Fitness Prescriptions News Blog

Exercise Ball At Work!

2009-02-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

Sitting on a exercise ball instead of a office chair will increase the amount of calories you burn throughout the day. This is because you have to activate more muscles to stay seated and balanced on the ball. More muscle activation equals more calories burned!

Fish "Its Whats For Dinner"

2008-08-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

If there was one supplement that I had to choose for all my clients to take it would be fish oil (Omega-3 Fatty Acids). Fish oils promote cardiovascular protection. It is one of the few supplements that have been proven repeatedly by solid research to have a cardioprotective affect. Fish oils decrease triglycerides, inhibit platelet aggregation and formation of blood clots, lower blood pressure, prevent plaque formation and improve the health of the coronary vascular walls. Fish oils are found in cold water fish, flaxseed, canola oil, soybean oil , walnuts, and leafy greens. The largest supplement trial that included 11,324 patients who where survivors of myocardial infarctions the fish oil supplementation group had a 20% reduction in total mortality, a 30% reduction in cardiovascular death, and a 45% decrease in sudden death 3.5 years after supplementation began.
The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings (2 oz per serving) of cold water fish per week for individuals without documented cardiovascular heart disease (CHD). Individuals with documented CHD it is recommended to consume 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids per day. Patients that need omega-3's to reduce triglycerides it is recommended to consume 2-4 grams per day.

2000 is the magic number

2008-06-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

According to the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine and a study conducted by Janssen et al. in the Journal of Med Sci Sports and Exercise, it was demonstrated that subjects with the most success with weight loss and weight management participated in a minimum of 2000 calories worth of exercise per week. For most people this can be accomplished by exercising for one hour per day, 4-5 days per week at 75% of your maximal heart rate (220-age). Example for a 40 year old.

((220-40) x 0.75) = 135 bpm (exercise heart rate)

Estimating Metabolism

2008-03-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

very easy way to estimate you resting metabolism is to simply multiply you weight by 10.

Example: A body weight of 188 multiplied by 10 would be 1880 calories. This would be the amount of calories you would burn in a 24 hour period at rest. For those who are trying to lose weight, if you consume a diet that is equal to this amount it will be plenty adequate for healthy weight loss.

Why Monitor Heart Rate During Exercise?

2008-02-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

One thing that I have found through years of personal training is that everyone has their own perception of what is adequate exercise intensity. Sometimes their perception is too high and sometimes too low. Exercise intensity can be very subjective. It is very important that you get the intensity right otherwise all your time spent on the treadmill could be in vein. Monitoring Heart rate during exercise provides great feed back during your workouts and ensures that you are maintaining an adequate intensity level. Here is what your heart rate training zones should look like.

Low Intensity (60-70% of your maximal heart rate)

In this zone your body is using higher aerobic energy sources than moderate and high intensities. This is best for fat burning. Your heart and lungs easily provide the needed oxygen for your activity. This is the lowest intensity level to reap any health benefits.

Moderate Intensity (70-80% of your maximal heart rate )

As you increase intensity in this zone your body increases the amount of anaerobic energy needed. Your heart and lungs are more challenged to meet the oxygen demands. You can maintain this level for a long time before becoming fatigued. This is the most recommended exercise intensity level

High Intensity (80-90% of your maximal heart rate)

In this zone your body is heavily relying on anaerobic energy sources. You will rapidly build an oxygen debt. You will not be able to maintain this level of exertion for long periods of time. This level is best for improving cardiovascular performance and increasing resting metabolism.

Here is the equation you can use to figure your heart rates in each of the zones. Make sure to take your resting heart rate when you wake up in the morning before you get out of bed.

[((220 - Age) - Resting Heart Rate) x percent maximal heart rate) + Resting Heart rate] = Heart Rate
Example:
38 year old with a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute.

Step 1. [(((220-38) - 60) x 70%) + 60] = Heart Rate

Step 2. [(((182) - 60) x 70%) + 60] = Heart Rate

Step 3. [((122) x 70%) + 60] = Heart Rate

Step 4. [(85.4) + 60] = Heart Rate

Step 5. Heart Rate = 145.4 beats per minute

His heart rate should be 145 beats per minute at 60% training zone.

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