Tips for exercising in winter

There are many benefits to exercising in the cold. You use more energy in winter, which means you burn more kilojoules and as you're burning more energy, you sleep better at night. In addition, regular exercise is also one of the best ways to boost your immune system and fend off wintertime colds and other illnesses.

But there are a few things to be aware of when you're exercising in the cold:

• Warm-up! It is important to warm up at any time before exercise, but it is particularly important during the colder months, as the body's temperature is generally a little lower and the joints take a little bit longer to warm up properly.
  
• Stretch! Stretching is really important in the winter months as it's easier to cramp up or pull a cold muscle.
  
• Moisturise. The colder air and dry your skin so remember to use a moisturiser on your lips, face, hands etc. 
• Hydrate! A lot of people forget the importance of water during the colder months. So make sure that you drink plenty of water as it is easy to become dehydrated during the cold months.
• Whenever exercise is stopped or paused for any longer than a couple of minutes, take off any wet clothes as soon as possible and put on a jacket and tracksuit pants to avoid getting a chill.

Week 12 of 14. Marathon training for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon. Weekly Vlog. Week 12 of 14

I'm into week 12 of my 14 week training program for the Gold Coast Marathon. This week has been a hard week as I've been physically exhausted all week being in bed by 9am most nights. I'm sure all this hard work is worth is, but I'm getting really, really nervous about the big day and hoping that my body is ready for the big challenge in two weeks time.

Week 11 of 14 Marathon Training for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon 2011. Weekly Vlog.

Wow! I've just completed week 11 of my 14 week training program for the Gold Coast Airport marathon. I was sore after my long run last week so it was a slow start to the week, but I felt good during and after my long run this week. Less than 3 weeks to go...I'm getting pretty excited about the big race and looking forward to running in the big crowd.

Week 10 of 14 Marathon Training for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon 2011. Weekly Vlog. Week 10 of 14.

Despite tearing my calf muscle last week, I was determined to stay positive and keep my cardio up with non-impact exercises. With plenty of sports massage, stretching, anti-inflammatory's and hours on a TENS machine, I was able to complete a 30k run on Saturday. I'm feeling positive and looking forward to next week's challenges'.

 

SHIN SPLINTS

Shin Splints. What are they?

Shin splints is a name often given to any pain at the front of the lower leg. However, true shin splints symptoms occur at the front inside of the shin bone and can arise from a number of causes.
The most common cause is inflammation of the periostium of the tibia (sheath surrounding the bone).

Shin Splints symptoms:

• Pain at the inside lower half of the shin.
• Pain at the start of exercise and often eases as the session continues
• Pain often returns after activity and may be at its worse the next morning.
• Swelling may sometimes be present.
• When feeling the inside of the shin bone, lumps and bumps may be felt.
• Pain when the foot or toes are bent downwards.
• A redness can sometimes be present over the inside of the shin.

 

Treatment of Shin Splints

The treatment for shin splints is as simple as reducing the inplamaion and pain, identifying problems which may have helped cause the injury, restoring muscles to their original condition and gradually returning to training.


Treatment of shin splints include:

• Rest to allow the injury to heal.
• Apply ice to reduce the pain and inflammation, particually in the early stages.
• Stretch the muscles of the lower leg.
• To reduce the shock on the lower leg, wear shock absorbing insoles in shoes.
• Maintain fitness with other non weight bearing exercises such as cycling or swimming..
• Visit a sports injury clinic for rehabilitation and early treatment. 

What can a sports injury clinic or doctor do?

• Prescribe anti-inflammatory medication (always consult a doctor before taking medication).
• Tape the shin for support.
• Perform a gait analysis to determine if you over supinate or over pronate.  
• Sports massage.  

 

Causes of Sin Splints

Shin splints can be caused by a number of factors which are mainly biomechamincal and errors in training. Some of the most common causes include:

• Overpronation of the feet
• Oversupination of the feet
• Decreased flexibility at the ankle joint
• Inadequate footwear
• Running on hard surfaces
• Increasing training too quickly

 

Prevention

To properly treat shin splints and prevent them recurring, the causative factors must be taken into consideration. No matter how much rest, anti-inflammatories and massage are used, without correcting the cause of the injury, the symptoms will continue to return.
Biomechanical problems can be corrected using coreclty fitted running shoes or orthotics.
As a rule of thumb with running, distances should not increase by more than 10% per week. For example, if you complete a total of 10 kilometers one week, do not increase above 11 kilometers the next week. This helps to ensure the muscles are not overworked.
For runners, try to avoid always running on hard pavements as they provide no shock absorption. Try running some of the time on tarmac, grass or even sand to reduce the shock passed through the legs.
Shin splints can be caused by overly tight calf and shin muscles. Stretching on a daily basis and even receiving sports massage can help improve flexibility.

  

Week 8 of 14 Marathon Training for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon 2011. Weekly Vlog. Week 8 of 14.

I've just completed week 8 of my 14 week training program for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon. It has been a hard week and I struggled with my long distance run, making up with it by a 50k bike ride on sunday which is normally my rest day.
The big day is getting only 6 weeks away and although I'm looking forward to it, I'm also very nervous about it as well.

Week 7 of 14 Marathon Training for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon 2011. Weekly Vlog. Week 7 of 14.

I'm half way through my 14 week training program for the Gold Coast Airport marathon and so far so good. I am feeling great and I am stoked that I was able to complete a 30k run this week and recover from it well. The big day is less than a month and a half away and I'm getting both nervous and excited about it.

Week 6 of 14 Marathon Training for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon 2011. Weekly Vlog.

Training for the Gold Coast Marathon. Weekly Vlog. Week 5 of 14

Training for the Gold Coast Marathon. Weekly Vlog. Week 4 of 14

Another week down, 11 more to go! Follow my weekly vlog of my training program for the Gold Coast Marathon.

So far, so good! I am feeling great and looking forward to covering more distance in my long run next week...BRING IT ON!!!

The ultimate workout for the ultimate UFC body

The UFC personal trainer

Set personal goals and achieve real results with a mixed martial arts (MMA) fitness program designed by leading MMA training experts.

The UFC personal trainer offers the following:

• A challenging and motivating UFC fitness experience.
• Over 70 MMA approved exercises
• Customizable workout routines with up to 12 different exercises. 
• Personalized training tools, enabling you to build strenght, burn calories, lose weight and meet your fitness goals.
• Multi player mode.
• A dedicated program system aimed at the players losing weight, building strength and improving performance.
• An in-game journal and motivational support to help the players meet their desired results.

*Released June 2011

Get fit faster with these running sprint workouts

30-Second Running Sprints

Short, high intensity sprint workouts improve endurance and aerobic capacity  in about half the time of traditional endurance exercise. Therefore, if you're short on time, but want the cardiovascular benefits that an endurance exercise provides, sprint workouts might be your perfect solution.

The benefits of sprint workouts

• Short bouts of intense exercise improves muscle performance and health.
• The muscles of the trained group have a significant increase in citrate synthesis (citrate is an enzyme that is a marker of the tissue's ability to utilize oxygen). 
• Burns more calories than the same amount of time in moderate levels cardiovascular exercise.

How to do the 30 second sprint workout 

• Safety. Sprinting is a high intensity exercise and it is recommended that you check with your doctor before commencing this program. 
• Base Fitness. To build a strong base fitness in running follow the 10% rule and gradually increase your training volume.
• Delayed onset muscle soreness. If you haven't done much training prior to this workout, launching into a sprinting program may cause delayed onset muscle soreness. It is recommend that you do 3-4 weeks of base fitness before beginning a sprinting program.
• Warm up. Warming up before high intensity exercise programs will prevent you from getting injured during your program.

How to do a running sprint workout. 

• How Often? As a sprint workout is high intensity, it shouldn't be done more than 3 days a week, with plenty of rest in between workouts.  
• Warm up. Ensure that you warm up thoroughly with easy exercise for 5-10 minutes prior to preforming the sprint exercises. 
• Sprint. Run for 30 seconds at about 60 % max intensity. If you feel any joint pain or muscle tightness, continue to warm up.
• Recover. Recover for 2 minutes by jogging (or walking depending on your fitness level) at a comfortable pace.
• Sprint. Run your next 30 second sprint at about 80 % max intensity.
• Recover. Recover for 2 minutes.
• Sprint. Perform the remainder of your 30 second sprints at 100 % max intensity.
• Recover. After each sprint at 100 % max intensity, recover for 2 to 4 minutes.
• Repeat. The sprint/recovery routine should be repeated 4-8 times depending upon your fitness levels. For your first sprint workout, you will want to stop at 4 sprints. That's fine, as over time you will be able to build up to 8. 
• Rest and recovery. Ensure you have at least one to two days of rest or other easy exercise between sprint workouts.

Training for the Gold Coast Marathon. Weekly Vlog. Week 3 of 14

 

Training for the Gold Coast Marathon. Weekly Vlog. Week 2 of 14

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Zumba

Ditch the workout, join the Zumba party!

What is it?

Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends contagious steps and red-hot Latin music to form a cardiovascular exercise (which is more like a fitness party) that is lots of fun and easy to learn.

Is Zumba good for weight loss?

Zumba mixes cardio with good intervals of resistance training making an optimal fitness choice.  Zumba the mixes fun and easy-to-follow dance steps with interval and resistance training which will maximizes fat burning, caloric output and tone the entire body. As Zumba is a fun form of exercise, people seem to forget about working out during a Zumba session, allowing them to exercise longer.

 Whats a zumba class like?

A typical Zumba session lasts about an hour. It incorporates the following dance styles; including cumbia, merengue, salsa, reggaeton, mambo, rumba, flamenco and calypso. To allow for a great cardio workout and body sculpting it has both fast and slow rhythms of Latin music.

Is Zumba for me?

If you enjoy motivating, high energy music, and like to try unique moves and combinations, Zumba may be your ticket to fitness. Zumba is the fastest growing fitness sensation so locating a Zumba class should be easy. A single Zumba session costs around $10 to $15. If you'd rather stay home and exercise, there is a wide range of Zumba DVD's available.

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Tristan Miller runs 52 marathons in 52 weeks!!!

This man is a true inspiration. He is living proof that you can live your dreams.

Training for the Gold Coast Marathon, Weekly Vlog. Week 1 of 14

6 Easy tips to deal with muscle soreness from exercise

How To Deal With Muscle 

Soreness After Exercise

You start out at the gym and expect to feel great, but after your first exercise session your muscles are stiff and sore and you end up feeling worst than you did when you started your fitness program. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the reason why many people starting at a gym end up quitting in the first few weeks of their exercise program. However, the truth is, if you want to be fitter and for your body to feel better you need to spend some time being sore at first. 

 

The good news is that you can minimize your muscle soreness when embarking on a new exercise program by following these 6 easy steps. 

1.     Don’t do too much too soon – Ease into your new exercise program to achieve a steady progress. Don’t do too much too soon. It is easy to get excited and overdo it on your first day. But you will feel it the next day and if it doesn’t deter you altogether, you will end up delaying your exercise program while you recover. 

2.    Embrace the soreness - A little soreness from exercise is your body’s way of telling you that it is adapting to the physical demands you have place on it. Although, muscle soreness is bothersome, it’s only a temporary measure and once you’ve work through the pain, you are going to be fitter than before.

3.    Eat a healthy diet – What you put into your body is vital. Food is a fuel source for the body. The more you exercise the better you need and the better you eat the less sore your muscles will become. 

4.    Stretch – Stretching is often overlooked in an exercise regime. But stretching your muscles before and after a workout will improve your blood circulation, increase your recovery time and reduce the risks of damaging your body through muscle damage.

5.    Ice – Ice aids the blood circulation to your muscles which can reduce swelling and aid in recovery time. 

6.    Exercise – This may be the last thing you feel like doing when you are sore. But exercise improves circulation which will reduce muscle soreness.

 

Heart rate monitoring and exercise

Exercise and heart rate monitoring

 

Why monitor your heart rate?

One of the goals of your aerobic workout is to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Heart rates taken during exercise indicate how hard your heart is working. Your heart rate is actually a motivating friend when you learn to monitor it properly, for this allows you to objectively detect beneficial changes which you can’t otherwise see.

The benefits of monitoring your heart rate are:

Safety - the heart rate is a gauge by which to assess the intensity of your workout to make sure you’re not overexerting or overextending yourself. For example, if your heart rate is above your working heart rate range, it’s telling you to slow down a little and use fewer arm movements.

Effectiveness - if your heart rate indicates you’re not working hard enough, then you can work out a little more vigorously to maximize the effectiveness of your workout. To maximize your aerobic workout, you need to stay in your working heart rate range for at least 20 to 30 minutes continuously.

Incentive - by monitoring your heart rate from week to week as you participate in an aerobic activity, you’ll discover that you will be able to exercise at a higher level of intensity, but at the same or lower heart rate. This is the way the heart tells you it is becoming stronger and more efficient. When you see positive results, it will motivate you to strive for even better results.

What are the three different heart rates?

Resting Heart Rate – is your hear t rate (in beats per minute) when you have been sitting or resting. The normal resting heart rate is 15 to 20 beats per minute slower than your “usual” heart rate.

Target heart rate (THR) - is your heart rate (in beats per minute) that allows you to safely get the maximum benefits from your workout. The THR is 50% to 85% of your maximum heart rate.

Recovery Heart Rate – is your heart rate taken 2 minutes after your exercise session. To evaluate your fitness level, compare your resting heart rate between exercise sessions.

 

How do I calculate my THR?

Take your pulse – taking your pulse through your workout is a good way to see how hard you are working. To take your pulse, place your index and middle finger on the palm side of your other wrist, below the base of the thumb and press lightly. Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds and multiply this number by six to get your heart rate (pulse) per minute. To ensure you are within your target heart rate zone, check your pulse frequently throughout your workout.

A heart rate monitor - will show a continuous reading of your heart rate throughout your workout and will make it easy for you to keep on track with the intensity of your exercise.

• Cost – Price range from $50 to $300.

• Features – Most offer a chest strap to calories burned. 

  

Home exercises

 

Want To Strengthen 

Your Shoulders And Arms?

Here Are Some Easy Exercises You Can Do At Home

Chest Wall Push-Ups - are an excellent upper body, Exercise. When preformed correctly a wall push-up can help strengthen and build muscle in the chest and triceps. Stand facing a wall with your feet about 1 to 2 steps back from it. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the wall. Bending only at the elbows, lower yourself forward towards the wall then push yourself away from it. Keep your body stiff and straight during the movement. Back Standing Rows – Are a great exercise you’re your back, shoulder and bicep muscles From a standing position with feet shoulder with apart. Loop a towel around a vertical pole or column or another fixed object so that the ends of the towel are pointing towards you and the towel is wrapped around the far side of the pole. Have your feet close up to the pole and lean back gripping on the ends of the towel and keeping your body stiff and straight. Row yourself up with both arms. Keep your back arched and row with your back. Shoulders Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Presses - This exercise is great for developing the entire shoulder muscle group. Use something around the house for weight (such as soup cans or water bottles filled with water). From a standing or seated position, hold the weights just above your shoulders. Push them up overhead slowly. Lower slowly and repeat. Biceps  Dumbbell Curls – Are a great bicep exercise. Stand with your knees slightly bent, arms at your sides, holding dumbbells in your hands.  With your upper arm pinned at your side, lift the weight up to shoulder level. Your palm should be facing forward all the way up and all the way down. Squeeze hard at the top then lower slowly. Alternate with each arm. Triceps Bench Dips – are great exercises to target you triceps and pectoral muscles. These can be done on the edge of a chair or bench. Sit on the side edge of a flat bench or the front edge of a chair. Place your hands on the edge of the chair right beside your glutes and grip the edge. To start with, your feet should be flat on the floor about two feet in front of you with your knees bent. Move yourself off the chair so you are now supporting yourself on your hands. Bend your arms, dipping your body down. Go down only as far as you feel comfortable (be careful not to bounce out of the bottom). Squeezing the triceps, push back up. To minimize shoulder stress, as your doing bench dips keep your back close to the edge of the bench. When you're done the set, sit back onto the chair. *Note: Repeat the movement 10 -15 times. Preforming 1 to 3 sets and rest for 30 to 60 seconds between each set.