More Baby Steps

Ok, here we are on Christmas Eve and you have this shiny new HRM (heart rate monitor).  You've read the directions and tried on the chest strap.  Did you see your heart rate?  How cool was that?  We're going to establish several Heart Rate Zones.  Don't let this scare you, I'm gonna walk you through it step by step.  Now the first thing to do is figure out what your Resting Heart Rate is. This is very important because it establishes a base.  We need the absolute lowest rate at which your heart beats.  Believe it or not, your heart rate will begin to elevate the minute you get out of bed.  That's why I want you to put the HRM next to your bed tonight.  If you can, wear the strap and watch to bed.  If that's not comfortable, just put them on first thing when you wake up.  Turn it on and write down what your resting heart rate is.  This is not a test: don't get all excited about doing it right and have your heart rate skyrocket 'cause you're nervous.  It's important to get your Resting Heart Rate, but if you're off by a few beats, we're not gonna send you to the HRM police ;-) 

Some HRM straps require a smidgen of moisture (spit or water) to start transmitting, others transmit right away.  This is something you can figure out before tomorrow morning.  There is no "normal" Resting Heart Rate.  In fact as you get more and more fit, your Heart Rate Zones will change.  More on that later.

Once you get your Resting Heart Rate, the next step is to get your Maximum Heart Rate.  This isn't quite as easy as the Resting Heart Rate.  There are several ways to get the Maximum Heart Rate, I'll go over three: 1) Go to your doctor or a sports medicine facility and do a treadmill test while hooked up to The Machine.  This is the ideal situation and the least convenient/most costly.  I didn't do it but if you're so inclined, this would be the best, most accurate measurement.  Plus you'll get a doctor's evaluation of your physical condition; 2) You can put on your HRM, get on your bicycle and ride as hard as you can non-stop up the steepest hill you can find for about 15-20 minutes.  Make a note of your Maximum Heart Rate just before you pass out.  This is what I did.  This works with running too; 3) Perhaps the easiest (and least accurate) thing to do is estimate your Maximum Heart Rate.  The equation is easy: MHR = 220 - your age.  For example: MHR (Maximum Heart Rate) = 220 minus 45.  So, a 45 year old person's estimated MHR would be 175 bpm (beats per minute).  This is just an estimate, but it will get in the ball park for our purpose. 

Now that we have a Resting Heart Rate and a Maximum Heart Rate we will establish several Heart Rate Zones.  I'm gonna keep this simple and create only 4.  We have to do this in terms of percent so that everybody can plug in their specific numbers.

The first one is appropriately called heart rate Zone 1.  Zone 1 is any light and easy activity in which you are exerting very little energy, like a nice walk around the block.  This activity should raise your heart rate to approximately 50% of your max.  So if your Maximum Heart Rate is 175 beats per minute, 50% of that is about 88 beats per minute, and so your Zone 1 would begin at 88 beats per minute.  Make sense? 

Following the previous example, Zone 2 will start at 60%.  So again, if your Maximum Heart Rate is 175 beats per minute, 60% of that is 105 beats per minute.

Plugging in your own numbers but continuing to use my previous example, Zone 3 would begin at 70%.  So again, if your Maximum Heart Rate is 175 beats per minute, 70% of that is 123 beats per minute. 

Lastly, Zone 4 is 80%.  I think you're getting the hang of this: 175 bpm x .80 = 140 bpm.  For our purposes, we will seldom, if ever, have an activity in Zone 4. 

Now that we have several numbers above (in red), you may have noticed that they are not Zones, per se, but specific numbers.  The actual Zones are between the numbers.  So following the previous example, Zone 1 is any heart rate that is between 88  and 104 beats per minute.  Zone 2 is any heart rate between 105 and 122 beats per minute.  Zone 3 is any heart rate between 123 and 139 beats per minute.  Any heart rate >140 beats per minute is in Zone 4 and we're not concerned with that now. 

I hope this isn't overwhelming.  I've made it as uncomplicated as I can.  If you have questions, by all means ask.  We'll spend a vast majority of our time in Zone 2.  I think you have something to nibble on for awhile.  This blog is about YOU.  You need to prioritize as you see fit.  In other words, if you're serious and you're committed, NOTHING will get in your way.  On the other hand, if you find excuses, no matter how legit they may seem, this won't be successful for you and you might as well quit now.  YOU CAN'T TAKE ONE DAY OFF OF YOUR COMMITMENT.  Not one.

Your homework for today is to figure out all your Zones.  This should take you all of about 1 day or less.  You should start your program tomorrow and not stop for like a year.  Yes Christmas Day, there's no time like the present.  Remember I said NO EXCUSES.  Here's what you want to do, despite any activities you might have already planned: I'm partial to bicycle riding but walking, jogging, or running is just as good!  Put on your heart rate monitor and go outside for your activity. get into your Zone 2 heart rate, for an hour. 

I almost forgot, some of you have treadmills, fitness center memberships, stationary bikes, etc.  THESE ARE ALL FINE.  I'm partial to being outside, but the important thing is to get into the Zone. 

Why do we care about all this Zone stuff?!

Because if for example you were to just go out and start a jogging regimen, you could easily be jogging in Zone 3 or 4. These are not the optimal fat burning Zones. Be informed. See below:

Zone 1

This is the safest, most comfortable zone, reached by walking briskly. Here you strengthen your heart and improve muscle mass while you reduce body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure, and your risk for degenerative disease. You get healthier in this zone, but not more fit -- that is, it won't increase your endurance or strength but it will increase your health.

Zone 2

It's easily reached by jogging slowly. While still a relatively low level of effort, this zone starts training your body to increase the rate of fat release from the cells to the muscles for fuel. Some people call this the "fat burning zone" because up to 85 % of the total calories burned in this zone are fat calories.

Zone 3

In this zone -- reached by running easily as an example -- you improve your functional capacity. The number and size of your blood vessels actually increase, you step up your lung capacity and respiratory rate, and your heart increases in size and strength so you can exercise longer before becoming fatigued. You're still metabolizing fats and carbohydrates at about a 50-50 rate which means both are burning at the same ratio.

Zone 4

This is for VERY FIT individuals and we won't be concerned about Zone 4 here. This zone is reached by going hard -- running faster. Here you get faster and fitter, increasing your heart rate as you cross from aerobic to anaerobic training. At this point, your heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to supply the exercising muscles fully so they respond by continuing to contract anaerobically.

What I want you to do EVERY DAY is get into your Zone 2 heart rate, for an hour.  If it helps, you can do 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the afternoon or evening.  But you have to do it every day, whether it's raining or cold or whatever.  This will take some commitment.  Have you figured out yet that I'm partial to that word?  Commitment is exactly what you'll need to persevere.

per⋅se⋅vere

 /ˌpɜrsəˈvɪər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [pur-suh-veer] Show IPA verb, -vered, -ver⋅ing.–verb (used without object)

1.	to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments.  If any of the comments are negative, keep them to yourselves.  Cheers,

-Dave

Baby steps

For many the road to fitness entails losing some weight first. The first thing to do is have an initial concrete goal. It can be long or short term. Mine was to get back to my high school weight. Trust me, this was a lofty goal. I believe that if you set lofty goals you'll strive harder to attain that goal. This is purely individual, some people just won't commit to the task, others fear failure. To succeed at this YOU NEED TO COMMIT yourself and PRIORITIZE accordingly. That means NO EXCUSES, like I don't have time, it's too dark outside, it's raining. No matter how valid a reason not to commit to the task, it is ultimately an excuse.

My way of losing weight might be the easiest method ever because it doesn't entail cutting back on eating, or even changing your eating habits. How cool is that?! Those who know me know that I love to eat, and I have the sweetest sweet tooth of anyone I know. Sometimes it's a little bit embarrassing because I'll have two pieces of cake at a party or I'll sneak like a dozen cookies. But I'm not too too worried about it because I'm totally fit. If you're reading this and it appeals to you, I'll give you the tools to do it. I don't want anything except for you to succeed!

UPDATE, one paragraph:
Here I am 10 years older than when I initially wrote these words. And while my thoughts are largely unchanged, I do now firmly believe that You-Are-What-You-Eat. I have modified my own nutrition considerably since writing this blog. HOWEVER, I still believe that it can be overwhelming to bite off too much (pun intended ;) and still recommend not to burden yourself with anything but fitness in the beginning (Unless, of course, your Dr has said something different).

During the time that I lost 20% of my body mass, I never cut back on my eating, and now I eat more than I ever have in my life. I love to eat and refuse to cut back. While it's true that I eat slightly differently today, I think that in the beginning it's more important to take those baby steps. And that puts eating habits way down the list, so don't change a thing and don't worry or feel guilty about what or when you eat.

Which leads me to my first baby step. Buy a heart rate monitor. OMG what's a heart rate monitor?! It sounds complicated and expensive. Don't get nervous, it's a cheap and easy device and I'm gonna walk you through it. The most basic premise to losing weight is that we have to burn more calories than we take in. Since we're not regulating what we take in, we have to measure what we burn. We start with raising our heart rates which burns calories. This'll be more fun than you think.

A heart rate monitor is just that, it measures how fast our hearts are beating. You can get a good one for as low as about $40 and up to many hundreds of dollars. I would recommend a simple one like one of these that I found on Amazon: Fitbit or Garmin

UPDATE, 9/12/2016: Since I originally wrote this post, heart rate monitors have become better and a little more user friendly. You don't have to use the strap anymore, the sensor is simply built in to the watch. Here's the Garmin product as of today but Polar and others have similar watches: Garmin

These are just examples, and there's no difference between men's and women's heart rate monitors. I use a Garmin.

Again, don't worry about how to use it yet. Just get one. They also have 'em at Big 5, Sports Authority, REI etc. Just tell the person helping you that you want a simple unit to get started. It might only perform two functions: heart rate and calorie meter. It'll come with the watch-looking thing for your wrist and a belt thingy that wraps around your chest and measures those heart beats. This belt sends a wireless signal to the "watch" and voila! you're reading your actual heart beat.

Next post I'll walk with you through some ways to effectively use the HRM (heart rate monitor). Once you get it read the manual, play with it, tinker with it, have some fun. Don't be intimidated by it, you won't break it. I still use mine every single day and put it on like I do my watch.

Until next time. Smile, you're on the path to fitness nirvana!

Doctor's orders

I read an article in yesterday's San Jose Mercury News written by a doctor who was concerned about today's children not getting enough exercise. Today's kids have little or no PE in school these days. And parents often stress academics over physical fitness. What they don't know is that they go hand in hand! It's really a shame. He went on to cite increasing rates of diabetes, obesity, etc.

I knew I was overweight when I started on my trek to fitness. What I didn't know is that my cholesterol level was off the chart. With a total number of 340, my doctor said, "You have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel." Man, if a statement like that doesn't wake you up, nothin will. I won't get into the significance of the numbers yet but LDL is "bad cholesterol" and HDL is "good cholesterol." The ratio between the two is vital. We have much control over these numbers and I'll delve into that later as well as other important nutritional issues. The first thing is to take baby steps.

The point I'm trying to make is that before you set off on this or any diet or physical fitness endeavor, by all means have your doctor give you the green light. You might just learn something like I did.