August Newsletter

 

Fundamental Fitness Newsletter The Dog Days of Summer What exactly are the dog days of summer anyway?   We all know that the “dog days” refer to the hottest, most sultry days of summer but did you know the term comes from the Greeks and the Romans who called them caniculares dies (days of the dogs) after Sirius (the “Dog Star”).    It was also believed to be an evil time “when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies” – Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813     Now it can get hot here but it’s not that bad.  KEEP MOTIVATED & MOVING More Ways to Keep in Touch There are more ways than ever to keep on track with your fitness goals and Fundamental Fitness has added a few to our tool box.   First off check out our Fundamental Fitness Blog.  www.fundamentalfitness.wordpress.com  You can read or post articles that are of interest to you and even ask questions of our trainers.   Fundamental Fitness also has My Space and Facebook pages so you can contact us through those avenues as well.  Our Facebook page has a Fundamental Fitness group you join as well.   We’re hoping to build a community of people who are on the path to fitness and wellness and these tools will help us all get there. Another Reason To Incorporate Yoga Into Your Routine — Increased Endurance Do you constantly run out of gas? Increasing your endurance with yoga can improve your stamina, both physically and mentally.   When you hear the word “endurance,” what comes to mind? Completing a marathon and barely being out of breath? Your ability to do infinite sets of bench presses? Or perhaps just being able to finish a Spinning class without feeling completely wiped out? Clayton Horton, director of Greenpath Yoga Studio in San Francisco and a former triathlete and competitive swimmer, states that endurance is simply “the ability to persevere,” whether doing an aerobic or an anaerobic activity. Many athletic endeavors are a combination of both aerobic and anaerobic exercise.   The greater your aerobic and anaerobic endurance, the better able you are to sustain exercise for a prolonged period of time. Improving your endurance can make your cardiovascular and respiratory systems more efficient and decrease both your resting heart rate and stress levels; it can also increase your metabolism, help you maintain a healthy posture, reduce fatigue, and prevent injuries and back problems. Yoga can help improve your endurance because it can increase stamina on several different levels-physical, physiological, and mental-depending on your specific needs. For example, one of the keys to endurance is to better utilize your oxygen intake. The body relies on oxygen for producing energy while exercising, and so a person with good endurance has a greater capacity to deliver oxygen to the working muscles that make use of this oxygen during exercise. This is one of the main reasons why an unfit person fatigues much sooner than someone in better shape, and it is also why an athlete can sometimes surpass competition of equal talent. Horton explains that yoga improves the respiratory system by creating more room for it to function. “It is hard to take a good breath when your body won’t let you,” he explains. Horton likens the body to a container in which we try to make more space. “If your rib cage, diaphragm, or spine is stiff, lung capacity is reduced by your physical constrictions and limitations,” he says. “Yoga breathing lengthens our bodies through deep inhalations and exhalations, as if we are making ourselves bigger from the inside out and therefore making more room in the internal container for a better breath. “Being conscious of the breath allows our body to breathe better,” says Horton. “Conscious breath teaches you to pay attention to the quality of your breath, and you learn to observe and perhaps even manipulate your breathing during physical activities.” For improving endurance through better breathing, Horton suggests asanas that enhance both range of motion and lung capacity by opening the chest and rib cage. These include Upward-Facing Bow Pose, Camel Pose, Upward-Facing Dog Pose, as well as One-Legged Pigeon Pose. However, endurance is not only about breathing better. Developing the muscles so they are stronger and suppler so that they do not fatigue as quickly is equally as important. When it comes to using yoga to improve muscle endurance, Horton recommends focusing on any asanas that promote a lengthening of muscles in the body, such as Side Angle Pose, as well as stabilizing and strengthening poses that develop core strength, such as Boat Pose. In addition Horton feels that yoga improves one’s endurance by helping athletes to relax, preserve energy, and better concentrate-especially in demanding circumstances. “Yoga gives you the mental strength to be still and to concentrate in the midst of a difficult pose or while your muscles are burning,” he explains. “With yoga, you learn the ability to observe the patterns of tension in the body that take away from efficiency. “It is important for athletes not to be distracted. Yoga can help you to sit back and be the witness or to observe and be a little clearer and make better decisions, like being able to pace yourself during a 10K run or a long workout.” Nancy Coulter-Parker is editor of Hooked On the Outdoors. SUNDAY TRAINING RUNS Come and join Team Fundamental Fitness for group training runs.  ALL PACES AND ABILITIES WELCOME!!!   The last three weeks we’ve had 14-16 people turn out running anywhere from 8:30-14 minutes per mile.   We’ve kept our 3 & 5 mile run/walks and added some longer options for people training for races this fall. This week we’ve added 6 & 12 mile options.     If you’re interested in participating or helping by pacing other runners email EVA   Who:  YOU What:  3, 5 plus more When:  Sundays 7am Where: Fundamental Fitness 1205 N. East St.  Frederick, MD There is no fee, just a suggested donation of $2. Upcoming Events Women’s Distance Festival 5K                 Aug. 9 FCC   SMHS 8K Run For the Bathroom              Sept. 20 Burkettsville Inaugural Western MD Half Marathon and 5K                              Sept. 11 Hancock     For more information visit www.steeplechasers.org