Author: Sunshine

Five Intense Indoor Exercises to Lose Weight

There’s nothing like jogging or biking in the great outdoors. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has a way of foiling workout plans with an ill-timed lightning storm or blizzard. Or perhaps you have to keep an eye on the kids at home and cannot leave the house. Whatever the case, there are plenty of great ways to burn calories indoors. Use these workouts whenever outdoor exercise is not an option.

Weight Circuit Training

Weights aren’t just for strength training; they can be used for some vigorous indoor cardio! The key is to do back-to-back sets of different lifts – with no rest period in between – using low to medium weight. For example, you might do one set of squats, one set of power cleans, and one set of overhead presses, then repeat the entire circuit as many times as you can. You can use barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or any heavy object you have around your house.

Plyometrics

Plyometrics is a form of exercise that focuses on short, explosive movements, usually jumping. It is a mainstay of training regimens for gymnasts, martial artists, and basketball players. It’s easy to do plyometrics at home; just do a variety of jumps either for a certain number of reps or on a timer. Some common plyometric exercises include ankle jumps, squat jumps, jump-and-tucks, star jumps, and clapping push-ups. For an extra challenge, try jumping from the floor onto an elevated surface. These exercises will not only get your heart pumping but also build endurance and speed.

Tabata Exercises

Tabata circuits are a form of high-intensity interval training. Each circuit is 20 seconds of exercise of the highest possible intensity followed by 10 seconds of rest. The entire workout consists of eight circuits, making it four minutes in total. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly short duration; a Tabata set will bring you to total exhaustion. You are essentially cramming a half-hour workout into four minutes. You can do almost any exercise as a Tabata workout: squats, push-ups, lunges, flutter kicks, jump rope, sit-ups, and many more. All you need to start a Tabata workout is an interval timer, and many smart phone apps exist for this purpose.

Dance Aerobics

Have you ever wondered why you feel so exhausted after going to a concert or spending the evening at a dance club? It’s because fast-paced dancing is hard work! Dancing provides cardio and endurance training for the entire body. Best of all, you can do this exercise with any kind of music you choose. If you can dance to it, you can work out to it! All you need is a stereo and your favorite tunes.

Shadow Boxing

Even if you’re not a martial artist, you can still knock out some calories by shadow boxing at home. You don’t even need gloves or a punching bag; just stand in a fighting stance and throw punches as fast as you can. You can also add some kicks if you like. These exercises are most effective when done in intervals of about 30 seconds. You’ll feel the burn mostly in your arms, but your abs and legs will get some action as well from the work of keeping your body in an upright position as you throw punches.

Being homebound doesn’t mean you have to skip your workout. All you have to do is switch to a form of exercise that can be done indoors, and as you can see, there are plenty of options. Keep this list in mind next time you need to burn some calories without leaving the house.

What does Muscular Strength Mean?

Exploring the Seven Different Types of Muscular Strength

Being strong is important in any sport. Strength allows you to move heavier weights and makes movements in general feel easier. Strength protects you from injury, and one of the components of speed is being strong enough to do movements explosively and rapidly.

Simply ‘lifting weights in the gym’ without a goal will not prepare you for a competitive career in your chosen sport, however. You have to perform the right kinds of exercises to create the right kind of strength. There are seven different ‘types’ of muscular strength, and each one involves training the muscle fibers in a specific way. Let’s take a quick look at each type of strength, and how you would build it.

Agile Strength

Agile strength involves the ability to use your muscles across multiple planes of motion and to move a mass through gravity across those planes. Traditional lifts involve pushing or pulling in single directions. Agile strength is more complex and is the kind of strength that you would use when carrying heavy objects in day to day life.

To train agile strength, you would use dumbells, sandbags or medicine balls, and work with moderate intensity. It would be dangerous to put a lot of emphasis on your 1RM, but doing multiple repetitions at 75% of your max for two to five sets would generate results.

Starting Strength

The ‘starting strength’ is the measure of strength a person can generate from a stationary position. For example, a lineman shows starting strength when they move from their initial stance before the ball is snapped. Starting strength is important for explosive movements from a stationary position.

Training starting strength requires that the athlete focus on the initial range of motion, with weights of up to 90% of 1RM. The motions are fast and explosive, and are trained for 1-6repetitions, with a large number of sets, to reflect what the athlete may do in their sport.

Endurance and Strength

This is the ability to maintain contractions of your muscles and to generate force over longer periods. Triathletes and marathon runners need the ability to maintain the prolonged performance of their muscles so that they can maintain a rate of exertion that allows them to achieve good times in their races. Training for strength endurance improves the aerobic capacity of the muscles, and this type of strength is one of the more ‘functional’ types.

To train for endurance and strength, practitioners should perform slow reps at moderate intensity, using low to moderate weights, with short rest periods.

Speed

Speed strength is important for sprinters, pitchers, and other people who need to perform high-speed motions. Tennis serves are an example of this, as are shots in wrestling. Speed strength is trained using unloaded bodyweight movements and plyometrics. Where weights are used they are no more than 50% of the athlete’s one rep max. The emphasis is on doing the exercises as quickly as possible, with low rep numbers and a greater number of sets.

Relative Strength

Relative strength is the amount of force that a person can generate as compared to their body weight. If a 150lb person can deadlift 200lbs, and a 175lb person can deadlift 250lbs, the smaller person is stronger in terms of pounds lifted compared to their body weight, so would be considered stronger.

Relative strength is important for weight-class sports. A wrestler who is lean and strong for their body weight would likely overpower someone in the same weight class who carries more body fat and who is less capable in the weight room. Building relative strength requires building general strength and motor recruitment, and also maximizing lean mass at your body weight. This is achieved through diet changes.

Explosive Power

Explosive power allows people to produce large amounts of force in short burst, moving quickly through the appropriate range of motion. Explosive strength is the ability to generate power quickly and with as little transition time in the contraction cycle as possible. Olympic lifters have good explosive strength, as do wrestlers.

Explosive strength involves exercising at 40 to 75% of your one rep max for a small number of reps, performed as quickly as possible, with moderate rest periods in between.

Maximal Strength

Powerlifters and strongmen focus on developing absolute or maximum strength. This is the ability to recruit a muscle or group of muscles to create as much force or tension as possible against external resistance. Sports that rely on maximum strength require people to develop neuromuscular efficiency as well as good coordination between muscle groups.

Building maximum strength requires lifting weights that are close to the 1RM of the lifter, for a low number of repetitions, with longer (up to 4 minutes) rest intervals between sets.

Building Strength

Most people need flexibility, balance, coordination and agility as well as strength. When it comes to strength training, they need to have more than one kind of strength. Being able to bench press a lot of weight will not help a boxer throw heavy punches if they lack strength in their core and if they have imbalances in the other muscles around the chest and pecs.

Being able to squat a lot of weight is useful but could lead to injury if the only leg and core workout being done is simple squats.

Slow, grinding compound lifts are useful but they do not generate explosive power in the same way as plyometrics or kettlebell workouts. Calisthenic training is great for rounded strength training that gives you the chance to develop supporting muscles, but it will not generate maximum strength in the way that compound lifts do. On the other hand, Olympic lifting is good for explosive power in a specific range of motion but again has its own limits.

For this reason, if you want to develop sport-specific strength it is important that you talk to a trainer that understands your sport, and work with them to build up a good programme of exercises that will improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury.

In conclusion, as illustrated , there are 7 different types of muscular strength that targets a specific goal. Since training for each one requires a different training program, being strong in one does equate to being strong in another.

Why You Should Check Your Blood Pressure in Both Arms

When you visit your physician’s office, do they check your blood pressure in both arms? If not, they should be doing it, especially if you’re over the age of fifty, have diabetes, or smoke. Research shows that blood pressure values that differ significantly between the two arms may be a sign of underlying peripheral vascular disease.

What is peripheral vascular disease? It’s a condition where blood vessels called arteries become too narrow. Arteries are the vessels that carry blood from your heart to all the tissues in your body. These sturdy pipelines serve as a “lifeline” to all the organs and tissues in your body. They also supply your extremities, including your arms and legs with oxygenated blood. They are quite efficient at doing this job as long as your heart and arteries are healthy.

One of the first places you typically see peripheral vascular disease is in the arms and legs, most commonly the legs. How do you know if you have it? People with significant peripheral artery disease often experience pain, numbness, tingling, or cramping in a leg, or both legs if both are affected, if they walk a certain distance. As the narrowing of the arteries worsens, the leg discomfort comes on with shorter and shorter walking distances. If you have peripheral artery disease, you may also experience leg cramps when you walk. Typically, the leg discomfort goes away upon resting. However, leg cramps can have other causes as well.

The Role that Blood Pressure Readings Play in Peripheral Vascular Disease

Sometimes, peripheral artery disease can be silent, at least in the early stages. If you don’t routinely walk significant distances, you might not know you have it since exercise is what brings it on in the early stages. This happens because exercise increases the demand for oxygenated blood and narrowed arteries cannot meet the demands as easily. However, taking blood pressure readings in both arms could alert you and your doctor to possible early peripheral vascular disease even when you don’t have obvious symptoms.

A 2012 study highlights how important knowing the blood pressure in each arm is. What the study showed was that systolic blood pressure readings that differ more than 10 points between the two arms should raise the suspicion of possible peripheral vascular disease. Systolic blood pressure is the top number of blood pressure readings. It represents the force in the wall of arteries when the heart is pumping. The lower number is the pressure within the arterial wall when the heart is relaxing between heartbeats.

If systolic blood pressure differs by more than 10 points between the two arms, your physician could recommend a further work-up to look for peripheral vascular disease. Whether they recommend a workup will depend on whether you’re at high risk and whether you have other signs suggestive of arterial disease on physical exam.

The difference in blood pressure between the two arms is a possible sign of peripheral vascular disease of the arteries that supply the arms with blood and oxygen. But people who have arterial disease in the arms often have it in their legs too. If you’re over the age of 50, smoke, have a strong family history of heart or blood vessel disease, or have diabetes, your risk of developing peripheral vascular disease is higher. According to Harvard Health, peripheral vascular disease affects more Americans than cardiovascular disease and stroke combined.

Take Your Blood Pressure Properly and Check It at Home Too

These days, it’s easy to check your blood pressure using home equipment. If you check your blood pressure at home, make sure you’re using the proper size cuff, your bladder is empty, and you’ve rested in a chair for at least 5 minutes beforehand. Activity, a full bladder, and the wrong cuff size can all impact the blood pressure reading you get. Don’t consume caffeine or nicotine before checking your blood pressure. Make sure you’re sitting with your back supported and feet on the floor. Your elbow should be resting on the arm of a chair or table at the level of your heart. Also, take a few readings in each arm. It’s not uncommon for the first reading or two to be higher than subsequent measurements. Record the values so you can show your physician.

Other Risks of Having a Wide Variation in Blood Pressure Between Arms

Are there other possible risks of having a wide variation in blood pressure readings between arms? According to a study published in the Lancet, having a 10 point or more difference in systolic blood pressure between the two arms is also associated with a higher risk of dying of stroke and cardiovascular disease. So, simple tests like measuring blood pressure in both arms can tell us a lot about future health risk! If your medical providers don’t normally check blood pressure in both arms, ask them to do it! Then, check your own readings at home too. Take a proactive role in your own health care by investing in the equipment you need to get an accurate blood pressure reading. Then, learn how to use it properly.

Keeping tabs on your blood pressure is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Hypertension, in general, is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, and it’s something that can be easily treated through lifestyle or medications. Know your pressures and keep track of them in both arms!

Conclusion

It’s something health care doesn’t do often enough, but now that you’re aware, you can make sure you know what your own pressures are on each side. Take advantage of this way to monitor your health.

References:

Family Practice News. February 1, 2012. “BP Differences between Arms May Signal Vascular Disease”

Harvard Health Publishing. “Different blood pressure in right and left arms could signal trouble”

The Lancet. Volume 379, Issue 9819, P905-914, March 10, 2012.

Merck Manual. Eighteen edition. 2012.

 

Does Anesthesia Cause High Blood Pressure?

 

Going under anesthesia is frightening to many people. It’s scary when you’re not in control! Prior to surgery, anesthesiologists carefully question people about any health problems that you have that might impact your response to anesthesia. If you have hypertension or a history of elevated blood pressure readings, you might wonder whether anesthesia is safe. You might also wonder whether anesthesia can cause your blood pressure readings to be higher than normal. These are all good questions!

Fortunately, the anesthesiologists will monitor your blood pressure and heart rate closely before, during, and after your surgical procedure. Plus, they have medications they can administer if blood pressure becomes too high or too low during surgery. Let’s look at how anesthetic agents affect blood pressure.

How Anesthetic Agents Work

Anesthetic agents act on the central nervous system to reduce the perception of pain. These medications also induce a state where you’re unaware of what’s going on around you. Most anesthetic agents are delivered through an intravenous line or are inhaled as a gas. While under anesthesia, the anesthesiologist monitors you and is aware of how fast your heart is beating, your blood pressure, and breathing rate. He or she can adjust the anesthesia as necessary if they notice unwanted changes.

Sometimes, after surgery, people wake up and find their blood pressure is higher than normal. In fact, research shows that one out of four people experiences elevated blood pressures after surgery.  Although a transient rise in blood pressure after surgery is not likely to be dangerous, you might wonder why this happens, particularly since anesthetic agents typically cause a drop in blood pressure rather than a rise. Why might this happen?

Blood Pressure Increases During Surgery

When you’re under general anesthesia, you have a breathing tube in to protect your airway. Some people have airways that are sensitive to the placement of the breathing tube. When the breathing tube is placed, after you’re asleep, your sympathetic nervous system is activated and this increases blood pressure and heart rate. Once the tube is tube is removed, the sympathetic nervous system slowly quiets down and heart rate and blood pressure gradually come down too. Not everyone experiences a rise in blood pressure during surgery. In fact, some people experience a drop. It varies with the individual, the type of anesthesia, how individuals metabolize the anesthesia, and other factors as well.

Once you awaken from surgery and you’re in pain from the surgery, the discomfort can activate your sympathetic nervous system and cause a rise in blood pressure. Once you receive appropriate pain medications, blood pressure may come down. However, some pain medications can cause an increase in blood pressure. If you’re taking a medication for pain relief that triggers a rise in pressure, blood pressure readings may remain higher until the medication wears off. One common class of medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID) can cause a modest rise in blood pressure.

Sometimes, other factors brought on by the surgery can cause blood pressure readings to be too high. When you wake up, you might be cold or anxious, and this can cause blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise. Also, if you’re not yet breathing normally, lack of adequate oxygen delivery can cause a rise in blood pressure readings. Blood pressure is also impacted by how much fluid is in your body. If you’re receiving intravenous fluids and you aren’t able to urinate after surgery, this can cause a rise in blood pressure. If you have hypertension and routinely take blood pressure medications, the anesthesiologist may have recommended discontinuing them until the surgery is over. Your blood pressure may go up because you’re not taking your medications.

Usually, blood pressure will come down a few hours after surgery, although in some cases, readings can remain high for a day or two, especially if you have a history of hypertension and have been off your medications. If blood pressure reading stays elevated for more than a day or so after surgery, let your physician know.

What if You’re on Blood Pressure Medications?

Depending upon the type of blood pressure medication you’re taking, your medical team may recommend continuing your current blood pressure medication until the day of surgery. But, if you’re taking a class of antihypertensive medications called angiotensin-converting enzymes inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) or angiotensin receptor blocking agents (ARBs), they will probably ask you to discontinue the medications at least 24 hours before surgery. That’s because taking these medications can cause a drop in blood pressure during surgery and studies show outcomes are better when these medications are held prior to surgery.

If you’re taking certain types of blood pressure medications, like beta-blockers, your medical team may recommend that you keep taking them as discontinuing them could cause a sudden spike in blood pressure. Some physicians recommend stopping diuretics, a type of fluid pill used to treat hypertension, prior to surgery to lower the risk of dehydration. However, this is variable, so talk to your physician.

Talk to Your Medical Team

During your pre-surgery evaluation, make sure your medical team knows what medications you’re taking. Bring your prescriptions along and let the team know what supplements you’re on as well. They’ll advise you of which ones you’ll need to stop prior to surgery. Also, let them know if you’re allergic to any medications. If your medical team recommends that you continue taking your medications before surgery. If so, let them know the day of your surgery what medications you took and when. Again, bring your medication bottles along. Ask lots of questions and read any informational material they give you carefully.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that anesthetic agents usually cause a drop in blood pressure, you can still experience a rise in pressures after surgery for a variety of reasons. During and immediately after surgery, your medical team will keep a close eye on your blood pressure and it’s a good idea to monitor your pressures at home after surgery, especially if you have a history of hypertension.

References:

Anesth Prog. 2010 Spring; 57(1): 13-17.

Integr Blood Press Control. 2014; 7: 49-59.

Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2008;4(3):615-627.

Anesthesiology 1 2017, Vol.126, 16-27. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000001404.

​Can Birth Control Pills Raise Blood Pressure?

Hypertension is one of the most common medical conditions in both men and women, and the incidence increases with age. Many women develop high blood pressure after menopause, but even young women can have elevated blood pressure readings. Since younger women at high risk for hypertension may also take birth control pills, you might wonder how these pills affect blood pressure readings and whether it’s safe to take them if you’ve had high blood pressure readings in the past. You might also wonder whether birth control pills elevate blood pressure in women without a history of hypertension. Let’s look at what science shows about oral contraceptives and their impact on blood pressure.

How Birth Control Pills Affect Blood Pressure

In the past, oral contraceptives contained higher levels of estrogen than those commonly prescribed today. Studies show a link between birth control pills that contain high-dose estrogen and blood pressure increases. On average, blood pressure elevations while taking these pills was 3 to 6 mmHg for the systolic reading (the upper number) and 2 to 5 mmHg for the diastolic (the lower number). Around 1 in 20 women who used oral contraceptive pills with higher doses of estrogen developed hypertension after taking them.

Since estrogen levels in oral contraceptives have dropped, the risk of hypertension while using them has too. In one study of 68,000 women, the relative risk of developing hypertension was 1.5 times greater in those using low dose estrogen contraceptives relative to those not using them. Even a history of using oral contraceptives in the past is linked with a slightly elevated risk. In most cases, the rise in blood pressure with the newer formulations is mild, although there are cases of women developing a significant rise in blood pressure, to the point of requiring emergency care.

Are certain women at higher risk of developing high blood pressure on oral contraceptives? It does appear that women with certain risk factors are more likely to experience a rise in blood pressure while taking oral contraceptives. One risk factor is a family history of high blood pressure. Also, women who had elevated blood pressure during pregnancy are at increased risk. Blood pressure typically returns to normal after stopping birth control pills, although it can take weeks to months for blood pressures to return to normal in some women.

It is not clear exactly how oral contraceptives increase the risk of hypertension in some women. One theory is that these medications activate a system in the kidneys called the renin-angiotensin system. This system controls fluid balance and how tightly blood vessels called arteries are constricted. When the renin-angiotensin system is overactivated, arteries tighten up and blood pressure rises.

Oral contraceptives also increase the risk of developing a blood clot, usually in the leg. These clots can, on occasion, move to the lungs and be fatal. Also, the risk of developing a stroke or heart attack while taking oral contraceptives is slightly higher, although the risk is small for women under the age of 35.

Are There Birth Control Pills That Don’t Elevate Blood Pressure?

It’s the estrogen component of an oral contraceptive that’s mainly responsible for the elevation in blood pressure. Oral contraceptives that only contain progestin are also available and may be a safer option for women with high blood pressure or a strong family history of hypertension.

Also, hormonal methods of birth control are available that you don’t take by mouth. One example is depot injections of progesterone. With this method, your physician prescribes an injection of a synthetic progestin every three months. This form of contraception seems to have a lower risk of elevating blood pressure, but studies thus far are limited. This form of contraception can also cause bone loss.

Another method that may have a lower risk of elevating blood pressure is an estrogen-containing implant. For this method, you place an estrogen-containing implant under the skin. As with depot progesterone, there aren’t enough studies to say whether it’s safe for women with hypertension.

Should You Take Oral Contraceptives if You Have High Blood Pressure?

Whether it’s safe to take oral contraceptives if you have high blood pressure depends on a variety of factors. Some physicians don’t recommend them at all for women with hypertension, especially those over the age of 35 and women who smoke. Factors that might influence whether a physician is willing to prescribe oral contraceptives include age, whether a person is a smoker, and how well their blood pressure is controlled. At the very least, it requires close blood pressure monitoring.

However, having mildly elevated blood pressure doesn’t completely rule out taking oral contraceptives. Guidelines suggest that younger women under the age of 35 who are otherwise healthy and don’t smoke may still be candidates for oral contraceptives with close blood pressure monitoring. That’s why it’s important to discuss the available options with a trained health care professional. Since estrogen seems to be the component of oral contraceptives that cause a rise in blood pressure, a method that uses only a progestin may be more appropriate. These are all issues to discuss with a health care professional.

Other Birth Control Options

Two other birth control methods to avoid if you have elevated blood pressure are the vaginal ring and the birth control patch. But you still have options that won’t raise your blood pressure. For example, an implant that releases progestin without estrogen is 99.9% effective. Progestins, especially at the dose released by the implant, don’t tend to raise blood pressure the same way estrogens do. Other options include an intrauterine device or condoms. So, explore the options and talk to a knowledgeable health care provider before deciding which is best for you.

References:

Hypertension. 1988 Mar;11(3 Pt 2):II11-5.

Circulation. 1996;94(3):483.

American Family Physician. “Contraception Choices in Women with Underlying Medical Conditions”

Fertil Steril 2006; 86(5):1466-74.

How Does Exercise Affect Blood Pressure and Heart Rate?

Exercise is a heart-healthy activity! How do we know this? Studies show that people who work out, especially aerobic exercise, are at a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and stroke. One way exercise benefits heart and blood vessel health is by lowering blood pressure, the force within the wall of arteries, the vessels that carry blood to tissues in the body.

Over the long term, aerobic exercise has a significant impact on blood pressure. To support this, a meta-analysis, an analysis of multiple studies, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that regular exercise lowers systolic blood pressure by 3.84 points and diastolic blood pressure by 2.58 points on average. It lowers blood pressure in men and women with and without hypertension. Therefore, exercise is good “medicine” for a healthy heart! How does blood pressure and heart activity change when you train?

The Short-Term Effects of Exercise on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate

During aerobic exercise, blood pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure, goes up. This is a normal response to any kind of stress on the body, including exercise. Systolic blood pressure, the upper number, is the force in the walls of arteries when the heart is pumping. It makes sense that blood pressure would climb temporarily during exercise since energy demands are higher and the heart must pump harder and faster to deliver oxygen to tissues. Plus, the sympathetic or “fight or flight” component of the nervous system is activated, and this causes a rise in blood pressure.

It’s normal for systolic blood pressure to rise as high as 220 mmHg during an additional exercise session due to the additional demands exercise places on the heart. If blood pressure climbs higher than this during exercise, it could indicate a possible heart problem and should be checked by a physician.

After a workout, systolic blood pressure gradually comes down to its baseline value. People with hypertension sometimes develop larger spikes in systolic blood pressure. If you’re out of shape and unaccustomed to exercising, systolic blood pressure may rise quickly even with minimal activity. As you become more aerobically conditioned, the rise is not as fast or sharp. Certain blood pressure medications, particularly beta-blockers, can interfere with the normal rise in heart rate and blood pressure.

Heart rate also changes during exercise. As mentioned above, heart rate increases proportionally to the demands of exercise. For example, your heart rate will rise more during a bout of high-intensity exercise than it does for a leisurely stroll in the park. In fact, your heart rate is a measure of how hard you’re working. To do this, determine your maximal heart rate using one of the available formulas. One formula is:

220 – age = maximal heart rate

Now, compare your heart rate during exercise to your maximal heart rate. You can do this by taking your pulse for 10 seconds and multiplying by 6.  Moderate-intensity exercise would correspond to a heart rate of 50 to 70% of maximal heart rate. Above that would be high intensity.

The Long-Term Effects of Exercise on Blood Pressure

Over time, aerobic exercise can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. One way it does this is through adaptations that make the heart a more efficient pump. You may have noticed that as you become more physically fit, your resting heart rate slows. That’s because your heart becomes more efficient and it doesn’t have to beat as many times per minute to deliver blood and oxygen to tissues at rest. A more efficient cardiovascular system reduces the force on the walls of arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to tissues. This leads to a drop in blood pressure.

Aerobic exercise also improves endothelial function. The endothelium is a thin layer of cells that produce factors that cause arteries to open up or tighten. With regular aerobic activity, endothelial cells produce more factors that cause the arteries to relax or expand. In turn, this leads to a reduction in blood pressure. The endothelium also produces factors that impact blood clotting. Improvements in endothelial function are another way exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

What about long-term effects on heart rate? As mentioned, when you exercise aerobically over several weeks or months, your heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood and oxygen. Therefore, your resting heart rate will slow. If your heart is otherwise healthy, a slow resting heart rate is often a sign of greater aerobic fitness. Endurance athletes frequently have slow resting heart rates, especially athletes that run or cycle long distances.

What about Resistance Training?

Working your body against resistance by lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises can lead to a temporary rise in blood pressure. In some people, the increase in blood pressure can be substantial. Holding your breath while lifting or using very heavy weights can boost blood pressure even more. That’s why it’s important to check with a health care professional before weight training with hypertension.

However, longer-term research suggests that resistance training may lower blood pressure too. In fact, a meta-analysis published in the journal Hypertension showed resistance training modestly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings in healthy adults. The degree of blood pressure lowering in response to resistance training was 2%, on average, for systolic blood pressure and 4% for diastolic blood pressure. We think of aerobic exercise as being heart healthy and weight training as a way to develop strength. However, weight training may have heart health benefits as well.

Conclusion

Exercise temporarily raises systolic blood pressure, but over time, the adaptations associated with aerobic training can modestly reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Although exercise is a heart-healthy activity, talk to your physician if you have high blood pressure, heart problems, or any other medical problem before starting an exercise program.

References:

Hypertension. 2000 Mar;35(3):838-43.

Arq Bras Cardiol. 2016 May; 106(5): 422-433.

NewScientist.com. “Exercise may lower high blood pressure as much as medication”

 

Are Resistance Bands a Good Alternative to Weights?

Resistance bands might look too lightweight to offer lots of benefits, but don’t let the looks deceive you. Research shows you can increase strength and muscle size with resistance bands alone. In fact, resistance bands have benefits that dumbbells and barbells lack.

When you use barbells and dumbbells, part of the resistance comes from gravity. So, the force your muscles work against varies over the course of the movement. At the top of the movement, the force becomes negligible. This isn’t the case with resistance bands. Because resistance bands are made of a stretchy material, they generate tension throughout the entire movement. The further you stretch the bands, the more the force increases. So, your muscles work hard throughout the entirety of an exercise.

Are Resistance Bands as Effective for Building Muscle as Weights?

Because of the resistance elastic bands offer, you can build strength and hypertrophy, or enlarge the size, of a muscle by training with them. But, are they as effective as working with weights? Studies confirm that you can build strength and size as effectively with resistance bands as with dumbbells or barbells for most exercises. One study found muscle activation was a bit lower for certain exercises, particularly squats and stiff-legged deadlifts.

One downside of weights is it’s easy to cheat by using momentum during an exercise. For example, at the bottom of a movement, you “toss” the weight a bit to make it easier to lift back up. Using momentum makes the exercise easier and reduces the potential benefits you get. You can’t cheat with resistance bands. The elastic nature of the bands means you must maintain muscle tension throughout the movement. Since muscle tension is a factor in muscle growth, resistance bands are quite effective for building muscle size.

In addition, resistance bands are joint friendly. Because they’re not gravity dependent, movements using resistance bands subject the joints to less compression over time. Joint compression is what damages the cartilage in joints and leads to joint degeneration and arthritis. For some people, resistance bands may be a safer option.

Types of Resistance Bands

Resistance bands come in a variety of styles and resistances. To make life easier, they’re color-coded based on their tension. You can choose from bands with light, medium, heavy, or very heavy resistance. It makes sense to choose several bands of varying resistance since you’ll need heavier resistance for your upper body than your lower body. Many people start with a light, medium, and heavy band. You can also find various styles of bands, including circular bands and double bands, and purchase interchangeable handles. In the beginning, stick to single, long bands with basic handles at the end since they’re easier to manage. No need to complicate things when you first start out. Keep it simple.

How to Use Resistance Bands to Gain Muscle

You can adapt many exercises you do with weights to resistance bands. For some exercises, like biceps curls, you stand on the bands to anchor them to the floor and provide the resistance needed to curl in the traditional manner You can do a variety of other exercises while standing on the bands, including bent-over rows, upright rows, and squats.

For other resistance training movements, you’ll need to attach the resistance bands to something. For movements like chest presses and lateral pulldowns, secure the bands to a sturdy pole or anchor overhead. Also available are accessories that help you anchor the bands securely. You’ll quickly find that most of the exercises you do with weights can be adapted to resistance bands.

How to Use Resistance Bands to Gain Flexibility

The best way to gain flexibility is to elongate your muscles after a workout by stretching. Resistance bands can help you stretch more effectively too. A good basic stretch for the upper back that feels delightful after a workout is to:

• Sit on a mat with your back straight and legs extended out in front of you.

• Place the resistance band against the bottom of your feet.

• Cross the band and grab each side close to your feet

• Slowly curl your back toward the wall as you pull back on the bands. Feel the stretch.

• Hold for 10 to 15 seconds.

Now, stretch your chest:

• Sit on a mat with your legs crossed.

• Hold the resistance band in front of your chest and grab the band with each hand so that your hands are a few inches apart.

• Slowly move your arms apart while holding each end of the band.

• Feel the resistance that the band provides and the stretch in your chest.

You can do other post-workout stretches using resistance bands. For example, place the resistance band around your foot while holding the other end in each hand. Then, pull your leg toward the ceiling to stretch your hamstrings. Switch legs and repeat.

This only touches the surface of the many stretches you can do with resistance bands.

Are Resistance Bands Safe?

Resistance bands are safe if you use them correctly. The biggest risk would be releasing a band while it’s stretched. The danger is the band will snack back and hit you or someone else and cause an injury. For safety, check your resistance bands each time before using them. Make sure they don’t look damaged or overstretched. Replace them every 4 to 6 months, especially if you use them frequently. Some people even wear eye protection when they work with them. Also, be slow and methodical with your movements. Don’t jerk the bands and avoid overstretching it. The general rule is you shouldn’t stretch a resistance band beyond 2.5 times its length.

Conclusion

Resistance bands are lightweight, portable, and easy to work with. You can do a variation of every strength-training exercise using resistance bands. They’re as effective at building muscle as dumbbells and barbells but the way you work with them is easier on the joints. With advantages like that it’s hard to imagine why you wouldn’t want to work with them!

References:

European Journal of Sport Science Volume 17, 2017 – Issue 8.

 

 

Are Deep Squats More Effective than Regular Squats?

When you squat, how deep do you go? Does it even matter? When you first start squatting, doing a full squat might seem difficult. You might not even be able to complete a full squat on your first few attempts.

The formula for doing a standard squat is to lower your body to 90 degrees, where your thighs are parallel to the floor. Anything less than this is a partial squat. Once you lower your body below parallel, it’s technically a deep squat. It’s a bit harder to squat deeply, especially if you lack good hip mobility. But are there advantages to doing so?

The squat, whether it’s a full squat or a deep squat, is a compound exercise, a movement involves the action of more than one joint and more than one muscle group simultaneously. The advantage of doing compound exercises is they burn more calories because you’re using more muscle groups at the same time. Plus, they improve functionality by training muscles and joints how to work well together. This is in contrast to isolation exercises where you only work a single muscle group at a time. A classic example is biceps curls.

Squats primarily target the quadriceps, the muscles in the front of your thighs, but this exercise also works the muscles that make up the posterior chain, including your hamstrings and glutes. No wonder the squat is often referred to as the “king of exercises,” especially for working the lower body. When you go deep into a squat, you activate the muscles in the posterior chain more than when you do a partial or parallel squat.

This means you’ll target your hamstrings and glutes more. Hitting the hamstrings is important because many people, particularly females, have stronger quads than hamstrings and need more hamstring and glute strengthening. Going deeper shifts the focus toward the hamstrings and glutes for better muscle balance. When the quads are stronger than the hamstrings, research shows the risk of knee injury goes up.

Another benefit to deepening your squat is it may boost your ability to jump vertically. In one study, subjects who focused on deep squats using a barbell for resistance improved their vertical jump height by 13 percent. Those who didn’t go as deep boosted vertical jump height only 7 percent.

How to Increase Your Squat Depth

When you first try a deep squat, you may find it difficult. If so, work on improving the mobility in your hips and ankles. When you don’t have good mobility in these joints, it’s hard to do a deep squat. There are a variety of mobility drills you can do to boost hip and ankle mobility. Some simple ones you can do for your hips include hip circles and leg swings.

For your ankles, range-of-motion exercises and drawing circles with your toes with your ankles raised off the floor help boost ankle range-of-motion. These are movements you can add to the beginning or end of your routine to gradually build greater mobility in these joints.

Also, experiment with foot placement when you squat. Some people are anatomically more capable of doing a deep squat, but changing your foot placement can make it easier or harder for depending on how you’re built. Experiment with placing your feet closer together and further apart. Try turning your toes slightly outward and see if it makes it easier to go deep.

Take your time and increase your squat depth a little at a time. Keep working on improving the mobility of your ankles and hips. Also, stretch your calves regularly. Tight calves make it harder to descend into a deep squat.

Of course, always work on deep squats initially without any weight. Get the movement down before adding resistance. Many people add weights too quickly before they’ve mastered good squat form.

What about Your Knees?

There’s a common misconception that deep squats are inherently bad for your knees. The reality is deep squats aren’t harmful to healthy knees as long as they’re carried out using good form. If you use bad form, any squat places excessive forces on the knee joint.

When you descend into a deep squat, the compressive forces on your knee joint increase, but the shearing forces actually decrease as you squat below parallel. Shearing forces are “sliding” forces or the tendency of one part of the knee slides forward or backward. Compressive forces are those that push down. For example, when you squat, the femur bone in your thigh pushes down on the tibia, a bone in your lower leg.

Despite an increase in compression, studies show that healthy knees can handle this force as long as you use good form when you squat. Also, some studies show that the additional muscle activation you get with a deep squat is protective of the knee. Going deeper actually improves knee stability.

Conclusion

Learning to squat deeply helps you better target your glutes and hamstrings. Plus, going deeper will improve your functionality even more. However, don’t go deep until you’ve mastered a parallel squat and you’ve spent a few weeks working on ankle and hip mobility.

You don’t have to go deep into a squat every time you train. In fact, you should deep squat more than once a week. Do parallel squats the rest of the time. Also, don’t force yourself to deep squat until you’re ready. Good form is always more important than squat depth.

Keep in mind, this information applies to healthy knees. If you have a history of knee injury or knee arthritis, talk to a sports medicine physician before tackling deep squats. Also, regardless of knee health, don’t do a high volume of deep squats. Give your knees a chance to recover between intense squatting sessions.

References:

J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Jul; 27(7): 1765-1774.

Poloquin. “Don’t Be Afraid to Squat Low: 7 Reasons to Deep Squat”

Chiropractic Sports Medicine 6: 105-105, 1992.

Deep Squats and Knee Health: A Scientific Review. Tony Ciccone, Kyle Davis, Dr. Jimmy Bagley, & Dr. Andy Galpin. Center for Sport Performance, California State University, Fullerton

What Are the Pros and Cons of Suspension Training?

 

Suspension training is a training method that uses gravity suspension and an individual’s own body weight to build strength and improve balance. This mode of training was popularized by the Navy SEALs and has become well-known in the fitness community as a way to get a dynamic and challenging workout without using weights. The system consists of straps or slings that are securely attached to metal bars or another strong support. You can put your feet or hands in the attached stirrups and dangle in the air. From this position, you can do a variety of exercises that work every muscle in your body.

For those who aren’t comfortable with the idea of hanging from a bar, there is a tamer approach. You can grab on to the straps attached bar and angle your body back as you hold the straps. This can serve as a starting point for doing a variety of exercises. This approach, where your feet are firmly on the floor, is more popular with beginners for obvious reasons. By switching the angle of your body when you lead back, you can place more or less emphasis on certain muscle groups. You can also adjust the height of the handles, hand position, and the height of your feet to change how a muscle is targeted and the intensity.

The Benefits of Suspension Training

One of the biggest advantages of suspension training is the ability to work your body in multiple planes of motion. The problem with some strength-training exercises that use dumbbells and barbells is you’re working in only one or two planes. Plus, suspension training is strongly suited to working the core muscles. That’s important for reducing the risk of injury. Suspension training also offers incredible diversity. You can do hundreds of different exercises using suspension equipment, many of which target the core muscles along with muscles in the upper and lower body.

Research shows suspension training is highly effective at targeting muscles in the core, including the abdominal muscles. This includes the transversus abdominis, a deep abdominal muscle that is difficult to activate with conventional strength training exercises. The transverse abdominis helps support the lower back and pulls in the abdominal region like a girdle. Suspension movements also effectively target the muscles that support the spine. Therefore, research suggests this form of training may be beneficial for adults with lower back pain. Studies also show even older adults can safely use the straps or slings to perform a variety of exercises that improve strength and balance.

Another advantage of suspension training is it builds functional strength. Functional exercises are those that emulate the movements we do in daily life, like picking up heavy objects, stretching overhead to pick up an item off a shelf, or carrying an object down a flight of stairs. Functional training reinforces movement patterns that help us stay strong in a functional way. It’s not just for building big biceps or six-pack abs, it’s about being functionally fit.

Suspension systems are also portable. The straps are so light you can easily carry them with you when you travel. All you need is a sturdy object to attach them to. You can take it you the park, beach and even workout it your hotel room.


Are There Disadvantages of Suspension Training?

One concern about suspension training is the potential risk of injury for those who are new to this type of training. Obviously, the risk of injuring yourself is higher if you dangle your feet from a strap as opposed to grabbing the straps with your arms leaning your body back and working with the system with your feet planted on the ground. But, training on a suspension system takes a certain amount of stability and core strength. One concern is that less fit people who lack core strength could injure themselves with such core-intensive workouts. One way to lower the risk is to develop a baseline level of core strength before attempting suspension training.

How to Anchor the Straps

Suspension training systems consist of long straps with a handle at one end. The other end is attached to a sturdy object. People use a variety of objects to attach the straps to. For example, you can adapt a door frame or hook one to a pull-up bar. You can purchase single or dual mount systems. Single mounts have both straps attached to a single point while dual mounts have straps that anchor independently of each other. With dual mount system, you can adjust the width between the straps. People often prefer the more natural movements that the dual mount systems allow. That’s something to think about before purchasing a system.

What Exercises Can You Do with a Suspension Trainer?

When you use a suspension training system, you can suspend a body part above the ground to do exercises or you can angle your body away from the straps to add natural resistance. The types of exercises you can do with this system are almost endless.

For example, place your feet in the straps when you do push-ups. This will make the exercise more challenging as your feet are in an unstable position. You can also switch the position by positioning your arms in the straps when you do a push-up. Since you’re in a less stable position, the stabilizing muscles in your core will have to work harder. One study found that the core muscles are activated more with push-ups performed on a suspension trainer than on flat ground. Reverse ab curls and pikes are other exercises that specifically target the abs that you can do on a suspension trainer.

Suspension trainers add a different dimension to lower body training as well. You can do variations on squats and lunges, including single-leg lunges, as well as glute and hamstring scorchers, like hip bridges. Your upper body won’t be left out either. With suspension training, you can variations on rows and presses as well as old favorites, like biceps curls and triceps extensions, all while using the straps.

Conclusion

Suspension training adds a new dimension to strength training. Because you’re doing exercises partially suspended or at an angle, it creates more instability and that helps strengthen your core muscles more than weight training on a stable surface. Plus, it adds a balance challenge. However, beginners should build up a baseline level of core strength and fitness first.

References:

Int J Exerc Sci. 2015; 8(3): 224-233.

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: November 2014 – Volume 28 – Issue 11 – p 3049-3055

 

 

​​Power Up Your Workouts with a Jump Rope

​What’s a cheap piece of exercise equipment you can carry anywhere, even on vacation, and will power up your workouts? It’s a jump rope! Jumping rope offers an intense workout that can get you in shape quickly.

That’s why it’s so popular among boxers. You might not even be aware of all the benefits that jumping rope offers. Let’s look at why jumping rope belongs in your fitness routine. A word of warning: Jumping rope isn’t child’s play, although it does have an element of fun. Let’s look at some benefits of grabbing a jump rope.

Jumping Rope Is a Calorie Scorcher

How many calories you burn when you jump rope depends on how quickly you turn the rope and how high you jump, but even at a moderate pace, jumping rope burns around 300 calories in 30 minutes. That’s significant!

Of course, you can always pick up the speed to the point that you’re turning the rope two times with each jump, but that’s a more advanced move. Stick to the basics in the beginning. Start with basic rope jumping at a moderate pace at first. Do this by jumping once each time you turn the rope.

It’s a Good “Filler” between Strength-Training Moves

When you’re short on time, you can use a jump as part of a circuit workout that includes strength training. After warming up, do a strength training movement, like push-ups. Then, do 30 seconds of jump rope to boost your heart rate.

Then, proceed to the next strength move followed by 30 seconds of rope jumping. Keep alternating back and forth. With a workout this intense, you only need 20 minutes to get fitness benefits.

Jumping Rope Improves Aerobic Capacity

Aerobic capacity refers to aerobic fitness and the ability to sustain exercise at a sub-maximal level. To improve your aerobic capacity and boost your cardiovascular fitness, jump at an intensity equal to 50 percent to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate.

Use an online calculator to determine your own maximum heart rate based on age. You can check your heart rate by checking your pulse for 10 seconds and multiplying by 10. Gradually increase the intensity over time as you get better conditioned.

It Supports Bone Health

Since jumping rope is a high-impact exercise, doing it regularly stimulates bone tissue. In response, bone precursor cells called osteoblasts lay down new bone tissue. That’s beneficial for bone health.

Women, in particular, have to worry about bone loss as they age. Osteoporosis is one of the most common health problems in women over the age of 60. In fact, a study published in the journal Bone found that guys who jumped several times per week developed an increase in bone density.

Jumping Rope Develops Coordination and Agility

Jumping rope is an excellent way to improve hand, arm, and eye coordination. That’s why so many couches have athletes grab a jump rope and go to work! When you twirl a rope over your head and jump, your brain and nervous system are forced to learn new movement patterns.

Jumping over the rope will become easier with time. The coordination and agility you gain from jumping rope can help if you play sports too. Jumping rope can also boost your running speed.

Jump Rope Can Be a Warm-Up Move Too

Never start a workout with cold muscles. Lightly jumping rope for five minutes is a good way to warm up your entire body before your official workout. Be sure to keep the intensity low if you’re warming up. The idea is to warm up all the muscles you’ll be working in a manner that doesn’t create too much fatigue. No point in getting winded before you begin your workout!

How to Get Started

First, you’ll need a jump rope. You can buy weighted jump ropes, but there’s no need for that in the beginning. Choose one that’s appropriate for your height. The best way to determine this is to:

Hold the two handles of a jump rope while standing in the middle.

Pull the handles up on each side until there’s no slack.

The top of the handles should come rise to just under the top of the armpits.

Always wear a sturdy pair of athletic shoes, one that offers good ankle and arch support and has enough cushioning on the mid-sole. Fitness experts often recommend cross-trainers as they tend to offer good foot and ankle support. Choosing the right shoe will lower your risk of injury and reduce repetitive trauma on the joints in your feet and knees.

Remember, jumping rope is a high-impact exercise. Once you’re into it, it may bring back happy memories from childhood! No need to overdo it in the beginning. Stick to 5 or 10 minutes and gradually increase the time. You’ll be able to jump rope longer as your endurance increases. Don’t forget to do a cool-down afterward and stretch your quads, hamstrings, and calves.

Keep at It!

Now that you’ve gotten the hang of it, keep going! Since jumping rope is an intense exercise, don’t do it every day. Your body needs a break after high-impact exercise. Instead, jump rope 1 or 2 times per week as a substitute for some other aerobic activity. Give yourself a day or two of rest between jump roping sessions. Also, if you have joint problems, talk to your physician before making rope jumping part of your training.

Now, you know how to get in shape, lose weight, improve your stamina and aerobic capacity, and boost your coordination, all while reliving your childhood! Jumping rope adds an element of fun to exercise. Enjoy!

References:

Bone. 2015 Oct; 79: 203-212.

University of Notre Dame Performance. “Self-limiting Exercise: Jumping Rope”