Important Tips for your Cardio Routine

Since the weather in most of the country requires many of us to be exercising indoors at this time of year, I thought I'd provide some tips on Indoor Cardio training. I hope this gives you some good ideas.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a frequency of 3-5 cardio workouts per week, a duration of 30-60 minutes and an intensity of 60-90% of your maximum heart rate each week to maximize cardiovascular fitness. Investing in a heart rate monitor will definitely keep you honest! James and I are strong proponents of heart rate monitors and they help give you a measurable cue on if you are meeting your cardio goals or if you need to step it up a notch. We will be more than happy to help you not only get a heart rate monitor to have as your new training tool, we will also program your target heart rates in it. This is a piece of equipment you want to invest in!
If you are using indoor cardio machines, change it up! Only staying on the same machine for only about 10-15 minutes and jumping from machine to machine. I do this quite a bit, not only does it keep me from getting bored but also helps keep me challenged and my heart rate up. Most exercisers have no difficulty going for a 2 hour bike ride outside but after 10 minutes on a stationary bike you start to go stir-crazy!
Since you have asked, I will let you in on my little secret (20 minutes on the elliptical at 70-80% my max HR-I do 2/3 intervals during the 20 min. Then I go to the spin bike for another 15-20 min at 60-70% of my max HR, and finish up with a light jog for 10 min on the treadmill, or I will incline it to 15% and walk at 4.5 mph) I hope this helps and I challenge you to challenge yourself with your next cardio workout. Remember to increase intensity gradually, slowing building up to a level that you are comfortable with but also challenged!

MY CARDIO TIPS:
Posture:
• It doesn’t matter what machine you’re on, it’s imperative that you maintain proper posture. This includes contracting your abdominals to stabilize your spine and maintaining proper alignment by lifting up and out through your chest and keeping your shoulders back.

• Most indoor machines offer a variety of program options. Try to avoid getting into the habit of always punching in the same program and the same level each time you workout on a machine. Mix it up. One workout try the steady climb program and the next time, try the intervals. Then go for the hill or the random program. Each program will challenge your body in a different way.

Treadmill Tips:
• Make it a goal to not hold onto the rails while jogging or walking. Instead, use your muscles to balance and support your body.
• Once a month, try a time-trial workout. Program in a distance like 5km (3miles) and record how long it takes you to complete. Next month, try it again and this time try to go a little faster. As you get fitter, you should be able to perform the same distance in a shorter period of time.

Eliptical Trainer Tips:
• If your Eliptical does not have poles, do not lean onto the rails. Instead, develop the balance and stability to use the machine without holding on. Pump your arms just like you were running.
• While exercising, make sure that your knee caps always point forwards. Avoid allowing your knees to collapse inwards.
• While exercising, try to keep the weight of your body distributed evenly on all 4 corners of your feet. Avoid allowing your arches to collapse inwards - avoid pronating.
• Once per week try my 2/3 interval (yes, you’ll have to ask me for it, but I will kindly divulge the secret!)

Stairmaster Tips:
• Do not hold onto the rails while on the stairmaster. Most people hold on for dear life and take fast, choppy little steps. This technique is very ineffective at burning calories and maximizing fitness goals. Most of you will find that you’ll have to reduce the level you normally perform at once you let go of the rails, because your muscles will have to work so much harder to support your body weight. This increased intensity will get you results much more quickly and you’ll find you’ll also develop good balance and stability.
• The next important tip is to make sure that your steps are not too shallow. Think about the height of a step you would take while walking up the stairs and strive for this. Remember to work through the full range of motion. Tiny, fast steps are not effectively engaging the lower body muscles and instead, using a lot of momentum.
• Try not holding onto the rails for 40 seconds and then holding on for 20 seconds. Do this for 10 minutes.

Recumbent Bike Tips:
• The most common error with technique on a bike is seat adjustment. It’s important to position the seat so that you are positioned neither too far back or too close. When the leg is in a fully extended position, you should only have a slight bend in the knee. Make sure your knee is not maintaining a large bend throughout the entire cycle and vice versa, make sure that the seat isn't positioned so far away that you have to rotate your hips to spin.
• Because you're reclined back, it's easy to slouch while riding. Remember to keep upright posture throughout the entire workout. Keep your abdominals contracted inwards, your chest lifted and shoulders back.
• Program in a hill workout and try to keep your RPM’s (how many times your legs cycle in a minute) constant even while climbing the hilly parts of the program. This will be a leg-burner!

-Tammie

Running Wild: from Couch to 5k

If the New Year is increasing your desire for a ‘runner’s high,’ training for a 5k, 10k or even half marathon might be right for you. Having a race-day goal can help you stay motivated and improve fitness and stamina. But without proper training, you may just find yourself running out of steam.
Too often, exercisers push their training limits and wind up feeling miserable as their bodies rebel. Starting slowly by walking, jogging, then running gradually takes you from couch potato to finish line and reduces your risk of injury.
But before you hit the ground running, consider these tips from the experts at Life Fitness:
Walking: Start your fitness quest by walking for five minutes to warm up. A good walking speed starts around 2 mph. Aim to walk for 20 minutes three times a week for three weeks before progressing to the next level. If you feel like you need an extra challenge, add incline to the treadmill or choose a hill or cross-training program from your program options.
Jogging: Start transitioning to jogging (or 4 mph) slowly by adding 60-90 seconds of jogging to your walking workout. Increase your time with 30-second intervals as you get more comfortable. Continue to add distance and time, and remember to stretch before and after your jog to get the maximum benefit.
Running: As you gain confidence in your jogging, slowly add speed and distance until you can comfortably run at a 6 mph pace for 3 miles. If you’re training for a race, whatever the distance, ensure that you build up to enough miles to cover the distance. Try midweek runs at a slower speed while longer weekend runs can be done at a faster, race pace.
Before starting any exercise program, seek medical advice from a doctor and training advice from a personal trainer to ensure success.

Make Small Changes for Big Rewards

It’s a new year, a fresh start, and a chance to drop those bad habits and acquire good ones. While getting fit, losing weight or being healthy likely topped your list of New Year’s resolutions, you may already feel like you’ve fallen off the wagon. Instead of beating yourself up, do yourself a favor by resetting your goals with more realistic plans.

A study published in the Annuals of Behavioural Medicine found that participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in their food choices or physical activity each week lost as much as those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical-activity guidelines. So try these simple strategies from the experts at Life Fitness to keep yourself on track.

Keep track of your progress. Try keeping a simple journal of your day’s activities including sleeping, eating, exercise and entertainment to discover the hiccups and habits holding you back from your aspirations.

Find more ways to move. Sure, a 30-minute cardio workout at the gym is ideal, but committing to peppering your day with more movement will help put you in a mindset for exercise. Opt for the stairs, add an extra walk to your dog’s schedule or hit pedestrian-friendly shopping areas.

Fatigue your muscles. Rather than waltzing through the gym without breaking a sweat, add in techniques that fatigue your body. Life Fitness suggests lifting enough weight that reps 8 – 10 are barely doable or adding a sprint to the end of your jog or a cycling workout to leave you breathless.

Does that Zero Calorie soda really net a zero result?

Sip Wisely...For those of you who just can't give up the soda-this may be your final reason to. Zero calorie soda is a staple for many people who are watching their weight, but too much of it (more than 8 oz.) may be putting your kidneys at risk. Scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston studied the beverage consumption of more than 3,000 wpmen over 11 years old and found that those who swigged down two or more cans of diet soda a day doubled their chances of accelerated kidney decline. Compared with people who drank less than 8oz. each month. Kidney function normally declines with age and speeding up the process under the assumption of a healthier soda may be a less than better solution.
That being sais, I am not one for depriving you or myself so here are a few tips:
Instead of Soda try this: A nice glass of water, or try a sparkling water with a splash of lime, or if you must have caffeine try a nice cup of our NW coffee!
So this week I encourage you to SIP WISELY!

Yours in Health & Wellness

Tammie

Arnica and Sleep...

Let me start out by saying that I am so proud of everyone who has committed to the Boxing Bootcamp, you all have been amazing! I know that I had told a few of you that I would be at the Saturday 2pm class,........well, I decided to get a little heads up and have a private session with Ryan. Let me first start out by saying that it had been quite a while since my cardio had that boost. Thanks Ryan for giving me that reminder. Secondly it was much more fun then I expected, punching the mitts was my favorite as well as the crazy legs?
So fellow boxers, Saturday I was home soothing aching muscles and recovering after a busy and active week. If you would like to spice up your workout routine, think of taking the Wednesday night class or one of our weekend classes. You can also work with Ryan one on one if you wish as well. Call the Portland studio 503.234.7253 to register for your next class!

Winter Workouts Can Boost Your Mood

Winter can put a chill on even the most enthusiastic exerciser's plans. It's hard to get motivated to go jogging when you have to sidestep rain puddles. And who wants to go to the gym when its so dark outside.

But sticking to your exercise program throughout the colder months is beneficial for multiple reasons, experts say. Not only can physical activity lift your spirits during days of limited sunlight, it can help stave off injury once you get more active in the Oregon spring and summer-hiking, canoeing and vacations!

"A change in weather should bring a change to your mindset," Breitbach said. "As temperatures get colder ... you need to have a winter sports strategy."

When exercising outdoors, it's important to dress properly. I think this one should be pretty easy for us NW'ers. We love to layer-from about November to March I have a constant uniform: Long Underwear, more long underwear and fleece!

Wear layers that you can peel off as necessary. Ideally, the layer closest to your skin should be made of a breathable wicking material and not sweat-absorbing cotton. Then add a layer of fleece or cotton for warmth and, finally, a windbreaker or waterproof outer layer.

Make sure you've adequately insulated your extremities. The face, fingers and toes are most likely to get frostbitten. Pain or tingling in your ears, fingers or toes is a sign that it's time to come in from the cold.

And don't forget a hat or those nice headbands that cover your ears. Substantial body heat is lost through your head.

Though you may feel less thirsty in cold weather, continue to drink water while exercising.

If you run in the dark, wear reflective clothing so that drivers can see you.

Warming up is extra important when it's cold outside. Once outside, start with some brisk walking before beginning to jog.

If the winter blues have extended to your feelings about exercise, get creative. Try having fun in the snow again! Just walking around in knee deep snow can be quite a workout itself! Or go to that Boxing Bootcamp class you've been wanting to try. Call to register for our next class 503.234.7253.

-Yours in Health & Wellness, Tammie

Keep talking........

The power of the spoken word! No I will not be 'preaching to you' but rather will share a little of my morning with you. If you are at all like me, you love to get to know people and as a consequence, love to chat!
Today 2 women were working out at the studio next to one another. One on the treadmill and one on the bike. They sparked up a conversation about the amazing opportunities us Portlanders have and before you know it both of them got more than 30 minutes of cardio!
As a nice bonus for them, they were able to give themselves a little extra challenge throughout their exercise and worked even harder then normal. They also burned a few more calories then normal too! So this week take this challenge to heart, try exercising with a friend or strike up a conversation with the one next to you at the gym. You will be amazed how much more energy you will be putting into that 30 minutes. Have fun and keep talking!