Category Archives: Exercise goals & benefits

Exercise goals and the benefits of exercise

Cardio and VO2, Goal & activity/exercise matching, Stories

Keeping it real: Physical fitness and VO2 max

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I was a runner back in high school. Mostly distance. But even as a youth it was easy to delude myself on my level of physical fitness. I remember running a cross country race where I had barely trained for it. We did not have a coach that year so we had to train ourselves as a group. Despite having run cross-country ever since I was 9 years old, I “forgot” what it took to be competitive. Without the external driving force(our coach) it was very hard to max out with speed drills and progressive endurance training. I had just finished a summer of partying and eating McDonald’s regularly so the extra weight and new outlook on life didn’t help things.

I had ran the exact same race several times in the past. I recall watching other races with runners who were falling behind shortly after the initial 3/4 sprint start. I remember the winded looks and trudging bodies that looked like they may collapse at any minute. I never imagined myself in their shoes. I would say to myself, “well at least they were trying.”

Obviously, I spoke too soon. I joined my new cohorts with a vengeance. I didn’t just stop at placing poorer than I ever had. I came in last. No joke. People on the sidelines cheered me on, “Come on West Hill!”. In the moment, I wanted to tell them to go fly a kite. It was extremely difficult not to walk off the course and cry in the bushes because of the level of humiliation that I felt. If I hadn’t heard those few words of encouragement I probably would have.

The real problem was that I already knew the method to the madness. My physical capacity for running was seriously depleted and I found out the hard way. It wouldn’t be the last time, but delusional moments following that episode were not nearly as extreme. I was learning, slowly.

VO2 max and muscle endurance.

We use the word fitness as a descriptor of our physical health. It is a general term and may encompasses many different components. The one measurement of our fitness that relates to our capacity to carry out our daily activities is our VO2 max. It is a measure of our heart, lung and circulatory fitness, in others words, our cardiovascular fitness. More specifically, it is the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during exercise. Its the critical one that if reduced to a level that is too low, we won’t be able to produce the energy required to get out of bed.

Now let’s take it up (or down) another level. You used to manage the 2 flights of stairs at your workplace but you discontinued that activity because you were working from home. Then you were forced to take the stairs one day and you are stunned by your body’s response. Your head feels dizzy because the level oxygen to your brain has been impacted. Maybe your blood pressure has shot up secondary to your heart’s attempt to supply your body with more oxygen. Your heart is racing and you are out of breath.

You may still have the basic mechanical capacity to do the stairs(i.e. enough strength and joint mobility) but you don’t have the muscle endurance and cardiovascular fitness to support the “sustained” activity.

How to improve your heart and lung fitness.

The best thing about cardiovascular fitness or VO2 max is that it can be improved through physical activity. If you have cardiovascular disease then you may need more guidance but everyone can benefit and make gains.

You need to do something that is beyond your normal level of exertion. You can usually tell if you are accomplishing that by your heart rate and respiratory rate. Of course, if you are seriously deconditioned or have any medical issues you may need to consult with a health professional. If you don’t know, get some help.

Moral of the story

Coming in last was not the worse thing in the world. But I sure felt like crap in more ways than one. It’s so much easier to maintain fitness with a sustainable daily commitment to exercise and/or intentional physical activities that challenge you. If we do that little bit more, everyday, our bodies will adapt appropriately over time.

Figuratively, we need to keep climbing hills everyday to challenge the body to keep up. It naturally wants to decline, and with age, even more so. We need to continue moving towards a higher base camp, higher than the one where we left off. Without activity, we end up progressively going downhill to the lower base camp and eventually we find ourselves below sea level and not even sure how we got there.

Keeping it better than real

Keeping it real will allow you to continue to be able to do all the things you enjoy doing. Knowing that you could do more is even better. Stay in tune with your physical abilities and don’t let them slide. Stay up on the highest base camp possible. There’s no rush to get to the top but don’t inadvertently coast downhill and let the clutch out too soon. Apply the gas gently and progressively. You will be amazed where you can take yourself!

Alright now, let’s GO!

Essentrics with Andrea

Anatomy, physiology and aging, Exercise goals & benefits

Hips: Love em or leave em?

I love my hips. I’ve never had a bad relationship with them. I have never had any chronic pain as an adult. I do recollect deep groin pain as a youth in ballet class. In any case, I care about my hips and want to keep them in the best shape possible. Without their health, I know my life would be significantly impacted. I want to stay ahead and not get behind in their abilities.

My hips are not symmetrical. They move differently. I’ve gotten to know them well through years of dance and physical activity. They are twins but with unique personalities. I don’t love one more than the other. They have their individual strengths and relative weaknesses (credit: wise yoga instructor).

Lately, I have had some knee cap pain. While I am recovering from my knee dysfunction I have placed a special emphasis on knee and hip strengthening because they are kind of best friends. Can’t treat one without the other. They are intricately connected and when one suffers they tend to commiserate together. Maybe not overtly to the untrained eye. You have to look for it. And sometimes not.

Why hips are important

Back to our star pupil. The “biggest” joint in the body. Lost in the depths of the body but not forgotten. Buried in mystery and sometimes esoteric associations. We are obsessed with our “hips” for lack of a better term. It includes the hip joint proper(the ball and socket), housed in our pelvis and all of the musculature surrounding it. Together they act as a fulcrum connecting the upper and lower body folding us in half. Unilaterally, they balance our torso via the pelvis, allowing us to translate ourselves from point A to B.

When you think about what happens when we walk, its pretty complicated. The hips are a major component in the balancing act of walking, alternately suspending ourselves on one limb at a time, propelling ourselves forward, backward or side to side. Through our connection with the ground we generate forces that move our bodies in the direction we choose. We would have a very hard time doing this with out the health of our hips.

Taking the mystery out of hip pain and joint imbalances

What happens when the hip joint is unbalanced? The balance of the ball and socket and all of the muscles surrounding them, both deep and superficial, sometimes seems too complex to decipher. When the hips are unbalanced we may shift unintentionally in the wrong direction which then requires even more energy to redirect our momentum. We create alternate strategies that overtime may be even more detrimental to our posture and mechanics.

It’s a special joint that gets a lot of attention. Rightly so. When the hip is unwell there can be a chain effect upwards towards our spine and downwards towards the soles of our feet.

So given our apparent focus on our hips, why the mystery? There are several popular hip muscles that are frequently associated with having great importance. Just as frequently, these muscles are labelled as critical links that once uncovered will reveal the solutions to all of our problems. The ones that come to mind are psoas, gluteus medius and piriformis. Hamstrings and gluteus maximus? For some reason they don’t get the spotlight. I guess they are boring and too obvious. The reality is that we need every part of our hip musculature to work in optimal lengths with optimal strengths, and we need them to be in use on a daily basis.

When I am trying to figure out a hip problem, I look for the “gross” imbalances. Front versus back. Side versus inside. Deep fine tuners versus superficial power houses. Some groups of muscles become more dominant than the other because of habitual postures and repetitive activities. It could be that our exercise program is a little biased and doesn’t “round out” our hips’ basic needs.

The pelvic floor and hip joint stability

There are also hip joint muscles that are very closely associated with the pelvic floor. Dysfunction in one area may affect the other. Maybe we consider the hips to be so precious because of their proximity to our sexual organs. The hips’ close association with the back can also make the pain picture sometimes confusing.

But the hips are not fragile unless you have osteopenia or osteoporosis or another bony pathological condition. They are required to take on a significant load and when injured often require extensive retraining to restore the normal length and strength of the musculature. We often need to re-learn how to stabilize the pelvis on the femur via the hip joint. There are rarely any quick fixes involving a single muscle that will ultimately eliminate hip pain or restore ideal function.

Keeping our hips healthy.

Keeping our hips healthy should be a focal point of everyone’s day. And one simple way is too get off of your buttocks and stop sitting for prolonged periods. We have all heard about how our sedentary lifestyles which involve prolonged sitting have replaced cigarette smoking as a major lifestyle factor that is detrimental to our overall health.

A great suggestion is to get out if you chair every 20 minutes. Set a timer so you won’t forget. Stand up and straighten your hips. Get them out of that passive folded position. Take a short walk around your space. Walk forwards, backwards and sideways if you can. Tighten your glutes and remember that they should not feel anything like pancakes i.e. flat and soft.

So, love your hips. Don’t leave them unattended. Intend to keep them in shape and they will thank you by keeping you moving with ease and accuracy. Love thy hips as they are incredible and special joints. Keep things simple by giving them what they need on a regular basis. If you are not sure, find someone to help you figure it out. Don’t give up on them. They are worth the consistent time and the effort to keep them lubricated, flexible and strong.

Upward (from the chair)

and onward (propelling yourself through space)!

Let’s go!

Essentrics with Andrea

Body composition and weight, Brainhealth, Exercise goals & benefits

Exercise and weight

There are many connections that can be made between exercise and weight. Exercise keeps me in a healthy head space even when the scale has tipped one way or the other. I use exercise as a tool to: promote a positive body awareness, re-enforce healthy eating habits, gain or maintain muscle mass, increase self efficacy and increase my resolve to continue on as healthy a path as possible for the rest of my life.

It is hard to discuss over fatness or obesity because of the pain and suffering people have been subjected to because they may have been considered outside of “normal’. The stigma that is associated with it is so powerful that it is easier not to talk about it, even when someone is asking for help.

I checked out the Canadian Obesity Network many years ago. My interest is in helping those who would like to improve their body composition as a means to improve their health. Finding the most constructive and compassionate way of doing so is essential. Movement is definitely a factor in my experience along with what we consume. I can address the movement factor but I will leave the nutritional counselling to those who understand it best.

On an even more personal level, I have had experience with disordered eating. But as of late, let’s say the last 2 years, I have adopted a more stable outlook. This perspective has minimized the need for negative self talk when I have not been “perfect”. I am not perfect and don’t try to be anymore.

Some say we should never comment on someone’s body weight. The one place where weight is addressed in my profession is when it comes to joint health, particularly the knees ( i.e. for every extra kilo or 2 pounds, the joint load increases 3-5 times). Exercise and weight are two factors that can be addressed when it comes to the health of our mechanical body.

How I associate exercise with weight:

Increased body awareness

Exercise for me increases my body awareness. It brings me to a place where I am focusing on my body’s sensations, the good and the bad. The good would be ease of movement, positive energy, clothing fitting comfortably and a sense of tone and firmness in my muscles.

Resetting the stage

If I am feeling overfat, a change in my exercise program can help set the stage for a new start, kind of like a change of seasons. It helps to renew my resolve to make healthier eating choices, and helps increase my vigor to stay on track. I have to be careful at these times and try not to be too radical or restrictive. This is because it is usually a waste of time, leading to negative talk and potential downward spirals if not kept in check.

Using exercise to elevate your mood

When you are feeling good about yourself, self love and forgiveness comes easier. A favorable outlook makes its easier to accept the process of self improvement without worrying about the length of time it will take to get there.

When I am in a range that I feel best at, exercise actually becomes easier. The focus is purely on health and longevity. I know that what I do physically on a daily basis means more than bouts of maniacal training and dieting.

I have rarely been underweight. It has occurred when I have restricted myself considerably. It is never sustainable and takes a lot of mental energy, and rarely leaves me feeling better. The nutritional deficit ultimately takes a toll on energy levels and general sense of well being.

Gaining muscle mass

One other reason to look at the interplay of exercise and weight would be if you are trying to gain muscle mass, or it you have low muscle mass. In this case, I have gained weight with weight training programs, and would consider this again if I was debilitated after injury or extended illness.

I also realize that with aging, my muscle mass will naturally deplete if left to its own devices, so some form of muscle strengthening to minimize sarcopenia is important (the stats may be different depending on where you look but after age 30, you begin to lose as much as 3% to 5% per decade).

Finding stability

I actually credit becoming a fitness instructor in Essentrics for developing a more stable body weight. My weight in general has stayed in the same 10 lb range for the last 2 years. My range previously was approximately 40 lbs since my teens. I think the frequency with which you focus on your body on a positive level, it becomes easier to manage the weight. I luckily have found something that once again, like dance, requires regular reflection of the body’s fitness. Exercising has been the best part of my day for a very long time.

Exercise or DIPA (daily intentional physical activity) goes way beyond burning a few extra calories. It’s a process that has its ups and downs, tons of variety if you look for it and new adventures if you are open to it. It can be used to self regulate on many levels and ultimately helps one be comfortable in their own skin.

Let’s get DIPA into the process!

Essentrics with Andrea

Anatomy, physiology and aging, Exercise goals & benefits, Stories

Why I exercise and how I dealt with injury

Why I exercise

I have not been sedentary for my entire life.  This doesn’t mean that I have been running around in circles but almost.  I can’t sit still.  But where does this come from.  Anxiety, nervousness, boredom?

When I do move, whether it is intentional or not, it distracts me, redirects my mind, allows my thoughts to wander OR if it is intentional, I have almost 100% of the time felt some sort of release following exercise, both physically and mentally.

While exercising/moving I get to zone in on my body and zone out of any current mental pre-occupations.

One of the things I like about exercise the most is the kinesthetic feedback I get from my body.  I like the feeling of a good muscle contraction, control over the limb involved, and the resting tone that remains after.

I am very aware of when I have some new soreness, swelling, bump or other various body asymmetries come up.  My hands are just drawn to the area and then voila!, There is something there.  Gratefully never serious.

When I do have pain, I can usually deal with it and complain very little on the outside.  On the inside I do get irritated especially if it lasts a little longer that I anticipated, resolving slower than expected.  I don’t ever lose the hope that it will get better.

Getting a taste of your own medicine…..

Exercise and injury

I actually sprained my ankle on a Thursday many weeks ago.  It was simply from running across the street and turning my ankle over on the streetcar track.  Initially, I knew I was injured but I could still walk.  The limp reduced over the next several steps but I had to walk very consciously and with awareness the rest of the way.  It was not until the end of the day, as my ankle swelled and the pain increased, that I realized this was not a mild sprain and would preclude my exercise activities.

So I did something out the ordinary for me.  I asked for help to cover my Essentrics class the following evening and I spent that evening and the next with my foot elevated with intermittent icing.  I taped my ankle for work and sat as much as possible during my workday.  The relative rest really helped.  By the second morning following the sprain, I noted further improvement in my range of motion and continued to rest it for the day.  I decided that I would be able to teach my Sunday morning Essentrics class, with taping and a few modifications.  I made it through the class with some mild arch pain that subsided over the course of the day.  I continued to tape it daily until it is fully resolved to prevent accidental re-injury.

So I was amazed at the effect of REST.  Historically, I have had multiple sprains, but rarely if ever, reduced my activity level to promote healing.  I usually just kept up with the maximum level activity possible, allowed pain and swelling to occur, and waited several weeks for the strain to resolve.  This time, I continued on a moderate path, of relative rest (not walking to work, not stationary cycling and not teaching my usual number of classes). 

The benefits of relative rest shouldn’t be a big surprise to me, but despite my knowledge, I am like many people, who tough it out, thinking that less is not better.   I don’t like to bring attention to myself, and frequently suffer quietly under wraps.  I am not exactly sure exactly where that pattern has stemmed from but ultimately, I am on a new path, to a more sustainable body, hence Sustainablebod.ca has birthed itself as my perspectives, knowledge, and desire to maintain a healthy ‘older’ body has come to the forefront more than ever. 

Take your number one reason for exercising and think about where you are now and where you want to be.   Are you already there?  Do you need to maintain or improve?  Is it an emotional, physical, physiological or cognitive reason for exercising? Is it realistic?  Maybe you just want to have fun? 

Wherever you are on your fitness journey there will be many moments when you question yourself.

For example, why am I doing this and should I be doing this now?  Is there something else I should be doing in addition to what I am doing? Is this enough?  Is it too much?  Why is my (insert body part) hurting?  It really is not that easy to know how much you need,  how often and what type of movement is best for you.  It no doubt will be an ongoing process of re-evaluation.  There is no one size fits all.

But I am almost positive that if you begin with the less complex activity as a starting point you will likely find something that is useful and safe to do.  When your goals become clearer the path should also become clearer.  It can be a fun ride if you don’t get hung up on details.  Unless you have already done it before.  But even then, bodies and circumstances change.

My suggestion is to be willing to question but don’t let these questions stop you from deciding to move.  Its always better to have completed the simplest of tasks than nothing at all.  You can’t reflect unless you have recent up to date experiences to reflect on.  Give yourself some new information to work with.  And that information comes from your body and your experience inside it.  

Essentrics with Andrea

Brainhealth, Exercise goals & benefits, Stories

Exercise in times of elevated levels of stress

This is a blog that I wrote some time ago during the early COVID days. I am not one to succumb to the pressures of stress.  Generally, I feel that I can handle stress well but recent world developments have had an impact on my current primary occupation and financial sources of income.  I would like to think that I can do it all, but as of late, I have allowed myself a bit more flexibility in my exercise expectations than I normally would during a regular week. Exercise in times of elevated levels of stress can be challenging.

To exercise or not to exercise.  That is a question.  I last put in a “formal” workout 3 days ago.  It is not a long time, but long enough to trigger some guilt for not doing my usual (Essentrics) exercise workout at a rate of 3-4 times per week.  On the brighter side, I have been walking twice daily for 25 minutes for the purpose of transporting myself to and from work, a safer option than taking public transit at this time.  So I am getting some DIPA (daily intentional physical activity).  All is not lost.  The daily walks give me the time to refocus and distract myself from the ongoing foreboding threat. 

I know tomorrow that I will without a doubt add in a formal workout in addition walking.  But for today I am giving myself a relative break.  Relative rest is what I like to call it. 

Trying to balance the equation

When it comes to immunity, we know that the balance between stress and exercise can have an impact on our body’s response to fight infection.  There is no exact prescription.  It will be different for everyone depending on your starting point. Exercise in times of elevated levels of stress needs to challenge you and not degrade you. 

I have benefited from exercise so many times that I could never truly give in.  But it’s tempting.  What is less tempting is to reduce my level of fitness to a point that my energy levels change.  I am not worried that I have fallen off the wagon.  But it really makes you think about what is important. It’s easy to make excuses so I will keep these periods in check, when intending to promote the preservation of energy through decreased movement, because at some point the equilibrium is lost and then you have to build it up again.

I’ve decided that my strategy tomorrow is to start my day with a workout when my energy level is higher.  I know I can do it.  I am looking forward to it.  These times will always pass, its just that this one is truly out of my control.

Keeping it simple

I am setting my goals at a level that I know I can accomplish.   Sometimes its a day to day assessment.  I personally can depend on myself but if that wasn’t the case, who or what would I turn to, to help motivate me and keep me on track?  For the last 2 Saturdays at around 1pm I have been doing an IGTV workout with Jillian Michaels.  I think it really helps to know that you are not alone, and there are others working out with you at the same time.  I’ve also considered giving my own Zoom class to private clients(my colleagues) to replace their weekly Wednesday Essentrics.   I have also started using the Nike app again combined with some cycling.  

Options

Exercise in times of elevated levels of stress means that I will always go with my flow.   This means that I will do some form of intentional activity but there are no hard set rules, just options.  The more options you have then the more likely you will just get started and then see where your flow takes you.  For example, my options could be stationary bike, treadmill, stretching, Nike app, Essentrics TV, or learn new Essentrics choreography. I also have Zoom Essentrics and HIIT class options with a preferred teacher. 

My only “should do’s” are actually cardiovascular exercise where my heart rate is elevated, either in a fat burning zone long duration or HIIT.  Keeping the VO2 max healthy is all about our capacity to perform.  If only I could accurately assess my VO2 max, that would be wonderful.

Exercise in times of elevated levels of stress can be challenging.  Trying to find balance in my self when the world is full of unpredictability is all I can do.  Keeping it simple and allowing myself to have options decreases the internal pressure.  Keeping the heart and lungs healthy are key in maintaining energy levels.  Its almost always worth the effort.  Picking the right level of effort will ensure that I will follow through, finding myself on the other side of having fulfilled the need to move my body.  Approaching each day individually with unique DIPA goals have made it easier to say yes to today. I will intentionally move my body for the betterment of my current health and future quality of life. Onward and upward!

Essentrics with Andrea