DURING-WORKOUT FLUIDS--STAY HYDRATED!

	Working out when it’s hot and humid during the dogs days of summer calls for special attention to fluid intake. Whether you choose Bikram yoga, spinning or tennis, and even in the water, get the most out of a workout in the heat by making sure you get enough fluid. In order to minimize changes in your body weight over the course of a workout, determine your sweat rate by measuring body weight before and after a workout and adjust fluid intake accordingly. Remember that sweat contains more than just water, and sodium is the key electrolyte lost in sweat helping you retain the fluid you drank. Using a low-calorie sports drink like G2 or G2 Natural, Propel, and others can help replace the fluids and electrolytes lost in sweat. On days where your workout is longer and more intense, or if you are training for a specific event, add carbohydrates to give your body the energy it needs

DRAGONFLIES AND OUR ECOSYSTEM

Love these beautiful dragonflies that circle our heads when we are doing aqua fitness in the pool! Read about how they help our ecosystem (Washington University Magazine)--plus they eat mosquitoes--a real bonus!

http://magazine.wustl.edu/2012/august/Pages/TysonDragonfliesExperiment.aspx

Fitness and Happiness!

It's true!!!

Fitness professionals and enthusiasts are well aware of the positive effects that exercise can have on mood. A report from the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology (2011; 33 [6], 884–902) takes this common knowledge one step further, suggesting that exercise is associated with feelings of excitement and enthusiasm.

According to the authors, “Physical activity was not associated with pleasant-deactivated, unpleasant–activated or unpleasant–deactivated feelings. People who were more physically active overall had higher pleasant–activated feelings than people who were less physically active. People reported higher levels of pleasant-activated feelings on days when they were more physically active than was typical for them.”

Google Wallet Now Accepted for Payment!!

You can now pay for individual classes or a series by Google Wallet. Go to www.google.com/wallet

   
It's easy and fast to reserve your spot in a class today!!!

Parkinson's --EXERCISE NOW say Doctors!!

Start exercising NOW—as soon as possible. Physicians rarely refer their patients to health and fitness programs at diagnosis because medications are very effective early on alleviating most of the symptoms and patients experience little change in function. Yet, according to recent surveys, it is at the time of diagnosis that patients often begin to consider lifestyle changes and seek education about conventional and complementary/alternative treatment options. Thus referrals to exercise, wellness programs as well as physical/occupational therapy would be best initiated at diagnosis, when it may have the most impact on quality of life (Parkinson Resource Organization, 2012).

LESS CALORIES = LESS BODY FAT

It might be time to shift the goal for obesity treatment away from just weight loss and body mass index to include fat reduction and a better understanding of nutrition science, say the authors of a Journal of the American Medical Association study (2012; 307 [1], 47–55).

At the crux of their findings? Body fat increased when healthy subjects took in more calories than they burned, and the calories themselves appeared to be more important than the amount of protein ingested. When subjects consumed more calories than they expended each day, they appeared to gain body fat and lose lean muscle if their food choices were low in protein.  (Ruth Sova, ATRI e-list, 7/15/12)

FIBROMYALGIA EXERCISES

IN THE POOL:

Whether or not you're a water lover, you'll want to at least try water exercises. Numerous studies report that this form of low-impact exercise -- especially when done in warm water -- can help reduce fibromyalgia pain and stiffness, as well as fatigue and depression in many people with fibromyalgia. And you don't have to endure the back-and-forth monotony of swimming laps if that's not for you. There are a variety of fun, get-wet workouts to choose from -- including music-based aqua aerobics, underwater walking or jogging, strength training, stretching, and water-based relaxation therapies like yoga, tai chi, and Watsu. 

STRENGTH TRAINING:

You don't have to be a body builder. But lifting light weights or doing other types of resistance-based strength training might improve your fibromyalgia symptoms. Fewer fibromyalgia studies have been done on strength training than on other exercise forms, but resistance training shows equal promise in its ability to relieve fibro pain and fatigue, improve sleep, reduce the number of tender points, and dampen depression in people with fibromyalgia. Strength training also may prevent weakening and loss of muscle mass (atrophy) to boot. 

WALKING:

One of the easiest things you can do is lace up your walking shoes and hit the sidewalk. Research suggests that mildly to moderately intense walking may dial down fibromyalgia pain and fatigue just as well as other forms of aerobic exercise do. But ask your rheumatologist or physical therapist how fast, how far, and how often you should walk when starting out. And build up your walks gradually. How much you should ultimately walk will depend on several factors, including your age, your fitness and activity levels, the severity of your fibromyalgia symptoms, and whether the activity worsens or improves your fibro pain and fatigue. Keep in mind that it’s probably also best to do mini walks here and there rather than take one long walk. 

Stick with Exercise for Fibromyalgia

The best way to ensure exercise improves your fibromyalgia? Don't stop once you start. Getting fit and controlling symptoms does not have a beginning and an end. And being a faithful follower of your exercise program is what brings continuous results. Research suggests that the symptom-improving benefits of any exercise program may take up to 4 weeks to fully kick in, so be patient. And remember, whether you are just starting out or have been at it for a while, if exercise ever hurts or makes your fibro symptoms worse, stop. Break it up. Exercise in small spurts. And keep it low-key. The last thing you want is to overdo it. And if you can't find anything that works for you, check in with your doctor or physical therapist as soon as possible to find out what other fibromyalgia treatments you might need to get back on a more active path.

(Real Age, 6/14/12)