Want to Improve Your Fitness Levels in 2012?

How does the body respond to training?

Peripheral: Increased capillary density for greater oxygen delivery to the working muscles
Structural: Stronger bones and ligaments, increased muscle size
Central: Strengthening of the heart muscle and its ability to pump blood around the body, improved lung ventilation and function
Functional:Improved coordination of movement patterns

In general, the body becomes more efficient at doing the same amount of work.

Why should you continue to improve your fitness?

By further increasing your exercise capacity, you continue to increase your survivability across all forms of mortality. In fact, by every 1 MET increase (a measure of exercise intensity) in your peak exercise capacity, you could increase your chance of survival by 12%.

Elements of a well rounded fitness program

• Cardiovascular or Aerobic Training
• Resistance Training
• Stretching / Flexibility

Are you including each of these components in your current regiment?

The FITT Principle
1. Frequency— Number of sessions per week
2. Intensity—A measure of how much work is done during exercise (% of maximum heart rate)
3. Time—Duration of session
4. Type—Type of activity

Tips for Maintaining Motivation

• Set Goals—Choose a sporting event to work towards (For example, run the Bridge to Brisbane or cycle the Wilson HTM Brisbane to the Gold Coast Challenge). Write down your goal and share it with others
• Choose an activity that you enjoy and build in variety—one repetitive activity can become boring or increase your risk of injury
• Involve the people around you—family, partner, friends or join in a team sport or running/ cycling club
• Reward yourself with a massage or something you enjoy when you achieve your goals

Improving your Training

• Incorporate the principle of “Overload”

A greater than normal load or stress needs to be placed on the body in order for adaptations to take place. If you are finding that your progress has begun to plateau, you may need to look at manipulating some of the variables in the FITT principle to create overload and therefore continue to increase your fitness.

This could mean– exercising for longer, increasing the intensity or changing the type of activity.

• Include Interval Training to improve your fitness
• Get technological and use a Heart Rate Monitor to train in the right heart rate zone to get the results you want (for example at 65-75 % of Max Heart Rate—the ideal intensity for fat burning as it utilises your aerobic metabolism)
• Incorporate rest into each week. It is important to avoid overtraining as it can limit your performance and increase your risk of injury

What is interval training?

Interval training is a form of exercise which involves bursts of high intensity work (intervals) followed by low intensity periods. By training in this way, you are using both of the body’s energy production systems:
 - aerobic (low intensity phase)
 - anaerobic (the high intensity phase)

The aerobic system is the one that allows you to exercise comfortably for long periods without feeling short of breath, and uses oxygen to convert fat stores into energy.

The anaerobic system, on the other hand, uses energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short bursts of activity such as sprinting, jumping or lifting heavy objects. This system does not require oxygen and the byproduct, lactic acid, is responsible for that burning sensation in your muscles after a high intensity effort. During the recovery period of interval training (following the high intensity bout) the body tries to ‘repay’ the oxygen debt.

Benefits of interval training?

This type of training promotes the body’s adaptation response leading to improved performance and fitness.

Physiological adaptations include:

• Building new capillaries and an increased ability to use and deliver oxygen to the working muscles
• Strengthening of the heart muscle
• Muscles develop improved tolerance to lactate
• This means you can work harder or perform better without fatiguing as quickly

Types of interval training

Interval training can address different components of fitness. You may focus on improving cardiovascular fitness (running, cycling, swimming, rowing etc), or consider incorporating interval training into your resistance training regime to enhance your muscular endurance.

Practical Aspects

Interval training can be quite stressful on the body, so it is recommended that sessions be followed by a day of rest or recovery. As interval training primarily focuses on improving fitness, it would be of most benefit to individuals wanting to maintain their weight, hence during the maintenance phase of your program. This is because your exercising heart rate exceeds the ’fat burning zone’ during interval training - the focus is on improving fitness rather than burning fat. Because your heart rate does peak in this type of training, your body needs carbohydrate as a fuel source, hence it is recommended to have a small carbohydrate snack (i.e. banana, honey on toast) before this type of exercise).

Resources

http://www.acefitness.org/default.aspx
http://www.sparkpeople.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/

Formal vs Incidental Exercise

When most people hear the word exercise they think of gym programs, organised sport and brisk morning walks. Whilst this is exercise, it is more accurately defined as ‘formal exercise’.
In addition to this however, the exercise you obtain from going about your daily activities is known as ‘incidental exercise’. Everyday tasks such as shopping, gardening and hanging out the washing can also offer health benefits similar to the benefits of a structured exercise program.
Regular exercise can:

• Help prevent heart disease, stroke and hypertension or high blood pressure
• Reduce the risk of developing Type II Diabetes and some cancers
• Help build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints therefore reducing the risk of injury
• Promote psychological well-being

Although formal and incidental exercise are different, they are both important.  It is therefore recommended that you should partake in a combination of both types of exercise according to the Australian recommendations, which are outlined below:

Formal Exercise

The Australian Guidelines for Exercise recommend that you partake in 150 minutes of planned formal exercise per week.  Ideally, you should aim to build up to five sessions per week for 30+ minutes each session. Exercise should be performed at a moderate-intensity; this should cause a slight but noticeable increase in your breathing and heart rate.  If you’re exercising to lose weight as well as keeping healthy, it is recommended that you exceed these recommendations. 

A general guideline for weight loss is:
Energy expenditure > Energy intake

This means that you should burn more energy than you consume through eating. Aim to accumulate 300 minutes per week, such as five one hour sessions. Formal exercise should consist mostly of aerobic activities such as running, brisk walking, cycling, and swimming as they are best for cardiovascular health.

Resistance exercise should also be included in your program to build and maintain muscle strength and to keep bones and joints strong.  The recommendation for resistance exercise is to complete 10 strength exercises, with 8 to 12 repetitions at least twice a week.

Remember: If you haven’t been involved in formal exercise recently or you have a problem with your health, you should always see your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Incidental Exercise

It can be hard to find time to exercise in today’s world with busy work schedules, family obligations, and hectic weekends.  But maintaining good health is vital and should not be overlooked.  Reaching the recommended amount of physical activity may not be as difficult as you think!  The key is to increasing incidental exercise, and therefore change some of your daily lifestyle habits to promote more movement. 

The following are some ideas to assist you in reaching your exercise goals:

• Take the stairs – instead of taking the lift or escalator, use the stairs and give your glutes and thighs an extra workout!
• Shop till you drop – whilst shopping use a basket when possible and carry your shopping bags to the car instead of using a trolley
• Extra walking – when driving to work or shopping, park your car further away than normal and walk the extra distance. If you take public transport, hop off one stop early and walk the extra distance
• Whilst at work - walk and talk if you are on a cordless or mobile phone; go for a short brisk walk during lunch; speak to someone in person instead of sending an email or calling them on the phone
• Around the home – ditch the remote control and stand up to change the channel, or exercise during the ad breaks.  Do the gardening, hang the washing out instead of using the dryer, or take the dog for a walk
• Involve the whole family – organise weekend activities which encourage the whole family to be active and spend quality time together. Some suggestions include bush walking, cycling, learning to surf, indoor rock climbing, and backyard cricket

Stay Motivated

Sticking with your fitness program can be a hard task! Many start their exercise regime and then stop because they are bored or the results come too slowly. People begin exercise for different reasons. You need to decide why starting exercise is important to YOU!

Here are some tips to keep you from throwing in the towel:

• Set goals - be SMART therefore set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time focused goals.   Challenge yourself through your exercise program whilst still being SMART. Consider both the short and the long term to give yourself something to strive for.
• Start slowly - you’ve heard the saying “too hard, too fast”, you don’t want to burn out and be forced to abandon your program due to injury or pain. Begin your exercise at a comfortable level and slowly progress as you feel you start to improve.
• Think variety - consider various types of exercise to keep boredom at bay. Alternate walking or running with swimming, or move your indoors routine outside - weather permitting!
• Track your progress - an exercise diary may be useful to keep a record of each session; track what you did, how long you exercised for and how you felt afterwards. Documenting your efforts can help you work towards your goals and serve to remind  you that you’re making progress.
• Have fun - what makes you tick? You’re more likely to stick with an exercise program if you’re doing something you enjoy. There is a wide array of choices out there if you think outside the square. If you’re not sure, have a go and you might just discover a new love!

References
www.health.gov.au 
www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/sm99999
www.haddinsfitness.com.au/

Exercise Your Way Through Winter

As we start to feel that cool crisp change in the air and with the morning and evening drawing closer together, motivation levels and regular exercise compliance can start to dwindle. Keeping enthusiasm, motivation and exercise levels high for the next few months can be easy with plenty of options to stay out of the cold and be safe with less sunlight and shorter days. There are many benefits of regular exercise, in addition to weight loss and management; it will help keep you fighting fit and healthy with a stronger immune system, therefore limiting the amount of coughs and colds that you may pick up during this time of the year. Below are four strategies to help maintain your levels of exercise over the next few months.

DVD, Wifit and I-Phone applications
With the developments in technology, there are no more excuses!! These devices are a great alternative in the cooler months as they can increase your heart-rate and can provide an overall body workout while in the comfort of your own home. On your I-Phone there are options ranging from yoga and running to resistance training and many more depending on your interests. So start searching on that I-Phone today!!

Walk in pairs
If you love your morning or evening walks but feel it is becoming harder to maintain due to the shorter days, why not walk with a friend, partner or family member to feel more secure and help with that commitment to exercise regularly? By having a partner, you have made a commitment to each other to stay motivated. This is also a great time to join a group/activity that you can do inside. Whether it be signing up to dance classes, joining up to a gym for three months or finding a community group that you can join, will help maintain your spirit throughout these colder months.

Make the most of exercise on the weekends
As weekdays become harder to exercise around work hours and less sunlight, make the most of your time on the weekends. Exercising on the weekends allows you to do this as a family and with friends, i.e. go for walk/ride all together, go to the park and play a game such as soccer. Also due to not being committed to racing off to work, you can walk, run or cycle later in the morning. In the winter months there are a lot of community and organized fun runs/walks on weekends that you can participate in which helps you stay fit and motivated.

Manage your time
With light restrictions, instead of making the annual excuse, you might just need a little readjusting in your exercise routine. Walking or riding to and from work is a great way to manage your time and exercise. This is a great alternative as it is not as hot and it can be done before you start your working day. If your work is too far to walk/ride, an alternative is to park 20 minutes away, meaning you have scheduled a 40 minute return trip into your daily routine.  Make use of your lunch break. Rather than using the hour to sit at the computer, make use of this time by packing your exercise gear and take 20 minutes to go for a walk.  Incidental exercise can also be a great way to get your steps up! Instead of couriering documents to another office or going to the closest coffee shop, go for a walk and get steps up.

Incorporating exercise into your daily routine is always possible. Just because the days are getting colder and shorter, does not mean there are no options for exercise. With all the technology available and the use of improvisation along with good use of your time, it is easy to get exercise in all year round. 

Exercise and Weight Loss – Getting the Balance Right

When it comes to exercise, it’s often difficult to know where to start. There are many different approaches from ‘do it yourself’ gym memberships, group exercise, personal trainers. The Biggest Loser television program provides an extreme view of exercise and weight loss. Don’t forget contestants are recommended to consume only 1200 calories per day compared to their pre-program intake of 5,000 plus calories per day reminding us that calorie control is the first step in any weight loss journey. Calorie control comes from the quality and quantity of food we consume.

The Goal

There is no right or wrong answer but you need to find a routine that is going to complement your goals. Are you trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight or just improve your fitness? Also it needs to be practical for your lifestyle and still allows time for adequate rest. With weight loss, the primary goal of exercise is calorie expenditure from burning fat as the preferred fuel for our muscles. But if your exercise intensity is too high, then your body switches to burning stored sugars for fuel and tiredness and hunger can set in. Going too hard, too early can also lead to soreness and injury and a feeling of it’s not going to work. So working out with a personal trainer can be great for working up a sweat but not so great for weight loss.

Frequency and Consistency

With any form of exercise frequency and consistency are the key. Establishing some form of physical activity that is a regular part of your routine, 4-6 days per week, is ideal. Choosing the right exercise is simple, walking, gym classes, swimming, riding and even the Wii fit are all good options, as long as you are getting your heart rate up for an extended period, preferably 30 mins or more. Increasing your heart rate to the right intensity means you will burn fat as the preferred fuel source, the longer you do it the more you burn.

Enjoyment

When the alarm goes at 5:30am getting out of bed for something we enjoy makes it a lot easier. So think about an activity you will still enjoy on the days when you are lacking motivation or tired? We recommend walking as the best option because walking means putting on some decent shoes and heading out the door for half an hour. It also is the most efficient way to mainly burn fat during exercise. Other exercises like cycling or swimming are also great for elevating your heart rate and what is even better is varying your routine between all three to really add some spice to your routine. Activities you can do with other people give you that motivation not to miss a session.

Burning Fat = Losing Weight

During exercise fats and carbohydrates are metabolized for energy. As exercise intensity increases the fuel mix needed changes from predominantly fat to stored sugars. Our body stores sugars in the liver and muscles but only enough for several hours of intense exercise so when these stores are used they will need to be replenished through diet. That is what marathon runners do during a race. Burning fat stores is what we want to achieve when losing or maintaining weight is our goal. This occurs at lower exercise intensities. Each kg of fat stored has enough stored energy to power us for 25 hours of walking or150 kilometres at a brisk walking speed.

How Hard
Intensity (or heart rate achieved) of exercise is a critical aspect when it comes to weight loss and weight management. Intensity can be broken into ranges from light through to vigorous which is determined by the energy demands placed on the body. As exercise intensity increases so do the body’s responses, including higher respiratory rates, increased blood flow to the large muscle groups and the greater need for nutrients and fuel.

Heart Rate for Burning Fat as the Preferred Fuel Source
Heart rate and age are often used to estimate a target heart rate range for fat burning
Minimum target heart rate = (220 – age) x 65%

Maximum target heart rate = (220 – age) x 75%

For example, a 40 year old person’s minimum target heart rate is calculated as:

(220 – 40) x 0.65 = 180 x 0.65 = 117 beats per minute

Their maximum target heart rate is calculated as:

(220 – 40) x 0.75 = 180 x 0.75 = 135 beats per minute

So in this example keeping our heart rate between 117 and 135 beats per minute will keep us burning fat as our primary fuel source.

Tips

Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs) are an accurate way of recording your exercise intensity. Another rule of thumb is to make sure you can still hold a conversation while exercising. If your breathing rate is so high that you can’t talk, then you are probably burning sugars and not fat.

Routine
Completing your exercise sessions at the same time each day can be very helpful and enable you to stick to routine more effectively as well as eliminating any exercise-related motivational issues you may have. Initially, you may find that your exercise intensity is the component you find the most difficult to keep up, however this will ease over time as your body adapts to the routine and becomes fitter.

Stay Cool This Summer – How to Avoid Heat Illness

Despite what has been an unseasonably mild summer to date, the hotter days are becoming more frequent and it is important to be aware of the dangers of exercising during this time of year. Summer climates increase the risk of developing heat illnesses such as heat stroke when exercising, resulting in many debilitating health complications such as:

• Feelings of tiredness, weakness, dizziness and faintness
• Dehydration and headaches
• Excessive fatigue
• Heat cramps

So what can you do to help yourself avoid these possible side effects?

Pre-exercise

• Hydrate effectively – Daily water requirements during summer increase to a minimum of 4L per day
• Drink 2-3 cups of water 2 hours before and 1 cup 10-15min before undertaking exercise
• Avoid hot foods, alcohol and heavy foods that increase your core temperature
• Choose lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing as well as wearing a hat
• Use sun block with an SPF rating of 15+ or higher

During exercise

• Avoid exercise during the hottest time of day; train closer to sunrise or sunset
• Drink 1 cup of water every 15minutes throughout exercise
• If you feel any headaches, fatigue or irritability or notice your exercise performance decreasing, stop exercising and cool off

Post-exercise

• Weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace any lost fluids accordingly
• Drink 1.5L of water for every kilogram of fluid you lost during exercise
• Try to avoid too much sports drink, however for intense exercise above 60min, these may help to further accelerate water intake after exercise in the heat

Remember: Planning ahead for exercise in the heat will assist you in avoiding the health complications associated with heat illness this summer.

References

Wet Weather: Don’t Let it Dampen Your Motivation to Exercise

You can exercise when the weather is wet, all it takes is some planning. Here are some ideas to get you started:

- Shopping centre walks - Several shopping centres open early for morning walkers. It’s a great way to exercise while staying warm and dry. If you live in Brisbane, the City Council holds a number of shopping centre group walks through its GoneWalking program.
- Car parks and schools - There are lots of undercover car parks and sheltered areas, you just have to look for them. Make sure the area you choose is well lit and safe and try and team up with an exercise buddy.
- Resistance training – You can do this at home with a theraband or with household items such as cans and phonebooks.
- Hit the pool – Most public swimming pools are heated in the cooler months. Try walking laps in the pool – it’s just as beneficial as walking outside but without the impact on your hips and knees.
- Wear some waterproof gear - Don’t let the rain stop you from going outside. Just remember to take care not to slip on wet surfaces and be sure to get changed straight after you exercise to avoid getting cold.

And of course there’s your local gym. You can try a variety of cardio equipment including treadmills and exercise bikes.

In summary, exercise can be done anywhere for little or no money, it makes you feel great and it helps you lose weight. So don’t let the wet weather dampen your spirits - get out there and exercise!