PiYo

Each week at work, we have team workouts. Employees teach employees in a group exercise setting a type of workout style they specialize in. I taught bootcamp and made everyone hate me the next day when they couldn’t make it up the stairs. Last week we hopped on bikes for a heart-pumping spin class. This week we ditched our shoes, unrolled our mats and did a PiYo class. I had never done it before but immediately fell in love with it. I do yoga, sometimes regularly and sometimes sporadically, had done Pilates a few times, but never really got hooked on it. But PiYo was something new and different for me.  

Piyo is a fusion of Pilates and yoga. It focuses on improving core strength (Pilates) and increasing balance and range of motion (yoga). It also incorporates elements of strength training and dynamic movement for  a challenging and fun full body workout. Rather than holding yoga postures for an extended time, participants go through a sequence of movements that flow together as flawlessly as any yoga class.

The name and popularity of PiYo may be new, but the concept isn’t. Instructors have been mixing these types of exercises for quite some time now. It offers a nice change to those who get “bored” holding poses for a period of time.  With a flexible class format, you can get a different workout each time you come to class!

So, who can benefit from PiYo? Everyone. Beginners to advanced exercisers can get something out of this unique class. Modifications are available for every pose and movement so everyone can get a good workout. For me, PiYo(which will be now a regular part of my running training) will help me strengthen  muscles I rely on during races but don’t get fully activated doing strength training alone.  The mind-body aspect of this class will invigorate and de-stress me on days where my optimism just isn’t there.  Whatever your personal fitness goals may be, PiYo is a great addition. If nothing else you will feel focused and energized walking out of class. I encourage you all to try it at least once!

For my 24 Hour Fitness readers: PiYo classes are offered weekly so check out the website for dates and times. Also, our new personal training specials start today! Buy ten sessions and get 2 free! 20 sessions will get you 3 free! Email or come see me if interested.

7 Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer

1.       If you’ve exercised regularly for several months and are not seeing the changes you’d like.  A personal trainer will be able to recognize the plateau you’ve hit and push you beyond it. A trainer will look at your current exercise and nutrition program habits and see where improvement could be made.  A trainer will also go over your goals with you and break them down into realistic ones with a reasonable timeline to get there.

2.       If you don’t know where to begin.  There is a lot of information to know when beginning a workout program.  If you’re unfamiliar with the gym, it can be overwhelming and even intimidating. A personal trainer can educate you in what types of exercises will be appropriate for you based on your desired goals. A trainer will also establish what resistance will be appropriate for each exercise.  They will ensure you are doing each exercise correctly and with proper form.

3.       If you’re bored with your current program.  Even if you have worked out on your own for a while, you can still benefit from a personal trainer. Just a few sessions with a trainer can give you new ideas and exercises to change up your workout a little. A trainer will provide you with new challenges and the opportunity to learn how to use equipment you might not normally use.

4.       If you like to be challenged. It’s easy to just go through the motions when exercising on your own. A trainer will add that extra push to keep you on your toes and working hard. You will improve your fitness by continuing to push yourself beyond what you do on your own.

5.       If you need the accountability. Sometimes people need a standing appointment in order to get into the gym. If you know you’ve paid for your sessions and know your trainer is waiting on you, it will be harder to find excuses not to get your workout.

6.       If you have specific limitations, conditions or injuries. If you have heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, any injuries, etc, you can benefit from a personal trainer. They will show you proper modifications that are necessary for you, as well as exercises to avoid.

7.       If you are training for a specific event.  A personal trainer can guide you through exercises that will strengthen the muscles needed for your specific event.  They will also ensure you will be at your best for the day of the event.

*Please refer to my previous blog (dated June 1, 2011 on How to Choose a Personal Trainer) for additional information*

For my 24 Hour Fitness readers: We have a training promotion going on now: purchase 10 sessions and get 1 session free! 20 sessions will get you 2 free sessions! This promotion ends on Thursday August 18^th 2011 so act fast! If you decide to purchase sessions with me, I will give you an additional hour to discuss your fitness goals and give you an initial fitness assessment. (You could save up to $210 with this!)

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Delayed onset muscle soreness: the pain that develops 24 to 48 hours after a strenuous workout. We’ve all felt it before, whether it was from running , or simply an activity you’ve never done before. This blog will discuss delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), why it happens, what causes it and what is going on in your muscles that causes you to limp down the stairs. Most of the time, I’ll be talking specifically about marathon running, but know that DOMS also occurs after strenuous workouts of which your body is not accustomed.

It was once thought that lactic acid was to blame for DOMS.  It accumulates in the muscles when the amount of oxygen required for the physical activity exceeds the oxygen you’re getting.  It’s your body’s defense against doing any permanent damage to the muscles by overexerting.  Lactic acid doesn’t allow the muscles to work as efficiently, so for example in a marathon, your pace would slow as a result.  Your muscles physically cannot utilize oxygen in a manner that will maintain your pace. Slowing down allows oxygen to get back into your muscles. Once oxygen is back at appropriate levels, your muscles begin to work more efficiently again. Lactic acid IS responsible for pain, but it’s the burning pain you feel as your running. Once you stop running, or whatever the activity, the lactic acid removes itself from your body after about half an hour.  During marathons, I’ve frequently talked with other runners during the miles. Even most veteran marathoners blame lactic acid for their soreness in the days after.

But since lactic acid is removed from the body 30 minutes after you stop exercise, there must be another culprit for DOMS.  The answer, although simple, is not reassuring. The reason you’re sore in the days following a marathon or tough exertion, is due to muscle damage. Using the marathon example, the repeated impact and excessive stress causes microscopic tears within the muscle fibers.  The process by which the muscles get repaired is what causes the pain.  Cells (macrophages and neutrophils) are sent to the damaged area to remove all the dead and damaged cells. Along with this process comes the swelling (another cause for the pain as there is less room within the muscle for it to carry out its’ normal functions)  Once the dead cells are out of the way, new cells(satellite cells) come in and begin to rebuild the muscle fibers. When this is done, the muscle is rebuilt stronger than before. Think of it like this: during an earthquake, a massive amount of destruction occurs (running the marathon), after it’s over cleanup crew come in to begin removing debris from the site (macrophages and neutrophils), once the debris is cleared, the builders can come in and begin rebuilding (satellite cells) and when they do this, they rebuild stronger so it’s prepared for the next earthquake (extreme physical activity).  This is an extremely simplified description of what happens. The process is complex and time consuming (hence the reason you feel pain 24 to 48 hours after the activity).

Some amount of DOMS is necessary for improved muscular fitness.  Since you repair yourself stronger than before, you can now handle that stress again without experiencing as much DOMS.  You can work to prevent severe DOMS by consistently training and gradually increasing intensity and/or duration of your workouts.  Some events, like the marathon, demand so much on the body that not experiencing some DOMS afterwards is nearly impossible. But again, gradually increasing mileage and intensity will help with the degree of pain you feel in the days following the race.

Overuse Injuries

        Endurance running is a sport of passion. You either love it or you hate it. “You're running on guts, on fumes. Your lungs burn, your muscles are screaming. You throw up, you're delirious, but you keep running because there is no way you are giving up, because there is no way you're not crossing that finish line. It's a misery non-runners don't understand.”- Martine Costello This quote explains it will I think.  All the sweat, the sore muscles, blisters, sunburns, torn muscles, we runners put up with all that for the satisfaction of the finish line (whether that finish line be at the end of a race of the end of a training run). But all too often, we are seeing overuse injuries with runners. We don’t know when to stop. I know I’m guilty of it. We ignore the pain of aching muscles and the longer we do that, we will soon be ignoring a much more serious problem. In most cases, overuse injuries can be prevented, even for those die-hard runners, if a few steps are taken.

Foam Roller: The foam roller is a piece of equipment I think every runner or endurance athlete should have. It does wonders for alleviating soreness and helping reduce tightness in the muscles that are working while we run. The IT band is the area most in need of the foam roller. The IT band is a tendon that goes from your hip, down the outside of your leg where it crosses the knee joint to attach on the inside. If the IT band becomes tight, it will pull on the kneecap causing it to track improperly, which in turn will cause knee pain for the runner. Using the foam roller on this tendon can help elongate it so the knee tracks where it is supposed to.

Increase mileage gradually: Don’t do too much too soon. This is the most common mistake new runner make. Gradually build your weekly miles up rather than going all out the first week. Your body needs time to adjust and get used to the impact and toll running takes on the body. A general rule is to only increase your mileage by 10% each week. This will ensure your body has the time it needs and you will be able to continue running without an injury. Quality is more important than quantity.

Rest!: Believe it or not, rest days are just as important as training days. Without rest, your body can’t repair itself from the previous workout. Constantly subjecting your body to intense and grueling workouts is only going to burn you out and cause an injury.

Don’t ignore acute pain: Pain is your body’s way of telling you you’re doing something wrong. While often times endurance runners tend to ignore these pains (I know I do), doing so often leads to a more serious injury.  If you listen to your body and take care of the pain or discomfort as it happens, you’re more likely to be running pain-free much sooner than if you ignore it and hope it just goes away. Ignoring it will place more stress on other joints that now have to compensate for the pain and now you’re looking at another potential location for injury. RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) is essential for runners to know (and practice) to take care of these acute pains.  If RICE does not fix the problem, then it might be time to see a physician.

Cross train: This is another one that serious runners don’t always like doing. Their mindset is that they need to always run during their workout time. In reality, your body needs a break from the constant impact that running causes. Cross training provides a great way to still get a workout that uses the same muscles and running, just without the impact. This way, joints get to recover and prepare for the next run, while your muscles are still getting a workout.

While you can't always avoid injuries, following these steps will reduce your chances of becomming injured, and speed up your recovery if you already are.

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure refers to the pressure from circulating blood being exerted on the walls of blood vessels.  Blood pressure is measured and recorded as two numbers (120/80).  The top number is called systolic blood pressure.  This is measured as your heart is contracting and pushing blood through your arteries. The pressure during this phase is great which is why the number is higher.  The bottom number represents your diastolic blood pressure.  This is when your heart is relaxing and filling back up with blood.

Blood pressure can have negative health effects if it’s too high.  Ideally, blood pressure should be right around 120/80, or slightly lower.  A blood pressure that reads 140/90 on two separate occasions is classified as hypertension (high blood pressure).  Having high blood pressure has dangerous health consequences and can lead to coronary artery disease, heart failure, or stroke. There are not really symptoms of high blood pressure which is why it’s important to have it checked on a regular basis.  It could be causing damage to the heart and blood vessels without your knowledge.

There fortunately are ways to reduce your blood pressure by adopting a healthy lifestyle.  First of all, eating a nutritious diet will not only reduce your risk of developing hypertension, but decrease it if you already have hypertension. Decreasing your sodium intake has also been proven to help lower blood pressure. Your body only requires about one teaspoon of salt per day but most people eat significantly more than that. Lowering sodium intake can help decrease hypertension as well as make blood pressure medications work more effectively.

Being physically active is probably the easiest thing you can do to help lower high blood pressure. Those who are physically active tend to have lower and healthier blood pressures than their sedentary counterparts. Another important one is to quit smoking if you’re a smoker.  While smoking does not directly cause hypertension, it does speed up the process of hardening in the arteries and causes damage to the walls of the blood vessels, all of which increase the risk for hypertension.

Remember to check your blood pressure regularly, more frequently if you already have hypertension. Making small changes in your lifestyle can make a big difference in your overall health.

Hiking

One of my favorite things in the summer is hiking in the mountains.  I love everything from quick morning hikes to all day 14er climbs. Living in Colorado, I am fortunate to have as many opportunities for exploration as there are days in the year. (There are equally spectacular places in Vermont for all my east coast readers.  J)  The back country and wilderness does come with its’ share of dangers and precautions though.  Being aware of these is essential for a safe and enjoyable hike.

·         Know your location, and make sure someone else does too.  It only takes a few minutes to leave a note or send a text message about where you’re going.  Having someone else know your general location is important on the off-chance you get lost. There are many cases of injured or missing hikers that could have been solved much easier (and quicker) if someone else knew where they were.

·         Know the wildlife likely to be in the area of your hike and plan accordingly. Be aware of what to do in case you run into wildlife. Most of the time, any animals you see will be harmless and/or more scared of you than you are of them.  There are times, however, when you may come across more dangerous animals and knowing how to react in these situations could potentially save your life. 

·         Plan ahead. Know in advance about how long of a hike it will be in favorable conditions. Bring plenty of food and water. This is so important, especially when you get into higher elevations. Hiking in general burns a substantial amount of calories, even more so as your elevation increases.  If you are in the sun, staying hydrated will become more important.

·         Dress in Layers. It’s impossible to predict the weather (especially in Colorado) so be prepared for a little of everything. Most of my hikes I’ve been able to do in a t-shirt and shorts, but I’ve done my fair share where I started out in a blizzard and ended with a sunburn. It never hurts to have an extra pair of socks in your bag in case there is more snow or that river is a little deeper than you thought.  Sunglasses are also important if there are both snow and sun on your hike. The sun reflects off the sun and without sunglasses, it can be damaging to your eyes.

·         Know about altitude sickness. High altitude is generally considered anything about 8,000 feet, but you don’t need to be much higher than that to start feeling symptoms. Altitude sickness is actually fairly common, affecting the majority of high altitude hikers in some way or another. Symptoms are usually mild and include fatigue, headaches, lightheadedness, and nosebleeds. There are more serious symptoms that can occur however. The most serious is edema which happens when fluid accumulates in tissues of the body ( in this case usually in the lungs or brain).  If you experience symptoms that are similar to a fever, or are gradually losing consciousness, chances are you are experiencing either cerebral or pulmonary edema, both of which are potentially life-threatening.  If this occurs, it is essential to descend as quickly as possible.

Just be aware of the potential issues that can occur while hiking and you will know how to properly and safely handle them. Get out and enjoy the great outdoors!

Rules of the Road

Today’s blog will be short and sweet, but I feel, very important information. In honor of Bike to Work Day, I will talk about the rules of the road. Whether you are on a bicycle or running, there are rules you need to adhere to when on the road with motor vehicles. Having recently moved to a bigger city, I can better appreciate the need for people to follow these guidelines. I also have witnessed how few of these people actually know, or at least follow, them. 

When biking, you go with traffic, your bicycle is your vehicle and you are responsible for all the rules, signs, and lights as a motorist. That means you’d stop at stop signs and lights, use proper signals when turning and be in the correct lane.   If you ride in the early morning or dusk, make sure you wear reflective clothing or at least have reflective lights on your bike; it is not always easy for vehicles to see you. As a cyclist, it is essential to be very aware of your surroundings.  Cars don’t always pay attention and many don’t know to look for a cyclist on the road in the first place. When reading up on bicycle laws and regulations, I came across many discussion boards and I read some pretty negative things people had to say about cyclists. Some people even discussed stories where they aimed their cars at cyclists in an attempt to run them off the road. Needless to say, there is a battle between cyclists and motorists. This makes it even more important that all rules are abided by and extreme caution is used when cycling. 

Now running, on the other hand, has some different rules. Runners are to run the opposite direction of traffic. This way you, the runner, can see cars as they approach, even if they can’t see you.  In general, there seems to be less hostility towards runners by motorists, but I’ve had things thrown and me and cars purposefully aimed at me while running.  Reflective or bright colored clothing is useful when running as well. The more you’re able to make your presence obvious, the safer you will be. Never assume a car can see you, even if you’re in the cross walk.  Of all the close calls I’ve had with cars, they’ve all been when I had the “walk” signal for a cross walk and if I hadn’t checked for cars, they would have hit me. 

If you’re a cyclist or a runner and you take your workouts on the road, be aware of these guidelines.  When you’re driving, be sure to be aware of the potential for runners and cyclists on the roads.

Strength Training

Most people have at least a general understanding of what strength training is.  Not everyone knows why it’s important though, or how to strength train safely and effectively.

 Strength training has a number of benefits and requires consistent participation to achieve them.  Benefits of strength training include: improved bone density, increased muscle strength, reduced risk of injury, and elevated HDL (good) cholesterol.  There are also functional benefits associated with strength training like improved posture. Also, strong muscles are better able to support joints thus making them function more efficiently and with greater range of motion.  Strength training can help reduce your risk of bone diseases like osteoporosis. 

A general guideline for strength training is that it should be done twice a week. Your strength training workout should consist of at least eight to ten exercises that utilize the major muscle groups of the body. For each exercise, eight to 12 repetitions should be completed.  The weight you choose for these exercises is important. You want a weight that will challenge you, but not so much that you cannot perform the exercise with the proper form. An appropriate weight will be one in which you can complete each set with proper form, but feel like you wouldn’t be able to complete more repetitions without a break. Proper form during strength training is essential. Without proper form, you are not only likely to injure yourself, you’re also not getting the benefit of the exercise.

Keep in mind that the above guidelines are broad and apply mainly to beginners and those desiring to maintain their current muscular fitness. If you have a specific goal, your strength training program will be altered.  If your goal is to increase muscle mass for example, you will want to change your repetitions and even the format of the workout. For building muscle mass, super sets are useful. This entails working muscle groups back to back with no rest. For these super sets, you use a heavier weight and do fewer repetitions, usually between six and eight. This is fast paced and intense. This same process would not be appropriate for someone trying to improve their muscular endurance. Endurance is the ability to sustain activity over a long period of time, so a fast paced, few repetition strength training program would not produce the desired results. To improve muscular endurance, you can probably guess, it would require higher repetitions with lighter weights (more similar to the general guidelines I listed above).  Your strength training program will vary depending on your specific goals, your limitations, and your experience level.  Sport specific strength training will require yet another program format.  If you’re a sprinter (requiring short bursts of high intensity and muscle firing from the legs) it would be beneficial to train your muscles a similar way in the weight room. In this case, it would come in the form of explosive and powerful lifts targeting the muscles of the legs.

If you’ve never done any strength training before, it is recommended you choose eight to ten exercises and complete two sets of ten to 12 repetitions for each one. When you first start out, this should only be done once a week. Once you see how your body responds to the new program and you learn what weights are appropriate for each exercises, you can gradually increase the number of days you strength train and the number of exercises you complete. 

Your muscles need 24 hours to recover between workouts. Not allowing for this recovery time does not give your muscles the chance to heal themselves and grow stronger. In general, this means that you shouldn’t strength train more than four times per week. There are exceptions though. For example if you do split body workouts (meaning you work lower body one day, and upper body the next) since you’re working a different body part the next day, you’re still allowing for recovery in the muscles you worked the previous day.

The key things to remember, no matter the strength training program you follow or the desired results, are your form and your recovery. Pay attention to form on every single exercise and if you are unable to complete a repetition without compromising your form, choose a lighter weight. Allow your body the time it needs to repair the muscles as it is during that time your muscles gain strength.  Strength training requires consistency, dedication and focus, but offers numerous benefits.

Exercising in the Heat

In a previous blog (How to Hydrate During Exercise, Feb. 23, 2011), I touched briefly on some of the affects dehydration has on the body, and how those symptoms are amplified in high temperatures. I will be discussing that in greater detail for this blog.  Summer has finally arrived here in Colorado, bringing with it sunny skies and hot temperatures.  This, naturally, encourages people to take their workouts outside. While exercising outside is a great way to beat the boredom of the gym, enjoy some sun and scenery, there are some things to be aware of when doing so in the summer months.

In the How to Hydrate During Exercise blog, I state dehydration as a major concern for endurance athletes. This is especially true during the summer. The body needs to work harder in order to cool you down, and since the outside temperatures are already so high, it takes less physical activity before you begin to sweat.  Sweating is your body’s natural way to cool itself in an attempt to maintain homeostasis.  But with sweat, comes increased water loss. Staying properly hydrated becomes more important when the temperatures are hot, as you’re losing more fluid through sweating. To avoid dehydration, be sure to drink water before, during, and after exercising, being sure to take small sips during exercise  If you’d like to read a bit more about dehydration, please refer back to the above mentioned blog post.

The time of day you exercise is important during the summer. Try to schedule workouts either early in the morning or in the evening so as to avoid being outside during the hotter parts of the day (noon-3pm). Exercising midday will only slow you down and decrease performance.  If an early morning or evening workout isn’t permissible with your schedule, you may consider going to the gym.  A run on the treadmill, although boring, is better, and safer, than a run outside in 100 degree temperatures during your lunch break. You not only risk dehydration by exercising in the heat, but heat exhaustion as well.  This occurs when the body is unable to cool the body at the rate your body is heating up. This can happen due to dehydration but also, and perhaps more commonly, overexerting yourself in hot weather. When this happens, your body becomes severely less efficient at cooling itself.

 Symptoms of heat exhaustion include: dizziness, muscle cramps, fatigue, weak and rapid pulse, nausea, and headache. You may notice these symptoms are similar to those of dehydration, making it important to pay attention to these, and listen to your body. If you think you might have heat exhaustion, stop exercising immediately. Top priority is to cool your body; move to a cooler location, take a cold shower, drink cold fluids.

  I experienced the danger of dehydration and heat exhaustion during a marathon a few years ago. The temperatures were unseasonably high and I was unprepared for the heat.  I was not the only ill-prepared runner that day. Several people needed to be put on IV fluids while others, like myself, experienced less severe symptoms like dizziness and lightheadedness. While your summer workouts might not be running 26.2 miles, it is necessary to keep these tips in mind and stay properly hydrated in the heat.

How to Choose a Personal Trainer

Working with a personal trainer can be of great benefit to you.  Whether you’re a beginner and need help with proper use of weights and creating a program, or a seasoned gym-goer needing to add something new and challenging to your workouts, a personal trainer can get you there.  I should rephrase that. The right personal trainer can get you there.

Far too often though, people end up working with unqualified, uncertified, and inexperienced trainers.  This leaves the client no closer to their goal, frustrated, never wanting to hire a personal trainer again, and possibly injured.  I feel the general opinion of personal trainers is negative, and for good reason. Most of you reading this now have probably worked with a trainer who didn’t know what they were doing.  The majority of the clients I’ve worked with have had at least one negative experience with a trainer before coming to me.  It’s not a surprise this is the case, with so many online trainer exams available, you could pay a fee and call yourself a personal trainer today if you wanted.  And thus, the unqualified and uncertified personal trainer is born. 

Although the numbers of this type of trainer are high, don’t despair.  There are trainers out there (like myself) who hold a degree in a fitness related field, and studied extensively to pass the challenging exam to be certified through an accredited personal training agency.

That being said, here are some things to look for when choosing a personal trainer.

·         The very first thing you should look at is their certification. A knowledgeable personal trainer will be certified through an accredited certifying agency. ACSM, NSCA, and AFAA are some examples of such agencies. These agencies require both a written and practical exam (ACSM being the most difficult) to ensure knowledge in anatomy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, fitness testing, nutrition and weight management, metabolic calculations etc.

·         CPR and First Aid certified. If your trainer passes the first test and is accredited through a respectable agency, they will already be CPR and First Aid certified as it is required to be in order to sit for the exams.  If they do not hold a current CPR certification, chances are, either their personal training certification has expired, or they were never required to have one in the first place.

·         Education: Does your trainer have a college degree related to the fitness field? If that is important to you, it’s something to consider.  A degree in a fitness related field will add to the credibility of the trainer.  A degree is required to be ACSM certified, but not for the other accredited agencies.

·         Specialties: Find out what your potential trainer specializes in. Does it correlate with your fitness goals? If the trainer you’re considering specializes in bootcamp style and advanced clients, and you’ve never set foot in a gym before, it may not be a good fit.

·         Interests: If a trainer bio is available, read it. Choose someone who has similar interests to you. Although this is not nearly as important as the above bullet points, you will be working with this trainer on a regular basis and it’s good to be able to have some things in common to talk about.

When it comes down to it, you’re trusting this personal trainer with your health. You’re trusting them to not injure you, to motivate you, and to safely help you reach your goals, so make sure you take the time to choose a trainer carefully.    

Models of Health

What does it mean to you to be healthy? How would you define health? Each person will have their own way to define what it means to be healty. Scientists and health educators have come up with three accepted ways  define health:

1.       The Medical Model: The main focus in this model is the “3 D’s” Death, Disease, Discomfort, Disability, and Dissatisfaction.  Basically, with this model, if you’re not sick or dying, you are considered to be in good health.  The medical model interprets disease and illness based on malfunction of individual organs, cells, and other systems (liver disease, heart disease etc).  In this model, health is attained with the cure of a disease (think antibiotics or life-saving surgery).  The medical model focuses exclusively on biological processes, and does not take into account other factors affecting our health.

2.       The Environmental Model: This model deals with the environmental risks associated with people’s health.  Health, in the environmental model, is defined more so on the ability to adapt to the environment as conditions change.  This model focuses on outside the individual (whereas the medical model focuses on the inside like diseased organs) like air and water quality, exposure to harmful substances, and socioeconomic status.  The environmental model is most similar to the Native American beliefs of harmonious interactions with the environment. Illness, in this model, occurs when there is a disharmony between human and environmental interactions.

3.       The Holistic Model: This is the model I will spend the most time discussing. The holistic model deals with the person as a whole and not just the diseased parts of the body.  Within this model, there are six dimensions of wellness: emotional, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, social and physical.  In order to be healthy, all these dimensions need to be working together.  The holistic model takes into account much more than just your physical health. In general, this is the sole aspect used to define and assess one’s health.  Although your physical wellness is important, it is not the only aspect that contributes to optimum wellness.  If one dimension is lacking, it has an affect on your health as a whole.

 ·   Physical wellness encompasses your diet and exercise habits. Regular exercise and proper nutrition will increase physical wellness.

·   Emotional wellness focuses on how you understand and handle your emotions.  It deals with your ability to cope with problems and stresses of everyday life.

·   Intellectual wellness is simply being open to new ideas and experiences. If you are intellectually well, you would be open to trying new things and new challenges.

·   Spiritual wellness can mean a lot of things.  To some, it can be your religion or your faith. To others, it is about your ability to balance your individual needs with the demands of the rest of the world.  Think of this dimension as whatever it is you do for you; the time you take out of your day to unwind, destress, refocus, recharge etc.

·   Occupational wellness focuses on what you do for a living and your level of satisfaction with it.  If you’re not completely satisfied with your job, as most people are not, it’s your ability to find positive aspects within that job.

·   Social wellness deals with your interaction with others and your ability to communicate effectively and comfortably.

Each model will have its' limitations and benefits. I feel a combination of each is essential to your overall health.  When assessing your own health, make sure to take into account each of these models so you can achieve optimal health.   

Marathon Recovery

This past Sunday I ran my 6^th marathon-the Colorado Colfax Marathon.  In the days following the race, as I try and take it easy to recover, I analyze my performance;  what went well, what didn’t, what foods I should and shouldn’t eat, if I should change the way I hydrate.  Usually though, I think about how I can improve for next time.  I focus on how I’ll tweak my training for the next marathon.  I usually pick my next marathon within 48 hours after crossing the finish line.  I start brainstorming right away and I often neglect what is arguably the most important aspect of marathon training: recovery.

I think most people know that marathon training requires extreme dedication and months of difficult training.  What a lot of people don’t realize though, is that your training shouldn’t end when you cross the finish line.  Completing a marathon, no matter your finish time, is a tremendous achievement and should be treated as such.  You demanded a lot from your body to complete these 26.2 miles, and the finish line has come at a cost. After the finish you are most likely dehydrated, exhausted, hypothermic, glycogen depleted, nauseous, or any number of things.  Your post marathon recovery should be just as carefully planned as the training leading up to race day.  The recovery process can essentially be broken down into three different categories, each equally important to fully recover your body.

·         Immediately after finishing: The most important thing you can do here is to get calories in you.  Even in the finisher’s chute, you should be trying to eat something.  Grab as many bananas, bagels, pretzels etc that you can as they hand them out.  It is not uncommon to feel nauseous or not have an appetite after a marathon. If this is the case, try some liquid calories like Gatorade or chocolate milk, anything you feel you can keep down.  Bottom line is, you’ve depleted your energy stores and they need to be replenished. Beginning the process of rehydration is also very important and should begin right after you finish. Take small sips of water as your stomach won’t be able to handle high volumes.  If you can, it’s good to bring a change of clothes with you.  Getting out of your running clothes as soon as you can after finishing will help keep you warm and reduce your risk of getting the cold or flu.  The stress of completing the 26.2 mile distance severely suppresses the immune system and drastically increases your risk of illness.

·         Within 24 hours of finishing: Proper diet, hydration and sleep are focus points here.  The first 24 hours after finishing a marathon is the time in which you can ice your muscles. An ice bath (if you can handle it) for 5 to 10 minutes will work to reduce the swelling in your overworked muscles.  Gentle stretching or very light massaging can help alleviate muscle soreness.  Taking anti-inflammatory medications like Tylenol or Ibuprofen can also help with the swelling. After 24 hours, you can switch to heat compresses and soaks in the hot tub if you’d like.

·         Weeks after the finish: Experts say that you need one day of recovery for every mile completed, so you’d need to allow 26 days to recover from the marathon.  This doesn’t mean you need to wait for 26 days before you can exercise or run at all.  This simply means you should not workout to the extent or intensity you did pre-marathon.  People react differently to the stress and demand of the marathon, therefore, there isn’t just one recovery plan that suits everyone.  This phase may last until the week or two after your marathon, or it may last a month or more.  If you’ve sustained a serious injury you will obviously spend longer in this phase.  Absolutely NO running should take place until injured areas are no longer causing you pain. Why add even more stress to already over-trained muscles? If you are lucky enough to have crossed the finish line with no significant injuries, you should give yourself those 26 days of recovery before you do any serious running again(example: no intense speed drills, hill repeats or long runs).  Jumping back into training too hard too fast will cause injury and burn out as well as decrease your performance.

Runners may experience “post marathon blues” at any point in the recovery process and experience some depression.  This can be caused by a few different things.  Usually (as is the case with me) it’s simply because you physically can’t do the type and intensity of workouts you have become accustomed to in the pre-marathon training.  It is important to understand that the recovery phase is equally important and beneficial to the body.  Remember, just as everyone responds differently to exercise, people respond differently to recovery as well.  Listen to your body and don’t push it beyond its limit.

Types of Muscle Contractions

The muscles of your body generate tension when they are activated.  Under tension, the muscle may do one of three things: shorten, lengthen, or remain the same length.  This is referred to as muscle contraction.  Although generally the term ‘contraction’ means the shortening of something, when talking about the muscular system, it is used to describe any form of muscular tension listed above.

When the muscle length shortens as a result of muscle contraction, it is called a concentric contraction.  This is the type of contraction most people think about and focus on in the weight room, but it is only one piece.  An example of a concentric muscle contraction is the first part of a bicep curl where flexing at the elbow, you’re bringing the weights from down by your hips to up towards your shoulders.  The bicep is shortening to allow this action.

In contrast, when the muscle is working eccentrically, it is lengthening against gravity.  Using the same bicep curl example, the eccentric portion of that exercise is when you’re returning to the starting position (lowering the weights back down).  The bicep is lengthening as your resist gravity. (Almost all muscles will lengthen as they resist against gravity, but there are a very few exceptions to this, where some exercises will have the muscle actually shortening as it’s controlled against gravity, as long as it’s against gravity, it is still considered an eccentric contraction).  This part of the exercise is often rushed through, most people just quickly lowering the weight so they can again focus on the curl up part.  The eccentric portion, however, is just as important.  To focus more on the eccentric part of your lifting, simply lower the weights more slowly. Focusing on this eccentric portion is also referred to as ‘negatives’ and will leave you sore the next day since you are controlling motion against gravity.

A third type of muscle contraction exists in which the length of the muscle remains the same and the angle of the joint does not change.  This is called an isometric contraction. Sticking with our biceps curl example, if you were to hold the weights with your elbows flexed at 90 degrees, as you remained in that position, it would be an isometric contraction.  The muscle is activated, but the length of the muscle remains the same.

*Please note, there are more types of muscle contractions, but are not generally used as they require expensive equipment.  The three I am discussing today represent how you use your muscles in daily life, and thus, how your muscles should be trained.*

A well-rounded strength program should incorporate all three of these contractions. Almost every exercise will have a concentric and eccentric component, so performing each exercise slowly and with control will utilize both.  If you want to focus on a certain one for a specific workout, all you need to do is change the tempo, or pace at which you perform the exercise.  For example, with our bicep curl, to focus on the concentric portion, simply flex the elbows and come up for a count of 4(or 6, or 8, whatever you want to do) and down for 2.  To focus on the eccentric portion, you’d just do the opposite, up for 2 counts and down for 4. Incorporate some isometric contractions as well. Holding your bicep curl at 90 degrees is just one example of an isometric exercise. Others include: the wall sit, plank, side plank and the abdominal v-sit.

Working all these muscle contractions can improve sports performance. Since your muscles have been trained using different contractions and speed of motion, it can also help reduce your risk of injury.

Protein

There is a lot of confusion regarding protein out there. You hear something different almost everywhere you go. Myths that consuming excess protein will result in more muscle mass have people downing protein shakes at every meal.  But why is protein important for the body? How much do you actually need and why?

Protein performs several essential functions for the body.  It’s responsible for building and repairing muscles and tissues; hair and nails are composed primarily of protein.  Protein also has a role in producing hormones and enzymes.  The function I will focus on in the blog is repairing muscles, primarily after exercise. 

Protein, with fats and carbohydrates, is a macronutrient.  All this means is that you need a relatively substantial amount of it compared to micronutrients like vitamins and minerals.  However, unlike the other macronutrients, your body does not store excess protein.  Any un-needed protein is converted.  The nitrogen is removed and eliminated through the urine and what’s left is stored as fat. Consuming excess protein will NOT build more muscle. Your muscles only need a certain amount of protein and anything left over after that will be stored as fat.  So now you see the myth about consuming excess protein in order to build more muscle is just that, a myth.

If your goal is to build muscle, exercise is the only way to do this. Those who want to build muscle are typically those who over-consume protein the most. A lot of times, this is where you'll see people with the protein powders and shakes.  Thinking they are helping their body produce muscle, they eat sometimes more than two times the daily recommended amount.  Why? There is a LOT of false information out there. Protein powders and shakes are everywhere, even grocery stores, and promise quick and easy results. The truth is, in order to get the results you want, the only way to do it is through exercise.

There are other dangers to consuming excess protein, more serious than an accumulation of fat in the body.  Proteins contain nitrogen and are broken down by the liver.  When this nitrogen breaks down, the byproduct is ammonia, which is poisonous.  Your liver can safely tolerate ammonia in the acceptable amounts, but when you eat excess protein, the liver as to deal with the excess ammonia and this is harmful to the cells of the body.  This excess ammonia has actually been shown to decrease athletic performance. (Further disproving the excess protein, excess muscle myth).  Eliminating all this nitrogen puts stress on the kidneys and in serious cases, has been known to cause kidney disease.  An increased amount of calcium is lost through the urine in this situation as well.  The body relies on calcium to build strong and healthy bones.  Overtime, this can contribute to osteoporosis. When people over-consume protein, they usually acquire it from animal sources.   This can add to health concerns/problems as most animal sources are high in saturated fats which increase the risk of heart disease.

So, you know why you don’t want to over-consume, but how much protein do you really need?  Your daily protein requirements are somewhat individual and depend on a few factors like your level of activity and your body weight.  Athletes do need slightly more protein than their sedentary counterparts to repair damaged muscles from training.  The muscle damage occurs in both endurance training and more anaerobic activities like heavy weight lifting.  Both types of athletes have similar protein requirements.

In general, people need anywhere between .8g and 1.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight.  Sedentary individuals need the lower end of the protein requirements.  The 1.8 g is for hardcore athletes.  Let’s say you’re 150 pounds and moderately active.  To calculate your daily protein needs, the first thing you have to do is convert your weight in pounds to kilograms. To do this you’d divide 150 by 2.2 and get 68 kilograms. Then you’ll multiply this by 1.0 and 1.2 (somewhere between sedentary and a hardcore athlete) and you get a range of 68-81 grams of protein per day.  The average person can usually just take their weight in kilograms and eat that in grams of protein per day.

If you eat regularly and a variety of foods throughout the day, chances are, you are already meeting your daily protein requirements.  Just be aware of the protein sources in your diet, and how much you are actually getting. Protein supplements like shakes may be (and most often times are) unnecessary.    

Overtraining

It’s no secret for athletes, that in order to perform at your best, you need to work hard.  Equally important as all your hard work, is your recovery.  Your body relies on recovery periods to rebuild the muscles used during your workouts. 

Overtraining occurs when adequate recovery time is not given, preventing regeneration of the muscles to occur. In other words, muscles are not able to repair and recover sufficiently between hard workouts. If this imbalance continues and is not altered, the result is a decline in performance. ‘Overtraining syndrome’ is a term used to describe the symptoms of overtraining that have been present for several weeks to several months.

The most common and noticeable symptom is fatigue.  Tiredness after a workout is normal, but fatigue, as it pertains to overtraining, will last beyond the allotted recovery time.  The over-trained athlete may lose their competitive drive and desire for the sport.  Constant aches and pains, insomnia, drops in performance, depression and irritability, and increased number of injuries are also common symptoms.  On the other side of lack of interest for the sport, some over-trained athletes may experience a compulsive need for exercise.  Seeing their performance drop can be disheartening, so some feel they need to exercise even more to compensate for it.  This is a dangerous symptom as this will only exasperate the overtraining and serve to weaken the athlete even more. 

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, it’s possible you are overtraining.  Pay attention to your routine.  Your muscles generally need about 24 hours between intense strength workouts.  Are you allowing for that?  (This does not mean you can’t exercise every day, just that if you did a killer chest workout on Monday, you shouldn’t do one again on Tuesday).  Make note of your levels of fatigue and your performance.  A training log will help you notice trends in your workouts, how you feel, and if there’s any drop in performance. Be as detailed as possible when entering information into your workout log.  Include time of workout, intensity of the workout, what you did, what you ate before and after (and during if it’s a long endurance workout), your levels of sleep, mood etc. 

Another way to tell if you may be overtraining is to track your resting heart rate. Take your resting heart rate each day at the same time, preferably when your first wake in the morning.  Any significant increase (higher by more than just a few beats per minute) could mean you are not fully recovered.

Many athletes have experienced overtraining at one point or another.  In trying to achieve that balance between exercise and recovery, we sometimes push it too far.  The important thing is that we learn from the limits of our body, and take steps to alter our exercise programs to stay within those limits. If you are currently overtraining, the best thing you can do is rest and recover.  Easier said than done, I know, especially for those who, like me, love their sport. Understand that this rest and recovery is going to ultimately bring your performance back up and keep you injury-free.  Be sure to stay hydrated and maybe get a sports massage.  This will help loosen up sore, aching, overworked muscles as well as relax the mind.  Cross training is another possible way to help treat overtraining.  It will prevent you from continuing to overwork certain muscles by using them in a different (and most often non impact) way. 

It’s hard to assess when one is overtraining (and therefore it’s hard to prevent) because everyone responds differently to exercise and everyone can handle difference volumes of it.  Every athlete pushes their body and tries to find that limit of how much they can handle without going too far.  The best advice I can give is to listen to your body, schedule recovery periods into your program and vary your workout.

Assessing Your Health

Assessing your health is important.  Knowing your risk factors and current health status will help you know what areas need some work and how you can improve.  There are several different ways to screen clients for health, all with varying degrees of accuracy and convenience.  In this blog, I will cover the three most common ones that every trainer should use prior to beginning workouts with you.

• The first is BMI. This stands for Body Mass Index and assesses your weight relative to your height. The calculation is reached by dividing your body weight in kilograms (weight in pounds divided by 2.2), by your height in meters squared (height in inches multiplied by 0.0254 squared).  The BMI is used as a way to assess obesity and associated health risks. A BMI of 25 or higher is usually accompanied by increased obesity-related health risks.

Here is a BMI classification chart:

o   Underweight:          BMI below 18.5

o   Normal:                      BMI between 18.5 and 24.9

o   Overweight:             BMI between 25 and 29.9

o   Obesity Class 1:       BMI between 30 and 34.9

o   Obesity Class 2:       BMI between 35 and 39.9

o   Obesity Class 3:       BMI 40 and over

The BMI is used to screen general populations for health risk. It’s a relatively easy and time efficient way to do so.  Although it is an indirect measurement, it seems to be fairly reliable for most people.  It does, however, have limitations.  Because it doesn’t take into account muscle mass, it is not accurate for athletes or those with more muscle mass.  Muscle weighs more than fat, so although an athlete’s weight on the scale might be higher than their sedentary counterpart, they are not necessarily at a higher risk for obesity-related health risks.  Athletes with large muscle mass will get an inaccurately high number for their BMI. It is for this reason that BMI can only go so far to assess health risk. As a tool for the general population, it is great, but it is not accurate or appropriate for everyone.

• The second form of assessment is waist to hip ratio.  The pattern of body fat distribution is a key predictor of health risks related to obesity.  Two circumference measurements are taken for this assessment; one at the waist and one at the hips.  The waist measurement is attained at the narrowest part of the torso, usually a little above the bellybutton.  The hip measurement is taken at the widest part of the hips. The waist to hip ratio is the circumference of the waist divided by that of the hips. For example if your waist is 26 inches and your hips are 36 inches, your waist to hip ratio would be .72. Health risks increase as your waist to hip ratio does.  Those who store most of their fat in the abdomen area around their internal organs (android), have higher risk for obesity-related issues when compared to those who store their fat in the hips and thighs (gynoid).

The classification chart for waist to hip ratio is below:

Male                                                     Female                                                 Classification

.95 and below                                    .8 and below                                      Low Risk

.96-1.0                                                  .81-.85                                                  Moderate Risk

1.0 +                                                      .85 +                                                      High Risk

• The final aspect of health assessment I will discuss here is defining your positive risk factors.  This will usually come in the form of a health history questionnaire; basic information about you that we need to know in order to accurately assess the status of your health. If you currently smoke or have quit within the last 6 months for example, that is a positive risk factor which increases your risk of coronary artery disease.  Other positive risk factors that you can control are: sedentary lifestyle, hypertension, and obesity.  All these factors can be eliminated with proper diet and exercise.  Family history, obviously, you can’t change. You have a risk factor if your father or male first degree relative has a heart attack or sudden death before the age of 55.  The age for your mother or female first degree relative is 65.  There are other controllable positive risk factors as well like your fasting glucose score and LHL(bad) cholesterol and total cholesterol score.  If your HDL (good) cholesterol score is over 60, it eliminates one risk factor.  Often you don’t know this information as blood tests need to be done in order to acquire it.

Whether or not you plan to work with a trainer, this information is helpful to know.  BMI calculations are simple and can even be done online.  If you have a tape measure, you can also enter in your waist and hip measurements online for your waist to hip ratio.