I can't tell you how many times I've heard some of my training clients say "I work out so hard with you and I eat right...so why is the scale not changing??". First of all, nutrition is a HUGE component of weight loss and although many people feel they are eating "right", they may still be lacking in well-rounded, nutritious meals/snacks. Second, which is the focus of today's blog, think about how active you are (or are not) when you are not in the gym working out (with or without a trainer). Granted you may be busting it during your 30-minute session, 2-3 times per week with your trainer. However, that is only 60-90 minutes of the 10,080 minutes in the week (roughly 0.6-0.9% of the week). What are you doing the other approximately 960 minutes in the day when you are awake? Here's what I am getting at...the average person sits 9.3 hours a day. So even if you are a competitive athlete doing "two-a-day" workouts, it is still possible to lead a sedentary lifestyle.
It's time to take inventory of your activity levels in a 24-hour period. When you subtract out time for good, quality sleep, that will leave you with around 14-16 hours. Granted you may have a job that requires you to sit through most of your work day. However, unless your job physically requires you to stay tethered to your desk (i.e., call centers), then you still have the opportunity to add activity to your day. As time evolves, we spend less time moving the muscles in our body. Our grandparents and great-grandparents lived more physical lives than we do now. Yes, technology was virtually non-existent when they were growing up, but is there too much technology in your life? We don't have to use our muscles to open the garage door, to lower a car window, to change the channel on the television, or even get a message to a co-worker down the hall. Technology has made all of that (and more) easier for us but it is taking away our ability to be physically active.
Once you look at how many hours are left in your day after sleeping, think about how you can make your day more active. Walk down the hall to talk to a co-worker instead of sending an e-mail or instant message; stand (and pace) when talking on the phone; hang your laundry outside instead of throwing it in the dryer; bike to work; walk to the store around the corner instead of driving. Put the computer/tablet/smart phone down and go outside and play with your kids or dog(s).
Burn more calories throughout your day and, in conjunction with a sound nutrition plan and regular exercise, you will see changes in your body. Don't sit and "weight"...instead stand and lose! One of the few times you'll hear me say that being a "loser" is a good thing! Get up and get active. Your health and your waistline will benefit.
We have talked before about the "Energy Balance Equation" which basically states, to lose weight you must expend more calories than you consume. In this age of technology, people are much more sedentary because we have all the technology we need at our fingertips. Kids spend less time outside running around and playing; adults sit in front of their computers/tablets more often throughout the day; families spend less active time together. If you've been following this blog for a while, you should know that activating your day is important to your overall health and decreases your risk for chronic diseases. But, other than going to the gym to workout, do you know other ways to burn calories? Let's take a look at things you can do (from basic exercises to chores around the house) to burn an extra 100 calories.
First let me state this list is an "approximation" of calories burned and it is based on a 150-pound person. If you weigh more than 150 pounds you will burn more than what's listed below and vice versa. Here are ways to burn those 100 calories in the gym:
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Biking: 23 minutes of casual cycling
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Elliptical: 8 minutes
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Jumping rope: 9 minutes at a moderate intensity
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Lifting weights, vigorously: 15 minutes
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Running: 9 minutes of running at a 6 mph pace
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Swimming: 15 minutes moderate intensity
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Walking stairs: 11 minutes
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Walking: 20 minutes of walking at a 3 mph pace
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Zumba: 11 minutes
If you are working around the house, here are some other ideas to burn 100 calories:
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Mowing the lawn: 20 minutes
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Raking leaves: 23 minutes
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Shoveling snow: 15 minutes
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Washing the car: 20 minutes
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Weeding the garden: 18 minutes
Finally, here are a few everyday activities you can add to your day to burn 100 calories:
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Carrying an infant: 24 minutes
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Cleaning, moderate effort: 26 minutes
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Cooking: 34 minutes
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Doing dishes: 40 minutes
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Mopping the floor: 20 minutes
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Playing with children: 23 minutes
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Pushing a stroller: 35 minutes
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Rearranging furniture: 14 minutes
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Shopping: 38 minutes
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Sweeping: 23 minutes
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Walking the dog: 26 minutes
Now you really have "NO EXCUSES" to get active!! Add a few of these suggestions into your day and help put your energy balance equation back in the right direction.
Activate Your Day!!!
Recovery days. We need them after a heavy workout or competition/game/race but do you incorporate these days into your training regimen? If not, you should. During exercise the body actually breaks down muscle tissue in order to rebuild and repair. If you don't provide your body with adequate rest and recovery, you could be sending yourself into an overtraining scenario. Now before you get upset with me, recovery days are not always complete rest. Active recovery days are just as important as your training days. Once your muscles have been broken down during the workout, they will immediately begin rebuilding and repairing. You may notice that after a heavy workout or competition, your muscles are sore and you might even feel a little "puffy". The soreness is a build-up of proteins released during the "breaking down" process. That usually lasts about 24-48 hours after your workout. Muscles might be "puffy" or swollen as the body sends extra fluids and white blood cells to the area to help "clean up". This is a natural body process and is actually helpful, even though it's merely uncomfortable for you.
So how do you know when you should have recovery days? First and foremost if you have a particularly heavy workout or big competition, active recovery the following day is extremely important. If your training regimen includes "general" exercise and isn't too strenuous on a daily basis, then you should include at least one or two active recovery days in a week. But what is "active recovery"? On the days you dedicate to active recovery, you can perform light cardio activity with an emphasis on stretching. An excellent way to achieve this is to hop in a pool. The cooler temperatures of the pool combined with the buoyancy of the water will provide your body with the proper conditions to reduce muscle tension and swelling. You can perform light activities such as walking or easy lap swimming followed by static stretching at the pool wall. The key component in an active recovery is to keep the intensity low enough so your body doesn't further deplete your energy stores. During your active recovery, be sure to rest and rehydrate frequently.
Passive recovery is more along the lines of total rest and stretching. Here again, pools can be beneficial. If you have the ability to be in a warmer water pool, focus more on static stretching in the warmer climate. Be wary of jumping in the hot tub though. The higher water temperature of the hot tub can increase blood flow to sore muscles which may increase swelling and discomfort. If you only have access to a hot tub, then keep time spent in the water minimal (i.e., 1-2 minutes). You can even do a contrast bath where you are in warmer/hot water for a minute or two then immediately get in a cooler shower/bath for 10-60 seconds. This can be repeated three times. Again, be sure to properly rehydrate during this time.
Remember, muscle soreness is natural and should be expected after a workout. If, however, it does not dissipate or gets worse after a couple of days, then you may need to seek the advice of a certified trainer or, worse case scenario, seek medical attention. Whether you choose active or passive recovery is dependent on the type of activity you perform and the intensity levels. Regardless you should incorporate one type of recovery in your weekly routine. Your body will recover faster and performance will improve by giving your body the rest it needs (and deserves!). You don't have to "go-go-go" all the time. Give yourself a little down time to recover and reflect.
