simultaneously increasing your cadence.

Good Luck!

Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes

The incidence of type 2 diabetes is on the rise, which experts largely attribute to the rise in obesity. Type 2 diabetes, which is responsible for 90 to 95% of all diabetes cases, is more common in adults, but as rates of childhood obesity increase, more young children are being diagnosed with the disease. The good news is that simple lifestyle changes can prevent and, in some cases, counter the course of this disease.

Type 2 Diabetes Explained

Following digestion, a hormone called insulin is released into the blood from the pancreas. Among insulin’s primary roles is its ability to allow carbohydrates (absorbed in the form of glucose) and proteins to enter muscle cells, where they are stored or used for energy. With type 2 diabetes, some insulin is produced, but the body does not effectively use it. This condition is known as “insulin resistance” and prohibits glucose from entering the cells. In turn, blood glucose rises to abnormal levels in the blood. If unchecked for extended periods, elevated glucose levels lead to heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and nerve dysfunction.

Type 2 diabetes is strongly linked to lifestyle factors, especially diet and exercise. People at highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes have a family history, as well as other cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

However, the same techniques that are used for prevention of this disease—a healthy diet and regular exercise—can be used to control and possibly reverse its progression.

Exercise Can Help

The latest research has put exercise at the forefront in the prevention, control and treatment of diabetes because it decreases insulin resistance. Following regular exercise training, cells can better respond to insulin and effectively take glucose out of the blood and into the cell. Exercise also helps to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing blood pressure, cholesterol levels and body fat.

Exercise Recommendations

If you have type 2 diabetes, you should adhere to the following exercise guidelines:

• Always consult with your physician before starting any exercise program to determine the potential risks associated with exercise.
• Cardiovascular exercise—Strive to accumulate a minimum of 1,000 kcal expended through physical activity each week. Pending current conditioning levels, this may require three to seven days per week of low-to-moderate intensity exercise for 20 to 60 minutes (walking and other non-weightbearing activities such as water aerobics and cycling are good choices). Daily exercise is highly recommended.
• Resistance training—Perform resistance-training activities at least two days per week, targeting  the major muscle groups. Complete a minimum of one set of 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise at a low-to-moderate intensity.
• Flexibility—Perform stretching exercises at least two to three days per week, stretching major muscle groups to the point of tension (not pain) for 15 to 30 seconds. Complete two to four repetitions of each stretch.
• The ultimate goal is to expend a minimum of 1,000 calories per week via physical activity for health benefits, or 2,000 calories per week for weight loss. Keep in mind that these are goals that you should work up to gradually over time.

What are the precautions?

If you have type 2 diabetes, you must monitor your glucose before and after exercise to understand how you respond to certain types of activities. Also, exercising with a partner and wearing an ID bracelet indicating one’s diabetic condition are very important.

Finally, don’t forget to check with your physician prior to beginning a physical-activity program and return regularly to assess the diabetic complications. If complications of the eyes, kidney or heart are present, your physician should provide you with clear boundaries regarding the intensity of any physical activity.

Additional Resources

American Diabetes Association
Centers for Disease Control
Mayo Clinic

Source: Acefitness.org

Periodized Training.

You have the best intentions regarding your workout, but find that your motivation has been sapped.

Lately, no matter how hard or how often you work out, you just can’t seem to progress any further. You’re stuck on a plateau.

It turns out that the exercise you’ve been doing has worked so well that your body has adapted to it. You need to “shock” or “surprise” your body a bit. You need to give it a new challenge periodically if you’re going to continue to make gains.

That goes for both strength and cardiovascular training. “Periodizing” your training is the key. Instead of doing the same routine month after month, you change your training program at regular intervals or “periods” to keep your body working harder, while still giving it adequate rest.

For example, you can alter your strength-training program by adjusting the following variables:

• The number of repetitions per set, or the number of sets of each exercise
• The amount of resistance used
• The rest period between sets, exercises or training sessions
• The order of the exercises, or the types of exercises
• The speed at which you complete each exercise
• There are many different types of periodized strength-training programs, and many are geared to the strength, power and demands of specific sports. The most commonly used program is one that will move you from low resistance and a high number of repetitions to high resistance and a lower number of repetitions.
• Such a program will allow your muscles to strengthen gradually and is appropriate for anyone interested in general fitness.

Research Shows Better Results

A frequently cited study conducted at the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University has shown that a periodized strength-training program can produce better results than a non-periodized program. The purpose of the study, which was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2001, was to determine the long-term training adaptations associated with low-volume, circuit-type training vs. periodized, high-volume resistance training in women (volume = total amount of weight lifted during each session).

The 34 women in the study were divided into those two groups, along with a non-exercising control group. Group 1 performed one set of eight to 12 repetitions to muscle failure three days per week for 12 weeks. Group 2 performed two to four sets of three to 15 repetitions, with periodized volume and intensity, four days per week during the 12- week period.

As the chart shows, the periodized group showed more substantial gains in lean muscle, greater reductions in body fat and more substantial strength gains than the non-periodized group after 12 weeks.

Periodizing Your Cardiovascular Workout

You should also periodize your cardiovascular training for the same reasons—to further challenge your body while still allowing for adequate recovery time.

If, for example, you’re a recreational runner, running for fitness, fun and the occasional short race, you’ll want to allow for flat, easy runs, as well as some that incorporate hills and others that focus on speed and strength.

What you don’t want to do is complete the same run every time. If you run too easily, and don’t push yourself, you won’t progress. And chances are you’ll get bored. Conversely, too much speed or high-intensity training will lead to injury or burnout, and most likely, disappointing race results.

If you are serious about improving your time in a 10K or completing a half marathon or even a full marathon, you’ll need a periodized program geared to each type of race. Many such programs are available from local running clubs, in running books and magazines, from some health clubs, as well as on running websites.

Specially designed periodized training programs are also available for cycling and many other sports.

Periodized training will ensure that you continue to make measurable progress, which will keep you energized and interested in reaching your goals.

Additional Resources

Marx, J.O et al. (2001). Low-volume circuit versus high-volume periodized resistance training in women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33, 635–643.
American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand
American College of Sports Medicine

Source: Acefitness.org

Tabata.

Tabata training is one of the most popular forms of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It consists of eight rounds of ultra-high-intensity exercises in a specific 20-seconds-on, 10-seconds-off interval. It may only take four minutes to complete a Tabata circuit, but those four minutes may well push your body to its absolute limit.

Tabata training was born after Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata and his colleagues compared the results of moderate intensity training and HIIT.

Tabata training should be done with one movement. So, if you choose a movement like front squats, or thrusters, or burpees, you do it at absolute maximum intensity for 20 seconds, take a 10-second rest, then begin again. Part of what makes Tabata so difficult is performing four minutes of the same movement at kill-yourself intensity. If you’re not absolutely toast after those four minutes, you didn’t go hard enough.

Some people now vary the exercises during a session. It’s also popular to increase or decrease rounds and intensity. Although this variation may not technically count as Tabata Protocol, adding or subtracting rounds or changing movements every other round can be useful. (If you really want an insane full-body workout, try three rounds of Tabata!)

Either way, Tabata burns a lot of calories and provides a killer full-body anaerobic and aerobic workout. Tabata training also improves athletic performance, improves glucose metabolism, and acts as an excellent catalyst for fat burning. The Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) effect is off the charts for Tabata Training.

Tabata Training can be done with a number of different exercises. The idea is to use an exercise that gets the whole body involved, or at least the major muscle groups. It can be done with barbells, dumbells, kettlebells or just bodyweight exercises. If you want to add tabata to your weight workout, simply pick four barbell exercises that you can easily transition between. Perform the first exercise for as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then perform the second exercise as fast as possible for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds, and repeat this process for the remaining exercises.

Here’s a sample of a four-exercise barbell Tabata complex (with each movement done twice):

BARBELL TABATA WORKOUT:

1. Reverse Lunges
2. Shoulder Press
3. Romanian Deadlifts
4. Back Squats

Once you’ve completed all four exercises you’re only half way done, because you’ll only be two minutes into the Tabata. Go back to the first exercise and repeat the entire complex again without ever dropping the bar.

Here’s a sample of a four-exercise dumbbell Tabata complex:

DUMBBELL TABATA WORKOUT:

1. Bicep Curls
2. Incline Flyes
3. Arnold Shoulder Press
4. Side Lateral Raise

* 20 seconds on each exercise with a 10 second rest in between x 2 sets

And for a fast, cardio shred try this workout:

CARDIO TABATA WORKOUT:

Sprinting – sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds x 8 times
Jump rope – jump for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds x 8 times

Lactic Acid

As our bodies perform strenuous exercise, we begin to breathe faster as we attempt to shuttle more oxygen to our working muscles. The body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning with oxygen. Some circumstances, however, such as lifting heavy weights, require energy production faster than our bodies can adequately deliver oxygen. In those cases, the working muscles generate energy anaerobically. This energy comes from glucose through a process called glycolysis, in which glucose is broken down or metabolized into a substance called pyruvate through a series of steps.

When the body has plenty of oxygen, pyruvate is shuttled to an aerobic pathway to be further broken down for more energy. But when oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown, and thus energy production, to continue. The working muscle cells can continue this type of anaerobic energy production at high rates for one to three minutes, during which time lactate can accumulate to high levels.

Contrary to popular opinion, lactate or, as it is often called, lactic acid buildup is not responsible for the muscle soreness felt in the days following strenuous exercise. Rather, the production of lactate and other metabolites during extreme exertion results in the burning sensation often felt in active muscles, though which exact metabolites are involved remains unclear. This often painful sensation also gets us to stop overworking the body, thus forcing a recovery period in which the body clears the lactate and other metabolites.

Methods to reduce Lactic Acid:

1) Stay hydrated: Lactic acid is water soluble, so the more hydrated you are, the less likely you are to feel a burn while you workout and cause lactic acid build up.

2) Breathe deeply: The cause of the burning sensation you feel in your muscles while exercising is twofold: it is partly due to the build up of lactic acid, but it is also due to a lack of oxygen.

3) Work out frequently: The more physically fit you are, the less glucose your body will need to burn and there will be less acid build up.

4) Be cautious when lifting weights: Weight lifting is an activity that tends to promote lactic acid build up because it requires more oxygen than our bodies can deliver.

5) Decrease the intensity: Decrease the intensity of your workout if you start to feel a burn. The burning sensation you feel during intense exercise is the body’s defense mechanism trying to prevent overexertion.

6) Stretch after your workout: Since lactic acid disperses 30 minutes to an hour after your workout, stretching helps to release lactic acid, alleviating any burning sensations or muscle cramps you might be experiencing.

7) Stay active: Rest after your workout, but lead an active life. Muscles need activity as well as oxygen and water to stay healthy. If you feel a burn in your muscles occasionally, there is no cause for alarm; lactic acid in small amounts is not damaging to your body and may even have some beneficial effects on your metabolism.

8) Increase your magnesium intake: The mineral magnesium is essential for proper energy production within the body. Healthy magnesium levels will help the body to deliver energy to the muscles while exercising, thus limiting the build up of lactic acid. Therefore, you should make an effort to increase your daily magnesium intake, preferably through your diet.

9) Eat foods rich in fatty acids: A healthy intake of foods rich in fatty acids helps the body to break down glucose, a process which is essential for normal energy production. This can help to limit the body’s need for lactic acid during a tough workout and keep you going for longer.

10) Eat foods containing B vitamins: B vitamins are useful in transporting glucose around the body, which helps to fuel the muscles during a workout, thus reducing the need for lactic acid.

Our ACSM Certified Personal Trainer journey.

Sandip and Rohan from Team SRV Athletics are on their way to become ACSM Certified Personal Trainers! The four month, in-depth and thorough training will make them qualified to plan and implement exercise programs for healthy individuals or those who have medical clearance to exercise. The CPT facilitates motivation and adherence as well as develops and administers programs designed to enhance muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and/or any of the motor skills related components of physical fitness.

The American College of Sports Medicine was founded in 1954 by a small group of physical educators and physicians who recognised that health problems were associated with certain lifestyle choices, especially smoking and lack of exercise. Since then, ACSM members from all professional backgrounds have applied their knowledge, training and dedication in sports medicine and exercise science to promote healthier lifestyles for people around the globe.

ACSM is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organisation in the world. With more than 50,000 members and certified professionals worldwide, it is dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

To find out more about ACSM and if you too are interested in their various certifications, you can click on the links above or read their FAQs here.

Wish them luck!

Exercises: Compound Vs Isolation.

Any kind of exercise involves movement. Exercise, and so movement, helps in increased calorie expenditure and strengthens muscles by working them. Movement, in the context of exercise, can be categorized into two: Compound and Isolation.

Compound Exercises:

Compound exercises use multiple muscles in unison with each other to perform a certain task, which is ideal for greater strength increases. For healthy adults who are trying to get the most out of a training program, compound exercises are generally preferred and recommended. There are many reasons to use compound exercises during your workout. Since it uses more muscle groups, it:

• means more calories burned during exercise.
• simulates real-world exercises and activities.
• allows you to get a full body workout faster.
• improves coordination, reaction time and balance.
• improves joint stability and improves muscle balance across a joint.
• decreases the risk of injury during sports.
• keeps your heart rate up and provides cardiovascular benefits.
• allows you to exercise longer with less muscle fatigue.
• allows you to lift heavier loads and build more strength.

A great example of a compound exercise is the squat exercise, which engages many muscles in the lower body and core, including the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the calves, the glutes, the lower back and the core.

Isolation Exercises:

Isolation exercises work only one muscle or muscle group and only one joint at a time. Isolating a specific muscle is sometimes necessary to get it to activate and increase its strength. Isolation exercises are often recommended to correct muscle imbalance or weakness that often occurs after an injury. Often, after an injury, a muscle becomes weak and other muscles compensate for that weakness. If you never retrain the injured muscles to fire properly again, it may set up a biomechanical imbalance that is difficult to correct. Therefore, isolation exercises are also frequently used in physical therapy clinics and rehab centers in order to correct a specific muscle weakness or imbalance that often occurs after injury, illness, surgery or certain diseases.

Another reason to perform specific isolated exercises is to increase the size or bulk of a specific muscle group. For example, if you want big biceps, you’ll probably want to add some bicep isolation work to your regular exercise routine.

Most healthy adults will use compound exercises for the majority of a training program and use isolation exercises to complement that program as needed.

Therefore, if you are interested in getting a complete, efficient and functional workout, doing predominantly compound exercises during your training is ideal. However, there are times when isolating a specific muscle, muscle group or joint is necessary and recommended. If you aren’t sure what is best for you, a personal trainer or athletic trainer can help locate any muscle imbalance or weakness you may have and design a program to fit your needs.

Body Mass Index.

The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a measure of relative weight based on an individual’s mass and height. It is defined as the individual’s body mass divided by the square of their height – with the value universally being given in units of kg/m2. It is used as a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults.

The BMI is used in a wide variety of contexts as a simple method to assess how much an individual’s body weight departs from what is normal or desirable for a person of his or her height. There is, however, often vigorous debate, particularly regarding at which value of the BMI scale the threshold for overweight and obese should be set, but also about a range of perceived limitations and problems with the BMI.

What is a healthy BMI?

For most adults, an ideal BMI is in the 18.5-24.9 range.

If your BMI is 25 or more, you weigh more than is ideal for your height.

• 25-29.9 is overweight

• 30-39.9 is obese

• 40 or more is very obese

• If your BMI is less than 18.5, you weigh less than is ideal for your height.

Overweight BMI

If your BMI is 25 or more, you should think about losing weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of health problems, such as:

• Heart disease

• Stroke

• Type 2 Diabetes

• Some types of Cancer

• High blood pressure (Hypertension)

• Kidney disease

Healthcare professionals use the words ‘obese’ and ‘obesity’ as clinical terms to describe your increased risk of health problems. They do not use these terms to describe what you look like.

Underweight BMI

If your BMI is less than 18.5, you may want to talk to your doctor about gaining weight. Being underweight can also increase your risk of health problems, such as:

• Brittle bones (Osteoporosis)

• Absent periods in women (Amenorrhoea)

• Iron deficiency Anaemia

Accuracy of BMI

As well as measuring your BMI, healthcare professionals may take other factors into account when assessing if you’re a healthy weight.

Muscle weighs more than fat. Very muscular people, such as heavyweight boxers, weight trainers and athletes, may be a healthy weight even though their BMI is classed as obese.

Your ethnic group can also affect your risk of some health conditions. For example, adults of Asian origin may have a higher risk of health problems at BMI levels below 25.

You should not use BMI as a measure if you’re pregnant.

You can calculate your BMI easily by clicking on the link here.

The benefits of running.

Jogging or running is a popular form of physical activity and we all know running is good for one’s health. Regular running builds strong bones, improves cardiovascular fitness and helps to maintain a healthy weight. The difference between running and jogging is intensity, but both are forms of aerobic exercise.

Regular running or jogging offers many health benefits. Running can:

• help to build strong bones, as it is a weight bearing exercise

• strengthen muscles

• improve cardiovascular fitness

• burn plenty of kilojoules

• help maintain a healthy weight.

The difference between running and jogging is intensity. Running is faster, uses more kilojoules and demands more effort from the heart, lungs and muscles than jogging. Running requires a higher level of overall fitness than jogging.

Both running and jogging are forms of aerobic exercise. Aerobic means ‘with oxygen’ – the term ‘aerobic exercise’ means any physical activity that produces energy by combining oxygen with blood glucose or body fat.

It is however, advisable to keep a few things in mind with relation to running or jogging.

• Make sure you eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.

• Avoid eating directly before going for a run.

• Avoid running during the hottest part of the day in summer.

• Drink plenty of water before, during and after your run.

• Take your mobile phone with you.

• If using an iPod or headset, do not have the music too loud – stay alert and aware.

• Wear reflective materials if you’re running in the early morning or at night.

• Tell someone where you plan to run and when you think you’ll be back.

• Choose well-lit, populated routes and avoid dangerous and isolated areas.

• If you injure yourself while running, stop immediately. Seek medical advice.

Its important to remember that anyone who has never run in the past or has health issues should, of course, consult a doctor before starting a running program.

What is TRX?

The term ‘suspension training’ refers to an approach to strength training that uses a system of ropes and webbing called a “suspension trainer” to allow the user to work against their own body weight.

Once such training program that we hear about a lot is TRX.

Randy Hetrick, a former Navy Seal and Stanford MBA graduate, developed the Total Resistance eXercise (TRX) equipment and the associated Suspension Training bodyweight exercises in the 1990s, and started marketing it in 2005. The TRX Suspension Trainer is said by the makers to be an original, best-in-class workout system that leverages gravity and your bodyweight to perform hundreds of exercises. You’re in control of how much you want to challenge yourself on each exercise – because you can simply adjust your body position to add or decrease resistance.

The main benefit that one may derive by using The TRX Suspension Trainer system could be:

• Delivering a fast, effective total-body workout
• Helping build a rock-solid core
• Increasing muscular endurance
• Benefitting people of all fitness levels (pro athletes to seniors)
• Can be set-up anywhere (gym, home, hotel or outside)

It is said by the makers that by utilizing your own bodyweight, the TRX Suspension Trainer provides greater performance and functionality than large exercise machines costing thousands of dollars.

Proponents of suspension training argue that it develops core body strength, as well as joint and muscular stability, reducing the chance of injury. However some sports scientists have expressed concern that weaker individuals may not have the core stability or joint integrity to use the system safely and effectively.

Here is video demonstrating a TRX Workout with Inventor Randy Hetrick.

For more information, you can visit their website by clicking here.

Benefits of Weight Training for Women.

People everywhere are now aware that some or the other form of exercise is good for health. Obviously, women too want to stay slim and healthy, specially after they are in their 30’s. However, there is still a lot of misconception among women about whether weight training should be done by them or not. It’s generally known that weight training causes men to build a lot of muscle and become huge and ripped. So it’s commonly thought that weight training by itself, will produce similar results in women. That is not the case. Let’s see why weight training is beneficial for women and won’t cause them to become muscular and bulky like men.

1) Less testosterone means less muscle mass: Testosterone is the hormone that makes men, men. It is what causes and helps build and maintain muscles in men, along with numerous other functions. Women, however, do not have as much testosterone as men. They have estrogen. The tiny amount of testosterone that is present in a woman’s body is not nearly enough to create the kind of muscle mass that an average man has. Hence, weight training in women will give you all the benefits that it would to a man, except for the substantial muscle mass. The general effects of testosterone in men can be found here and the general effects of estrogen in women can be found here.

2) Better way to lose fat: When compared head to head, weight training is more effective at burning body fat that either yoga or cardiovascular exercises. Also, the main advantage of weight training is your body’s ability to burn fat during and after exercise. After a heavy bout of strength training, you continue to consume additional oxygen in the hours and even days that follow. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. When your body uses more oxygen, it requires more caloric expenditure and an increased metabolic rate.

3) Improved heart and bone health: People who lift weights are less likely have heart disease risk factors such as a large waist circumference, high triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, and elevated glucose levels. As you age, you are at risk of losing both bone and muscle mass. Postmenopausal women are at a greater risk for osteoporosis because the body no longer secretes estrogen. Resistance training is an excellent way to combat loss of bone mass, and it decreases the risk of osteoporosis.

4) Increased calorie expenditure and better sleep: As you increase strength and lean muscle mass, your body uses calories more efficiently. Daily muscle contractions from a simple blink to a heavy squat contribute to how many calories you burn in a given day. Sitting burns fewer calories than standing; standing burns fewer than walking, and walking burns fewer than strength training. Also, as a result of all the hard work while exercising, strength training greatly improves sleep quality, aiding in your ability to fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake less often during the night.

Therefore, it’s quite important that along with yoga or cardiovascular exercises, women include weight training in their regimen too. Not only it is better that either just yoga or cardio, it will complement their benefits and make you stronger overall. Resistance training can benefit in all aspects of your life. Put it in your fitness plan and feel stronger, healthier, and more confident!

Motivation in the Gym.

The most difficult part of exercising doesn’t seem to be the ability to start. More often than not, the hardest part is to continue. People often start working out with gusto and with a sense of purpose, but lose focus in a few days and either stop going to the gym, or just while their time away simply going through the motions, not really giving it their fullest effort. If you are someone who has experienced this, don’t worry. You are not the only one. This is very common and has logical reasoning behind it.

As the phrase suggests, an exercise routine, is really that. A routine. Meaning that you have to go through a set of exercises for a certain number of days in a week. Same gym, same trainer, same workouts. This can be very boring for a lot of people, specially considering the fact that the results are not immediately visible, and it is inherently something that will cause one discomfort after the workout in the form of minor body aches and soreness. So it’s quite understandable why a person may lose interest in working out just after a few days of beginning to do so.

Thankfully, there are a few things that can be done to keep one’s interest in exercise active and make those sessions so enjoyable, that you would actually be looking forward to the next one! Here is small list of things that can (or rather should) be done so that you do not lose your focus in the gym.

1) Choose a gym that is close to your home: Travelling to and from the gym will take time. If you live quite far away from your gym, it’s easier to tell yourself that you might get stuck in traffic, or you don’t have enough time to rest after the workout and before you go to work etc, and so, skip working out. Choosing a gym that’s close to your house, will ensure that even if you have just 30-45 minutes to spare, you can still pop in and get a good workout.

2) Choose your trainer with utmost care: This is a point that cannot be emphasised enough. Your instructor or trainer is someone you are trusting with your health and well being. It is the trainer’s job to choose the correct workout plans for you based on your goals and maybe even advise you about nutrition plans to complement those workouts. Hence, it’s very important that you choose a trainer, with whom you feel free to share your ideas about your workout and diet, and can also freely give feedback about how you feel at the end of the session. A good trainer is someone who will be honest with you and advise you about the realistic time frame in which your goal is achievable. He or she will also need to change your workout based on your actual performance in the gym. A trainer certified from an accredited institute is normally preferred over someone who is not, but that doesn’t always mean better. Experience counts a lot too. Talk to a few trainers at your gym and find out their style of training before you decide on one. Some gyms may also let you bring your personal trainer with you even if they are not an employee of that gym. Check all these possibilities before choosing a trainer.

3) Set realistic time frames for yourself: If you weigh a 100kgs and want to lose 50kgs in 2 months, we all know that is not going to happen, at least not in a way that’s healthy. Setting a realistic time frame for your goal is very important to keep you interested in working out. People expect too much too soon, and when that doesn’t happen, they tell themselves that they can’t do it and eventually stop trying. As mentioned in the point above, talk to your trainer about your fitness goals, be it weight gain or loss, increasing strength and agility, and set a realistic time frame in which you think it is possible. Sometimes, this can change once you actually begin working out, based on your performance. Don’t shy away from taking a little more time to achieve your goal. After all, being fit is not a one time thing. It’s a lifestyle.

4) Listen to music: This one is simple. Crank up the volume on your phone or music player and your favourite tunes will help you get through those gruelling workouts! So take some time out to create a good playlist on your phone (stuff that will get your blood pumping) and you will be done with your workouts before you even know it!

5) Track your progress: As mentioned above, setting realistic time frame for your goals is important to keep you engaged in working out. Keeping a track of your progress will actually help you gauge how close you have come to achieving it, and how much further you need to go. The simplest method would be to keep a track of your measurements in a diary or your phone and updating it every week. You can simultaneously keep a visual track of your progress by clicking pictures on your phone each week and archiving them for comparison with newer pictures. Keep a track of your personal records(PRs) like best bench press or best squat. While working out in the gym, you will inadvertently make friends. Find people who have similar goals to achieve, find a training partner and maybe share your progress on Facebook or Instagram and such. A little bit of friendly competition will go a long way in this regard!

The biggest motivator in the gym really is the positive physical change that a person can see in themselves after putting in so many hours of hard work. Follow the pointers above, and you will definitely make the most out of your workout sessions and are guaranteed to enjoy it more!

Good Luck!

The Importance of Warming Up and Cooling Down.

It’s quite often seen in gyms that people just walk in and start working out immediately. They don’t really warm up before the work out and/or don’t do any kind of cooling down exercises post that. If asked why, the most common explanation seems to be that they don’t have enough time, and also don’t consider warming up and cooling down an important part of the workout routine. All they want is to start the workout and leave as soon as possible.

Lets try to see what warming up and cooling down mean, and how and why are they important to your workout.

Warming Up: The truth is that warm-up is one of the most important elements of an exercise program. It is particularly important to prevent injury. Warm-up is low level activity, such as a brisk walk or a slow jog, which should be completed prior to stretching and more strenuous exercise. The objective of the warm-up is to raise total body temperature and muscle temperature to prepare the entire body for vigorous activity. This then increases the speed and force of muscular contractions, because nerve impulses travel faster at higher body temperatures, and muscles become less stiff or more pliable. The warm-up period prepares the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system and the musculoskeletal system by gradually increasing the demand on those systems so that they are able to accommodate the demands of more strenuous activity.

Warm up exercises are also important as a form of mental preparation. Your mind can ease into the workout. This is especially helpful if you engage in strenuous forms of exercise such as hiking or cycling a steep hill, lifting heavy weights or taking an advanced aerobics class. Your body experiences a great deal of stress during these types of activities, so an adequate warm up and mental preparation increase your chances of enduring and benefiting from the hardest part of your exercise regimen.

There is an important difference between warm-up and stretching. Many people stretch and call it warm-up. This is incorrect. It is important to warm-up before stretching. If one stretches the muscles without prior warm-up, the muscles are cold and are more prone to injury, such as muscle tear or strain. Before exercising, begin with a warm-up period to raise the body temperature. You want to get the heart pumping and increase blood flow to the muscles before stretching. Slow running in place, a slow aerobic dance, or a walk-jog (all with ball), and the application of an external exercise rub, is an ideal warm-up regimen to help prepare the muscles for stretching.

The warm up’s intensity should cause perspiration but not cause fatigue. The type of warm up needs to be appropriate for the activity planned. It also needs to be appropriate to the age range and fitness level of the participants, usually lasting for 5-10 minutes in duration.

Here is a short video showing the kind of exercises that can be done for warming up before a workout:

Cooling Down: It is just as important, especially after vigorous exercise because the body needs time to slow down and it is an important step in aiding recovery. One of the most important functions of the post-exercise cool down is to prevent dizziness. The cool down also brings fresh blood into areas to help with lactic acid removal, while bringing your heart rate down to resting pulse quicker. A proper cool down also helps lower a raised heart rate down to resting heart rate safely. Further, it may also help you to simply unwind after an intense workout, easing the transition back to your normal level of activity. The cool down should occur immediately after training activities and should last 5 to10 minutes. The cool-down can be the same sort of exercise as the warm-up but with low intensity body movement such as jogging or walking substituted for running. Stretching after activity helps to ensure maximum flexibility, relax the muscles, return them to their resting length and helps develop long-term attitudes to maintaining healthy lifestyles.

Here is a short video showing the kind of exercises that can be done for cooling down after a workout: