Running can be such a PAIN....

Or any kind of cardiovascular exercise for that matter. Recently I personally had an incident that stopped me in my tracks. Not long after I finally figured out how to make the pain go away including a trip to my Doctors office, I decided it was time to do a little research on what would have cause my body to turn against me in such a violent way.

There are three main causes for cramping during and after exercise most are diagnosed by how they present themselves.

The Side cramp or Stitch strikes you in the side, as the name implies. Or even in the abdominal area.  “It’s mainly the result of shallow breathing, not breathing deeply from the lower lung,” says Jeff Galloway, a 1972 Olympian. “The side pain is a little alarm” alerting you to your breathing, Galloway says. “An imbalance of blood electrolytes such as calcium, potassium, and sodium, in your body may also contribute,” says Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist and fitness instructor.

Stomach Cramps, could be something you ate or drank before your workout. “If you have too much fluid or food in your stomach, you can’t get a large breath,” Galloway says.

And Finally Muscle Cramps like when your calf or leg muscles seize up on you, “often have dehydration to blame,” says McCall.

Here are a few easy steps to take to prevent cramping

Hydrate properly before, during and after the run.

Drinking water is the best method to rehydrate the body. However, if your workout lasts for more than 45 minutes, sports drinks may be necessary to replace salt and electrolytes deficiencies in these contribute to cramping.

The body takes time to process the fluids that prevent cramping. If your run will be longer than 10 miles (16 kilometers), you’ll want to begin hydrating 2 to 3 days prior to the event.

A good rule of thumb is to take in 5 to 12 ounces (148 to 355 milliliters) for every 20 minutes of activity. Additionally, drink 4 to 8 ounces (118 to 237 milliliters) before and after a run. The amount will vary depending on your weight. The longer your body stays hydrated, the lower the likelihood of cramping during outings.

Stretch your muscles correctly before you begin a run.

The muscles that cramp during a run are the ones in a near constant state of contraction. The primary problem muscles are the calves, quads and hips.

Eccentric stretching is an excellent method to prevent cramps. This method puts weight or pressure on your muscle while lengthening the muscle. For the Achilles tendon, for instance, you can stand on the edge of a step and rise up on your toes.

Run during times of lower heat and humidity.

The hotter the temperature, the quicker your body will lose fluids, thus leading to cramping.

Change the type or brand of running shoe you wear.

Shoes that are ill fitting will put undue stress on your muscles and tendons. This stress increases the likelihood of cramping during a run.

We have many great options in town to get properly fitting shoes, go see the guys at Bill’s Bike and Run in Snake River landing. 208.522.3341

Scrutinize your diet for foods that help prevent or cause cramps during a run.

Caffeinated beverages will dehydrate your muscles.

Bananas contain potassium that can help prevent cramping.

Meals high in protein and/or fat are especially problematic. Don’t consume them within 4 or 5 hours before a run.

For longer runs, you’ll want to eat plenty of carbohydrates the night before

Keep your pace consistent during the run to avoid cramping.

The pace should be even and one that matches your current fitness level.

As the weather warms up and you get outside for your spring training, implement some of these tips. Trust me it will save you a lot of time and discomfort. Happy Trails!

"Filler Up"

“Filler Up”

 

          For those that read last month’s blog post “Kitchen Makeover”, you were probably thinking, “Uh! Seriously, you left me with an empty kitchen! Now what?”

          Now, it’s time to “filler up”!

 

          Here is a quick starter list of favorites from Precision Nutrition’s own Ryan Andrews.

         

3 favorite…	Option 1	Option 2
Vegetables	Kale Celery Yams	Spinach Cucumber Squash
Fruits	Oranges Pears Apples	Strawberries Kiwi Cherries
Lean proteins	Pinto beans Falafel Hummus	Organic, free-range eggs Bean burgers Salmon
Nuts/seeds	Walnuts Cashew butter Hemp seeds	Macadamia nuts Almond butter Flax seeds
Whole grains	Quinoa flakes Oats Brown rice	Millet Sprouted grain bread Buckwheat

 

          Personally, my list looks a little different…

 

3 favorite…	Option 1	Option 2
Vegetables	Broccoli Spinach Green Beans	Asparagus Carrots Tomatoes
Fruits	Bananas Grapes Oranges	Strawberries Kiwi Cherries
Lean proteins	Eggs Salmon Thin Cut Pork chops	Tilapia Steak Ground turkey
Nuts/seeds	Walnuts Almonds Hazelnuts	Natural Peanut butter Flax seeds Cashews
Whole grains	Quinoa Oats Brown rice	Healthy Loaf bread (high flax & high fiber)

 

          Although these lists are very small compared to the massively large list of healthy foods you could stock your kitchen with, the food is just the first step.

          Once you get home, your grocery shopping experience does not just end with emptying your grocery bags. You must prepare, to make sure that delicious food is easy and convenient for you to grab so you actually eat it.

          Here are 2 great articles regarding grocery shopping in order to help improve your experience.

          http://www.precisionnutrition.com/grocery-store-techniques

 

          http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-kitchen-makeovers

 

          Now…ready, set, filler up!

 

Until next time!

Hayley Jones, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hjones@mvhospital.net

Did you know...

·         If you could use every muscle in your body at the same time for the same purpose, you could lift over 25 tons (50,000 pounds).

·         By old age, the average person will have walked 70,000 miles.

·         Those who exercise regularly are 25% less likely to have a cold every year. However, over-training will increase the likelihood of contracting a cold. So listen to your body!

·         If you do not exercise regularly, you will lose about 80% of your muscle strength by the age of 65.

·         A Finland study showed that the most physically active young girls gain about 40% more bone mass than the least active girls of the same age. The bone tissue accumulated during the ages of 11 to 13 approximately equals the amount lost during the 30 years following menopause

·         For every 25 pounds of fat on your body, your blood must be pumped through an extra 5,000 miles of blood vessels. That is a lot of extra work for your heart!

·         Regular exercise lowers a woman’s risk of cancer, but only if she is getting an adequate amount of sleep every night.

·         People who enter their house through an entry way near the kitchen tend to eat about 15% more than those who do not.

·         Women who sit more than nine hours a day are 50% more likely to have a hip fracture than those who sit for less than six hours a day

·         Experts say 60 minutes of exercise a day is necessary to successfully lose weight and keep it off. BUT, 30 minutes a day will provide the health and disease-fighting benefits. AND, exercise is just as beneficial in four 15 minute bouts as it is in one 60 minute session. It doesn’t have to be a trip to the gym every day, just get out for a short walk a few times a day!

What is your favorite exercise fun fact?!?

Negative Nellie or Helium Harry?

March has come and almost gone.  It certainly came in like a lion and looks like it may go out as one too as we eagerly await the arrival of April.  With April comes many hopeful thoughts of spring, new growth, warmer days, and soon the arrival of summer and all the joys it brings.

April can also be a time to take a look at how we are doing on our new year's goals and desires.  A time for reflection. Are we moving along smoothly in are goals, hitting bumps in the road and even road blocks? Are we seeing our efforts as successful and we keep moving forward or as failures and beating ourselves up and proving ourselves "right?"  If you are in the successful category...congrats!  If you are in the latter category...congrats! Yes, you heard me correctly...congrats!

Both groups of people have an opportunity to look at the attitudes they are bring to the table and to their goals. Are you successful because you are maintaining a positive attitude on a more consistent basis and able to overcome an upset more quickly. Are you failing because you take a "misstep" to be a failure and letting it spiral your attitude downward, along with your energy?

Attitude is a major player in how we accomplish what we set out to do. We are each responsible for our attitudes and the energy that accompanies them.  Take a look at what attitudes you bring to your family. Your workplace. Your friends. Your church. Your workouts. Your Health.  Do you bring an attitude/energy of negativity and complaining, or a spirit of joy?  How do you affect others with your attitude?  Are you influencing them for negative or positive?

Is a bad attitude affecting your workouts or your eating?  Is that negative attitude allowing anything less than perfection to stop you?  If so, I encourage you to take heed of these powerful words from Harry Truman -"Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction."

Don't let a negative attitude derail you from the things you desire to achieve. Turn that frown upside down and see what amazing things will take place. If you find yourself coming into your life situations like a lion and leaving a wake of destruction from bad attitudes, I encourage you to wake up to your thoughts, feelings and actions and become more like a lamb. Reap the rewards of positivity in all areas of your life, from family, work, church, friends, nutrition, health and more.

Lion or Lamb, Negative Nellie or Helium Harry...it's all a choice and it's up to Y-O-U. What's it gonna be?
If you would like some assistance in overcoming a slump or bad attitude, give us a hollar at Health and Fitness Academy.

Until next time,
Go BE Great!

Jennifer Saunders
HFA Personal Trainer
ButtinGear
Reiki Energy
Life Untethered Intuitive Life Coaching

You cannot Chase a bad diet with cardio.

You cannot Chase a bad diet with cardio.

                Everyone has said it to themselves…..things like, “I’ll work this off later”……”I worked out today, so it’s ok to indulge”…or my favorite “it’s my reward for being good.”

                Truthfully the more active you are the more you can eat without it negatively affecting your health, but so many of us think we are more active than we are. The average American who has a job, a family, and all that goes along with their normal day do not even walk a mile. Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day; ² only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week. This means that although it feels like you’ve had to get up and walk across the office a million times, down the stairs to do laundry over and over, or have a physically demanding job like landscaping or construction, that activity doesn’t actually count for much and is not a replacement for regular cardiovascular exercise. In addition, our bodies, the “human machine” is so efficient that it will get better and better at performing those regular daily tasks and it will use less energy over time to complete these days. The cherry on top of all of this is that as we age our metabolism slows down, another form of efficiency. So about the time we think we’ve worked hard enough to deserve some of the finer things in life, surprise!! Your body needs less not more, less sedentary time, less rich and fattening foods, less…less…less.    Some studies have shown that this drop in metabolism is much more drastic than we thought; this could mean 100 fewer calories a day than believed per decade that we age! If this is found to be true than we will know why the average American gains 10 extra pounds of fat every decade, without seeming to change their diet or lifestyle. It will also prove without a doubt that the older we get the harder it is to lose weight.

Run…Run…as fast as you can……

                “How do I stop the chase with no end?” you might ask. Have I got the magic pill for you! It’s a new and ground breaking program that will change your life and bring you happiness and success. All of this in three easy steps….

Eat healthy…everyday

Exercise…everyday

Don’t quit!

                There are a thousand ways to get these things done. You do not need to ever be bored because if you need to change it up, try something new. My brother has always said 90% of anything in life you want, no matter how hard, is just showing up. If you need guidance the trainers at Health and Fitness Academy are waiting for you to walk through the doors and ask. The “6 for summer” challenge starts today!! Get in here and register your department and see what 6 simple exercises a day can do for you in a short 8 weeks. Finally pay special attention to that last magical step….DON’T QUIT!

There lies the key to success in the fight against those dreaded pounds, not 2 hours a day on the elliptical, emotionally beating yourself up for being weak in the kitchen.

Kitchen Makeover

Kitchen Makeover

Do you know the most important tools for nutrition success?

            Planning, preparing, and action!

Planning ahead, preparing you for the day/week/month, and taking action! When doing these things consistently, habits are formed to keep you on track no matter what time of year it is.

Now we all know what’s coming next! Spring and summer are on their way! I don’t know about anyone else, but I am extremely excited for summer! I love being outside, the heat, the sun, the views, it’s all marvelous!

To help you become more efficient at planning, preparing and action, especially with a lot of summer activities coming up, today I wanted to introduce to you how to make over your kitchen…nutritionally.

            According to Dr. Berardi from Precision Nutrition:

            “If a food is in your house or possession, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate, will eventually eat it.”

            BUT ALSO…

            “If a healthy food is in your house or possession, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate, will eventually eat it.”

So why a kitchen makeover you ask?

            *Gets rid of the non-nutritious stuff and/or foods that you’ve collected through the cold winter months that trigger you to make poor eating choices.

            *Helps you stay in control and on track.

            *Helps you plan and structure healthy eating.

                        Did you know healthy eating doesn’t just happen by accident?!

STEP 1

Prepare

            Your tools

                        Big trash bags and maybe a compost bin if you have one

STEP 2          

Prepare

            Your mind

                        What’s “healthy” and “unhealthy”?

                        Red light foods

                                    Are just bad news for you. Maybe they make you feel sick, they trigger you to eat too much, or you know they’re an unhealthy choice for you. Think of all the “siren calls” that confront you ever day constantly testing your willpower and discipline: chips, dips, crackers, brownies, cookies, cakes, pizza, hot dogs, donuts, soda, sweetened drinks, juices, alcohol, instant mixes     , frozen dinners, candy…etc. Red means NO GO!           

                        Yellow light foods

                                    Are foods that are sometimes OK, sometimes not. Maybe you can eat a little bit without feeling ill, or you can eat them sanely at a restaurant with others but not at home alone, or you can have them as an occasional treat like: sweetended yogurt, frozen yogurt, breads and bagels not made exclusively with grains, baked goods, breakfast cereals, fruit bars, granola bars, regular peanut butter, fruit juice, baked potato chips…etc. Yellow means approach with caution.

                                    Don’t forget about those that fly under the radar…like sauces, mustards, ketchup, salad dressings, bread crumbs, croutons, processed meats, cream cheeses.

                        Green light foods

                                    Foods that make you feel good mentally and physically, and that you can eat normally, slowly, like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, legumes, etc. Green means go for it!

STEP 3

Prepare 

            Others

                       If you live with other people, you might need to sit down and have an open respectful discussion about what you are doing and why.

                       If those living with you are not following the same healthy changes you are making for yourself, you may need to discuss a designated “shelf” for them and their stuff or vice versa.

                       Discuss how you can get what YOU need to succeed while still respecting other’s needs and wishes.

STEP 4

Start the makeover process (fridge and pantry)

            Red foods:                 TERMINATE with extreme prejudice

            Yellow foods:             BE CAUTIOUS

            Green foods:             Keep a hold of these gold stars!

STEP 5

Stay tuned for next week’s blog on what to add to your kitchen and how to shop for them!

Until next time!

Hayley Jones, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hjones@mvhospital.net

Six For Summer!

Did you know that there are only 105 days until summer officially hits? That’s only 15 weeks away, just about the right time to start thinking about what you need to do to get back into shape and start shedding that hibernation weight.

Are you ready??

Often for me, the hardest part about exercising is deciding what to do and actually getting out and getting started. It’s easy to get to caught up in the specifics and talk yourself out of being active. In your quest to get ready for your favorite summer activities, try this: Do something every day. It doesn’t matter if it’s for ten minutes or an hour, just get out and be active.

For our part to help you get ready for summer, we are continuing the Consistency theme with our new challenge, Six for Summer. Starting March 17, we will be posting 6 exercises on the HFA board every day. Complete all 6 exercises, and you earn a gold star and a chance to play our “Pick Six” drawing for weekly prizes. In this challenge, you will be competing against your fellow department members. The employee who earns the most stars in his or her department over the course of the 8 week challenge will be the department champion!!! Plus win something from us…  

Who is going to be the most fit when summer hits?!?