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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

Five helpful tips for a healthy, active summer of running and overall fitness

Posted June 25th, 2007 at 9:00 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Motivation, Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Supplements, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

The following article was written by TFS guest contributor Dr. Larry Robinson. For more about Dr. Robinson, check out the “About Dr. Robinson” section at the conclusion of the article.

1. Use the summer weather to increase your outdoor activity:

“From running and baseball games in the park to weekend getaways hiking, biking and canoeing, summer’s the perfect time to get in shape without a daily trip to the gym,” says Dr. Robinson. “Use the season to start a new sport you’ve always been interested in that can carry you through the holidays, New Year’s resolutions and colder weather.”

Of course check with your physician first if you have any physical concerns, and always start off easy. If you’re prone to heat stroke or exhaustion, take advantage of dusk and dawn to complete your fitness activity. And, as always, drink plenty of water and don’t forget the sunscreen for daytime outdoor activities.
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Does your heart get tired when running and/or during other types of exercise?

Posted March 26th, 2007 at 9:59 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

A healthy heart is so strong that it is almost never a cause of tiredness during exercise.

Tiredness during exercise comes from your muscles. They run out of fuel or out of oxygen. Skeletal muscles use both fat and sugar for energy.

When your muscles run out of their stored sugar supply, called glycogen, they cannot contract and function adequately. You feel tired, your muscles hurt and you have difficulty coordinating them.

On the other hand, your heart muscle gets energy directly from fat and sugar in your blood and even from a breakdown product of metabolism called lactic acid. It is virtually impossible for the heart muscle to run out of fuel unless you are starving to death.
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Prevent injury and improve performance by increasing the intensity of your warm-up

Posted March 6th, 2007 at 10:37 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

Warming up before you exercise helps to prevent injuries and lets you jump higher, run faster, lift heavier or throw further.

Your warm-up should involve the same muscles and motions you plan to use in your sport. For example, before you start to run very fast, do a series of runs of gradually-increasing intensity to increase the circulation of blood to the muscles you will be using.

Muscles are made up of millions of individual fibers, just like a rope made from many threads. When you start to exercise at a very slow pace, you increase the blood flow to muscle fibers, increase their temperature, and bring in more oxygen, so the muscles are more pliable and resistant to injury.
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Heart Health and Marathon Running: Preparation is Key

Posted February 13th, 2007 at 3:02 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

The risk of death from coronary heart disease is decreased almost two-fold in physically active people. Regular exercise has beneficial effects on blood pressure, lipid profile (fats in the body), insulin resistance (ability to break down sugar to use for energy), and overall decreased risk of death.

However, prolonged exercise (such as a marathon running) is hard for the body to endure, especially the heart. The risk of a cardiac event is there, as indicated by dozens of emergency crews present at various intervals of an event such as the Boston Marathon. A 2006 study shows that heart damage from a marathon is significantly related to inadequate training and preparation; a problem seen in some amateur marathon runners.
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