Spring Training Fitness Tips

I’ve started to see an increase in the attendance in the athletic centres that I coach in. With spring now in full swing, people are making preparations in anticipation of a fitness filled spring and summer. If you hadn't been active through the winter, I think that it’s important that you progressively work your way into a new routine… opposed to going at 110% at the start of the season, getting injured, or even worse: getting burned out before you get into a regular groove. 

Keeping the gradual approach in mind, here’s some other spring training tips… I looked around on the net to see what the some of the other coaches were saying, and I kept finding the same old fitness tips (cut and paste) – so hopefully you will find these thoughts fresh to help put some ‘spring’ in your early season training.

1) Recovery: Many underestimate how tiring a new program can be. It will get easier. Trust me. But to get more out of your training, make sure you allow yourself to get the best recovery possible to be ready for your next session. 

• Rest – Deep Sleep, and preferably 7 – 9 hours of interrupted zzz’s per night.

• Stretch - all large muscle groups – at least 15mins per day (or more). Or participate in Yoga, or seek a professional practitioner for myofascial assisted stretch. Witnessyourfitness.ca

• Meditate – for 20 mins at least once per week. Visualize your passions and focus carefully on actualizing your athletic achievements. Be detail oriented in your meditation; try to think of every facet from tying your laces, putting on your helmet, to the details of your performance including every smell, sound, and action. 

• Hydrate – Drink water. Plain and simple. The right amount of hydration is different for everyone; however the most scientific measure that I’m aware of is 1ml for every calorie of your BMR (Basil Metabolic Rate). For instance a typical BMR for a 65kg woman is about 1350 cal/day. That person would therefore aim to drink 1.3L of fluids to keep up their hydration for the day.

• Refuel – there is a 20 minute window after training for your body to best absorb nutrients. Try to eat a well-balanced meal as soon after training as possible.

2) Protect your Skin: the sun is coming, and its rays can be harmful to you if you plan to spend extended periods outdoors. Your skin is largest organ on your body and protecting is very important, and by putting chemicals and harmful substances on your body, you can be quite counterproductive. To find out about the world’s best skin care for sun screen, children’s sun screen, cosmetics, hair care, nutritionals and anti-aging products that are Pure, Safe and Beneficial try Arbonne. click www.johannahunt.myarbonne.ca. Arbonne is also 100% vegan, botanical, no animal testing, and gluten free.

3) Dress for success: yes seriously! “Enclothed Cognition” is a theory that established that participants who dressed the part performed better and had more attention to detail when completing tasks according to the Journal of Experimental Psychology. What this means is that we perform better on tasks depending on our own impression of the clothes we are wearing at the time. So if you feel better, or feel like you are looking more athletic in your fitness attire, you will be more motivated to work towards your goal.  It’s a great excuse to purchase those new sneakers, Lululemon outfit, or nike track suit you’ve been coveting in order to get your spring training in gear. ( ha,ha pun intended) 

Happy Trails ~ CH

Trendy Exercise in 2014

Despite a surge in fitness club memberships and home fitness equipment sales, the American Collage of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reports that 75 percent of people aren’t active enough to sustain good health in the long term. And, that the high and disappointing percentage hasn't  changed much in the last 10 years. Half of the people who launch an exercise program abandon it within 3 to 6 months. However, those who create realistic systems, monitor their progress, and who are supported by friends, family, fitness pro’s, and their community are more likely to succeed. The BIG message here, is that even a LITTLE daily exercise helps to thwart chronic diseases.

However, in 2014, I’m not going to hype the cliché of the New Year’s resolution.  Yawn…. instead read this awesome article and apply it to your fitness system. Makes sense to me. 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230333?hubRefSrc=facebook#lf_comment=127199255

             Everyone should “be forced to slow down and make consistent, methodical progress rather than chasing sexy goals for a few weeks and then flaming out. Goals can provide direction and even push you forward in the short-term, but eventually a well-designed system will always win. Having a system is what matters. Committing to the process is what makes the difference.” - James Clear

If you need help designing or implementing your fitness system, don’t hesitate to contact the Bentall Centre Athletic Club in downtown Vancouver, or witnessyourfitness.ca at the BodyStorm Gym in Squamish BC. We are a community of fitness professionals who can help you monitor your progress and give you the support you need to succeed.

Here is what Dr. Walter Thompson of the ACSM and Georgia State University reports are the fitness trends for 2014. The trends were based of the responses of 3815 fitness professionals among 37 countries.  Please see the list below. Interestingly, zumba, pilates, spin, stability, and balance exercises were among some of the top items omitted from last years list. 

Fitness Fads or Fitness Trends … only time will tell….

Record Breaking Fitness

I gotta say I love my job. In 2013 I did a lot of coaching in the form of personal training, myofascial assisted stretch, and over 250 individual athletic tests. What I love about athletic testing is that you can help quantify people’s ability, give them feedback about their performance, and then cut them loose to with the knowledge on how to improve, as well as a yard stick to measure by. Cool stuff.

However, today was quite a surprise. In the seven years of Athletic testing at the Bentall Centre Athletic Club, I haven’t seen major records broken like this in both the Men’s and Woman’s categories.

First, with is permission, let me tell you a little something about Chris Waite. Here’s a guy in his early 40’s with young family who trains 3-4 night a week in jujutsu, among skiing, weights, and running. Not only did he lose 5 kg since August 6^th, but he added 15% to his aerobic capacity, 10% to his hand grips (128kg combined), and 6 cm to his vertical jump, all while losing 3.5% body fat landing at 14.89%. Wow.

So, I’d like to applaud the fact he now holds the club record for consecutive full push ups at 84. Beating the record set by a 26 year old in 2012 of 83reps. Awesome. Next, I can’t even believe… Chris managed a straight up standing vertical jump of 65cm. Another Club vertical jump record. 5080watts per jump. Well done for Chris on a 168cm frame.

Next, I’d like to give credit to Anahita Mohammadi. Another fitness enthusiast who also cracked the women’s modified push up record completing consecutive 60 reps. She also attained a perfect composite musculoskeletal score, and took many steps forward in her journey to her ultimate fitness goals.

Thanks for the great surprises today. See you next year!

May 2014 be fun filled fitness for all of you.

Cameron  

What is a Workout? ...

• A Workout is 25 percent perspiration and 75 percent determination. Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion, and three parts self discipline.... It's easy once you get started.

• A Workout makes you better than you were yesterday. It strengthens the body, relaxes the mind, and toughens the spirit. When you workout regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows.

• A Workout is a personal triumph over laziness and procrastination. It's the badge of a winner - and a person who has taken control of their destiny.

• A Workout is a wise use of time and an investment in excellence. It's a way of preparing for life's challenges and proving to yourself that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.

• A Workout is a key that helps us unlock the door to opportunity and success.

• When you finish A Workout, you don't simply feel better, You feel better about yourself! 

If you need help planning a workout, or some assistance on how to live better or play harder, please contact witnessyourfitness.ca. We are located in the Bentall Centre Athletic Club in Vancouver BC, and the BodyStorm Gym in Squamish BC.

We look forward to meeting you soon.

A reminder from the fitness institute 1996.

Exercise to avoid…Getting Sick Next Year!

Regular resistance exercise over a long period of time builds the immune system according to a study at Acadia University of Nova Scotia in 2004. Twenty two adults who worked out for 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity, three times a week for 11 months enjoyed a significant improvement to their defences against viral infection. The tests showed that there was a significant increase in the body's natural killer cell activity, which is the immune system's first line of defense against viral infection.

In addition, previous research of people doing up to three months of resistance exercise did not find the same increase in immune system activity, and the more recent update suggests that the extended period of exercise could be the major influence in strengthening the immune system.

Here’s a link to web MD which I think has solid advice about how to improve your wellness through this cold season, and the next.

 

CH

Feeling Blue? Some secrets to dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)

 

 

 

Fall is a great time of year! Bright yellow, orange, red and green are the colours of the changing season. Crisp wind, brisk cardio, warm clothes, hot food, and cosy indoor time are some of the highlights.  But for many (and especially those who are not native of the area) the additional darkness can create some trouble functioning in a normal capacity. Many report feelings of depression, lethargy, and a general lack of inspiration. These are some of symptoms associated with S.A.D. or Seasonal Affective Disorder which is a real issue for many.

The going theory is that the shorter days, and the fall overcast skies disrupt our circadian rhythms. The circadian rhythms in general, are the body’s normal day-in-day-out cycles that are synchronized around things like light & dark, warm & cool, meals, exercise and stress.  In the coming weeks in Southern British Columbia the sunrise is around 7:25am and sunset is around 4:15pm giving us only eight and a half hours of light, and fifteen and a half hours of darkness.  The issue with the increased darkness is that many of us do not recieve the wonderful things that sunshine brings to our lives, like the vitamin D we produce in our skin, and also the stimulus on the retina of our eye that fuels us to create good hormones in our body that making us feel energized, awake, and inspired.

 

These “sunshine substances” are often referred to as endorphins and produced in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus in the brain. One of them is dopamine which has been shown to have a role in boosting both the immune system and motor control. Another is serotonin, which gives us feelings of well being and happiness, and has positive effects on blood pressure, appetite, sleep, and bone density. Serotonin has also been correlated to increasing cognitive factors like memory and hearing.

So, without the sun’s full spectrum of the light rays on our eyes and body, we don’t get enough stimulation to make the right quantity of endorphins, thus leaving people feeling depleted. However, with 45mins of any vigorous physical activity 5 – 7 days per week you can beat the autumn blues by producing more of the endorphins to avoid depression associated with the changing seasons. We call this Mechanotransduction. It’s the mechanical stimulus on the body’s cells that kick start pituitary, hypothalamus and the feel good process in the absence of direct sunlight.  Essentially, the secret beating SAD is: ….. EXERCISE.

Addendum:  Other known approaches to dealing with SAD in conjunction to physical activity:

• Sunshine holidays (if you can afford it). Go to a location where the day/night balance is equal (12hrs/12hrs). 

• Sit in front of a full spectrum light box for 10 – 15mins per day
• Reduce or eliminate alcohol intake.

• Reduce oversleeping, 7-9 hours of sleep is ideal for adults.
• Reduce high calorie meals (overeating can cause you to be lethargic).

Last, depression is a very real and serious issue. If you continue to feel sad despite trying exercise and light therapy, please see your physician as there are some prescription antidepressants which can help you get back to functioning at your optimum until the longer days of spring and summer return.

Here's some of my favorite rainy day activities.

 

 

 

Eat Less to Live Longer? Maybe...

Eating a low-calories diet may one day be widely promoted as a way to live longer. For decades, science has demonstrated that laboratory mice live longer on low calorie diets. A study at the University of California, Riverside, showed that even older mice, at 19 months, lived 42 percent longer than mice on standard fair after their calorie intake was reduced. Those on lifelong calorie restriction live even longer, up to almost twice the average lifespan. Cancer in mice on restricted calories typically happens later in life, and grows slower than mice on average diets. It's still uncertain whether all of the same low calorie benefits are available in humans.

Dr. John Holloszy from Washington University reports that calorie restriction (in humans) has "a tremendous effect on the risk for atherosclerosis". People who take in about 60% of the daily calories consumed by the typical North American diet - score the lowest percentiles of the population for heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and body fat.

Refueling your body, and restoring vital nutrients is essential for everyone. However, the Spartan diet requires a plateful of discipline....

Some tips:

• Pay more attention to when you are eating your meals
• Stay away from sugary soft drinks and stay hydrated with water
• Avoid subscribing to "no-carb" diets
• Don't eat too much animal protein or deep fried foods
• Eat more greens, vegetables, and fruit
• Put less on your plate and wait 10 -20 mins before going back for more
• And last, my biggest difficulty...  sugar is highly addictive, do your best not to indulge in sweets everyday.

Hope that helps

CH