Answer To Your Fitness Questions" />Walking Weight Loss Program
September 18, 2008
Walking weight loss is a simple, convenient program to begin. The only thing you need is comfortable clothing, a good pair of walking shoes and a positive attitude! If you love to talk get a friend, or if there isn’t anyone available take your dog with you, they need the exercise too! In fact, our dog, Daisy, is walking with us 3 miles 4 times a week and she is improving her endurance, losing a little weight, plus loving to be out in the beautiful outdoors.
Remember to include a brief 5 minute warm-up to get the blood flowing and the heart pumping. Forget about the speed, just start out at a comfortable speed while focusing on posture, keeping shoulders relaxed and head lifted.
Swing your arms naturally, breathe deeply! A great way to know if you are walking too fast is if you can sing a tune or hold a conversation. Start with a 5 minute stroll working up to a brisk walk, then add distance and then speed.
As you begin to get fit, you will notice the ease in which you are now moving and can begin to incorporate hills to improve your cardiorespiratory endurance more. Plus another benefit would be, it tones the legs and gluts! Then conclude with some relaxing sretches that lengthen your muscles and leave you feeling refreshed and energized!
I feel a walking weight loss program needs music too! It is a great way to add variety to your walk. It will also keep the noise down of the traffic around you.
Lastly, make sure you journal your workouts. Watch your progress and see how many miles you can put on those shoes of yours! Remember the best schedule that you can have for your life is a walking weight loss schedule!
Exercise Induced Asthma
September 8, 2008
The current research and consensus say those with EIB should be encouraged to exercise regularly. It may not decrease the attacks, but aerobic conditioning will decrease the attacks due to the ventilaroty requirement for any exercise workout. Those that do have this should be involved with an aerobic program at least 3-4 times per week at a very comfortable intensity for a minimum of 20 minutes. And use the rate of perceived exertion to monitor the intensity.
Flexibility should be used for these clients as well, as it promotes relaxation and improves lung function.Strength training should be used with caution and avoid lifting heavy weight, in other words follow the standard resistance-training recommendations.
However, there could be possible environmental triggers as well if it keeps persisting. Those triggers could be low humidity, dry air, pollution, pollens or other contaminants. But we have found that many positive factors concerning the environment is a warm, humid environment year round. Walking, biking and hiking are better than other things to trigger her EIB.
Now, if you happen to have an attack during your exercise, the best thing to do during it’s occurance is to immediately reduce exercise intensity so that you can administer your inhaler or the action plan you have set up for yourself. Do NOT try to get through the attack or stop abruptly. Both are not the best solution. Take deep breaths in through the nose and extend through the belly, then out through the mouth and drawing in the belly.
Now since my daughter has this problem regularly, she uses her inhaler prior to her exercise, at least 20-30 minutes. You may want to try this as well.
EIB is a highly preventalbe and treatable condition that will even affect the most prominant athletes. With treatment and appropriate precautions your exercise program can and will be successful, even in the most strenuous of activities.
However, if the symptoms continue to persist, make sure you get with your doctor.
