Posts from — June 2009

Does this happen to you? Somewhere in the middle of your Booty Camp Fitness session, your brain or body announces, “I’m done.” That’s called bonking: a point of exhaustion that makes one unable to go further. Whether your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-went because of a poor diet, heat, lack of water or fitness level, here’s help. Jonathan Cane, a Nike running coach and president of City Coach Multisport in New York City, gives three great tips in Fitness magazine to help you stick with your session and go the distance:
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I praise the practice of eating a cheat meal once a week. A South Street cheeseburger, french fries with curry aioli, a red velvet cupcake or Wendy’s Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty aren’t anyone’s idea of healthy fare, but food is as much for fun as it is for fitness — especially during a hot summer. Eating a weekly cheat meal or snack lets a diet-conscious person have foods that are off limits due to excessive salt, fat or carbs that could be detrimental to his or her health and training goals.

But if you tell yourself, I’m working out consistently; I can afford the calories, you might start using the belief I’m fit enough as an excuse to eat cheat meals often and sabotage your health.
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A relaxing conclusion to any activity you enjoy this summer is important. If you tend to blow off your cooldowns, consider that a 10 to 15-minute post-exercise cooldown lowers your heart rate back to a normal, healthy level safely, and you’ll feel less tired than if you head straight for a cold shower. As incentive to conclude your workouts smartly, create a cooldown playlist with slow rhythms with 60 to 80 beats per minute.

Fiterati’s mellow music playlist.

Studies done by Loughborough University, U.K., and University of Sherbrooke, Que., recommend three tips when sticky summer days threaten to sap your energy cutting your outdoor workouts short.

1. Set your alarm: You’ll last up to 12 per cent longer on hot days if you exercise outdoors in the morning, when temperatures are lower. Try 6:45 a.m. versus 6:45 p.m.

2. Chug water before you go: You’ll increase stamina by 14 per cent, says a new study. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends sipping half a litre of water at least four hours before outdoor workouts to ward off dehydration from your sweat session and its fatiguing effect.

3. Grab cold drinks: You’ll boost your endurance 23 per cent by sipping chilled drinks rather than ones that got heated during your run, skate or cycle. Try a stainless steel bottle to keep fluids cold for hours.

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Sport is when all your fitness training comes together. Few summer sports are as challenging as basketball, badminton, inline skating, power walking and volleyball. Put all your cardio and strength training to good use this summer and you’ll dramatically improve your passion for movement and all the amazing things your body can do.

Basketball

A high aerobic fitness level is required for basketball, along with the ability to change direction quickly, explosive power in legs and lightning speed. Skip one gym session this week and forget conditioning drills — just play.

A friendly game burns 479 calories in 60 minutes, and if you’ve got skills a 60-minute competitive game slam dunks 720 calories.

Most community centres have a 3-on-3 organized and every schoolyard has a game going this summer, making most basketball games free and fun.
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