Get Fit!

by Ryan Vetter

Thinking about getting in shape for some summer sailing or a specific event? In this article I will outline the necessary steps that should be undertaken before starting any exercise program and give a brief outline of the guidelines for exercising in both the cardiovascular and muscular strength realms.

Before starting any fitness program, you should get clearance from a physician so as to insure that you are healthy and able to partake in exercise without any inherent risks, like cardiovascular diseases or injuries that may be made worse by an exercise program. If all is well after a check-up, the next step is to establish some short term goals and possibly some long term goals as well. If all you want to do is to get in shape for something that is coming up in the very near future, like a race, then the focus here is strictly on the short term. But, if you see yourself wanting to get in shape, and stay in shape for an indefinite amount of time, then the focus should be on both short and long term goals. Your long term goals will serve to establish where you want to see improvements and when. The short term goals as such will serve to get you started off on the right path. Once there is a clear direction of what kind of results you want and when these results can be realistically expected, you can now construct a training regime based on these goals.

Exercising should be fun yet challenging to keep you interested. Generally, most people that start a fitness program do so because they want to shed unwanted fat, relieve stress, train for an event, and meet new people. Whether you are want to train for a sailing or sporting event, shed unwanted fat and gain lean muscle tissue or you just want to exercise to relieve stress and meet new people, then your fitness program should incorporate four key things.

First, diet is a major factor when starting and maintaining an exercise program. The Canada Food Guide recommends that the average healthy male and female Canadian consume about 1250 calories per day. Most of us consume more than this, which can result in unwanted weight gain. With regular exercise, these extra calories that you may be ingesting (the calories over and above the 1250 calories recommended by the Canada Food Guide) can easily be burned off.

The second component to include in most fitness programs is a strength training component. This would entail some form of resistance training, such as lifting weights in a gym or using your own body weight as resistance, like doing sit-ups or push ups for example. Generally, strength training should be done 3 times per week for about 30-40 minutes each session as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. The strength training component should stimulate every major muscle in the body (i.e. chest, back, biceps, triceps, legs, lower legs, abdominals, and shoulders). A starting program should consist of doing about 1-2 sets, 12-15 reps, with about 1 minute rest in between exercises. After this initial phase is completed, usually about 4-5 weeks, the program will take the appropriate path based on your goals.

For example, if you want to increase strength, like wanting to be able to lift 150 lbs. on the bench press, then the next step after the initial phase would be to increase the amount of weight on the bench press and continue to do so until your goals have been reached.

Third, flexibility should be included as well. Simply warm up the muscles prior to any exercise and do a light stretch, with an emphasis placed on stretching after the workout or exercise session has commenced. Make sure to stretch all the major muscles and hold each stretch for about 8-15 seconds, doing each stretch twice.

Lastly, and most importantly, a fitness regime should include a cardiovascular component. This translates to doing exercises like jogging, cycling (indoor or outdoor), etc., about 3 times per week for at least 20 minutes per session as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. If you are just starting out or you are more advanced, a useful way to gauge intensity here is to use the percentage of maximum heart rate equation. Simply plug in your own numbers to the following equation. 220-YOUR AGE = Maximum heart rate. For example, I am 24, so my max heart rate would be 220-24 = 196bpm (bpm stands for beats per minute). Beginners should work at an intensity of about 55% of their maximum heart rate. So for me, I would take my max heart rate and multiply it by .55 (196bpm X 0.55 = about 107-110 bpm). The more advanced athletes can safely work at an intensity of about 60-85% of their maximum heart rate. So, after you know what target heart rate you should be working at, simply take your pulse when you are in the middle of jogging and see if you are below or above your target, and adjust your intensity accordingly.

Now that you have some basic tools to get you started with your fitness program, it is up to you to get out there and exercise. Good luck!

Ryan Vetter
westcoastsail.com

Editorial Staff