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