Fitness Together Brecksville: June 2015

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

What are some exercises I can do while in the pool this summer?

Trainer Tuesdays

Welcome back to the weekly edition on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check in at our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

What are some exercises I can do while in the pool this summer?

Kelly Bailey: If it ever stops raining in Ohio and the weather turns nice enough to hit the pool, you can mix up your workout routine by performing pool exercises. I'm not talking about swimming endless laps either! One great form of exercise is pool running, which is performed exactly as it sounds. The added resistance of trying to move your body through the water can actually burn more calories than running on land! You can also use a pool noodle or kick board to perform water planks, or do kick drills back and forth across the pool. And don't discount the calories burned by playing a good old game of "Marco-Polo" with the kids.

Taylor Burns: When I go to my parents’ house during the summer, a few exercises I like to do in the pool are the diving board pull ups, bicycles and double leg lift. In the pool, swim up to the diving board grabbing both sides of it to pull yourself up. This is great for upper body strength as the water is pushing the body down. As for bicycles, you can start out leaning back on the pool edge and move your legs in motion like you would be riding a bike. To make this exercise more difficult, try leaning back on a noodle. This will allow you to use your core, shoulders and legs more. Lastly, the double leg lift is similar to the bicycle starting position of leaning back on the edge except the legs are straight and together. Begin to raise them up as high as you can keeping the legs straight and together.

Adam Teplitz: Water can be one of the best fitness tools. It provides resistance, which strengthens muscles and boosts cardio intensity. It also supports some of your weight, making workouts easier on joints and reducing the risk of injury. Aquatic exercises can also burn fat faster. One of the easiest and most effective pool workouts is water jogging. At high intensity, this exercise can burn 17 calories per minute-more than on land! It also makes you stronger. Jog for one to three minute intervals in waist -high water, then alternate with less cardio heavy water exercises. These can include Spider-Man's, which challenge your back and core muscles by climbing up and down the pool wall. The pool plank is another great exercise to strengthen the core. Stand on the pool floor, while holding onto a noodle and keeping your head above water. Lean forward until your body is on an even incline. An additional exercise to strengthen your core consists of using a noodle to balance on one leg. Press down on the noodle with your foot , while balancing on the opposite foot. The noodle will form a U shape. Take advantage of the benefits to exercising in the water to get a fun, creative, and effective workout in.

Maria Kolodziej: My favorite cardio workout is a good run. My preference remains the same when I get into the pool. The added bonus in the pool however is the resistance the water gives against your muscles. The harder you "run", the greater your muscles will be challenged. Just make sure you remember to run across the shallow end ; )

Jessica Regula: The pool is a great place to get a workout in on a hot day. Water provides resistance for the body while being very easy on your joints. You can warm up by swimming a few laps or doing some jumping jacks, then begin your strength training:

Pike scull: This move will tone your abs, arms, and hips. Stand in shallow water and sit back, treading with your hands at your sides. Lift both legs together so that your body forms a v-shape with your head and toes above the surface. Then, keeping that v-shape, move your treading hands by your hips in order to move yourself forward down the length of the pool.

Tricep dips: Place your hands on the pool deck so that you are facing the water. Slowly lower down until your elbows are at about 90 degrees, then push back up.

Hamstring curls: stand slightly leaning towards the pool deck, hands could be on pool deck for support. Flex your left foot and bring it towards your booty, working the back of the legs. Repeat on other side.

Floating crunch: place your feet on the pool deck so that your upper body is floating in the water. Crunch up, working the abs then lower back down to floating.

Those are just some examples, but feel free to be creative! You can do flutter kicks, planks with pool noodles; keep it exciting and have fun!

Monika Cotter: Yay, it's finally summer (even though it may not seem like it with all this rain) and it is time to play in the pool! While it is nice to sit and relax, it can also be used as an exercise tool. Swimming laps is a great way to burn calories and use almost every muscle in your body, but there are also many other ways to be active in the pool. Playing games like Shark and Marco Polo with your kids can be an activity to do. Some other ways to work out in the pool are to get water weights (foam weights), you can also hold onto the side and do different kicks such as frog kicks, butterfly kicks and regular kicks. Whatever you do have fun with it, wear sunscreen and get out of the house to be active!

For your pool construction needs contact Highland Construction of Brecksville, and for your pool opening, closing, maintenance or lifeguard staffing contact Hastings Water Works in Brecksville.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Trainer Tuesdays: How Much Pain Should I Expect to Endure From Exercise?

Trainer Tuesdays

How Much Pain Should I Expect to Endure From Exercise?

Justin Traft: The question is always is out there "how much pain should I endure from exercise?” Well the answer is somewhat easy to answer. Do you need to be so sore all the time to the point that it's not enjoyable to workout?--- no! But since the beginning of time when people started working out you need to have some degree of challenge presented in order to achieve desirable results. I myself have come to love the burn or "the pump" . But sometimes some people or clients don't always need that to achieve desirable results. Ideally, you’re going be sore-- not to the point of not being able to walk-- but sore. All that means is you’re working towards your goals; and that your muscles are being torn when you work out, building myosin muscle fiber tissue. Your body is being asked to do things that's not in its daily routine. I am a firm believer in hard work. That belief I take to all my workouts for clients as well as myself. No trainer should be out to physically hurt a client but simply push them a little more than they would ever push themselves. We are here to bring the best out of you. What we all know you have deep down inside of you. So in the end, a little sore can be a good thing .

Adam Teplitz: It's important to understand the difference between pain and discomfort during exercise. This can help you avoid injury and develop peak fitness. Pain is the body's primary warming signal that alerts us to a problem. It tends to come on suddenly and is sharp , pointed, shooting, aching, or irritating. Exercise should not cause pain and if it does , you should back off or stop the exercise until the pain stops. The odds of developing a serious injury or chronic injury
increase as you exercise with pain. Discomfort, on the other hand, is often a part of exercise training, and can be an indication that your workouts are pushing you to improve your cardiovascular capacity and strength. The discomfort of muscle fatigue is common after lifting weights or after a hard run. Discomfort can also be felt in delayed onset muscle soreness. This occurs one to two days after a new workout routine or intense session. This sort of discomfort is normal. It's only felt in the muscles, not the joints or tendons. Remember to always listen to the warming signs that your body provides. Adjust the exercises to avoid pain and get great results.

Monika Cotter: If exercises are performed correctly there shouldn’t be any pain while doing them. There may be some discomfort from being inactive, not being used to working out or not always using that specific muscle (or groups of muscles). If at any time you are in pain that doesn’t feel right, let your trainer know and we can modify it to make the exercise work for you. As much as we want results for our clients, our top priority is keeping our clients safe and without injury.

Kelly Bailey: First, it's important to point out that pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. Pain is often felt as sharp or stabbing, and is often said to be located deep in a joint, bone, or muscle. You should NEVER feel pain during exercise. If you feel pain, stop what you're doing immediately!

That being said, let's make a distinction between PAIN and DISCOMFORT. Feelings of discomfort are completely normal during exercise. The muscular burn you feel in your shoulders during that last set of military presses is an example of normal discomfort associated with exercise. Feeling muscular soreness and stiffness is also quite normal up to a few days after a hard workout.

The bottom line is that you need to take responsibility and listen to your body. If something feels wrong, listen to your intuition and stop!

Steven Madden: Personally, I don't think you should be in any pain during a workout, I think you should be in agony. Pain, for me, is the result of an injury, or doing something mechanically wrong with the body. When you are in pain, stop working and listen to what your body is telling you. Rest what needs to be rested. When you are working hard though, you should be in agony. The muscles hurt, your hart rate is up and you are sweating. Agony is temporary. Agony is the discomfort brought on by working hard. I feel that you should be in agony for most of a workout, but be recovered within about 20 min of that workout ending. More than that might hinder recovery. Less probably means you could have worked more. That's why I try to work myself into a state of agony, not pain.

Jessica Regula: I don't think you should have to endure any pain from exercise!! But with that being said, I consider pain to be extreme discomfort. Will some exercises be uncomfortable? Yes. Will you be sore after a workout or for a few days afterwards? Yes. Will you sometimes feel like your muscles are being torn apart and you can't do another rep? Definitely. But pain? No. I'm a firm believer of being in touch with your body so that you can tell the difference between normal exercise discomfort and the "hey, wait a minute, something hurts in an abnormal way" feeling. Pushing through discomfort will yield results. Pushing through pain may cause injury. If you're having a hard time noticing the difference at first, describe what you are feeling to your trainer. Exercising isn't going to be comfortable and easy, but it shouldn't be painful either!

Maria Kolodziej: Pain is a relative term so it's difficult to say exactly how much pain each individual can expect when working out. My opinion, put as simply as possible, is "none". If you are working out correctly you will be pushed beyond your comfort zone and can expect elevated heart rate, sweating and fatigue (followed by an awesome sense of accomplishment when you finish). But pain is a sign that something is wrong, especially unilateral pain. So in other words; discomfort yes, pain no!