Fartlek is not a dirty word.

Fartlek

                A Swedish term for “Speed play” used in the Fitness world to describe a type of interval workout. Unlike structured tempo workouts fartleks are far more flexible and fun. After a warm up you play with speed and intensity alternating Moderate-to-hard efforts with easy recoveries for the Duration of your workout. This type of training has become popular amongst cyclists and runners because they have seen great gains from less training time.

            Fartlek training is also good in groups. With more than one participant allow for various speeds and challenges as you challenge others. The goal is to keep it free free-flowing and seamless without watching a clock or following a set plan.

Here are a few Fall Cardio Ideas.

Fartlek for one

            After you warmup for your next walk, run, or ride simply set visible goals for yourself. A street sign, phone pole, or fence are great targets. Simply go hard until you reach it, then slowing down to recover after your target has been hit, then pick a new target. The best part is there is no distance to far or short, it is all up to you. Fartleks also work well on the weight floor. For example create a fartlek using Burpees and Bench press. Follow your set of bench press with burpees through the chorus of your favorite song.

Friendly Competition

            If you would like to take the boring out of your workout, find a few friends and add a fartlek to your group workout. Take turns leading the group in a moderate to high intensity moments then allow the group to recover at a slower pace. Then follow the next leader.

            September is the fartlek challenge. Simply create your own Fartlek workout and submit it to me at ghouston@mvhospital.net. At the end September the HFA team will vote on the most creative Fartlek to receive two weeks of training free.  Enjoy and have a little fun with it!

Can you be comfortable with being uncomfortable?

     I recently was asked to be a speaker and provide a presentation to a large facility in town. I would be speaking a total of 8 hours at 8 different locations and in front of 8 different groups of employees of this facility. Although I have been a speaker and given presentations before, I still was experiencing feelings of anxiety, nervousness, doubt, and inadequacy. Would they understand the material I was presenting? Would I bore them to death and have people fall asleep? Would anyone be motivated by the presentation I was giving? Would they walk out with hope in their heart or feel like it was a waste and an hour of their life they would never get back? Yes, my doubts can run DEEP!

     Needless to say, I spent a great deal of time preparing the presentation and headed off to my first facility. I was definitely nervous but I know this material! It is something I teach on a daily basis. I just kept reminding myself to stay focused on what I know and what I can control and leave the rest in God’s hands. I feel that if I provoked questions and people actually asked them in a presentation, then I did a good job at keeping them engaged. I had at least a handful of questions in the first presentation as well as multiple private questions afterward and follow up emails from a few employees, so overall, I considered it a success! This trend, with each presentation, has continued and I have received wonderful feedback that keeps me fueled and looking forward to the next presentation!

     As I have gone through this process, it continues to remind me of how uncomfortable I was before the presentations started. I had every doubt in the book racing through my mind! It also has made me very aware that I am asking people to step outside of their comfort zone and risk being “uncomfortable” to live the life they want to live. The core message from my presentation is ACTION. Action elicits CHANGE. CHANGE can be uncomfortable. CHANGE is the unknown. CHANGE can be scary. CHANGE can be exciting. ACTION...CHANGE…ACTION…CHANGE! COMFORTABLE…UNCOMFORTABLE…AH!

     So it got me thinking, how do you get comfortable with being uncomfortable? When uncomfortable things come up, what tools or tips can be put in place to make “taking action” easier each time? There are a lot of things that happen in life that place us in uncomfortable situations and how we respond can really make a big difference.

     Here are a few tips from Psychology Today by Pamela Madsen:

     1. Walk, or run outside. Movement in the fresh air can really help ease feelings of anxiety, stress and unease.

     2. Write about it. When I write, blog or journal, it is a tool for me to move through my own uncomfortable feelings. Try it.

     3. Help a friend. Get out of your own story and help someone with theirs! There is nothing like leaving your own uncomfortable feelings alone for a while to support someone else in theirs.

     4. Get on the table, and get a massage. Give a massage. Make love. Moving physical energy is wonderful for helping pass the weather through your body. Get out of your head and into your body.

     5. Give yourself some mantras: "Everything is going to be okay. If it's not Okay it's not Over" is a favorite of mine. Also reminding myself, that I am indeed the solid earth and the weather will pass.

     6. Water in. Water on. Water out. Water is a great mover of energy. Drink lots of it, pee, and take long showers or bathes.

     7. Be in stillness. Meditate and connect to your breath.

     8. Connect to your own spirituality and or religion. If you have a spiritual practice - practice it! Connecting to a higher power can be a beautiful way to find comfort in uncomfortable times.

     If you are going to win your own amazing race, it's all about not letting being uncomfortable make you throw in the towel, not start the race, or give up in the middle.And it is good to know, that whatever you are feeling discomfort about, there is someone else out there in the world, feeling exactly the same thing. We are never really alone in our discomfort. Sometimes just knowing that can make us feel more comfortable!

     I hope this message has resonated with you today and encouraged you to TAKE ACTION although it may be uncomfortable. You will be amazed at what you are capable of and I would LOVE to be the one you share your successes with! Please feel free to comment, post to Facebook, or even email me at hearley@mvhospital.net. Let’s go be great!


Until next time,
Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1
hearley@mvhospital.net

Zero to Sixty

It sounds cool when someone tells us that some car can go 0 to 60 in 2.3 seconds like the 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder, but going 0 to 60 into your workout is not the safest, or the most effective way to exercise. Prior to working out, whether you are doing cardio or strength training, you need to gradually warm up. Don’t just floor it.

Warming up prior to working out is importance for many reasons. Warming up can help you to physically prepare for the demands of your workout by gradually increasing your heart rate. Increasing your heart rate during your warm up increases the circulation to your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Warming up the muscles prevent injury. Warming up the tendons and ligaments increases the flexibility of them to reduce the chance of tears. Warm ups can also prepare you for your workout mentally by letting your mind ease into your workout. Your warm up should take about 10 minutes and should consist of some aerobic activity, followed by dynamic stretching.

The definition of aerobic activity is any of various sustained exercises, such as jogging, rowing, swimming, or cycling, that stimulate and strengthen the heart and lungs, thereby improving the body’s utilization of oxygen. The important thing to note is that the activity must be something that can be sustained for a reasonable amount of time. In the case of warming up, we want it to be sustainable for five to ten minutes. The reason for the aerobic activity, as mentioned before, is to gradually increase the heart rate and get the blood pumping throughout the body. Always remember to give your body adequate time to warm up.

Once the heart rate has risen, blood has gotten to all the muscles throughout the body, and you actually feel warm, it is time to stretch dynamically. Dynamic stretching uses stretches that you move through while you stretch, rather than holding still in the stretch. Dynamic stretching activates the muscles you will use in your workout without overstretching them, improves your range of motion, and improves body awareness by challenging your balance and coordination. Do 5-10 dynamic stretches before starting your workout. The following exercises are examples of dynamic stretches.

SQUATS: Starting in an upright position, with your feet hip width apart, lower yourself down toward the ground like you are going to sit in a chair, until your hamstrings are parallel to the ground. During the exercise, while lowering down, push your hips back and keep your knees behind your toes. Also, keep your chest up.

GOODMORNINGS: Starting in an upright position, keep your back tight and flat, shoulder blades together, and knees slightly bent. Bend at the hips, pushing them back as you bend forward.

ALTERNATING TOE TOUCHES: From an upright position and in a wide stance, lean forward with one arm reaching toward the opposite foot until a stretch is felt in the low back and hamstrings, then stand back up and switch sides. The motion is continuous as you switch sides.

SIDE LUNGES: Keeping both toes facing forward, take a step to the side with your right foot and plant it into the ground. Push your hips backward and bend your right knee to lower into the lunge. Your left leg should stay extended. Bring your feet back together and switch sides.

ALTERNATING WALKING KNEE HUGS: Focus on bringing the knee cap into the chest by hugging your shin for a few seconds as you slowly walk forward. Repeat on each side as you walk.

ALTERNATING WALKING QUAD STRETCH: Pick up your right foot and grab hold of it with your right hand. Bring the foot toward your glutes and hold for a few seconds. Step forward with your right foot and repeat the stretch on your left foot.

ALTERNATING WALKING TOE TOUCH: As you begin walking, lift your right leg as high as you can while still keeping it straight. Extend the left arm and reach for your toes. Bring leg down in continuous motion and perform the exercise with opposite arm and leg.

ALTERNATING LUNGES WITH ROTATION: Lunge forward with either foot, keeping your knee over your toes and rotate your body toward the forward leg. Bring the back leg forward to meet the other leg and stand back up. Repeat with the other leg.

INCHWORMS: Start in an upright position and keep your legs as straight as possible the whole time. Slowly walk your hands down your body and out into a push-up position, hold for a few seconds. Keeping your legs straight, inch your legs up as close to your hands as possible without bending your knees or taking your hands off the floor. Stand up and repeat.

BUTT KICKERS: As you jog or walk, bend one knee and lift it behind you as if you were trying to kick yourself in the glutes. Do the exercise forward for 10 yards and backwards for 10 yards.

HIGH KNEES: As you're jogging or walking, bring the knees up toward your chest. Do the exercise forward for 10 yards and backwards for 10 yards.

GRAPEVINE: While standing upright, step out with your right foot to your right side. Criss-cross your left foot over in front of your right leg. Criss-cross your right foot out from behind your left. Criss-cross your left foot behind your right foot. Criss-cross your right leg out from in front of your left leg. Repeat for 10 yards, then reverse the movement going back, leading with the left leg for 10 yards.

Once you have finished both your cardio warm up and dynamic stretching, you are then ready to begin your workout! Remember to do your warm up gradually and to listen to your body. If you are short on time, do not skip the warm up! You need to make sure you feel warm and ready by the time you start. Protect your joints and muscles by warming up before every workout!

Warm up well, and workout hard! Until next time!