Feelin' the Burn!

When you first start to workout, or try one that's different from what you're use to, you'll usually be tight and sore afterward and will feel like you did a great workout! Then, as you do the exercise more and more and your body becomes accustom to the abuse, you'll find it a lot harder to get to the point where you feel it the next day. Many people believe that when they don't feel sore the next day, they're not working out hard enough. I want to put that myth to rest.

Your body is an amazing machine. It remembers, adapts, adjusts and gets stronger very quickly because it likes to be, and needs to be, efficient. If you start a new exercise program, one that you haven't done before or haven't done in a long time, it gives your body a wake up call, and the process of getting stronger and healing faster begins.

Usually when you workout, depending on the workout, you are tearing your muscles. When you stop exercising, during recovery, the body repairs torn muscles and makes them even stronger than before. Your body wants to be able to handle the workload you demand of it but when it's not use to what you've put it through, it takes longer to heal the damage.

The reason you will stop being so sore after doing a program several times, is because your body remembers the recovery process it went through the first few times, and it repeats that process again and again. When you try something completely different it doesn't take the same measures to heal the damage, so again the body has to learn how to fix its weaknesses.

As long as during the workout you are feeling the burn, and at the end of your set you know you can't do anymore, then you're working hard enough. Increase the intensity of exercise when you start to feel that during the workout you can push harder. You need to do this in order to have the body make adjustments for the more intense workload and toughen up the muscles even more. Until that point, enjoy the fact that you're not feeling sore the next day, and that your body has learned how to heal itself faster so you can work it again sooner.

Sorry Guys!

I've been neglecting all of you and I'm sorry! I have no internet in my apartment, and life's been super busy with classes and training so to get to a computer for an entry is harder than it sounds.

I've been teaching indoor cycling classes for a few weeks now, and I absolutely love it. If you have never been to a biking class, I highly recommend that you try one. It's a tough class to teach because there's only so much you can do on a bike. Coming up with interesting drills and having the energy to get everyone motivated for an hour on a bike is testing me and making me a better instructor, for sure. And I've already noticed a big improvement in my cardiovascular system, which is hugely important because I have to talk almost the whole way through! It's fantastic exercise and really works if you do it right.

When you go to a cycling class, YOU are in charge of how hard you work. Of course, if you go to an instructor who doesn't take enough breaks between drills or takes too many, you may have a harder time getting the workout you're looking for, but generally it's up to you to make yourself sweat.

The resistance on the bike is increased and decreased by the turn of a knob. We usually work on a resistance scale of 1-10 and it's up to you to decide what each number on that scale feels like. This is why it's up to you to make the workout your own. When an instructor tells you to take it to a level 5 resistance, you need to decide what 5 will feel like to you for that day. Give it all you have! If you're working the way you should be in a cycling class, you should be walking out soaked in sweat!

When you participate in any class, you really need to push yourself; compete against your own body and mind to make your work out as intense as it can be while still being safe. Think of all the reasons why you're doing what you're doing, and what made you start in the first place. Think of the things that motivate you so that you're able to give it your all!

I teach cycling Tuesdays at 5, Fridays at 12, and Saturdays at 9am at Pilates Dynamic Fitness on Queen Street. Stop by and check out one of my classes! I promise it'll be a great workout and one that you'll definitely be happy to have made it to.

Interesting....

Did you know that, on average, an active person eats more calories than an overweight person? So, it's evident that you don't starve yourself to be fit! But in saying that, leave food on your plate if you're full.

For so long it's been drilled into our brains that we have to finish everything on our plate. I'm sure we've all been told by our parents as children to clear our plates before leaving the table, and that there are children starving in less-fortunate countries therefore we can't let any food go to waste. This has caused us to become completely out of touch with how we feel and how hungry we actually are. Think about it, us getting fat doesn't help the hungry.

Rather than paying attention to what hunger and satisfaction "feels" like and having the ability to recognize when we've actually eaten enough to replenish what was required, we now rely on our eyes to tell our brain when we're satisfied. We feel full when our plate is cleared, regardless as to how much food was served to us. We've been programmed to believe that we're not finished and still hungry long after we've taken in what our bodies needed.

I know it's tough when you've made a beautiful meal for your family and your kids seem more interested in watching TV or playing instead of eating, and it's tempting to say "not until your done" or "when you've finished eating". I think perhaps a better approach would be to tell them you're going to wrap up and refrigerate what they haven't finished (if a reasonable amount) and when they come to you an hour later hungry and wanting a snack, their only option is their left-overs. Let's not do to our children what's been done to us. Give them the chance to feel full before they end up relying on "seeing" when their full instead.

If anyone has anything to add, or requests for future topics, let me know!

Chew!

40 is the magic number when it comes to eating. A recent study I read about showed that when people were given nuts to eat, 40 chews resulted in feeling fuller than 10 or even 25 chews of the same portion of nuts. People who chewed longer also felt fuller for longer, which leads scientists to believe that it is simply the act of chewing that signals are brain to feel satisfied.

Another note on chewing, grab some gum! This article I was sent stated that chewing gum also helps you feel fuller for longer, which reduces hunger, cravings for sweets, and over-snacking. My vote goes to Five gum, which lasts longer than any other I've tried! And I'm a big gum chewer *wink*

Designing Your Workout

When you've made the decision to start a workout program, the first thing you need to decide is how many days a week you can commit to training. Try to aim for about 3-4 days a week for optimal gains. If you're training for a specific sport or event, more or less days may be necessary. When you know how many days a week you can dedicate to exercise, the next step is to figure out how you're going to divide up those days throughout the week for strength training.

For those that are new to exercise, getting back into exercise after being inactive for an extended period of time, or have little time to spend working out, your best bet would be to do full body workouts or a 2-day split workout program. An example of a split workout would be one workout for the lower body and one for the upper body.

For the intermediate exerciser, or off-season advanced exerciser, doing a 2-day split workout program or 3-day split workout would be the most efficient way to get the results you want. Advanced or competitive exercisers should focus on 3-4 day split workout programs.

There are so many different ways to set up a workout schedule and it's important that you spend some time figuring out what would work best for your lifestyle. Once you have set up a program it will be much easier to stick with and you'll be less likely to get distracted or stray from the routine.

General things to think about when setting up your program:
- Frequency; how many days a week can you commit to exercise?
- What is the best time of day for you to exercise (avoid times when you find you're usually tired or busy)
- Time; how much time can you dedicate in a day to exercise? (you will see benefits with as little as 30 minutes- if you're doing it right!)
- Type; what workouts are you going to do on the specific days you've designated for exercise?
- Where are you going to exercise? (home, gym, or the great outdoors all have their benefits)

Once you've set up your program, remember that you will probably need to make changes within about 6 weeks for variety and to prevent yourself from plateauing. Enjoy the process and get excited about your routine! Get yourself pumped up for it and you'll find that the results will come much faster!

If you need help setting up a program, you know who to contact ;)

Summer Cookin'

So for this BBQ season I encourage you to pass on the hamburgers, hotdogs, and fatty sausages. Make this summer your healthiest yet by trying new things! I discovered extra lean turkey italian sausages at Sobeys a couple of years ago and they are fantastic!!!! They are "Our Compliments" brand, taste exactly like a regular sausages, and have just 3 grams of fat!! One of these with a whole wheat bun is an excellent and healthy alternative to the regular BBQ foods you might be use to. Consider trying vegie burgers, fish, and chicken kabobs on the BBQ for tasty meal ideas as well!

New Link:

Here's a calorie counter for different activities. Check it out!:

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

Make sure to put in your weight for accurate calculations.

:)