Tips and advice HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO TRAIN?
“How much do I need to train?” is a question many people ask. The answer depends on what you are looking to achieve. For example, someone training to run a half- marathon would need to train more often and more intensively than someone looking to lose half a stone in weight in 6 weeks.
For anyone looking to improve their general fitness, the American College of Sports Medicine – one of the most authoritative bodies in the sports science field – recommends the following for healthy adults aged under 65:
Do moderately intense cardio exercise 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week
Or
Do vigorously intense cardio exercise 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, 8-12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.
Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break sweat, but still be able to hold a conversation. To lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60-90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.
If 30 minutes seems too much, build up slowly. This could involve :
• start with 5 minutes exercise at least three times a day and start slowly at a level that suits you
• gradually build up the time and frequency until 30 minutes feels easier
• choose a variety of activities that you enjoy
• try to do something every day
Finally, rest is an important part of an exercise programme. Too much training and too little recovery time may lead to ‘overtraining’, which can result in a decrease in energy levels and reduced enthusiasm for training. It is important to listen to what your body is telling you and rest when you feel tired.
Top Tips for Stretching
Why do we do it?
As babies we are supremely flexible but with age, as adults with longer bones, less range of movement and less flexible muscles and connective tissue our general flexibility and suppleness becomes poorer and can limit the overall benefits of exercise.
Stretching should be part of a regular routine for everyone.
What does stretching do?
1 Counteracts the tightness in muscles restoring them to their proper lengths and
tension.
2 Helps us to achieve full range of motion during exercise.
3 Helps us to recover better and more quickly after exercise and reduces post
exercise stiffness.
4 Helps us to achieve and maintain good posture.
5 Helps to decrease the risk of injury.
6 Flexibility can help us to maintain good form while exercising and helps us to
get better results.
How and When to Stretch
We should spend between 5 and 15 minutes stretching usually at the end of a workout. Static stretching is the simplest, safest and most universally beneficial method. The stretches should be held for at least 10 seconds and should cover most parts of the body, for example, we should make sure that we stretch both sides of the leg – if we stretch the quadriceps we should also stretch the hamstring. As a general rule the bigger the muscle the longer the stretch should be held.
Should we choose to stretch before exercise then we should warm up first and then use more gentle dynamic joint mobilisation exercises NOT static stretches – this avoids muscles cooling down too much.
After exercise, slowly bring the heart rate down to allow the body to cool down prior to stretching – this avoids blood pooling in muscles and helps to prevent cramps.
Never bounce while stretching.
Stop stretching if you feel severe pain, although mild discomfort is acceptable.
Don’t forget to breathe!
Hydration Water is the most important fluid in the body. A human being could last a week without food, but a week without water would almost certainly prove fatal. The body is around 60% water, and a 2% loss of body weight in fluid is enough to hamper exercise performance, cause headaches and dizziness, and affect concentration. A 5% loss of body weight in fluid could be fatal. So staying properly hydrated during exercise is vital.
The simplest way to stay hydrated is to drink water regularly. The body naturally loses around 2-2.5 litres of water a day. During exercise, the body can lose around 1-2 litres of water per hour (depending on the intensity of the exercise, duration, and external temperature). You can see how important it is to stay hydrated.
It is recommended that we all drink at least 2 litres of water or fluid a day (but not caffeinated drinks or alcohol – these are diuretics). However, if you are exercising, you will need to drink more because dehydration can cause exhaustion and muscle cramps. By the time you feel thirsty you are already partially dehydrated.
There are many sports drinks on the market which aid rehydration during and after exercise. Isotonic drinks are in balance with body fluids (i.e. their sugar content is equal to that of blood). Hypotonic drinks contain less sugar than blood does, so also act as an efficient hydrator. Hypertonic drinks contain a greater concentration of sugar than blood, resulting in the body drawing water from the gut to compensate for this, so these drinks act as more of a dehydrator. Generally, for exercise sessions lasting 60 minutes or less, water is the best hydrator.
So, to get the best out of your exercise session, stay hydrated and :
- drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.
- drink more water and fluids in hotter weather to replace the fluid and nutrients lost through sweating
- don’t exercise when ill - your body is working hard to fight the illness without you demanding more of it.
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