Fitness Tips for January 2008 - The New Year

The New Year is a time to begin new habits and to let old ones die………But where do you start?

There are literally dozens of “diets”, “cleanses”, “detox’s”….and any number of “quick fixes” to get rid of those extra pounds that were put on over the holidays.

Most, if not all the “quick fixes” - which can be in the form of pills, powders, liquids to name a few - have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These produces can bemisleading, especially when they claim to promote “organic” or “natural” products. Also, be careful when signing up for a “free” trial. Usually after the “free” trial you will be automatically enrolled in the entire program, which can costs hundreds of dollars.

If you plan on proceeding with any of the above please consult a physician and/or nutritionist before doing so. For those who choose to do a “cleanse” or “detox” and plan on exercising during this time, let me guide you through the process.

Call (760) 778-1904 !!! Just ask for Nic!!

Tips for December 2007 - The Holidays

Tips for December:

During the holidays I constantly hear people rattle off how many calories they’re burning on whatever cardio machine they happen to be on at the time……

thus, how many calories they can take in over the holidays. Of course the best way to not worry about caloric intake is not to take in an abundance of calories. Unfortunately, most people do this. So what I’m going to provide this month is a basic guide to caloric expenditure.

The best way to not worry about caloric intake is not to take in an abundance of calories….. make healthy food choices…such as fruits & vegetables.

In 1 hour these activities burn approximately:

250 - 350 calories - slow walking - light gardening - slow dancing - light housework - friendly ping pong - tennis, doubles - golf, social 450 - 550 calories - brisk walking - swimming - basketball - bicycling - aerobic dance - weight training - tennis, singles 650 - 850 calories - jogging - wrestling - cross country skiing - football training - advanced raquetball - climbing stairs

For those who are concerned with heart rate, here are the average heart rate ranges. bpm = beats per minute AGE LOW HIGH 20 100 bpm 170 bpm 25 98 bpm 166 bpm 30 95 bpm 162 bpm 35 93 bpm 157 bpm 40 90 bpm 153 bpm 45 88 bpm 149 bpm 50 85 bpm 145 bpm 55 83 bpm 140 bpm 60 80 bpm 136 bpm 65 75 bpm 132 bpm 70 73 bpm 129 bpm ** Remember, these are estimates only….your own heart rate could be slightly lower or higher. Before beginning any exercise routine, please consult your physician.

November 2007 Tips - Holiday Tips

Each month Nickie will provide tips to a happier, healthier fitness routine. These tips are meant to keep you up-to-date on the latest information on how to improve your overall health.**
Some of the tips will be given in general workout routines, specific exercise techniques, nutritional tips, as well as upcoming fitness events.

With the holidays right around the corner it’s never too early to start watching what one eats and the energy that is burned.

I have a few holiday tips ready for you, click on Tips By Nic and discover what you can do to keep away the holiday blues and pounds.

To divert depressive feelings that sometimes come between Thanksgiving and the first of the year here are some of Nickie’s tips:

1. Stay away from sugar. Although a holiday cookie can be tasty, ten or twelve of them add to unwanted inches around the mid-section.
2. Moderate alcohol consumption - and NEVER drink and drive. Although a cup of holiday cheer may seem like a good idea at the time, too many and you won’t make it to your work out. So be responsible!
3. Do Not overeat. Just because you may eat turkey does not mean you need to be stuffed like one.
4. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family, who will encourage you to stay on your fitness track.
5. Continue to work out!! This is a necessity during the holidays. Do not skip a work out, even if all you do is stretch and your cardiovascular workout. Remember: it’s easier to stop a good habit than a bad one. So keep fit!

Tips about cardiovascular training:

First off, there is a misconception about what cardiovascular activity is. Simply put, cardiovascular activity is any activity that places stress on the cardiorespiratory system. This includes walking on a treadmill, the pre-cor step machine AND weight training. Some people seem to think that if they lift weights they will gain weight. This does not necessarily have to happen. If you do gain weight it is most likely due to lifting heavy weight. When using weight lifting for cardiovascular reasons the rule of thumb is to increase repetitions, not weight. Now, the National Academy of Sports Medicine suggests that a cardiorespiratory warm-up should last five to ten minutes. Depending on the individual’s goal, where the individual is in their training and how fit the individual is, ten to fifteen minutes of walking on the treadmill, plus light stretching and abdominal exercises could be the complete workout. Everyone is different, which is why everyone cannot be given the same exercise routine.

However, here are the general definitions for cardiovascular training:

There are three basic cardiorespiratory workouts. Here they are:

1. Warm-up - a cardiovascular warm-up prepares the body for physical activity. It can be a general warm-up or specific to the physical activity. This portion of the warm-up should last five to ten minutes.

2. Cool-down - a cool-down provides the body with a transition period from exer-cise back to a steady resting state. It also brings the muscles back to their original resting length after a workout.

3. Primary - a cardiovascular activity as the primary workout may be running. If this is the case, the runner will want to do a warm-up and cool-down which may or may not consist of the same primary activity.

Here’s a general health activity recommendation for the individual just beginning a workout routine, for someone just coming off an injury, or for the individual who just wants to workout through the holidays to ward off those extra pounds they otherwise will gain without a workout program:

5 - 7 days per week: 30 minutes a day of a general activity, walking, using stairs etc. at a moderate pace - enough to raise the heart and respiration rate.

And remember, the more you enjoy the activity the more you’ll be inclined to do it!

Have a fun and safe holiday.

For any questions please see my new section of Q & A.

Good luck & have fun!!

Thank you all & Happy Holidays!!!

Nickie Nicolas

** The tips I will be given in tipsbynic will be from, but not limited to, the following resources:
Magazines: Fitness Journal, Triathelete, Runners, Woman’s Health, LA Yoga, Health & Fitness, as well as internet resources such as the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. There are a lot of wonderful resources out there. Please feel free to research your own specific area of interest; and please remember to consult your physician before starting any exercise or diet program.