Fitness Companion® - Personal Fitness Blog

Muscular Stamina…

How Is your muscular endurance these days?

Strong muscles help control your weight and maintain good overall health. For muscles to work well, they need to contract and relax fully while exercising.

Fuller contractions allow more fluid motion – particular during aerobic activities – and are less likely to strain joints and tendons. To sustain strong contractions, you need good muscular endurance. You can build up your endurance by weight training at a level where you can comfortably complete 12 to 15 repetitions. Use a full range of motion, pausing slightly at the top and bottom of each exercise. Controlled, precise movements encourage muscles to perform efficiently. You will see results if you follow a safe, well-thought-out weight training program.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

Exercise Comfortably

Many adults mistakenly believe exercise can only be effective it is aggressive. They push themselves to the point of pain or strenuous breathing.

  

I believe exercising “comfortably” is the most effective form of physical activity.  For example, when weight training, how you move the weights is more important than the amount of weight you use.  Lifting too quickly or straining to lift resistance that is too heavy will lead to injury.  During your next fitness session, pay attention to your intensity level.  Stay tuned to cues like fatigue, strenuous breathing or a rise in body temperature signaling that you are probably exercising at too high an intensity.  The more familiar you are with your body’s limits, the more success you will have with each exercise session.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

 Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

Air Quality Control

When exercising outside, you have no control over temperature or air quality. Fitness facilities, on the other hand, are designed with safety in mind. The temperature and air circulating inside usually are regulated at a comfortable level.

Since you breathe faster and more deeply when you exercise, you also take in more atmospheric pollutants when training outdoors.

Take these precautions before heading outside:

Check air quality reports on internet, radio or TV.

 

When pollution levels are high, exercise prior to 10 a.m. before ozone builds up.

Avoid exercising near heavy or even moderate traffic.

If possible, exercise in open, windy area where pollutants disperse easily.

When pollution levels are high, reduce the intensity and duration of your fitness session or exercise inside that day.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

The Power of Protein

The primary function of protein in your diet is to supply building material for the growth, maintenance and repair of body tissue.  When you exercise muscles regularly, your body needs to keep developing and rebuilding tissue.

Protein is critical for the body’s immune system, too.  Without enough protein in your diet, you are at an increased risk of illness and infection.

Carbohydrates and fats are the body’s main source of energy.  The body only uses protein for fuel in extreme cases, such as when a person is fasting or running a marathon.  To avoid the unnecessary breakdown of proteins, you should get enough calories from carbohydrates and fats for energy.

Protein-rich foods contain different amounts and types of amino acids.  There are 22 amino acids that promote growth and maintain health.  Fourteen of these amino acids are called non-essential, because the body can synthesize them.  The remaining eight are referred to as essential because the body needs to obtain them through the diet.

There are two types of proteins: animal proteins and vegetable (or plant) proteins.  Animal proteins are also called complete proteins because they contain all of the essential amino acids.  Some good sources for animal protein include lean, white meat poultry, fish, low-fat or nonfat cheeses, and dairy products such as yogurt and skim milk.

Typically, plant proteins are missing at least one of the essential amino acids, which is why they are called incomplete proteins.  Soy products such as tofu are one exception, because they provide a complete source of protein.

Other plant proteins include legumes, nuts and seeds.  Cereals and grains contain small amounts of protein, too.  With any of these plant proteins, you need to combine several foods to get all eight essential amino acids.  Eating beans and rice, for instance, provides complete proteins.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

Germ Guard

Bacteria that lead to foodborne illness can get on the surface where you prepare and cook food. To avoid contamination, follow these suggestions from the Partnership for Food Safety Education a coalition of industry, government and consumer groups:

Always wash your hands in hot, soapy water before cooking food.

Clean all cooking surfaces and equipment with hot, soapy water.  This includes counter tops, cutting boards and knives.  Re-wash them after preparing each food item.

Use plastic cutting boards rather than wood.

Use paper towels to clean up the kitchen sink, counters and appliances.  If you use cloth towels, clean them often in your washing machine’s hot-water cycle.  
 
According to the Department of Food Science at Purdue University, cleaning is not enough.  Sanitizing a kitchen surface is the best way to kill harmful bacteria that can linger even after a good cleaning.  Household bleach is the most effective sanitizing agent. Use two teaspoons of bleach per quart of water.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

Think about your muscular strength and flexibility!

  As your activities change from one season to the next, take time to assess your level of fitness.

  Outdoor activities require more agility, balance and coordination.  A good stretching and strengthening program reduces the chances of injury.

  Always perform exercises according to your conditioning level. If you are in excellent shape, you should be able to perform stretching and strengthening exercises more quickly, using more resistance and taking shorter rest periods.  If you are just starting out or tend to have tight muscles, proceed slowly, using light resistance and longer rest periods.

  Never stretch to the point of pain; each exercise should feel challenging but comfortable.

 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

Two Exercise Mistakes to Avoid

1) Too Much, Too Quickly

  A body that is out of shape responds quickly to physical activity, so beginning exercisers often see results faster than they expected.  Problems soon follow, however, when these beginners make the mistake of leaping too fast into more intense exercise sessions.  By the same token, experienced exercisers who’ve taken time off frequently overestimate their abilities when they return to physical fitness.  The key for everyone is to progress slowly.  Gradually increasing your intensity level not only allows the body to become accustomed to change, but it prevents reaching an early plateau.  When restarting a fitness program, give the body plenty of time to catch up to past levels.

2) Skipping the warm-Up

  Have you ever sprinted to catch a bus or chase a wind-blown hat?  No matter how fit you are, it may feel like you’ve never exercises before.  Warming up slowly before exercising prevents that out-of-breath feeling by preparing the body for more strenuous activity. When you give your heart time to adjust to increased physical demands, your muscles perform much more effectively.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

Motivational Mix

Do you envy friends who are able to exercise regularly?  You may wonder what their secret is to success, especially if you are trying to start a fitness program or have fallen into an exercise rut.  Their secret?

Motivation!

  It sounds deceptively simple, but people who can motivate themselves to get to the health club or to play a sport on a regular basis tend to reach their fitness goals.

  How can you get inspired - and stay inspired- to make exercise a regular part of your life?  First, stop thinking about exercise as a duty, something you have to do to look and feel good, says Joan Ingalls, a consultant in New York City who specializes in mental training for athletes.  "Start exploring movement that you enjoy, that you physically enjoy at the moment you do it, something you feel entitled to and something you feel pleasure from," Ingalls adds.

 

    
  If you are hesitant to start a fitness program because you never liked a particular activity or, if you are tired of your current method of exercising, try something new.  Pick an activity that feels completely indulgent, whether it is stretching quietly at home, going for a walk outside at lunchtime or trying a low-impact aerobics class with fun music.

  Keep your long-term goals in mind.  "People have to shift away from these instant fixes, such as 'In three months I'll lose 10 pounds,"' Ingalls says.  "How about: 'My life is going to be more enjoyable if I just make some small lifestyle changes that I am going to do for the rest of my life."'

  If your reason for not exercising is a lack of time, then start by doing an enjoyable physical activity for just five minutes.  "Five minutes is better than nothing," Ingalls points out.  "Don't do it as a duty you have to get over with, but indulge yourself during those five, 10 or 20 minutes.  Pay attention to what you're doing and enjoy it.  So the next time you have 20 minutes, you will think, 'No one's taking those 20 minutes from me,' and you will enjoy the time you spend exercising."

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

To Function at Your Peak Level Think Food for Energy

 
Good nutrition is essential to every fitness program - and not just as a means to control weight.

Whether you are training heavily or simply exercising regularly, eating the right foods can make a big difference in your performance.  Many people begin an exercise and diet program with such a vengeance that they send their bodies into starvation mode.  The body responds to a dramatic drop in calories and a drastic rise in physical activity by conserving energy and burning fewer calories - thus, sabotaging any weight-loss goals. Without a healthy eating plan, the body will not have enough energy to function at its peak level.

Finding a balance between your nutritional needs and your energy demands for exercise are important for maintaining your weight.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC dba Fitness Companion^®

Feeling Negative About Fitness?

Start by forgetting any bad associations you have with physical activity.

Ask yourself: "What do I need to do to feel good about exercise?"

List the benefits of achieving your goals such as: "I will have more energy to play with my children," or "I can wear my new suit."

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Lawrence Wayne is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.  You are strongly encouraged to consult a health care professional before beginning a program of diet and exercise.

© 2011 FITNESS COMPANION^®- Personal Fitness Blog

Capital Well-Being, LLC doing business as Fitness Companion^®