Sometimes laughter is all you need….

WARNING: the following link is crass, but funny none the less. View at your own risk.

Awkward workouts

 

Stretching: new research

A new study (Batista LH, Vilar AC, Ferreira JJA, Rebelatto JR & Salvini TF) has be published on the effect of stretching and it impact on fitness, specifically in application to older adults. Here is a brief overview of the important factors:

Deficits in muscle strength and range of motion are common in older adults but not to exclusive to, due to a decrease in overall flexibility. Reduced flexibility is generally caused by shortening and increased rigidity of muscles. These viscoelastic changes in muscle fibers have deleterious functional consequences, such as aberrant gait patterns, and hampered ability to rise from a seated position, leading to a greater incidence of falls and loss of independence.

Stretching is an exercise performed in clinical settings and physical fitness facilities used to increase range of motion. Research has shown that stretching can cause morphologic change in muscle fibers and connective tissue, ultimately leading to an increase in overall muscle strength.

Previous studies have shown that similar results can occur after a stretching intervention implemented every day for 6 weeks straight. This study showed that flexibility training twice a week for 4 weeks is as efficient as a 6 week training protocol

According to this group of researchers, it is conceivable that stretched muscles are stronger because both passive and active forces add to strength production. Previous research concluded that the increase in stored energy and ranges of motion after stretching is important because it can increase the elastic recoil capacity of a muscle. However, this notion is not completely agreed upon in the fitness industry.

Regardless, stretching is a vital component of fitness, equally so as cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength, which not only has benefits in its own right but improves all component of fitness.

 

Catch the olympic spirit!

To day is day 98 of the olympic torch rely and it’s coming to Squamish! Come participate in the festivities at Brennan Park.

To see the route click here.

 

Update on Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 9:11PM by Registered Commentervioletquartzwellness

WOW! Was that ever cool. I attended the Lions Bay torch celebration, and it was amazing. Catch a glimpse….

 

February is heart month!

Many causes have designated months to raise awareness about their plights. For example February is black history month, as well as heart month (as per the heart and stroke foundation). This is the one with more relevance to our purposes and a cause close to my heart since heart disease is prevalent in my family.

Check out the Heart and Strokes website, be ready for lots of fun and interesting heart facts this month.

Happy heart month!

 

Notes from the universe

Recently a friend introduced me to notes from the universe from tut.com; they are daily e-mails which remind you of the big picture. I highly recommend it, check it out. Always an inspiring message.

Moderation, rest and it place in creating sustainable change.

mod⋅er⋅a⋅tion  /ˌmɒdəˈreɪʃən/

–noun

1. the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance.
2. the act of moderating.
3. moderations, British. the first public examinations at Oxford University for the B.A. degree in mathematics or in classics.
—Idiom

4. in moderation, without excess; moderately; temperately: to drink in moderation.
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, even the healthiest foods, exercises can become dangerous and harmful when we abuse them, not only can it become an obsession, but it can also have detrimental effects in the body, thus in the energetic system and so on. Often when trying to maintain healthy habits we begrudge ourselves small slip ups, we feel we must be on the ball one hundred percent of the time, when in fact our changes would be more sustainable if we accept that we will falter, thus we should take it easy, be kind to ourselves and start with small steps. Taking breaks and taking stock are an important part of the process. It is comparable to what happens in the body when exercise training. There is a prescribed rest interval for different types to training which yield different adaptations. When training for increased strength and size, you would not use a rest time appropriate for endurance training. Furthermore you would not for go the rest period all together since it would limit the change in the muscle over time.
If we apply this principle to life and making changes in our lifestyle or perception then it stands to reason that depending on our goals and aspirations, different paths will be appropriate for different types of people. Do not compare your journey to that of another, we are all unique. take your time, as a wise person once said it is not the destination that matters but the journey there.

 

Heart Quiz

I took this heart quiz here are my results:

 

Will beat 108,056 times, pump 1,585 gallons of blood, and push that blood nearly 8,178 miles throughout my body!

Created by MyFitnessPal.com

 

Stairway to health

The stairway to health is a program designed by the Canadian public health agency to provide support and resources to encourage Canadians to get active and increase their daily physical activity. Something as simple as taking the stairs throughout your workday can do a lot in helping you reach minimum physical activity requirements (30-60 min a day, everyday). Here is on of the “stairway to health” fact sheets:

There are a variety of benefits to programs that encourage the use of stairways, as part of physical activity in workplaces, or other settings. These benefits may include improved morale, a sense of well-being, higher energy levels and improved team building. Below are the measurable benefits that are indicated in research on stair use.

  • Canada’s Physical Activity Guide recommends that Canadians accumulate 30-60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.
  • Stair climbing is possible in many workplaces and requires no special equipment in order to participate.
  • There is evidence to suggest that moderate intensity lifestyle activities like taking the stairs may be more successfully promoted than structured vigorous intensity exercise programs (Kerr, 2001).
  • Stair climbing can be accumulated across the course of the day, making a significant contribution to 30 minutes of daily physical activity (Kerr, 2001).
  • Stair climbing interventions typically result in a 6-15% increase in use of stairs.
  • A significantly lower risk of mortality is indicated in studies where participants climbed more than 55 flights per week. (Paffenbarger et al. 1993).
  • Stair climbing requires about 8-11kcal of energy per minute, which is high compared to other physical activities (Edwards, 1983).
  • Active Stair climbers are more fit and have a higher aerobic capacity (Ilmarinen et al, 1978).
  • Even two flights of stairs climbed per day can lead to 2.7 kg weight loss over one year (Brownell, Stunkard, and ALbaum, 1980).
  • There is a strong association between stair climbing and bone density, in post-menopausal women (Coupland et al. 1999).
  • Stair climbing programs can improve the amount of ‘good cholesterol’ in the blood – HDL concentrations (Wallace and Neill, 2000).
  • Stair climbing increases leg power and may be an important priority in reducing the risk of injury from falls in the elderly (Allied Dunbar Survey, 1992).
  • Because stair climbing rates are currently very low, increasing population levels of stair climbing could lead to substantial public health dividends (Kerr, 2001
  • Because stair climbing is an activity with which we are all familiar, participants have a high level of confidence in their ability to participate in the activity (Kerr, 2001).
For more information and resources click here.

 

Well-rounded fitness

There are five components of fitness which together determine your overall physical well-being and ability; Cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and balance.

Together these components provide general health benefits also known as functional fitness. Functional fitness is comprised of  exercises and activities which includes two or more of these components. They are all equally important because they contribute to a longer and more importantly independent life.

Cardiovascular endurance is essential to a healthy circulatory system and heart; your body’s transportation system to nourish itself. Because heart health is so vital for everyday living regular cardiovascular exercise, is a sure fire way to ensure it is optimal for as long as possible

Muscular strength is important in everyday movement, getting out of bed, getting dressed etc. These are things we take for granted until we are no longer able to perform them for ourselves. Because we lose muscle mass as we age it is important to build and maintain as much as possible so that you can live independently for as long as possible.

Muscular endurance is the ability to repeatedly move a muscle without tiring and allows us to participate in sport, gardening, hiking; activities which contribute to our quality of life and are essential to our overall well-being.

Flexibility helps us maintain range of motion around our joints reducing stiffness and tension. The more flexible we are the less likely we are to get injured because we can more easily move our joints properly.

Balance is critical in injury prevention especially as we age. Participating in physical activity which requires us to balance helps us build and maintain our stabilization muscle which helps prevent falls and related injuries.

 

Action/Willpower: Changing behavior

This is the stage where people believe they have the ability to change their behavior and are actively involved in taking steps to change their bad behavior by using a variety of different techniques. This is the shortest of all the stages. The amount of time people spend in action varies. It generally lasts about 6 months, but it can literally be as short as one hour! This is a stage when people most depend on their own willpower. They are making overt efforts to quit or change the behavior and are at greatest risk for relapse.

Mentally, they review their commitment to themselves and develop plans to deal with both personal and external pressures that may lead to slips. They may use short-term rewards to sustain their motivation, and analyze their behavior change efforts in a way that enhances their self-confidence. People in this stage also tend to be open to receiving help and are also likely to seek support from others which is a a very important element. Hopefully, if the are successful in this stage they move to maintenance. More on that tomorrow!