Tuesday 4 January 2011

Treadmill traffic

If any of you went to the gym today you’ll most likely have seen some interesting gym kit and work out styles (who knew some people didn’t know how to run!) which mark the invasion of the new years revolutioners! Whilst I will be secretly cursing all the novices who will make my gym overcrowded and unusable for the whole of January it is definitely worth harnessing new years enthusiasm to get you back to the gym which is why as part of my bootcamp I’ll be doing something physically active for 20-40 minutes every day.

If you think this is excessive just remember it’s only for 14 days and for any of the exercise uninitiated it can just start with going for a 20 minute brisk walk everyday. The key is to exercise at a level that you can repeat everyday. I’m no personal trainer so I’m including the regime I’ll be following at the end of this blog just fyi, but it’s important to pick something you will enjoy so if the idea of going to the gym turns your stomach then go for a jog outside, get some dumbbells to use at home or invest in some exercise dvds. My sister waxes lyrical about the Davina fitness dvds and I have a random selection myself for days when I really can’t face leaving the house!!

Whilst I say two weeks ‘straight’ I will be having a rest day each week where I will still do something active but something very low impact and something that is restorative and relaxing. In my case this will be 20-60mins of yoga (depending on how much time I have) but this could equally be going for a gentle walk on your way to pick up the Sunday papers.

For any of you who have no interest in exercise then read no further as I’m afraid today’s blog is a bit of a long one!

Other than weight loss there are lots of other benefits of exercising everyday:

- By making time to be active everyday for two weeks you will get into the habit of daily exercise – once you’ve done two weeks straight it will actually feel odd not doing something active each day making you more likely to keep it up.

- Every time you exercise it gives your metabolism a boost so by exercising daily you will upregulate it, increasing your rate of fat burning.

- The lymph fluid that carries your white blood cells around the body is moved through the lymphatic system by muscle contractions so daily exercise will improve lymphatic drainage (helping eliminate toxins and dead blood cells) and keep your immune system functioning well. This is why those who exercise a moderate amount get sick less often that those who are sedentary.

- Muscles act as ‘sugar sinks’ helping regulate blood sugar levels so if you build muscle you help even out your energy levels reducing those low blood sugar moments that have you reaching for a biscuit.

A word of caution: if you are exercising 6 days a week, as I will be for these two weeks, it is very important not to workout intensely for more than 40 minutes a day. This is because above 40minutes a day the exercise becomes stressful for the body provoking the production of stress hormones that can lead to both fatigue and increased fat storage, counteracting all the benefits of bootcamp. If you’re an athlete who sleeps 12 hours a day and doesn’t have a stressful day job to deal with then feel free to train like a maniac, but I doubt that applies to any NITC readers!! Also if you are ill or feeling very fatigued then please don’t exercise as you can make your condition worse and slow recovery time. If you’re not bed ridden go for a 20 minute gentle walk to get some fresh air and get your lymph fluid flowing.

Also please note that the 40 minutes doesn’t include stretching and cool down though so you can add these on, having a good stretch and relaxation session at the end of your workout is very beneficial for mind and body so spend at least 10minutes on it and enjoy taking time to relax!

My bootcamp regime:

20 minutes interval training (rotating between bike, treadmill and cross trainer)

followed by a 5 minute ergo (rowing machine) – please don’t do this if you haven’t been shown how to use a rowing machine properly or if you have any injuries

15 minutes weight training alternating between:

day 1: upper body (chest, shoulders, arms, back)

day 2: lower body and abs

I’m repeating this for 6 days a week for the next two weeks with one day off for yoga, although if I’m having a really busy day then I’ll do either the interval training or the weights, which will take only 20 minutes.

My interval training is based on that used in the Body for Life programme . You might think 20 minutes isn’t that long but if you do it properly you’ll really be working and it really improves cardiovascular fitness so is great for winter training for aspiring athletes.

http://bodyforlife.com/library/exercise/cardio

My weight training exercises are pretty close to those in the Bodydoctor book (I just don’t do them all in one go). The book has good instructions although if you haven’t done free weights before I’d recommend you book some personal training sessions to learn the proper technique.

Bodydoctor: Trust Me, I'm the BodyDoctor.

No comments:

Post a Comment