Today, I'd like to introduce to you my good friend Wayne.
Not only is he a great guy, but he is quite knowledgeable in the area of fitness. As you read his article (below), I think you'll discover fitness can be fun as well as rewarding. Enjoy!
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Wayne's Fitness Tips and Tricks
May
2014 Volume 3,
Issue 5
For Runners: The Joy of Running
We all learned to run shortly after we learned to walk, and
we loved it! So why do some of us stop
running? Several reasons: cars, the
internet, raising a family, and desk jobs.
Then, if we try to resume running, it hurts! And, as adults, we tend to sabotage the joy
of running by setting goals.
How can we rediscover the joy of running? First, make goals much less of a
priority. When you go for a run, try
leaving your watch at home. I met a
woman recently who has done the Pike's Peak marathon 17 times. She trains from home on a five mile loop
“although I'm not sure it's exactly five miles because I've never really
measured it”, she told me. She doesn't
know what her normal running pace is because she doesn't time her runs.
Second, run playfully.
Stop and enjoy the scenery if you are running a trail. Pick your training runs by what sounds like
fun, instead of by how long it is. Break
out of your routine by running someplace new and different.
Finally, find a different way to get in some miles. Take a hike instead of a run. Or ride your bike, especially if you haven't
ridden one in a while. Rollerskate or
rollerblade or try skateboarding. These different
self-powered modes of locomotion will also work leg muscles you don't use as
much when you run, and that's a good thing, too!
If you run, you know that you feel better after the
post-workout shower, food tastes better, and you sleep better. You manage stress better. Like toddlers, you know the pure joy of
simply running...
Everything
In Moderation...
I am going to do something this issue that I haven't done
before, and I apologize ahead of time: I'm going to indulge in some sarcasm...
Recently, my wife called me into her home office, “Would you
like to see something really depressing?”
That should have been my first clue to run the other way! She had pulled up on article on the internet
entitled, “The Worst 20 Things You Can Eat And Why”. (If you like being depressed, here is the
link: http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/the-20-worst-things-you-can-eat-and-why#21 ) Her parting comment was, “Doesn't that just take all
the fun out of eating??” By the way, for
some reason, bananas didn't make the list!
(See the March newsletter...)
So here's the sarcasm: “Wayne's List of 8 ½ Things You
Should Not Eat And Why”...
1. Rocks. Although
high in essential minerals, rocks are extremely difficult to chew and digest.
2. Lumber. High in
fiber, and low in fat, but there is a very high risk of getting splinters. In extreme emergencies, the cambium layer of
trees, just beneath the bark, can be eaten.
(True!)
3. Air. There is
absolutely no nutrition in air.
4. Bricks. (See
“Rocks” above)
5. Automobiles. Full
of artificial ingredients, and gasoline is toxic.
6. Bugs. People in
other cultures actually do eat bugs, but in this country, habitual bug-eating
will cause you to lose all your friends.
Besides, the furry, leggy, squirmy ones tend to stick in your throat...
7. Aliens. Never
ever, under any circumstances should you eat an alien! If you've seen the movies, you know what
happens, and it's not pretty.
8 ½. Elephants. Even half an elephant has way more calories
than you'd need in an entire year.
Seriously, here's a simple
guide to healthy eating:
1. Don't eat too much junk food. A little bit of fast food occasionally is
okay. McDonald's for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner is not okay.
2. Everything in moderation!
Water is essential, but too much can literally kill you.
3. “Variety is the spice of life.” Eating a wide variety of foods pretty much
guarantees you will get all of the nutrients you need. If you feel you need to, take vitamins and/or
protein supplements.
4. Personally, I would avoid restaurants as much as
possible. My wife and I stopped going
out almost completely when the recession hit.
Now that we go out occasionally, I am shocked at the size of the
portions! I almost always take half of
my food home to eat later.
5. Eat your bananas!
Sarcopenia
As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass, and the fitness
industry even has a term to remind us of our unavoidable physical decline:
sarcopenia.
Is loss of muscle inevitable? Probably, but it can be slowed considerably
through exercise, especially resistance training, and proper amounts of dietary
protein. Here are some suggestions for
maintaining/gaining muscle mass:
1. Lift weights. Just
one day a week of resistance exercise will help you maintain muscle mass. Even 90-year-olds have tripled their strength
in 10 weeks by lifting! Basic guideline: three sets, 5-10 reps on each
set. If you can do more than 10 reps,
use heavier weights.
2. Keep track of your protein intake. If you are exercising without adequate
protein, you will not get stronger because your muscles cannot rebuild
themselves. Basic guideline: at least ½ gram of protein per pound of body weight
daily.
3. Include some aerobics/cardio/endurance exercise to
balance out the strength training. Basic
guideline: 30-45 minutes of cardio at least three times per week.
4. Finally, do some isometrics. Full-body muscle tension builds strength and
keeps muscle groups balanced, and you don't need a gym or equipment to do
isometrics. Basic guideline: 5 minutes
of isometrics three times a day.
Quote of the Month
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in
rising every time we fall.”
-Confucius
Yours for better fitness,
Wayne
Some of my favorite
places on the 'net:
General fitness:
Snap
Fitness: www.snapfitness.com/gyms
Livestrong:
www.livestrong.com
Wayne's
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WaynesFitnessTipsAndTricks
Nutrition:
Susan
Drake's nutrition: www.I8Gr8.com
www.livestrong.com/myplate/
Information
on glycemic index: www.glycemicindex.com
Good
eating: www.yesiwantcake.com
www.hungrygirl.com
Running websites:
My
free race website: www.wayneruns.weebly.com
Shoes,
running gear: www.roadrunnersports.com
www.runnersroost.com
www.boulderrunningcompany.com
Racing
calendar: www.racingunderground.com
Marathon
training: www.jeffgalloway.com
