Topic: Summertime Activity Tips (Get Ready!)

Well, I believe summer is about here in Gunnison. The joke with seasons here (as I understand it) is that we go from winter, trip through something called spring and seemingly right into summer. Ha, ha. Anyways, the topic of discussion for this week is summertime activity and how to make subtle changes to find yourself morphing slowly into a new season of you!

Right off the bat, I want to address the fact that we all are created equal but uniquely different; meaning, we all look different externally despite our shared internals. We come in various heights, weights, shapes, sizes, and colors. With that being said, let us talk about making subtle, livable changes to our routine this summer season that fits who we are as uniquely different individuals.

A FEW BASIC TIPS FOR SUMMERTIME ACTIVITY & WELLNESS:

+Get Outside!
With plenty of sunshine in the Gunny Valley and warmer temperatures, you should strive to dedicate a morning or afternoon/evening time slot to doing some sort of activity outside this summer. Pick an activity you find highly enjoyable; if tossing football or baseballs with you son or daughter is an activity that is highly enjoyable, then get out there and do it! My favorite and by far the easier of many modalities is walking. I love to get outside in the sunshine (winter or summer) and absorb all that is around me - whether I'm walking the streets of Gunnison or on a trail in the wilderness that is all around us. If you are making excuses to not go outside (i.e. too hot, not enough time, etc.) then perhaps you need to reevaluate your situation. If anything, exercise is the one factor that will make your life more fulfilling and enjoyable!

+Set Obtainable Goals!
Using the last tip as an example, if you enjoy interacting outside with your children, then make a goal to do it 3 nights a week and 1 weekend day; or, a number of days/hours that fits your schedule. The key to an obtainable goal is starting with a goal you know you can obtain. What to do after you obtain your goal? Set a new one! This time up the ante another day or a few more hours; or, make it a goal to add variety to the routine so it does not become mundane. An easy way to keep yourself honest with a goal is to write the goal down in a place that you will see on a daily basis. Perhaps the kitchen sink, or perhaps in the bathroom by the sink where you brush your teeth and comb your hair. This way you will be more likely to hold yourself accountable for that obtainable goal you set.

+Get Family and Friends Involved!
There is no better way to adhere to set goals than by having a partner to keep you honest as well as keeping them honest in turn. Research demonstrates the greater likeliness of participation and adherence when a spouse (such as the example below) or friend help to socially support your new habit or goal. This link is about a spouse study on lipid enhancement but the basic ideas stressed in the article are what I am striving to exemplify. Study protocol: Couples Partnering for Lipid Enhancing Strategies.

Lastly, keeping in tune with the uniquely different individuals that we are, remember that what works great for another person is not necessarily going to work great for you as well. Again, pick something you enjoy and could see yourself doing everyday/multiple days a week. Do not feel pressured into doing an activity or type of exercise if you really are not enjoying it. After all, just like when we were children, activity/exercise should be something that elicits mass continued movement, smiles, and a greater overall self-satisfaction with continued maintenance and pursuit.

Life's a garden....DIG IT!!! See you outside :)

Submitted by Al Smith, HAPLab Manager

Topic: General Exercise Guidelines

First topic is quite general, but from here we can at least start and forge onward and outward. Here it goes...

What constitutes Exercise?

Exercise is a single acute bout of bodily exertion or muscular activity that requires an expenditure of energy above resting level and generally results in voluntary movement.(Plowman et al.)

Exercise is generally planned and structured to improve or maintain physical fitness; exercise differs from physical activity, which usually connotates movement designed to sustain daily living or recreation. Bearing this in mind, what kind of exercise is right for you; or, are you better off focusing on a mixture of physical activity and exercise?

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 3 to 5 days a week of cardiorespiratory exercise (running, walking, biking, etc.), 2 to 3 days/week of resistance training (lifting free weights, machines, bands, etc.), and a minimum of 2 to 3 days/week of flexibility training (ideally 5 to 7 days/wk).

Within those specific areas:

Cardiorespiratory should be 20-60 minutes in duration and involve large muscle groups in a dynamic (moving) activity.

Resistance training: 1-2 sets of 3 to 20 repetitions of 8 to 10 exercises including all major muscle groups (i.e. Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms, Legs, Core).

Flexibility training should address all the major muscle groups as well, lasting approximately 15-30 seconds per stretch; repeated 2-4x per stretch. *Interesting to note though is the emerging research on the benefits of Dynamic stretching versus Static (stationary) stretching, as just described to you. Check out this link to a study abstract published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning for more information about Static vs. Dynamic and decide for yourself; though, research is shifting previously held notions. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19204571?ordinalpos=13&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum)

After reading the above paragraphs, how do you feel about it? What comes to mind when you read over it? Leave your comments and/or ANY feedback!

Submitted by Al Smith, HAPLab Manager

1st Post on the New HAPLab Forum and Blog!

Welcome, welcome everyone! I, Al Smith, am very excited to present to you the new High Altitude Performance Lab's (HAPLab) brand new forum and blog. The main purpose of this is to present weekly topics of interest to ourselves, our students, or you the readers in the area of sport science. I am pleased to say that this blog/forum is open to anyone; please tell your friends, family, and co-workers.

Great potential exists for this blog to be a cornerstone of dependable and accurate information in a world of misleading and incorrect information.

As stated in the welcome section (to your top left), this blog/forum will be open to topics of your interest; in the absence of suggested topics, I or other ESS Faculty here at the Western State College of Colorado will post topics for discussion. Commenting is highly encouraged, even if you would like to learn more about a different topic. Suggestions are always welcome, and anything or any topic that would rather be kept anonymous can be emailed discretely to me at HAPLab01@gmail.com

I am looking forward to getting this off the ground in the next coming week. Please join me in making this blog/forum the place to learn, foster, and advance our common interest.

Lastly, you will find that 1 comment has been left by me, with directions for leaving comments on blog posts. Enjoy!

Submitted by Al Smith, HAPLab Manager