Progress in Small Steps

A few weeks ago I ran another San Antonio Rock & Roll Half Marathon.  I kept a target time in the back of my mind as I trained this year, but I could tell at the start of the run that I probably wouldn’t make it.  The day started off warm and sunny – not PR conditions – and although I felt good, my steps weren’t springy.  I plodded through with a little kick at the end and finished about two minutes ahead of last year’s time, nine minutes slower than my best. 

Finishing a little better than last year was nice, but more important were the things I noticed about this year’s run and the training leading up to it.  I ran through the summer, which I didn’t do last year.  It wasn’t always fun, and I sometimes had to scramble to hit the early morning window of (relative) coolness, but it kept me from basically starting over in the fall.  I ran more frequently.  I did more long runs.  I increased the distance of my “standard” feel-good run.  And on race day I found that I wasn’t counting down the miles, eagerly looking forward to the finish line; the race actually seemed to fly by.  I would feel tired and then suddenly recover from that tiredness as I ran through it.  I didn’t tighten up like I have in the past, when my shoulders, back, hamstrings, and calves would threaten rebellion around mile 9.  The typical post-race aches were gone by the next morning.  I ran a 4-miler on Thanksgiving and felt great. 

I didn’t fall out of love with running.  I didn’t have the kind of race that makes you scream, “Never again!  This is crazy!” 

Progress isn’t always measured by concrete markers like time, speed, weight lifted or lost.  Sometimes the reward for consistent effort is simply a subtle signal from your body that things are at least (and at last) feeling a little easier.  The trick is being aware enough to catch those signals and recognize them for what they are – continuing confirmation of your commitment.  Encouragement to keep going.   

It’s enough.

Workout Shorts

I took the dog for his long walk this morning, then did a short workout in my living room with 10# dumbbells, yoga mats, and the couch:

Burpee w/pushup
Crab kicks
Modified pullover
Lying triceps extension
Back & forth lunge
Biceps curl
DB jackknife
1-leg triceps dip
DB push press (squat w/a delt press)
Side raise
Shrug

Two quick sets were enough to work me out, just in the time it took to watch Susan Cain's TED talk on the power of introverts.

Friday Tidbits

Let's kick off the weekend with some health bits -

• Research indicates that 30 minutes/day, 3 – 5 days/week is the most effective dose of exercise for enhancing happiness – it doesn’t take much!  

• You’re more likely to stick with positive health behaviors when you’re emotionally involved: sharing the experience with friends, knowing that someone else supports your efforts, focusing on what feels good about an activity, and celebrating or receiving recognition for your progress (even small steps) along the way.  

• Take a brisk 5-minute walk every hour - you’ll accumulate 40 minutes of activity over your 8-hour workday.  

• Despite their wide availability and advertisers’ claims about their benefits, packaged diet foods (calorie/sugar/fat-reduced or free) have not been correlated with weight loss.  These foods are generally highly processed and can actually cause people to overcompensate by consuming more calories later.  They’re best used occasionally (if at all) in conjunction with – not as a substitute for - a healthy, satisfying diet and regular exercise.  

• Pregnant and exercising?  Monitor your exercise intensity with the talk test (able to carry on a conversation) or the Rating of Perceived Exertion (Light to Somewhat Hard).  Don’t use your target heart rate; the variability of your heart rate throughout pregnancy makes this an unreliable guide to how hard you're working.

Happy Friday!

Just Get Out the Door

Saturday night we got rain here in South Texas.  Not as much as we need, but enough to bring a little coolness to Sunday’s morning air.  I owed a longer run to my half-marathon training.  I woke up around 5:45 and thought, Hey – I’m up early; I can go as soon as it gets light. 

Enter the excuses.  I’ll sleep a little longer.  There will be too many puddles.  I just want to relax with some coffee.  Don’t I still hear some rain?

Back to sleep.  Repeat at 6:30 and again at 8 (I’m still making up for all those late Olympic nights).  Finally around 8:45 I got up.  Opened the door.  Put on running clothes.  Put my iPod in the armband.  But I wanted breakfast.  And to get back to my Asa Larsson novel.  And a hundred other things besides going for a run.  I decided to blow it off.  I’ll have more time once school starts, right?  What’s so bad about skipping one run anyway?  Besides, I’ve waited too long – Now I’ll have no energy.  And it's already heating up.  Running will feel so much better in…October.  

Sometimes I resist what I know is good for me, and I have to laugh at this pesky little frame of mind – it sounds so soothing and reasonable.  It wants me to be comfortable.  It wants me to feel good right now.  It tries to convince me that I'll be really excited to run later, whenever that is.  

What do you do?  You can’t fight the voice - you know what you’re supposed to do, and it knows how to keep throwing up walls.  

I paced around the house, dithering and letting the voice have its say for a while longer.  Then I did what I’ve learned to do in this situation.  I thought of how I’d feel the next day if I didn’t make this run, and how good the next race will feel if I do.  And I told myself, At least get out the door and down the street – you can always turn around.  I went.  Forty-five minutes later I was back - energized - and hubby had breakfast ready.  Win-win.

My point?  Everyone struggles.  Working out doesn’t always sound fun.  You won’t stay motivated 100% of the time.  Acknowledge your resistance, have a little laugh at your creative excuses, and get moving anyway.   

It's Hot Out!

With another South Texas summer cranked up, I wanted to do a post on working out in the heat – but remember that heat safety doesn’t just apply to exercise.  If your job requires you to work outside or in a hot environment, if you’re outside for a long time (at a family reunion or outdoor festival, sightseeing on vacation, etc.) or if you live in a home with no air conditioning, you need to be aware of the conditions resulting from dehydration and heat exposure, and how to combat them.    

The first step is to know the symptoms of and first aid for heat exhaustion and heat stroke so that you can recognize them in yourself or someone else.  Here’s the CDC’s page on heat-related illnesses and conditions, starting with the most life-threatening:  heat stroke.

People who may be more susceptible to heat-related conditions include infants and young children, the elderly, and the overweight, as well as those who are already dehydrated, under-conditioned, very muscular, or have a history of heat illness.   Heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure can increase the risk of heat illness, as can just generally being sick.  Certain medications such as decongestants, antihistamines, antidepressants, and blood pressure medicines can affect hydration, as do caffeine and alcohol (sorry, free post-race beer) which can contribute to heat susceptibility.

Make sure you drink enough before, during, and after exercise.  The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you drink  8-12 fluid ounces of water 10-15 minutes before exercise, and  3-8 fluid ounces of water every 15 - 20 minutes when exercising for less than 60 minutes.  If you’ll be exercising for longer than 60 minutes, they recommend that you drink 3-8 fluid ounces of a sports beverage (5-8 percent carbohydrate with electrolytes) every 15-20 minutes.  Do not drink more than one quart/hour during exercise.

One way to check your hydration status is to weigh yourself before and after exercise (try to do your first weigh-in before hydrating in the morning).  The difference between the two can help you estimate sweat loss and your fluid requirements.  See their full brochure exercise hydration here.  

Keep your hydration up throughout the day.  Your urine should be clear yellow.  Take into account your activities and what you’ve eaten/drunk in the days before each workout. 

Give yourself a minimum of two weeks to acclimate to exercising in the heat, and don’t expect to perform at your highest level.  Remember that in a dry climate, sweat evaporates more quickly, leading to more fluid loss.  In humid weather, your sweat evaporates more slowly, making it harder for your body to cool itself.  Be careful when trying a new outdoor activity in the heat – you don’t know how your body will respond.

Mix in some indoor workouts – try a treadmill, elliptical trainer, indoor track, or group exercise class.  (With my urban rebounder I don’t even have to leave the house, and I always love hitting a Jazzercise class.)  Or try swimming or water aerobics.  

Do outside workouts early in the morning or at night (before 7am/after 6pm).  Work out in or run through shady areas where possible, and rest often in the shade.  Wear lightweight, wicking fabrics and protect your face from the sun with a visor (caps trap heat).  If you’re doing something that requires a helmet, remove it during rest periods.  Don’t forget the sunscreen.  If it’s dark out, wear reflective garments.  

Work out with a friend or group so you can monitor each other for symptoms of heat illness and give assistance/call for medical help if necessary.  (Do I need to remind you to carry a cell phone?)

If you’re racing, check the race website beforehand for water and aid stops along the course, take your own hydration if necessary, and get medical attention if you begin to feel bad.  Don’t worry about running your regular pace, especially on humid days. 

Happy sweating - be safe!

How Much Exercise Do I Need Again?

We're almost halfway through 2012, and I want to remind you of the current physical activity guidelines, released in 2008 by the Department of Health & Human Services.  The guide is available online, or as a downloadable PDF.  It's very readable, and provides guidelines for all ages, as well as advice for pregnant/postpartum women, adults with disabilities, and people with chronic conditions.

The basic information
Physical activity is defined generally as "bodily movement that enhances health."  This is in addition to our baseline activities - the things you do in daily life, such as standing, walking around, and lifting light objects.  Baseline activities don't contribute to the activity requirements because you generally don't do them hard enough to get your heart rate up, but you can increase them to help burn more calories (and we're also learning that simply moving around more - standing vs. sitting - can provide needed health benefits; our bodies just don't want to be sedentary).

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity  -  You're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat.  You can talk, but not sing.  Fast walking, riding a bike on level ground, and even pushing a lawn mower are examples of moderate-intensity activities.

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity - You're breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit.  You won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.  Think of jogging/running, playing basketball, and riding a bike fast or on hills.  


The other components:
Along with aerobic activity - what we usually consider cardio or endurance work - you should also work on strengthening your muscles with weight-lifting or resistance bands, or by using your own body weight, as with a pushup or pull-up.  Weight-lifting and activities such as brisk walking or jogging also produce forces that help promote bone growth and strength, another component of the guidelines.  Although science has not shown clearly whether stretching helps to prevent injury or provides a health benefit, flexibility may be an important part of your fitness routine if the activity you choose requires it.  And balance training should be incorporated for older adults who are at risk of falling - some examples are heel-toe walking, standing from a sitting position, and standing on one foot - along with moderate-intensity exercises to help improve overall muscle strength and stability. 


So what are the guidelines for adults?
For healthy people ages 18-64 and generally fit adults 65+ with no limiting conditions (find all recommendations here):

For health benefits - 2.5 hours (150 minutes) moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week (work all major muscle groups)   

OR 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week (again working all major muscle groups)

OR  an equivalent mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic exercise (per week), with the same muscle-strengthening recommendation

Recommendations for children

Note that these are only guidelines for health benefits - increasing strength and aerobic capacity, lowering the risk for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, helping mental health and cognitive function, and improving your daily quality of life and ability to function.  For greater benefits, and particularly for weight loss, the aerobic guideline shoots up to 5 hours of moderate-intensity activity or 2.5 hours of vigorous activity (or an equivalent mix), with muscle-strengthening.  If you have a chronic condition or other symptoms that might limit your activity, you should check with your doctor - you may need to start with less time and lower intensity.  


If this looks daunting, the good news is that you can break down your efforts into 10-minute chunks of time.  In this post I offer some strategies to find time to work out.  And there are many activities available to help you meet the recommendations.  

Another important topic in the report is reducing your risk of injury.  Do exercise that's appropriate for your fitness level, choose the right shoes and other gear, and check with a doctor before beginning a program, especially if you have chronic conditions/symptoms or are starting to exercise for the first time.  In short, most people who start slowly, progress gradually, spread their exercise throughout the week, and choose a variety of activities are much less likely to injure themselves.  

So check in with your exercise program to see how you measure up.  Need inspiration to get moving?  Read some success stories from the CDC website.  The DHHS guidelines also provide several real-life examples for people of all ages and fitness levels.  Don't be discouraged if you're limited by your current activity level or a chronic condition - even if you can't reach the 150-minute minimum, doing something is always better than nothing.  Work out as your abilities allow.  And keep in mind this line from the report:  "The best physical activity is the one that is enjoyable enough to do regularly."

Holiday Weight Gain - Or Not

Thanksgiving is almost here, signaling the start of the holiday season, and our yearly fear of holiday weight gain.  You can Google “holiday weight gain” and instantly be inundated by tips on how to avoid it.  Whether it’s a recipe for low-calorie gravy, a new way to make a “skinny” cocktail, or the reminder to take a walk after that big turkey dinner, the advice is already out there – I have nothing new to add.  So here’s a link to an article on the Cleveland Clinic website. 

I like this list because it offers solid strategies that should be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle anyway – get moving, add more fruits and veggies to your diet, don’t let people pressure you into eating when you’re already full, allow yourself a small treat instead of feeling deprived, take a healthy dish to a potluck, avoid temptations throughout the day, especially if you know you’ll be socializing later that evening, and make healthier food choices during holiday events.  

I would add one more:  What stories do you tell yourself?  

I don’t need to exercise now – I’ll “catch up” in the new year.

It’s harder to lose the weight than it is to just keep it off in the first place.  Let your workouts carry you into the new year so you have a workout routine and mindset in place rather than making that resolution and never following through.  Exercise has many benefits beyond weight loss.

It’s useless to work out over the holidays.  I have no time to fit in a long workout, so why try? (Or, how can I work out if I’m traveling?)

You don’t need a long workout.  You can find the time – or more likely, claim the time for yourself – to take a 15-minute walk.  There are plenty of intense full-body exercise routines that just take 30 minutes and don't require any equipment.  (Here are some ideas from me.  And here are some more.)   Remember that starting is half the battle.  Besides, exercise helps reduce the stress we all feel during the period of holiday busy-ness.  

Who cares?  Everyone gains weight over the holiday.  I can’t expect to be any different.

Really?  I suggest you raise your expectations.  Find a Jazzercise center, hit a YMCA for group fitness classes, get a temporary gym membership, hire a personal trainer for a few sessions (some will actually come to your house), check out an indoor pool in your area, grab that friend or relative who manages to escape the holidays each year without packing on pounds and find out what she’s doing.  It’s a good bet there are plenty of people around you who don’t gain weight – you can be one of them.  

 Let this post challenge you to have a healthier holiday this year.  Good luck!