Don’t know how to
start or what to eat? These are the top two questions I get. Let’s talk about starting
exercise…read on:
Starting exercise.
As a fitness professional, my “off the top of the head” reaction is
“slowly”. We see too many yoga, boot
camp, Crossfit, running, pilates, you name it - injuries from those whose bodies can’t
keep up with their brains telling them to do what they did 10 or 20
years ago. I’d love for folks to come in
for a consultation or a short series of sessions just to get them off on the
right foot. It goes without saying to check in with your MD first, by the way.
How much exercise do I
need? The American College of Sports Medicine
(ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations for healthy
adults for cardiorespiratory (aerobic) exercise are 150 minutes of
moderate exercise a week. This can be
divided into 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 days a week, or
20-60 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise 3 days a week. Either continuous sessions or multiple shorter
sessions of at least 10 minutes are acceptable.
Length of time, frequency and intensity should be gradually progressed
to minimize the risk of injury and to help build the exercise habit. Any amount is beneficial – it’s not an all or
none thing.
For strength training – ACSM recommends working each major muscle group 2 or 3
times a week with varying exercises and equipment. Older persons & sedentary persons should
start with very light intensity. Two to
four sets of each exercise will help build power & strength. For each exercise, 8-10 repetitions increase
strength; 10-15 reps improve strength (in middle age & older adult
beginners), and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance. Allow 48 hours between resistance exercise
sessions.
For flexibility, exercises to increase range of motion should be done two
to three days each week. Hold each
stretch for 10-30 seconds. Repeat each
stretch 2-4 times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch. Stretch exercises may be static, dynamic,
ballistic or PNF. Stretching is most
effective when the muscle is warm – after exercise or a hot bath/shower. My handouts for stretching can be found here.
A new category added recently (2011) is neuromotor
exercise or functional fitness training, which is recommended 2 or 3
times a week for 20-30 minutes.
Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination
and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifunctional activities such
as tai chi or yoga.
Is this a lot? Maybe, initially,
but in real life, a properly certified personal trainer or fitness professional
can devise workout routines that incorporate all of these requirements into a
manageable schedule for you, as well as helping you to incorporate more
movement into your days.
A Walking Program - Say you want to start by walking. Its inexpensive, easy, and can fit in with your schedule. Yes, there are
numerous programs on the web. But, remember the information reliability pointers we discussed in January. Here's one
that I'd recommend that makes sense for most folks .
Beginners: Try walking for 10
minutes a day at a brisk pace (about 3-3.5 mph pace, or a mile in 17-20
minutes). That would be about a half
mile at the recommended pace. Do this
for 3 weeks. Then increase your walk by
5 minutes a week until you’re up to 30 minutes a day, six days a week.
Intermediates & Advanced – increase your pace and your distance as described above.
The National Heart Lung & Blood Institute has a booklet with walking &
running programs that can be found here. A12 week Mayo Clinic program is here.
In The News: I get a number of newsletters from various
professional organizations. Here's what's being discussed.
Canola Oil – is it as bad as its made out to be? Berkeley Wellness discusses this
controversial topic here.
Target heart rate can be a very complicated subject.
After starting an aerobic program, the next question is
how hard to work out. The answer is
that the most common formulae may grossly underestimate heart rate in older exercisers. Machines only take into account your weight,
and age, not your muscle mass or cardiovascular capacity. Best rule of thumb is the talk test – as long
as you can talk at a slightly breathless pace, you’re probably fine. Breathless, gasping for breath & unable to talk – you’re
working too hard. The New York Times discusses this topic here, and presents slightly better formulaes.
New Dietary Guidelines will be coming out later this year. You may have heard that the new Guidelines
allow more eggs, and have lifted limits on healthy fats, but have capped saturated
fats at 10%. There is an emphasis on
sustainability, and also a recommendation that up to 4 or 5 cups of coffee may
protect against Parkinsonism and diabetes. Read more here and here. Since hearings will also be held later this year, you can comment on the health.gov website.
Online Lectures: UC Berkeley's Food Institute is again running its Edible Education 101 course with free live streaming. Although the series started January 26th, you can access the lectures on YouTube. Hosts are Mark Bittman, and Robert Hass. Guest speakers include Marion Nestle, Michael Pollan, Alice Waters and other notable thinkers on making the food system more sustainable and equitable. More information here.
The Future Of Health Sponsored by WebMD and with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts commentating five breakthroughs are discussed - infertility, 3D printing, obesity treatments, wireless medicine & advances in vision. The videos are short and hold your attention. Access them here.
References:
ACSM Guidelines Walking Program
©2015, Fitness Spark Personal Training
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