Wellness Articles

Exercise doesn’t have to happen in a fitness center or club. You can pick to exercise in the comfort, convenience, and privacy of your own home or neighborhood.

The key is to do something! Doing anything is better than nothing!

Locating the Time for Exercise

• Find the time - for one week write down where you spend your time, you must be able to find points that could be changed to free a bit of time everyday.

• Start by increasing your daily activity - walk to the post office or store, take the baby or the dog for a walk, take a walk up and down the stairs for that coffee break, walk on your lunch break, if you sit most of the day get out of your chair every 20 minutes and move around the office, garden.

• Schedule an appointment to exercise - people who workout in the morning are often more likely to stick to their programs because work and family obligations are less likely to interfere, schedule a time that works best for you and stick to it!

• Exercise while waiting - for the children to complete their piano lesson, soccer practice etc.

• Consider purchasing home exercise equipment - prior to deciding to invest be certain you will use it. Durable equipment is not inexpensive!

• Be sure to take turns giving your meaningful other or friend a break to workout - by watching the children or sitting with a member of your family that can’t be left alone.

• Make exercise a high priority - when getting in shape is your goal you have to make exercise a priority to reach that goal.

Regular exercise and physical activity are extremelyimportant and advantageous for long-term health and well-being.

For a comprehensive resource, see “Physical Activity and Health - A Report of the Surgeon General.”

Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity

• Decrease the risk of premature death

• Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease

• Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure

• Decrease high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol

• Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer

• Reduce the risk of developing diabetes

• Lower or maintain body weight or body fat

• Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints

• Reduce depression and anxiety

• Enhance psychological well-being

• Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance

Links to other Health Organizations

The American Cancer Society

The American Heart Association

The American Diabetes Association

National Institutes of Health

Benefits of Aerobic Activity

• Increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)

• Improvement in cardivascular/cardiorespiratory function (heart and lungs)

o Increased maximal cardiac output (amount of blood pumped every minute)

o Increased maximal stroke volume (amount of blood pumped with each beat)

o Increased blood volume and ability to carry oxygen

o Lowered workload on the heart (myocardial oxygen consumption) for any given submaximal exercise intensity

• Increased blood supply to muscles and ability to use oxygen

• Lower heart rate and blood pressure at any level of submaximal exercise

• Increased threshold for lactic acid accumulation

• Lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) in individuals with high blood pressure (BP)

• Increased HDL Cholesterol (the good cholesterol)

• Reduced blood triglycerides

• Reduced body fat and improved weight control

• Improved glucose tolerance and decreased insulin resistance

Benefits of Resistance Training

• Increased muscular strength

• Increased strength of tendons and ligaments

• Potentially improves flexibility (range of motion of joints)

• Decreased body fat and increased lean body mass (muscle mass)

• Potentially reduces resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure

• Positive changes in blood cholesterol

• Improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity

• Improved strength, balance, and functional ability in older adults

Selecting the perfect personal trainer may be the difference between a successful exercise program and an unsuccessful program. Be very selective when choosing your personal trainer.

Below are frequently asked questions that individuals looking for personal trainers often ask. Ask yourself these questions to determine when your personal trainer is the best for you.

Is the fitness trainer within your budget?

You can expect to pay between $20 and $100 an hour for your fitness trainer. A few trainers will offer lowered package rates when you buy more than one session.

Is your trainer available when you wish to work out?

Be sure that the fitness trainer can accommodate your schedule.

Does the trainer have a certification, degree, or background in a related medical or exercise science field?

A certification or degree will assure that your fitness trainer can construct a workout program that will fit your needs.

Make sure the certification is a national recognized organization (ACSM, NSCA, ACE, AFAA, IDEA, etc.). Every person’s exercise program must be different to accommodate different needs.

Does your trainer have a current certification in CPR and First Aid?

Safety during your exercise program is very important. the personal trainer needs to have the knowledge to assist in an emergency.

Does your trainer or facility require a health screening or release from your physician before beginning your fitness program?

When you’ve special needs during your workout program that are results of a past injury or medical problem, a expert trainer will discuss any exercise considerations with the doctor.

How does the trainer interact with his/her clients during the fitness session?

An interested fitness trainer will use hands on help, like touching the bicep during a bicep curl as you concentrate on that muscle during the exercise.

When you’re uncomfortable with hands on help, they need to provide encouragement and motivation.

You probably will not want to pay $100 an hour for your trainer to only count your repetitions during the fitness session.

Demand more for your money.

Are you comfortable with your trainer’s gender?

A number of people like working with a personal trainer of the same sex, and others prefer the opposite sex.

Do you feel that you’ll get along with the trainer?

In order to have the best working relationship, you really should be certain that you lie your personal trainers personality.

The two personalities should click. Carefully interview the trainer to see what approach he or she’d have with you.

Is your trainer willing to design a workout program that you understand?

You should always know why you are doing a certain exercise. Your fitness program must be developed so that you can participate in the fitness program without your fitness trainer at all times.

Does your trainer exhibit good listening skills and communicate well?

You want your trainer to be able to address your need. If the trainer doesn’t communicate effectively, you will not know what to do during the fitness session.

A specialist trainer will never make you feel uncomfortable to ask questions.

Does your trainer address your goals or expectations?

In the starting of your exercise program, he/she ought to sit down with you to address why you want to begin a exercise program, what you expect to get out of the exercise program, and your goals that you want to achieve during the exercise program.

Does your trainer provide you with clear cancellation policies and billing procedures?

Before beginning, be certain you understand all policies attached to your exercise program.

Do I need to see my doctor before I start exercising?

So that you can begin your exercise program safely and effectively, answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge, and follow the directions at the end of this section.

When you’re unsure of any answer, it’s advised that you see a physician to accurately determine the safety of starting an workout program.

When have been told by a doctor that you have any cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, or metabolic disease such as diabetes, obtain permission from your doctor before beginning or changing your workout program.

1. Are you a man over 45 years old?

2. Are you a female over the age of 55? Or, are you less than 55 years old and past menopause, but not taking estrogen?

3. Has any male family member died of a heart attack before age 55? Or, has any female family member died of a heart attack before age 65?

4. Do you smoke cigarettes or tobacco products?

5. Has a physician ever told you have high blood pressure (BP)? Or, has your blood pressure (BP) been measured more than once at greater than 140 over 90? Or, do you take high blood pressure (BP) medicine?

6. Has your physician ever told you that you’ve high cholesterol? Or, do you know if your total cholesterol is greater than 200? Or, is your HDL cholesterol less than 35?

7. Do you consider yourself physically inactive at work and during your leisure time?

If you answered “yes” to more than one of these questions it’s advised that you see a doctor before pursuing a vigorous fitness program. Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), 5th Edition, 1995.

Many people experience a side-stitch, which is a sharp pain in the side of the abdomen, when they exercise. the accurate cause of these side-stitches can vary from individuals to individuals.

This condition, technically referred to as exercise-related transient abdominal pain, is often associated with a muscle spasm in the diaphragm.

A few research indicates that the amount of food eaten before exercising may influence the occurrence of side-stitches.

Side-stitches can occur with any kind of exercise, but seem to be most commonly associated with running and jogging.

Some of the following tips may to help lower the frequency at which side-stitches occur

• Delaying exercise or activity for a longer time after consuming, if your side stitches occur when you exercise after consuming.

• Sticking to long, low intensity workouts, in lieu of quick, high intensity ones.

• Warming-up and slowly and gradually picking up workout pace may help prevent side stitches, regardless of exercise intensity

• Building stretches of speed intervals into your workout in order to strengthen your abdominal muscles and diaphragm. Some believe weak abs and diaphragms cause side stitches so making them stronger might help to prevent side stitch occurrences.

• Continuing to workout at an even pace; some scientists found that individuals with better aerobic fitness tend to get fewer side-stitches. Thus, the more you build up your endurance and cardiovascular fitness, the less likely you are to wind up with a side-stitch.

• Avoiding shallow breathing; instead taking slow, deep breaths during exercise.

When these avoidance strategies fail to help, and you do get a side-stitch, slowing down and breathing deeply is one way to alleviate the pain.

Two other things you can try are - (1) bending over while tightening your stomach muscles several times; and, (2) applying pressure to the area with your fingers, giving yourself a sort of “pressure massage” where the pain is.

For this, attempt pushing your fingers deeply into your stomach in a spot just below your right ribs, while pursing your lips and exhaling as hard as you can.

Simply grunting loudly while breathing out may also help, as could slowing down until the pain is gone.

Occasionally, side stitches might come from an allergy or intolerance to wheat or dairy products. Side stitches may occur up to 24 hours after eating or drinking something that contains this product.

To see when this applies to you, you could want to keep record of your meals, snacks and physical activities and see when your side stitches occur after eating a specific food or food group.

Side stitches may also be mistaken for pain in the heart caused by lack of oxygen.

When the pain comes from beneath the breastbone, or radiates down your left arm, makes you out of breath and comes from exercise or strenuous exercise, your best bet would be to see a healthcare provider as soon as possible.

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