Trying Fitness

Break Free from the Treadmill

tryingfitness — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:53:35 +0000

I admit it, I run on the treadmill way more often than I do running outside. Sometimes it’s a shame since I live in southern California and the weather is almost always beautiful. So why do I tend to run on the treadmill more? Personally, for several reasons:

Random dogs - sometimes there are dogs wandering around without an owner and I am afraid of them.
Heat - I don’t wake up early enough to run to avoid the heat and by the end of the day I am bike riding or busy.
Safety - I do worry about traffic and overall I feel safe in my neighborhood but I still stay cautious.
Variety - the treadmill at the gym keeps me out of the heat and if I get bored, I can use other machines.

When I do run outside, I enjoy it and many times I run with someone else like family or friends. However, that only happens every so often and mainly on a weekend. If you are like me and want to break free from the treadmill and venture out and hit the pavement, here are some tips you can try:

Start walking first - find a nice area around your neighborhood or one of your favorite places and walk. Eventually you may find a course that you feel comfortable enough to run in.
It’s the shoes - purchase good running shoes if you don’t have any. Running outside requires decent shoes. You’ll help prevent injury and your feet will thank you for it.
Dress for success - invest in running clothes that wick away sweat. You will enjoy your runs more if you dress for the weather.
Find a track - if you have access to running tracks, try those out before finding a course on the street. You’ll feel safer and still enjoy the outdoors.
Safety first - have an ID bracelet created with your name and other emergency contact information. Also carry your cell phone to call for help in case of an emergency. Also, run against the flow of traffic and never assume cars will see you. I’ve seen cars nearly hit people crossing the street when they have the right of way so stay alert.

Running on the treadmill isn’t all that bad if you still want to do it more often than running outside. Just remember that the treadmill tends to overestimate speed and your distance so running outside will feel quite different. You can simulate street running on a treadmill by increasing the incline.

Do you run outdoors a lot? What are your tips for people like me who want to break free from the treadmill for awhile? Everyone feel free to comment!

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Is Your Plastic Water Bottle Safe?

tryingfitness — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:21:02 +0000

If you are a big water drinker, chances are you carry around multiple types of plastic water bottles from the car to the gym, to work, etc. I was watching the morning news today and there was a discussion about the possible dangers of plastic water bottles. I had heard of this before but seeing it brought up again made me want to take a deeper look.

It seems that the culprit in these plastic bottles is a chemical called BPA which stands for Biphenol A. This chemical has been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, and endocrine damage in animals. There has not been enough research conducted as to whether BPA is dangerous to humans, however, it is understandable to be concerned.

There are various types of plastic bottles on the market which all range in safety levels according to the type of material used in manufacturing. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types:

Bottled Water
From what I have read and watched on the news, the typical bottled water is probably the safest bottle of them all. It’s a good idea to only use these bottles once.

Nalgene Bottles
These bottles do contain BPA but are still considered safe, however, it is recommended to use the BPA-free versions.

Soft Plastic Bottles
These are your general squeeze (sports) bottles you often use on a bicycle or while running. These are BPA-free but should be washed regularly.

Stainless Steel Bottles
These bottles are probably the best choice since they contain no plastic at all. They are much longer lasting and are dishwasher safe.

BPA-Free Bottles
Considering these bottles don’t contain BPA, they are considered safe, but they are still very new on the scene and will probably undergo more testing.

You may have also heard about the flipping your bottles over and checking out the number on the bottom. The numbers range from 1 to 7. Bottles with a 7 on the bottom are the ones to avoid unless the bottle is labeled BPA-free.

In the end, the choice is yours whether you are truly concerned about the possible health risks or not. I tend to play it on the safe side when it comes to health related issues. What do you think? Are you concerned about the plastic bottle drama?

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Eat, Sleep, Swim - A Day with Michael Phelps

tryingfitness — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:16:09 +0000

If you have been following the Olympics then you have probably been watching Michael Phelp’s incredible performances in all of his events. Last night was no different as he won another gold medal but what was also interesting was a short clip they showed during the broadcast that shared a little bit of what Michael does in a typical day.

Eat, Sleep, Swim
Needless to say, Phelps swims a lot. It takes a lot of dedication and practice to achieve the results that he has accomplished. Breaking world records and winning gold medal after gold medal. He eats the way most people wish they could by eating anything and everything without counting a calorie or worrying about fat. It is said that he burns roughly 3000 calories during practice and is told to eat about 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day!

He admits that he doesn’t like to cook and he eats out regularly. So much in fact that restaurant owners know his favorite menu items. Check out the clip below:

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Dangers of Being a Desk Jockey

tryingfitness — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:38:03 +0000

photo credit: webg33k

Many of us sit in front of a computer all day and unfortunately, these types of jobs also cause many of us to pack on extra pounds. Our bodies were not meant to sit for 8 or more hours a day but that is what many of us do on a daily basis. Sometimes we are so busy that we forget to eat 3 or more meals a day or even worse, we skip meals - mainly breakfast (the worse one to skip in my opinion.)

Working from home is even more likely to pack on the pounds because it is easy to skip exercising and even easier to snack all day because you are only a few feet from the kitchen. Whether you work a 9 to 5 or you work from home, if you sit at a desk all day, you may be looking for ways to incorporate more exercise into your life. Thirty minutes or more of exercise a day is quite easy to achieve with a little discipline.

First off, there are 2 major downsides to being a desk jockey:

1. Weight gain
2. Muscle loss

Exercise in Spurts at Work
In order to prevent both you will need to start incorporating physical activity into your day. Thirty minutes of exercise doesn’t have to be done all at once. If you are extremely busy, you can do little things that add up such as taking the stairs or spending 10 minutes or so during lunch to take a brisk walk. If you can spare the time, you can join a gym close to work and exercise during lunch.

Hire a Personal Trainer
Sometimes the main reason people don’t exercise is a lack of motivation. When you have worked a full day, the last thing you are thinking about is exercising. Hiring a personal trainer can sort of force you to get off your butt. You will want to keep your appointment with a trainer and it can be a lot of fun learning new exercises and getting health advice. A trainer can often work around your schedule so early before work or after should be fine.

Join a Gym or Make a Home Gym
Joining a gym was one of the best things I have done for myself. I work at a desk all day and the gym allows me to take a much needed break. I can run, lift weights, take a class, etc. all in one place. Best of all since it’s open 24 hours, I can go anytime. A home gym can do wonders as well. If you have extra space to set up some weights and a cardio machine, you can save time and money.

Create Better Eating Habits
I ate horribly at my last job. The commute and stress caused me to skip breakfast most mornings, then I’d eat a huge lunch, then fast food for dinner because I would be too tired to cook. Not to mention all of the snacking and coffee runs during breaks just to pass the time. You have to learn to take back control of your eating habits.

Don’t skip breakfast
Replace soda and fancy coffees (lattes, cappucinos, etc.) with water
Pack your lunch the night before
Bring healthy snacks
Cook easy, healthy dinners
Make better choices when dining out

I know all of the above is easier said than done. Improving one’s health requires baby steps. What it takes is prioritizing and discipline. You do so much for your job or business but none if it will matter if you let your health slide. You can have a good balance with a little extra effort.

What Are You Doing This Summer?

tryingfitness — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:59:15 +0000

One great thing about the summer is that you can try out a ton of new fitness activities that you may have never tried before. Fitness never has to be boring, particularly during the summer months, because there are so many things you get to do outdoors. Besides the typical activities such as running, there are other sports that you can try and may end up becoming a fan of.

Of course, trying new things is great but always proceed with safety in mind. It is wise to take lessons where applicable or perform them under the guidance of a professional.

Volleyball
This is probably one of the ultimate summer sports and it is so much fun. Playing this sport not only burns a ton of calories but increases your agility, reflexes, and strength. Playing in the sand is easier on the joints versus indoors.

Rock Climbing
Safety needs to be at the top of the list with this activity, however, you can choose to rock climb outdoors as well as indoors. Rock climbing builds muscle strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and mental focus.

Kayaking
Getting into the water is always fun and kayaking will work your upper body and burn a ton of calories while doing it. On average, 1 hour of kayaking can burn up to 400 calories. With a fun activity like this, one hour can quickly turn into four.

Mountain Biking
This is a great aerobic workout as well as total body workout. When you are peddling up a hill, your upper body as well as your legs are involved. Even various muscles are used when going down a hill at a fast pace.

Inline Skating
While not affective as running because you can coast more, it is still a great workout and much more fun. Thirty minutes of inline skating can burn approximately 280 calories. Another plus is that it is low-impact unlike running which can take a toll on the knees.

Are you trying anything new this summer? What are some of your favorite outdoor workouts?

image credit: alexindigo

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Are You in the Fast Lane?

tryingfitness — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:25:29 +0000

This is a guest post by Matthew Perry.

Hello again!

I am one of those “visual” people…meaning, if you are going to try to explain something to me you better bring a pen and paper or make sure that I already have some props stored in my memory bank. And no, drawing with your hands in the air does not work either.

So to make a point about how YOU can change your food consumption and exercise program, try to picture this:

Picture the last time you were cruising down the highway at let’s say 80 miles an hour, and it had been a while, maybe a good 30-40 minutes. Then someone pulled out in front of you bringing your speed down to 60 miles an hour…(what a jerk!). That horrible feeling, that feeling of just barely moving starts to set in. You are stuck behind this person and it is just agonizing, you cannot even imagine driving this slow…who drives this slow!

So now you’re stuck for a while going 60 miles an hour. Once you’re over the piss off, you actually get used to the speed and conform and then it just feels normal.

YES, NORMAL!

What does driving down the highway have to do with exercise and diet?

Well really not much or anything at all…except the feeling of change.

When you first start an exercise program it can feel awkward. But after you stick with it, it feels NORMAL. The trick is getting through that period of “change”. Once you give into the change and accept the new routine it feels great…like, how did I never do this before?!

And food intake is the exact same way. You might go from eating ice-cream every night to only once a week. Wholly crap…that would be like going from 100 mph to maybe 20…but after you get used to 20, it just feels NORMAL…

If you want to get ahead in life with this exercise and diet stuff, then pay attention to your reaction to change.

Here’s another great testimonial I just have to share with you (I am in the protein powder business you know!) -

Hi Matthew,

I took the protein powder home last night & let a couple of my friends taste it (they thought it was the breakfast Nestle Carnation drink) & they thought it was awesome. After I showed them the bottle it came in they were totally sold. I had to split my bottle between the 3 of us, so I’ll be ordering more in the next week or so…This morning they signed up for your newsletter!

Thanks,
Sara

If you want to see what Sara and her friends are so excited about, go to
http://www.3rdchancefitness.com/muscle-mass.html.

Cheers to your health and fitness,

Matthew
www.3rdChanceFitness.com

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Exercising in the Heat - Take Precautions!

tryingfitness — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:04:46 +0000

The summer time is great for getting outdoors for exercise but it is also important for us to be aware of the temperatures outside. According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) site:

How Heat Affects the Body Human
Human bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands, and-as the last extremity is reached-by panting, when blood is heated above 98.6 degrees. The heart begins to pump more blood, blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased flow, and the bundles of tiny capillaries threading through the upper layers of skin are put into operation. The body’s blood is circulated closer to the skin’s surface, and excess heat drains off into the cooler atmosphere. At the same time, water diffuses through the skin as perspiration. The skin handles about 90 percent of the body’s heat dissipating function.

Sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation, and high relative humidity retards evaporation. The evaporation process itself works this way: the heat energy required to evaporate the sweat is extracted from the body, thereby cooling it. Under conditions of high temperature (above 90 degrees) and high relative humidity, the body is doing everything it can to maintain 98.6 degrees inside. The heart is pumping a torrent of blood through dilated circulatory vessels; the sweat glands are pouring liquid-including essential dissolved chemicals, like sodium and chloride onto the surface of the skin. [Source: noaawatch.gov]

Dangerous Temperatures to Workout In
Heat / Humidity:

86° / 90%
88° / 80%
90° / 70%
92° / 60%
94° / 55%
96° / 45%
98° / 40%

You can see the entire chart here.

I know people who love to run in the heat but I am not one of them. I much rather stay indoors on a treadmill. The last time I ran in the heat, I didn’t feel good at all. I promised myself I wouldn’t do it again. If you do exercise in the heat, at least take some precautions:

Check the temperature
Wear lightweight clothing (clothes that wick away sweat)
Exercise very early in the day or very late at night
Stay hydrated
Don’t push yourself too hard

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Dean Karnazes - Ultimate Endurance and Ultramarathon Man

tryingfitness — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:48:11 +0000

If you subscribe to any fitness magazines such as Runner’s World or read up on fitness news at all, then you have probably heard of the ultramarathon man, Dean Karnazes. Dean Karnazes is well known for his endurance to run for hundreds of miles. For example, here are a few of his accomplishments:

Ran 350 miles without sleep (took over 3 days)
Ran 135 mile marathon across Death Valley
Has ran several 100-mile endurance runs

Those are just some of the things Dean has accomplished besides other achievements in mountain biking and swimming, not to mention his 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days, in 50 states. He will be participating in the Badwater Ultramarathon (135 miles in 130 degrees) on July 14 - 15.

I thought running 3 miles on a treadmill was torture but there are people out there like Dean Karnazes that push their bodies to the ultimate limits in endurance races such as The Badwater Ultramarathon. So how do you build up your endurance for long distance running? Very slowly.

First off, you either enjoy running or your don’t. I love running and some days I am pumped to do it and some days I just want to skip it all together. The times I make myself go, I always end up being thankful I did because I feel better in the end. If you’re new to running don’t try to run for a long period of time right from the start. I am no expert but I know for myself, when I got back into running, I had to start off slow.

You may need to start off with walking, then a brisk walk, a jog, and eventually running - all of this over a period of time. I used to run 3 miles a day then I stopped. I had to start all over again by working my way back up to 1 mile, then two, etc. Building up endurance in exercise is simply pushing yourself to do a little more each time. It doesn’t have to be massive, even 30 seconds longer than usual helps.

If you want an idea of how Dean preps for an ultramarathon here is a quick snapshot of what he does:

Runs 30 miles in the mornings (starts at 4 am) before kids go to school
Runs 100 miles on weekends
Strength training in the gym or 4-sets of 50 push-ups

I have no desire of pushing my body to the extreme so I’ll stick to my goal of 3 miles per day. I would eventually like to run 5 miles per day but it will take me awhile to build up to that.

You can learn more about Dean Karnazes on his site at UltraMarathonMan.com.

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Cardio or Fat Burning

tryingfitness — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:45:26 +0000

This is a guest post by Matthew Perry.

When you do cardio are you a little confused by what program to do? Well, then you’re not alone. Below is a quick question that I get quite frequently.

********************************
Hi Matthew,
I have a question for you and I hope you have the answer. I want to lose this last 20 lbs. The machines at the gym give the option to do either cardio or fat burning. Which one is best for me to lose the weight the proper way? I get frustrated when I do fat burning for 1 hr. and see I burn less calories than when I do cardio for an hour. What’s up with these machines?

********************************
That’s a very good question and I’ve been asked it many times. The information provided by the machine is just an estimate. If you want to burn body fat you need your heart rate to be at 65-75% of your max, see this link for the math.

What you must understand is that ALL cardio equipment gets created and then it gets marketing flare. The piece of equipment that claims to burn the most fat/calories is usually the most popular. Take the elliptical machine for example.

What most people don’t realize is that the calories are counted by the revolutions and tension (level - how hard it is) of the machine. On the elliptical you are using your body weight to move the machine and a lot of momentum is being used.
The bike on the other hand is ALL YOU. You do not use your bodyweight to push the pedals; it’s all muscle and heart. I am not saying the elliptical is not a good workout, just comparing how the two machines operate.

So now think about this, think of the full revolution of the elliptical and the full revolution of the bike…See how much bigger the elliptical is?…maybe 3+ times bigger. And the calories are counted by the distance and tension of the revolution. Do you smell what I am cooking?

I can spend 30 minutes on the bike at my target heart rate and burn 200 calories, according to the machine readout.

I can spend 30 minutes on the elliptical at my target heart rate and burn 600+ calories, according to the machine readout.

Marketing BS at it’s finest. It is about your heart rate and duration, that’s all.
The fat burning programs are supposed to keep your heart rate in your 65-75% fat burning zone. The cardio programs are supposed to keep it higher, to build your cardio endurance. I personally always set the machine on random and for 60 minutes, which is probably a control thing. I don’t like the machine telling me when to speed up, slow down, grab the handles, and when to stop, etc.

Pay attention to your breathing and understand how your heart rate coordinates.

Understand?

One last thing to be aware of - sometimes, once you slow down and get into a fat burning zone you feel like you aren’t doing anything. It can mess with your mind as having your heart rate up in a cardio level can be addicting.

Cardio level is for endurance.

Fat burning level is for fat burning.

Good luck!

********************************
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********************************

Cheers to your health and fitness,

Matthew

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Big Breakfast Diet Helps Shed the Pounds

tryingfitness — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:46:39 +0000

I always find it fascinating when new studies are released about a new way to eat in order to lose weight. For example, I came across this new study called the Big Breakfast Diet in which a group of obese individuals were split up into two case studies. One group was assigned to eat a low-carb, low calorie breakfast each morning of about 290 calories, while the other group ate a high-carb breakfast around 610 calories.

Both groups lost weight by the fourth month with the low-carb breakfast eaters losing 28 pounds and the high-carb breakfast folks losing 23 pounds. What made the study interesting is by the eighth month, the low-carb people regained 18 pounds while the high-carb people continued to lose 16 more pounds.

The real differences showed up at the eight-month mark, when the low-carb dieters had regained an average of 18 pounds and the big-breakfast eaters continued to lose, dropping another 16.5 pounds on average.

In all, members of the big-breakfast group lost more than 21% of their body weight; low-carb group members lost 4.5%. [Source: WebMD]

I found this interesting since most health information says to eat light breakfasts filled with protein and low carbs. This doesn’t mean it is the magic bullet for weight loss either. We all know there is no magic bullet when it comes to losing weight. It always requires work in the form of a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

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