FunctionalLife.Net
Training for life
7-22-09
Running for optimum weight loss
If you want to get the most out of a running
regimen for weight loss, setting crazy weight loss goals and then running like
crazy may not be the most advantageous way to get things done. Here are some
tips for running for optimum weight loss.
- Running often has numerous other
impacts besides just your calorie burning effort and weight loss. You will build strength in your legs and abdomen, will
impact your heart rate, and may even become more flexible. Try setting other
realistic and measurable goals that can be tracked during your running. Give
yourself a fitness test and look at the other ways that you are becoming
healthier through running. Can you touch your toes? Can you run a mile more
quickly? Are you suddenly able to run for longer periods of time without
feeling tired? These are all measurable goals that can help you get the most
out of your running routine, even if the scale is not always showing you the results
that you want.
- Mix things up with different types
of running. Take a long,
leisurely jog on Monday, then when you go out on Wednesday, run for a shorter
period of time but on an incline instead. To toss things up further, go out on
Friday with a much higher intensity level in mind. Sprints can take off the fat
and burn off the calories more quickly than leisurely jogging, so end your
running regimen for the week with a few good hard sprints. Each of these types
of running burns calories at completely unique rates, and they also impact
different parts of your body as well.
- To make your runs last longer, mix
them up with small walking periods. Run for a few minutes, and then slow to a walk to catch your breath.
You may find yourself doubling or even tripling how long you are out there, if
you give yourself small breaks to catch up and regulate your heartbeat and
breathing again.
- If you find yourself having trouble
mustering the motivation to go running, bring an iPod or another mp3 player and
focus on that instead. If you're
not interested in music, consider bringing an audio book. Some mp3 players can
even pick up on radio stations, so you could be listening to NPR or your
favorite rock station while running along your favorite trail. This may be the
perfect amount of distraction to help you forget how much you didn't want to go
running today.
Running is a great way to lose weight, build strength, tone muscles and even improve flexibility. Running can improve your heart function and lung function and give you a better overall sense of health. Sometimes it just takes a little extra motivation to get the most out of your running routine. Implement one or more of these tips into your regimen and you may see a completely different side of running, finding it more enjoyable than ever before. Originally posted 2008-11-20 05:39:43. Republished by Old Post Promoter
3-9-09 How to introduce exercise back into my life? Is this a question you or someone you know has asked? It’s a tough one, and with no two answers being the same it is going to be up to you to do some soul searching for the answer. As much as you would like to strap on the trusty sneakers and pound the pavement, or grab the racket and play some tennis again, you know this would end up hurting more in the days after then it was worth in the short run. Why do you hurt more now than you did in all your younger years combined? One of the reasons is loss of flexibility or Range of Motion. Flexibility diminishes quickly if not used; just like when you hear “use it or lose it” this is particularly true with muscles in a few ways. If stretching is not done regularly the muscles and tendons will begin to resist stretching, and when you do decide to stretch, maybe spontaneously, it hurts. L Why, because the muscle was not use to stretching. Also muscle mass will diminish if not used, and very few things are more important than lean muscle mass to the body. Maybe you have heard the old saying “motion is lotion for the body’s joints” I believe in this statement whole heartedly. So what’s first? First thing is working on flexibility. Start by stretching, Ideally after a 5 min warm up. but you can even stretch if you have not worked out that day, stretching can be done almost anywhere. (Even in bed) Once you have loosened up any tight muscles, then you can start to work out those newly waken up muscles. You will want to stretch all major muscle groups at least two to three times per week. stretch just to the point of a gentle tug. Here is a link to some good stretches. www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/healthtool-basic-stretches Overcoming your body’s objections. “How can I work out? I have no energy and my back hurts.” I have heard this phrase many times. Functional Training will help set up a network of muscles to stabilize your spine, and combine with stretching proves to be very effective in treating lower back pain. All exercise will help to develop your heart and lungs providing you with more energy and better quality of life. So even if you can only work out for 1-2 min at a time, keep at it, you will develop more stamina, and you will see and feel the results. Last but NOT LEAST. You are what you eat. It is cliché I know but it’s the truth. It would be very difficult to completely cut out all food that is a little bad for you. Consider an 80 – 20 rule, eat right 80% of the time, the other 20% allow yourself to ‘cheat’ but don’t go overboard. The same way quitting smoking cold turkey is difficult for most smokers. If you find this easy to follow, try 90-10. If it’s simply not working, don’t quit, try 70-30. The goal is to make it a long term eating habit change, have patients with yourself.J Drink water; try to make water your entire fluid diet. Maybe have days where all you can drink is water but allow teas and juice's (non soda) the other days. The same thinking applies here as above. Ease into the water thing easily and it won’t be a huge shock. Soda has to go, make it your special weekly/ monthly treat. Best way to avoid soda is to not buy it. It was the only method that worked for me. Now I treat myself to a soda when I have been good. Look into a good multivitamin and pick one that best suits you. If in doubt, discuss this with your regular Doctor. This is an easy way to add a bounce to your step. To Healthy Days Scott Abel _______________________________________________________________________
OK then what? Getting your heart rate up for 45 min a day can add quality years to your life. This can include walking, jogging, biking, and swimming; almost anything that raises your heart rate above resting levels will be well worth the time. My 83 year old grandmother still gets up early and rides her stationary bike in the morning so she “feels better all day” this also gives her more energy to play with her four great-grandchildren. The best part is the 45 min of total exercise, does not have to be done all at once. You can easily divide up your day into four or five 10 min sessions. This is absolutely fine, and if it has been quite a while since your last exercise, it is probably better to start off this way.
Importance of Resistance Training for Older Adults
Fountain of youth?
The message is loud and clear. Strength training keeps muscles stronger, preserves physical independence, limits the likelihood of several chronic diseases ( e.g. diabetes), and helps keep aging bodies physiologically younger then chronological age. Strength training also helps bones become denser, this is especially important to the elderly.
Research (ACE 1998, ACSM 1995, 1997, 1998, Evans and Rosenberg 1991 : Mazzeo et al 1998 and Pollock 1998) that’s a lot of very good research by very well respected organizations. All this research suggests that the single most important step to not just retard but to reverse the aging process is strength training. It is a myth that the elderly entirely lose their ability to respond to a strength training stimulus. Early studies seemed to support this view, but erroneous study design – too little resistance was used – doomed the “strength response” theory to failure. It was not that older adults could not respond to a strength stimuli, as some studies indicated simply, they were not presented one! Strength levels have tripled in well controlled and designed strength studies using older adults, and other studies have shown strength improvements as high as 200 percent. However, as is true for a person of any age, the older adult must work at sufficient intensity to optimize the strength training response and to see significant strength training gains.
Note: Inadequate protein intakes can hinder the anabolic (hypertrophy) response to strength training in the older adult. As with any new diet or exercise plan, please discuss this with your doctor first.
To healthy days
Scott Abel
Written by AFPA
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Exercise and Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
There are two types of Diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2, here is some information about both, and how exercising and good diet, can help.
Diabetes can be classified into four categories Type 1, Type 2, gestational diabetes, and secondary diabetes. We will focus more on Type 1 and type 2 which account for approximately 95% of the diabetic population.
Generally, the pancreas of individuals who have diabetes either cannot produce insulin or cannot produce enough of it (generally type 1) or insulin is manufactured by the target cells- or the insulin receptors on cells – don’t respond because they have become resistant or desensitized to the instructions the hormone is giving them. This failure of the cells to respond to the messenger hormone insulin is referred to as insulin resistance and is often the culprit of Type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance syndrome is exacerbated by excess body fat. The bottom line result, in either case, is that the body has trouble clearing glucose from the blood and herding it into the cells of the body. Without intervention, the effects on the body are catastrophic and life threatening.
What can exercise do to help?
The focus of a type 2 diabetics program is to make lifestyle changes, lose weight, and burn calories by using moderate effort. This program often resembles something akin to an overall health and weight management program. If there are no complications, you often can proceed with the same program you would use if you did not have diabetes.
The focus of a type 1 diabetics program is to improve glucose control and is often best achieved in combination with aggressive insulin therapy and self-bloods glucose monitoring. Type 1 diabetic’s can improve cardiovascular conditioning and accrue other health-related benefits by exercising three to five days per week. Daily exercise is often, but not always unrealistic and can increase the risk for other complications.
Resistance training in type 1 diabetics is recommended in most cases. Strength training can increase aerobic capacity and, along with increased muscle mass, can improve insulin sensitivity and thus improve glucose control.
Risk versus effectiveness of exercise in diabetes.
Uncontrolled blood glucose can result in premature death, coronary heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputations, and a life that is far from optimum, a diabetic who continues to choose an inactive lifestyle, eat poorly and remain obese will likely suffer devastating health consequences.
If an active lifestyle is chosen, along with a team management approach toward normalizing blood glucose (this may include insulin and exercise) the severity of the disease can be greatly minimized. The need for medication can decrease or be discontinued in type 2 diabetes. In addition, other Coronary Heart Disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and lipid profiles can be improved
Although exercise is considered a cornerstone in type 2 management by the medical community, glycemic control in individuals with type 1 can be very challenging because of the complexities of regulating blood sugar with the added, often unpredictable influence of exercise. In addition people with type 1 may not experience improved glycemic control with regular exercise unless diet and insulin dosage are modified.
Although exercise in diabetes has its associated risks, complication, and challenges, the benefits of a well-managed diabetes prevention or treatment program that includes proper exercise and diet and a sensible approach to weight loss seem to far outweigh any potential risks for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association states that “all patients with diabetes should have the opportunity to benefit from the many valuable effects of exercise” Exercise and diabetes control can be a winning combination.
To healthy days
Scott Abel
Written by AFPA
Copyright . Hugh Scott Abel. All rights reserved.