Stretching Before And After A Workout

Last Sunday's clinic was about breathing, pace, and transitioning from walking to running. We also discussed dynamic and static stretching - big names for warm-up and cool down before and after a workout. I'm placing the stretches in their own section of http://www.TheWeeklyPepTalk.com so, help yourself! Stretching is an integral part of any workout. It's kind of like preparing a meal.

Dynamic stretching is like getting dinner ready. Part 1 - You start with the preparation. Every ingredient is prepped before you start cooking. Same with dynamic stretching. The muscle groups that will be used for your running or walking are prepped by taking all the parts that you're going to exercise and gradually warming them up. Easy running and walking preps those muscles to perform at a higher intensity later. They're getting warmed up...

Cook it! - Part 2 is where you combine the ingredients and create that wonderful concoction that puts the dinner on the table. You have created a masterpiece from good ingredients and your efforts! Same with exercise. In part 2 you're into the activity at the level that you intended. If you want to walk at a level of, say 70%, you've warmed up to it by walking at a slower pace and building up to this new intensity. Now, let that magnificent machine, your body, do its thing!

Eat! - Part 3 is the static stretching phase. Here's where (in our analogy) we're eating that gourmet meal. We're getting the full benefit of our cooking efforts by savoring every bite of that delicious meal that took a lot of effort to get to this point. In exercise, the static stretching element is giving your body the opportunity to fully benefit from the workout. By allowing the opposite muscle groups to utilize the elasticity of warmed-up muscles, you have given your body balance. You have completed the cycle of movement that will make your body stronger and more agile.

Bringing the food/exercise cycle, full circle, immediately following a workout is a great time to eat! I'm ready, are you? We're discussing nutrition this Sunday in our clinic!

Fitness Clinic Material from June 1

Fitness, Starting at Square One - Next Week Join Us for the Real Thing!

Welcome to the world of walking, running, and being fit! You are on a journey that involves a physical, mental, and organizational component. The WOW Team is here to help you define and work toward a lifetime of fitness. Fit and Female Women of the World, let’s come together to GET FIT AND STAY FIT.

Taking your pulse
With no equipment but a watch, you can get a baseline measurement of your fitness level by taking your pulse. Find a pulse (such as your arm/wrist or your neck). Place your fingers gently on the pulse (heart beat). When you can feel a strong beat, start counting, while watching your watch for 60 seconds. The best time to do this for your base pulse rate, is in the morning, before getting out of bed.

Calculate your heart rate during activity

Start with 220
Subtract Age -50 (example only, use your real age!)
170 X 90% = 153 This is a maximum level for exertion

170 X 80% = 136 This is a hard level of exertion

170 X 70% = 119 This is a moderate level of exertion

170 X 60% = 102 This is a beginning level of exertion

All of the numbers above apply to a 50 year old. Your numbers will be different based on your age.

How does your resting heart rate affect your level of exertion? The more fit you are, the harder you will have to work to increase it to the higher levels.

For your information only:

What is your current weight? _____________

How many push-ups can you do? __________

Can you touch your toes without bending your knees?

Do you know how many calories you should consume on a daily basis? Your weight X 10 (i.e. 130 X 10 = 1300) If you are active for an hour or more you may add 20% to that amount or (1300+260 = 1560).

Walk, Woman, Walk!
Before you can run, you need to be able to walk. Like a child, you must have the strength, balance, and flexibility to hold yourself upright and move forward.

Balance exercise #1
Stand on one leg with the other leg lifted and bent at a 90 degree angle. Hold for one minute. Repeat on the other side.

Balance exercise #2
Stand on one leg, holding other ankle, with sole of other foot pushed up toward the buttocks. Hold for 1 minute. Repeat on the other side

Feet
Keep your feet happy and the rest of your body will follow! Because your feet have such a tough job, they are really tough! I defer to Pete Egoscue and his wonderful book Pain Free to elaborate on the importance of your feet. Of course all parts of our body are important but, oftentimes, we will notice things in our feet that are indicative of problems elsewhere. Take good care of your fee and, if you notice pain, please talk to me or a sports doctor to determine the cause and, more importantly, a remedy.

Shoe Basics
Shoes should be comfortable, brand name shoes, which give you support and flexibility. Get them fit by a sports shoe professional – especially the first pair. For more details on fitting shoes, please refer to the article in http://altbgo.blogspot.com. Also, join us at Sports Basement on June 4 from 6 – 8 PM for their talk on shoes and an opportunity to buy for 20% off.

Breathing
When you move in harmony with your body systems, your breath guides the way. Breathing deep and steady allows the exchange of the old air for the new stuff to keep your body functioning properly.

Steady breathing and pacing creates the potential for you to go long distances, efficiently. Fill that diaphragm by inhaling deeply and exhaling completely. These two actions create the space for new oxygen to move into your body because you have removed a substantial portion of the old, used-up stuff by forcing it out. Practice this by mouth and through your nose.

Stretching
A good workout includes stretching at the end of the workout. By this time your muscles are warm and responsive like rubber bands. This is the time to use opposite muscle groups and let them stretch out from their own elasticity.

Cross Training for Runners

CROSS TRAINING
Cross training, for runners, refers to exercises that are different than running. This could be almost any form of conditioning that gets your heart pumping at a minimum level and duration. So, if you walk instead of run, you are cross training. If you swim, you are cross training. If you do yoga, you are cross training. The caveat here is that the activity needs to be done at a minimum heart rate level of 60% with continuous movement for at least 20 minutes or you are not replacing your running with another type of fitness training. You must have an equal or greater level of intensity to the exercise in order to replace running as your cardio-vascular training method.

STEPHANIE’S DEFINITION OF CROSS TRAINING FOR RUNNERS
Cross training, specific to runners, refers to exercise that compliments, but does not include, outdoor/distance running, AND increases the heart rate to 60% or more of maximum heart rate* for 20 minutes or longer.

Another factor to consider is that you will not start out at a 60% rate. Your heart begins exercise somewhere significantly below it. When I’m on the elliptical machine at the gym it usually takes about 10 minutes to get up to my 60% rate. So, give yourself a minimum of 5 minutes to warm up and another 5 minutes to cool down at the end. Your total workout will be a minimum of 30 minutes. This is why, in our track workouts, we always warm up a bit before getting into the meat of the workout.

This is not to say that activities like gentle yoga or easy walking lack merit. That is not the case. They are forms of movement that stretch and strengthen different muscle groups, but they are not increasing cardio-vascular strength or capacity. Stretching activities and other exercise, even if not rigorous, is important to runners for balance as we tend to have major muscle groups that get no attention while other groups (our quadriceps, for example) get REALLY STRONG. I’m differentiating here to clarify my definition.

More on cross training, stretching, and other exercise in future issues. I hope this was a good beginning for you.

For internet links of interest see:
http://altbgo.betteru.hop.clickbank.net/
http://altbgo.superbeing.hop.clickbank.net/
Fit Over Forty http://altbgo.bevopub.hop.clickbank.net/
http://altbgo.turbulence.hop.clickbank.net/

Product links do not represent product endorsement. Be an educated buyer!