1. INTERACTIVE
FITNESS SITES
Most people are aware
that physical inactivity is an independent risk
factor in the
development of cardiovascular disease. Yet, a large
number of people are
sedentary and do not participate in a regular
exercise program. The
need for providing activity intervention for
people who cannot be
reached individually may be through the use of
technology. The World
Wide Web could be the answer to motivating
people to start,
continue, or increase their fitness programs.
Interactive systems
ask the users to enter information about
themselves and their
preferences in activities. From this information,
the system's host
computer responds with individual advice. The
American Heart
Association plans to have an interactive system
relating to heart
disease prevention by the end of this year or early
next
year.
2. TREADMILL WALKING
Walking on a
treadmill can lead to injury without some safety
precautions. It is
extremely important to monitor children who use
treadmills. And
remember: Never allow children to "play" on or near a
treadmill. The
following are some safety pointers:
- Start slowly.
Before turning on the treadmill, place your feet on
the frame, straddling
the belt. Step onto the belt only after you have
determined it is
moving slowly (1 to 2 mph). Walk about two feet from
the front of the
machine.
- Look straight
ahead. If you look down, you may feel dizzy or veer
off to the
side.
- Stand tall and walk
heel to toe.
- Don't hold on to
the rails. Let your arms swing freely, elbows bent
at right angles. It
is okay to touch the rails lightly for balance,
but if you must hold
on you are walking too fast.
- Finish slowly. Cool
down by gradually decreasing the speed of the
treadmill.
3. DRINK YOUR
WATER
Our bodies need
water, as do all living things. Water does our body so
much good, but many
of us do not get enough water every day. Most
people should consume
an average of eight glasses of water daily. You
lose about ten cups
of fluid every day through urination, bowel
movements, sweating,
and exhaling (yes-exhaling!). If you are not
average and you
exercise regularly (which causes you to sweat, which
causes you to lose
more fluid), then you need more than the average
eight glasses a day.
Remember, drinking beverages that contain
caffeine or alcohol
dehydrates the body, so you'll need to compensate
by drinking more
water. Your regular tap is a good water source--it
contains fluoride,
which is good for our bodies.
So just what does
water do for us? Here are some of the many benefits
of drinking enough
water. Get yourself a glass of water and read on.
Water:
- Helps prevent
constipation (a problem for many women).
- Increases
urination, which removes wastes and impurities from the
body (flushes the
pipes, so to speak).
- Keeps your body
temperature regular (keeps you from blowing your
top).
- Provides fluid to
cushion the joints.
- Keeps the body well
hydrated which helps carry the nutrients and
oxygen to your
cells.
There are many good
reasons to drink water. Remember, you also get
water from foods and
other beverages. Limit the caffeine and alcohol,
though, they do not
help keep you hydrated!
4. WALKING WITH
WEIGHTS
Most people walk with
weights to burn more calories or build strength.
You should consider
these facts before deciding to use weights.
Blood pressure may
increase while walking with weights. If this is a
concern for you,
carrying weights is not advisable. Injuries to the
ankle, knee, wrist,
neck, back, or shoulder are often the result of
carrying weights in
the hands, on the wrists or ankles, or on the
torso. One-pound
wrist weights probably will not cause any injuries,
but one-pound ankle
weights may alter the person's stride. Carrying
weights will burn
more calories but may make walking a dreaded task.
And the research on
the strength building effect of carrying weights
is very limited. If
you use weights for this reason, a gradual
addition of weight is
very important for the prevention of injuries.
5. FITNESS FROM THE
INSIDE OUT
Many people never
consider that their diet can be responsible for
fatigue, headaches,
irritability, or physical and mental difficulties.
About 60 percent of
the calories most people consume come from sugar,
animal fat, and
alcohol. Research has proven these foods lead to
cardiovascular
problems, diabetes, obesity, and many other conditions.
To improve overall
fitness, along with exercise, we must eat foods
that have a high
nutrient value. The following are general guidelines
for improving the
diet:
- Substitute lowfat
for high-fat foods.
- Eat fewer processed
foods.
- Avoid salt and
salty foods.
- Cut down on
meat.
- Cut down on
sugar.
- Eat more complex
carbohydrates.
- Drink six to eight
glasses of water daily.
- Drink alcohol and
caffeine in moderation.
- Take a multivitamin
and mineral supplement.
6. THE SIGNS
AND SYMPTOMS OF A HEART ATTACK
Know the signs of a
heart attack--but remember that women do not
always experience the
same types of symptoms as men. Women and people
with diabetes often
have more ambiguous symptoms.
Here are possible
signs of a heart attack:
- Fullness, pressure,
heaviness, squeezing in chest (mid portion,
usually), lasting
more than just a few minutes.
- Pain in the arms,
shoulders, neck, stomach, lower abdomen, or back.
- Sweating, nausea,
vomiting, dizziness, shortness of breath, or
difficulty
breathing.
- Cool and/or clammy
skin, palpitations, paleness.
Call 911 if you
suspect a heart attack. Know your risk factors for
heart disease and be
good to your heart--it's the only one you have.
Words of Inspiration
"Everyone has the desire to win, but only
champions have the desire to
prepare." --Overheard during the 1997
Boston Marathon
The
Running Woman Message Board in Diet and Fitness
The
Running Woman Message board continues to be active. It
continues a steady pickup in volume, hopefully because of
the interest in using running as part of a renewed
lifestyle. Let's hope they connect with the benefits of
running. We continue to offer advise to all posts. Thanks
to all of you who have provided assistance to members old
and new. Good Luck and Continued Running to all.
Gord
The
Runner's Club
The
RUNNER'S CLUB is still quiet, but with the number of
members just over 670. If you are a member, please take
the time to ensure that your email address is the one you
want to use. Members with incorrect email address will be
deleted from the membership as we are unable to contact
them with club information. The last email sent did
return 180 undeliverable messages back to my mailbox.
Talk about an overload.
A continual reminder that two features of the CLUB are
the ability of members to communicate with each other
privately in the CLUB and the ability to arrange to chat
with each other in the 24 hour chat facility.
Members
have been asked to continue to post on the calendar,
their upcoming race events for the year.
Good Luck and Great Runs
Gord
About
This Newsletter
Experts - we are not. Information presented here is a
collection of research with a taste of experience and
opinion added for flavour. We don't get upset if someone
disagrees with anything that has been said or written. In
our experience with runners, it is difficult to get
agreement on most anything. If it works for you, then it
works.
Neither Women in Motion nor the author of this newsletter
provides professional medical advice. The information in
this newsletter is intended to help you better understand
running issues. It is not intended to replace the advice
of a physician. If you read something in the newsletter
that contradicts what your physician tells you in any
way, always follow your physician's advice.
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runner.
Gordon Samson, Editor
Women in Motion
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Women in Motion
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Practice
doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
-Fariyal Samson, B.PE, B.Ed
© Women in Motion
Women in Motion May 2001
