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Archives For October 2009

>From NYTimes … Is the exercise cooldown really necessary?

October 20, 2009 — Leave a comment

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This week, I’ve ended all my classes with a bit of a discussion re: the cooldown process and the terms under which to cool down.
Suffice it to say that an “official” cool-down period has been a necessary inclusion in most classes, because of the potential risks that blood pooling may have on both high-end athletes and those with heart conditions. It’s interesting to note that high-end athletes require this more than your average exercise enthusiast. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Well-trained cardio athletes have heart rates that slow down very quickly, and with the large veins in our legs, sudden stopping can cause blood pooling in the lower body, hence causing dizziness that could lead to fainting.
This can happen with your average person as well, so the take home message really is to ensure that one doesn’t just completely stop and stand still after intense movement. Truthfully, most people will walk the effort off, although from personal experience, I do know of some who will just stand or sit in one place and breathe, then feel light-headed and woozy. It’s for these types that this take-home message needs to be most loud and clear.
The article brings up a very important point re: lactic acid build-up. To this day, many fitness professionals still use that as the reason for soreness, which has long been established to be false.
In addition, the concept that a gradual cool-down helps to flush out lactic acid in the muscles, allowing for a decrease in soreness the next day, has been long-established as false. It’s probably worth reading more into this, if you personally still think that lactic acid has anything at all to do with muscle soreness.
I’ll keep reading these articles and sharing them as long as you keep asking about these topics! Have a great week!
In Fitness Information and Tips , , ,
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>What it’s like

October 15, 2009 — Leave a comment

>I remember teaching one of my first classes many years ago. It was a beginner yoga class that I taught in the Philippines back in the late 90′s. At the time, I was fresh out of college and working as a manager in the group of companies my father had built from the ground up. Though my education and training was in management and business, my parents allowed me to teach classes after work hours.

As I coached the yoga class into the positions and taught breathing patterns, along with moving themselves to the flow of the healing music I selected for that class, I found myself suddenly “in-the-flow” of what I was doing. Even if I had prepared something different for that evening, I gave in to the energy that began stirring in me. As the class ended with everyone in savasana or corpse pose, I found myself putting together a spontaneous visualization script that to this day, I consider as the exact moment when I knew that teaching was going to be part of my life.
It was like being an appliance or electronic device that suddenly got connected to an electric socket. I was simply becoming a vehicle or vessel through which a higher energy was coursing its message. And through the years, amidst my greater involvement and success in personal training and facility management, I have been given the privilege of experiencing this sense of connection.
Though it has taken it’s form primarily in a teaching or 1-on-1 training or stretching environment (all are forms of passing on energy, and in some degree, healing), I’ve also found myself in a similar state of “connectedness” when mentoring others, and in fact, in presenting at conferences or even smaller-scale speaking before a team of peers.
The feeling is not easy to describe, but there is a definite sense of gut and intuition that kicks in which then allows for the words and overall message to come through.
When speaking before my peers in a presentation capacity, it’s what drives the message home and gives a unique character and spirit to the presentation.
When mentoring others, it’s what makes the take-home message/advice effective and resounding.
When training, it’s what brings about unique solutions or gut instincts on how I can best meet the needs of my client, if something isn’t working. It’s also what inspires workout programs when I’m sitting before my laptop creating them for each person.
When teaching class, it’s what drives the creation of effective and innovative programs and exercises that give the class a unique flavor. It’s also what inspires movement, I’m sure in a way that isn’t unlike the inspiration experienced by choreographers and dancers.
These are all descriptions of what it’s like; to feel connected, to be “in-the-flow” of what I do and what I feel I was put on this earth for. It’s a great feeling — addictive because it reminds me constantly of being on-track with what I was designed to do.
Interestingly, no amount of money seems to be tempting enough to match the gratification that comes from this feeling. Even more interestingly, money and happiness appear to flow generously the more I tap into this connectedness.
This is what it’s like to be me when I’m at my best. What’s it like, for you?
In Personal ,
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>Eating for Weight-Loss …

October 13, 2009 — Leave a comment

>Hey folks! Thanks for your email reminders on keeping my blog updated. I appreciate that you enjoy reading my articles, so I thought I’d give you one that’s long overdue — one on nutrition.

The title of this post isn’t just a teaser. Frankly, the eating portion of the weight-loss equation is A MORE IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO GET A HANDLE ON compared to the exercise portion.
I’m not saying exercise isn’t important; nothing could be more false. Exercise plays such a key role in overall health and in maintaining a fitness level that shows, both on the scale and in your overall body composition. And I’m one of the biggest advocate of both types of exercise: cardiovascular and muscle-conditioning. Both play a big role in maximizing your metabolism and in ensuring all your systems are in proper operation.
However, when you think about it, how hard is it to burn off those calories? At a decent and challenging pace, women will find themselves burning up to 400 calories at the most in an hour’s worth of a cardiovascular class, with men able to double that or more, all depending on their height, weight, and body composition.
That said, how easy is it to eat said 400 calories? Depending on the kind of food you prefer to eat, 400 calories can be had in a few bites of a delectable turkey burger or in an omelette and whole grain toast. And these are healthier options!
The point I’m trying to make is this: To lose weight, your net calories for the day need to be at least @ 1000-1200 for women and 1200-1500 for men (all depending on size, composition, and metabolic rate). Because burning calories is a much harder task than consuming them, PUT YOURSELF AT AN ADVANTAGE BY MANAGING YOUR CALORIE INTAKE, so that you require less workout calories in order to get to your net calorie goal for the day.
That’s eating for weight-loss. Some will call it dieting, and rightfully so. There is a way to make this feel less restrictive and limiting, and that has more to do with taking the time to learn more about your personal habits which tend to lead to overeating.
Some just have the habit of eating too much in one sitting, or of having large portions around company. Others take a comfort in eating. Still others just don’t know any better about the choices that they make. Whichever your situation, a food log and a consultation with someone who has a nutrition background will help, as this unravels patterns and choices that are the culprit; making you later realize that no matter which cycling class you take or how many cardio-sculpt classes you attend, the daily calorie-deficit required for weight loss wasn’t achieved optimally because you’ve actually been overeating, when you average it out over the weeks.
There are some sound principles to apply in managing your caloric intake, and I will save that one for my next visit! Until then, enjoy the rain!!!
In Nutrition , , , , ,
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