Academia Fit

Learn how to stay in shape and eat right while enjoying your vacation.

Staying in shape while still enjoying your vacation can be simple and here are a few tips to help you. When planning a vacation, plan to incorporate exercise or some kind of
physical activity into your trip.  You can do this by planning excursions that involve physical activity such as hiking, swimming, bike or walking tours.
Whether you are traveling with family, friends, or on a business trip with co-workers, get them involved too. This way you can enjoy your time with them while getting the exercise
you need.  Almost every hotel now has a mini exercise room that you can utilize for even a half hour walking on the treadmill or biking after enjoying your complimentary breakfast.  Instead of using the elevator, why not take the stairs back to your room.  Staying in
shape and exercising on your vacations this summer is simple if you are creative and plan ahead.

Let’s face it, eating healthy on vacation can be hard.  Not having a kitchen to prepare healthy, fresh meals makes it easy to rely on eating out for every meal.   Often times, this leads to over indulging with the justification that, “Well I’m on vacation and I’ll just eat better when I get home.”  With these tips you will be able to maintain your healthy eating habits while vacationing.  First, if where you are staying has a mini fridge, find a store and grab a few healthy snacks that you can keep with you during the day.  Second, when eating out, look at the menu ahead of time and choose an entrée with lots of vegetables,
moderate amounts of carbohydrates and protein and less fat.  Ask your waiter to substitute sides of French fries or other unhealthy choices with steamed vegetables or a simple garden salad with a light dressing on the side. Also a great idea is to ask for half of your meal to be served to you and the other half to come boxed up to go so you can take it back and eat it at a later time.  If you and someone else want to get the same meal, share it so your portion size is smaller and you avoid the risk of over eating.

With these simple tips you can enjoy your vacation whether it is relaxing on the beach, road tripping across the country, or experiencing a different country’s culture, while staying physically active, eating healthy, and having fun!

Your core is the basis of all daily activities and movement.  By strengthening the core you provide balance and stability of the abdomen, hips, back and chest.  A strong core helps with minimizing back pain because strong core muscles help maintain proper posture and alignment of the spine.

Core exercises are not only those exercises that specifically target the abdomen.  Other exercises work the core, such as exercises that incorporate balancing and stabilizing.  Examples of exercises are lunges, squats, or push-ups.

Here are some examples of basic core exercises to help you do at home every day to build a strong core:

• The Hundred- lie on your back keeping your lower back pressed in towards the floor and lower abs pulled in towards spine, with an exhale raise your head and shoulders off the floor and legs in off the ground either at a 45 degree angle or for an easier modification knees bent at 90 degrees, then pump arms 6 inches up and down by your sides

• Russian twist- start sitting with feet together on floor with bent knees and torso and upper body up creating a V-shape, exhale and twist to one side, move back to starting position, exhale and twist to other side, move back to starting position. Repeat for 30 repetitions. Once comfortable with the movement and strength has increased, weight may be held while twisting and/or feet can be lifted 6 inches off the ground while twisting.

• Prone Plank- get in push-up position with palms on ground directly below shoulders, keep abs contracted and head in line with spine, hold for 30 seconds.  As you get stronger hold position longer and/ try alternating lifting each hand off the ground for a few seconds then switch to the opposite hand

A 5k is a 3.1 mile race. For beginners, and even more intermediate to advanced runners, it is important to train so that come race day you are prepared and ready to run your race.  Below is a 5 week training program to help guide you in your goal of crossing the finish line in 5 weeks.

*Run/Walk is a series of intervals between running and walking.  Start with walking a few
minutes to warm up, then run for 1 minute, walk for 2 minutes, repeat until time is up.  As the weeks progress increase time running and decrease time walking.

** Comfortable pace means you can talk or carry on a conversation while keeping your pace and not breathing really hard while talking.

It is important to not over train which is why the program starts out slow and gradually time and intensity increase over the 5 weeks.  Follow this training program, get a comfortable pair of funning shoes, eat a balanced and nutritious diet, and get enough sleep and you will be ready for your 5k in just 5 weeks.

It’s spring time and you know what that means… race season! Get out in the beautiful weather and challenge yourself by competing in a friendly competitive 5k.

Navy’s 26^th Original Bay Bridge Run/Walk

This event is on Sunday May 20, 2012.  Runners start at 8 am and walkers start after
runners at a separate starting point. The course is a 4 mile sanctioned and certified USA Track and Field course.  It starts at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront and finishes in Coronado’s Tidelands Park.  Racers get to go across, by foot, the Coronado Bay Bridge.  The course is mostly flat streets with an incline going up the bridge and a decline going
down the bridge.

Features: Each registered participant will receive one ticket to the San Diego Padres game on June 3, 2012 when the Padres take on the Arizona Diamondbacks and a 26^th Original Bay Bridge Run/Walk commemorative T-shirt to all participants.  Participants can enjoy a post Run/Walk party in Tidelands Park including refreshments, live music, sponsor booths, children activities, and an awards presentation.

Fee: Before April 30- Adult $42, Military Active Duty/ Seniors (65+) $36, Children ages 4-12 $22, Competitive 5 person running team $215; after April 30- Adult $47, Military Active Duty/Seniors (65+) $41, Children ages 4-12 $26, Competitive 5 person running team $240

Register by mail or online at http://www.active.com/running/san-diego-ca/the-navys-26th-bay-bridge-run-walk-2012

9^th Annual Roberto J. Duran Border Run/Walk

The 5k run/walk is Saturday June 9, 2012.  Race time is 8 am and the 1-mile run for the kids is after the 5k.  This event starts at the shops at Las Americas in San Ysidro (at the Nike Store) and participants follow a course that runs along the United States and Mexican borders normally restricted to the public.

Features: 3 awards in each of the 14 age divisions, refreshments: Breakfast burrito fundraiser, and an EXPO display of Law Enforcement Booths

Fee: Before June 1: Adult $25, 17 and under $20, Kids 1-Mile Run $10; late fee applies after June 1: Adult $30, 17 and under $25; fee on day of event: Adult $33, 17 and under $27, Kids 1-Mile Run $13.  Proceeds benefit the Roberto J. Duran Scholarship Fund.  This is a tribute to Border Patrol Agents that have died in line of duty while assigned to the San
Diego Sector.

28^th Annual Bonita 5000 presented by Bonita Road Runners

The Bonita 5000 is a 5k Run/Walk and Kids 1K Fun Run on Saturday June 23, 2012.  The 5k run/walk starts at 7:30 am and the kids 1k fun run starts at 9:00 am.  The Bonita 5000 takes place at Rohr Park 4548 Sweetwater Road, Bonita, CA 91902.  The course is USA Track and Field certified and categorized as a fast and flat course.

Features: T-shirts to all pre-registered participants, medal awards to the top three winners in each age division for male and female categories

Fee: 5k- $30 or register 2 people for $50; late fee- $35 (after June 16), 1k kid fun run- $10.  Proceeds benefit local High School Track and Cross Country Teams

Register by mail or online at www.kathyloperevents.com

Happy Easter, everyone! While Easter can be filled with candy and sugary treats, here are some great alternative recipes that will keep your kids healthy while making this holiday season fun and exciting!

For breakfast, kick off the day in true Easter style with these adorable bunny pancakes. This delicious meal is not only easy to make (you don’t even have to shape the batter) but the fruit accessories make it a balanced meal that will give your kids the energy they need for Easter egg hunting!

After the egg hunt, everyone will be ready for a morning snack- these pear bunnies are perfect. Also, incredibly easy-to-make, this fruit-filled snack will put a smile on your kids face!

These sweet bunnies are made from pears, marsh mellows and jelly beans.  First, cut the pear in half. Scoop out the seeds (the cheeks will cover up the hole). Use the other half to make the ears, cheeks, and whiskers. Put on the jelly beans for eyes and nose and add the mini marshmallows for the teeth. This snack even appeals to kids who are picky with their fruits!

Enjoy a fun, healthy, and active Easter with your family and friends!

Happy Easter from Academia Fit!

Exercise programming is participation in physical activity.  It is different for each individual and is based on individual goals, exercise preference, and the individual’s current health status. However, there are a few general guidelines for physical activity that
are recommended by ACSM.

The recommendations provided by ACSM include frequency, intensity, time, and type.  A simple acronym to aid in remembering these key points is F.I.T.T.

F: Frequency- one should engage in exercise 3 – 5 days per week

I: Intensity- ranges from moderate to vigorous intensity. Intensity is based on HR max,  which should be 60-90% of the individuals max heart rate using the simple (220 – age) equation to obtain an age-predicted max heart rate.  Using the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is another simple way to rate intensity.  It is a 6-20 scale and intensity level should be around 12-16 which correlates with somewhat hard to hard.

T: Time- each aerobic session should be 20 or 30 minutes to lasting 60 minutes and is
dependent on intensity level.  The higher the exercise intensity is, the shorter the time will be.  The lower the intensity is, the longer the time.

T: Type- the type of exercise is aerobic.  It can be continuous, meaning done all in one session, or non-continuous, meaning it can be broken up into multiple 10-minute sessions that are completed throughout the day.

ACSM recommends 75 – 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week.  The lower end is representative of higher intensity exercise, whereas the higher end is for lower intensity
exercise.  Moderate intensity exercise should be performed 5 days a week, while vigorous intensity exercise is only recommended on at least 3 days a week.  A combination of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic activities is recommended 3 – 5 days per week.  ACSM also recommends muscular strength and endurance activities 2-3 days per week
and participating in flexibility or stretching 2-3 days per week.

Exercise adherence refers to a person’s ability to follow, or stick to, and exercise program.  Below are some tips to help you adhere to your exercise program.

• Be organized. Plan out when you are going to exercise. Put exercise in your schedule just as you would any appointment or meeting.  Use time management by planning ahead of time in order to reduce stress and make sure there is enough time to exercise.
• Grab a buddy. Working out with a buddy provides a motivational factor.  You will feel obligated to show up because another person is planning on meeting you.
• Stay motivated! Use strategies that work best for you to keep you motivated and maintain exercise adherence.  This may include setting personal goals that you want to meet, exercising with a buddy, maintaining health status, or satisfying intrinsic rewards such as the ability to complete a task.

Saturday March 3, 20012 at 9:ooam

Come have fun, exercise and meet all our
instructors and staff!!!

Don’t miss out on this great event! It’s FREE!!

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a cardiorespiratory training technique involving brief speed intervals followed by recovery intervals of equal or greater duration.  HIIT can be applied to any type of cardio including walking, running, cycling, or stair climbing.

HIIT is performed at a submaximal level.  This means that on an exertion scale of 1 to
10, 1 being very little effort and 10 being extremely hard, you want to be at 7 to 9.  Exerting yourself at a level of 7 to 9 means you should be working hard enough only to be able to maintain that speed for the allotted time of the speed interval.  Your breathing will be heavier than normal and you would notice that it would be difficult to talk or carry on a
conversation.

An example of HIIT:

HIIT is recommended 1-2 times per week. The speed or intensity and time of each interval can be altered to fit any fitness level.  The number of speed intervals can gradually be increased to 8-10; however duration should never be greater than the recovery interval.

Only have 30 minutes to workout?  HIIT is perfect for you.  HIIT requires minimal time due to the high-intensity level, so it is a good alternative for people with busy schedules.  Use HIIT to work hard at high-intensity for a shorter duration and achieve the same cardiovascular effects normally obtained from a longer, less intense workout.

HIIT provides a few key benefits to overall fitness and performance goals.  First, high-intensity intervals can significantly increase aerobic and anaerobic fitness.  Second, HITT decreases fasting insulin and increases insulin sensitivity.  This means that insulin in the body is being used efficiently to keep blood glucose levels low and decrease the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.  Lastly, there is reduced abdominal and subcutaneous fat.

For more information, click here to check out the American Council on Exercise for more tips on how to integrate HIIT into your exercise routine.