Heat and exercise: Keeping cool in hot weather

Stay safe during hot-weather exercise by drinking enough fluids, wearing proper clothing and timing your workout to avoid extreme heat.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Whether you’re running, playing a pickup game of basketball or going for a power walk, take care when the temperatures rise. If you exercise outdoors in hot weather, use these common-sense precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses.

How heat affects your body

Exercising in hot weather puts extra stress on your body. If you don’t take care when exercising in the heat, you risk serious illness. Both the exercise itself and the air temperature increase your core body temperature. To help cool itself, your body sends more blood to circulate through your skin. This leaves less blood for your muscles, which in turn increases your heart rate. If the humidity also is high, your body faces added stress because sweat doesn’t readily evaporate from your skin. That pushes your body temperature even higher.

Heat-related illness

Under normal conditions, your skin, blood vessels and perspiration level adjust to the heat. But these natural cooling systems may fail if you’re exposed to high temperatures and humidity for too long, you sweat heavily and you don’t drink enough fluids. The result may be a heat-related illness. Heat-related illnesses occur along a spectrum, starting out mild but worsening if left untreated. Heat illnesses include:

• Heat cramps. Heat cramps are painful muscle contractions, mainly affecting the calves, quadriceps and abdominals. Affected muscles may feel firm to the touch. Your body temperature may be normal.
• Heat exhaustion. With heat exhaustion, your body temperature rises as high as 104 F (40 C) and you may experience nausea, vomiting, headache, fainting, weakness and cold, clammy skin. If left untreated, this can lead to heatstroke.
• Heatstroke. Heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency condition that occurs when your body temperature is greater than 104 F (40 C). Your skin may be hot, but your body may stop sweating to help cool itself. You may develop confusion and irritability. You need immediate medical attention to prevent brain damage, organ failure or even death

Do toning shoes really work?

from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.

Despite the claims, there is no convincing evidence that wearing toning shoes will make your legs more toned or cause you to burn extra calories.

Toning shoes are designed to simulate walking barefoot or walking on an uneven surface. Manufacturers say the unstable design of the shoes forces wearers to use their leg muscles more — which burns more calories and tones the muscles. However, an independent study by a nonprofit fitness organization found no evidence that wearing toning shoes leads to improved muscle tone or greater energy expenditure. In addition, there are no studies that prove that they improve balance or stability to a great degree.

If you like the way toning shoes look and find them comfortable and not too unstable, there’s probably no harm in trying a pair. And if you increase your activity as a result, you’ll benefit your overall health.

Benefits of Exercise- No. 7: Exercise can be fun

Exercise and physical activity can be a fun way to spend some time. It gives you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. If you get bored, try something new.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Benefits of Exercise- No. 6: Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there’s more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don’t exercise.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Benefits of Exercise- No. 5: Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to fall asleep? Or to stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Benefits of Exercise- No. 4: Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.

Benefits of Exercise- No. 3: Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

Benefits of Exercise- No. 2: Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.

Courtesy of mayoclinic.com

 

The Benefits of a Personal Trainer

If you’re having a hard time getting motivated at the health club, or just don’t feel like you’re getting enough out of your exercise routine, consider hiring a personal trainer. More than just an instructor, a personal trainer can help you come up with the right workout plan to meet your goals. Whether it’s losing a few pounds, toning up your arms, or flattening your stomach for swimsuit season, a personal trainer can help you get there.
Personal trainer

How a Personal Trainer Can Help

Hiring a personal trainer means both a financial commitment and a time commitment to your health and fitness. A personal trainer can help you:

* Get started. A personal trainer can guide you down the path to fitness by creating a specific exercise routine for you.
* Learn proper technique and form. If you’re not doing exercises the right way, it can lead to injury that can sideline you. By doing them right, you’re staying safe and also getting the maximum benefit from your workout.
* Achieve your goals. If you’ve always wanted to lose that last 20 pounds, tone up your body, or just be a healthier person, but you haven’t quite been able to get there on your own, a personal trainer can help keep you on track.

Even a few sessions with a personal trainer can be worthwhile. “Everyone can benefit from education and different points of view,” says Jody Swimmer, an exercise specialist and owner of Fitness on Frankfort in Louisville, Ky.

The Personal Trainer: Finding the Best Trainer for You

If you think a personal trainer might be beneficial, keep these things in mind when searching for someone who fits your needs:

* Try out a trainer. “If you’re a member of a gym, ask for a list of trainers, and ask what their education and experiences are, and then watch them. Or just buy one session and get a feel for their personality and skills,” says Swimmer.
* Look for qualifications and style. You want a personal trainer who is educated and certified by a reputable organization, such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. Beyond certification, you want to make sure that the trainer is a good fit for you and your workout style.
* Search online. Many organizations that certify personal trainers have Web sites that allow you to search for such a trainer in your area. This may be a good place to start if you don’t belong to a gym.
* Ask yourself how well they teach. A personal trainer should do more than just give you exercises to do. “From a one-on-one personal training experience, it should be all about you, your needs, and special issues you’re dealing with,” Swimmer says. “Your trainer shouldn’t be someone to just lead you through exercises; they should be teaching you these exercises.”

What is San Jose Athletic Club Training?

Have you been stuck in the same workout routine for more than 8 weeks? Have you been lacking motivation in your workouts? Are you frustrated by not seeing results and feeling like your workouts have plateaued? Prepare yourself to work hard and achieve a difference in your life. HIRE A TRAINER TODAY!

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OUR PHILOSOPHY

SJAC’s Personal Training philosophy is based on integrating the athletic elements of sport and life through functional based training to help maximize your health and fitness potential. Helping you achieve your goals is our sole priority and our true passion. We are dedicated to providing a competitive and positive environment to increase muscle endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. This style of workout will help you identify which areas of fitness you need to work on while giving great tips on how to achieve your goals.

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WHAT IS SJAC FUNCTIONAL TRAINING?

Functional Training integrates all forms of training to maximize results and reach your goals!! This progressive style incorporates resistance-strength techniques, cardio respiratory training, core balance, agility, endurance and flexibility. Functional Training allows people of all demographics to reach any fitness goal, in a safe and effective manner.

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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SJAC FUNCTIONAL TRAINING?

Functional Training maximizes your body’s ability to burn fat, build lean muscle tissue-endurance and burn more calories by increasing metabolic efficiency. It improves the cardio-respiratory system, improves neural pathways, increases bone density and muscle-ligament integrity.