Take Charge of Your Health

You are in charge of your health.  Many of the decisions you make every day have an impact on your health, wellness and ultimately your quality of life.  There are some aspects of your health that cannot be altered or are outside your control.  Such as, family history, genes, and age.  But, by-in-large living a healthy lifestyle and choosing wellness are within reach for most of us.

Try this exercise.  Stand tall and look boldly in the mirror, do you like what you see?    Look at your reflection.  Consider whether or not you have a health behavior, a positive or negative health practice or attitude, you would like to modify or change completely.  Perhaps you want to lose or gain weight or develop muscle strength or flexibility.  Maybe you want to quit smoking or moderate your alcohol intake.   Whatever health behavior modifications you want to make, think through some strategies you might incorporate into your lifestyle that may help create the adjustment.  For example, develop a list of the pros and cons surrounding the behavior you would like to alter.  Ask yourself, “Why do I behave this way?  How does it benefit me?  How does it harm me?”  Challenge yourself to answer these questions honestly and bravely.  Intentionally move towards determining why the behavior reigns in your life.  Analyze your discipline tactics.  Where are you weak in discipline and where are you strong?  Take a good look at the busyness surrounding your daily life.  Are you using your time efficiently?   Talk to someone who can support you in your attempts to enhance behavior modification.

Many, when doing this mirror exercise, are challenged to change their level of physical fitness. It is true that the higher the level of physical fitness, the better the overall physical wellness will be. Physical wellness provides the ability to live life fully, with vitality, free of injury and illness.  We all want that!  But getting there, becoming physically fit and staying physically strong is demanding.  It begins with choice and ends with discipline. 

Setting goals and developing a personalized plan will help you get started and keep you on track.  Here are some ways to do that.

1.       Start a health journal – Keep a record of the way you live.  Activities often happen without much thought.  It is time to start paying attention!  Write down:

a.       What activities you participated in

b.      Where and when they happened

c.       What you were doing

d.      How you were feeling at the time

2.       Analyze patterns in the data you collect

a.       What triggers, prompts, or initiates overeating or poor food choices?

b.      What thoughts or behaviors or relationships surround those triggers?

c.       When does exercise best fit into your day?

d.      What triggers prompt skipping exercise?

e.      Note connections between your feelings and external cues such as time of day, locations, situations, relationships, etc.

3.       Set SMART goals – Goals that are too challenging can sabotage change.  Make them:

a.       Specific – Avoid being vague.

b.      Measurable – If goals are quantifiable they are easier to track

c.       Attainable – Set them within your physical limits

d.      Realistic – Be real! - Most goals worth achieving take time

e.      Time Bound – Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to reach your goal

4.       Develop a strategy – Create a plan of action

a.       Identify resources that can help you - Gather what you need

b.      Modify your environment – Control the triggers and reach towards the targets

c.       Control related influences, habits, or relationships that sabotage

d.      Reward yourself – Pat yourself on the back for a job well done each time you step closer to the goal

e.      Make a personal contract and sign it with a witness – Accountability works!

Even with the best intentions and the greatest efforts there will be obstacles along the way.  Don’t be surprised by them.  They are inevitable and they are frequently innocent.  They show up as a late night out, making getting up the next morning to exercise next to impossible.  Or they materialize as a holiday treat on your desk begging you to taste just a little.  They may come in the form of a phone call or a conversation or a craving or a bad day.   Even though obstacles are inevitable, they are not an excuse to give up.   In fact, it’s a good idea to expect problems, to work time for glitches into your plan, and to occasionally step back and analyze how you’re doing.  

Go back to the mirror.  Stand tall, look boldly into the eyes of your reflection and analyze your progress with your very own self looking back at you.  Reconfirm why you want to change the health behavior that got you here in the first place.  And give yourself a break.  Give yourself some grace.  Don’t quit when the plan takes an unforeseen turn.  Regroup.  Life happens.  Every new day, following a day of disappointments and dissatisfactions, is a good day for a do-over.  These setbacks are reasons to overcome not give up.  Stay with it.

Here are some ways to do that.

1.       Take a good hard look at your social influences – Are the people you’re counting on really supporting you?  If they come up short in support, connect with others who will be more encouraging.

2.       Commit – You won’t make real progress until your inner passion leads you to make lasting change.

3.       If your plan is not working, modify it – if you’re falling behind in your running schedule for instance, maybe it is because you don’t like running.  An aerobics class may suit you better.

4.       Be alert to games you might be playing with yourself.

a.       Don’t procrastinate - Start.  Go.  Do.

b.      Don’t make excuses – Rationalization stops forward progress.

c.       Don’t blame others or yourself – Blaming is a way to take the focus off the real problem.  Denying responsibility for your actions removes your power to change.

5.       Manage your stress – Stress is real.  It could be temporary like a cold or a term paper or it could be ongoing.  If you have hit the proverbial wall, look at the sources of your stress.  You may want to alter your plan before strengthening your efforts.

The first attempts at making behavioral change may not go past the mirror exercise.  But, at least you have started the inner dialogue and have begun to take personal responsibility for making important modifications.  Remember, you are in charge of your health!  You can make change a priority.  Once you’ve started, don’t stop.  Look forward not back.  Choose to live your life fully with vitality, vigor and intention.  You can take charge of your health in a dramatic and meaningful way, ultimately forever affecting the quality of your life.  

Swimming Looks Easy

Watching a good swimmer swim makes swimming look effortless.   Their swim strokes look simultaneously strong and graceful.  They appear to move through the water with undemanding ease. They glide far and long with every stroke. 

And then… there is everyone else.

People often ask me, “Why does swimming require so much energy?” The simple answer is, water is nearly a thousand times denser then air.  It takes considerably more energy to move through the dense environment of water then to move in the light backdrop of air.  The more complicated answer however is that our human shape is not that of the fish.  We are land based mammals and applying our land based instincts to the water world of the fish, seldom works easily.  To become an effective swimmer, you must change the way you think about movement in the water.

Swimming faster and more efficiently can be accomplished by decreasing drag in the water and increasing propulsion.  Sounds easy, right?  Wrong.  It is not easy because we approach the water from our land based perspectives.  For instance, if we want to run faster we simply increase our cadence.  But in swimming, if we circle our arms faster because we want to increase our pace, the water just pushes back against us creating drag and slowing us down.  Drag while swimming is the hindering force created by the water movement around the body.   The solution instead is to streamline the body on the surface of the water, increase stroke length by slowing our arm circles down, and pulling with greater force under the water.

Swimmers who swim closest to the water’s surface and swim with the longest strokes produce the greatest results.  Reducing stroke count as apposed to increasing it (like we would do while running) is the surest way to improve our swim times. 

Becoming the swimmer who makes swimming look effortless takes practice.   The age old adage, practice makes perfect, is true in this case.  When it comes to improving swim times, getting in the pool just once a week is not enough.  Three swim sessions spaced evenly throughout the week are probably a minimum, and more is better. 

We do a lot of swim lessons at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center.  Lessons for all ages are available year around.  If you are one of those swimmers who wants more out your swim stroke, call us!  We would love to help.

New Years Resolve

 

Approaching a new year this 2015 has been a reflective experience.  I have been thinking long and hard about what it means to make a new year’s resolution.  What it means to resolve to start something, change something, or finish something.  I have always been someone who makes new year’s resolution on the first day of the New Year.  And this year, I plan to do the same.  But, instead of setting an independent goal and stressing over accomplishing it, I have decided to take a unique approach.

 

 

I recently read a book that directed the reader to set their life up as a story.  The premise was that if you live life as a narrative, life will be more fulfilling.  While I’m unsure that premise holds completely true, I found it useful as I approached my 2015 resolutions.  Here is what I have decided to do.  I share this with you so that you might join me in this “new” way to resolve. 

Instead of looking into the New Year as a time to accomplish something that, in the past, has been unattainable, decide to set some goals for the fun of it, for the story of it, with the achievement results being the byproduct of the goal rather than the focus.  For example, instead of setting a resolution to lose 20 lbs., only to hopelessly fall short; or to work out for an hour a day, every day, all year long, only to quit after fatigue sets in on the third day; or to stop eating sugar all together only to revert to sneaking it when others are not looking; try this.  

Sign up for a local fitness event (a triathlon, a 5K walk/run or a sports tournament) taking place later in the year. Invite a couple of friends to do it with you and plan a party to celebrate completing the event.  The focus becomes the story, the experience and the party.  Weight loss, eating right, and exercise are the byproduct of getting prepared to participate in the event.  The story becomes bigger than the goal.  The story becomes the motivator.

I’m trying it in my life and I invite you to attempt it with me.  Let’s do it together.  Let’s resolve to bigger things in life; things that are fun and fulfilling, things that make good stories and encourage lasting results like friendships, memories and wellness.

For more ideas call Karen at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center 760-565-7467 or go online www.pdpool.com. 

 

 

Holiday Health

The holiday season is in full swing, which means more parties, more food and a greater chance that a few pounds might creep on.  Making exercise and healthy eating choices a priority during the hectic holiday is the key to starting the New Year feeling healthy and happy.  But, with all the season socializing and event invites coming at you from all directions, how is that possible?

Well, here’s the place to begin.  If you are constantly doing things to please others, it is likely you put yourself on the back burner.  Stop feeling bad about saying no, even during the holiday rush when demands are high, and start carving out some “you” time to exercise and stick to your goals.  Here are some helpful holiday hints. 

 

Remember, even when you’re short on time, something is better than nothing.  Try exercising first thing in the morning.  That way if your day gets hectic at least you know you’ve already done something positive for yourself.  Aim to do at least 30 minutes of activity 3-5 days a week to maintain your fitness and overall wellness.

Plan ahead.  Exercising before a big holiday meal offers the body numerous benefits and can actually make it easier to control your hunger during the festive feast.  Stick to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise like, take a walk, go for a jog, swim some laps, or lift lighter weights in the gym.  A moderate workout will leave you feeling energized but not starving.  It will improve your mood and boost your self-esteem and body image confidence.

Pick you indulgences wisely. You will not get a lump of coal in your stocking because you have a goodie here and there.  Just be smart in what you choose and how much you choose to eat.  One of Grandma’s homemade Christmas cookies, for instance, is a better choice than blowing your diet on cookies out of a box from the supermarket.

Nutrition and exercise are the foundations of fitness.  Your body is made to move and you must eat nutrients to survive.  It takes a good dose of motivation, determination and persistence to get through the holidays without over indulging.  But you can do it.  Make exercising and healthy eating choices your priority.  Come New Year’s, you’ll be glad you did!

For more holiday eating and exercise tips call Karen at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center 760-565-7467 or go online www.pdpool.com. 

Surgery? Yes... or No...

Did you know that more than 600,000 knee replacement surgeries and more than 300,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed per year in the United States?  Just those surgeries alone could keep every public pool in America busy.  Aquatic Therapy is thought to be the safest form of rehabilitation, especially for weight bearing injuries.   The statistics I shared above tell me that over 900,000 people a year could use a pool to gain strength, flexibility, and range of motion during post-surgical rehabilitation.

 

In pool therapy, the water offers buoyant support for the body, resistance for the muscles and joints, a natural reduction in pain and a relaxing environment.  It fits perfectly into a well-designed post-surgical therapy program and provides gradual guided motion that does not overly stress the joints.

 

But post-surgery is not all pool based exercise is good for.  Water rehabilitation is known for its almost magical ability to strengthen and repair injuries before surgery.  I’ve seen some clients, by exercising in the water with diligence and consistency, avoid surgery all together and often without even getting their hair wet!

 

It works like this, when water surrounds the exerciser, during the entire exercise routine, it makes resistance three-dimensional in a virtually gravity free environment. Depending on the force exerted, the speed of movement, and the surface area presented, the range of resistance obtained will adjust and add to the strength and flexibility of the joint or limb.  All this happens without nearly the impact and trauma experienced when exercising on land, thus giving the body time to heal. 

If you are struggling with an injury and considering a surgery, go to the water!  I  believe by starting movement in water early in a rehabilitation program, the damage that occurs after an injury - stiffening, loss of circulation, loss of muscle size, and a growing involvement of other body parts surrounding the injury - can be prevented.

If you want more information about the benefits of water exercise and post or pre-surgical rehabilitation, or if you are looking for a year around heated pool where you can improve your health, come to the Palm Desert Aquatic Center.  Ask for Karen.  I would love to talk to you more about the benefits and reasons to incorporate water into your wellness routine.  Call 760-565-7467.

Burning Calories

How many times have you thought “I really should not eat that?” or “How many calories are in that?” If you are anything like me you have had these thoughts often.  I love to eat!   I promise I am not going to criticize your eating habits.  What you eat is completely up to you.  But giving you a baseline, about how and where to begin making sensible eating habit and activity choices, makes sense to me. 

Everyone has a Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) which, in simplistic terms, is the number of calories you burn per day just by being you.  If you know that number then adjusting your caloric intake and activity level to match your weight goal is possible.  Think calories in versus calories out.  It’s simple.

Exercise is easily the most adjustable variable in total daily energy expenditure.  As your activity level increases you burn more calories.  An obvious way to lose body fat is to decrease the number of calories you consume.  But just as true, you can lose body fat by increasing the amount of physical activity you do.

To get a baseline of calories you should consume per day, begin by figuring out your resting metabolic rate.  There are a variety of RMR formulas online that estimate your caloric burn when at rest.  This one is fairly simple to calculate without having to get online.

Male (imperial): RMR = [(6.25 x WP) + (12.7 x HI) - (6.76 x age) + 66] x 1.1

Female (imperial): RMR = [(4.35 x WP) + (4.7 x HI) - 4.68 x age) + 655] x 1.1
WP = Weight in Pounds          HI = Height in Inches              age in years
http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/resting-metabolic-rate-calculator.aspx

Plug in your specifics and the final number is the calorie estimate you need to consume to stay your current size with no activity component included.  If you include physical fitness in your routine, calculate the calories burned by the activity and add that number to your RMR.  If you want to lose weight reduce your caloric intake or increase your activity level.

 

Swimming, running hills, and skipping rope are all obvious high caloric burning activities.  But did you know walking, office work, and even standing burns calories as well.  It’s simple, know you RMR and combine activity with sensible eating and you can reach your health and wellness goals.

 

For more information contact Karen at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center 760-565-7467

Energize Your Day!

It’s true that the last thing I feel like doing is exercising when I am fatigued, but often that is the very thing that really restores my energy.  When fatigue, or the mid-afternoon doldrums, can no longer be blamed on a weak cup of coffee or the summer heat, the cure may be as simple as moving the body, even if it’s the last thing you feel like doing.

Feeling energized does not have to come at the price of a long intense workout.  The reality is that low intensity exercise like taking a quick walk in the middle of the day, peddling a recumbent bike while catching the news, or bypassing the elevator to take the stairs, improves feelings of fatigue and often wipes away the doldrums completely.   Even very simple exercises enhance the blood flow carrying oxygen and nutrients to muscles improving their ability to produce more energy. 

You might be surprised at how popping in a workout tape for 30 minutes in the morning can change your whole day; or how walking during your lunch hour can invigorate your afternoon; or how taking a swim class can increase your stamina.  Adding a little exercise into your day can make everyday tasks like carrying in groceries or climbing stairs easier to accomplish.

We live in a society where people are always reaching for the next sports drink, energy bar, or cup of coffee to give them the pick-me-up they are craving so they have enough gusto to get through the next meeting or the rest of the day.  But it may be that lacing up the tennis shoes or putting on the swimsuit and getting out for some physical activity is a better alternative to provide that spark of energy that we are all looking for.

Choosing an energy boost workout gets the endorphin levels up, encourages cardiovascular health, improves sleep, and definitely adds to a sharper focus.  I challenge you to give it a try this week.  When you are feeling the slump of fatigue, standup, stretch and work some exercise into your day.  I’m positive you’ll be glad you did!

To get started in a consistent exercise habit or for more exercise tips call Karen Creasey, Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach, at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center 760-565-7467.

Easy as 1-2-3

Here in the desert fall creeps in with a warm blanket and long shadows.  This year it is visiting us with an early back to school date and many excited students.  Some kids however do not look forward to school and the learning process.  Quite possibly you have one of them living in your home or maybe you yourself are a student with anxiety. 

Back to school stress is not much fun, but there is an simple stress reducing remedy that is as easy as 1-2-3 and A-B-C.

It is well documented that physical fitness encourages brain function. People who are active and exercise absorb and retain new information more effectively than people who are not.  In other words, moving the body is fundamental to moving the mind.  Getting in shape (and staying in shape) can make you smarter.

Physical fitness does not necessarily require an expensive gym membership or a large chunk of time from your schedule.  What it really requires is awareness and desire.  Simple activities such as taking the stairs instead of riding the elevator or riding your bike to school instead of sitting in a car are actions that can assist in changing a test score.  When the blood pumps through the body because the heart is hard at work, it pumps through the brain as well depositing very valuable oxygen along the way.  Oxygen is vital to brain growth and healing. 

In fact, did you know that the brain uses about three times as much oxygen as the muscles in your body do?   Brain cells are very sensitive to decreases in oxygen.  They don’t survive or function very long without it.  Moving the body requires a deeper inhale and exhale then sitting sedentary on the couch.  By moving you force a greater amount of oxygen into your body and in turn it helps stimulate brain and enhance the learning process.

There are many ways to move your body.  Think about it.  Stand instead of sit.   Run instead of walk.  Take the bike instead of the car. Swim a few laps, do a few leg lifts, sink into a few deep knee bends.  Whatever it is just move your body and get your heart pumping. Your brain will thank you.  

If you need a class or two to get motivated don’t hesitate to call Karen at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center.  I’d love to help.

Reverse Mini Triathlon!

A bucket list is a list of things you want to accomplish in your lifetime.  For some the bucket list is filled with extravagance like, visiting a far off place, flying in a hot air balloon, or bungee jumping in New Zealand.  But for most of us the desires we harbor are less extravagant.  They are things like, lose some weight, research our genealogy, or learn to swim. 

The unfortunate reality of most bucket list endeavors is they are frequently written and pursued when the end of life is looming near.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Every day you wake up, you are gifted with a new opportunity.  Every day is a fresh start. 

So here is my challenge to you.  This year, join me in participating in a uniquely original Triathlon.    October 12, 2014. The YMCA of the Desert and the city of Palm Desert have partnered to bring the first annual Reverse Mini Triathlon to the valley.  It is not the traditional triathlon that starts with a long and difficult open water swim, followed by a bike ride that feels like the Tour De France, and concluded with a run that just about does you in.  This event promises to be more fun than that.  It is perfect if you have never participated in such a goal before or if you want a new challenge with a twist.  This event is backwards.  It is reversed and it is mini, shorter than the average tri. 

It will start with a 5K run, continue with a 10 mile bike ride, and finish with a 300 meter swim in the Palm Desert Aquatic Center swimming pool.   Doesn’t that sound like a fun challenge?  If participating in the entire event is more than you want to tackle how about doing just the 5K as a run or a walk or the 1K color run in Civic Center Park.  Families and friends can do it together.  There is something for everyone! 

I hope you will write it down.  Put it on your bucket list.  Commit to the challenge.   It will be fun.  I’m sure of it!  To sign up go to www.ybefitpdchallenge.org.   If you and your friends want help training for this next fun reverse mini -triathlon endeavor call me, Karen, at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center 760-565-7467 I’m here to help!

Thirst Quenching!

The weather gets warm here in the Coachella Valley!  Walking outside in the summer, from an air conditioned office, sometimes feels like stepping into an oven.  It makes splashing in a pool seem very appealing.   On the really hot days, finding a way to cool off frequently becomes the goal. 

When the weather gets warmer our bodies are forced to physically adjust.  They make this adjustment automatically without any thought on our part.  Our muscles communicate with our brain, which tells us to regulate our body temperature by releasing sweat which allows us to cool.  Most of us know that we depend on water for survival, but did you know that water makes up more than half your body weight?   Because of this fact it is imperative that as we sweat we replenish the fluid lost by drinking water. 

There are different water intake recommendations circulating but most commonly people have been told they should drink 6 to 8 - eight ounce glasses of water each day and more if you exercise.  Some people require more and some require less, but everybody requires replenishment especially in the heat and especially when you exercise.  Thirst is a built in indicator that the body is craving water.  Drinking when you are thirsty is a pretty fail safe way of staying hydrated.

So, what if you exercise in a pool, does that make a difference in the amount of water you should drink during your exercise routine?  The simple answer is no.  Though it may seem impossible, being surrounded by water, swimmers experience dehydration too and if they are training vigorously, they sweat.  Unfortunately, since sweat is not noticeable in the water, many swimmers do not realize they are dehydrated.  The body doesn’t absorb water like a sponge so even when you are immersed in water, your insides — where you need the water to function — isn’t getting any water from the pool.  To fuel your body properly, you need to drink water not just swim in it!

Swimming is a great way to exercise and stay a bit cooler during the workout. But remember, exercise of any kind, during the heat of the day, needs to be carefully monitored and drinking lots of water should be a part of the routine.  If you need summer time pool space to cool off or for your exercise routine, call the Palm Desert Aquatic Center 760-565-7467.

Stress Relief

Stress… Just the word makes me want to take a deep cleansing breath.  It is the word used when we feel overwhelmed, burdened, or loaded.  Most often we talk about stress in light of a challenge or a threat to our well-being. We interpret our stress levels by what we feel we can handle.  I’ve known times, as I’m sure you have also, where the pressure of stress felt almost more than I could bear.   It is in these times where my interactions, moods, and even health become negatively affected.   But stress is not always negative.   Some types of stress can be positive; it gets us going, keeps us moving, and keeps us striving, trying and succeeding.

Part of our response to challenges has a physiological element and affects our physical state. The way we respond to a challenge may in itself be a type of stress.  Did you know there is a connection between exercise and stress relief?  Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. Endorphins are anxiety fighting super heroes.  Virtually any form of exercise, from aerobics to yoga, can act as a stress reliever. If you're not an athlete, or even if you're downright out of shape, you can still make a little exercise go a long way toward stress management.

 

I am frequently asked what qualifies as the best stress relief exercise.  That is impossible to answer without knowing you personally.  But a great place to start is in the water.  When submerged to the neck in water, 90 percent of a person’s body weight is reduced. Combine that with a warm water environment, flowing movements, and the valuable energy of physical activity; the body receives therapeutic benefits and the brain interprets the experience as positive.

The direct stress-busting benefits of water exercise are well documented.  Water surrounds you during the entire exercise routine making resistance three-dimensional.  Movement in one direction meets with equal resistance in the opposite direction and encourages muscle balance and parity.  As well, it is a low-impact activity that takes the pressure off your bones, joints and muscles.  It offers natural resistance, and helps you get strong.   It is meditation in motion, and has the ability to improve your mood by boosting your endorphin super heroes.  At the Palm Desert Aquatic Center we can help you make water part of your stress relief routine.  Call us. 760-565-7467

Good News!

Are you one of those people who want to be healthy and not just feel healthy?  That’s what I thought.  Me too!  If I gave you a prescription for a single activity that could help you get to your ideal body weight, while strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your cholesterol, reducing your risk for diabetes, and assisting you with balance, flexibility, and stamina all with little to no impact to your skeletal system, would you be interested? 

The good news is that I have that prescription.  There is a single aerobic activity that has the ability to do all those things and more.  While building your body into the healthy framework you desire and helping you feel and look younger.  It sounds too good to be true doesn’t it?  Well it’s not and guess what….it’s swimming.

Swimming offers something no other aerobic exercise does: the ability to work your muscular system, your cardiovascular system, your respiratory system, and more all without harsh impact to your skeletal system.  Gone are the days when you have to run through foot pain or bike while your knees throb.  When the human body is submerged in water, it automatically becomes lighter.   When immersed the body bears less impact on the framework making the pool an ideal place to workout stiff muscles and sore joints while burning calories.

Have you ever seen a flabby fish or a weak looking competitive swimmer?  Me either.  Swimming provides a unique element to a workout that you don’t get while walking, jogging, or biking so you can look and feel fit.  Water is twelve times denser than air and provides resistance with every move you make.  Resistance exercise is the best way to build muscle strength and tone.

Swimming as well puts the body framework through a broad range of motion that helps joints and ligaments stay loose and flexible. Range of motion is imperative to a healthy lifestyle.   The body is made to move and your range of motion determines your ability to go and do the things you want.

If you are one of those people who wants to be healthy not just feel healthy.  If you want to get to your ideal body weight while strengthening and toning without unnecessary impact.  Swimming could very well be the answer.  For more information, for swim lessons, or to speak to a trainer call us at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center 760-565-7467.

Boredom-The Enemy to Good Health

Often I have swimmers ask me what they can do to take the boredom out of a swim workout or any workout for that matter.   Exercise boredom is not exclusive to swimming. Even the most eager and dedicated fitness enthusiast gets bored with exercise.  It is common to find a workout niche and stay in it until boredom sets in.  Many of us get comfortable in a particular workout routine and we become habitual with what it takes to accomplish the exercise and familiar with the way the workout makes us feel. 

Boredom however is the enemy to good health.  It leads to workout slumps filled with lack of inspiration, poor excuses that keep us away from the pool or out of gym, low motivation, and sometimes the desire to quit exercise practice all together.  Here’s a word of advice.  Don’t quit.  Instead, change it up.

For a challenging swim workout keep your heart rate at around 80% of your max for as much of your workout as possible.  To ensure you’re staying in the zone, stop every 15 laps or so and use the clock to count your pulse for six seconds; tack a zero onto the number to calculate your beats per minute (BPM).

Incorporate training tools into your swim workout.  Use hand paddles, fins, a pull buoy, or a kick board to make it more fun.  These tools assist in strength training and muscle toning, and correct positioning as well.

Alter the pace of the swim workout.  Add a sprint here and there.  Nothing burns calories better than swimming fast.  Try swimming four lengths easy, with a long stretch and a gentle pace and then two lengths fast with a vigorous kick and a powerful pull for instance.  Or divide your workout into two or three segments swimming one or two fast laps at the end of each.

Changing up a workout-routine is essential for not only our physical bodies, but also our mental state-of-mind. The more we challenge our bodies to try new things, the further we get away from the exercise rut of boredom and the better we feel.

For additional boredom reducing exercise tips call the Palm Desert Aquatic Center (760)565-7647 and talk to a trainer.

Fear of Swimming

Fear is an intimidating instinct.  It almost has a life of its own.  It talks to us; it makes our heart beat faster and even at times it controls our choices.  Fear is a vital reaction to danger.  It helps us protect ourselves from legitimate threats, it keeps us safe.  But sometimes, what we fear is far from life-or-death and hangs us up for no good reason.  And sometimes our fears can be overcome.

Being afraid of water is a common fear I see frequently.  Most people who come to the aquatic center with fear of the water are nervous to the degree of not wanting to get their face wet or not being able to stand on the bottom.   They are anxious about getting a good breath of air when they want one and not being able to save themselves if they needed to.  

People who don’t know how to swim are often embarrassed, even ashamed that they are afraid or nervous around the water and some are reluctant to admit it.  Learning to swim is a life skill.  Knowing a few basic floating, breathing, and stroke techniques gives the swimmer confidence to enjoy any and all aquatic settings. 

The best way to go from a fearful non-swimmer to a confident swimmer is to take lessons.  Group swim lessons are taught in a group setting of more than three people at a time with a single instructor.  They are frequently skill specific or age based, beginning to advanced adults for example.  Private swim lessons are taught one-on-one; one instructor to one swimmer.  The skill level and the age of the participant is unimportant because the instructor teaches from the students’ abilities regardless of age.   Typically people advance very quickly in a private lesson environment.

Beyond getting swim lessons, a few other techniques that assist in overcoming fear or anxiety of swimming are:  Allow yourself to begin slowly.  Start where it is shallow and swim only where you know you can touch.   Learn to tread water.  Treading water conserves energy and is a safety skill that keeps your head up when the water is deep.  Learn to back float.  Floating on your back keeps your face out of the water and can be relaxing.  Finally, reward yourself as you take steps to overcome your fear. 

For more information about learning to swim or to sign up for group or private swim lessons, contact Palm Desert Aquatic Center 760-565-7467.

FREE Lessons Given by Olympic Swim Champions

I consider learning to swim an essential life skill and actually believe that knowing how to swim and being confident in and around water is more important than much of what children learn in school.  Water hazards are plentiful and they are often labeled fun.  But without the skill set necessary to be safe in an aquatic environment they can become anything but fun.  Drowning happens way too often.

Reducing the drowning statistic and teaching swimming by combining safety, recreation, and fitness is a year around goal at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center.  That’s why PDAC is gearing up to host 8 Olympians for swim lessons, basic water safety, fun races, water slides, hi-dives and more at the FREE second annual Just Add Swim event on Saturday, May 10, from 9 am to 5 pm.

Last year’s inaugural event, then called Swim to Win, saw more than 2,000 area children and adults turn out to take basic swim safety classes with Olympic swimming champs and pool staff at the popular mid-valley pool.

The City of Palm Desert, who owns this world class facility, the Family YMCA of the Desert, and the Swim to Win Foundation are the primary sponsors of the event.  Their main goal this year is to build on the success of teaching area youth basics of swimming and pool safety.  

Eight Olympian swimmers; Rowdy Gaines, Janet Evans, Jason Lezak, Aaron Peirson, Brian Goodell, Chloe Sutton, Rada Owen, and Kaitlin Sandeno will be on deck signing autographs, teaching basic swim skills, and even swimming a few races.  Please join me at the center.  It promises to be an event full of learning, swimming and fun that will be well worth your time.

The free basic swim lessons along with use of the fun aquatic center slides and diving board features and races with the Olympians will be held at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center at 73751 Magnesia Falls Drive, next to the Palm Desert Civic Center Park.

Just Add Swim runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For a guaranteed swim instruction time, registration is required.  Register by calling the pool 760-565-7467.

 

The Effectiveness of Water Aerobics

There is a general misconception that water aerobics is suitable for only pregnant women and the elderly.  But in all reality water aerobics, done right, can prove to be a very intense workout for all ages and fitness levels – even the professional athlete who needs to cross train.  In fact, according to a March 2011 article in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, Water Aerobics has been shown to provide many of the same benefits in terms of physical fitness as in land-based training programs.

There are a number of unique benefits to this form of exercise. It provides significant cardiovascular and strength training benefits due to the water’s built-in natural resistance to movement and hydrostatic pressure, while simultaneously providing added flexibility and ease on the joints.  

In water aerobics water surrounds the exerciser during the entire exercise routine making resistance three-dimensional. Depending on the force exerted, the speed of movement, and the surface area presented, the range of resistance obtained will adjust and add to the challenge of the workout.

Water exercise increases lung capacity as well, by forcing the lungs to work harder as a result of the waters hydrostatic pressure.  The pressure of the water on the chest wall during aquatic exercise opposes the muscles that expand the chest for breathing.  With regular water exercise, this resistance can strengthen these muscles and subsequently enable intake of a greater volume of air when involved in land activities.

It is also well understood that being underwater provides a wider range of motion to the joints, which can in turn increase flexibility.  Aquatic exercise provides a mode for performing difficult stretches that may not be as possible otherwise. According to the American Council on Exercise, water buoyancy reduces the "weight" of a person up to 90 percent. This subsequently reduces the burden on stress-bearing joints and muscles. For this reason, water aerobics will less likely cause injury and muscle soreness. If you, for example, are having difficulty performing certain body movements on land, you may find relief when performing them underwater.

The Palm Desert Aquatic Center currently offers eleven water aerobic classes throughout the week.  They range from shallow to deep, challenging to less strenuous, and early in the day to later in the evening. Consider beginning an exercise program or augmenting what you already have going.  Try water aerobics.  You might be surprised by it’s effectiveness.  www.pdpool.com

Do Swim Lessons Really Help?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger.  Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States.”

Wow! As a lifelong swimmer I would like to think that most drowning is preventable with some education, practice, and common sense.  Although my wish may be a bit too simplified, I’m convinced that learning to swim is never a bad thing.  The USA Swimming Foundation gives some interesting facts regarding learning to swim and participating in formal swim lessons.  On their website, www.usaswimming.org it states that participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among young children.  88 percent!  It also states that if a parent does not know how to swim, there is only a 13 percent chance that a child in that household will learn to swim!

Those percentages alone are enough to convince me that formal swim lessons do their part in drowning prevention.  But the stats I like to look at are on the faces of the children and adults who become confident enough in the water to enjoy a wet playful afternoon without the fear of drowning.

Learning how to float and how to propel through the water enough to make it to safety is a life skill that grants the possibility of fun in any aquatic environment.  Learning how to perform stroke mechanics and swim for fitness provides an opportunity to experience a strong cardio respiratory system and overall health.  Learning to swim proficiently could be the beginning of reaching a lifelong dream.  Like winning a medal, participating in a triathlon, teaching someone else to swim, or even becoming a United States Coastguard Rescue Swimmer.  The possibilities are endless!

The American Red Cross learn-to-swim program teaches people how to be safe in and around the water; as well as stroke mechanics and stroke proficiency.  A child as young as six months can start swim lessons and an adult of any age can learn to swim.  The Palm Desert Aquatic Center runs year around American Red Cross swim lessons for all ages and all skill levels.  Call 760-565-7647 for information.  It would be our pleasure to have you, your family, and your friends at the aquatic center in our learn to swim programs.