Exercise cancels out sedentary time 

Sedentary time is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, obesity and some cancers. National activity guidelines recommend achieving 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every day. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the population are not reaching this and are therefore classified as physically inactive.

Now, there also exists a new problem. For those reaching recommended physical activity guidelines, this may not offset the effects of time spent seated. We often underestimate the amount of time spent seated during the day. For example; we sit to have breakfast, sit to drive to work (or on public transport), sit once at work and sit to have lunch. This is not even tracking sitting over the whole day. We understand this may not be the case for everyone, but on average, Australians sit for 10 hours per day. When we compare this to 30mins a day of moderate intensity exercise, there is a huge discrepancy.

Stand up desks have been offered as a solution to decrease sitting. This is not a bad start, but still doesn’t reduce our sedentary time. Ideally, we want to start moving more on top of our planned exercise sessions. We want to be able to identify opportunities to move and use these opportunities each and every day.

Here are some great ways to stay active at work, at home and throughout the day;

At work

• Take the stairs instead of the lift
• Set a calendar reminded for every 30mins to walk around the office.
• Speak with a co-worker instead of sending an email 3 desks away.
• Utilise a stand-up stretch break.
• Have a walking meeting.
• Take a walk during your lunch break.
• If discussing work related matters that don’t require the computer. Use your mobile and walk and talk.
• Walk or ride to work.
• Volunteer for the coffee run.

At home

• Walk around the house during TV ad breaks or better yet do some exercises like squats or push ups.
• Put on some music and dance.
• Do some household chores; mowing, vacuuming, washing the dishes.
• Do some bench push ups while waiting for the kettle to boil.
• Take the dog for a walk or run with the dog instead.
• Walk around the house whilst talking to a friend.
• Run around with the kids in the backyard.
• Take more trips e.g. bring shopping in one bag at the time.

Throughout the day

• Walk to the shops.
• Park further away and walk the rest of the way to work.
• Take public transport and get off a stop early
• Take the stairs instead of the escalators

There are so many ways to move, so we are only limited by our imagination. So, be creative but most importantly make it fun. If you’re struggling to break the sedentary curse, please speak with your Accredited Exercise Physiologist.

Could stretching be effecting your performance

Static stretching was once considered an integral part of the warm up prior to working out. Static stretching is where you take a muscle into a stretched position and hold it for an extended period of time (usually around 30secs). The thought was, that stretching in this way would reduce the risk of injury. Unfortunately, these claims were not based on any evidence.

Research has indicated that static stretching prior to a workout can actually be detrimental to performance. Furthermore; stretching prior to a workout will not be protective of muscle soreness or reduce the risk of injury.

Studies have shown reductions in 20-meter sprint performance, vertical jump height, power out-put, agility and strength after completing static stretching. Before a muscle contracts, it has the ability to store elastic energy. Think of it a bit like stretching an elastic band and then letting it go. The stretch then release, creates a sling shot effect allowing for greater power output. When we hold a static stretch, it decreases the muscles ability to utilize this elastic energy.

This doesn’t mean you have to avoid static stretching all together. It can still be a safe, effective way of increasing flexibility and joint range of motion. But it would probably be best to use it outside of your workouts and definitely not beforehand.

Instead, try to perform a dynamic warm up prior to a workout. This involves taking the targeted area through its entire range of motion at a controlled speed. Examples of dynamic movements could be; high knees, butt flicks, hip rolls, running cycles, leg swings and straight leg skipping. The whole idea of a dynamic warm up is to improve your bodies mobility, warm up the muscles and do it in a way that is specific to the exercise session you are about to undertake. This style of warm up has been shown to be effective at improving performance. The reason for this may be due to the rehearsal of specific movement patterns, which may help increase coordination of subsequent movement.

If you’ve feeling a bit sluggish at the start of a workout and need a hand getting started, please speak with you Accredited Exercise Physiologist.

Is soreness the sign of an effective workout?

Soreness and workout intensity are sometimes connected. However; this is not necessarily a true indication of an effective workout.

What causes soreness after a workout?

The soreness we experience after a workout is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This can appear within the first 24-48 hours after a workout. This can be a normal response to training, especially when you have just started training again. The soreness usually develops after completing some form of unaccustomed strength or aerobic exercise. It results from small micro tears in the muscle most commonly when the muscle contracts and lengthens. This micro trauma results in an inflammatory response and muscle soreness.

You will find the more you do of a particular exercise the less sore you will become. This is a classic example of the body adapting to certain exercises. Does this mean the session was a complete waste of time? Of course not.

Choosing the right workout intensity.

A good workout, is one that the body can adapt too and move us closer to our training goal. Ideally, we want to pick an intensity that is not too difficult or too easy. Finding an intensity between these two points, will help us get the gains we are after. Pushing ourselves extremely hard, might create a lot of soreness, but may be beyond our ability to adapt optimally. Scheduling in higher intensity sessions into our training is fine on occasions. But completing maximal intensity workouts every session, may lead to over training and injury. This is definitely the type of soreness we want to avoid. To know if the workouts you are completing are truly effective, you need to test, train and retest. If you are able to lift more or run further on your retest you know your headed in the right direction.

Remember the soreness you experience may come from;

Unaccustomed exercise

Exercise that causes the muscle to contract and lengthen simultaneously

If you are new to training

Training to failure

But these are not an indication that the workout was effective.

If you need help with an individualized, progressive training plan, to help you achieve your goals, please speak with your Accredited Exercise Physiologist.

Consistently exercise even when it’s wet

It’s raining outside but it’s time to exercise. What do you do? You might be thinking, are you serious I can’t exercise in that! Apart from it being a little cold and wet (which can be addressed), there aren’t any disadvantages to training in the cold. In fact, running in the rain may cause an increased metabolic cost, resulting in greater calorie expenditure, assisting those wanting to lose weight.

Another concern people often have is, ‘will I get sick from training in the cold’? A cold is transferred through contact with the rhinovirus not through cold exposure. Studies have also demonstrated that exercise can boost your immune function.

Missing a session due to cold weather is an easy way of giving yourself the day off. Although, training in the cold might not seem fun, there are things you can do to make the experience more comfortable.

Here are 5 Tips to help you exercise in the cold

Layer up: It helps you to go out in the cold if you know you will be warm and then when you start to warm up, you can take a layer off and still remain comfortable.

Cover your fingers and toes: The first parts of our body to feel cold are often our extremities. Put on your gloves and a warm pair of socks and off you go!

Make sure you do a warm up: The great thing about exercise is that it warms you up. You could even try to do your warm up inside before you venture out into the cold.

Grab a mate: It’s always easier to get outside when you have a mate waiting for you in the cold. Have your exercise time booked in and don’t back out.

Workout inside: If you’re still not convinced about venturing into the cold, set up a circuit in your living room. The comfort of home can be a great place to exercise. Be creative with what you might use as equipment, or simply do body weight exercises.

If you need that extra motivation to get you moving, please speak with your Accredited Exercise Physiologist.

Exercise to promote joint health

Exercise has so many benefits, but is it good for your joints? People often ask us, “is it OK for me to exercise”, worried that it may cause joint pain. Exercise being bad for your joints is a common misconception. Recent research has shown that long distance running was not associated with the acceleration or severity of knee osteoarthritis.

Studies have also shown, that rates of arthritis are no higher in runners than non-runners.

Another interesting aspect about pain is that is not always in the presence of tissue damage. Watch this clip that contains emerging evidence about thinking outside the joint.

Exercise promotes joint health.

The body is extremely adaptable and resilient. In fact, cartilage health can be promoted through exercise. Our body tissues (such as the muscles, ligaments, bone and cartilage) adapt to the stress of exercise by making them stronger.

The body is designed to move and movement is a great way of reducing joint stiffness. Think of it like using grease on a squeaky door hinge. Exercise enhances the circulation of fluid in the joint, which helps nourish the joint and keeps it moving freely.

What exercise too choose?

There are so many ways to keep active and doesn’t have to be limited to running. We understand that running is not for everyone and that some people may not be able to run.

Instead, go for a walk that is within your capability. Start slowly and gradually build up the duration and intensity. Remember, it doesn’t have to be completed in one big block, so break it up throughout the day into manageable bouts.

Resistance training is a great way of strengthening our joints and in turn the connective tissues that surround our joints. This can be done using your body weight, free weights (such as dumbbells), therabands, cable weight or machines. Start light and push through a comfortable range of motion, then build up from there.

Take on some form of movement class like Tai chi, Pilates or stretching. We occupy a three-dimensional space, so these classes are a nice way of exploring movement variability. They can also assist with improving our joint range of motion and flexibility. There are so many ways to be active.

These are merely some suggestions to get you moving, but should not replace an individualized assessment. If you are experiencing some joint discomfort please speak with your Accredited Exercise Physiologist to get an individualized exercise plan.