Ambush Week: Makeover Your Workout

Studio 5 Health and Fitness Contributor Melanie Douglass surprised exercisers with her workout wisdom at the South Davis Recreation Center on Thursday!

Melanie ambushed South Davis recreators with priceless advice on what our bodies need to drink, how to interval train, and the right way to monitor progress.

Melanie said a first key to knowing if you’re pushingit hard enough is being able to talk. The less you can talk, the harder and more efficient your workouts will be.

Up Your Intensity

Here’s how to gauge your intensity:

Too low: If you can carry on full conversations with no trouble at all or tell long elaborate stories, you are not working hard enough! So step it up! (Or plan to stay at that intensity level for at least one hour.)

Just right: Are you breathing so hard that you can only say 3 – 6 words at a time? If so, you’re likely working at a “vigorous” intensity. This is an efficient intensity, but you should still feel in control of your breathing. Think “challenging, but comfortable”.

Too hard: If you can’t talk at all, you are working too hard and should drop your intensity down to a level in which you can speak and control your breathing.

But What if you’re short on time?

Busy day today? No problem. You can shorten your workout by up to half if you simply workout at a higher intensity. Check this out:

Walking 3 mph (moderate pace), 30 minutes = ~ 150 calories burned

Running 6 mph (fast pace), 30 minutes = ~ 428 calories burned

Cycling 10 mph (leisure pace), 30 minutes = ~ 170 calories burned

Cycling 14 – 16 mph (fast pace), 30 minutes = ~430 calories burned

See the difference? Fifteen minutes of working out at a higher intensity still burns more calories than working (for twice as long) at the lower intensity!

Still, you should always listen to your body. It’s perfectly okay to slow down for 30 – 90 seconds in the middle of an intense workout in order to give your muscles a break. Just pick back up when you are ready. Make sure you can speak and breathe in a controlled manner to ensure you are working at a safe, effective level. If you can’t speak during the workout, you’re working too hard.

If you may have a medical condition that prohibits you from working at a more intense level, then talk with your physician before changing your exercise routine

Healthy Drinks

Another important element to full-body health is what you drink when you exercise.

If you are taking a vitamin or supplement and you generally exercise for less than 60 minutes, make sure to drink plain water throughout the day to stay hydrated.

People who less than 60 minutes, exercise in hot and humid conditions, or people who sweat excessively should try to drink a sports drink throughout their workout.

If you dislike the taste of plain water and you don’t take a daily vitamin or supplement, try drinking some vitamin water to get those daily nutrients you need!

Walking Works Too

Walking is a great form of exercise because we all now how to do it. You can march in place in a 2′ x 2′ empty space, walk outside, or really burn it up on a treadmill. But did you know the wrong form or technique while walking can actually slow you down or cause unnecessary strain to working muscles?

Here’s how to walk more efficiently:
    • Use a shorter stride. Don’t leap forward with long, lengthy        strides. Rather, take short, quick steps.

    • Land heel first then roll through to the toes.
    • Let your upper body lead. Lean forward slightly from your hips        and let your upper body lead the way. You want your ankles,        hips, shoulders and head in a nice straight line—but at a        slight diagonal.

    • Keep your knees soft. Don’t let your knees lock up at any time        during your walk.

    • Pump your arms. Bend them at a 90-degree angle, keep the        elbows in close to your body and swing them back until your        wrists are near your rib cage.

Monitor your Progress

Here’s an uncomplicated way to help you test your fitness level and monitor your progress.

1) Find a watch, stopwatch, or some sort of timer.

2) Warm up by marching in place or walking at a moderate pace     for 3 minutes.

3) Time yourself as you walk a full mile as fast as you can. How     long did it take you? Write it down the date and the time it took     you to walk (be exact: down to the second)

4) Repeat the test every 4 – 6 weeks to monitor progress (your     goal is to shorten your time).

Efficient Interval Training

This isn’t a drab workout experience. This is a time-flying efficient workout that’s good for you—mind, body and spirit.Use a treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, stair climbing, or just walk outdoors (even the mall). Use your 130 bpm music to keep a steady pace.
The interval training part is what makes it fun, here’s how you do it:

Let us know how Melanie’s “ambush advice” gave you the edge to your workout!