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Exercise Prescription

Exercise is like prescription medicine: not enough and it won’t do the job and too much can be counterproductive or even harmful. Think of it like this: if a doctor prescribes you some medicine, taking twice as much won’t get you better quicker; in fact, it might be dangerous.

How much exercise is enough? That depends on

what you are looking to do. If you are training for competition, you will need more exercise than if you are simply looking to stay fit.

One of the most popular reasons people exercise is to live longer and feel better. Recently, some major journals investigated the exercise and lifestyle habits of people living over100 years of age. You should take a look - you’ll probably be surprised at their simple, yet extremely effective exercise routines and lifestyle choices.

Health and Fitness Newsletter November 2012Foam Roll for Regeneration

Try this: Tie a knot in a rubber band, and pull on the ends. What happens? Of course, the knot will get tighter. Now, as long as you haven’t pulled too tight, if you roll the knot with your fingers, it will start to loosen up. In a nutshell, this is the benefit of using foam rollers for your muscles by reducing trigger points and to emulate the effects of a deep tissue massage.

A foam roll is essentially a thick pool noodle and come in various lengths and densities. You may want to start with a relatively soft roll and then progress to a more dense roll as you become more comfortable.

Mike Boyle, a noted athletic trainer and strength coach advocates using foam rollers to reduce trigger points by using bodyweight to apply pressure on sensitive or injury-prone areas and then use long, sweeping strokes to

areas like the hamstrings, calves, iliotibial band, and quadriceps.

There is no universal acceptance on the when to roll, how long to roll or how often to roll. Using a foam roll as part of your warm-up can help decrease muscle density, which can help promote a better warm-up and using a roller at the end of a workout may help reduce soreness.

One area that experts seem to disagree on is the lower back. Some feel that rolling the lower back can cause issues with certain people. If you have any low back problems, you may want to consult with an athletic trainer or physical therapist.

Looking for some ideas? Page 4 contains some common foam roll movements.

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ACTIVITY OF THE MONTH: STRENGTH TRAINING

In addition to helping you get stronger, strength training can also boost your metabolism, increase bone density and help you with sports and day-to-day activities.

Here are a couple of pointers to keep in mind as you go through your program:

*Keep it challenging: In order for strength training to be effective and to avoid plateaus, keep your resistance level challenging. A good rule of thumb is that the last couple of reps should be tough to complete. However, there’s a fine line - you don’t want to compromise your form, so use good judgement.

*Control your movement: Whether you are lifting light or heavy, you should always have complete control over the weights.

*Vary your program: Every 4-6 weeks you should change up your program to avoid becoming bored.

*Emphasize the negative: The negative, or lowering phase of the exercise is very important. It’s more challenging on your muscles to lower a resistance while it’s under tension (called an eccentric action), so try to focus while you are lowering the weight.

*Vary your reps: If you strength train 3 days per week, you could do 8 reps on workout 1, 12 reps on workout 2, and 15 reps on workout three. Remember to keep the weights challenging!

If you are just getting started, here is a basic program that will get you going:

Frequency: 3 days per week.

Warm-up: Full body activity to get your heart rate going

Workout

1. Squat or Leg Press

2. Chest Press (dumbbell or machine)

3. Lunge

4. Lat Pulldown or Row

5. Overhead press

6. Triceps pushdown

7. Biceps curl

8. Plank

Week1 - 1 set of 8-10 reps

Week 2 - 2 sets of 8-10 reps

Week 3 - 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Week 4 - Alternate between 8, 12 and 15 reps

LAP SWIM TIMES

As a reminder, Roland Pool is open for Lap Swim Monday through Friday from 0600-0730 and 1200-1300.

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Contributor

DAN KEHLENBACH

Dan is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a USA Cycling Certified Coach. He has a master’s degree in sports medicine.

Dan can usually be found cycling, kayaking and hiking with his wife LuAnn throughout New England.

Strength Training Resources

National Strength and Conditioning Association

www.nsca-lift.org

American College of Sports Medicine

www.acsm.org

TRX

www.trxtraining.com

Strength training for kids

www.kidshealth.org

EATING IN SEASON

Health benefits of root vegetables

Now that autumn is in full swing, root vegetables can be a healthy addition to your meals. Root vegetables grow underground where they can absorb vital nutrients and minerals. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, onions, rutabagas, and turnips can all be found this time of year in supermarkets and at many local farm stands.

Here are a couple of ideas to try:

*Grilled root vegetables

Root vegetables are very tasty when grilled. Brush beets, potatoes, or spring onions with some olive oil, sprinkle with a little sea salt and cook on a medium-hot grill until marked and tender, about 10 minutes per side.

*Sweet Potato “Fries”

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into french fry-like sticks. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes and then thoroughly pat dry. Toss fries with some olive oil and any desired seasoning. Bake at 425 until tender and brown, about 20 minutes.

*Root Vegetable Soup with Manchego Cheese

The texture of the soup is smooth, with hardy hunks of vegetable remaining. If you prefer, you can puree the entire batch of soup so the texture is completely smooth. If you do this, add at least a 1/4 cup of cream at the end to give the soup a silky texture.

Ingredients:

• 2 turnips• 1 rutabaga• 1 Russet potato• 1/2 cup roughly chopped

onion• 3 stalks celery• 1 Tbsp butter• 2 cups vegetable stock• 2 cups water• 1 tsp salt• 1/2 lb. Manchego cheese,

shredded• Paprika

Preparation:

Peel and cut turnips, rutabaga and potato into small cubes. Cut celery stalks into small pieces. Over medium heat, melt butter in a deep sauce pan. Sauté onion and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Add turnip, rutabaga and potato and 1 cup of vegetable stock. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add salt, remaining cup of vegetable stock and water. Simmer with the cover on for 25 minutes.

Let soup cool for 15 minutes. In small batches, puree 4 cups of the soup in the blender. Return the pureed soup to the soup pot. Add salt to taste.

In individual bowls, garnish soup with a sprinkle of paprika and Manchego cheese.

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Here are some ideas to get started with a foam roller. Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit, and remember that although it may be somewhat uncomfortable at first (much like a deep tissue massage), it shouldn’t be painful.

Quadriceps:

Hamstrings:

Thoracic Spine:

Outer Hip:

There is also a self-massage tool that looks like a mini rolling pin. Popular brands include The Stick and Tiger Tail. Think of the foam roller as a shotgun-type approach - it can affect large areas relatively easily. If you have pinpoint problem areas, these tools can be quite helpful.

Calf:

Special Supplement: Foam Roll Tips

Resources for more information and exercises:Perform Better (www.performbetter.com)The Stick (www.thestick.com)Tiger Tail (www.tigertailusa.com)