CAT | Exercise
The new year is a time where many people try to follow through with the new year’s resolutions. People tend to follow their resolutions of eat healthier and exercise more for a few weeks into the new year but slowly stop.
Running or running more frequently is often on people’s list of new year’s resolutions. This is our beginner’s guide and plan to running:
For every week:
1.) Warm up for three minutes. Start easy at first and progress to a power walk.
2.) Cool down for three minutes. Gradually dial down your workout to an easy walk.
3.) How frequent should you be running? Perform running workouts 3-4 times every week or every other day if possible.
Week 1
Get the proper gear – Running shoes are the most important piece of equipment. Ensure that the shoes fit well as the wrong pair of shoes can give you knee pain, shin splits, and various other issues. It is imperative that you get properly fitted for these shoes by professionals.
1.) Warm up.
2.) Run 2 mins, walk 2 mins.
3.) Repeat 7 times for a total of 28 mins.
4.) Cool down.
5.) Finish with 5 minutes of stretching. Stretching after a run allows you to maintain a health range of motion in your joints and prevents tight muscles. Tight muscles can lead to injuries and inefficient form.
Week 2
Breathing is more important than pace – You should run to the pace of your breath for the perfect pace. If you are gasping for air and you are not able to speak, that means your running pace is too fast, so you should slow it down a notch.
1.) Warm up.
2.) Run 3 mins, walk 1 min.
3.) Repeat 7 times for a total of 28 mins.
4.) Cool down.
Think about your form – Before you start a run, think about proper running posture. Ensure your head is balanced over your shoulders and focused forward. Keep your shoulders relaxed so that your lungs can expand when you run.
Week 3
Keep running fun – Great running habits are created by happiness and success. It is better to keep running fun rather than pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion.
1.) Warm up.
2.) Run 4 mins, walk 1 min.
3.) Repeat 6 times for a total of 30 mins.
4.) Cool down.
Work on your stride – One mistake that runners often make is covering too much ground with every step.Larger strides require a lot more energy and have a much larger impact on your body compared to shorter strides. Aim for shorter, quicker strides.
Week 4
Listen to your body – If your body has aches that don’t go away after a few days, it’s time for a lower-impact activity such as swimming, cycling, or using an elliptical machine.
1.) Warm up.
2.) Run 5 mins, walk 30 secs.
3.) Repeat 6 times for a total of 33 mins.
4.) Cool down.
Week 5+
Continue to add to your running regimen by adding 3-5 minutes to your workout time and decrease your walking time every 1-2 weeks.
Tag(s): Nutribar
The holidays are meant for relaxing and spending time with friends and family, but that doesn’t mean exercise should be put on the back burner. People tend to cancel yoga classes and avoid the gym during the holidays.
There are also many holiday treats that can be very tempting to eat. To avoid feeling the fitness consequences of the holidays, make a workout plan that you can stick with. By having a workout schedule that you can follow during the holidays, you will not have to work as hard or as much to shed the extra holiday weight during the month of January.
There are a few things that you can do to ensure that you do not have to lose too much weight once the holidays are over. One thing you can is to make sure you do not starve yourself the whole day if you have a dinner or party to attend. People often make much poorer food choices and ear more when they are hungry. If you eat healthily throughout the day, it is less likely that you will eat poorly during your evening event. Another thing to do is to ensure that you are well hydrated, thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger. It is important to have fun during the holidays and indulge carefully!
Tag(s): Nutribar
It’s cold season and it is important to avoid bacteria so that you can stay healthy. Here are some tips on how to avoid germs while you are working out:
- Check out the gym before joining – Make sure that it looks clean, that they have staff that keeps the facilities clean, the locker and workout areas are clean enough for your standards. Check to see if the gym is well-ventilated because a gym that isn’t is a prime area for airborne infections.
- Don’t share gear – It’s important to have your own soap and deodorant to prevent the spread of germs.
- Don’t go in barefoot – Do not go into the sauna, steam room, hot tubs, or shower areas barefooted. These areas are all breeding grounds for germs and are an easy to get athlete’s foot. Bring a pair of flip-flops to wear instead.
- Disinfect – Be sure to bring antibacterial wipes and sprays to clean off the equipment that you use before and after you use them.
- Cover up – Always keep a towel on when you are sitting on benches and other shared surfaces to avoid contracting germs on these surfaces.
- Cover cuts and scrapes – Use a band-aid on all cuts or skin breaks before a work out, now matter how small they are. Open wounds allow bacteria to get into the body.
- Bring your own water – Water fountains are filled with viruses and bacteria, so it’s better for you to bring your own water bottle.
- Shower – Shower after a work out to wash off any germs or if you don’t have time for that wash your hands thoroughly.
- Keep your hands to yourself – Avoid touching your face while you are working out. Germs can enter through the nose, ears, and mouth.
Tag(s): Nutribar
Being fit means following a lot of rules. Don’t eat after 7, stay away from sugary foods … you get the idea. Here’s a great article from Shape detailing some important fitness tips. Among them are switching up your workout, since your body is sneaky and will work to become accustomed to a regular workout, and seriously hampering your efforts to lose or maintain weight. Read on, and tell us in the comments if you have any tips.
It happens to the best of us: the work snack. Sometimes it creeps up on you, usually around 3pm. Sometimes you have had a bad day and are going for a pick-me-up.
As an article in the New York Times indicates, it’s a societal trend that is catching onto our waistlines. Given that most of us have jobs that don’t require enormous amounts of physical activity, or have machines that do it for us, it’s translating to big problem – literally. About one in three Americans are obese, and Canadians aren’t far behind.
What do you think? Is exercise a struggle and you are losing the battle of the bulge? Or are you managing to keep it in check?
Feeling guilty about your lifestyle? A recent study might make you think twice before indulging yourself too much. Here’s an excerpt we found on telegraph.co.uk about some startling health news:
A study has found that the combination of four unhealthy lifestyle factors; smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and drinking too much increased the risk of dying by such a large degree that it was the equivalent to being 12 years older. The study found just over six per cent of people admitted to having all four bad behaviours.
Read the rest of the ‘An unhealthy lifestyle makes you ‘12 years older‘ article – what do you think? Are you going to alter your lifestyle?
Most of us are a little reluctant when it comes to exercise. ‘It’s too much effort’, we groan. ‘I haven’t got the time, between my [income-generating activity], my [hobby], my [social/emotional obligation]‘ we whine. The fact is that you can always sqeeze in a little exercise. Yes, always. It can be as easy as getting off the bus a few extra stops before yours, and walking. Should you be feeling ambitious, make it a brisk one. Here’s some tips to help smooth the process out for you.
Warm Up, Cool Down - Spend at least five to ten minutes warming up before “shocking” your body with any serious exercise. It gets the heart beating faster, helps the muscles work more efficiently, and reduces the risk of injury to your body. Stretching is good for getting the blood circulating. However, you may also want to do some very mild aerobics involving the muscles you intend to use (i.e. a slow jog before running). A good warm-up will actually leave you perspiring mildly.
Bend and Stretch – Stand with you feet shoulder width apart, arms at side. Slowly bend forward from the waist, gently stretching the spine, until your hands touch the floor. Don’t strain yourself. If necessary, flex your knees slightly.
Arm Circles – Stand with arms straight out at sides, palms up. Keeping arms straight, make circles in the air with your hands, starting with very tiny movements and then making the circles as wide as possible. Repeat exercise, making circles in opposite direction.
Side Stretch – Stand with feet apart and knees slightly bent. Repeat with your other leg.
Sitting Stretch – Sitting with legs stretched out in front of you, place bottom of right foot on inner thigh of left leg (or against inside of knee). Reach gently forward from hips with both arms, sliding them along extended leg as far as you can go without feeling pain. Keep back straight. Repeat with other leg.
Hamstring Stretch – Stand straight, holding back of chair or doorknob. Bend one leg up behind you, gently pull up, grasping by the foot. The supporting leg should be slightly bent. Repeat with other leg.
Forward Lunge – Stand with right foot stretched out in front of you, arms at your side. Slowly bend right knee until knee is directly above your ankle. Keep other leg straight. Repeat with other leg.
Shoulder Stretch – Stand with knees slightly bent, hands clasped behind back. Slowly lift arms up, keeping hands clenched. To increase the stretch, bend forward at the waist and raise the arms higher. Hold for 15 seconds.
At Least Go For A Walk - One of the easiest exercises you can add to your busy day is walking. Walking is effective, and it requires no special equipment beyond good walking shoes. Keep your posture straight, not bent forward, as you walk, as if there were a string attached to the top of your head and someone were pulling it up. Let your arms swing freely. There are many books available that will explain in detail the mechanics of a “power” walk. Check your local bookstore or library.
The best thing you can do for your weight is to gain a few pounds—of muscle! Muscle burns more energy than fat, even when resting. Five extra pounds of muscle lets you eat 375 more calories in a day and not gain weight. If you maintain your calorie intake, energy for new muscle will come from fat stores, so you will actually lose weight.
Don’t be fooled by what the scales say. When clothes start fitting better but the scales show you weigh more, you’ll know the fat that was formerly there has been replaced by muscle elsewhere. Muscle-strengthening exercises include weightlifting, leg-lifts and standard pushups. If you have the space, invest in home exercise equipment.
