Step 10 - Endure to the End

The title of this step is "Endure to the End" - but really there is no end.  Yes,  our immediate goal is almost met, but now that you have started on your way to a healthier lifestyle you cannot stop. Today is 10,000 steps to trek - Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.   In the past few weeks, you have created a base level of fitness and now the sky is the limit.   So instead of endure to the end.  Our title should be as Buzz Lightyear would say ...

"TO INFINITY AND BEYOND" 

Step Eight - Stretch

The last part of designing a workout is to add in a stretching regimen.  Follow the above illustations and hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.   Stretching should be done after the main part of your workout as part of your cool down.  Following a regualr stretching program will increase your flexibility and decrease the chance of injury!

Step Seven - Cool Down

Many times we forget to add a cool down to our workout.  A cool down can be pretty simple,  walking or jogging slow to get our heart rate back down closer to our resting heart rate.  A cool down after a hard workout also helps your muscles recover faster and helps you stay injury free.

Your cool down should last from 5 - 10 minutes in length but should not be counted in your workout time.    A typical workout should look like this:

Warm-up: 5-10 min
Light Stretching
Workout:  20 - 40 min.
Cool Down: 5-10 min.
Stretching

Total Time to exercise:  30-60 min.

Step Six - Increase the Intensity

One major reason people quit exercising is because they do too much too soon.  We are way beyond that now so no need for me to worry that you are going to drop out if I tell you to do something that might be hard for you. Please make a comment if you are reading this blog and you have been exercising. 

You should have been walking for several weeks so you should feel comfortable to increase the intensity.  Here are a few ways to bump up your intensity:   pick up your speed, increase your time, or start walking on an incline (hills).  I want you working, sweating and breathing hard now.  No more leisurely walks will be counted as your workout for the day. 

When you increase the intensity,  just pick one of the ways to start - i.e. start walking faster.  If that feels ok then next time pick up your speed and increase your time, then after a few times if that is feeling ok then go ahead and add hills.  I want you working hard but not getting injured.  If you are used to walking on a treadmill and want to go outside,  walk on the grass or at the track a few times and then onto the pavement - this is to decrease your chance of getting shin splints. 

Here is one of my favorite workouts which takes about 30 minutes: 

Do a 5 min easy walking warm-up. 

Stretch. 

Start walking at an intensity of a 5 on a scale of 1-10 (one being very easy, ten being very hard) for one minute. 

Go to a 6 for 1 min. 

Now a 7 for 1 min.

Then a 8 for 1 min 

 Finally a 9 for 1 min. 

Go back to a 5 and start over and repeat 2 more times. 

Should be at 15 minutes now.  Only five more minutes left. 

On this last set, 

Start at a level 6 for 1 min

7 for 1 min.
 8 for 1 min.
 9 for 1 min.
 Finally a 10 for 1 min.  This will be hard work. 
 After your 10 go ahead and do a 5 - 10 min. cool down (very easy) walk.

The idea is to increase your intensity every minute for 5 minutes and then bump your intensity back down and start over.  Those of you in good shape should be running at the 10 of this workout.  Good Luck!

P.S.  I would not recommend eating a big heavy meal before this workout or you might taste it agian!!!

Step Five - The Workout

There are a few things you need to think about when designing a workout program. Words like frequency, duration, intensity, overload and target heart rate come to mind. Just looking at these words may intimidate you, but I will try to make this simple.


Basically, you should ask yourself this question:
How do I know if what I am doing is doing me any good?


How often should I workout? (Frequency)
We all know too well how hard and long it seems to get into shape and how fast and easy it is to get out of shape. We also know the guy who works out once a month and says he exercises frequently. A good rule of thumb to go by is to work out 3 - 5 days per week. Less than 3 days per week is something but not enough to reap the full benefits of exercising. More than 5 days per week may just get you too tired and possibly injured. Many people work out 6 days a week and are just fine but you aren't going to see much more benefit.


How long should I workout? (Duration)
Even a little time spent exercising is beneficial. If you can only walk for 5 or 10 minutes a couple times a day, start with that. A good rule of thumb is to exercise 20-60 minutes per day. Start out with 20 minutes and gradually increase up to 60 minutes. Most people do not need to exercise longer than 60 minutes unless they are training for something crazy.


How hard should I workout? (Intensity)

This is the part where most people get confused. There are many ways to measure your intensity, to start just give yourself the talk test. During exercise, you should be able to talk but not carry on a long conversation easily. If you can't talk at all you might be going a little hard. If you can talk someone’s ear off, you might not be working hard enough.


A little more sophisticated measurement would be to calculate your target heart rate range (THRR). People who are less active would use the lower end of the range and more active people would use the higher end of the range. To figure your THRR first you need to estimate your maximal heart rate (HRmax).

HRmax = 220 - age

THRR = HRmax X .6 (lower end of range) ; THRR = HRmax X .85 (higher end of range)

 

Example:

I am 34 years old.

220-34= 186bpm

HRmax = 186bpm

186 X .6 = 111.6

186 X .85 =158.1

My target heart rate range (THRR) is 111-158 bpm. Since I am more active, I am going to work out closer to the 158bpm range.

During your workout count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply that number by 6 - that should give you an idea of where your heart rate is and if you are working hard enough or if you need to slow down a little. Now one common problem I see is that people check their heart rate too often - heart rate goes down and you don't get the benefit of your workout. Just check it once in the middle of your workout - that will give you a good enough idea of where you are.

 

When do I increase the intensity?

I will go over this in depth next week. We have been walking now for several weeks. Boost your intensity by increasing the distance and speed you are walking. Gradually increase your distance until you can easily walk 4 miles at a brisk pace. After you have reached the 4 mile walking goal then you can think about doing an activity that is more intense such as jogging or swimming.

Overload

Too much information-  but one more concept.  Overload - "use it or lose it"  Your body adapts very quickly.  That said,  you have to keep increasing your workload to keep getting the benfits.    When a muscle is worked harder it becomes stronger but when the muscles work load is reduced, the gains are lost.  "Use it or Lose it"

Step Four - Warmup

Before you jump right into the main part of your workout,  you should always begin with a warmup.   A warmup doesn't have to be complex,  just a few minutes to get your heart, lungs, and muscles ready to workout. 

If you are walking,  walk slowly for the first 5 minutes and then stop and stretch any muscle that feels tight.  You should notice that your heart will start beating faster and that you are breathing a little heavier.  Now you are ready to go!

If you are weightlifting,  do a whole body warm-up like riding a bike or jogging in place and then do a light 8-10 repetition set for each muscle group before you put on the heavy weights.  This will get your heart pumping, your muscles warmed up and your tendons and ligaments ready so you don't get injured.

Here are a couple of stretches to try: (descriptions from About.com)

Standing Shin Stretch  - to help prevent shin splints.

• Standing, you may want to use a hand on a wall or tree for balance.

• Place the foot to be stretched just behind your other foot (which remains squarely on the ground), with the toe of the stretching foot touching the ground.
• Keeping your toe firmly on the ground, pull the stretching leg forward so you feel a stretch from the top of your stretching foot through your shins. It often helps to bend both knees slightly.
• Once you feel a good stretch, hold it for 15-30 seconds.
• Repeat with the other foot.

Standing Calf Stretch

•  Face a wall and stand 12 inches away from it.
• Extend one leg behind you, keeping both feet flat on the floor and your rear knee straight.
•  Lean toward the wall until you feel tension in the calf muscle of the extended leg. (You can put your arms on the wall for support.)
•  Hold for 10 seconds.
•  Repeat with the other leg.

(Thanks to my models! Isn't that what visiting teaching is for?)

Step Three - Put your shoes on

"Dreamers who are overly afraid of failing are at risk of just that; failing to ever reach for those dreams, that is." Ralph Heath






Now for the hardest part of exercise - Doing it!


Basic steps to help you get up and move:

• Put your shoes on - no excuses, they are the best piece of equipment you have and they are all you need.
• Believe you are worth it and block out a period of time to spend on you - it will uplift you mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually!
• Tell others what you are going to accomplish because it makes you accountable to them.
• Remember the feeling of accomplishment, after you are done, and each day use that as a motivator.
• Start with just the basics - go for a walk, bike ride, dance, hike, or whatever makes you feel invigorated and accomplished! Once you begin, you will notice that it is easy to add a few extra minutes.
• Begin with 20 - 30 minutes, or if you need to, go for 3 seperate 10 minute segments throughout the day. It is all calorie burn.
• During your workout, add intensity by increasing your speed or your resistance enough to feel like you are really working hard, for example, you could talk if you needed to but would rather not. Do this for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time as this will add extra calorie burn.
• Now go for it!

Step Two - Make a plan

Please do the PAR-Q self evaluation to determine if you can safely begin an exercise program.

What kind of exercise are you going to do? 
I recommend walking and stretching to start.   After a couple of weeks, keep walking and try a new type of exercise like yoga, biking, or aerobics.  If you find something you like to do,  your chances of being successful with an exercise program has just doubled. 

Who are you going to workout with?
Some people are self motivated and like to workout by themselves,  but most people will do better if they workout with someone else.  Find a workout partner.

When are you going to workout?
Everyone has 24 hours in a day.  "No Time" is an excuse.  Get out of bed in the morning or turn off the TV in the evening.  You don't have to spend too much time to get a good workout in.   Begin with 20 minutes each day.

Where are you going to workout?
You can workout anywhere.  If it is nice weather,  GO OUTSIDE. 
Most people do better if they leave their house because it makes them commit to doing a workout.
 If you want to stay in your home to workout,  make sure you have a partner.

Now that you have made a plan,  it's time to GET MOVING!!!!

Step One - Commitment Time

Reach your exercise goals and be successful. Commit to yourself and to us.

Please answer the following questions:
What are your fitness goals? Do you want to finish the trek easily? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to be healthier? Do you want to be able to play with your grandchildren? Do you want to run a 5k or marathon some day? Do you want to teach your children how to live a healthy lifestyle?

What do you want out of exercising? A better quality of life? Improved Self Esteem? Longevity? Mental clarity?
Now you have set some goals and decided what you want, write these down and look at them daily.

Now Answer these questions:
Why aren't you fit already? Laziness? No time? Lack of support?
What is stopping you? Fear? No motivation? Lack of education?
These are hard questions. Take a deep look inside yourself to find the answers then write them down.

Last Question:
What is going to be the thing that keeps you going?
Support from friends and family? Rewards? Accomplishing a goal?
Write it down.

Share this with someone. Now you are committed.