How To Get The Most Out Of Your Exercise

By: Brittany Schneider

You spend countless minutes exercising outside, at home, or at a gym, but are you getting the most out of each session? Below are just a few important aspects to take into account to make sure you are getting as much as you can during each workout.

Proper Hydrationwater

Water makes up more than 66% of the human body. With that being said, making sure to hydrate before, during, and after exercise is fundamentally important for a successful workout session. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that individuals drink roughly 17 ounces of water two hours before exercise. During exercise, ACSM recommends to starting drinking early and at regular intervals. Depending on your body, the type of exercise you are performing, and the environment in which you are working in, water intake will vary. In general, if you are a heavy sweater you will need to take in more water since you are losing more through perspiration. Also, if you are exercising in a warm/hot climate, you will need to take in additional water.

Proper Food Intake

smileyLet’s break this down in to pre-workout, during workout, and post-workout.

  • Pre-workout: The goal of food intake before your workout is to provide fuel for your body. Make sure to eat something that is easily digestible 60 minutes prior (or just before) to your workout. Keep meal simple. Low in protein, fat, and fiber as these three substances delay the stomach from emptying. They also keep you full longer, which is good if you will not be eating for a period of time, but not helpful if we are looking for quick fuel Try a few different food items to see what works best for you.
  • During Workout: If you are working out for 60 minutes or less, just make sure you are taking in enough water. No additional food is necessary. For workouts lasting longer than 60 minutes, you will want to take in additional carbohydrates (example: small banana) to supply glucose to working muscles.
  • Post Workout: Make sure to feed your body a recovery meal within 30 minutes (1 hour maximum). Consume carbohydrates in order to replenish glycogen. A little bit of protein is great to add to a post-workout snack. Research shows that the best recovery snack is eating a combination of carbohydrates and protein (4:1 ratio – meaning 4 grams of carbohydrates for every 1 gram of protein).

Proper Sleep/Rest

Consistently sacrificing a good night’s rest is a no-no. When you sacrifice sleep you are welcoming some potential health issues such as colds and flus, heart disease, diabetes, lack of brain function, and possible obesity. Not to mention, probably a not-so-fun workout session. According to the National Sleep Foundation, an adult needs roughly 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Aim for at least 7 hours each night and experience the benefits. sleep

Proper Attire

Finding the right exercise attire can be a hassle, especially if you are new to exercise. The key is you want to be comfortable and have the ability to perform exercises in a full range of motion. For clothing, you do not want to wear something that is too tight, yet you don’t want to be wearing baggy clothes either. Wearing too tight of clothing can be non-functional and hinder your exercise performance. Wearing too loose of clothing can get in the way of you exercising. Choosing the right footwear really depends on the type of physical activity you are performing. Visit a shoe store and talk with an employee about the type of exercise you are performing (running, biking, weight lifting). They should be able to direct you in the right direction.

Proper Form

Don’t ignore proper form when exercising. Letting this important factor go to the wayside will lead to ineffective workouts as well as put you in a greater risk of injury. Whether you enjoy doing yoga, lifting weights, running, swimming, or biking, learn the proper techniques. One way to learn proper form is to take a lesson or meeting with a personal trainer.

Proper Breathing

Proper breathing during your workouts will help you complete exercises more efficiently. It can also mean the difference between completely and not completing a specific exercise. When you breathe properly during exercise you can avoid getting dizzy due your blood pressure rising, you can avoid hyper ventilating during strenuous exercises, and you can improve your athletic performance (distance, time, weight, etc.). When performing cardiovascular exercises, your goal is to find a consistent breathing pattern that works for you. Just do not hold your breath! When performing strength exercises, your goal is to breathe out (exhale) on the exertion (or effort) portion of the exercise.  For example, during a chest press, you will want to breathe in at the top or while you are lowering the weights to your chest and then breathe out while pushing the weight overhead.

 

Resources:

How are you Staying Healthy at Work?

By: Ashley Meyers

May is Global Employee Health & Fitness Month (GEHFM), an international and national observance of health and fitness in the workplace. GEHRM is created by two non-profit organizations, the National Association for Health & Fitness and ACTIVE Life. The goal of GEHFM is to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to employers and their employees through worksite health promotion activities and environments. How can you stay health at work?

Exercise and the Workplace

Exercise before work, after work, or even on your lunch break. Exercise has many benefits to help with your job and every day life:

  • Exercise boosts brain power
  • Movement helps melt away stress
  • Exercise gives you energy
  • Fitness can help build relationships with other co-workers (ask a co-worker to join you for a walk)
  • Exercise helps ward off disease

Nutrition and the WorkplaceID-10054066

Nobody likes to feel stuffed, or starved at work. Eating healthy and feeling satisfied can boost energy as well as production in the workplace. Use the following tips to help plan a optimum nutrition day:

  • Eat breakfast at home – Breakfast provides energy that is required for your body to function efficiently at the start of the day. Eating breakfast also helps you control your hunger. Eating breakfast at home, rather than picking something up on your way to work, will help save money and will typically be healthier.
  • Drink more water – Drinking water can help you overcome hunger. If you feel hungry while at work, first drink a glass of water. Your craving for food may significantly reduce or diminish.
  • Distribute meals – A good way to manage hunger during the day is to distribute your food intake throughout the day. Aim to eat five to six smaller meals throughout the day.
  • Eat a healthy lunch. Here are a few tips:
    • Prepare lunch items the night before right after dinner. This saves on clean-up time.
    • Make your dessert a nutritious part of your lunch. Use fresh fruits (melon, grapes, apple slices) instead of candy bars or cookies.
    • Having a good lunch is important because it gives you the energy to stay alert the rest of your day.
    • A satisfied stomach also won’t growl every minute, allowing you and your neighbors to concentrate.
    • Choosing to eat healthy can be cheaper than buying quick snacks. For example, a $1.25 hotdog at the food cart with an 80-cent bag of chips and a 99-cent cup of soda adds up to a little more than $3 with very little nutrition. A better choice would be buying a ham or turkey sandwich and bringing along a refillable bottle of water from home. Cost: $2.75.
  • Bring a healthy snack – To avoid taking a trip to the vending machine, keep healthy snacks at your desk like apples & other fruits, granola bars, crackers, etc.

Get involved!

The 2013 Salus Schlitz Park Corporate Challenge 5K Run & Walk is designed to promote employee health and wellness by creating an event that provides competition and camaraderie, along with wellness education and resources. This 5K Run & Walk will take place on Thursday, September 19, 2013 at Schlitz Park! Enjoy a free finish line riverfront dinner, and after race Wellness Expo all on the Schlitz Park campus. Event proceeds will benefit Milwaukee RiverKeeper. The Salus Schlitz Park Corporate Challenge is the only corporate focused run/walk in Wisconsin designed to help companies foster healthy lifestyle choices, and a commitment to wellness. All fitness levels and abilities are welcome to participate in the walk, run, or individuals can register to participate as an event volunteer to help out for the evening.

Learn more at http://www.wicorporatechallenge.com

All photos are from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Enhance Your Emotional Wellbeing

By: Katie Farber

It is easy to be drawn into and distracted by the fast paced, technology driven world we live in today.  Yet, it’s important for both your mental and emotional wellbeing to take a step back from all of this craziness on a regular basis.  Just because you are able to respond to that text message or email within 30 seconds of receiving it, does not mean that you need to or that you should do so.  Check in with yourself and what’s really important to you and slow down for a bit.

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The focus of health and wellness is generally applied to the physical aspects, exercise and nutrition.  However, emotional health also plays a significant role in your overall wellbeing.  What is emotional health and what can you do to bolster yours?  Read on to find out.

Developing, and maintaining, supportive relationships is the foundation of emotional health.  Engaging in positive social interactions will help you to feel and be your best.  Humans are social creatures (even if past experiences have made us shy or distrustful of others) with an emotional need for companionship and valued connections to others.

Simply talking to someone else about what’s going on in your life can help to reduce stress.  Yet, it’s essential to cultivate mutually supportive relationships with others that are available talk to regularly, preferably in person, and will listen to you – without having a preexisting agenda for you.  Seek out companions that attend to what you’re saying (or in some cases, not saying) and that will not interrupt, judge or criticize you.  The best way to find a good listener is to be a good listener yourself and to continuously strive to develop supportive friendships.

Strategies for Connecting:

  • Step away from technology.  Whether it’s the TV, computer, smart phone, etc. screens have their place, but they do not have the same effect as an expression of interest or a reassuring touch.  Communication is a largely nonverbal experience, which requires you to be in direct contact with other people.  Do your best not to neglect your real-world relationships in favor of virtual interaction.ID-10034767
  • Spend time each day, face-to-face with people that you like.  Make spending time with those you enjoy a priority.  Stay in contact with friends, neighbors, colleagues and family members who are upbeat, positive and have a genuine interest in you.  Also, be open and take the time to inquire about new people that you meet.
  • Volunteering to do something that helps others may have a positive impact on how you feel about yourself as well.  The meaning and purpose you find in helping others can provide you with a life enhancing experience.  Don’t wait to get started; there’s no limit to the volunteer opportunities you can explore – schools, churches, nonprofits and charitable organization of all sorts depend on volunteers for their continued success.
  • Join community, networking, social action, conservation and/or special interest groups that meet on a regular basis.  Such groups offer wonderful opportunities to find people with shared interests!

All images from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Balance, Use It or Lose It

By: Suzy Pitzo

I would like you to try this little test.  Stand Up.  Stand on one foot, and close your eyes and count.  Chances are, if you are over 40, you did not make it past 15 seconds before you had to put your other foot back down.  If you are between 25 and 40 you may have made it to around 30 seconds.  Our sense of balance starts to decline at age 25 years old.  Yikes!  At 25, we think we are finally hitting our stride not declining in anything.

Your sense of balance is controlled by three things:  your inner ear, your vision, and your fitness level.  Balance is one of those things in life that we don’t fully appreciate it until it’s gone.  If you did not pass the 15 seconds test, I would encourage you to be proactive in regards to balance.  Unfortunately, it is all too common to hear about a person falling and breaking something.  If that person is elderly, this can be a life- altering event. According to an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) article, falls cause ten percent of emergency department visits and more than half of injury-related hospitalizations.

There are two different types of balance: balancinggirl

Static Balance – Your ability to control your body’s natural swaying while standing.

Dynamic Balance – Your body’s ability to adapt to changes in balance and anticipate movement changes.  For example, this would include walking and stepping over or around objects.

5 stages of Balance – when exercising you can add degrees of difficulty to many exercises by increasing the “balance difficulty.”

Level One – Feet are shoulder width apart with toes pointing forward – this is a standard stance for most people when exercising

Level Two – From level one, move one foot forward approximately a foot to 1 ½ ft.  This stance is called staggered.

Level Three – from level two, now move that foot directly in front of the other foot still 1 – 1 ½ ft apart.  This is a split stance and is more difficult.

Level Four – from level three, slide the forward foot back to have the heel touch the toe of the first foot in a heel/toe stance.

Level Five – Lift one foot and stand on a single leg.

You can view a full video on these stages of balance from the American Council on Exercise on YouTube, by clicking here.

In addition, there are some pieces of equipment that help you challenge your balance.  The bosu is an excellent way to add more difficulty to your regular exercise routine.  The bosu’s unstable half-ball surface will challenge your small, stabilizer core muscles by making them constantly readjust to the changing balance surface.

Try adding a bosu or standing on one leg to standard exercises such as squats, bicep curls, overhead presses, tricep extensions, flys, etc.

Here are a few exercises to start to improve your balance from ACSM:

Exercise One – Weight Shifts

  • Step side-to-side, forward and backward.
  • Then step forward and backward at an angle.

Exercise Two

  • Stand directly behind a table or chair and place your feet slightly apart.
  • Stand on one leg and touch the toe of the other leg to the front, side and back.
  • Repeat with the opposite leg.

Exercise Three

  • Single leg stance with movement. Stand next to a table or chair and place your feet slightly apart.
  • Stand on one leg and perform a partial squat.
  • Repeat five times.
  • Repeat with the opposite leg.
  • This will also help with thigh strength.
  • Alternative: turn slightly to the left, then right, moving only at the hip. Repeat five times with each leg.

The above exercises should be performed at least two days per week or more depending on fitness level. If these exercises are too easy, then try them again with your eyes closed.

Sources:

http://www.acsm.org/access-public-information/articles/2012/02/02/improving-your-flexibility-and-balance

http://www.acsm.org/access-public-information/articles/2012/01/10/balance-and-fall-prevention 

http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisegear/a/bosu.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWuKEt96Jjs

Image from freedigitalphotos.net

Sneaky Sugars

By: Brittany Schneider

Sugar

Have you ever read the ingredient list on a pre-packaged food item? If not, you really should start as the nutrition label and ingredient list give us valuable information about what we are putting in our bodies. Don’t know how to read a label? Check out this website by the FDA. They have a phenomenal breakdown on how to read and interpret a nutrition label.

If you are an avid label reader, do you get confused when trying to figure out if sugar has been added? Looking only at the grams of sugar listed in the nutrition facts is not good enough because only natural sugars (those sugars found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and dairy) are noted. The only reliable way to find out if your food has added sugar is to dig deep in to the ingredient list.

With all of the different names for sugar, it is no wonder the average person has a hard time finding out if sugar has been added to food. The term sugar is usually disguised in the ingredient list. How do we figure out these incognito terms? For starters, look for any ingredient with the ending “-ose” as this is the chemical name for many different types of sugar. Some more familiar names include fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose and dextrose. A few other commonly added sugars include cane juice, cane syrup, corn sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, fruit juice concentrate, nectars, honey, malt syrup, and molasses. I can hear some of you now thinking to yourself, “but I thought honey is good for me?” According to the Mayo Clinic, “Despite what you may have heard, there’s no nutritional advantage for honey, brown sugar, fruit juice concentrate or other types of sugar over white sugar.”

There are 3 common questions I would like to address:Chemistry

1.     What could happen if I take in too much added sugar?

  • Weight Gain – Added sugar could contribute to weight gain since there are four calories per gram of sugar. (For example, if you are eating something with 15 grams of sugar, that is 60 calories alone – not including other ingredients that would add to that total caloric number).
  • Increased Triglycerides – Taking in too much added sugar can increase triglyceride levels which could increase your risk of heart disease.
  • Poor Nutrition – Added sugars contribute absolutely no nutritional value and contain added calories.
  • Tooth Decay – Eating too many natural and added sugars leads to tooth decay and cavities.

2.     How much added sugar can I take in?Fruit

  • The American Heart Association recommends the following:
    • For women, no more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar.
    • For men, no more than 150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons.

3.     How do I reduce our sugar intake?

  • Drink water or other calorie-free drinks like tea instead of sugary sodas, sports drinks, juice and blended coffee drinks. If you do drink juice, make sure it is 100% juice- better yet, eat a piece of fruit and ditch the juice.
  • Cut back on the amount of sugar you add to your food on a daily basis. Instead of adding sugar to your coffee or tea try cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg. Instead of adding sugar to your cereal or oatmeal try fresh or frozen berries.
  • Opt for fresh fruits or fruits canned in water instead of fruit canned in syrup.
  • Cut the sugar in recipes when baking by one-third to one-half. I promise, you won’t notice the difference! One of my favorite tricks is substituting unsweetened applesauce for all of the sugar in recipes (use equal amounts).
  • Look for reduced-sugar varieties of syrups, jams, jellies and preserves. Use other condiments like salad dressings and ketchup sparingly as they have added sugar.
  • Choose fresh fruit for dessert instead of cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream and other sweets.
  • READ the ingredient list to see if sugar, or any of its caveat terms, is listed. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so if you see sugar listed among the first few ingredients it means the product is likely to be high in added sugar.

Resources:

  • Adams, Mike. “Sugar Addicts (comic).” NaturalNews. N.p., 17 Oct. 2006. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. <http://www.naturalnews.com/020795_refined_white_sugar_high-fructose_corn_syrup.html&gt;.
  • “How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration. N.p., Nov. 2004. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.
  • Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Added Sugar: Don’t Get Sabotaged by Sweeteners.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 05 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.
  • “Sugars and Carbohydrates.” Sugars and Carbohydrates. American Heart Association, 11 June 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2013.
  • All images are from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Health Benefits of Gardening

By: Ashley Meyers

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Gardening is one of America’s favorite outdoor leisure time activities. Gardening can be a source of personal satisfaction and pride, while providing fruits and vegetables for you and your family. Gardening also provides physical benefits such as mild exercise as well as improving your joint, balance and coordination.

What are the benefits of gardening?

1. What Can I Grow?

  • Artichoke
  • Asparagus
  • Beans
  • Beets
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Cucumber
  • EggplantID-100237
  • Fennel
  • Garlic
  • Mushrooms
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Peppers
  • Potatoes
  • Pumpkin
  • Radish
  • Spinach
  • Squash
  • Sweet Potato
  • Tomato
  • Zucchini

- Gardening helps support healthful dietary behaviors, such as eating a balanced diet.

- When fruits and vegetables are eaten in place of higher calorie foods, weight loss is promoted.

- Fruits and vegetables are great snacks, dinner sides, and dinner garnishes.

-Having fresh fruits and vegetables saves on extra trips to the grocery store, as well as  decrease your grocery bill.

2. Gardening provides regular physical exercise

Thirty minutes of gardening is estimated to burn off the following number of calories:

Clearing land = 202

Bagging leaves = 162

Digging, spading, tilling = 202

Laying sod = 202

Mowing lawn (riding) = 101

Mowing lawn (push mower), 243

Planting seedlings = 162

Planting trees =182

Raking = 162

Trimming shrubs (power) =142

Trimming shrubs (manual) = 182

Watering lawn or garden = 61

Weeding = 182

Calories were estimated for a 180-pound person – Caloric expenditure will vary.)

  • Stretch for 5-10 minutes before starting to garden. Stretching will help relieve back strain and muscle soreness, and avoid injury. Make sure to stretch the legs, hips, shoulders, and neck.
  • Use a variety of motions at a steady pace. Plan out your gardening exercise session to include a variety of movements such as raking, mowing, weeding, pruning, and digging. Alternate between movements every 15 minutes.
  • Cool down after your gardening exercise session by walking or picking flowers or vegetables.

Read more tips about gardening and exercise.

3. Gardening can improve overall wellbeing

  • Spending time outside gardening can provide a stronger connection with the earth.
  • Gives your body a chance to focus on something else and forget the stressors of yesterday, helping focus on stress reduction and relaxation.
  • Great family or friend activity – start a garden to improve your social wellbeing

Read about more health benefits of gardening at Mother Nature Network.

Learn how to start your own garden at:

http://www.gardenguides.com

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1292

Unable to grow your own garden? Visit a Famer’s Market near you to help reap the benefits of healthy fruits and vegetables. 

Resources

Lara, C. (2001, April 29). The benefits of gardening. Retrieved from http://www.noble.org/press_release/ag/nv/gardeningbenefits/index.htm

Kansas State University. (2005). Gardening with older adults for health and nutrition. Retrieved from http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/humannutrition1/GardenManual.2010.07.pdf

Mother Nature Network. (2012). 4 surprising benefits of gardening.  Retrieved from http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/4-surprising-benefits-of-gardening

Images from:  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Dissolve Common Roadblocks for Exercise

By: Katie Farber

Exercise motivation fluctuates, so don’t beat yourself up about it.  Overcome perceived barriers with the following tips:

1)    Too Little Time   ID-10030334

Try high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which has been shown to have the same results as longer duration, steady exercise.  Instead of spending 45 minutes walking on a treadmill, shoot for eight 30 to 60 second high-intensity intervals, each followed by about the same amount of recovery time.  Include a short warm up and cool down and you’re still at just 20 minutes!

2)    No Gym Membership

Online coaching has been shown to be very effective as long as the client-coach relationship remains interactive.  Utilize Twitter and/or other social media to check in regularly and to share your experiences.  Track your weight, nutrition, exercise, etc. using an online log. We recommend using 411Fit.com.

3)    Loss of Interest

Try different activities and exercises, vary the equipment that you use and work out in different settings to keep your interest piqued.  Research indicates that individuals with more exercise options have more fun working out and put forth significantly more effort compared to those with fewer options.

4)    Stressed

Relieving undue stress can play an important role in getting better-quality sleep, reducing food cravings and improving mental acuity.  In addition to engaging in physical activity on a regular basis, practicing deep breathing exercises throughout the day can help to relieve stress as well.  For 2 to 5 minutes (or more) concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths in and out through your nose; notice your abdomen (not chest) expanding with each inhale and gently contracting with each exhale.

5)    Low Energy     ID-10011960

Cyclists listening to upbeat music while exercising increased both their power output and speed.  Put together your own playlists full of feel-good tunes to motivate you and allow you to push yourself a little further.  For high-intensity activities like running shoot for songs with 150-160 beats per minute and slightly less for lower intensity activities and recovery workouts.

6)    Hit a Plateau

Shake up your routine from day-to-day.  In regard to strength training specifically, change your sets, reps and weights.  For example, get in three sets of 10 reps of moderate weight on Monday, two sets of 15 reps of light weight on Wednesday and five sets of 6 reps of heavy weight on Friday.  This type of daily undulating periodization resistance program will result in more significant strength improvements than programs that change on a weekly or monthly basis.

 Some additional motivators that can be used at any time include:

Fresh air, taking your workout outside benefits both the mind and body.

Find balance by setting both weekly goals and a long-term goal.

Reward yourself for reaching your goals (give yourself a pat on the back, get a massage, have lunch at a health conscious restaurant, etc.)!

Don’t just throw in the towel so to speak, be sure to take a few minutes to cool down after every workout.

 

Shaffer, A. (2013). Commitment issues. NASM The Training Edge, Spring, 20-21.

All images are from www.freedigitalphotos.net