Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

This blog was written by Jenna Pearson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Ever wonder what and when you should be eating to optimize performance and energy levels? Numerous resources are available to the general public outlining food and dietary guidelines; however, many people remain unaware as to what types of foods are best to eat and when.

Whether working or working out, these guidelines will be useful in helping you plan meals and snacks to increase energy and sustainability.

Pre-exercise Meals

• Carbohydrate meals help fuel muscles and prevent depletion of glycogen stores. Glycogen is the body’s main form of stored carbohydrates; it is a main source of energy during work and exercise. You should choose complex carbohydrates like fruits and whole grains to help sustain energy levels for long-duration activities. Try to avoid high-sugar foods such as soda and candy, as these cause high peaks in blood sugar and tend to give you a quick burst of energy that soon fades away.
• Watch high-fat foods—they are hard to digest and may cause an upset stomach during high-intensity exercise. In comparison to carbohydrates, high-fat and high-protein meals take longer to digest and therefore require more energy for their breakdown.
• Try to have a meal with complex carbohydrates four hours prior to exercise and a small snack one or two hours before exercise.

Examples:

Whole-grain cereals, yogurt, whole-wheat pasta, fruit, whole-grain bagels, oatmeal, raisins, some energy bars (check that they are not too high in fat or protein).

Post-exercise Meals

• Your muscles need to recover after exercise, as this is when your metabolism is at its peak.
• Refueling should begin within 30 to 45 minutes after exercise to restore glycogen and repair muscle tissue.
• Carbohydrates and protein will enhance the process of rebuilding and repairing muscles.  

Examples:

String cheese and a piece of fruit, peanut butter and jelly on whole-grain bread, yogurt, cottage cheese and fruit, soup, nuts (raw, unsalted are best), whole-grain cereal with reduced-fat milk.

Remember to stay hydrated! Dehydration slows your metabolic rate by 2% and can also leave you feeling sluggish. Feel your best by drinking at least eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water daily!

This blog was written by Jenna Pearson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Most people would agree that regular exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, but how much of an impact does physical activity really have on one’s health and well-being?

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has been advocating exercise as medicine since 2008, and when you look at the statistics, the reasoning behind their now-famous Exercise is Medicine^TM initiative becomes clear. Studies have shown that regular exercise does the following:

• Lowers the risk of stroke by 27 percent.
• Reduces the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by 58 percent.
• Reduces the incidence of high blood pressure by approximately 50 percent.
• Can reduce mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by approximately 50 percent.
• Can lower the risk of colon cancer by over 60 percent.
• Can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by approximately 40 percent.
• Can decrease symptoms of depression as effectively as Prozac or behavioral therapy.

Newer research also suggests that certain exercise provides cognitive benefits. Specifically, exer-gaming may delay—or even prevent—dementia, and has been shown to improve cognitive function in normal aging. Such exer-games include CyberCycle by Expresso and Shadowboxer ACTIVE.

Exer-games are also beneficial to physical aspects of health, as they shift one’s attention from the sometimes monotonous mindset of exercise to the task at hand, allowing them to put forth greater effort. Exer-games may also be more enticing for those who are easily bored by traditional exercise, thus helping them to more easily commit to a regular exercise routine.

This blog was written by Jenna Pearson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Having a desk job likely means you spend more than half of your day—half of your whole day, not just your workday—NOT moving. We all know physical activity has a positive impact on health, but the ill-effects of inactivity are often overlooked.

Too Much Sitting Results in Heart Attacks, Pain

There is a direct, positive relationship between inactivity and disease, meaning the more inactive you are, the more likely you are to be affected by disease. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has revealed that people who sit most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks than their active counterparts.

If you spend the majority of your day sitting, chances are you have some muscular imbalances, weakness, and aches and pains. Muscular imbalances can lead to pain and injury, which in turn can lead to further inactivity. Poor posture while sitting can lead to tight chest and shoulder muscles, as well as tight, weakened hip flexors, low-back muscles, rear-shoulder muscles, front-neck muscles, glutes, and abdominal muscles.

It's Never Too Late to Start Being More Active

Think about your aches and pains. Do any of them line up with those listed above? If so, consider your activity level. Are you meeting the exercise recommendations set forth by the ACSM? If not, adding more movement to your day could remedy the problem.

If you're not meeting the ACSM’s recommendations for physical activity, there is some good news: It is never too late to start incorporating physical activity into your life. Get up and get moving today!

This blog was written by Jenna Pearson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

You probably know that eating fruits and vegetables is part of a healthy lifestyle, but did you know that eating sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk for heart disease, certain cancers, and type-2 diabetes? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal. The actual amount of fruits and vegetables a person needs varies by age and gender. Use the table below to find out how much you should be eating, and visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ for more information.

From http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

If you consider yourself to be a picky eater, or don’t particularly like fruits or vegetables, try using these tips to help boost your consumption:

• Add extra vegetables to sauces and soups. You can even grate them in so they go undetected!
• Top your pizza with extra veggies, not extra cheese.
• Add grated carrots or zucchini to muffins and homemade bread.
• Serve up a smoothie for a nutritious snack or dessert! Use fresh or frozen fruits as your main ingredient.
• Top your cereal with fruit, not sugar. You will get the same sweetness, and a lot more nutrients!
• Grate or dice vegetables to add them to main dishes such as chili, lasagna, or casseroles. You can even puree cauliflower, carrots, and squash and add them to macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes.
• For more ideas and recipes, visit sneakychef.com. 

This blog was written by Jenna Pearson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

If you’ve always wanted to run in a 5K road race (or any road race, for that matter) but haven’t because you are not a runner, listen up: You do not have to be a “runner” to run. Anyone can run! Get yourself ready for your first 5K by following these guidelines:

Start slow: Doing too much too soon is likely to result in injury. It may sound obvious, but if you are a beginner, opt for a training program that was designed for beginners, such as Couch to 5K. Have realistic expectations. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Don’t compare yourself to other runners—we are all different and will progress according to our own body’s schedule.

Warm up: Warming up prepares your body for aerobic activity. It gradually revs up your cardiovascular system and increases blood flow to your muscles to ensure that they are getting the nutrients and oxygen supplies they need to sustain an activity such as running. Warming up is also crucial for minimizing injuries.

Cool down: Immediately after your workout, take time to cool down. This gradually slows your heart rate back to resting and slowly reduces the temperature of your muscles, which may help reduce muscular injury, stiffness, and soreness.

Stretch: After you cool down, your muscles will be warm and pliable, making it a perfect time to stretch. Regular stretching increases your flexibility, improves circulation, and helps maximize range of motion in your joints. Simply put, stretching makes moving easier. It may also help reduce injuries.

Stay hydrated: If you prefer not to bring a water bottle with you on your run, make sure you are adequately hydrated before you hit the pavement. It is also important to make sure you hydrate after your run to replace the fluids you lost through sweat. If you do not properly hydrate, you could fall victim to muscle cramps, prolonged time to recovery, and other dehydration-related ailments.

Now that you know how to prepare, which race have you been dreaming of running?

This blog was written by Jenna Pearson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Your VO₂max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is defined as the maximal capacity for oxygen consumption by the body during maximal exertion. It sounds very scientific, and it is!

The More You Exercise, the Easier It Gets

A lot happens inside our bodies when we exercise, and regular aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise is known to illicit adaptations that make prolonged, endurance-type activities easier. If you work out in the corporate fitness center regularly, chances are you’ve experienced these improvements! Adaptations to exercise are due in part to changes that occur in your muscles (i.e., getting stronger) as well as the changes that occur in the systems responsible for fueling you with energy to perform exercise and daily tasks (they become more efficient). Changes also occur largely because of improvements in the cardiovascular system, which not only results in increased circulation to and within the muscles, but is where VO₂max comes into play.

What Does VO₂max Mean to You?

Many exercise professionals view VO₂max as a good indicator of how physically fit a person is, as the more aerobically fit you are, the higher your VO₂max will be. A good exercise program is one that is sustainable (you can stick with it) and attainable (effective in helping you reach your goals). If you are following a well-rounded exercise program and are conscious of incorporating physical activity into your daily routine, it is likely you are working to improve not only your fitness, but also your VO₂max.

This blog was written by Jenna Pearson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Ever wonder what “METS” stands for on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical? Simply stated, a MET (also known as the metabolic equivalent) is a unit of measure that quantifies the intensity, or energy cost, of an exercise or activity.

It’s scientific in that it approximates the amount of energy you expend during physical activity based on the amount of oxygen a body at rest consumes. It’s practical because it describes the intensity and energy expenditure of certain activities relatively, or in a way that is comparable among persons of different sizes. Additionally, it is especially useful for individuals interested in cross-training but who also want to make sure they are getting similar-intensity workouts using a variety of exercise modalities.

Following is a list of activities and their respective MET values. At rest, the body uses approximately 3.5 ml of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight. This equates to 1 MET. If you are participating in an activity that is 4.5 MET, it means you are working 4.5 times harder during that activity than when you are at rest. The higher the MET, the greater the intensity.

• Rest = 1 MET
• Bowling = 3.5 MET
• Cycling (9.7 mph, flat) = 5.0 MET
• Walking (3.5 mph, flat) = 5.5 MET
• Tennis = 6.0 MET
• Shoveling (think snow) = 7.0 MET
• Jogging (5 mph, flat) = 7.5 MET
• Running (7.5 mph, flat) = 9.0 MET
• Basketball = 9.0 MET
• Running (8.5 mph, flat) = 12.0 MET
• Running (10 mph, flat) = 15.0 MET
• Swimming (.8m/s, crawl) = 15.0 MET

Source: Wilmore, Jack H., and David L. Costill. "Prescription of Exercise for Health and Fitness." Physiology of Sport and Exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2004.

This blog was written by Jenna Pearson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

It is no secret that heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, with more than 27% of all deaths being attributed to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). What is shocking is that apparently healthy individuals are dying of heart disease every single day. In fact, 39% of American adults perceive themselves as having ideal heart health, while less than 1% actually do.

Are you healthy? You might say “I exercise regularly and eat right,” but is that enough? Doctors agree that, in most cases, a healthy diet and adequate exercise are not enough. While both are very important, they are simply pieces of the puzzle that come together to create a picture of optimal health. It may sound obvious, but in order to get yourself closer to an ideal state of health you need to become educated in two areas:

1. Your current state of health.
2. What it actually means to be healthy.

One way to “grade” your heart health is through risk stratification. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) presents the following as positive risk factors for CAD:

• Family history: Heart attack, bypass, or sudden death in first-degree male relatives before 55 years of age, or before 65 years of age.
• Cigarette smoking: Current smokers or those who quit within the preceding 6 months.
• Hypertension: High blood pressure defined as systolic pressure (top number) being greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg, OR diastolic pressure (bottom number) being greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg.
• Dyslipidemia: High cholesterol defined as LDL (“bad”) cholesterol greater than 130 mg/dL, OR HDL (“good”) cholesterol less than 40 mg/dL, OR on lipid-lowering medication. Having HDL greater than 60 mg/dL is considered to be a negative risk factor, and thus negates a positive risk factor.
• Impaired fasting glucose: Fasting blood glucose (“blood sugar”) greater than or equal to 100 mg/dL.
• Obesity: Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30, OR waist girth greater than 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women, OR waist-to-hip ratio greater than or equal to .95 in males and .86 in females.
• Sedentary lifestyle: Persons not participating in a regular exercise program or not meeting minimal physical activity recommendations.

Knowing your individual risk factors for CAD is the first step toward reaching ideal heart health. Do you know where you stand? Have you had an annual physical or participated in a Know Your Number health screening? If so, congratulations! You are on your way to better health!