FIT TIP LIBRARY - Page 1

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GETTING STARTED

Many people who are not regular exercisers make a conscious decision to initiate an exercise program-this decision is often easy to make, but to put it into action is quite another thing. Many roadblocks exist to prevent us from getting started. These range from accessibility to facilities to becoming motivated to get going with your fitness program. Following are a number of tips and suggestions to help you get started, and stick with, your new commitment to yourself.

Set realistic goals. Often people set fitness goals for themselves which are either not attainable or only attainable in the long term. A better approach for most is to set smaller, more achievable goals and once reached set new goals. For example, if weight loss is the goal, set out to lose a few pounds and then set your sights on a few more rather than setting a goal to lose 25 pounds and becoming frustrated that it is taking so long to get there.

Schedule your workouts. Exercise isn't something that just happens by itself. It needs to be a planned part of your day, much like a meeting or appointment. Schedule it in your day planner and prioritize your day around it.

Workout with a friend. It is quite easy to skip a workout if you know that there isn't anyone waiting for you. If a friend is waiting for you at the tennis courts for a match and you decide to miss your workout your likely to hear about it.

Choose an activity which you enjoy. Often people get into a certain activity because someone has told them that it is the best form of physical fitness. Not so. The best type of physical activity is the one that you enjoy and look forward to-if you did have to miss a workout you would be disappointed that you missed it.

Plan ahead. It's really easy to come up with a reason to go straight home from the office, without first stopping in at the gym. "I'm too hungry to exercise", "I forgot my gear", "I don't have time", are all common objections to working out. Packing your gym bag the night before and leaving it by the door, having a light snack an hour or so before your scheduled workout, are all things that will help prepare you to be ready when your 3 o'clock Racquetball game rolls around.

Celebrate your success. As you progress you will notice positive changes in your fitness and energy levels. Treat yourself from time to time to celebrate your success. Making a major and positive change in your lifestyle is reason to celebrate.

If you are not presently active and have give thought to making a change in your activity level give some thought to the above suggestions. The most important thing is that you find an activity that is enjoyable to you and stick with it. If it isn't fun you aren't going to keep it up. Good luck.

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WINTER CHILLS - EXERCISING IN COLD WEATHER

We have been experiencing great weather to date, but sooner or later that will change. Mother nature will soon enough have her way and the cold will come. Many alter their physical activity patterns in the winter months to avoid out-of-doors activities, but just as many don't. Activities such as downhill and cross country skiing, running and skating are excellent forms of physical fitness. Preparing for inclement weather or dramatic weather changes, can make the difference between an enjoyable workout and a potentially dangerous one.

There are some common sense precautions one should take when exercising in cold temperatures. But their are also some less obvious ones. Keep the following suggestions in mind;

Check the weather: Check the weather and prepare for it. If wind is a factor wear a some type of wind breaker track suit. If a winter storm is predicted, stay home. Drastic weather changes can be dangerous.

Dress for it: Several layers of lighter clothing will make it easy for you to adjust during your time outdoors. You can take off a layer and still be warm. We create a lot of heat when we exercise (even outdoors). If you happen to be wearing one warm jacket and you begin to overheat, you won't be able to take it off.

Wear something on your head: We lose a lot of our generated heat through our head and shoulder regions. A warm toque will keep a lot of that heat in.

Limit your time outside: Even if you take the necessary precautions, an extended workout could lead to frostbite or hypothermia. During a long workout (e.g. a long winter run) we tend to gradually slow down as we fatigue. As a result, less heat is generated and the sweat trapped in our clothing quickly begins to cool. The result could be a decrease in core body temperature.

Know the early warning signs: Early warning signs of injury due to the include tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes, or a burning sensation in the nose and ears. React quickly to these signs by getting warm before frostbite sets in.

Cover your mouth: During exercise in extreme cold you should be aware of your breathing. Cold air is warmed and moisturized by the respiratory system. This cold air that we breathe in has very little moisture, but when we breathe it out it is saturated. The moisture loss can lead to general dehydration as well as a dryness of the mouth and a burning sensation in the throat. By wearing a scarf which covers the nose and throat you will be able to trap some of the moisture in the expired air.

Winter activities can be a blast, but take the needed precautions to keep it as safe as it can be fun.

By: Dave Whitenect Director-Health, Fitness and Recreation Saint John YM-YWCA

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YOU CAN'T RUN WITH A BROKEN ANKLE

While exercise is a healthy lifestyle choice, there are inherent risks involved. Injury is not a desirable outcome of exercise and will prevent you from participating in the future. You should keep the risks associated with your activity in mind. This article will discuss specific risks associated with popular activities.

Walking/Running
Walking is the probably the most popular form of physical activity in Canada. Walk/run programs are also becoming quite popular (walk a block, run a block), but beware of possible injuries.

• Proper footwear is essential for this type of activity. A cheap or old pair of sneakers can lead to not only foot problems, but ankle, knee, hip or lower back problems too. When shopping for a new pair of shoes take your old ones with you. A good shoe salesman can determine what type of shoe is best for you based on the wear patterns on the bottom of the shoe. This way you will have the right shoe for you.
• Know the terrain when you are running/walking. "Off-roading" can easily lead to an ankle rollover or even a slip and fall if you step in the wrong place. Trails or roads are a better bet for proper footing than off-road trekking.
• Traffic is a runner's worst enemy. Lunch time or after work runners know that busy streets and intersections can be extremely dangerous. Plan a route around high traffic areas.

Cycling
Cycling is another popular form of exercise. Once on a bike, you are no longer avoiding traffic, but rather are a part of it! As a result, you need to be constantly aware of the "other guy".

• Wearing a helmet should be automatic before you jump onto your bike. High speeds can be easily attained and one wrong bump can lead to a spill. Why take the chance?
• The bike you purchase should meet certain requirements. First of all, it should be properly sized for you. It also should be equipped with reflectors and a small horn to let pedestrians know your coming isn't a bad idea either.

• Properly warm-up before any activity. Often people jump right into the game before warming up. The time it takes is minor compared to its value in preventing injury.
• Equipment that is in disrepair can lead to injury. An old helmet may not give the proper protection required if you happen to fall. A lack of equipment is also a concern. Consider a face visor and a mouth-guard when playing a sport such as Hockey. It may be a non-contact game, but accidental hits do occasionally occur (a puck in the face hurts too).

• Home exercise equipment can be costly. A general rule is that you get what you pay for. If the price is cheap the quality is probably just as cheap. Cheap exercise equipment is usually very unstable. This is a concern, especially when it comes to something like a treadmill.
• Get advice from someone that knows. Even though there are lots of good magazines and television shows, there are also lots of bad ones. Talk to someone with formal training in physical fitness.

By: Dave Whitenect, Director-Health, Fitness and Recreation Saint John YM-YWCA

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YOU CAN'T RUN WITH A BROKEN ANKLE - PART 2

This is the second of a two part series examining the topic of injury prevention and treatment. Last week's article discussed a number of injury prevention tips related to the following activities; walking/running, cycling, recreational sports and home exercise programs. This week's article will arm you with some basic first aid procedures that will help you cope with some common exercise-related injuries in the event that they occur.

While preventative measures can reduce the likelihood of an injury, they do not eliminate the risk completely. Muscle strains, sprains, cramps, and cuts or bruises caused from a fall are all examples of injuries that may occur as a result of exercise. By knowing how to properly deal with these common injuries, you can reduce their severity and your recovery time.

Muscle Strain:
A muscle strain, sometimes referred to as a muscle pull, is a stretch, tear, or rip in the muscle. Muscle fatigue, loss of function and an immediate sharp pain are all signs that a strain may have occurred. Continued use of the muscle after a sprain has occurred will only worsen the injury. Immediately stop activity, apply ice to the injured area and immobilize the joint from further use.

Sprain:
A strain is a traumatic joint twist, which forces the joint beyond it's normal limits and results in tearing stabilizing connective tissue. Specifically, there is injury to ligaments and tendons around the joint. Strains are classified into three degrees depending on their severity. Again, immediately stop all activity and apply ice to the injured area.

Cramps:
A cramp is usually a painful involuntary muscle contraction. Muscle cramps have been attributed to a lack of salt, muscle fatigue and dehydration. To treat a muscle cramp, begin with gentle stretching followed by massage. The massaging action should be towards the heart and followed by the application of ice.

Simple Cuts and Bruises:
A slip and fall during a run, hike or recreational activity can lead to various injuries. They can be as simple as a bruise to as complicated as a broken bone. Most commonly, bruises and minor cuts are the result of falls. The most effective treatment for minor cuts and bruises is to immediately rest followed by applying ice (for a bruise) or a Band-Aid or clean gauze with light compression to help stop the bleeding.

Generally speaking, you need to use some common sense when dealing with an injury. Common injuries such as a sprain, strain, cut or bruise can be minor or fairly major. If you experience a lot of pain or if there is obvious deformity, immediately get medical help. By treating the injury right the first time, there is less likelihood of it becoming a reoccurring injury.

To find out more about first aid and CPR training contact the Y and register for the next available course.

By: Dave Whitenect, Director-Health, Fitness and Recreation Saint John YM-YWCA

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IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH ROAD YOU TAKE

"If you don't know where you are going" the Scarecrow said to Dorothy, "it doesn't matter which road you take." We can learn a lot from this statement by the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. Setting goals is an important step when initiating a fitness program.

Evaluate your reasons for beginning a fitness program
There are many reasons people initiate a fitness program; weight loss, strength gains, improve sport performance or at the advice of their physician. Whatever the reason, one should set realistic goals, or outcomes, in which they hope to achieve. A plan can then be developed based on these goals. Ample consideration should be given to this process of goal setting.

Goals should be measurable
It is difficult to assess a goals such as "I want to have more energy" or "I want to feel better". These are great reasons to exercise, but difficult to measure. A simple measure may be to time your evening walk over a standard distance and repeat over time. Generally, you will have more energy as a result of cardiovascular conditioning. Improvements can be easily measured as given in the example above.

Goals should have a time frame
If you set goals with an indefinite time frame, you may be setting yourself up for failure. A time frame will help provide you with the motivation to achieve the goal. It should keep you on track because you have a sense of a deadline.

Goals can be short-term goals or long term goals. Typically people are more successful with short-term goals which are incremental. This way the goal doesn't seem so overwhelming. For example, if you had a short-term goal of losing 1 pound per week and a longer-term goal of losing 12 pounds, you would be on track for a period of 3 months.

Reward yourself
Achieving your goal can be very rewarding. This is when you should take the time to treat yourself. Celebrate in a way the suits you; purchase your favorite treat, take time off, or have some quite time for yourself to just relax. If you make plans to reward yourself when the goal is reached it can be a big motivator. It gives you something to look forward to and can keep you going even though you may not feel like it.

Goals should be realistic
On a final note, make sure that you are practical when setting goals. If the goal is too difficult to achieve than there is a high probability that you will fall short. This is likely to lead to frustration and consequently a lack of adherence.

Get on the right track, and good luck.

Submitted by Dave Whitenect, Director-Health, Fitness and Recreation Saint John YM-YWCA

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INJURY-FREE ACTIVITY

While there are associated risks involved with many popular forms of physical activity there are some specific ways that you could decrease the chance of injury. This article will outline some general exercise precautions which could be applied to various physical activities.

Over-training
As implied, this term refers to over exercising. Generally this is done in one of two ways;

1. One could try to make up for any number of missed workouts by packing it all into one. This person runs the risk of more than sore muscles the following day. Concerns such as muscle strains are a definite reality here.
   
2. An individual could workout too often. Believe it or not, there are many who workout every day while others workout twice in the same day. In some cases, patterns show a compulsive behavior towards exercise. As well imagined, a wide variety of physical and medical problems may be linked to excessive exercise. Indicators of over-training include an increase in nervousness, an inability to relax, extreme muscle soreness and rapid weight loss.

Contra-indicated Exercises
The word contraindicated means "not advisable". When applied to the fitness industry, it is generally agreed that there are certain exercises which put us all at high risk of injury. Examples include full neck rotations, straight leg raises, full sit-ups and deep knee bending (full squats). These exercises put unnecessary stress on the joints, ligaments and tendons. There are safe alternatives to each of the contraindicated exercises listed above. Often an exercise will feel fine but because of underlying risks is not recommended. Seek advise from a certified fitness leader to be sure of your exercise program.

Getting Started
Take special consideration when initiating a fitness program. Your body is not yet accustomed to the stress of physical activity. Consequently, you are at a greater risk of experiencing an injury. Start slowly and increase gradually. Pay attention to the signals that your body is giving you; excessive muscle stiffness or fatigue are suggestions that you are doing too much too soon.

Get active and have fun, but take care to avoid putting yourself at risk of an unwanted injury.

By: Dave Whitenect Director, Health, Fitness & Recreation Saint John YM-YWCA