Week 3 focus- Physical Endurance

Exercise has been proven to enhance life in multiple ways, from fighting chronic disease, to improving your mood and energy level, to managing weight, even promoting better sleep. It is important as you begin an exercise program to have specific goals in mind. Before you begin, it is helpful to think about what results you want to achieve, then you can gear your exercise program toward attaining your desired results.

“The goal is not only muscular fitness, but fitness of all the oxygen-carrying systems of the body—the lungs, the heart, and the blood vessels. When these areas are fit, then we have what is referred to as ‘endurance fitness’.
Emotional and physical endurance are inseparable. So-called physical fatigue can destroy personality, shorten the concentration span, and make us impatient, unable to focus on the problems at hand and incapable of expressing love, kindness, and inspiration to those we serve.
Competent medical research has shown that endurance is purely a matter of oxygen consumption, and vigorous exercise is the only way we can keep our oxygen-carrying machinery functioning at a proper level."
www.lds.org

Keeping Physically Fit

by Clarence F. Robison

We are breaking the concept of physical endurance down into 3 categories.

These categories are:

Cardiovascular/Aerobic

Strength

Flexibility/Relaxation

Each category is an essential component in differing degrees, depending on the individual, of a successful exercise program and ultimately a better me, and a better you.

Cardiovascular/Aerobic
Activities that develop increased oxygen transportation and utilization are sometimes referred to as aerobic exercises. The word aerobic means “with oxygen” and indicates that the energy produced to do the work utilizes an oxygen system. By increasing the capacity of our aerobic system, we become much more efficient.
Aerobic exercises produce a positive effect on many of the systems of the body such as the heart, lungs, muscles, and the circulatory and endocrine systems. The body increases its capacity to bring in oxygen, transport the oxygen to the necessary areas of the body, and then use the oxygen to produce energy to do work.
Aerobic or cardiovascular activities are where the exceptional calorie burning happens. All aerobic activities are not created equal, though. One pound of body fat is the equivalent of approximately 3500 calories. Power walking (4.5 mph) burns about 6 calories per minute. So in about 540 minutes, 1 pound is lost. Walking at 2 mph burns only 3 calories per minute, so it takes 1080 minutes to lose the same pound. Checking out the calorie expenditure of different activities can be helpful and informative. Search “calorie expenditure chart” online to find a system that works best for you to track your progress. (I use fitday.com.)

Strength
Strength training is important in overall body performance, not only for athletes, but also for people engaging in ordinary daily activities like walking, lifting, sitting, and running. The overall efficiency of the body depends upon the condition of the large muscles of your legs, arms, and trunk, especially the abdominal and back muscles. Adequate strength levels are imperative. If all else remains equal, an increase in strength will contribute to an improvement in the performance of the human body.

‘The biggest myth about strength training is that it makes women bulk up. It’s really unfortunate that so many women believe this misconception because strength training is the secret to burning more calories and losing weight faster. Remember, muscle speeds up your metabolism and burns fat.
So the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you’re just sitting still. If you lose weight without doing strength-training exercises, you’re likely losing muscle along with fat. With less muscle, you’re actually slowing down your metabolism. Keep in mind that while muscle is heavier than fat, it is also more compact; it takes up less space, and thus so will you.
As you develop muscle you will instantly notice that your clothes are not as snug, even if the number on the scale hasn’t yet budged.'
Lifescript, Healthy Living for Women


Flexibility and Relaxation
Sedentary living habits in our world today are major contributors to the loss of flexibility. Inactivity causes muscles and connective tissue to lose extensibility and contributes to decreased flexibility. As basic stretching has evolved into what is currently known as 'flexibility training', the health benefits of stretching have transformed as well. Flexibility training is an essential component to a full-workout program because it increases range of motion, improves circulation and promotes better posture. Regular flexibility workouts can also reduce tension and relieve stress. Plus, stretching just feels good, which is as good for our psyche as it is for our bodies.

'Yoga is a low-impact way to exercise the mind and body, with the goal to achieve harmony with the self. A newer version of yoga, Pilates, has similar methods and poses. The benefits of yoga and Pilates are similar to each other. Pilates and yoga benefit the mind, body, and spirit by increasing blood flow and oxygen, as well as using motion to massage internal body components.
The different positions in yoga benefit the joints of the body that are rarely exercised in everyday life. This increases flexibility through specific stances and positions combined with breathing exercises. Yoga increases lubrication within the joints and tendons by helping the body flex these areas and increase blood flow to rarely used joints and tendons within the body. This can drastically improve the flexibility of the body. Similarly, Pilates uses poises to train joints to move in smooth and continuous motions, which improves the blood flow to these joints and thus increases lubrication for better joint, ligament and tendon movement.
Yoga uses a whole-body approach that stimulates the internal organs of the body. This is rare in cardio and body building exercises, because many organs of the body are not stimulated through basic exercising. Yoga uses movements that specifically target internal organs, such as the lungs, pancreas and stomach, to increase blood flow and oxygen. These are the main components used for cellular regeneration and growth. The benefits of yoga also include detoxification of the internal organs through increasing blood and oxygen to these areas. By holding a specific organ-related position during a yoga exercise, one can help regenerate and stimulate internal organs.
Yoga and Pilates both allow for deep breathing and succinct movements that cause a meditative state. This is a way to have inner quiet and peace. Yoga utilizes both breathing and motion to induce inner awareness on a psychological level. Yoga also benefits with increased oxygen and blood flow which help develop brain functions, and thus increase mental awareness.
Yoga reduces tension and allows for a person to have time with their thoughts. As a low impact exercise, yoga helps free the mind from nervousness and confusion. It induces a quiet, meditative state that relieves the internal pressures that are felt when there is too much commotion and not enough inner silence.
Lifescript, Healthy Living for Women


So this week…Let’s get moving!
“The systems of the body all require oxygen and energy, but the main furnace that burns this fuel is the muscles of the body. When we are physically inactive, energy-giving calories are stored for future use as fat tissue, and the other systems of the body now have to carry this burden and nourish and feed these millions of extra cells. When the General Authorities advise that we store, for future use, one year’s supply of food, it is not intended that we carry the accumulation with us wherever we go.
A good exercise program can bring about a physical rehabilitation. Greater than this can be a personality rehabilitation. With this comes a new lease on life, with an improved self-image and the ability to relax and live more freely with everyday problems and stresses. These are not mere speculation; they are scientifically proven facts with predictable results.”
Keeping Physically Fit
Clarence F. Robison