“Health Plus Aerobic Challenge is under way - Vanderbilt University News” plus 3 more |
- Health Plus Aerobic Challenge is under way - Vanderbilt University News
- Molly's Fitness Follies: Aqua aerobics is splashy fun and a good workout - New Orleans Times-Picayune
- Adult Health and Fitness with Changing Lives ATA Martial Arts in Virginia Beach and ... - Gather.com
- How Much Cardio is Enough? - Associated Content
| Health Plus Aerobic Challenge is under way - Vanderbilt University News Posted: 11 Jun 2010 12:33 PM PDT Message from Five Filters: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. The Health Plus Aerobic Challenge is back! The Aerobic Challenge, a three month-long fitness program encouraging group fitness class participation, began on May 19. It will end on Aug. 19. Participants may sign-up at any time. Earn 45 points or more and get your name in a drawing for a one of four $25 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods Try different bonus classes by clicking http://healthplus.vanderbilt.edu/uploads/hpAerobicChallengeBonusPoints.pdf each week for 3 extra points each. THE BIG FINALE will take place on Aug. 19 when the Challenge will end with a Superclass which combines four different exercise classes (some form of cardio, strength and flexibility) into two hours (5-7 p.m.) of jam packed fitness fun. Come for all or part of the class. Download the Aerobic Challenge flyer at http://healthplus.vanderbilt.edu/uploads/hpAerobicChallengeFlyer.pdf for more information. Health Plus is part of Faculty and Staff Health and Wellness. Five Filters featured article: Into the Abyss. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Posted: 02 Jun 2010 04:54 PM PDT Message from Five Filters: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Published: Friday, June 04, 2010, 10:08 AM Updated: Friday, June 04, 2010, 10:38 AM
DIFFICULTY: Adapts to all skill levels, although serious swimmers may find it less than challenging. FITNESS PERKS: Opens the joints, hips especially; light to moderate cardio; tones all over, arms and legs especially. TAKE IT IF: You want to add something different to your cardio/toning routine; you don't like getting sweaty; you like splashing.
Aqua aerobics is up there with speed-walking and clogging when it comes to easy-to-mock fitness activities, but after trying out a class recently at New Orleans Athletic Club, I am here to say: Don't knock it till you've tried it. Having done a couple of classes elsewhere years ago, I knew not to expect a cakewalk. Still, I stepped into the NOAC's indoor pool feeling like the next hour would be a welcome break from my usual regimen of high-impact cardio and toning. It was certainly a change from high impact — try low- to no-impact — but it was no break. The instructor, a jovial woman named Annette Watt, told me the exercises could be modified to suit fitness beginners all the way up to experienced swimmers. She should know, since she started doing aqua aerobics when, one Fourth of July and weighing 230 pounds, she realized she didn't have the strength to lift herself out of a pool. "It scared me," she said. "The next week, I was in a fitness class." Water aerobics also helped her lose her "Katrina weight," she said. "Now, well, I'm no supermodel, but I don't weigh 230 pounds." A classmate showed me the various sizes of floatable hand weights and foam noodles that we would use as props. "If you want more of a challenge, use the bigger ones," she said. She also suggested wearing a foam belt instead of a noodle for the deep-water exercises. I took the vest and the heavier props, assuming I'd naturally need the extra challenge. We started in the shallow end, doing basic barre-style leg raises against the side of the pool and using our noodles hooked under the ankle for resistance. I got maybe one-and-a-half raises before the noodle slid out of place and popped up, prompting me to awkwardly reach to fix it, subsequently lose my balance and fall sideways with my head under water and my feet sticking out. "Try the smaller noodle," Watt said with the slightest hint of satisfaction. I did, and was able to focus on how the buoyancy of the water naturally improved my posture, loosened up my hip joints and helped me anchor the leg-raise movement in my lower abs. Watt worked up some light cardio for us with different running-jumping movements back and forth across the pool. As someone who reverts to childlike splashing and bouncing pretty much anytime she's in a pool, I had to laugh. I particularly liked leaping through the water ballet-style, the resistance of the water making the leaps harder and slower than expected, as in a dream. Speaking of bouncing: Ladies, make sure you wear a swimsuit with ample upper-body coverage. I wore a low-cut ballet leotard, and let's just say I learned that a one-piece suit does not necessarily guarantee protection from Janet Jackson-style wardrobe malfunctions. The class was comprised of women ranging in age from their mid-30s to 60s or early 70s. Unsurprisingly, there were no men, although Watt said some have drifted in and out through the years. She remembered fondly the Japanese man visiting New Orleans who joined the class and provided some memorable eye candy. "He was gorgeous!" she said. "And you know, when we were finished, he got out and said, 'That was harder than I expected!'" That's exactly what I was thinking when Watt had us do a series of coordinated strength-training movements with names such as "the Eggbeater," which consisted of floating in the deep water and raising both legs up and around while bringing the arms down and around. Struggling to keep my legs straight and pointed while raising them using only my core muscles, I developed a new respect for synchronized swimmers, whose noseplugs and manic smiles belie the tremendous skill and strength required to execute even the simplest moves. As Watt alternated vigorous, noodle-assisted water treading for cardio with strength-building exercises, I began to imagine my classmates and I as similarly underappreciated athletes-in-training, a thought that juxtaposed perfectly with the group of men attacking boxing bags above us on the mezzanine. While their workout had the veneer of macho aggression, ours carried the disarming appearance of meditative, childlike splashing. Watt seemed to relish bouncing the playfulness of the movements against the challenge of the exercises. She explained a move called the Otter with the precision of personal trainer, instructing us to float flat on our backs and use our oblique muscles to spiral onto our stomachs. After the set-up came the punchline: "Think otterly thoughts," she deadpanned. "Otterly thoughts." After the class was over, I felt refreshed and oddly aware of all my leg muscles. A pleasant flow of endorphins indicated that the workout had indeed challenged my body, and I felt the beginnings of an ache in my legs and back that would remind me, for several days after, never to underestimate water aerobics again. ••••••• Staff writer Molly Reid can be reached at mreid@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3448. Comment and read more at nola.com/health. Five Filters featured article: Into the Abyss. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Adult Health and Fitness with Changing Lives ATA Martial Arts in Virginia Beach and ... - Gather.com Posted: 11 Jun 2010 10:10 AM PDT Message from Five Filters: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Taekwondo Style Martial Arts Adult Health and Fitness Adult Health and Fitness with Changing Lives ATA Martial Arts in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake Changing Lives ATA Martial Arts knows the physical aspects of taekwondo and makes it an effective way to exercise the whole body -- muscles, coordination, and aerobic. Taekwondo is a physical endeavour. Students can expect to receive an intense physical workout, benefiting their strength, balance, and cardiovascular systems. This workout makes taekwondo a great fitness activity to include in a personal physical fitness and exercise routine. http://atakick.com/index.php/our-programs/teens-and-adults.html Physical Elements of a Typical ATA Taekwondo Class Depending on the level of the class and the instructor's preference or schedule, each class session may incorporate the following elements:
For higher belt ranks, classes may also include weapons training, advanced kicks, and various other advanced taekwondo moves. These various parts of a taekwondo class strengthen students' muscles, improve their balance and coordination, extend their endurance, and improve their cardiovascular health. For an ATA Martial Arts Taekwondo training center in the Hampton Roads Area, visit www.atakick.com. Practicing with ATA Taekwondo Builds Muscle and Strength The different taekwondo moves work various muscles throughout the body, providing a full body physical fitness workout for adults. Taekwondo Stances - from front stance to middle stance or to a chimbe (ready stance) etc. - all strengthen leg muscles, extending endurance and balance. Taekwondo Kicks - front kick, round kick, crescent kick, side kick, jump front kick etc. - works different core leg muscles, from hip to thigh to calf, and merely lifting each leg exercises it and helps tone the muscles. Taekwondo Punches and Blocks - punches, strikes, blocks, etc. - fulfil a similar function for the arm and side muscles, using the torque of muscles against one another - resulting in a tremendous amount of force providing a strong physical workout. Practicing also helps taekwondo students hit targets harder and more accurately. Taekwondo Stretching – ATA Martial Arts Certified Taekwondo Instructors recommend stretching before and after each taekwondo lesson. Simple stretching tones, lengthens, and prepares the muscles; ensuring students avoid injuries and receive the most effective workout possible. Practicing the multiple forms of ATA Taekwondo Improves Balance and Coordination In addition to strengthening and toning muscles, taekwondo helps improve a student's physical coordination. Holding stances for extended periods of time not only strengthens the leg muscles, but also aids in accomplishing greater balance. Balancing the legs in a proper stance provides a strong foundation for the body, helps transition to the next move in forms, as well as a helps in creating a solid ending stance after completing moves. Balance is also required when executing kicks, to keep the body upright and to place the kick appropriately and consistently. It also takes coordination to throw a punch at a consistent level and specific location. Repeating forms and other moves accurately and consistently also aids with hand-eye coordination and overall covertness and confidence. This balance and coordination sharpen through taekwondo training, helps in other areas of life, from walking down the street to balancing on a moving bus to competing in other sports activities. It can even help if a person happens to become caught in a real-life self-defense situation. For more information on reality-based taekwondo training, http://atakick.com/index.php/our-programs/reality-based-training.html. Practicing Taekwondo Provides an Aerobic Workout and Helps Improve Cardio Fitness ATA Martial Arts Taekwondo classes also provides cardiovascular exercise through completing forms (poomse) and sparring (gyroogi). Taekwondo Poomse's (forms) teach combinations of moves, simulating a "fight." The discipline of practicing taekwondo partially stem from learning forms at each belt level. Depending on the speed and number of forms to master, this repetition can provide a light, moderate, or vigorous aerobic workout. Taekwondo Gyroogi's (sparring), which is a short intense fighting bout, as seen during mixed taekwondo matches (MMA), can leave students breathless and muscles aching. Participating in a variety of sparring matches during a taekwondo class gives students an intense cardio workout, while also demonstrating realistic uses of the basic moves learned in class. Making Taekwondo a Part of an Exercise and Fitness Routine Incorporating taekwondo into a physical fitness routine is a good way to get and stay healthy and to consistently work the overall body. The varied physical fitness benefits of taekwondo develop a life-long means to achieve overall health and fitness. Every taekwondo class conducted at any of the Changing Lives ATA Martial Arts locations contain several of the physical elements discussed here. Some classes might focus on basics (basic strikes and blocks), while others might concentrate on repeating forms, and still others might include sparring and self-defense techniques. This makes some sessions more aerobic and others more about strength and endurance. All classes include some similar elements, such as warming up, stretching, and holding stances. Practicing taekwondo consistently two to four times a week or more provides sufficient time working every muscle group and the body as a whole. Over time, this promotes overall health and well-being. At Changing Lives ATA Martial Arts, committed students receive a varied and intense full-body physical workout that goes far beyond simply fighting or self-defense. Changing Lives ATA Martial Arts in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake encourages you participate in our Free 3 Day Fitness Course. We have four locations to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. For more information, please visit us at www.atakick.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOUEE0JP2E0 Five Filters featured article: Into the Abyss. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| How Much Cardio is Enough? - Associated Content Posted: 05 Jun 2010 12:26 PM PDT Message from Five Filters: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Cardiovascular exercise is important not only for heart health but for fat burning too - and it's a good stress reliever after a long day at work. Nothing gets your blood pumping like a good cardio session - whether it's done at home or at the gym. To get maximal benefits, how much cardio is enough? How Much Cardio is Enough?: What the American Heart Association Says The American Heart Association recommends doing thirty minutes of moderately intense cardiovascular exercise five days a week - or high intensity cardio for twenty minutes three times a week. This is the amount needed to condition the heart and provide the other benefits of aerobic exercise - such as lower blood pressure, blood sugar levels, higher HDL levels, and, hopefully, greater longevity. Moderately intense exercise is where you reach and maintain sixty to seventy percent of your maximum heart rate. (calculated by subtracting your age from 220). It's a pace where you'll sweat, but you'll still be able to carry on a conversation. How Much Cardio is Enough?: It Depends on Your Goals If your primary goal is to reduce your risk of heart disease and lower your blood pressure, thirty minutes of cardio is enough to do the job. On the other hand, if you want to burn more fat to take off a few pounds, thirty minutes of cardio may not be adequate. Why? What about High Intensity Cardio? Five Filters featured article: Into the Abyss. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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