Health Tips
Stay Healthy
Follow a balanced diet and enjoy Jazzercise 3-4 times a week.
Pregnanacy & Jazzercise
The benefits of exercise continue during pregnancy. Physicians recognize that continuing to exercise during a healthy pregnancy can:
- Reduce backache, headache, swelling
- Improve mood
- Improve posture
- Control weight gain
- Promote muscle strength and endurance
- Promote sleep
With physician approval, exercisers can continue to enjoy these benefits well into their pregnancies. To ensure that they exercise safely and effectively, they should be aware of the following changes and needs that develop within their bodies.
Physiological Changes in Pregnancy
The cardiovascular (CV) and musculoskeletal systems in the woman’s body are the most affected during pregnancy.
Cardiovascular Changes
Cardiovascular changes occur in several ways. There is an increase in total blood volume of 50% by the end of the third trimester, the bulk of which occurs during the initial weeks of pregnancy. Accompanying this is an increase of 10-15 beats per minute in the resting heart rate and an increase in the amount of blood the heart pumps per beat. The implication to the Jazzerciser is that the CV changes listed, along with increasing body weight, puts a much higher demand on the heart to meet the oxygen needs of daily life as well as exercise. This increased workload on the heart leads to a decreased ability of the pregnant woman to exercise at the same level of intensity she previously enjoyed.
Musculoskeletal Changes
The spine undergoes changes in its natural curvature. The enlarging uterus leads to an increased lordosis (swayback), and enlarging breasts lead to an increased kyphosis (rounded shoulders). These conditions alter the center of gravity and lead to potential lower back pain. Additionally, the pregnancy hormones, relaxin and progesterone, act to soften the ligaments that surround the joints of the pelvic region. This softening makes these joints very flexible, and the potential of injury exists in these very mobile joints.
Nutritional Needs
Pregnant women require an additional 300 calories per day to meet the increased metabolic needs. Research has shown that these additional calories need to be in the form of complex carbohydrates, which are the fetus’ primary energy source.
Tips for Pregnant Exercisers:
- Warm-Up
- Take special care to warm up slowly – heart rate is already higher than pre-pregnancy levels.
- Watch your posture – keep movements smooth and controlled.
- Aerobic Segment
- Monitor your intensity with the Perceived Exertion, Chart, and Talk tests. Pace yourself accordingly.
- The change in weight distribution alters balance. Incorporate modifications using Simply•Lite movements.
- Flexible joints will not handle large and impact moves well. Modify the movements.
- Wear comfortable and supportive attire and footwear.
- Heat production increases during pregnancy. Avoid exercising on hot, humid days. Drink 6-8 oz. of water every 20 minutes while exercising.
- If using a step, reduce the height as pregnancy progresses and weight increases. Or, eliminate the step.
- Avoid circuit classes.
- Muscle Strength Training
- The pre-pregnancy abilities and the amount of weight gain will determine the amount of weight you can safely lift.
- Stand, sit on a chair, or use a resist-a-ball. The enlarging abdomen will cause you to alter the position of your body during some movements.
- Watch your wrist alignment. Water retention can cause pain and numbness if the wrist is put in a compromised position when using hand weights.
- Avoid the supine (on back) position after the first trimester (12 weeks). The use of a step as a slant board or a ball are great options for abdominal work, allowing for modified crunches. When unable to do crunches, pelvic tilts are a perfect option.
- Do not use leg weights after the first trimester.
- Avoid one leg standing routines as balance can be difficult.
- If hip adduction/abduction is uncomfortable modify the movements.
- Cool Down
- Ascend gradually.
- Avoid over-stretching.
Moderate exercise during a normal pregnancy can provide wonderful physical benefits. The goal of exercising while pregnant should be maintaining health and fitness – not achieving new milestones.
Pregnancy & Jazzercise By Deb Bucci, BSN, MS
Too Much, Too Soon By Joy Karley, M.A.
A Quick Quiz:
- Did you:
- Take a month off from your workout?
- Go out of town for a week?
- Take two months off from your workout?
- Stay in bed for 2 weeks with the flu?
- Are you:
- Trying a new workout?
- Trying a new sport?
- New to exercise of any kind?
- About to increase your training to prepare for a competition or event?
If you:
- Answered "yes" to any of the above, take heed or you could end up taking even more time off... while your injuries heal. Doing "too much, too soon" is one of the most common reasons for injuries. As a guideline, remember the soft tissues of your body (such as the muscles and tendons) need approximately eight weeks to adjust to a new activity. Not heeding your body’s time clock and doing "too much, too soon" can create musculoskeletal injuries.
- Are resuming your regular exercise program after a week or more off, don’t jump back in headfirst. The length of your layoff should dictate the rate at which you increase activity to pre-layoff levels. Gradually increase the frequency, duration and intensity levels of your workout. Be sure to include enough days off for rest and recovery while your body gears back up.
- Are new to exercise, a fitness evaluation is a good idea. If you are fairly young and a non-smoker with no history of health problems, a consultation with a fitness professional might be enough to get you going in the right direction.
- Are over 40, a smoker, have a history of health problems, a family history of heart disease, or have any other major risk factors for heart disease, it is recommended that you consult with a physician before beginning any exercise program.
Remember:
- Fitness doesn’t happen over night. Taking your time and following a smart program will help you reach your health and fitness goals, and lessen the likelihood of being sidelined from an injury. Listen to your body.
- If you are sore or fatigued or it is your first day back, take it easy. Use lighter weights, do less reps, use low impact, lower your step, walk fewer miles, avoid big hills, stay in low gear, etc. Don’t push too hard. Your body will make you pay for the "abuse."
- Let your body REST! You would not like it if your boss didn’t give you a day or two off each week would you? Your body doesn’t like it either. It will "quit" on you if you do not give it adequate time off. This includes the occasional vacation from exercise too. A few days to a week off every now and then will give your bodytime to recharge and come back stronger and feeling better than ever.
jazzercise.com
Exercise-Related Pain - Is It Telling You Something?
PAIN - Not a very popular word in an exerciser’s vocabulary. Pain associated with exercise often translates into injury...and serious injury means that your exercising days may be numbered. For lack of understanding or perhaps simple stubbornness, the warning sign of pain is often ignored or misinterpreted and activity continues. For the lucky few, continued activity may not present a problem; but for the vast majority of others, the effects can be disastrous... resulting in serious injury.
Unfortunately, exercise pain is not always easily interpreted. Pain is, after all, a personal thing. No one can tell you what you are feeling. We all know that a certain amount of discomfort is common up to 48 hours after exercise, whereas, chest pain during exercise is readily recognized as a "red flag" situation. But what about that nagging ache in your knee, or that sudden sharp burning sensation in your shoulder? This is the type of pain associated with exercise-related injuries. Does it warrant a doctor’s visit or should you just lay off exercising for a few days and see what happens?
A small understanding of some common exercise-related injuries may help you evaluate exercise pain if it should occur. Most of these injuries respond well to rest and ice.
Tendinitis
Tendons are comprised of fibrous connective tissue, which attach muscles to bones. Over use of the extremities can result in an inflammation of a tendon. Tendinitis is very common and is easily treated with rest and ice. If ignored, however, the condition can worsen to the point of needing surgical repair. The pain is usually of a nagging nature, felt over a general area and is sometimes accompanied by swelling.
Strains
A stretch or tear of the muscle-tendon unit constitutes a strain. The symptoms are similar to tendinitis. The severity of the injury is measured in degrees. A first-degree strain results from a stretching of the muscle-tendon fibers. A second-degree strain is a partial tear of the unit fibers and a third-degree strain is an actual rupture of the whole unit.
Sprains
A sprain is an injury similar to a strain; however, ligaments that attach bones to bones are involved instead of tendons.
Bursitis
A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between two structures that slide past each other near a joint. When a joint is overused, the bursa may become irritated and inflamed, resulting in intermittent pain usually after exercise. You can often pinpoint the pain. Shoulders and knees are most often affected by bursitis.
Stress Fractures
When muscle, tendon and ligament injuries are ignored, these structures can no longer do an effective job in protecting the bones they surround. This leaves the bone defenseless against over-zealous workouts. Quite often hairline cracks called stress fractures will develop in the bone. The pain associated with a stress fracture is felt at a very specific point away from the joint and usually occurs only after activity.
Do You Feel Pain?
Once you have an idea about your exercise pain, use this guide to help determine your course of action. (If ever in doubt, see your doctor ASAP!) First, ask yourself whether the pain happened immediately or did it develop gradually over time?
For Sudden Pain, Ask Yourself
Is the pain severe and constant? Does a bruise or discoloration accompany it? Did you hear a "pop" or a "snap" in the injured area? If you answered "yes" to any of the above, Go directly to your doctor. You may have sustained a serious sprain, strain or stress fracture.
For Gradually Developing Pain, Ask Yourself
Can the pain be pinpointed to a specific location and is the area painful only after the activity? If you answered "yes," go directly to your doctor. You may have developed bursitis or a stress fracture. If you feel the pain over a generalized area, treat according to rest and ice guidelines for 48 hours. If the ain continues, see your doctor as soon as possible. You may have a serious sprain or strain. Pain indicates distress to the body - listen and take action. Resting and icing or a timely trip to the doctor may mean the difference between a few short days of rest and many months of inactivity.
jazzercise.com
"Warming Up... Cooling Down... & Why We Need To"
By Joy Karley, M.A.
Trouble getting to class today?
Tight schedule?
Traffic?
These things happen to all of us. They are unavoidable, and understandable. If you’re only a couple minutes late (that is, you’re not walking in during a hard routine) come in to class and use gentle, low impact movements to warm up as you follow along with the routine. Since your body did not get the necessary warm up to prepare it for your workout, you may even want to do all or most of the classwith the low impact modifications in order to prevent injury.
Doctor appointment?
Have to pick your kids up after school today?
Got tickets to that once in a lifetime concert?
Once in a while, things come up that just cannot be rescheduled. Sometimes you have to leave class early; but it’s certainly better than not going to class at all. If you have to leave during the aerobic portion, be sure to slow down first and do low impact, lower intensity moves to help lower your heart rate. You may want to walk around a bit in the hallway or registration area for a minute or two. Make sure you are in the light to very light range of perceived exertion (under 60% of your maximum heart rate) before you stop. If you are leaving after the descending or a floor routine, take a minute to stretch the muscles you just worked before you go.
What about those of us who no matter how early we get up in the morning, how much commuting time we allow, or what else we do, are always 5 (10 or 15!) minutes late? Or what about those of us who leave early because we don’t like floor-work and stretching or we just want to get that cardio and go?
Jazzercise classes are designed to be a complete workout. Class structures are developed to meet the ACSM guidelines for safe and effective exercise. To get the most out of your workout - and you’re paying for it, so why not -you need to participate in the entire class.
jazzercise.com
When is Enough, Enough? By Joy Karley, M.A.
Chances are you’re familiar with the satisfaction a terrific workout brings; a workout that leaves you feeling invigorated, refreshed, and stress-free—that "good all over" feeling!
Unlike drugs, artificial stimulants, and sweets, exercise is something that can not only make you feel wonderful but is also good for you! In fact, the US Surgeon General released a report in July of 1996 encouraging participation in moderate physical activity to improve and/or prevent an overwhelming number of health concerns facing a large percentage of our population.
Exercise can help combat obesity, lower blood pressure, improve self-esteem, battle depression, decrease stress, reduce the risk of heart disease, boost your metabolism, increase muscle tissue, and a whole lot more. Simply put, a steady dose of exercise can improve your health and the quality of your life… that is, as long as you don’t overdo it. That’s right – when it comes to exercise, it is possible to get too much of a good thing. Exercise can be powerful medicine, but like medicine, you have to be careful not to overdose.
Signs Associated with Overtraining
- Decreased appetite
- Increased resting heart rate
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Feeling sluggish and tired
- Workouts that once seemed easy become difficult to complete
- Hormone imbalances - irregular or cessation of menstrual cycle
- Negative mood swings
- Depression and tension
- Colds/flu that linger or recur frequently
Anyone from weekend exercisers to elite athletes are at risk of overtraining if they are not sensible in their approach to exercise. Even if you are just starting out on a low-intensity walking program, it is still important to gradually build up your exercise intensity, duration, and frequency. Once you’ve reached your goal, don’t try to push too far past it. If you feel you need more exercise to reach your health and fitness goals, consider cross-training to challenge your body in new ways while preventing overuse injuries.
Knowing when "enough is enough" is fairly easy to determine. Many of the signs of overtraining are pretty obvious, but some are a bit subtler. The hardest part is listening to your body and responding to the warning signs of doing too much. Here is what to watch for:
Don't Forget to Rest
During periods of rest between exercise sessions, the body adapts to the physical stress of exercise by becoming stronger and replenishing its energy stores. If rest is not incorporated into your exercise schedule, the body does not get the chance to recover properly and may begin to break down in various ways.
How much rest you need between exercise sessions depends on the nature of your exercise schedule as well as your fitness level. At least 24 hours is recommended; however, some bodies may require more. Tendinitis, stress fractures, and "shin splints" are just a few overuse syndromes that may result from too much training and not enough rest. The effects of overtraining can sneak up on you gradually, or hit you suddenly, so be sure to avoid them by taking care of your body and giving it the rest it needs!
Try:
- Different forms of exercise such as cycling, swimming, strength training, or walking
- Other class formats like step, low-impact or circuit training
- Recreational activities like hiking, inline skating, skiing or swing dancing
- New equipment such as a recumbent bike, treadmill, stair climber or ski machine
- Sports like tennis, racquetball, basketball, or volleyball
- Mind-body activities like yoga or tai chi
jazzercise.com
For more health tips visit the official Jazzercise site at
http://www.jazzercise.com
If you have any questions please consult your physician.