In Related News: How Different Groups Spend Their Day

How Different Groups Spend Their Day - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com

This is a great visualization of how Americans spend their days. From a health standpoint, it is telling to see that while most Americans spend over two and a half hours watching TV, they spend 24 minutes preparing meals and 16 minutes relaxing and thinking (other factors are also interesting to look at). This worries me when so many of us battle stress, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise, and think that we do not have the time to change this. TV is not the only thing that we can get consumed with that has little added value for our lives, and when you only have so much time in a day, it is important to really know why you dedicate time to each of your activities.

Time is the most valuable resource we have, and if we utilize our time, we can truly achieve anything. The quality of any area of our lives is a direct result of the time we spend on it. Health, fitness, relationships, career, family, sleep, inner peace. The more time we spend nurturing these areas, the more success and happiness we will find. Think about what is important to you and see if you are really giving these areas enough attention, or are less important activities getting in the way? If they are, then that's a good thing, because now you know a perfect way to free up more time to help make your life better!

Enjoy the chart and keep up all the good work, health and fitness is a lifelong journey, so enjoy the ride!

Colin

Going Barefoot: The Greatest Invention since the Running Shoe

If you have ever decided to run for exercise, fun, or sport, you more than likely didn’t think twice before lacing up your shoes and heading out. Unfortunately, you probably also didn’t think twice about the significance of those shoes when you got back home and had to perform your post exercise ritual of stretch/massage/ice/roll/heat/ice again.

 For years the running shoe industry has worked to make a softer, more absorbing pairs of sneakers, hiking the price with each new shock absorbing air bubble they added. The problem: it doesn’t seem that any of this new technology has helped. It turns out, our painful relationship with running is not that our shoes are lacking in support or cushioning, rather, it is that they have fundamentally changed the way our feet function. Let’s take the stride for example. In populations where barefoot running (or barefoot living!) is the norm, they would never think to reach out with their leg and land on the heel with each stride, it would be too painful. With the invention of the running shoe (big soft heel) the heel strike was invented and the modern runner was born: very dedicated, but chronically plagued by injury.

Now, the training style for endurance sports is a topic that should be saved for another day—another contributing factor to the injury cycle of endurance athletes—but today we will focus on the shoe.

So back to the heel strike, what’s the big deal? The big deal is the shock wave of force that your body has to absorb each time you take a stride. As shown by Daniel E. Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, this force is upwards of 2x your body weight and is demonstrated in a series of clips on his webpage:

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/4BiomechanicsofFootStrike.html

With each stride (roughly 1500 per mile) you are not only enduring a violent force with each leg, but you are also dissipating that force primarily through your bone structure (heel bone’s connected to the ankle bone, connected to the shin bone, connected to the knee bone, etc.) Now look at the clips of the forefoot strike (as is natural when barefoot). As you can see, there are two key differences. First, the force wave is much smoother with no initial jolt at impact, and second, now your leg is in an optimal position to dissipate force through the lengthening of muscles & tendons in the calf and thigh.

So hopefully we can tell that heel strike is not the best thing for us, but as you can see, shoes do not make you heel strike (though they do encourage it with the shape of the sole). Plus, shoes are not just for running in, they are for walking too. So are shoes always a bad thing? Well no, but I do believe that the less the better. While there has not been much research on the general use of athletic shoes, I have some of my own theories why they might not be very good no matter what the activity.

 There was a great quote that I once read about the foot and how the author found it funny that people we often so concerned about arch support in their shoes. This is something that I hear all the time when I talk with people about spending most of their time either without shoes, or in very thin soled shoes. In his view, this argument did not make sense because in the world of architecture, there is no structure more beautiful or structurally sound than the arch. We rely on them every day as arches are invariably helping to hold up our homes, offices and overpasses. I think the most revealing structure to think about is the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The beauty of an arch is that as more pressure is pressed down on it, the stronger it gets. So let’s now think of our foot as that Gateway Arch. What would happen if we “supported” the arch by placing force from the bottom? It would fall apart! And that is what I believe is a key factor in many of the problems people face in their feet. Fallen arches, flat feet, plantar fasciitis, all have to do with the muscles and tendons in the feet not functioning properly because they are too weak. Well (in my opinion), of course they are weak!  We spend our whole lives putting upward supportive pressure on a structure that was designed to thrive on its own. The more I research and the more I experience barefoot activity in my own life, as well as the in the lives around me, the more I believe in the ability of the foot to do better on its own than with a piece of equipment attached.

But don’t take my word for it, try it out! That is the best part about going barefoot, it’s free! Now I would start slow and find a nice grass field to do some walking/jogging around, but try not to do too much because your feet and calves will not be happy! If you really get into it and want a little extra protection, I would recommend Vibram FiveFingers. They are a little quirky, but at least you can blend in a little more than if you were just walking around barefoot all the time!

I would also like to say that a big part of my inspiration in researching this topic was brought on by the book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. I have a link to it in my continuing education sidebar and I highly encourage all of you to read it. Even if you do not agree with barefoot running, it is a great read that is exciting, thought-provoking, and inspirational.

Please let me know if you try out barefoot activities and what changes you feel in your life and your feet! Thanks and happy running.

Colin 

Summertime Workout Plan

As the sun keeps playing tricks on us we at least know that spring is here and summer is on its way. I had a request for an article for what kind of workout would be good for in the pool, so I decided to talk about that as well as other activities you may want to go out and try this summer. Health and fitness is all about variety and keeping it fun so don’t feel like you have to be cooped up in a gym all day to get a good workout. I would recommend that you get as many of your “workouts” or activities outdoors so that you can enjoy the sun, get a tan, and start producing some vitamin D while you’re at it! So here are the outdoor activities that I like during the summer, but anything that keeps you moving and having fun is great.

Swimming:

The reason I didn’t want to focus a whole article on swimming is because there really isn’t too much to know. As with all exercise, you should decide each day whether you are going to have an “all-out” day or a “enjoy the roses” day. This should be based on how your feeling that day so that you keep your workouts in tune with your body’s ability. If you are feeling great, go for it, but if you are not 100%, go ahead and take it easy. The movement will still be good for you, but you won’t burn yourself out.

When it comes to swimming, it is up to you which style you want to use. You could do one workout with just backstroke and then the next freestyle. Or you could even change every other lap. Whatever you decide, keep it fun and interesting.

For the “all-out” days, you will want to do intervals of 25 or 50 meters. Start with a 10 lap (250m) warm up to get the blood flowing, and then go for 5-15 intervals. These should be 100% efforts, so your first time out, see if 25 or 50 meters is more suited for your fitness level. Each time, try to do one more interval than the last time, and if you are so inclined, keep your times and see if you can maintain your efforts. If you notice that you start slowing down, it might be time to start the cool down. Rest time should not be more than 90 seconds, and once you can do 15 intervals, start decreasing the rest time. Keep track of how well you maintain though, and make sure you are resting long enough after each interval to produce similar results on the subsequent laps.

For the easy days, just go out and mess around. Backstroke is nice for these days because you can just glide through the water with each stroke. Get together with friends and play some pool basketball or volleyball. Whatever it is, don’t worry about the work and worry more about being relaxed and having fun.

Beach Days:

The beach is a great place to exercise, not only for the diversity of activity but also the fact that you can jump in the cool (or freezing cold, if you’re in Santa Cruz) water after you’re done. Some of my favorite activates are soccer (hardest thing ever on the soft sand), volleyball, jogging, or going in the water for swimming, body boarding, surfing, or any other sport you can think of. That’s what makes the beach great—it lends itself to fun, sun, and moving.

If you want to have a more tradition workout, the beach is a great place to get in some sprint work. Again, we focus on intervals, and we shoot for 15 seconds of all out work followed by 90 seconds or less of recovery time.

Honestly though, unless you live right near the beach, I like using this time more for play and relaxation. You could even meditate or do yoga, so it’s up to how you feel and what your motivations are that should drive your beach workout.

Hiking:

What a great activity. You’re outside, you’re on all types of terrain, and you can decide just how much work you want to put in. If you want to just go out have a nice picnic hike, go for it and your body will thank you (just make sure pack some fruits and veggies!). If you want to train a little harder, what better way to give you body variety than to go trail running. It’s nature’s own interval training course, just run the hills, jog the flats, and walk the downhill’s (though running downhill can be a lot of fun too, and will still act as recovery). If your goal is to go hard though, I don’t want you to think about sets, times, rest, or any other exercise factors. All you should be worried about is going as hard as you can for as long as you can and then resting as you need to. Trails usually work themselves out as with every up there must be a down, so have some fun with it and vary your pace as you go. As for those of you just out to enjoy nature, I still recommend finding a trail that gives you lots of elevation changes as it will still do the body good and those trails just tend to have more to see (and good lookout points).

Other:

Some other random ideas for people that are a little more adventurous include:

Kayaking - great upper body work and will take you places that you would never see otherwise.

Skating - Strap on those old rollerblades and cruise the coastline. Skateboarding is fun too.

Whitewater Rafting - Great way to get a group of friends together and enjoy the fury of your nearby river!

Rock Climbing - This one takes a little more training, but fun nevertheless!

If you have any of your own favorite activities I would love to hear about them. Now get out there are start making the most of this beautiful weather!

Colin

Dealing with Injury

I recently saw a comment on my post, “Training with Injuries & Disabilities”, that I thought should be answered through another blog article. The question was about training on a sprained ankle which is probably something we have all dealt with and should all know more about. When you sprain your ankle or have any muscle/tendon/ligament injury, the most important thing is to decrease inflammation.  To remember the treatment needed, just remember the acronym PRICE: Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Protection:

The first thing you need to do is make sure you are not in danger of exacerbating the injury by putting more stress on the area. If it is an ankle sprain, you should find some help in moving to a place you can sit so that you do not have to put weight on that ankle.

Rest:

The area will need sufficient rest after an injury to allow for the quickest recovery time. If you continue to put stress on the area, the area will get worse and the healing process will only take longer and may not heal as fully as it would otherwise. For minor injuries like an ankle sprain, 48-72 hours is usually enough time to allow for adequate recovery before you begin using it again.

Ice:

Ice should be applied as soon as you can after the injury. Do not use heat on any area of your body that is in pain. This goes for acute or chronic injuries; even if you feel better after using heat, it will only increase the inflammation and make the pain worse in the long run. Whenever there is pain, ice is the way to go. You generally want to have 20 minutes of icing as soon as possible and then repeat every hour for the rest of the day. Depending on the severity you may have to spend the follow 1-5 days continuing the ice cycle to help speed up recovery.

Compression:

Compression of the area should be immediate after the injury occurs and should be kept in place for 72 hours after the injury. For an ankle sprain, this will usually be an elastic wrap. Both compression and Ice are highly important for reducing the swelling that will occur, aiding in recovery time.

Elevation:

For the first 72 hours, elevation will also be important to control the swelling as it will reduce the amount of blood flow that can reach the area. For the ankle sprain, you would try to elevate the foot as high as possible to allow for the greatest reduction in swelling while also helping the area to drain any fluid that has built up.

If you follow these five steps, then you will dramatically decrease the time of recovery for any muscle/tendon/ligament injury. More appropriately, you will remove any factors that would prolong recovery. Any injury will take time to heal, so the best thing you can do is give it the support it needs to heal.

To address the question more specifically, the woman asked what to do in terms of exercise. Well as we can now see, for the first 72 hours, there should be little to no movement or pressure put on the area. Once the swelling has gone down, walking will be the first step, though this will need to be built up slowly. I would walk for a week, increasing the time a little each day, then the second week see how a jog feels. If at any time the ankle hurts or gets worse, stop and go back to walking. You would also want to ice it after any exercise for that first week and then any time that it feels pain again. There is nothing worse the prolonging recovery time so be careful, make sure to get your rest and get back to your normal routine as soon as possible! Thanks for the question on ankle sprains—I hope this helps!

Colin

The Importance of SAID

I was talking to a client the other day and she brought up a point that is fundamental to the understanding of the body and how the body adapts to exercise. She came to me concerned about her level of overall fitness because while she felt that she was in good shape, when she went for a bike ride the previous day, she felt herself getting winded and her muscles becoming tired much quicker than she would have hoped. She had been putting in time not only strengthening her legs but also on the treadmill to increase her cardiovascular capacity, yet it seemed that none of this mattered when she was on the bike.

This is when I realized that many people do not fully understand just what happens as we exercise. There is a principle that is fundamental to how our body reacts to the work we do known as SAID. This stands for “Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands” and explains why you could spend hours on the treadmill and still become winded on the bike. As the SAID principle spells out, we adapt to the specific demand that we place on the body. Biking and running are two different movements, so the body will not have carry-over from one to another. This is why Lance Armstrong, one of the greatest cyclists of all time, had over 800 people finish in front of him in the Boston Marathon. It did not matter that he had great leg strength and endurance or that his lungs are some of the most capable in the world, because this just wasn’t an activity that his body was accustomed to.

Now, that brings up another point that goes right along with this principle. Many people think of cardiovascular ability as being synonymous with lung capacity. While the lungs do have a role, it is actually your muscles ability to utilize oxygen that will result in one’s ability to sustain activity. When you move your muscles, they require more oxygen, but if you are not used to using those muscles in a certain pattern, then they will not be efficient at using the oxygen they are receiving. This can be discouraging for anyone who, after all their training, finds that they are still winded after certain activities. But this is only your body telling you that you are doing something new!

The point is, we must train in ways that are going to get us to our goals the quickest. If you are a runner, you should spend most of your endurance training time with running (intervals I might add). If you are a swimmer, do the same. If you just want to lose weight, then the most important thing is actually weight training because we utilize the most muscle units and produce the greatest demand on the body when we move weight. So remember be specific and your body will adapt to those activities! Good luck and happy training!

Colin