EXERCISE FAQ'S

Q. Will "toning shoes" really give me a better body?

A. Across the board, none of the toning shoes showed statistically significant increases in either exercise response or muscle activation during any of the treadmill trials conducted. There is simply no evidence to support the claims that these shoes will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone. Here are 2 articles to support this: CNN Health article and American Council on Exercise article.

Q. Are muscle cramps caused by loss of potassium?

A. One commonly held myth is that muscle cramping in active individuals is due to the loss of potassium; however, the amount of potassium in sweat is likely too low for this to be the culprit. Muscle cramping due to electrolyte imbalance is more likely associated with the loss of high amounts of sodium through sweat. Therefore, replacing sodium is important to maintain electrolyte balance for physically active individuals who experience high losses of sodium through sweating. 

Q. Can moderate exercise on a regular basis boost one’s immune system?

A. Professor Davie Nieman, Dr. PH. of Appalachian State University, conducted three trials with more than 150 females comparing sedentary individuals to participants who engaged in moderate exercise (i.e., a brisk walk for 45 minutes, five days per week). After three and a half months Nieman reported that, “the number of days of sickness in the walkers was just almost half of the [sedentary] control group. This is huge statistically. There’s no other supplement, no drug, that comes close to reducing the number of sickness days.”

Q. Does exercise suppress or increase a person's appetite?

A. The vast majority of studies demonstrated that caloric intake is usually unchanged or slightly increased in response to long-term aerobic exercise training. Some evidence exists, however, that if you vigorously exercise before you eat, you will actually eat less because of an increase in your body temperature and an alteration in your hormone levels. The centers for the thermoregulatory system, appetite, and sleep lie right next to each other in the brain stem. When you affect one, you will likely affect the other. Recently, a report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that compared to women who exercised at low intensities, women who exercised at higher intensities experienced an increase in post-exercise appetite. However, when an obese and/or sedentary person initiates an exercise program, appetite does not appear to increase. An increased appetite in response to increasing physical activity is normal and expected, especially if you are currently physically active. For those who are sedentary and/or obese, appetite may be suppressed initially when beginning an exercise program, but will increase in response to regular physical activity.

Q. Should I stretch before working out?

A. The benefits of pre-exercise stretching have been questioned in recent years. The controversy stems from findings that static stretching temporarily impairs a muscles capacity to produce force rapidly. Although this might not be problematic for low intensity exercise, individuals participating in vigorous athletics may experience an increased risk of injury following a static stretching warm-up. Studies continue to support the progressive philosophy of a dynamic warm-up protocol.

Q. Should ice or heat be used to treat an injury?

A. First, I must start with the disclaimer that guidelines for treatment of injury are dependent upon a professional examination. That said, the following advice is based on various standards used by physicians, chiropractors and athletic trainers. Application of heat can promote healing by discarding damaged tissue and increasing flexibility and mobility, but should generally be used at the recommendation of a physician. Heat can be used to treat a variety of injuries including muscle spasm, chronic injury, trigger points, thrombophlebitis and local inflammation. There are, however, contraindications, such as acute inflammation, areas of decreased sensation and impaired circulation, malignancies and for women who are pregnant. If you do not have access to an immediate evaluation, ice application for 20 minutes may be the safest option.

The length of ice application: 10-20 minutes

Procedure for ice application:

Q: Should I train my abdominal muscles every day? Also, how many repetitions of crunches should I optimally perform?

A: You should treat your abdominal muscles like any other muscle group, which means you shouldn't train them every day. Your abdominals, like all of your other muscle groups, need recovery time between workouts. As with any resistance training exercise, you ideally want the last few repetitions to be difficult to complete.

Performed correctly, 10 to 20 repetitions for one to three sets of abdominal exercises provide a more than adequate training stimulus. If you can perform more than 20 repetitions of an abdominal exercise, you are most likely performing the repetitions too rapidly or with improper form.

You can increase the challenge and intensity of abdominal exercises by using added resistance, moving more slowly or performing the exercises on a slant board or exercise ball so that your head is at a lower elevation than your legs.

Q. Is it OK to exercise during menstruation or with menstrual cramps?

A. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, for most women, there is no reason that menstruation should interfere with daily activities, including exercise. In fact regular, moderate exercise is recommended as one of the ways to alleviate the pain and discomfort some women experience during their periods. There is no significant proof that a woman's period causes a decrease in performance or an increase in the rate of injury during exercise.

However, each woman experiences her monthly cycle in her own personal way. While research does not show that it is unsafe to exercise while menstruating, some women feel exaggerated fatigue and painful cramps during their periods and should probably reduce the intensity of exercise or avoid exercise it they don't feel up to it. It really is a matter of personal comfort and every woman has to make that choice for herself.

Q. Is it safe to exercise when I have aches and pains?

A. Muscle soreness or discomfort that occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise is normal, particularly if the exercise involved activities you are unaccustomed to doing. The proper response to this type of pain is continued moderate exercise and stretching. There are, however, occasions when the pain or discomfort is indicative of a real problem. The following guidelines can help you determine if the pain you are experiencing warrants cessation of exercise and/or medical attention.

Q. Do hand weights and ankle weights increase the intensity of a workout?

A. Adding extra weight in the form of hand, wrist or ankle weights increases the total amount of mass that must be moved, so it's reasonable to assume that using extra weight would provide a boost to aerobic workouts. In fact, research has shown that using small weights of 1-3 pounds increases heart rate, oxygen uptake and the total number of calories expended during weight bearing aerobic activities. The magnitude of the increase tends to be approximately 5-15%--a value that is much less than the claims made by many of the proponents of using hands and ankle weights. You can easily achieve similar increases in caloric output by exercising a little longer or at a slightly higher level of intensity. The following factors should be considered if you are contemplating using hands or ankle weights:

A. In August, 2007 the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) published updated physical activity recommendations for both American Adults and Older Adults. According to the new guidelines, American adults aged 18-65 years should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity 5 days per week or engage in 20 minutes of vigorous activity 3 days per week. The update clarifies that activity must be at least 10 minutes in duration to count towards daily goals and that a combination of vigorous and moderate-intensity physical activity is acceptable. Once again, strength training at least twice weekly is recommended. Programs should consist of 8-10 exercises for at least 1 set of 8-12 repetitions each. The update concludes that the guidelines presented are "minimum" requirements for preventing disease and strongly encourages American adults to strive for greater amounts of physical activity to gain advanced protection against "inactivity-related chronic disease." The guidelines presented for older adults are nearly identical. ACSM/AHA define the older adult as men and women over the age of 65 and includes those adults over age 50 with clinically significant chronic conditions and/or functional limitations. The older adult’s recommendations for aerobic exercise define moderate and vigorous activity based on perceived exertion. Older adults are also encouraged to strength train a minimum of twice weekly. The older adult’s strength program should include 8-10 exercises using 10-15 repetitions per exercise. Although there is no specific recommendation for American Adults with respect to flexibility, the older adult is encouraged to maintain flexibility by stretching or other activity at least 10 minutes twice weekly. The update includes a brief recommendation to include balance training, especially for those at risk for falls.

Q. What are the benefits of aquatic exercise?

A. Aquatic exercise retains all the general health benefits of regular exercise: weight control, improved mobility, heart health, reduced risk of chronic illness, etc. It r elieves pressure from the spine and joints facilitating exercise for unique populations and reduces impact and creates less soreness than land based exercise. Exercising in the water redistributes body heat effectively to maintain core temperature during exertion. The resistance in this medium requires participants to work continually to maintain body position, etc. and it requires little or no prior experience for participants to feel comfortable and have a great experience.

What you should know about the pool before participating:

• Is the water temperature between 80 & 86 degrees F?
• Is the deck surface slick when wet?
• Am I wearing appropriate footwear?
• Is the pool well ventilated?
• Are there lifts, steps, ladders and other structures I should be aware of?
• If the pool is outside do I know where to go in the event of thunder and/or lightning?

How do I deal with:

Chemicals used at the pool, pollution and humid or arid conditions? The typical effect of these irritants, that you may have noticed, is a very dry throat, inability to speak with a full voice. If you experience difficulty breathing, watering eyes, and/or other allergy symptoms feel free to exit the pool and inform your instructor.

External noise? Everything from fans, splashing, traffic and music to squealing children, talking students, construction and hot tubs make the pool environment quite loud. If you cannot hear the cues of your intructor, make him/her aware and try to move closer to the speaker.

Sun glare or visual barriers? Make sure that you can clearly see your instructor at all times. In challenging environments, you will get as much information from his/her movement and demonstration as from the verbal instructions used in class. Wear sunglasses outdoors and adjust your position as necessary to ensure your ability to maintain a line of vision with your instructor.

Water exercise is safe and effective for everyone. Participating in fitness in the pool is eixhilarating and lots of fun. It is safe to take aqua classes as often as you like and so long as you have the approval of your physician, it has been proven beneficial. Socialization, fitness, and improved exercise adherence are all reasons to join your facility's aquatic exercise program.