Octoberfest FWAV Challenge 2016

Hope you join us for Octoberfest FWAV Challenge.  Ask your trainer for a hard copy of the challenges.  Using the honor system please keep track of the challenges completed and points accumulated.  

        Good Luck!!!

1)            Meet one of your own personal health goals. 

Ideas: 30 to 45 minute walk 3x/wk – Not having refined sugar for a week – Keep a food journal for a week – Eat veggies 4 to 5 times a day – Drink 3 to 4 quarts of water a day – Sign up for a nutritional assessment with Juli (great way to learn more about your nutritional needs) 

The choice is yours, how do you want to challenge yourself???

12 points

2)            Attend Sabina Weaver’s presentation “How To Maintain A Healthy Bladder” on Thursday October 6^th  - Hartness location @ 6:30 p.m.

12 points

3)            Making it to every single one of your already scheduled sessions in October without having to reschedule or being late.

10 points 

4)            Completing all of your sessions for the month even if some have had to be rescheduled within the month of October.

7 points

5)            Making it to every single one of your sessions on time.

7 points

6)            Book a massage with Dawn Sultz (our in house masseus) at a 10% discount.  Use the code OCTOBERFEST when booking. 

10 points

7)            Bring a friend to workout with you once during October.  

Keep in mind our October promotion.  If your friend signs up for 2 months they’ll receive a 25% discount on their 1^st month.  If they sign up for a 3^rd month, you will receive a 25% discount on your following month. 

5 points

8)            Send us a pic of yourself wearing a FWAV logo (shirt, sweatshirt, cap) while you are in an athletic position (plank, squat, lunge etc) so we can post on our social media.  

5 points

  

9)            Referring a friend and having your friend sign up with us for a month.  

Keep in mind our October promotion.  If your friend signs up for 2 months they’ll receive a 25% discount on their 1^st month.  If they sign up for a 3^rd month, you will receive a 25% discount on your following month. 

8 points

10)        Participating in 1 group fitness class each week in October.  

10 points

11)        Participating in 2 group fitness classes in October.  

7 points

12)        Participating in 1 group fitness classes during October.  

3 points

13)        Scheduling an extra session free of charge with one of the other trainers.  

3 points

14)        Send us a pic of you walking, biking or jogging the Swamp Rabbit Trail so we can post on our social media.  

5 points

15)        Give us an idea for a blog… something you are interested in learning more of.  

5 points

16)        If you get to travel during the month send us a pic of you wearing a FWAV logo from where you are.  #FWAVtravelstheworld

4 points

17)        Take a picture of your healthy at home prepared meal and send it to us so we can share on social media.  

6 points

18)        Eating healthy while eating out is hard to do.  Give yourself 5 points for making a healthy choice at a restaurant.  Take a pic and send to your trainer for approval.  

6 points

19)        Log your sleep for one week during October.

4 points

20)        Start meditating.  Give yourself 5 points when you meditate 2 days a week.  Headspace is a great app that can help you get started!

6 points

21)        It is Halloween month!!! Send us a pic of you, your kids or grandkids in your best and cutest Halloween costumes!!!

7 points

Popping a pill or devouring a bean burrito to safeguard health is alluring.  But there's a problem, the strength of evidence is not sufficient for healthy individuals, without any medical problems or digestive issues, to be investing in daily probiotics.

One reason is that most supplements provide a singe strain of bacteria - but your gut is home to hundreds.  Finding the right strain of probiotic supplement to help boost your unique mirobiome is a crapshoot at best.

If you do take an uncoated capsule, there's a good chance your stomach will kill many of the bacteria strains before they can work.  Unless it is encapsulated and designed for delayed release, the average probiotic won't survive long in your body.  One study found that just 10 to 25 percent of uncoated strains survive once swallowed.

Another issue; To aid the gut, microorganisms must be alive when consumed - but many of those inside a supplement, food, or drink are often DOA.  In fact, Consumer Lab reports that roughly half of the organisms initially put into a product are dead by the time they hit the store shelves.

As for the ever-growing number of probiotic-infused chocolate bars, ice creams, crackers, and frozen foods, no research has proved that they have probiotic benefits, and experts say most are merely gimmicks to lure the health-obsessed.  If a food is inherently unhealthy, sprinkling a little good bacteria on it won't make it any better for you.

That's not to say that microorganisms themselves are problematic.  Science shows that naturally occurring probiotics are beneficial for your micro biome.  But they should be consumed in whole foods - yogurts - sauerkraut - kimchi - that are loaded with billions of colony-forming units (CFUs) of friendly  bacteria, along with fiber that feeds the microorganism in your gut.  You need about a billion CFUs to get a positive effect.  While serving of kimchi may provide several billion CFUs from a variety of bacteria strains, many supplements and fortified foods barely reach half billion of one strain - if they're even alive then you consume them.

Instead of expensive supplements, spend the money on a plant-based diet that includes fermented foods.  That will give your gut bacteria enough fiber to create a healthy biome.

How To Get The Most Of Probiotics

Watch for sugar
Yogurts and drinks like Kombucha are rich in naturally occurring probiotics, but many brands are sweetened with 20-plus grams of sugar.  This can negate the benefits.  Skip an product for which a sweetener is one of the first ingredients listed on the label.

Be smart about supplements
If you buy them, look for shelf-stable capsules with at least a billion CFUs per dose.  Because bacteria can die during shipping, you want a brand  that lists its CFU number with a "best by" date, not "present at time of manufacture."

Eat fermented food frequently 
Occasionally topping a ball-game bratwurst with kraut doesn't do much for your microbiome.  To get the benefits of fermented foods, you must eat them often. Work yogurts, tempeh, and pickled produce into your daily diet.

A Squat is a compound movement; it requires every major muscle group to work in concert and instantly pinpoints if an area is tight and needs to be stretched or is weak and needs to be strengthened.  Test yourself using this guide, then incorporate any needed fixes into your workouts.  Correcting imbalances you can't see will help you gain better results from training and preventing future injuries.  

Back Is Flat

If yours is not:  If your back rounds or arches, blame tight lats and a weak core. 

The fix:  Loosen upper back and lats on a foam roller, and target deep abs and obliques by doing twisting planks: Hold a plank, then twist torso to the right and pause for one count; repeat to the left.  These are also called Plank Hip Dips

Torso Is Upright

If yours is not:  Your calves or hip flexors are likely tight, and your glutes weak.  

The fix:  Stretch and foam roll the calves and hips, and do hip bridges to activate the glutes; Lie face up on the floor, knees bent and feet planted.  Raise hips as high as you can, hold a few seconds, lower and repeat. 

Arms Should Be Straight

If yours is not:  Your pecs and lats are tight, and your traps are weak.

The fix:  Loosen the lats and chest with foam rolling, and do chest-openers, such as standing with forearms against the edges of a door frame and leaning forward.  Strengthen the lats with superman pose; Lie face down with arms extended above head; raise arms, head and chest then hold and repeat. 

Thighs Are At Least Parallel To They Ground

If yours are not:  The deeper range of motion is probably new to you, and you need to build muscle memory to achieve it.  

The fix:  Squat low with a physio ball at hip level between your back and wall. Hold at the bottom for five seconds, press back and repeat.

Knees Point Out

If yours do not:  The muscles on the outside of your thighs are weak; on the inside they are tight.  

The fix:  Target inner thighs with a foam roller, and hold a side lunge to stretch them.  Strengthen side muscles with lateral banded walks; Place a resistance band around and above knees.  Take big side steps to the left, then the right.  

Heels Are Flat

If yours are not:  It could be that your calves are tight, your form is bad, or both. 

The fix:  Foam roll and stretch calves.  (Rolling, as you can see is the key.)  And practice squatting into heels, not the mid foot or toes.  Focus on driving hips back.

Two parts of fitness that are often overlooked are flexibility and balance. This may be because of conflicting information regarding their importance or relevance. However, both can play a vital role in overall fitness and function. Tight muscles can contribute to back pain or difficulty performing simple tasks, such as putting objects into overhead cupboards. While poor balance is known to increase the risk of falls in older persons, it may also affect sports performance in younger individuals. Luckily, it is very easy to work on both flexibility and balance on your own.

To train flexibility, stretching or repeated movement through a joint’s complete range of motion will work to increase joint range or prevent loss of motion, respectively. To stretch a muscle, it should be put in a position that produces a slight pull on the muscle but not to the point of pain. With a static stretch, the position in which a slight stretch is felt should be held 15-30 seconds, and each stretch should be repeated 3-5 times on each side of the body. The primary note regarding stretch position is that it should not cause pain or take the joint past the normal range. There are several forms of dynamic stretching, with the key difference being that dynamic stretches take the joint and muscles through the full range of motion, often repeatedly.

ACSM guidelines recommend that stretching activities be done at least two days per week. If you have lost some joint motion or feel stiff, range of motion or stretching activities should be done daily. The muscles that are most often tight are the hamstrings, hip flexors, calves and chest muscles. Each of these can be stretched using different positions, and some general motions may stretch more than one muscle group. For simplicity’s sake, only common static stretches will be described below.

•   Hamstrings. Sit on the ground with legs straight in front of you. Gently lean forward from the hips (try to keep the back fairly straight) until a stretch is felt on the back of the thighs.

•   Hip flexors. Stand on one foot, and bring the other foot to the buttocks. Pull back gently, while keeping your knee pointed at the ground and your hip straight. If needed, hold onto a counter or chair to keep your balance.

•   Calves. Step forward with one leg. Shift your weight toward the front leg while keeping the back heel on the ground. If you press the hip of your back leg forward, this will also help stretch the hip flexors.

•   Chest muscles. Standing in a corner, bring hands up to shoulder height and place against the wall on either side. Keeping hands in position, lean body forward until a stretch is felt in the front of the chest. This can also be done using a doorway, turning away from the hand that is on the wall.

Problems with tripping or falling often indicate difficulty with balance. Ideally, you should be able to stand on one leg for at least 20 seconds unsupported for static (not moving) balance. Balance activities can be started with simple position shifts for those that already have balance issues. Shifting should take place in all directions, including angles, with different placements of the feet. Improving balance requires a progressive challenge. This can be done by increasing the number of repetitions or the length of a balance activity, adding movement to make the activity more dynamic, or by reducing input from other senses, such as by closing the eyes. In addition, the amount of support from the arms can be progressed by using both hands, then one hand, then one finger, and finally no assistance. ACSM guidelines suggest such activities be done at least two days per week. A simple progression at home might be:

•   Weight shifts. Step side-to-side, forward and backward. Then step forward and backward at an angle.

•   Single leg stance. Stand next to a counter or chair for support. Stand on one leg and touch the toe of the other leg to the front, side and back.

•   Single leg stance with movement. Stand next to a counter or chair for support. Stand on one leg and perform a partial squat. Repeat five times with each leg. This will also help with thigh strength. Alternative: turn slightly to the left, then right, moving only at the hip. Repeat five times with each leg.

Other activities can also be used for flexibility and balance. Tai chi, an activity based on martial arts, is excellent for balance because it uses multiple types of weight shifts as well as standing on one leg for short periods of time. Yoga uses different body positions and more sustained holds, thus it can also be used to improve static balance and flexibility. There are numerous DVDs and other aids available for those wishing to learn one of these activities. The key to any stretching or balance program is regularity, and these activities are not meant to be done at a high intensity.

Which is better for weight loss?

Strength training. While you burn only up to 10 calories per minute lifting weights, compared with as many as 12 for cardio, you continue torching calories after you put those dumbbells down.

"When you jog or hit the elliptical, your body is actually pretty comfortable,” says exercise physiologist Mike Bracko of Calgary, Alberta. “But when you strength train, your body is like, ‘Whoa, this is a lot different!'” And that “whoa” takes you about an hour to recover from—burning an extra 25 percent on top of the calories you torched during your workout. That means if you burn 160 calories doing a 20-minute strength circuit, you’ll actually burn 200 by the time you’ve gone on with your day.

Bonus: Your metabolism stays elevated by up to 10 percent for three days after you lift as your body repairs the microtrauma in muscles, says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., an exercise-science professor at Quincy College in Massachusetts.

Which should I do first?

Whichever you prefer, because they both have benefits, says. On one hand, moderate-intensity cardio makes a great warm-up, priming your muscles for strength training. On the flip side, cardio also makes a great cooldown, helping flush out the soreness-inducing lactate that builds up in your muscles during tough training and turning it back into energy you can use. The one exception: If you’re training for an event like a triathlon or 10K, you want to tackle that type of exercise first, when you’re fresh.

Does one give a bigger endorphin boost?

Cardio. It’s been shown to change brain chemistry enough to improve mood, anxiety and depression. And in a new study in the Journal of Experimental Biology, volunteers who ran on a treadmill increased their levels of endocannabinoids—marijuanalike chemicals created in the body that make you feel good and even have a slight pain-relieving effect.

You can still enjoy an endorphin boost from strength training, but you’ll need to rev your heart rate. Do that by lifting heavy weights or moving quickly between sets and strength exercises instead of taking long rest breaks.

Should I lift heavy or light weights?

Both. Light weights—light enough that you can do 15 to 20 reps before fatigue sets in—tend to activate slow-twitch muscle fibers. Heavy weights—so heavy that you can eke out only 8 to 10 reps—activate a higher percentage of fast-twitch ones. Combining the two lifting styles will give you the best results, says Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., an assistant professor in exercise science at CUNY Lehman College in Bronx, New York. Ideally, you’d do one light lifting day and one or two heavy days in a week, or mix it up in a single session.

What if I have time to do only one?

Strength train, for one simple reason: “It’s possible to get your cardio from strength alone,” says Westcott. If you keep moving between sets, either by inserting plyometric moves that leave you breathless (think jump squats) or going straight from one exercise to the next, you’ll strengthen your heart and lungs along with your other muscles. Studies show that you can get better results—both aerobic and strength gains—from three 20-minute strength circuits a week than you can from 60 minutes of cardio five days a week.

Self Magazine