The easiest and most effective way to monitor your heart rate during your workout is to use a heart rate monitor. This is a simple device that is operated with a chest strap and a watch. It monitors your heart rate in real time. If you are serious about your workouts and weight loss, it is worth the investment because it is a great tool to keep you on track with your goals. They can be purchased for under $65, and are a tremendous help in monitoring the intensity of your cardio sessions.
What does your heart rate tell you?
When starting a cardio program, it is extremely helpful to know your intensity levels in order to track your progress, goals and results. Here are some reasons why knowing your heart rate is important:
You can find out if you are working to hard. When beginning an exercise program, it may be difficult to understand exactly how hard to push yourself. Often times, people tend to start out to hard and then end up in burn out mode. Knowing your heart rate will help you keep track of exactly how hard you are working so that you can avoid overworking yourself and ending up with an injury or intense soreness.
You can track your progress and results. The more fit you become, the quicker you recover. If you start a program, and it takes you 10 minutes after your workout for your heart rate to get back to normal, and then 3 months later it is only taking you 5 minutes to get your heart rate back to normal, you know that what you are doing is working. Also, if you are doing a cardio workout at 145 beats per minute, and several weeks later that same cardio only gets your heart rate to 125 beats per minute, then you know it is time to step your training up a notch to continue to see gains in your fitness. Knowing your heart rate can give you a lot of usable data to keep you on track with your goals.
You can track your workout recovery. You can track your recovery from day to day by keeping up with your early morning pulse each day. If on any particular day you wake up and check your heart rate and it is 10 beats higher than normal, then you know you probably haven't recovered from your workout the previous day, or you are over trained and might need to take an extra rest day to allow your body to repair.
Whatever means that you use to keep track of your heart rate, the important things is that you keep a record of it so that you can utilize that data to your benefit.
Until next time, keep choosing the healthy, happy life you deserve.
Want to work with me for FREE? Go to www.coachellen.idlife.com and take your free health assessment or contact me at ellenidlife@gmail.com to set up your free health assessment and consultation.
To get the benefits from your cardio workouts, you need to know what level your intensity is. This helps you to make sure you are working at a moderate to high enough intensity to get the benefit of weight loss and calorie expenditure. Obviously, a leisurely stroll in the park does not burn as much fat and calories as swimming laps or running around a track. Additionally, exercising at an intensity level that is too high for you can cause injury and burn out. Depending on your goals, you may need to make adjustments to your workout routine to get the most benefits from your exercise.
The simplest way to monitor your intensity is to talk. You should always be able to carry on a conversation while you are exercising. If you are unable to talk, then your intensity level is, most likely, higher than 85% of your target zone. However, if you are able to belt out songs like an opera singer during your workout, then you would probably do yourself a service by picking up the pace somewhat. You should feel like you are working, but you don't want to feel as though you are going to need an ambulance at any minute.
If you are like me, and you want a more scientific approach to knowing your intensity level, then you may like the "perceived exertion" method of gauging your workout intensity. This uses a scale of 1-10 that corresponds to how hard you feel you are working. If you perceive you are working at a 1 or 2 on the intensity level, then you should most likely increase your workout level, however, if you perceive you are at a 9 or 10, which is equivalent to your lungs feeling like they might explode at any minute, then you should probably drop the level of intensity down some. The rate of "perceive exertion" is a great tool to use as you begin to get fit and modify your program because if you started out walking 1 mile at what you perceived as a 7 intensity level, and after a month of doing this your rate now feels like it is only a 5, then it might be time for you to increase your speed or duration to account for your body adapting to a more fit lifestyle. Below is a chart that you can use to gauge your workout intensity.
10 (maximum effort) - It's nearly impossible to continue. Completely out of breath, sweating profusely, and you are unable to talk.
9 (very hard effort) - It's very challenging, though not impossible to maintain the activity. You can barely talk, and your breathing very hard and sweating a lot.
7-8 (Vigorous effort) - You're on the edge of your comfort zone. Short of breath, heart is beating hard, you are sweating, and you can talk only in short sentences.
4-6 (Moderate effort) - It feels like you can keep moving for quite awhile without having to stop. Breathing heavy, sweating, and you can talk in complete sentences and hold short conversations.
2-3 ( Light effort) - It feels like you can keep moving with very little effort for a long time. Light sweat, you can easily hold a conversation.
1 (Very light effort) - You're doing something that requires virtually no physical effort. Watching TV, sitting or typing at a computer. No sweating or heart rate elevation at all.
By using the talk test or rate of "perceive exertion," you are able to get a very valid and useful measurement of your workout intensity. However there are ways of determining your exercise intensity in exact numerical terms to help you get even more benefit from your cardio workouts. We will discuss how to figure target heart rates and use heart rate monitors in my next blog post. Until then, keep working on that healthy, happy life you deserve.
WANT MY HELP TO REACH YOUR HEALTH GOALS? SET UP YOUR FREE HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND GET A PLAN OF ACTION IN PLACE TO GET YOU TO YOUR GOALS BY GOING TO: www.coachellen.idlife.com and click on "take free health assessment" or contact me for your personal consultation.
Many people skip the warm up and cool down part of their workouts because they feel jumping in and getting going is the best use of their workout time. This is completely false. If you do not have a proper warm up you are just itching to get injured.
Warm-up
A proper warm up involves 5-10 minutes of stretching and low intensity cardio to get the body prepared to exercise at a higher level. Blood flow, heart rate and oxygen levels increase gradually, and make the workout much more enjoyable and safe. Warm muscles and joints are more pliable and less likely to rip or tear during activity. The increased blood flow helps oxygen and essential nutrients to get to your working parts so that you can be strong and effective during your workout. Because this redirection of blood flow takes time, you will tire more quickly during your workout if you do not do a proper warm up. Additionally, your heart rate will increase gradually with a warm up, and allow you to control your breathing much better than if you jump into a high intensity workout and cause your heart rate to shoot up quickly.
Cool Down
After your workout, it is important to give your body the necessary time for recovery before plopping down on the couch or jumping into the shower. You need to ease out of your workout the same way you eased into it. Walk or jog at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes. This helps to redirect the blood flow back to where it needs to be during rest. After your heart rate has slowed down, you should spend another 5 minutes or so stretching your muscles to make sure they don't get stiff and sore. Without the proper cool down, you risk the chance of blood pooling in your legs or other body parts. This can cause dizziness, fainting and nausea. Working out should leave you feeling happy and accomplished, not sick and dizzy.
So, the next time you workout, don't skimp on the warm up and cool down phase of your routine. It will not only help you to enjoy your workout more, but it will greatly benefit your body and help with keeping you feeling strong and healthy during your training sessions.
Until next time, keep working on the healthy, happy life you deserve.
For more information on health and wellness, or to take your FREE health assessment visit: www.coachellen.idlife.com (no cc required to take assessment)
Even when your body is at rest, it is working and expending energy. Your lungs expand and contract, your heart beats, your food is digesting, your hormone glands are secreting and your liver is metabolizing nutrients. In addition, your muscles are being gently used and your cells are sending electrical impulses back and forth. In essence, your brain is signaling your body to function.
All of these automatic body functions require energy. That energy is provided by the calories that you eat on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Therefore, your body uses calories even at rest. This is what is referred to as your Resting Energy Expenditure or REE. This energy accounts for a massive 60 to 70% of your daily energy needs.
So, if you are sitting still all day long, you still need a certain number of calories to survive. If you add in activity such as exercise, house cleaning, computer work, walking the halls of work or anything else, then your body requires more than your REE to survive.
By knowing what your REE is, you can determine the minimum caloric requirement you need to function and you can determine what a safe and healthy caloric intake you can use to lose weight or gain weight. If your body requires 2000 calories at rest, and you then add in a 5 mile run which expends roughly 500 calories, then you must have 2500 calories a day to maintain your current weight. If you want to lose weight, then you can subtract some of the additional 500 calories to help in that process. What you don’t want to do is go below the REE your body needs to survive. By going below your REE, you are placing your body into a “starvation mode,” which can actually slow your metabolism rate. This may help you lose weight in the short term, but in the long run it will only serve to help you gain more weight than you initially started with.
To determine your REE you must first figure your weight in kilograms. There are 2.2 pounds in one Kg. So to get your weight in Kgs. you should divide your weight by 2.2. For example, if you weight 150lbs. then your weight in Kgs. is 68.2. After that, figuring your REE is as simple as plugging the number in the appropriate equation below.
How many calories do you need when you’re resting?
Males
18-30 years
(15.3 x weight in Kg) + 679
31-60 years
(11.6 x weight in Kg) + 879
Older than 60
(13.5 x weight in Kg) + 487
Females
18-30 years
(14.7 x weight in Kg) + 496
31-60 years
(8.7 x weight in Kg) + 829
Older than 60 years
(10.5 x weight in Kg) + 596
The National Research Council, Recommended Dietary Allowances (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1989)
Until next time, keep reaching for that healthy, happy life you deserve!
For more information on health and wellness or to take your FREE health assessment go to: www.coachellen.idlife.com
After your initial go ahead from your physician to begin a fitness program, the first and foremost step in beginning any type of fitness or lifestyle change is to plan ahead. Studies show that when people are given a specific target they are 30% more successful than people who just jump in with both feet and start to swim. In order to plan your journey, you have to know your starting point, so that involves assessing your current level of health.
Assessment:
Several questions should be answered in order to know what your starting point is.
1. What is your height?
2. What is your weight?
3. What is your resting heart rate? This can be done by counting your pulse for 60 seconds after you have been sitting or resting for 2 to 3 hours. A more accurate measure would be to wake up on your own after a good night sleep and roll over and check your pulse for 60 seconds.
4. What is your percentage of body fat? This can be done by an exercise physiologist who has the proper tools to measure skin folds, or underwater weighing. You can also do this yourself by purchasing an inexpensive body composition scale that will assess your weight and fat percentage, but make sure you are hydrated well and avoid alcohol at least 24 hours before testing.
5. What is your BMI (Body Mass Index)? This is found by typing body mass calculator in a search engine and entering your height and weight. The guidelines from the National Health Institute will be used and you will be given a number. The guidelines are also on the website to help you utilize the number to see where you stand in your weight category.
6. What is your blood Pressure? You can do this at any pharmacy for free with the machines that they offer to their customers.
Once you have assessed these things, you have a snapshot of your overall weight and health status. Keep these numbers in a fitness journal or notebook. Label this page “Initial Assessment,” and make sure it is dated with the day and year. These numbers will be used later to re-assess where you are in relation to when you started.
Once your initial assessment is done, it is time to set some goals and rewards for achieving those goals. We want to set long-term goals that we hope to reach over an 8 week time, and then set some short-term goals that we can meet weekly or bi-monthly to help us stay motivated for the long haul.
Long-Term Goal Setting:
As I stated before, our long-term goal should start with a plan for a period of 8 weeks. Make your goals realistic and achievable. We don’t want to plan to run a marathon in 8 weeks if we have never been a runner before, but running or walking a 5k in 8 weeks is very realistic. Think of these long-term goals as stepping stones to your ultimate life-term goals which are the goals you set out to achieve and maintain for a lifetime. Make sure these goals are challenging and meaningful, and make sure to WRITE THEM DOWN IN YOUR JOURNAL. Writing them down and being able to review them will help us to stay motivated and on track.
Short-Term Goal Setting:
Having your long-term goals broken down into smaller steps will help us to feel success along the way. When we learned to swim, we didn’t just get in the water and start swimming until finally one day we were able to stay above water. We first learned to put our face in the water and blow bubbles, then, we learned to kick and move our arms. We had to learn to hold our breath and float. Treading water was probably a step for some of us also. Then one day we took each of those pieces and put them together and became a swimmer. Short-term goals work the same way. Each small step will add up to our ultimate goal, but along the way we won’t be drowning in frustration and impatience because we will be able to chart our progress and see that we are moving in the right direction. Short-term goals can be things like, “I will do at least 30 minutes of walking three times during the first 2 weeks,” or “I will do 2 spinning classes each week for 2 weeks.” Whatever they are, I will repeat that it is important to make them realistic and put them in our journal to review and check off as we go.
Rewards:
When setting rewards for your goals, you want to make sure you have your short and long term goals written with the rewards for each goal beside them. 8 weeks is a long time to wait for results, so by putting them in the open, on a vanity mirror, refrigerator or computer, then you are able to continue to see, track and reward your results along the way. One of my clients put a dollar in a jar for every mile she ran and after 2 weeks she would take the money and get a manicure or go to a movie with a friend. It wasn’t a lot, but it kept her motivated and allowed her to enjoy the fruits of her labor. The one thing I will encourage you to not to do is reward yourself with junk food or eating out. Keep your rewards in line with your long-term goals which are to feel better, lose weight and be healthy.
Keep in mind, always keep a workout journal so you can mark your goals and rewards, and you can also look at what you have accomplished each day to keep you motivated for the next day. Workout journals can be found at any bookstore, or you can use a workout app on your phone or join an online workout tracking website to help you if you prefer to keep things off paper.
Until next time, keep reaching for that healthy, happy life you deserve.
Any link or ads that take you to an outside party indicates that I likely have an affiliate relationship and benefit in some way either by reciprocal links or financially. I make all product recommendations and affiliate ad choices based on what I feel will most benefit my readers, not how much my commission or benefit is from that affiliate.
Now that you have some basics on the importance of exercise in our lives, you are ready to begin, right? I can't lace up your shoes and force you to get up, but I can give you good information to help you begin your journey. I will be beginning a series of blogs called, "Get your butt up and start moving." I will, of course, be posting it to facebook daily, but would prefer you click the link and actually follow it directly. It helps keep me motivated if I see that people are actually using the information I am giving, plus it allows you to participate in the discussions which can help keep us all in check with our fitness and health goals.
Some of the topics and discussions will include the five components of fitness and how they relate to you and your goals, home gym workouts vs. gym memberships (I'm a home gym fan myself even though I own a gym - LOL), benefits and differences of programs such cardio and toning, Goal setting, finding balance, staying active with injuries and age and much more. I hope you will join me in beginning a fitness journey of health and balance.
Just a quick note on this upcoming series:
I will be making certain assumptions about my readers, and I hope you will be patient if these assumptions are not exactly accurate. First, I am going to assume everyone is wanting to begin or re-invigorate their current exercise program by sorting out all the myths from the truths about programs, products and nutrition. I will assume, also, that you would like to become more informed about exercise and how you can use it to become more fit and healthy, and I will be covering the latest and most up-to-date information on fitness and nutrition to help you on your quest.
Understand there is no magic pill to get you fit. You must be committed to the cause, spend the necessary time learning and doing and you must set goals and rewards for yourself so that you can keep motivated and informed about your progress. I hope you will all join me in taking action to get the healthy, happy lives we deserve!
Disclaimer: You can assume that any links that take you to products outside this blog are companies that I have an affiliate relationship with, and, in some way receive benefits such as reciprocal links or commission from sales. I choose my links based on my opinion of what might benefit my readers , and not based on the amount of my comissions.
Our modern lifestyle of endless food and no exercise send signals to our body that we are heading into famine and will not likely survive. The way we were originally created allows our brain to adapt to this “pretend winter” that we have placed our body in. It responds by storing energy and preparing for survival during long periods of famine and winter. This was a normal part of society millions of years ago when we were gatherers and hunters. The body has built in defense mechanisms to help us survive until spring returns. These survival mechanisms include depression, slowed metabolism, stored body fat and non-critical body system shut down. All but our crucial body systems slow to a crawl or cease to function. We live in a constant state of survival mode, or body corrosion. Chronic stress in our modern lives has much the same affect. But what if we chose to live our lives in a constant state of springtime? Could it be that simple?
As I have stated before, the brain is blind, and it only knows what we choose to tell it. Our bodies will live in the state that we tell it to. It will always function according to the way it was created, which was to live in nature. Therefore, physical exercise triggers growth and power. It tells the body that life is good and abundant.
The body is made up of hundreds of things that trigger growth and corrosion, but for our purposes we are going to focus on two of them. The strength builders called, cytokine-10, and the corrosion helpers cytokine-6. These are both used during exercise. Exercise produces corrosion and our bodies release C6, which then triggers growth and repair shortly after which causes our body to produce the C10 necessary to make us strong. It's an easy way of explaining the principle of overload that we have all heard about most of our lives. The amount of growth you produce is directly proportional to the intensity and duration that you exercise. That is why it is important to exercise at a moderate to high intensity level for at least 4-5 days each week. Your body will then be in a consistent state of growth and repair.
Until next time, keep working on the healthy, happy life you deserve.
ny link or ads that take you to an outside party indicates that I likely have an affiliate relationship and benefit in some way either by reciprocal links or financially. I make all product recommendations and affiliate ad choices based on what I feel will most benefit my readers, not how much my commission or benefit is from that affiliate.
THIS ARTICLE IS MEANT FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT OR CURE ANY DISEASE. PLEASE ASK YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING ANY SUPPLEMENTATION PROGRAM. ANY HEALTH PROGRAM SHOULD BE DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN AND INVOLVE HEALTHY EATING, EXERCISING AND GOOD SUPPLEMENTATION.
Would you like to speak with me and my team directly so you can get personalized help to lose the weight?
Obviously, lifestyle choices like smoking, inactivity and bad nutrition are going to negatively affect us at any age; however, barring any major negative life choice, we can take the initiative now to make drastic changes in our health, no matter what age we are. As I have stated before, exercise is the first and foremost change that we can make to dramatically improve our health.
In my opinion, physical activity is the single most important signal we can send to our bodies to tell it that “life is good.” Millions of years ago, the foraging and hunting that we did in the springtime told our bodies that it was time to restart and live life. It signaled the body to stop the decay of winter and famine and begin to repair, rebuild and survive. It tells the body that energy needs to be constant, and your body begins to respond by growing powerful, lean and strong. Your immune system begins to function at a higher level because it is preparing for the wear and tear of an active lifestyle. Your brain function begins to send signals of optimism and positivity. Sounds great right? Well we will discuss how to get to this point, however, before we do let’s look at our current lifestyle, and how many people choose to treat themselves.
With fast food, TV, video games, social networking, high stress work environments and no exercise, we place our body in a constant state of winter. This type of lifestyle sends signals of peril and danger, death and destruction and loneliness and boredom. This causes our brain to send signals of corrosion to our body. We then wonder why we begin to have aches and pains in our muscles and joints. We use the excuse that it is a “normal” part of aging when truly it has been caused by our lifestyle choices. Winter has come to the tundra and its kill or be killed time. In the scheme of life, as we were created, only the strong will survive. This is a hard concept to grasp in today’s society of abundance, but for our brain, still blind to our modern lifestyle, we are still living in a hunter and gatherer environment. In short, we must trick our brain into believing its springtime all the time. Until next time, choose the healthy, happy life you deserve.
Get your FREE health assessment at www.coachellen.idlife.com
