Thanks Paul,

I iced my arm as much as possible today at work, but I think typing and using mouse are also aggravating it.  At least we have a 3 day weekend coming up.  Once this does quit hurting, could you recommend some exercises to prevent a repeat?  I was reading a bit on line about tennis elbow, and although the article I read said you should strengthen forearms to prevent it, they didn't say how.  I have a bunch of kitchen cabinets I want to work on before the holiday season gets here. 

thanks,

wendy

Hi Wendy, You’re right.  Office activities like the ones you describe can actually further aggravate it.  Rule of thumb is to rest until the pains disappears, and use massage to relieve stress and tension in the muscles.  The way to prevent re-injury is through exercise.  You do want to take steps to prevent it from happening again, especially if you plan to paint a lot of cabinets.   For one, make sure you warm up your arm for at least 5 to 10 minutes with gentle stretching and movement before painting. Apply ice to it afterward. Make sure you are taking a lot of breaks – don’t paint straight through.  Try strengthening exercises with hand weights. With your elbow cocked and your palm down, repeatedly bend your wrist. Stop if you feel any pain. You can also try this stretch before beginning your painting: grasp the top part of your fingers and gently but firmly pull them back toward your body. Keep your arm fully extended and your palm facing outward.  I hope this helps. Keep me posted.   Good Luck, Paul

 

Good Evening,
I've got a question regarding a fluctation in my capacity to exercise at a higher intensity.  I've been walking at the gym now for 2 1/2 weeks, and gradually building up my speed.  I worked up to a speed of 3.4 for 5 minutes, then 3.6 for 3 minutes, and alternated that for 30 minutes.  (I was able to hit that pace for the previous 2 days.)  Today, I just could not do the higher interval at 3.6.  I backed off to 3.2 low/3.4 high, but 3 days ago that pace was not challenging for me, so that's why I increased.  If I'm doing cardio consistently every day, should I sometimes expect to hit a day like that?  It was a different treadmill, so maybe the calibration is just off on one or the other of the machines.  I'm not physically tired or anything, I just could not catch my breath at the higher pace and my pulse was up higher than it should be. 

thanks,

wendy

Hi Wendy,

Great question!

If you are challenging yourself in your sessions you will encounter days like you have described.  You used good judgement in continuing your session but backing off slightly on your pace.  What happened indicates that you were really working with a good amount of intensity in your sessions prior to that day.  Great!  You can't expect to push your intensity levels each day without having a day of backing off.  Even the most highly trained athletes in the world can't push themselves to the limit everyday.  Continue to listen to your body.  That does not mean that you should go on cruise control.  Mix up your training.  Some days work at a real fast pace, some days work intervals.  Over time you will find what works best for your body.

Keep up the good work.

Good Luck,

Paul

Thanks as always Paul!

I went to the gym a bit later today, and found that I could actually jog for my higher intervals today!!!  Very exciting for me, I want to be running full time vs walking at some point in the game, but not ready for that yet.  But today just seemed to be a great day for me. 

Wendy

Hi Wendy,

You are so welcome!  That's what we're here for.  I'm really glad that you had such a great day and having a goal of running full time is also great.  Setting goals for yourself will keep you motivated which is so important!

Great Job!

Good Luck,

Paul

Good Morning Fitness Gurus!

I wanted to ask about interval training vs. just going full out for as long as you can-today at the gym, i didn't feel like slowing down at the end of my first "high' interval, so i kept running (actually slow jog, but it's run for me.) I continued that for 6 minutes and then backed down.  Increased again when i felt i had recovered (about 5 min) and did another 6 minutes, then did an interval at a higher incline. 

So, my question is, if i want to be able to do at least a 30 minute run instead of walk/run, is this a better way to get myself there?  Rather than doing intervals, should i just push for as long as i am able to?  I felt challenged during the run, but not overly so, and also walked at a slightly higher speed than i normally do durning my slow interval.  I had actually gone to the gym today with the intention of just taking it easy, but i just didn't want to when i got on the treadmill. 

thanks,

wendy

Hi wendy, Great job on the workout today! It looks like you really challenged yourself, and incorporated some great training techniques!! Interval training combines brief periods of high intensity exercise, combined with some lower intensity exercise to increase your cardiovascular efficiency! What you performed today is different than the interval training in that the intervals are not measured by time or distance, but you continue your higher intensity exercise until you cannot continue, then cut-back and recover. This type of exercise is called "Fartlek Training!" Both of these types of exercise will promote increases in your cardiovascular capacity, allowing you to move closer to your goal of running for 30 minutes continuously! Because you felt good, and not like you were over-doing it during this type of exercise training, I would encourage you to continue this! It proves to me that you are just one step closer to reaching your fitness goals! Listen to your body, just like you did today. Some days will be lighter than others, and that is OK! But, if you get there and your body says otherwise, go for it! Take care and keep us posted with your progress! Kelli

Hi Wendy,

Excellent job! The type of training you did today will absolutely help you achieve your weight loss goals and your goal of running for 30 minutes. You pushed yourself hard, worked with a good level of intensity and didn’t just go through the motions.

By utilizing various training techniques (long days with less intensity, interval days, and Fartlek days) you will help yourself in your quest to loss weight and increase your fitness level. As Kelli said, listen to your body.

Keep up the good work.

Good Luck,

Paul

Hi Paul and Kelli,

I am slowly working my way up to full time running, this morning I was able to do a full 20 minutes without dropping to a walk.  I am still at a pretty low speed, (3.7 miles) but when I am able to run the whole time, then I will start pushing my speed up.  That's what I did when I first started walking, and it worked out pretty well.

I have a question about preparing to use an elliptical.  I decided to give it a shot last week and was only able to do 5 minutes.  I was really whipped then, and got on the treadmill for the rest of my workout, but my capacity was not what it normally is.  I could definately feel that I was working a different set of muscles, and it doesn't seem as though I have enough strength yet to do a full session on that machine.  Is there anything I could do to improve my ability to use the elliptical in an effective way?  I'd like to have it as another option on days that I don't have as much time for the gym, as I could burn more calories in a shorter time frame. 

thanks,

wendy

Hi wendy, Great job on your running! Your body is responding to the challenges you are asking it to perform! Along those same lines, the more you use the elliptical, the more your body (muscles and cardiovascular system) will adapt and respond to it. Beginning with only 5 minutes is fine! Next time, add another minute or two or go until you feel like you need to stop. You did the right thing by not just stopping altogether, and going ahead and walking it out on your treadmill. Running is actually a very good exercise to prepare yourself better for the elliptical. But again, just exercising on the elliptical is what will prepare you for your ability to improve the duration on it. You are doing great! Keep working hard and challenging yourself! Best to you, Kelli