Three Rules for Maintaining Energy Throughout the Day

August 8, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Corporate Fitness at work

Feeling sluggish? Follow these three rules for maintaining energy throughout the day:

(ARA) Whether you’re a busy parent, a career go-getter or both, modern life has never been more hectic. Busy days can leave even the most energetic people tired and drained. If you want to live a more healthful, energized life, some simple choices can help you make each day dramatically different.

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Cycler’s Confession

May 26, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

As each day passes, I am that much closer to the cycling trip that will take me across Canada this summer. In fact, as of this writing, it is a mere 58 days until I leave! I am fully aware of the importance of training, but since the purpose of my ride is to raise money for a charity, I have been able to avoid thinking about the actual biking aspect by keeping busy with various fund raising projects and promotional events – until now!  It is only in the past few weeks that I have really started to think about training, and I realize that for each day I sit around and think about it,  I put off an entire day’s worth of preparing my body. Nonetheless, I am human, and  I will be the first to admit:

There are some days I just don’t feel like biking -  At all.

Now, biking isn’t just something I do for recreation. Like many folks in Vancouver, my bicycle is also my main method of transportation. Because I teach and work in various areas of the city, my average commute can range anywhere from 25 to 40 km per day. On a day off (which is a rarity), I will usually have to travel at least 10 km just to accomplish the simple errands of my daily life. In other words, there never really is a day where I am not required to be riding whatsoever.

However, on the days where I am only required to travel a short distance, I like to find ways to change up my fitness routine. To keep things “fresh”, while continuing to build the strength and endurance I require for my trip, I head to the park for a fun and energetic work-out.

Here is the circuit I created this week using the various play structures, paths and benches at my favourite park. Enjoy!

  1. Run to the park (5-10 minutes). Warms up body and gets cardiovascular system ready for work-out.
  2. Perform approximately 20 walking lunges (6 meters) along side of the community center: From standing with hands on the hips, step one foot approximately one meter ahead of the other, like you are taking a long stride, and bend both knees to a lunge. Your back knee should be about 2 inches from the ground, and your front knee does not go over your toes. Keep your upper body still. Works entire lower body and core.
  3. Perform 10 bench dips. Sitting on the edge of a bench, place your hands on either side of your hips with the fingers pointing forward. Walk your legs away from the bench, either with knees bent and feet flat on the ground about hip distance apart (easier) or legs fully extended and heels on the ground with the legs together(harder). Slide your bum off of the bench and bend your elbows 90 degrees. Press your body back up. Make sure your arms stay parallel to eachother and don’t over-bend or hyper extend your elbows. Works back of arms.
  4. 4) Perform 10 bench push ups. Place your hands on the back of the bench a bit wider than shoulder distance apart. Walk the feet back until you are in a plank position. Bend the elbows like a push up, and straighten, without locking, the elbows back to a plank. Works biceps and chest.
  5. Hip exercises: Lean over and place your hands on the back of the bench. Ensure your spine is straight, and bend your knees if you need to. Lift your right leg directly out to the side and lower down. Repeat for 5 reps. Continuing with the right leg, take our right leg directly behind you. Lower down and repeat for 5 reps. Repeat on other side. Works hips and glutes.
  6. Repeat exercises 3, 4, and 5 for one or two more sets.
  7. Perform 20 walking lunges away from bench.
  8. Monkey lifts: At the play structure, hold onto the monkey bars and let your legs dangle below you. Without moving your upper body, bend your knees and lift your thighs towards your chest. For more of a challenge, keep legs straight, and lift legs 90 degrees straight ahead of your body. Repeat 10 times, for 2 or 3 sets, taking a 60 second break in between. Works abs and stretches arms.
  9. Stretching on the grass: Take 10-15 minutes to cool down and stretch. Make sure to stretch the arms, the legs, the hips and the chest and hold each stretch for 30 – 60 seconds.
  10. Light jog back home (5-10 minutes). Cools down the body.

* The suggestions given in the above article are not meant in any way to be taken as medical advice or in place of a physician’s course of treatment. Please consult your doctor before beginning a new fitness regimen, like yoga, and always respect the limitations of your own body!

* Interested in learning more about my ride this summer? Check out “The Moon Cycle” page on facebook, or email me at yogabee@live.ca

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Yoga for Cyclists

May 10, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

I have been both an avid cyclist and yoga teacher in Vancouver for nearly two years. Naturally, I have come across many people in the cycling community looking for a good stretch! Many have expressed an interest in yoga, but have felt intimidated by the thought of attending a class at a studio. The picture of a cliche yoga class (a large, sandalwood-scented room full of only the uber-flexible, moving as one unit, and chanting in another language) can be daunting to someone who might feel they are less flexible, coordinated, or knowledgeable about human anatomy. This is unfortunate, because it is often this intimidation that keeps the people who need yoga the most from giving it a try.

The most common question I receive from the yoga-curious is “Am I too inflexible to do yoga?” A legitimate concern, perhaps, but in reality, being too “inflexible” to do yoga is almost as illogical as being too hungry to eat! With that said, it is important to choose a class with a teacher that will provide modifications for beginners and those with injuries. Look for a yoga studio or a class at a community center that offers an introductory class for beginners, and if they don’t have one, ask what teachers provide a slower or more gentle class.

For now, here are three simple yoga postures you can do in the privacy of your own home. These postures will help to improve the flexibility of your hips and legs, as well as strengthen your lower back.

Two knee twist – Lie on your back with your knees together towards your chest (modify by keeping the feet on the ground). Inhale with your knees in center, and exhale to take the knees over to the right side. Place your right hand on top of the knees, and extend the left arm to the left, looking out over your left thumb. Stay here for 5-10 breaths. Switch sides.

Supine pigeon – Lie on your back with your feet on the floor directly below your knees, hip distance apart. Pick up your right foot and place the outer blade of your foot on your left thigh. Flex your toes towards your knee and let the right knee move forward (shin is parallel with the floor, and is moving forward to become parallel with the wall in front of you). If you feel a stretch, stay here. Optional: pick up the whole piece and interlace your fingers behind your left thigh. Inhale to relax and draw your tailbone towards the ground, and exhale to draw the legs closer to the chest. Take 5-10 breaths, and repeat on the other side.

Butterfly – Sit up and take the soles of the feet together. If your low back is round (ie. slouching), use some height (a block, firm pillow, or a rolled up blanket), and slide forward to come to the tops of your sitz bones. This should help to move the low back in. If it doesn’t, take your hands behind you and lean back until you can feel your tail bone lifting and your low back moving inwards. If the pelvis is directly upright and you feel balanced, hold on to your feet or ankles and let your knees move towards the floor. Take a deep inhale, and only if your knees are relatively close to the ground, begin to draw your chest towards your toes, keeping your low back in. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.

* The suggestions given in the above article are not meant in any way to be taken as medical advice or in place of a physician’s course of treatment. Please consult your doctor before beginning a new fitness regimen, like yoga, and always respect the limitations of your own body!

* Interested in attending a “yoga for cyclists” class in Vancouver? Email Brenna at yogabee@live.ca for more information on current classes, or to get one started near you!

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Interval Training

April 6, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

I was reading an article that a client of mine sent me today- “High-Intensity Interval Training Is Time-Efficient and Effective, Study Suggests” (ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2010)).

Here is a little snippet of the article:

“The study, from scientists at Canada’s McMaster University, adds to the growing evidence for the benefits of short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) as a time-efficient but safe alternative to traditional types of moderate long term exercise. Astonishingly, it is possible to get more by doing less!

“We have shown that interval training does not have to be ‘all out’ in order to be effective,” says Professor Martin Gibala. “Doing 10 one-minute sprints on a standard stationary bike with about one minute of rest in between, three times a week, works as well in improving muscle as many hours of conventional long-term biking less strenuously.”

HIT means doing a number of short bursts of intense exercise with short recovery breaks in between. The authors have already shown with young healthy college students that this produces the same physical benefits as conventional long duration endurance training despite taking much less time (and amazingly, actually doing less exercise!) However, their previous work used a relatively extreme set-up that involved “all out” pedaling on a specialized laboratory bicycle. The new study used a standard stationary bicycle and a workload which was still above most people’s comfort zone -about 95% of maximal heart rate — but only about half of what can be achieved when people sprint at an all-out pace.”

This less extreme HIT method may work well for people (the older, less fit, and slightly overweight among us) whose doctors might have worries about them exercising “all-out.” We have known for years that repeated moderate long-term exercise tunes up fuel and oxygen delivery to muscles and aids the removal of waste products. Exercise also improves the way muscles use the oxygen to burn the fuel in mitochondria, the microscopic power station of cells.

The “secret” to why HIT is so effective is unclear. However, the study by Gibala and co-workers also provides insight into the molecular signals that regulate muscle adaptation to interval training. It appears that HIT stimulates many of the same cellular pathways that are responsible for the beneficial effects we associate with endurance training.

From what I have read and learned, interval training will show huge gains in fitness over the short term. The question that no one seems to be able to answer is, what does it show over the long term? Most scientists do not conduct these kinds of studies for more than a few months. From my own experience, the more high intensity exercise one performs, the more likely they are to get injured. As well, constant high intensity exercise over time will cause a plateau in training. You will get better and better over weeks and months, but eventually fitness gains will slow down.

When you see articles such as these, I urge you to err on the side of caution and do a little bit of research yourself before you dive into a high intensity interval training program such as the one described above. There is no doubt a time and place for HIT, especially in training, but it may not be something to do all year round. If you do choose to hit the gym for a HIT, remember to pack your favorite Elevate Me recovery protein energy bar!

Until next time,

Nicola Gildersleeve, Athlete/Ambassador

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