Heart Health
Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. Studies have shown tremendous health benefits with as little as two cardiovascular workouts a week. Your heart will become much more efficient making daily functions like walking up a flight of stairs much easier. Other less obvious benefits include normalizing your blood pressure while lowering your resting heart rate and reducing the likelihood of associated heart disease.
Your choice of cardio activities should involve the large muscle groups and can range from a brisk walk, stationary biking, treadmill, fitness or aerobic classes to interval and cross training.
The general recommendation for cardio-training is 3-7 times a week at 50-85% of the person’s maximal oxygen intake or 6090% of the age-predicted heart rate maximum. The reality of daily living and busy personal lives will not afford most people with the time for seven sessions a week. Keeping your personal schedule and goals in mind, try to aim for a minimum of two cardiovascular training sessions a week. On non-training days, this could be accomplished with an after dinner walk through the neighborhood. Less fit individuals should start with a cardiovascular training routine limiting it to 2-3 times a week for at least 20-30 minutes in the target heart rate training zone. If 2030 minutes of continuous activity is too difficult at first it can be broken down into 10-minute segments without loosing much benefit. Starting off slow will lessen the likelihood of overstressing your heart and reduce the incidence of injury, strains and muscle soreness that will turn you off exercising. More active or experienced fitness enthusiasts will want to challenge themselves to achieve maximum benefits by increasing to 4-6 times a week for 20-60 minutes.
See “Calculating Your Target Heart Rate Training Zone” on page 6.
Training the Right Energy
Boxing and kickboxing both primarily involve the use of the anaerobic energy systems. When you start training think about the sport and the demands it puts upon your cardiovascular system.
For many years coaches and trainers would have the athletes running miles at a time without water breaks to get the legs and lungs in shape.
Great in theory. . .wrong in practice. Think about it, in both boxing and kickboxing, neither one requires the participant to run at a constant pace for 20, 30 or 40 minutes. They require short bursts of speed and then a slower pace or even a rest, like in a two or three minute round followed by a 30-60 second rest period. Train the body the way you intend to use it.
There are two energy systems in the human body, Anaerobic and Aerobic. Anaerobic is defined as “energy produced in absence of oxygen”. This system is divided into two sub systems, the ATP-CP phosphagen system and the Fats Glycolysis system. ATP-CP phosphagen system activates when the muscle contractions are performed so quickly that the cardiovascular system can’t keep up with the oxygen demands of the muscles. This system usually last for up to 30 seconds like short flurries of punches and kicks in a competitive bout. The Fast Glycolysis system then kicks in to try to produce more ATP-CP. The production of lactic acid, which is the burning sensation you get in the muscle, usually prevents you from continuing beyond two minutes like a round in boxing or kickboxing.
The aerobic system is broken into two sub-systems as well, Slow Glycolysis and
Fat Oxidation. Both these systems rely on oxygen and are used for long duration, slow to moderate cardio work like long distance running or aerobics classes. Slow Glycolysis can last up to about two hours until it depletes the glucose from your body at which point the body’s fat becomes the prime source of fuel to keep the body moving again like in long distance running or marathon swimming for many hours of continuous activity.
Now, back to boxing and kickboxing. It’s not to say that long distance running isn’t beneficial to your fitness and weight loss goals, but, if you are running long distances or long durations, you aren’t preparing the anaerobic system used during the match. Train with sprints followed by either rest or slow active rest to allow the body to adjust, improve and develop quicker production within the ATP-PC system. This means less rest will be required to enable you to go all out again. Aside from sprints, stair climbs, agility circuits involving pylons and mini-hurdles will drastically affect your body in a positive way to perform at competition time.
Train smart by training the right energy system!
Running for Fitness
Running, although an excellent form of fitness training, can be very hard on your body, especially the feet, ankles, knees and hips if not performed properly. Before starting a running program you may want to attend a running clinic to gain valuable tips ensuring a safe and efficient fitness experience.
Beginners should start week one by jogging for 1 minute then walking for 1; X 10 for a total of 20 minutes. Week two: jog for 2 minutes and walk for 1; X 8, for a total duration of 24 minutes. Week three: the same but increase the reps to 9 and the duration to 27 minutes. The fourth week: jog for 3 minutes and walk for 1; X 8 for a total duration of 32 minutes.
Training with a group provides extra motivation and the additional benefit of safety in numbers and the advantage of gleaning tips from more experienced runners. Other essentials for running include proper footwear, a hat on sunny days and appropriate clothing made of polypropylene, not cotton.
Learning proper foot placement, landing gently heel to toe, will reduce the impact on your joints. Your stride should not be too long as it causes tightening of the hamstrings. A shorter stride will increase your speed. When it comes to form stay upright, chest forward, hips forward and swing your arms naturally to expend less energy.
Some people are reluctant to start a running program, fearing that it is a race and they don’t want to finish last. You must keep in mind that if you are running for your own health and fitness benefits you are only competing against yourself.
Walking Your Way to Fitness
Many people interested in starting a fitness program voice concerns about not wanting to be stuck indoors. They don’t want to buy expensive equipment or feel they are in too poor of shape to jump into a rigorous exercise routine. For those of you in these categories, walking may be just the thing for you. Brisk walking can be more beneficial than jogging or running as it produces less impact and strain on your joints and ligaments.
Studies indicate that regular brisk walking 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes will:
• Increase your metabolism to reduce weight.
• Lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase you HDL (good cholesterol) to improve overall cholesterol levels.
• Assist in control of diabetes.
• Lower your blood pressure and improve overall heart health.
• Help improve your posture and reduce lower back pain.
• Release endorphins to help reduce stress and depression.
You will want to wear comfortable clothing suited for the weather. Walking isn’t restricted to fair weather or only as a summer activity. However, during the summer months hydration is an especially important issue. Always carry a bottle of water with you and on extremely hot or sunny days don’t forget to wear a hat and apply sunscreen. See “Helpful Hydration Hints” on page 35.
Proper fitting walking shoes are a must to prevent injuries ranging from blisters to shin splints. If you are just starting off, remember, there is no need to push yourself to the point of exhaustion to gain fitness benefit. The “Talk Test”, which means being able to talk comfortably while walking and keeping your heart rate in the target range, should be your guide. See “Calculating Your Target Heart Rate Training Zone” on page 6.
For motivation and safety try to find a walking partner and keep a journal. A walking journal will give you a benchmark indicating where you started and how you have progressed. You can log the distance travelled in miles or kilometers or the time you walked in minutes. You can keep track of increased distance covered in the same time or, as your endurance improves, walk farther and faster.
You can also get a pedometer. A pedometer is a small device about the size of a pager and usually attaches to your belt. It counts each step you take and adds a real empirical element to your walking and journal keeping.