Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

When it comes to athletic performance and recovery, one advancement in recent years has been compression clothing. From professional athletes to fitness enthusiasts, compression garments have become a staple in many wardrobes. But what exactly is the science behind compression clothing, and how does it impact our bodies during exercise and recovery? Let's dive in and explore the world of compression wear.

The Science Behind Compression Clothing

Compression clothing works by applying pressure to specific parts of the body, typically the limbs, to improve blood circulation and lymphatic flow. This increased circulation can have several benefits for both performance and recovery.

1. Enhanced Blood Flow: During exercise, muscles require a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to perform at their best. Compression garments help to improve blood flow by constricting blood vessels, which in turn increases the velocity of blood as it circulates through the body. This enhanced blood flow can lead to improved endurance, reduced fatigue, and enhanced overall performance.
2. Reduced Muscle Oscillation: Compression clothing has an ability to reduce muscle oscillation, or the small vibrations that occur in muscles during movement. By providing external support to muscles, compression garments help stabilize them, reducing the amount of energy expended during exercise and minimizing muscle fatigue.
3. Improved Recovery: By increasing blood flow and reducing muscle oscillation, compression garments can help to speed up the recovery process following intense exercise. This can lead to reduced muscle soreness and stiffness, allowing individuals to bounce back more quickly and continue training at a high level.
4. Temperature Regulation: Some compression garments are designed to help regulate body temperature during exercise. By wicking away sweat and moisture from skin, these garments can keep the body cool and comfortable and prevent overheating during intense workouts.

Selecting Compression Gear

When selecting compression clothing, it's important to consider factors such as fit, material, and intended use. Compression garments should fit snugly against the skin without being uncomfortably tight, and they should be made from breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics to maximize comfort during exercise.

Different types of compression clothing may be better suited to specific activities. For example, compression sleeves or socks are often used during running or cycling to improve circulation in the legs, while compression tops can provide support to the upper body during activities like weightlifting.

Compression clothing offers a range of benefits for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, from improved performance to enhanced recovery. By understanding the science behind compression wear and choosing the right garments for their needs, individuals can elevate their training and optimize their health and fitness. So, whether you're hitting the gym, pounding the pavement, or simply looking for a more comfortable way to recover after a tough workout, consider incorporating compression clothing into your routine.

Improving your running time and efficiency can seem overwhelming. Whether you are a beginner or well-seasoned runner there is always room for performance improvement.

Understanding and building an anaerobic base is vital, let’s learn more! It’s important to understand anaerobic training and how it can benefit you. Anaerobic training is exercise that occurs in the absence of oxygen and is usually seen in short high intensity bursts of exercise. Things like heavy weight training, running, or cycling sprints are all considered anaerobic forms of exercise. This seems counterintuitive to train as you are running long distances, however, sprints can assist in building your cardiovascular endurance. This form of training can increase lactate threshold, allowing runners to run faster and longer while improve running efficiency. Utilizing hill sprints, high intensity intervals, or tempo runs will get you where you desire to be!

Different then anaerobic, the primary source that drives our energy systems during aerobic exercise is oxygen. Exercises like walking, running, hiking, and swimming are usually done at a lower intensity but for a greater distance overall. Developing your aerobic capacity will allow you to utilize oxygen more efficiently which will allow you to run at a faster pace while keeping the perceived intensity low. Setting up your aerobic training will be based on what goal you set. If your goal is to run a mile as fast as you can, running 1.5 – 2.5 miles will be enough to give you a satisfactory result. But if you signed up for your local 5k, then those number will increase up to 4, 5, or even close to a 10k. This might seem counterintuitive as you are running further than is required, but further distances will pay dividends when it is time to race.

Now that we have our running training program set that’s all we should need right? Not quite, another critical ingredient is strength training. Implementing a strength training routine to your program can elevate your training and allow you to reach your goals. Utilizing strength training can increase the amount of muscular strength and core balance needed to run faster and longer. From a muscular perspective, keeping the muscles in tip top shape will allow you to run more often and will prevent injuries. Strength training can assist in mobility and allow the joints to go through their full range of motion. Supplement your running program by adding strength training at a minimum of once a week, ideally 2 – 3 times a week.

This year don’t allow yourself to achieve the same mile times. Achieve more this year by following these simple tips. Now get on the road and let’s start earning some mileage!

Westminster Village of Terre Haute was thrilled to participate in the first year of Pump it for Parkinson’s last year! My residents enjoyed the program, learning about the benefits of exercise for those fighting back against Parkinson’s Disease, as well as contributing to a nationwide goal of achieving one million steps along with thousands of other seniors in communities across the country. They also enjoyed the excitement of potentially winning a new NuStep T6 for our fitness center. Residents commented that even if we did not win the machine, at least we aided in the message regarding Parkinson’s Disease being delivered. Once the BIG Day came to an end and our community learned that we won the drawing for the grand prize, our entire community was thrilled and in shock! Now, let’s discuss three features that my residents have been LOVING about their new NuStep T6 recumbent trainer:

Seamless Setup – Numerous residents must only be instructed on how to utilize the NuStep T6 once. Residents enjoy the idea that they can sit within the machine and simply begin to move for the machine to respond to them beginning the activity. The fact that their personalized seat number setting is displayed on the screen allows residents to easily adjust as needed to fit their needs.

Walking Trails – Once residents are set and ready to go with their personalized settings, many utilize the touch screen to select the first dialogue box titled “Walking Trails”. This dialogue box is by far the most popular selection allowing participants to “travel” during exercise. Residents enjoy having me by their side as they travel through the various environments to discuss the architecture within each environment. Each trail supports users in making physical activity more engaging and less monotonous through their work out!

Workout Summary – At the completion of each workout session, the machine displays all the hard work completed for review. Residents are keen to share their workout summaries with me as they complete their workout and ask questions regarding parameters that are tracked that they may not be familiar with. This feature is a great segway into explaining the purpose of exercise utilizing the NuStep T6 while the residents learn something new regarding their physical activity capabilities and progression. I have had a few residents track their workout summaries within their personal journals so they can track their progress and share it with me on a weekly basis.

I highly recommend the NuStep T6 for senior living fitness centers both from the satisfaction in which I see my residents enjoying it as well as my vantage point as a degreed fitness professional and the motivation and engagement I see it supporting my participants in being physically active.

Which of the three categories do you think the residents within your community would enjoy the most? We are pumped to contribute our steps this World Parkinson’s Day on our new NuStep T6!

Follow us at Pump it for Parkinson's on Facebook as we strive for 10,000,000 steps to represent the 10,000,000 people worldwide living with Parkinson's Disease on World Parkinson's Day, Thursday, April 11!