Water Aerobics

I've been teaching two water aerobics classes since January.  One is an Active Older Adult class.  This class is perfect for anyone who has aching joints, arthritis, is overweight or obese, is elderly and who wants to work out in warmer water, with the benefit of water to support weight off their joints.  Moving in warm water can reinvigorate the body and help maintain muscle strength and health.  For many seniors in the class, it is also a social occasion.  They enjoy seeing each other, and the cameraderie of working out together.

My other class is Deep Core Challenge. Participants wear a flotation belt and work out in deep water, in the lap pool.  They move constantly doing a specific routine.  The body's weight reduces by 90% in the water and lessens weight bearing.  Their heart rate is nearly 20 beats less, making exercise safer for those with sensitive cardiovascular issues.

There are many options for anyone interested in a water aerobics class -- Aqua Zumba is another popular class -- working out to music is always a motivator.  My classes are at the local YMCA, but other fitness clubs offer classes.  Try one!  You may find a new!, fun way to exercise!

I'm Baaack! Spring into Spring!

Sorry, I have been absent too long. The point of having a blog is to actually post on the blog, and I have to apologize for being seriously delinquent.  I have no excuse....so, let's launch back into it. 

May is upon us...Bloomsday is only days away.  The weather is finally cooperating and allowing for outdoor activities -- tennis, cycling, walking, jogging, basketball and soccer, to name a few.  Are you ready? or are you always ready?   Do you slack off all winter and try to do too much too fast in the Spring and pay for it with sore or injured muscles?  Or do you maintain a certain level of fitness all year long, ready to ramp it up for your favorite activity?

A personal trainer (like me) is dedicated to working with you and helping you achieve your fitness goals, which can include training for a specific sport or activity you enjoy.  I can also help you to live a healthy and better lifestyle - working in your comfort zone. So no matter what your age, you can improve your fitness level, strength and stamina. 

Don't be intimidated about just meeting with a trainer (like me) and asking all your questions, and having a free consultation, with a discussion of your goals and concerns. 

Hey, here we go!  It's Spring, wahoo.  Get out there and enjoy it. 

(For a limited time, buy two sessions, get one free!!)

Countdown to Africa!

In 3 days I will be going on a mission trip to Ethiopia with 18 other adventurous souls from area churches.  Why am I doing this?  Well, there has always been a desire to serve others, and now seems to be a good time. We can all relate to a certain selfishness about our life being "all about ME", which for me became a realization that this part of my life needs to be about 'others'. 

This prayer says it all -- 

"Lord, I give up my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept your will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to you, to be yours forever.  Fill me and seal me with your Holy Spirit. Use me as you will. Send me where you will. Work out your whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever."  (originally by Betty Stam)

So check here for updates from Addis, and Dubai...as I fly half way around the world to build relationships with God's children in Ethiopia. 

The Protein = Muscle Connection

How's your protein intake?  Do you know how much protein you ingest in a day?  Dietary protein requirements are usually expressed as 15 to 20 percent of total calorie intake.  If you are not getting enough protein to maintain muscle mass you could shortchange your fat loss.  How?  Muscle burns more calories than fat, so you want to maintain and even increase muscle mass with resistance training in order to fire up that metabolism and keep it steady for burning calories.

A recent study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise demonstrated that consuming whey protein (20g protein / serving) 30 minutes before resistance training also boosts your body's metabolism for as much as 24 hours after your workout. In practical terms, consuming 20 grams of whey protein before exercise and another serving afterward will most likely yield the double benefit of increasing both fat burning and muscle build-up at the same time.

• Resistance exercise promotes muscle building, but just how much muscle mass you gain is highly variable, and depends on factors including your nutritional choices
• A new review found that consumption of ~20–25 g of a rapidly absorbed protein, such as whey protein, may serve to maximally stimulate muscle building after resistance exercise in young healthy individuals; high-quality leucine-rich proteins, such as whey, may be particularly important for the elderly to maximize muscle protein synthesis as well
• It is generally believed that there is only a two-hour window after exercise that allows your body to optimize muscle repair and growth, and supplying your muscles with the right food, such as whey, during this time is essential; however, researchers suggested that consuming whey not only immediately following your workout but also for up to 48 hours after resistance exercise may still offer some muscle-building benefit
• Strength training offers limitless benefits above and beyond muscle building, including weight loss, improved posture and improvements to back pain, making it an essential part of any comprehensive fitness plan.

Depending on your age, sex, and fitness level, you should adjust your protein intake.  Some protein should be ingested at every meal for the best benefit and digestion.  A nutritionist or trainer can help you figure out how much protein you are taking in and how to add more to your diet for maximum benefit. 

Some information in this article taken from Peak Fitness: Mercola.com

Focused Choices

The title of this blog actually came from a sermon last Sunday based on a bible verse relating to choosing the right thing to do and be more like Jesus.  A good thing.  However, in my mind I heard that small voice saying something like "the choices I make every day relating to what food I eat and if I exercise should be focused choices, planned and deliberate".    Do you make focused choices? 

Do you plan your week's meals, making sure you have looked at your schedule to make note of how many lunches at work or meals out you may have? Do you block out time to exercise, take a walk or play with your kids? 

Every weekend I take stock of the fridge and the pantry. I go grocery shopping and on Sunday's I may be baking or grilling up chicken breasts for a quick meal of protein; chopping vegetables for snacks; washing my workout gear and loading my gym bag with what I need so I am ready for another week.  I lay out my workout clothes the night before if I'm going to the gym early. 

Yes, there are those things that come up and may change my schedule or derail the best of intentions, but for the most part, I can jump right back into my plan.  It really helps take the stress out of suddenly finding that I have nothing prepared to eat and I'm ravenous, or no clean socks! 

Some of my favorite quick meals to have on hand are hummas and chopped veggies; cottage cheese and berries; sliced turkey or chicken; tuna with whole grain crackers.  You get the idea. 

I actually printed up the words "Focused Choices" and stuck it on my fridge and mirror as a reminder. Finally, I will also strive to be kinder, gentler and more of service to others, just like that bible verse asks me to be.  It's all good.

The A, B, C’s of Body Conditioning

This class can go by many names -- Strength Conditioning, Lift, S.E.T. (Strength and Endurance Training), Defined Strength, Rep Reebok, etc. But what does it mean and what do all of these have in common? 

The A is for ability.  In most formats, the exercises are performed with modifications and easily tailored for desired intensity.  You essentially control the intensity level of your workout.  So, bottom line, don’t be intimidated by the use of weights in these classes. Your instructor should be able to give you modifications for every ability and fitness level.

The B is for body.  Generally you will use your total body – both upper and lower – in performing the workout exercises.   In class, your instructor may use a combination of barbells, hand weights, resistance bands, stability balls or a bosu ball for a diverse and varied workout.  But your body weight is the main tool you will use for conditioning.

The C is for conditioning.  Used as a verb, conditioning means to put in a proper or fit state, i.e., to condition oneself.  By working through a signature set of exercises you improve your overall strength, endurance and muscle tone.  Working with weights and proper form, you can improve your posture and your fitness level for activities of daily living. 

In my Body Conditioning class we alternate between upper and lower body exercises, working on both increased use of repetitions as well as muscle time under tension.  The rationale for this is if we do the same exact exercise the same exact way, the muscles become used to the work and do not improve or get stronger. It’s important to vary the routine to constantly confuse the muscle so we get the maximum effort and result for all our hard work!

Hopefully this helps you understand why we do what we do as instructors, and you’ll try out a body conditioning class if you haven’t before, or make it a regular part of your fitness regimen. 

Pick One from Column A

Challenge, that is.  I just signed up for a sprint triathlon the end of July.  I need a motivator, and this will definitely be one. The bike and run, no problem...it's the swim that gives me fits, so I'll need to get some coaching and training to stay afloat. I've done a couple sprint triathlons in the past, with mixed results. I tend to hyperventilate in the water, and need to focus on technique so I can be efficient and not waste energy flailing around.  I'm not a water baby. I tend to get bored swimming laps, so it's never been high on my workout list.  I'd rather float around on an air mattress with a pina colada in my hand and just bask in the sun. 

So, onto the next phase of my fitness challenge.  Bring it on!!  "Impossible is Nothing"