Healthy Lifestyle – Feeling A Little Stressed?

Life can get a bit crazy for all of us. Between work, relationships, and family pressures, we all have those days where we can get a bit overwhelmed. Yet all of this stress that builds up, is counterproductive towards a healthy lifestyle, as when we’re stressed, that seems to be the time where we actually do the worst damage to our bodies! So, here’s some tips to help you “de-stress” your day!

First, don’t skip your workout. When you exercise, you pump oxygen into your body, which helps reduce your stress levels. Plus, as your workout progresses, your body releases endorphins, which also can help you relax! And, taking 20 minutes to focus on something other than that days stress – can help your mind wind down and improve your mood as well.

Drink some tea. I know – that sounds funny. Yet, British researchers found that people that drank 4 cups of tea daily, had 20 percent lower levels of stress hormones than those who drank a placebo beverage containing the same amount of caffeine.

Get some sleep! Now, that may sound funny, since when your stressed, it might be hard to get a good nights sleep. Yet, Canadian researchers have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep not only had a hard time concentrating the next day, they also had high stress levels. So, getting a good nights sleep can help decrease your stress the next day!

Take a deep breath! When the stress is really getting to you, and you need a quick way to “take things down a bit” so you can think about the other ways of dropping your stress level, try some deep breathing exercises. For 5 minutes, breathe in for 5 seconds, then exhale for 5 seconds. Emory University scientists found that by doing this on a regular basis, you can maintain better mental focus as you age!

Exercise – Tips for Maintaining Sound Cardiovascular Fitness

Cardiovascular activity, referred to simply as “cardio,” should be as much a part of your body-sculpting efforts as hitting the gym and “pumping iron”. The one muscle group that seems to get missed when in a good weight-lifting workout – is your body’s most important muscle, and often as you’re pumping the iron, you should also be pumping your heart.

The 30 minutes per day that you should reserve for cardio work should always entail exercises that are enjoyable, manageable, and of course, safe. So if you’re ready to get sweaty, here are a few wise choices:

Running: Running is a fantastic way to get into shape and improve your cardiovascular fitness! Here in Phoenix, running through the park or neighborhood isn’t always possible. It’s just too hot outside to think about it! And, even when the weather is more conducive to outdoor running, running can be hard on your joints. Yet, the treadmill, because of its smooth rubbery conveyor belt, is a lot more merciful on your joints. It doesn’t wear and tear your body the way running on the tarred street will. There is no pounding-like effect. And, you get to avoid the smell of car exhaust as well!

Ellipticals: These “sweat machines” are an excellent method of losing weight and shedding body fat. And, unlike traditional “steppers”, Elliptical machines work both your upper body as well as your legs, so you end up with a full body workout while you improve your cardiovascular health!

Stationary Bikes: Looking for a low-impact workout? Try a stationary bike! They’re an effective way to raise your heart level, and they also cause far less strain on the knees and back than other methods of cardio. Plus, they are excellent for toning up the quadriceps. And, if leaning over a bike seems like too much work for your back, there are also “recumbent” bikes available that let you sit in an upright position for your workouts!

Swimming: Swimming is an excellent cardiovascular activity, as it is considered a total body exercise, as swimming hits the various muscles in the body. The water provides an excellent form of resistance that will get your heart pumping in no time. The benefits for the heart and lungs are endless.As for the down side? There’s only one. Not everybody has a swimming pool!

Exercise - The Fat Burning Zone

So, you’re trying to lose weight, and are curious to how best to accomplish that goal. And, you also know one of the best ways to accomplish this is through a strong cardio program – and whether it’s on your treadmill, your elliptical trainer, or your exercise bicycle, you may have wondered how you put together a program that actually burns fat!

The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you’re working in the “fat burning zone”. It’s easy to assume that the harder you work, the more fat you’ll burn – but, that’s not necessarily the case. Your body actually burns a higher percentage of calories at lower intensities. For example, a 130 pound woman burns calories during exercise in the following fashion:

Low Intensity Workout: 60-65% Mean Heart Rate
Total Calories Burned per minute: 4.86Fat Calories burned per minute: 2.43Total Calories Burned in 30 minutes: 146Total Fat Calories burned in 30 minutes: 73Percentage of Fat Calories burned – 50 %

High Intensity Workout: 80-85% Mean Heart Rate
Total Calories Burned per minute: 6.86Fat Calories burned per minute: 2.7Total Calories Burned in 30 minutes: 206Total Fat Calories burned in 30 minutes: 82Percentage of Fat Calories burned – 39.82 %

From The 24/5 Complete Personal Training Manual, 24 Hour Fitness, 2000

What is Your Target Heart Rate?

Now, how do you find out what your heart rate should be for the maximum fat burning? Simple. It’s called the Karvonen Formula. First, calculate what your resting heart rate is by counting your heart beat for 10 seconds, and multiply the result by 6.

Below is an example of the Karvonen formula for a 23 year old person with a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute:

220 - 23 (age) = 197197 - 65 (resting heart rate) = 132
132 * 65% (low end of heart rate) OR 85% (high end) = 85.8 OR 112.2
85.8 + 65 (resting heart rate) = 150 112.2 + 65 (rhr) = 177
The target heart rate zone for this person would be 150 to 177

For this person to work in his 'fat burning' zone, he would need to stay around 150 beats per minute or lower. To work within his 'cardio' zone, he would need to work at 150 bpm or higher.

How Often Should You Exercise?

When it comes to cardio, it's up to you and your goals how much you do and how often. For weight loss, most experts suggest 60+ minutes of moderate intensity activity most days during the week. If you're a beginner, you may need to start at a lower level of exercise. For beginners, you might start with three days of cardio exercise for 20 or more minutes, adding time each week.

Below is a chart detailing a SAMPLE week of cardio workouts for a person who exercises five days a week. This is simply an example of how to incorporate different types of cardio workouts into a typical week. Modify the workouts according to your own fitness level, time constraints, and likes and dislikes.

Monday:
High Intensity-Duration: 20-30 minutes
Alternate 1-min sprint with 2 min walking.Perceived Exertion (PE) sprints: 8-9, walking: 5-6

Tuesday
Medium Intensity- Duration: 45-60 minutes
Walking or joggingPE: 5-6

Wednesday
Low-Medium Intensity - Duration: All day
Use a pedometer and try to get 10,000 steps

Thursday
Medium-High Intensity - Duration: 30-60 minutes
Treadmill / Running PE: 5-7

Friday
Medium-High Intensity - Duration: 30-45 minutes
Elliptical Trainer PE: 4-5

Saturday
Low-Medium Intensity - Duration: 30-60 minutes
Walking or aerobics classPE: 4-6

Don't forget to warm up and cool down for each workout, drink lots of water (take a sip every 15 minutes during your workout), stretch after your workout, and eat a small, well-balance snack an hour or two before you hit the gym.

Exercise – How Much Cardio Do I Need?

So, you’ve got your treadmill, your exercise bike, or elliptical trainer, and you’re wondering how often you should work out? Well, recent studies have shown that it only takes two workout sessions per week to improve your heart health, as long as you train hard during those workouts. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should only do two workouts per week. But, we all have those weeks where it’s hard to get our workouts in, so as long as you get your “two a week” in, you’ll be doing what you need for “good heart health”!

One way to make sure you maximize your cardio training is to stick with interval workouts. What this means is – treat you cardio workouts like you would your weight lifting workouts. Do your cardio workouts in sets – for example, do 30-45 seconds of near all-out work, then go as a slow pace for 60-90 seconds – and repeat this for a “set”. Do multiple sets, just like you would a weightlifting set. When you’re first starting out, your second interval may shorten by as much as 25 percent – and you can build it up from there. And, the benefit of doing intervals extends to weight loss burns three times as much fat as doing cardio at a slow, consistent speed.

Exercise – How To Increase Your Endurance

We’ve all had that frustrating feeling of been working out for quite awhile, yet we’ve “hit a plateau” – and cannot seem to build up our endurance beyond a certain point. Here’s one way you can get beyond your plateau, and increase your endurance in your workouts.

First of all, if you’re looking to increase your weight lifting endurance – the best way to do that is by working on your cardio program. Improved cardiovascular fitness, whether done by running on a treadmill, riding an exercise bike, or workout out on a elliptical trainer, is an excellent way to improve your endurance during a resistance training workout.

When you put together your cardio training plan, divide it into three levels. The first level is your intense plan – this is where your training so hard, you can’t talk to anybody during your workout, even if you tried. The second level is your moderate level – this is where you could blurt out a few short words. And, the third level is your recovery level – this is where you could carry on a conversation while working out.

Next, plan your routines. Our plan is based on whether you do your cardio workouts once a week, twice a week, or three times a week. If you workout more than this for your cardio routine, just double up the routines – if you workout four times per week, take the 2x plan, and do it twice during the week.

• Once per week: Do the below “Intense” workout, then do 15 minutes at an easy pace.
• Twice per week: Do the “Intense” workout one day, the “Moderate” one the other day.
• Three times per week: Do “Intense” one day, “Moderate” the next, and “Recovery” the third.

The Workout:

• Intensive: Do an intensive workout of eight alternating sets of 1 minute at hard, 1 minute easy – without rest between sets.
• Moderate: Do five alternating sets of 3 minutes hard / 2 minutes medium without rest between sets.
• Recovery: 25 minutes at an easy pace
  

After a couple of weeks with this workout – you should start to see your endurance improve –both in your cardio workouts, as well as your weight training sessions. Have a great workout!

Exercise – Starting your Cardio Program

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Whether you’re new to exercising, or you’ve just never really put a plan together for your existing cardio workouts, the best way to make cardio exercise a habit is to put together a plan that you can achieve.

Creating a schedule of regular times that you’ll commit to your cardio exercise program is important – in fact, it’s just as important as what kind of cardio exercise you do. So, here’s how to put that plan together.

1. Remember that the best time to exercise is when you CAN exercise. Choose a time that works best for you, whether it’s in the morning, over lunch, or at the end of the day.

2. Write them down – treat them as an appointment! And, if you write it down, you’ll find you’ll be more committed to following through with your workouts!

3. Now, choose your exercise. If you just purchased a treadmill, maybe start with a walking program (you can always advance to jogging or running as your fitness level improves).

4. If you have any reservations so far about the plan you’ve built – now’s the time to talk to your doctor and get their final approval –BEFORE you put your plan into action!

5. Now – time to start your workouts. Make sure you start each workout with at least 5 minutes of stretching for your warm up – and at the end, at least 5 minute cool down and stretching as well.

6. Start slow. If you find that you can only start with 5 to 10 minutes, start there. And, once your workout is done, write down your results!

7. And, finally – add a couple of minutes to every workout!

What to watch out for

Now that you’ve got your plan in action, remember that your goal is to improve your health. If you feel like your resting heart rate is higher than usual, you feel tired all the time, you dread your workouts, or you can’t sleep, you might be overtraining.

If that happens, take a couple days off and ease back into a light program. Maybe try a different exercise routine. And, don’t be afraid to stop for a couple days and concentrate on something else. You’ll find yourself re-energized for your workouts – just don’t forget to start back up again!