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The heat is on

Take extra precautions when working out outside this time of year

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Fitness, Gay News, Washington Blade, Summer
Fitness, Gay News, Washington Blade, Summer

The ā€˜no-pain-no-gainā€™ concept can backfire on you if working out in the summer heat. Listen to your body and dial down the intensity if you work out outside in the dead of summer. (Photo via Bigstock)

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire ā€” well, I don’t know about the roof, but this weather has definitely got me feeling on fire.

Though the heat outside is on 1000 degrees, there are still some ways to keep up with your workouts in a safe, yet effective, manner.

My summer theme is always ā€œhydrate your life.ā€ When we talk about staying hydrated, most people think that means bring a water bottle to your workout.Ā True, you should be doing this anyway, but consistently hydrating throughout the day and hyper-hydrating pre-workout is way more important than how much you drink during your workout. A few simple rules to staying optimally hydrated:

1. Once youā€™re thirsty, itā€™s already too late. That thirsty sensation means youā€™re already dehydrated and your body is approaching the trouble zone.

2. Drink at least 20 ounces of water pre-workout and continue sipping liquid every 5-10 minutes. Don’t let thirst be your guide ā€” just continually sip during your workout. Also, if your workouts are pushing more than an hour in intense conditions, you may want to consider adding a sports electrolyte drink. But as always watch the sugar: too much will actually work against you and dehydrate you more.

3. Keep water in sight as a reminder to drink up while youā€™re at home and work. Ā Just by keeping a water bottle nearby, you will be more prone to stay hydrated. Try adding lemon or lime juice to your water. The slight flavor will usually make you drink more than usual. It also acts as a liver and kidney detoxer which is great.

Now when it comes to staying safe while working out in the heat, staying hydrated isnā€™t the only precaution we can take. Wear light colored breathable clothing that not only feels good to work out in, but also wicks away the moisture from your body. Ā Heavy cotton clothing can clog your pores preventing your skin from sweating and breathing, making it harder for the body to release heat. Ā Believe it or not, this turns out to be a major cause of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Many exercise clothing brands now even tell you on the label what temperature and season each piece of clothing is designed for, so check out those tags for the right clothing for summer.

The last big adjustment I suggest is changing the timing of your workouts to the cooler parts of the day. I know we all want to go running right after work like we did during the spring, but baby it ainā€™t happening. Bite the bullet and set that alarm an hour earlier to wake up before the sun does. This way any outdoor exercise can be completed with less risk of any heat illness. Outdoor night time runs can also be nice, but I find trying to motivate yourself to workout after a long day and then waiting for the sun to go down just is not very realistic for most people. Get the training in before your day gets crazy.

Now for my super trooper go hard workout kings and queens out there, I know youā€™re going to exercise in the dead of heat whether I say its good or bad, so hereā€™s my advice for you. Try altering the length and/or intensity of your workout. Even professional athletes take more breaks during their summer outdoor workouts, so shouldnā€™t someone over 30 who sits at a desk most of the day do the same? If you want to do the same length of workout, try splitting it into halves. Give yourself a break where you let your body cool down to the normal temperature level in the AC or even a pool. Ā As far as intensity, listen to your body.Ā In the heat, 80 percent may be good enough. Ā Live to fight another day.

Follow these steps and you will be able to enjoy a sweaty, but safe summer. Ā Always remember, sitting in the ER with an IV of saline because of heat exhaustion is never a cute way to spend your summer evening. Stay healthy and stay active this summer.

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Fitness

NEW YEAR NEW YOU 2020: Local VIDA master trainer on trends, tips and technology at the gym

Get good technique down first; you can always add weight later

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fitness, gay news, Washington Blade
Fitness experts say the best results from a new program start to appear 12-16 weeks into so tenacity is important. (Photo courtesy Beth Caldwell/VIDA Fitness)

Jesse Johnson makes his living working as a master trainer at VIDA Fitness (U Street location) but he agreed to share some of his tips and advice with us for free.

The U Street location is one of five of the gay-owned chainā€™s D.C. locations. A sixth is slated to open this spring in Ballston (Arlington, Va.). Johnson is 33, gay and left a career in corporate staffing to join the VIDA team in 2011. He averages between 50-60 clients in mostly 30-minute sessions per week. Find out more at vidafitness.com. Free introductory classes are available this month. The offerings are listed at vidafitness.com/uniqueclasses. 

Johnsonā€™s comments have been slightly edited for length.

WASHINGTON BLADE: How much does the coaching you give your clients vary from year to year as new studies and findings are made available? And how do you know if something is just another fitness fad vs. something we should really heed?

JESSE JOHNSON: There are always going to be fitness trends, thatā€™s a given. However  before we alter what we tell our clients, we look to peer-reviewed literature. One or two studies doesnā€™t give much evidence ā€” thatā€™s not enough proof. We definitely pay attention to what is trending and we try to stay as current as possible, but we donā€™t incorporate it until itā€™s been through a more rigorous review process.

BLADE: What trends have you seen of late?

JOHNSON: In the collective big picture, thereā€™s been a big uptick in group training. The term thatā€™s thrown around is fitness cocktails where somebody may do a couple classes back to back, some cardio, maybe some core body work, different muscle groups ā€” thereā€™s been an uptick in that. And also more of what we call functional training. People want to be pain free and strong. Sure, thereā€™s always the aesthetic benefit of lifting weights, but what people really want is to be functionally strong into their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

BLADE: Anything else?

JOHNSON: I think workouts are becoming more mindful as people use technology ā€” apps and wearable tech to be more aware of what theyā€™re doing. From a metric-tracking standpoint, itā€™s easy now to tell your heart rate, number of calories burned, number of steps taken in the course of a day with Fitbit, Myzone, the Apple watch, to the apps themselves like the Peloton apps are pretty innovative and help people be more aware of what theyā€™re doing, how frequently. Thereā€™s more mindfulness in working out. Also people see going to the gym as more of a club or social space among millennials and Gen Z. They work out with friends, itā€™s seen as more social, not punishment after a weekend of drinking. 

BLADE: How much does the industry really change? For instance, would you say thereā€™s anything significantly different youā€™re telling your clients today vs. what you might have said when you started at VIDA nine years ago?

JOHNSON: Well, knowledge has increased dramatically and a lot of it is due to the fact that this industry didnā€™t even exist 40-50 years ago. People didnā€™t have the same needs then they do now. But a lot of the basic fundamentals are the same ā€” keep moving, stay active, eat purposeful and do things you enjoy doing. If you enjoy doing it, itā€™s easier to make it a habit. Iā€™d say we take more the sniper approach today vs. the machine gun approach. We target more instead of just spraying a bunch of bullets hoping something hits.

BLADE: So often with nutrition it seems youā€™ll hear one thing, then five years later the exact opposite is what experts are saying: donā€™t eat eggs, no eggs are good. Stuff like that. Does fitness advice change that drastically as well?

JOHNSON: Not as much. A lot of it has to do with whether people are already moving or not. We donā€™t take them right out of the gate to a high level of intensity. We let them work up to it. But no, I canā€™t think of any particular exercise we were advising a few years ago weā€™re saying, ā€œNo, donā€™t do that one anymoreā€ or anything like that.

BLADE: What do you do if you see people working out on their own using improper technique? Can you really hurt yourself with bad form, like lifting with your back and that kind of thing?

JOHNSON: Well we try to be as polite as possible. Weā€™ll only approach someone if we thinkg theyā€™re about to injure themselves. But knock on wood, I havenā€™t seen very many injuries at VIDA and I like to credit that to the large staff of personal trainers we have on the floor. There is an inherent risk to working out ā€” you can hurt yourself, but it doesnā€™t happen very often.

BLADE: Is it better to stay at a weight level at which you can maintain excellent form or push yourself out of your comfort zone with heavier weight even if your form suffers a little? 

JOHNSON: Numerous studies have found if you take a lighter weight and do more reps but push yourself to your failure threshold vs. doing fewer reps of a heavier weight to failure, the outcome is the same. And thereā€™s a higher risk of injury with heavier weights. We like to focus on form and technique before we progress, especially if somebody is just joining the gym and they may not know much about resistance training. You can always add weight later. 

BLADE: How many of the New Years resolution folks really stick with it? Do you see many of those same faces by March or April? 

JOHNSON: Almost all my new clients stay with me for months, sometimes years. However statistically within the industry, the number is very low. The honeymoon period on average is about six weeks and itā€™s a shame because often you see your best results 12-16 weeks into a program. Youā€™ll see more immediate results sooner but thatā€™s when it starts to get really spectacular.

BLADE: How bad are the wait times for machines at VIDA? Is it pretty crazy at peak time? 

JOHNSON: Iā€™m not gonna lie, the gym is very busy and there are peak times. But the U Street location is more residential and we have between 50,000-60,000 square feet of space so thereā€™s not a lot of wait time for many of the machines. And people tend to be pretty aware. Theyā€™ll let you work in with them.

BLADE: How gay is it?

JOHNSON: Iā€™d say 50-60 percent of our clientele is gay.

BLADE: Some lesbians and trans folks as well?

JOHNSON: There are lesbians. I donā€™t personally have any trans clients but we have 30 trainers on staff so there may be some but yeah, itā€™s mostly gay men. Obviously everybody is welcome. 

BLADE: Has that ebbed or flowed much over your years there?

JOHNSON: No, D.C. is a pretty good city to be a gay person in. I havenā€™t seen any major change.Ā 

Jesse Johnson (Photo courtesy of VIDA)
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Fitness

Why a personalized diet can help you achieve better results

One size fits all is not the best approach when it comes to eating and fitness

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diets, gay news, Washington Blade
Research has found that not all diets and bodies work together the same way. (Photo courtesy Rawpixel/iStock via Getty Images Plus)

From custom-designed sneakers to tailor-made sunglasses, the trend of personalization is going head to toe, and for good reason, making its way to the world of weight loss and wellness.

Specifically, researchers have been studying two converging topics in recent years. One is the importance of body type in determining the combination of fats, carbohydrates and protein that will provide the best results for a given individual. The other is the variability of results associated with a single diet ā€” the idea that if two people start the same diet at the same time, their results could be drastically different.

On top of that, consumer research shows that people overwhelmingly prefer personalized experiences. Sixty percent of consumers agree that personalization is essential to weight loss and overall wellness.

Hereā€™s what to know about why personalized diets are becoming so popular and how to find the right diet for you:

The importance of body type

The places your body stores excess fat may be the single greatest predictor of health outcomes. This is the concept behind Nutrisystemā€™s assessment of the four most common body types: ā€œApple,ā€ ā€œPear,ā€ ā€œHourglassā€ and ā€œRectangle.ā€

ā€œWeā€™re going a bit old school here, because these categories have stood the test of time for a reason. They provide crucial information on how you respond to food intake and can help you to adjust what you eat based on your goals,ā€ says Courtney McCormick, corporate dietitian at Nutrisystem. 

Body type can also influence how macronutrients like fat, protein and carbs are processed. To fulfill your individual needs, first determine your body type, food preferences and goals, then look for a weight loss plan that takes these important factors into consideration, such as Nutrisystem.

One size does not fit all

The DIETFITS study, a large, randomized research study comparing low-fat versus low-carb dietary patterns found no difference in weight loss between them. But drilling down into the data, one can see great variability. Some dieters gained weight while others lost a lot. But itā€™s not always about weight outcomes, as recent research has shown that factors such as body shape may play a bigger role in the determinants of health risks than body weight alone.

For instance, a woman who is apple-shaped tends to carry her extra weight in the mid-section. She would see best results on a lower-glycemic nutrition plan that is lower in refined carbs and higher in healthy fats and protein.

ā€œResearch shows that one size does not fit all when it comes to weight loss and disease prevention,ā€ McCormick says. ā€œThatā€™s why weā€™ve created a unique, personalized approach thatā€™s easy to follow and designed to help participants lose weight and get healthy.ā€

For more insights on how to personalize your diet and maximize results, visit leaf.nutrisystem.com.

While itā€™s no secret that achieving oneā€™s weight loss goals is challenging, personalizing your plan can help make things easier, ultimately providing you a greater chance of success.

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Fitness

Al Roker blasts Jillian Michaels for criticizing Keto diet

The fitness trainer says the ‘personal attacks’ were ‘bizarre’

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Jillian Michaels, gay news, Washington Blade
Jillian Michaels, gay news, Washington Blade
Jillian Michaels (Photo by Don Flood; courtesy True PR)

Jillian Michaels revealed she “hates” the increasingly popular Keto diet but “Today” show weatherman Al Roker slammed the fitness trainer for dissing the high-fat, low-carb diet.

Speaking with Prevention, Michaels says she doesn’t like the diet because “There’s no calorie restriction;” “You may miss out on important nutrients;” and “It could shave years off your life.”

In response, Roker, who is a fan of the diet, called out Michaels for her aggressive reputation as a fitness trainer on “The Biggest Loser” on Twitter.

“So @JillianMichaels says #Keto is a bad idea. This from a woman who promoted on camera bullying , deprivation, manipulation and more weekly in the name of weight loss. Now those sound like bad ideas,” Roker tweeted.

Roker further defended the Keto diet, which he says he has been on since Sept. 1, on “The Today Show.”

“My point is, what works for you, works for you,ā€ Roker explains. ā€œThereā€™s science on both sides that says itā€™s not a great idea and science that says it is a good idea.ā€

Michaels responded by posting a video on Twitter saying she didn’t appreciate Roker’s “personal attacks”

“It’s bizarre, it’s unnecessary, it’s beneath both of us,” Michaels said. “Read my book, ‘The 6 Keys.’ I’ve extensively researched everything in that, and nutrition is about way more than weight loss.”

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