I'm Late! I'm Late!...

What to do When You're Running Late

This week's newsletter is a little house-keeping, and lighter in nature.  It happens quite often, so we thought we'd give you somewarm helpfuladvice on what to do the next time you're running late. 

Running late for a class or appointment tends to, naturally, start us into "panic mode."  We've heard some stories of (and even seen first hand! ;)) some pretty dangerous driving stories and frantic entrances from our clients who are running late for their session or class.  It is avoidable, but sometimes it just happens.  So, here are some tips and instructions for the next time you're running late for a session or class...

1.  Call if you can.  If you have the opportunity tosafely call or email us to let us know you're running late, we'll know when to expect you and be ready for you when you arrive.  We can also plan what to do with you in the abbreviated time

2.  Relax!  Running late is not ideal, but it's also not the end of the world.  We understand that sometimes you get tied down with work or projects.  We also understand that it's the Bay Area, and you don't have control over the traffic.  (Do you?  If so, let us know!)  We have our schedule set aside for you for an entire hour.  Something can still be done in the time we have together.   You are welcome to stay after to finish up your workout.  Your coach can tell you what to do or what you should work on.  If you need to leave at the end of your appointment time, too, that's ok!  Our time together is spent trying to make you move and feel better- no matter how long you get to spend with us.  Your entire isn't going to go bad because one workout is shortened.  If you're better after that session, then you're better, and still on track.  It's better than not coming at all and not doing something to move and feel better that day.

3.  Warm Up.  When you get here, still take the time to warm up- it's one of the most important parts of your workout (2nd to recovery, but priority over the "hard stuff").  If your body isn't properly warmed up and ready to go, that shortened workout that you already thought was ruined could go even worse and result in an injury that would make you miss even more workouts.  

4.  Breathe.  Take a minute to breathe and let your system calm down.  Breathing helps bring down the stress hormones that slow your metabolism down and gives you energy and clarity to still have a good and productive session, even if it's shortened.

5.  Focus on Getting Better, Not Just Getting It In!  This is incredibly important.  There's the tendency to rush through things to get them done instead of actually focusing on what you're doing.  This isn't a simple mathematical formula that says X amount of exercises and reps will result in Y calories burned and Z improvements.  Our brain and bodies don't truly work that way.  Our brain and body adapt to things that we are intently focused on doing and getting better at.  Things that we can do just to do with minimal focus on quality are too easy and require minimal adaptation from the brain and body.  Translation:  You won't get the results you are looking for by just going through the motions!  Even if you're breathing heavy and your heart is beating faster.  (See last week's newsletter on "How Much Cardio do we Really Need?")  You still have to focus on what you're doing.  The magic formula is always Quality over Quantity! 

If parking is bad, park in front of the gym, come in and ask for some quarters- we always have some at the front desk!  Get here when you can, take a deep breath, be happy you made it (because we are!), and spend whatever time you have focused on making yourself a little better. 

How Much Cardio Do We Really Need?

This is a question we get asked a lot, and a topic that's very commonly misunderstood.  Our answer to this question:

"As much as you need."  

This may sound like a snarky or rude answer, but the reality of it is true- you need to train your cardiovascular system as much and as hard as you need to in order to allow you to do the things you want to do. 

This discussion can go a few directions, so we'll hit on a few of the reasons why we answer this question the way we do.  The first reason is this:  there needs to be a purpose to your training and a reason behind taxing/stressing your body- especially your heart!  There are a lot of articles and recommendations out based on "studies" telling us we need to have so many minutes per day of activity at an elevated heart rate, or even actually telling us what target heart rate we should be working at to make us healthier.   Those are all useful information, but are not person-specific!  Those are general guidelines based on what we call correlation studies.  In other words, people who typically get ___ amount of activity at an elevated heart rate have fewer heart problems, or working at ____ beats per minute for ____ amount of time will "strengthen your heart"and make it healthier.  After all, the heart is a muscle, right?

This is true, and not true.  The fact of the matter is, we are all individuals with different health histories, metabolisms, fitness levels, and fitness goals.  A blanket recommendation may be beneficial, and has been for a lot of people, but also may not be the best approach- and hasn't been for a lot of people! 

Our idea of cardiovascular "training" is that it should be that- "training."  Meaning you train your body to perform a certain activity or type of activity while at the elevated heart rate your sport (or life) requires, with the end goal being you are able to do whatever activity or sport you're training for easier with less heart rate elevation over time- ie. you're more efficient!  Your heart is a muscle, but it's the one muscle in the body that is always working.  Making it work harder just to make it work harder doesn't seem like the healthiest approach.  

Heart rate varies quite a bit throughout the day.  It's controlled by hormones released (indirectly) by the brain in response to stress.  Often times people are functioning at an elevated heart rate without even knowing it- as a response to stress.  The fight or flight response is going on at some level all of the time, all day long.  It doesn't always take a life or death situation.  We're starting to find that stress is what actually affects heart function the most, as well as what leads to all of our "lifestyle diseases" that are beginning to run rampant in our society.  Those stress hormones will raise your heart rate in response to exercise, obviously, but also in response to hunger, poor food choices, a big presentation, a meeting with the boss, running the kids across town for soccer practice, poor air quality, etc.  Not moving for hours at a time, or not moving well is a stress to the brain.  Pain from current or past injuries is a stress to the brain.  

This is the uphill battle we're fighting in educating the public.  We're even working with the Berkeley Police Department to create a new program to address this issue...We are always under some sort of stress and creating a "fight or flight" reaction to it at some level all day every day.  We live in a society that is now fueled by stress hormones to survive on a day to day basis- And that's really what's killing us.

The real key to "Evolved Training and Living":  Make your body as stress-proof as possible!  You can't control all of the stress that comes your way.  You can, however, control how you respond to it. (This has implications for both fitness training and life!)

Your training should work towards giving you more and more strength and movement options so activities are less stressful to you. Learning how to function well at elevated heart rates eventually make those levels less stressful and more "endurable," making you healthier and more athletic.  Your diet should give you the vitamins and nutrients you need to build the healthy, anti-stress hormones that support energy production and metabolism so you have the resources available to think more clearly and combat the stressful situations (more on this to come soon!). 

This is not to say that we shouldn't workout hard or get out of breath, or anything of the sort.  There should just be apurpose behind it and an appropriate balance. Your training should be a short-term stress that enhances your ability to do the things you love and bring you joy better, more often, and longer!  Your heart works hard enough- don't make it work harder without good reason.