Daily Workout~9/9/2011

Todays walking was great.Worked up a nice sweat and burned some calories.Remember,working out doesnt mean that you have to do the same workout all the time....Im not just saying that because my treadmill has a crack in it and cant run on it lol!Changing up what you do(exercise) can also trick your body and you get to work different muscles.Do you have a workout that you love doing more than any other?My fav is obviously running,but brisk walking is awesome too.Email me your answer or post a comment here!

My Daily Workout~9/8/2011

My workouts will be taking a hit until my treadmill gets fixed.I can still walk,but not run really hard.Anyways I did a light walk and it was a nice walk and gave my knee a break!I also did some strength training as well.I will be adjusting my workouts as needed and may only run a few days a week.It will be nice to figure in some other workouts until I get my treadmill fixed,who knows,maybe running outside will be a good change!

My Daily Workout~9/5/2011

My workout this am was short and sweet!I ran a nice 2 miles,it was nice.I had alot of longer days last week so this short run was just what I needed.I switched up my running...started fast then slowed down and then finished with a sprint!Email me your daily workouts at fitnessmom9603@gmail.com,or you can post a comment here.

Strength Training

How many of you strength train?I know it seems like it isnt important but it is.I aim for 2 days of strength training.Most women dont want to do it as they think it will bulk them out...not true.Strength training is important and its smart to add it in.Your ultimate goal with your weight loss/fitness is to tone your overall body not just one part.For me with running I work a certain area of my body,with lifting weights,crunches etc I work another part,its good to have an overall toned body.So maybe this week add in a little weight lifting and it doesnt have to be an actual weight...canned goods or maybe fill up an empty milk jug with water and lift that a few times a week.I will post my workout today,maybe a little later but I will make a blog post.If you anyone has any fitness or nutrition tips please send them to fitnessmom9603@gmail.com

The Nutrition Source The Benefits of Physical Activity

Staying Active: Introduction

Although there are no sure-fire recipes for good health, the mixture of healthy eating and regular exercise comes awfully close. Most of The Nutrition Source is dedicated to singing the praises of a good diet. This is where physical activity gets its due.

• Exercise and Weight Control: How much exercise do you need to lose weight or keep it off?
• 20 Exercise Tips: Twenty ways to help you fit exercise into your life
• Exercise Guidelines for Children, Adults, and Older Adults: The latest U.S. government recommendations on physical activity
• Strength and Flexibility Training: Learn about exercise's benefits beyond the heart
• Exercise Safety: Tips for lowering your risk of exercise-related injuries
• How Hard are You Exercising? Learn how to use the Borg Scale to see if you're exercising hard enough 
• Active Communities: How our surroundings influence our level of activity, and what you can do about it

Regular exercise or physical activity helps many of the body's systems function better, keeps heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other diseases at bay, and is a key ingredient for losing weight. According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, (1) being physically active on a regular basis

• Improves your chances of living longer and living healthier
• Helps protect you from developing heart disease and stroke or its precursors, high blood pressure and undesirable blood lipid patterns
• Helps protect you from developing certain cancers, including colon and breast cancer, and possibly lung and endometrial (uterine lining) cancer
• Helps prevent type 2 diabetes (what was once called adult-onset diabetes) and metabolic syndrome (a constellation of risk factors that increases the chances of developing heart disease and diabetes; read more about simple steps to prevent diabetes)
• Helps prevent the insidious loss of bone known as osteoporosis
• Reduces the risk of falling and improves cognitive function among older adults
• Relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves mood
• Prevents weight gain, promotes weight loss (when combined with a lower-calorie diet), and helps keep weight off after weight loss
• Improves heart-lung and muscle fitness
• Improves sleep

The Cost of Inactivity

If exercise and regular physical activity benefit the body, a sedentary lifestyle does the opposite, increasing the chances of becoming overweight and developing a number of chronic diseases. According to analyses by a team from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, inactivity was associated with more than 9 million cases of cardiovascular disease in 2001, at an estimated direct medical cost of nearly $24 billion. (2) Another CDC analysis suggests that because individuals who are physically active have significantly lower annual direct medical costs than those who are inactive, getting people to become more active could cut yearly medical costs in the U.S. by more than $70 billion. (3)

Despite all the good things going for it, only about 30 percent of adult Americans report they get regular physical activity during their leisure time—and about 40 percent of Americans say they get no leisure-time physical activity at all. (25) Studies  that measure people’s physical activity using special motion sensors (called accelerometers) suggest that self-reports of physical activity probably are over-estimated. (26).

Being a “couch potato” may be harmful even for people who get regular exercise. (4) The Nurses’ Health Study, for example, is one of many, many studies to find a strong link between television watching and obesity. (5) Researchers followed more than 50,000 middle-aged women for six years, surveying their diet and activity habits. They found that for every two hours the women spent watching television each day, they had a 23 percent higher risk of becoming obese and 14 percent higher risk of developing diabetes. Interestingly, it didn’t matter if the women were avid exercisers: The more television they watched, the more likely they were to gain weight or develop diabetes
regardless of how much leisure-time activity and walking they did. Long hours of sitting at work also increased the risk of obesity and diabetes. More recently, studies have found that people who spend more time each day watching television, sitting, or riding in cars  have a greater chance of dying early than people who spend less time on their duffs. (6-8) Researchers speculate that sitting for hours on end may change peoples’ metabolism in ways that promote obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. (4, 7) It is also possible that sitting is a marker for a broader sedentary lifestyle.
In sum, a morning jog or brisk lunchtime walk brings many health benefits—but these may not entirely make up for a day spent in front of the computer or an evening in front of the television set. So as you plan your daily activity routine, remember that cutting down on “sit time” may be just as important as increasing “fit time.”

Physical Activity Guidelines: How Much Exercise Do You Need?

If you don't currently exercise and aren't very active during the day, any increase in exercise or physical activity is good for you. Aerobic physical activity—any activity that causes a noticeable increase in your heart rate—is especially beneficial for disease prevention. Some studies show that walking briskly for even one to two hours a week (15 to 20 minutes a day) starts to decrease the chances of having a heart attack or stroke, developing diabetes, or dying prematurely. (Brisk is a relative term; read more about exercise intensity.)
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that healthy adults get a minimum of 2-1/2 hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or get a minimum of 1-1/4 hours per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a combination of the two. (1) To lower your risk of injury, it’s best to spread out your activity over a few days in of the week. (Read more about how to exercise safely.)
You can combine moderate and vigorous exercise over the course of the week—say, by doing 20 to 25 minutes of more vigorous intensity activity on two days, and then doing 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on two days. It’s fine to break up your activity into smaller bursts, as long as you sustain the activity for at least 10 minutes. Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days for the week. Children should get at least 1 hour or more a day of physical activity in age-appropriate activities. Healthy older adults should follow the guidelines for adults.   

Exercise Intensity: What’s Moderate, What’s Vigorous?

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity is any activity that causes a slight but noticeable increase in breathing and heart rate. One way to gauge moderate activity is with the "talk test"—exercising hard enough to break a sweat but not so hard you can't comfortably carry on a conversation. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity causes more rapid breathing and a greater increase in heart rate, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation—with shorter sentences. 
Keep in mind that what feels like moderate activity for one person may actually be very vigorous activity for another: A typical young marathon runner, for example, could walk at a 4-mile-per-hour pace without breaking a sweat. But this same pace would likely feel very vigorous for the typical 90-year-old person.
One way to gauge how hard you are exercising is to use the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion. It's a relative scale that matches how hard you feel you are working with numbers from 6 to 20. Exercise experts measure activity in a different way, using metabolic equivalents, or METs.

Walking—and Bicycling—Your Way to Health

Walking is an ideal exercise for many people—it doesn't require any special equipment, can be done any time, any place, and is generally very safe. What's more, studies such as the Nurses' Health Study, (9, 10) Health Professionals Follow-up Study, (11) Women's Health Study, (12)  Harvard Alumni Health Study, (13) National Health Interview Survey, (14) Women's Health Initiative, (15) Honolulu Heart Program, (16) Black Women’s Health Study, (17) and others (18, 19) have demonstrated that this simple form of exercise substantially reduces the chances of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in different populations.
Though walking has health benefits at any pace, brisk walking (at least 3 miles per hour) is more beneficial than slow walking for weight control (20-22). And a recent report from the Nurses’ Health Study II suggests that bicycling offers similar benefits to brisk walking: (22) Researchers followed more than 18,000 women for 16 years to study the relationship between changes in physical activity and weight. On average, women gained about 20 pounds over the course of the study. Women who increased their physical activity by 30 minutes per day gained less weight than women whose activity levels stayed steady. But the type of activity made a difference: Women who added bicycling or brisk walking to their activity regimens were able to curb their weight gain, but women who added slow walking were not.
Brisk walking may be challenging for some people, and bicycling (even on an exercise bike) may be a more comfortable option. (22) In the Nurses’ Health Study II, for example, overweight women spent far less time walking briskly than normal weight women, but they spent about the same amount of time cycling.  If you don't like brisk walking or bicycling, any activity that makes your heart work harder will
help you meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, as long as you do it long enough and often enough. Walking and biking are also green ways to commute to work—good for the environment, and good for you.
to cover as many people as possible. In other words, they aren't right for everyone. How much exercise you need depends on your genes, your diet, how much muscle and fat you carry on your frame, how fit you are, and your capacity for exercise. A study of more 7,000 men who graduated from Harvard before 1950 suggests that older people, those who are out of shape, or those with disabilities may get as much benefit from 30 minutes of slower walking or other exercise as younger, more fit people get from the same amount of more-intense activity. (23)
In other words, if an exercise or physical activity feels hard, then it is probably doing your heart—and
the rest of you—some good, even if it doesn't fall into the "moderate" category. If you are currently not active at all, it may be daunting to start out with 30 minutes a day of activity, five days a week. So start with a shorter, less-intense bout of activity, and gradually increase over time until you can reach or exceed this goal. (1) This "start slow, build up over time" advice for physical activity applies to everyone, but it's especially true for older adults, (24) since starting slowly can help lower the risk of injury—and can make exercise more enjoyable. Read more about exercise safety.
Don't get stuck in a rut, though. As your body adapts to exercise, you'll need to push yourself more and more to get the same cardiovascular workout. Another way to know that it's time to pick up the pace is if you see your weight or waist size start creeping up on you.

The Bottom Line: Move More, Sit Less

Exercise is one of those rare things where the hype actually meets reality. Next to not smoking, getting regular physical activity is arguably the best thing you can do for your health. Any amount of exercise is better than none. The more you get, though, the better. And remember: Cutting back on television-watching and other sedentary pastimes is just as important as becoming more active.

References

1. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2008.
2. Wang G, Pratt M, Macera CA, Zheng ZJ, Heath G. Physical activity, cardiovascular disease, and medical expenditures in U.S. adults. Ann Behav Med. 2004; 28:88-94.
3. Pratt M, Macera CA, Wang GJ. Higher direct medical costs associated with physical inactivity. Physician and Sportsmedicine. 2000; 28:63-70.
4. Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW. Too much sitting: the population health science of sedentary behavior. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2010; 38:105-13.
5. Hu FB, Li TY, Colditz GA, Willett WC, Manson JE. Television watching and other sedentary behaviors in relation to risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in women. JAMA. 2003; 289:1785-91.
6. Dunstan DW, Barr EL, Healy GN, et al. Television viewing time and mortality: the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab). Circulation. 2010; 121:384-91.
7. Patel AV, Bernstein L, Deka A, et al. Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Total Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of US Adults. Am J Epidemiol. 2010.
8. Warren TY, Barry V, Hooker SP, Sui X, Church TS, Blair SN. Sedentary behaviors increase risk of cardiovascular disease mortality in men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010; 42:879-85.
9. Manson JE, Hu FB, Rich-Edwards JW, et al. A prospective study of walking as compared with vigorous exercise in the prevention of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med. 1999; 341:650-8.
10. Hu FB, Sigal RJ, Rich-Edwards JW, et al. Walking compared with vigorous physical activity and risk of type 2 diabetes in women: a prospective study. JAMA. 1999; 282:1433-9.
11. Tanasescu M, Leitzmann MF, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB. Exercise type and intensity in relation to coronary heart disease in men. JAMA. 2002; 288:1994-2000.
12. Lee IM, Rexrode KM, Cook NR, Manson JE, Buring JE. Physical activity and coronary heart disease in women: is "no pain, no gain" passé? JAMA. 2001; 285:1447-54.
13. Sesso HD, Paffenbarger RS, Jr., Lee IM. Physical activity and coronary heart disease in men: The Harvard Alumni Health Study. Circulation. 2000; 102:975-80.
14. Gregg EW, Gerzoff RB, Caspersen CJ, Williamson DF, Narayan KM. Relationship of walki

ing to mortality among US adults with diabetes. Arch Intern Med. 2003; 163:1440-7.  15. Manson JE, Greenland P, LaCroix AZ, et al. Walking compared with vigorous exercise for the prevention of cardiovascular events in women. N Engl J Med. 2002; 347:716-25.
16. Hakim AA, Curb JD, Petrovitch H, et al. Effects of walking on coronary heart disease in elderly men: the Honolulu Heart Program. Circulation. 1999; 100:9-13.
17. Krishnan S, Rosenberg L, Palmer JR. Physical activity and television watching in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes: the Black Women's Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2009; 169:428-34.
18. Oguma Y, Shinoda-Tagawa T. Physical activity decreases cardiovascular disease risk in women: review and meta-analysis. Am J Prev Med. 2004; 26:407-18.
19. Jeon CY, Lokken RP, Hu FB, van Dam RM. Physical activity of moderate intensity and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. Diabetes Care. 2007; 30:744-52.
20. Mekary RA, Feskanich D, Malspeis S, Hu FB, Willett WC, Field AE. Physical activity patterns and
prevention of weight gain in premenopausal women. Int J Obes (Lond). 2009; 33:1039-47.  21. Mekary RA, Feskanich D, Hu FB, Willett WC, Field AE. Physical activity in relation to long-term weight maintenance after intentional weight loss in premenopausal women. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010; 18:167-74.
22. Lusk AC, Mekary RA, Feskanich D, Willett WC. Bicycle riding, walking, and weight gain in premenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. 2010; 170:1050-6.
23. Lee IM, Sesso HD, Oguma Y, Paffenbarger RS, Jr. Relative intensity of physical activity and risk of coronary heart disease. Circulation. 2003; 107:1110-6.
24. Nelson ME, Rejeski WJ, Blair SN, et al. Physical activity and public health in older adults: recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2007; 116:1094-105.
25. National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2009: With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Hyattsville, MD, 2009.
26. Troiano RP, Berrigan D, Dodd KW, Masse LC, Tilert T, McDowell M. Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008; 40:181-8.

Terms of Use

The aim of the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source is to provide timely information on diet and nutrition for clinicians, allied health professionals, and the public. The contents of this Web site are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Web site. The information does not mention brand names, nor does it endorse any particular products.

What to Eat Before a Running Workout By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Guide

Eating before your running workout can be a bit tricky depending upon what time you run, as well as how far and how fast you run. If you train in the morning, you'll need to plan your pre-exercise nutrition accordingly, and eat enough to keep you fueled, but not so much that you feel queasy or get stomach cramps. In theory, it's not essential to eat immediately before you run if you consistently eat a healthy diet and have properly replenished your glycogen stores after your last workout. In fact, the majority of the energy used to fuel your run comes from the stored energy in your body (glycogen), not the food you've just consumed. Most people have enough glycogen to fuel about 90 minutes of high intensity exercise and several hours of moderate exercise. So if you feel fine doing a short run on an empty stomach, go for it. Just be sure to hydrate with 12-16 ounces of water before heading out.

What to Eat Before a Short Running Workout

If running on empty doesn't feel good to you, you will want to hydrate with water and eat something light that digests easily. A good pre-run breakfast for those who run three to six miles can be something as simple as a banana, water and maybe a cup of coffee an hour or so before starting your workout. You could also eat toast with jam or half an carbohydrate bar if that works for you. You'll need to learn what works best for your system and how much time you need to digest your food, but most people can eat a banana without problems. Avoid anything with a lot of protein or fiber, which takes a long time to digest before running.

What to Eat Before a Long Running Workout

For a longer run (10 miles or more) it may be necessary to eat up to two hours before you run so you have enough energy and allow time for it to digest. Consider eating 400-500 calories and drinking 16-20 ounces of water before your longer runs. Again, consume high carbohydrate foods that digest easily and provide quick energy for the run. Fruit, cereals, pancakes, a bagel with jam, fruit smoothies or or anything else that is easy to digest would be great. Stay away from things that have a lot of fat and protein, because it does not digest as well. During your longer run, you may want to consider bringing along carbohydrate gel pack, such as Clif Shot or small packet of pure honey to keep from running low on energy.

What to Eat After a Running Workout

The thirty minutes after finishing your morning run is the best time to replenish your glycogen stores and to rehydrate. This is the time to consume water, and consume both carbohydrate and protein in a ratio of 4:1 (four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein). Some good options for your post-exercise meal include oatmeal with low-fat milk, eggs with whole grain toast, yogurt and berries, or even chocolate milk. While solid foods can work just as well as a sports recovery drink, the drinks may be a quick, easy way to get the right nutrition in the thirty minute window.

10 Tips for Completing a 5K Run How to train for and complete a 5K run or walk By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Guide

The 5K fun run is the perfect kick start to your summer fitness routine, have fun while exercising or even set a new personal race best. Even if you don't consider yourself a runner, nearly anyone can complete a 5K if you begin with the basics and build up slowly. These ten tips can help you reach the finish line with a smile on your face and have a fun and injury-free race day.

1. Set an Appropriate Goal
   A 5K (3.2 miles) can take as little as 15 or 20 minutes for fast runners and as much as an hour for walkers. Because there is such a wide range of abilities, it's important to keep in mind that you are the only one you are competing against, and your goal is to do the best that you can do, avoid injuries, and have fun.
2. Find and Register for the 5K
   Choose a race that is approximately 6 weeks to 12 weeks from now and register for it in advance. Committing to the race in advance gives you more incentive to train and sets an expectation that you will plan for the race accordingly. The easiest way to locate a 5K in your area is to visit active.com, type in your location and see what's on the calendar. Your local running shop, YMCA or health club is also a good place to find local 5K events.
3. Start Training
   There are very elaborate 5K training programs, but a simplified program should include three days of exercise per week with one day of rest in 

in between workouts.

• Training Day #1 is your fast, high-effort day. Walk or run a short distance at a fast pace. Start with 1/4 mile and slowly add distance until you cover a mile at a fast pace.
• Training Day #2 is a moderate-intensity day where you walk or run at a moderate pace. Start with one mile and gradually work up to the full 5K (3.2 miles) at a moderate pace.
• Training Day #3 should be your long, slow day. This is where you build endurance and get your muscles accustomed to exercising for a longer time. Try to start at two miles and gradually work up to 3 or 4 miles. 

Vary Your Training Intensity
During your high effort days, mix running (or jogging) with walking to boost your intensity. This is also called interval training and it works the same for beginning and elite athletes. Run or jog as fast as you can for about 30 seconds, then walk a minute to recover and repeat another 30 second interval. You can do as few as two intervals or as many as 10 in a session. This sort of training will increase speed, muscle tone, and endurance while helping you get fit faster. For more advanced athletes, consider adding speed training drills.

1. Strength Train
   Weight lifting two to three times per week is another way to improve your 5K run. Not only will it strengthen the muscles, ligaments and tendons to help prevent injury, it will make the leg muscles less prone to fatigue during the event. Use a runners weight-lifting routine or consider a simplified strength training program for fast results.
2. Warm-up Before Exercise
   A proper warm-up increases the blood flow to the working muscle which results in decreased muscle stiffness, less risk of injury, improved performance and psychological preparation for an event. Before your 5K training and racing, a good warm-up includes an easy three-minute jog and three 30-second, fast-paced efforts or sprints. Complete the warm-up 5 minutes before the race start.
3. Stretch After Exercise
   Flexibility is an important component of fitness, and exercise tends to increase the amount of flexibility in a joint. Flexibility is also specific to the type of movement needed for a sport, so it is more important for some sports than others. Runners should focus on the the hip flexors and the hamstrings. The following stretch is ideal for these muscles. Start in a lunge position, with one leg back and one leg forward. Straighten the back leg to stretch the hip flexors. Return to the starting position, then straighten the front leg to stretch the hamstrings. Hold each stretch about 15 seconds.
4. Eat Right Before Exercise
   Eating a simple meal of 200 to 400 calories about two to three hours before the race is important to have fuel for the event, but also have time to digest the food. Never experiment with food or drink on race day. It's wise to practice eating before training to make sure the food works for you, then replicate this meal on the race day.
5. Eat Right After Exercise
   What and when you eat following exercise can be just as important as what you eat before. While the pre-exercise meals can ensure that adequate glycogen stores are available for optimal performance, the post-exercise meal is critical to recovery and improves your ability to train consistently.
6. Listen to Your Body
   If you experience any sharp pain, weakness or light-headedness during exercise, pay attention. This is your body's signal that something is wrong and you should stop exercise. Pushing through acute pain is the fastest way to develop a severe or chronic injury. If you don't feel well, you should take some time off until your body heals. Also see: the most common running injuries.
7. Avoid Pre-Race Jitters
   Pre-race jitters are normal, so try not to misinterpret it or think it is fear; that adrenaline rush you feel is normal and it is part of your body's natural preparation for the competition. To help avoid nervousness before the event, arrive with plenty of time so you aren't rushed, get a thorough warm-up, know the course, and dress for the weather. If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts before or during the race, try to focus only on your breathing and race like you don't care about the outcome. Remember goal number one: you are only competing against yourself, so enjoy the moment.

My Daily Workout

I ran 4.5 miles this morning....I stayed at a steady pace,until the last 16 minutes....I added that extra time to sprint.Its always good to do speed intervals throughout your jog/run.I always say do not overrun,because that leads to injury,but I do say if you have only ran lets say 1.5 miles,at the end of the week try to go another half a mile.Also test your speed at least once a month.Overall my run was great and worked off some calories.

Eating Healthy and Working out go hand in hand.....

Most people think if you just keep working out you can eat whatever you want.Thats not true.You have to feed your body good healthy food to not only fuel your workouts and nourish your body.I have been guilty of not eating right all during my pregnancy and even in the post partum period.Its tough to eat right,but small daily changes will help:


1.Drink more Water(aim for 8-10 glasses a day)
2.Eat less processed foods(fruits and veggies)
3.Eat small meals every few hours
4.Dont deprieve yourself(reward yourself often)
5.Avoid pop as often as you can(these are empty calories and the sugar content can sabatage your weight management efforts.

These are just a few things that you can do over time to be healthier.I will post more tips as well as articles over the next few days.Make sure that you subscribe to stay updated!

Getting FitandHealthy through Running!

Welcome to my blog!This is all about how I am shedding the baby weight and getting back into shape!I plan on running alot of miles between now and 65 pounds while eating healthy.Each day I will post my fitness for the day and tips and tricks to staying in shape.