Timi Gustafson's Blog | The Healthy Diner - How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun Home Page of the Timi Gustafson R.D. Blog About Timi Gustafson R.D. Sign up for RSS Feed Become a Contributing Writer to this Blog Contact Us

Archive for the "About Exercise" Category

No Healthy Lifestyle Can Do Without…

Regular physical activity is an essential part of every healthy lifestyle. How much and how often you exercise depends on your goals and your needs. The kind of exercising you do is less important than that you do it with regularity. If you are too busy to go to a gym for a workout, you can find other opportunities throughout the day to work your muscles here and there – e.g. by taking the stairs, instead of the elevator, or by parking your car a little further away from your office.  If you have had little or no exercise in a while, start slowly and consult your physician before you get started. Read more »

Some Basic Information About Exercise

Any exercise or physical activity that you do is better than doing nothing at all. The goal of exercise is to increase your amount of body movement. Many people’s lifestyles do not provide enough opportunities to burn calories and fat, exercise muscles or get the heart rate going. Without enough body movement, we not only tend to gain weight, but our physical abilities begin to decline. Muscle mass shrinks. Heart and lung capacity decline. Flexibility suffers. There’s no need to let this happen, though.

How Are Calories Burned During Exercise?

By exercising we burn 3 types of calories: carbohydrate, protein and fat. This is also called “fuel utilization,” and it occurs in stages throughout the exercise process. The duration (time) and intensity (challenge) of an exercise program determines your fuel (calorie) utilization. Especially what you had for your last meal affects what fuel mix is circulates in your blood stream while you exercise.

10 minutes of exerciseStage 1: 10 minutes of exercise:

Carbohydrate (sugar) is the main fuel for working muscles. Since carbohydrate is stored directly in the muscles, the demand to mobilize fat or sugar from storage located in other parts of the body is not yet required.

10 minutes of exerciseStage 2: After 10 minutes of exercise:

Carbohydrate (sugar) in the exercising muscles begins to run low. Fat and carbohydrate from storage areas in the body begin to be released into the blood. Exercising muscles will increasingly draw from these circulating fuels as supplements. Breathing and heart rate start to increase in order to supply the muscles with more oxygen.

20 minutes of exerciseStage 3: About 20 minutes of exercise:

Fat mobilization from storage increases. Carbohydrate stores from the liver become mobilized. Blood gets enriched with circulating fat, sugar and oxygen. Exercising muscles switch to an aerobic fuel system, which is required for fat burn.

20 minutes of exerciseStage 4: Beyond 20 minutes of exercise:

Exercising muscles are now primarily running on the aerobic fuel system. As long as the oxygen supply is adequate, fat will be the primary fuel. Carbohydrate will become the preferred fuel if the exercise effort increases. Thereafter, protein will be used to supply carbohydrate if the exercise continues for more than 2 hours or becomes even difficult (at a heart rate of above 85% of maximum training heart rate).

What Does Resistance Or Weight Training Do?

Weight training does not burn much fat as a fuel source, but it does stimulate muscle growth. More muscle mass will increase calorie demand of the muscles, even after exercise and in your sleep. This is very helpful to increase metabolism. Weight training can also be very effective for bone mass maintenance and can help to prevent osteoporosis for both men and women as they get older. It is especially important for the spinal bones which don’t get as easily stimulated, even with regular exercise. Unfortunately, these bones are also the most susceptible to osteoporosis.

Do I Have to Exercise Until I Sweat?

Sweating during exercise is a good indicator that you are working hard enough to get some benefits out of your efforts. But it is not directly related to the desired health effects of your workout. The ability to sweat is the body’s cooling system. When sweat evaporates it cools us off. As we heat up internally, with or without exercise, we respond by sweating. Some people heat up more quickly, others do not. Body surface area (skin) relative to internal mass (both muscle mass and fat stores) relates to this. The more skin to body mass, the more cooling takes place.

Other factors which influence sweating include work intensity (strenuousness), environmental conditions (heat, wind, humidity), body water  content (hydration) and clothing. Remember that water is lost when you sweat. The more water we lose, the less cooling the body can do. Overheating is a common reason for feeling fatigued from exercise. Always drink plenty of water during and after intense exercising. Some small amount of salt may also be helpful to replace salt loss from profuse sweating.

 

Making Time for Exercise

Physical activity is an essential component for our health. If regular exercising is not a part of your lifestyle now, get moving today! Any form of physical activity is better than doing nothing! Consult with your physician before you get started. If you have had little or no exercise in a while, begin slowly. You can gradually add more to your daily routine. Sixty minutes of moderate physical activity per day is recommended by the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

Choose an exercise program you enjoy. No matter which one you choose, make sure you include these three areas: aerobics, strength, and flexibility. Aerobic exercises, such as walking, running, swimming or bicycling benefit your cardiovascular fitness. Gymnastics, weightlifting, yoga or tai chi help you build strength and flexibility.

The main obstacle (or excuse) for most people who don’t exercise enough is time. Yes, you will have to find the time somehow, but you can also be smart about your scheduling. Here are some suggestions to increase your physical activity whether you are at home, at work or otherwise busy…

At Home …

• Join a walking group in the neighborhood or at the local shopping mall.
• Recruit a partner for support and encouragement.
• Push the baby in a stroller.
• Get the whole family involved—enjoy an afternoon bike ride with your kids.
• Walk up and down the sidelines while watching the kids play sports.
• Walk the dog—don’t just watch the dog walk.
• Clean the house or wash the car.
• Walk, skate, or cycle more, and drive less.
• Do stretches, exercises, or pedal a stationary bike while watching television.
• Mow the lawn with a push mower.
• Plant and care for a vegetable or flower garden
• Play with the kids—tumble in the leaves, swim or dance to favorite music.

At Work …

• Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk the rest of the way.
• Replace a coffee break with a brisk 10-minute walk.
• Take part in an exercise program at work or a nearby gym.
• Join the office basketball, softball, bowling or swim team.

Or at Play…

• Walk, jog, skate, or cycle.
• Swim or do water aerobics.
• Take a class in martial arts, dance, or yoga.
• Golf (pull cart or carry clubs).
• Canoe, row, or kayak.
• Play racket ball, tennis, or squash.
• Ski cross-country or downhill.
• Play basketball, softball, or soccer.
• Hand cycle or play wheelchair sports.
• Take a nature walk.
• Most important – have fun while being active!

If you find it hard to keep your commitment to your exercise regimen or feel discouraged if you don’t meet your goals, consider the benefits you receive from even the smallest efforts:

• Regular exercise will help you to keep your weight under control.
• Regular exercise will increase your muscle mass and strength.
• Regular exercise will help to improve your bone density.
• Regular exercise will lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Regular exercise will help to elevate your good cholesterol (HDL) level.
• Regular exercise will help to decrease your blood pressure.
• Regular exercise will help to reduce your blood sugar.
• Regular exercise will help you to manage stress better. 

 

Calculating Your Target Heart Rate

How do you measure your target heart rate? Your target heart rate is the rate at which your heart beats when you exercise “aerobically” – that is when you exercise to the point where you burn fat.  Any exercise that works your large muscle groups and gets your heart pumping between 50-85 percent of capacity for a sustained period of time is considered to be “aerobic” (or “cardio”). Jogging, brisk walking, hiking uphill, swimming, bicycling and rowing are some of the better known aerobic exercises.

The Karvonen Heart Rate Formula is one of the most effective methods used to calculate your target heart rate for aerobic (cardio) exercise, because it factors in your resting heart rate (RHR), which is a good indicator of your state of fitness.

1. You can determine your RHR as follows: Prior to getting out of bed in the morning, count your pulse on your wrist (radial pulse) or on the side of your neck (carotid pulse). Count the number of beats, starting with zero, for one full minute. For accuracy, take your resting heart rate three mornings in a row and average the heart rates together.

2. Then determine the intensity level at which you should exercise: As a general rule, you should exercise at an intensity of 50% to 85% of your heart rate reserve. Your individual level of fitness will show where you fall within this range. For example, if you are new to exercise or have received exercise restrictions from your doctor, start with a lower heart rate range (about 50% to 60%). If you are an intermediate exerciser, try to stay within the range of 60% to 70%. Physically very fit individuals and athletes can work within the range of 75% to 85%.

The Karvonen Heart Rate Formula

220 – Age = Maximum Heart Rate
Max Heart Rate – Rest. Heart Rate x Intensity + Rest. Heart Rate = Training Heart Rate

For Example: Julie is 40 years old, has a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute (bpm) and she’s an intermediate exerciser (her intensity level will be 60% to 70%). Julie’s training heart rate zone will be 134 to 146 bpm:

Julie’s Minimum Training Heart Rate:
220 – 40 = 180
180 – 65 (Resting Heart Rate) = 115
115 x .60 (Minimum Intensity) + 65 (Resting HR) = 134 bpm

Julie’s Maximum Training Heart Rate:
220 – 40 = 180
180 – 65 (Resting Heart Rate) = 115
115 x .70 (Maximum Intensity) + 65 (Resting HR) = 146 bpm

About Exercise

The main obstacle – or excuse – for people who don’t exercise regularly is a lack of time. That’s a shame. Physical activity should never be considered as expendable but should rather be given a high priority in one’s daily routine. It doesn’t matter what exercise program or sport you choose, as long as you do something you enjoy. Focus on three areas: Aerobics, strength and flexibity. You can benefit from low-impact activities, such as walking, Yoga  or Tai Chi – or you can advance to more strenuous exercises, such as running, swimming, bicycling, weight lifting etc. Whatever you decide on doing, do it for at least half an hour every day.

Some Basic Information About Exercise
Go to Article »

Making Time For Exercise
Go to Article »

Calculating Your Target Heart Rate
Go to Article »

Young Bodies Need To Exercise
Go to Article »

Fitness Exercise For The Aging Mind
Go to Article »