Do It For Your Heart

In celebration of yesterday's Valentine's Day and all the hearts that were being given, taken, and maybe even broken, I thought I'd write up a little something about how important cardiovascular exercise is to YOU and YOUR heart.

For years, studies have been done showing how important cardiovascular exercise is to our overall well-being, yet I am still asked all the time by new and even long term clients, "How much cardio should I be doing?" For someone just starting out, I usually recommend at least 20 minutes 3-5 days per week, depending on their capabilities. For someone who has been at it for awhile in Fitnessville, I will take a look at their current regimen and make any necessary corrections. However, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that YOU should do your cardio exercise for 20-60 minutes, 3-5 days per week at a moderate intensity level. A lot of folks hate cardio (especially men), but the beauty of cardio is that it can be done anywhere and for practically zero cost.

Think about it. All you need to do is lace up your New Balance running shoes and go for a walk or run. Or go for a swim. Or a bike ride. Or shovel snow consistently. Or do some intervals at your local track. Or take a spin class at your local YMCA. The point is to just get that heart rate up for 20-60 minutes, 3-5 days per week at a moderate level of intensity.

If YOU do this now, just look at all the benefits YOU'LL reap: slower resting heart rate, more efficient lungs, decreased bad cholesterol, increased circulation, happy-go-lucky feeling endorphins, stronger muscles, and an improved, better, healthier, more efficient heart. After all, what are you without a happy, healthy ticker?

Update on the Primal Diet

Just wanted to give everyone an update on the Primal Diet. To sum it up: it was a failure. The diet began its end about eight days after it started and officially ended two days later.

When I work out, I normally do so with an intensity level somewhere between 8 and 10 on a scale of 1-10 (unless it's yoga). Well, I was in the middle of a fairly easy chest and back routine when suddenly my energy level plummeted about halfway through. At first I thought that maybe my energy level was low because of the lack of sleep I endured the prior three and a half months. The second thought I had was the diet.

Fast-forward to the next night. I was teaching my spin class at the Greater Portland YMCA when the same thing happened. If my bike had been mobile, I would have crashed into a brick wall about halfway through. The energy just wasn't there. I had gotten a good night of sleep before and never really had any problems working out while not sleeping from mid-September to the end of December. I immediately blamed the diet and its lack of whole grain carbs.

Fast-forward to the next night. A friend of mine called and wanted to go to Flatbread in downtown Portland. Not quite ready to give up on the diet so soon--after all, it was only 10 days old--I agreed to go but decided beforehand to get one of their delicious salads.

Need I continue? Well, all that changed when I sat down in the restaurant, glanced over at the brick oven, and saw a couple of gorgeous pizzas cooking in the heat.

So the diet lasted 10 days and I'm glad it lasted only 10 days. I'm an endurance athlete. I enjoy training at an 8, 9, or 10 on a scale of 1-10 and carbs--whole grain carbs--help me do just that. After tinkering with the Primal Diet a little, I really believe that it would be great for folks who have sedentary jobs, who are looking to alter body composition, or both. Neither of those things are me.

Time to look at the next experiment...