Gallagher Fitness Resources

Tag: Hydration

  • Accessories: Little Things That Really Work

    Accessories: Little Things That Really Work

    Accessories can help keep you healthy, happy and safe. These are the little things that can help make your running and walking experiences more enjoyable, help keep you injury-free and help with improved performance.

    We’re all individuals with different needs and goals. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. Sometimes you don’t really know what works and what doesn’t work until you try it. This list will shed some light on options you may not have thought about. Best of all, you can find them all here at GFR!

    Common Accessories found at Gallagher Fitness Resources

    • Anti-Chafing products protect from blisters and hot spots.
    • Anti-Blister pads, bandages and dressings protect healing blisters or prevent them before they happen.
    • AquaJogger is a water belt designed to allow for impact-free exercise in the pool.
    • Compression gear reduces fatigue through decreased muscle vibration, increases circulation and improves oxygenated blood flow by accelerating venous return for faster recovery and reduces long-term overuse injuries.
    • Fuel products keep the body properly energized and hydrated during workouts. Electrolytes, carbohydrates and protein are all valuable nutrients that can be used before, during and after exercise.
    • Gloves are important when the temperature drops, so stay covered and be protected from the elements.
    • Hats are useful for warmth and protection from moisture as well as shielding the eyes and skin from the sun.
    • Hydration belts and handheld water-bottles allow you to bring much-needed water or electrolyte drinks on the go.
    • Hydroflask is a double wall vacuum insulated stainless steel bottle that maintains hot and cold temperatures.
    • Inserts such as orthotics can provide support and cushioning in addition to what the shoes already have.
    • KT Tape is used for pain relief and support, injury prevention and faster recovery.
    • Massage Tools loosen tension and increase elasticity, helping to prevent and treat injuries, as well as helping muscles work more efficiently for improved performance. Self myofascial release is an alternative or enhancement to deep tissue massage.
    • Music Carriers worn on your arm or on your waistband are touch screen compatible and come in a variety of sizes.
    • Pepper Spray repels angry animals… and people.
    • Reflective gear and flashing lights allow you to be seen in darker conditions. Be seen – be safe.
    • Shoe bags are handy smaller bags for your dirty or wet shoes or gear, fitting nicely in a locker or larger bag.
    • Smart ID lets you take important personal information with you in case of emergency.
    • Socks made of technical fabrics help wick moisture and prevent blistering. Cotton is not recommended!
    • Sport-Wash gets the stink out of technical fabrics and doesn’t leave behind a residue.
    • Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun as well as wind and rain.
    • Sweaty Bands keep your hair out of the way and come in a variety of styles and colors. Better yet, they don’t slip!
    • Watches track your workout’s duration. Some also monitor heart rate or track pace and distance with GPS or an accelerometer foot pod. Calorie counters and interval timers for run/walk alerts are also available.

    Check out some of the Accessories sold at Gallagher Fitness Resources

    View Accessories through our online store link. Look under Categories and Sub-Categories!

  • Using Heart Rate As Your Exercise Guideline

    Exertion is necessary when exercising. Breaking a sweat is good. Over-exertion, on the other hand, especially for beginners, leads to more than just injury. Typically, it’s one of the primary reasons people quit. Unfortunately, they don’t realize it. This is partially because they don’t know how to measure effort and when highly motivated, the tendency of human nature is to over-do it.

    How do you know how much effort is enough and how much is excessive? Using a heart rate monitor or “effort-based” training are tools to help guide you and increase your awareness of effort, be it low (EASY), moderate (COMFORTABLE) or high (INTENSE). Heart rate or “effort-based” training is at the foundation of long term exercising. This, done consistently, leads to life-style changes and the attainment of your personal goals.

    Guidelines listed are for Women’s Clinic participants or anyone starting an exercise program or returning from an extended lay-off. Let’s break up the exercise session into three parts. If going by effort, it’s easy, comfortable, then easy. As mentioned, beginners generally don’t truly understand what easy or comfortable feels like. Their tendency is intense right out of the chute. Stopping to manually take your heart rate is an option. Using a heart rate monitor, however, provides immediate, objective feedback and removes the guess work. Plus, there’s no stopping to check your HR. You simply glance at your monitor.

    Many heart rate monitors apply the 220 minus your age formula and instruct users to program in their birthday. The unit then displays where the user is within a 65-85% range, with optional visual or audible alerts when under or over the target range. For the Women’s Clinic and most beginners I work with, a 60-80% range is suggested, with 85% being a red flag for over-doing it. Most heart rate monitors allow a manual adjustment to personalize your target HR range.

    Warm-up Phase: 60-65% (Effort feels EASY)
    Aerobic Conditioning Phase: 65-80% (Effort feels COMFORTABLE but more of an effort than EASY)
    Cool-down Phase: 60-65% (Effort feels EASY)

    HINT! If your effort is too hard, or you’re not having fun, SLOW down!

    Additional beginner guidelines during Aerobic Conditioning (middle) Phase:

    Less fit people:
    “Error on the Conservative” Try not to go above 75%, especially in the first 6 weeks. You’ll see this reflected in your homework.

    Moderately fit people:
    “Generally” okay to go up to 80%.

    Chronically fit people:
    Occasionally okay to “gradually” progress up to 85%, but do this towards the “end” of the Aerobic Conditioning phase, not during the “entire” phase.

    Generally, be aware that it’s a bit hectic the first week of HR checks but we get through it and it gets easier. So hang in there, respect your group leaders (especially the big groups) and do your best. Read through this information a few times so you know what to expect. You are being given a tool to help you exercise at the pace that’s right for you. Remember my comment on the first night, you’re here for one reason or another, but “nobody here is training to qualify for the Olympic Trails.” Although a few of you may be returning, most of you are still building your fitness base. There is no need to exceed the guidelines. Consistency is the key to your success.

    MEDICINE

    Some drugs raise heart rate and some lower it. Medications may also influence hydration levels which can affect heart rate. If you are on medications and are not sure what effect they may have on your exercise heart rate, please contact your physician and be inquisitive. Let the doctor know your exercise plans and concerns regarding medicine use and heart rate guidelines. How does the medicine you are taking affect heart rate during exercise and what precautions should you take?

    Remember, we’re aiming for an increased awareness of the importance of starting EASY (Warm-up Phase), staying Comfortable (Aerobic Conditioning Phase), and ending EASY (Cool-down Phase). Begin to associate “effort” (what it FEELS like) with your HR numbers, so that eventually you KNOW your effort and trust it.

    Click the following links for more on Using Heart Rate as Your Exercise Guideline:

    Heart Rate Formula

    Conversation Pace

    History of Taking Heart Rates

    Your True Resting Heart Rate

    Three Stages of Aerobic Fitness

  • Factors Affecting Your Heart Rate

    Factors Affecting Heart Rate
    Happy Running Heart

    Factors Affecting Heart Rate

    There are certain factors affecting heart rate when exercising. Your body relies as heavily on the oxygen/fuel ratio as your car does. Much like your car’s engine, your body uses oxygen and various fuels (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) to yield muscle energy. When this ratio is not in balance in the body, a whole series of physiological events occur.

    These events can be gauged with your body’s tachometer — your heart rate. And much like the automobile engine, the true efficiency of the body’s engine is dependent upon a multitude of parts working efficiently together. Your heart rate will indicate if there is any sign of trouble in your body’s engine.

    A Brief List of Factors Affecting Heart Rate

    These factors play a role in directly affecting heart rate while running or walking:

    1. Emotions and anxiety can raise your heart rate! Unlike an automobile that is purely mechanical, we are not solely governed by working parts. Some days you can “feel” your way to a higher HR.
    2. Body Temperature: If you become too hot or too cold your body senses a thermal stress load. Blood is sent to your skin to enhance heat dissipation to cool you or increases blood flow to warm you. Apparent temperatures (which account for humidity or wind chill) above 70 degress (F) and below 35 degrees (F) will increase your heart rate at least 2-4 beats per minute. Over 90% humidity can equal as much as a 10 beat increase in heart rate.
    3. The terrain. Walk or run uphill and your HR increases. Walk or run downhill and your HR decreases.
    4. Wind. Walking or running with the wind at your back is easy, therefore HR decreases. Walking or running into the wind is more difficult: HR increases.
    5. Dehydration. As you become increasingly dehydrated during a long walk, hike, or run, your blood becomes thicker and waste products build up in bloodstream. Your heart will work harder to maintain constant cardiac output. A fluid loss of 3% of body weight increases pulse rate because of decrease in circulating blood volume.
    6. Diminishing glycogen stores — your muscles primary fuel source. As the fuel depletes, in order to maintain the same walking or running pace, your HR rises.
    7. Insufficient nutrition. HR increases.
    8. Insufficient sleep. HR increases.
    9. Insufficient recovery after a long hike, run, or other hard workout. HR increases.
    10. Recent illness — or — a signal of impending illness. You guessed it!
    11. Medication – depending upon the medication, heart rate can either decrease or increase. Be certain to ask your physician about any medication you are taking and its effects on your exercise heart rate.

  • Injury Cycle

    Injuries can be avoided when you discover YOU can alter the cycle that creates them.  Hydration, proper recovery, massage, and rolling out with trigger point tools are all important pieces to the training puzzle.  We want you to reach your goals.  Taking care of your body is the easiest way to get there.  If you ignore the easy things your goals are harder to reach and unexpected injuries are just around the corner.

    Here’s a message from Cassidy Phillips, Trigger Point creator, talking about the role dehydration plays in the injury cycle.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry1Q67x5NmU