The Definition of Fitness

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday today! I wanted to share with you something that my trainer at the gym shared with me recently. She said that there are FIVE components of fitness so I thought I would give you the exact information she shared with me. The five components are as follows:

Cardiovascular/Cardio Respiratory Endurance (Aerobics)

• The capacity of the heart-lung systems to deliver an adequate oxygen supply for sustained energy production.
• Example: walking, elliptical trainer, bike or treadmill. Cross training works well, it confuses the body and keeps things more interesting. **if biking or walking, make sure your heart rate is in the appropriate training zone! Talk to your trainer to find out what your zone should be!

Muscular Strength

• The amount of force that a muscle can produce in a single maximum effort
• Example: performing one dumbbell shoulder press using the heaviest weight you can possibly lift

Muscular Endurance

• The amount of force that a muscle can produce repeatedly against resistance
• Example: performing a set of 12 reps of a dumbbell shoulder press

Flexibility

• The range of motion possible about a joint

Body Composition

• The ratio of body fat to lean mass in an individual
• Example: the amount of fat compared to bones, muscle and organs, etc.

Remember! It's the trainer's job to encourage, teach and implement these components of fitness into a safe and effective fitness plan designed for you personally!

 

Let's all stay healthy! Remember, we are at an age (over 50 or pretty close to it) where maintenance of our health is vitally important! Take care of yourself and remember that if you do not set foot in a gym on a regular basis do something --- anything! Just move, keep your body active ---not sedentary! Like the saying goes, if you don't use it you lose it! Healthy Living Over 50 is very do-able!

Free Weights vs. Strength-Training Equipment: What's Your Preference?

Hi everyone! I was over at the local gym recently and was trying to decide whether I wanted to use the in-house equipment or go to "where the guys are" and use the free weights. My trainer mentioned to me that there are many pros and cons and that it boils down to a matter of preference and a matter of what your body is able to do. The choice really depends on your personal level of experience and also depends on what your individual goals are. The American Council on Exercise breaks it down like this:

free weight advantages:

• they incorporate the stabilizing muscles that enable you to perform the movements you choose to make and may be more effective in producing overall muscle strength
• the exercises tend to more closely match the movement patterns you are likely to need for specific sports
• free weights are more versatile; you can do a wider variety of exercises with a simple set of dumbbells
• they are inexpensive and portable and take up little space

free weight disadvantages:

• you must learn to balance the weight while exerting force which can be difficult and dangerous to do especially if you are lifting them over your head
• the isolation of specific muscles can be difficult to achieve and requires a precise technique
• training alone can lead to injury if you are not careful

gym machine advantages:

• they are generally safer and easier to use especially for beginners
• some machines are more efficient than free weights in isolating a specific muscle group
• machines ensure correct movements for a lift which helps prevent cheating when you get tired
• these workouts may take less time because you can move from machine to machine easily

gym machine disadvantages:

• most machines involve moving a weight along a predetermined path, making it difficult to strengthen the core muscles
• machines are more limited, most only allow one exercise
• most machines target an average sized person, so if you are taller or shorter than average you may find problems adjusting the machine

In general, if you are fairly new to a strength training program or are just getting back into a routine, you should probably stick with resistance-training machines for the first 10 weeks or so. This will give your body time to adjust without putting too much stress on your joints. If you are a seasoned gym rat then you might want to try a combination of both to get the maximum benefit of your workout.  If you have a membership to a gym take advantage of asking a fitness professional to show you how to use each piece of equipment regardless of which method you choose. Until then, have a healthy and happy day everyone and remember, Healthy Living Over 50 is very achievable!

Great Workout/Delicious and Nutritious Lunch Recipe!

Just got back from the gym and all I can say is I am VERY TIRED! I had an excellent cardio workout, but it's funny though, I don't think of it as work so much any more. As each day goes by, I find myself looking forward to the "torture". I did a solid hour of cardio today including 20 minutes on the eliptical, 20 minutes on the bike and 20 minutes on the treadmill. I had my heart rate up for a good while! I had recent foot surgery and it has greatly impacted my ability to walk with no pain, so the treadmill is a real challenge. If you find yourself in this situation, just take it easy and work up to it, maybe do 5-10 minutes at a time. When I got home, I decided to make a healthy salad for lunch. I have become very mindful of what I eat, so I do not even buy any junk food for fear of returning to my old ways!
Try this wonderful salad at home when you get a chance, it was super tasty!

Here's a photo of the basic ingredients. It includes spinach, celery, red and green bell pepper, sliced pear, broccoli slaw and feta cheese.  Everything is so easily put together! I have discovered the broccoli cole slaw recently and love the fresh, crunchy addition to the salad. I also tossed in some dried cranberries, and a small handful of sunflower seeds. For protein I added a small package of pink salmon and drizzled a small amount of balsamic vinegar dressing! Served it with a tall glass of green tea.....Very delicious and nutritious!

Monday mornings are the hardest!

I have to admit Mondays are super hard for me. It's extremely difficult to get out of bed and get motivated to get fit! I admit I have to do a lot of talking to myself. My session at the gym with Stephanie today was especially difficult. I have a long way to go to get in shape, especially to build up strength in my core. Today was one solid hour of cardio, including eliptical, lunges, free weights and spinning. It helps to have someone who has a sunny disposition while still being very demanding and pushing you along. I find the eliptical especially hard and it seems that only after 5 minutes I am struggling to catch my breath. That, obviously, is a true indicator of how far I have to go to get where I need to be. All around me, there are people (young and old) going super fast and lasting quite a long time without stopping. Stephanie assures me I will get to this point someday and encourages me to continue on a regular workout regimen in order to get the results! All I can say is that I will certainly do my best and only time will tell! I know I am committed to making a lifestyle change in order to live healthy over 50!