A regular workout has become a necessary part of life for most of us. The 6-10 slots— both in the AM and PM—see all exercise facilities and health clubs bursting at the seams with the sheer number of exercisers. Sweaty bodies, breathing hard and fast, share limited space and equipment and probably germs too.

A workout sans hygiene is an open invitation to disease and infection. We all know that a regular workout improves our immunity and helps keep infections at bay. Research, however, indicates that our immunity actually lowers for a short span while exercising. This means that a gym is the very place where you are vulnerable to infections.

In the gym

Regardless of where you workout, alone at home, or in a public gym, following basic hygiene is imperative.

• Shoes: Do not wear the footwear you use outdoors on the gym floor; Many exercises require lying down on the floor. Bringing in dirt or mud [and God knows what else!] with your shoes will simply not do.
• Sweat: Keep anti-perspirants out of the gym. An antiperspirant prevents sweating. Usually, our body produces heat at the rate of 15 kcal per minute when exercising as opposed to 1.25 -1.5kcal per minute when we are not. Sweating is an important mechanism to promote heat loss and dissipate this heat during exercise. A deodorant on the other hand, masks body odour and should be used judiciously. Better still, wipe down your body especially the problem areas [armpits and groin] and change into a fresh pair of workout clothes before hitting the floor. Contact a qualified physician to rid you of the problem otherwise.
• Breath: Keep your breath fresh. Many exercises require exhaling through the mouth and bad breath reeks of bad health and hygiene. Do a breath check and use mouth freshener or a mouthwash before going to the gym, if required. Dehydration also causes bad breath, so consume adequate fluids before, during and after the workout.
• Socks: Carry a fresh pair of socks for every workout. Old, sweaty socks cause discomfort to others around you. They also harbour bacteria that can cause fungal infections of the foot and toenails.
• Shower: Bathe after a workout, if not at the exercise facility, then at home. It is imperative to wash off all the collected dirt and germs from the gym and unclog the pores.
• Infections: Avoid the gym if you have a common cold or similar infections. It is okay to exercise with a common cold albeit at a suitably modified intensity. Choose an outdoors workout in a non-crowded environment over the gym to limit the spread of the virus.
• Clothes: Use a fresh set of workout clothes each time. Do not stow used clothes in the locker for re-use even if you did not sweat. Just like socks, these will be a hotbed of bacteria and fungi and can cause a skin infection. Other than that, they will reek, of course.

Towel: Carry a workout towel or napkin, large enough to place under your body surface that touches the exercise equipment. This prevents your sweat from spreading to the equipment as well as getting the previous users’ sweat on your clothes.

The post Clean workouts appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Our muscles are around 75 per cent water. Water makes up about 45-70 per cent of a persons body weight – a 60 kg person is made up of more than 30 kg of water – depending on his or her body composition [the proportion of muscle and fat in the body].

How do we lose water?

Water leaves our body through the following ways

• Urine
• Faeces
• Sweating
• Exhalation.

We lose about 1.5-2 litres of water on a daily basis. This is replaced by fluid intake with water present in milk and milk products, beverages like tea or coffee, fruits and vegetables and most cooked food.

When we exercise, water loss through sweating and exhalation increases several times and so does our fluid requirement.

Furthermore, a hot and humid environment will affect water loss adversely. In prolonged and intense exercise, when we sweat profusely, our fluid requirement may go up to 10 litres per day!

The average fluid requirement is around two litres per person, including both water and water in foods and beverages. Consuming greater amount of calories [more than 2500], working in dry and hot climate [where sweating may be absent], being involved in vigorous activity, consuming a high-fibre or high-protein diet, and conditions such as pregnancy, infections and fevers require higher fluid replacement, which would have to be individually adjusted.

What happens if we don’t drink enough water?

In prolonged exercise, if the water lost is not replaced, it will lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes like sodium, chloride and potassium are lost in sweat as well, and therefore need to be replaced.

Fluid loss of as little as one per cent of body weight can cause body temperature to rise while exercising. Also, the fluid loss decreases the ability to cool off the extra heat being produced in the body and causes a strain on the heart. This is known as heat exhaustion and can severely limit performance among athletes. Fluid losses exceeding 6-7 per cent of body weight signal an impending collapse [heat stroke], which can also lead to death.

Unfortunately, when it comes to exercising, thirst is not a reliable indicator of fluid requirement.

Tips on drinking water

• Make it a point to drink fluids throughout the day. Half a glass [around 90-100 ml] every hour that we are awake is better than consuming large quantities at one go, as quite a bit will simply be lost through urination.
• Two hours before workout, approximately 500ml of water or a cool beverage is recommended.
• During the activity, we should consume around 150 ml every 15 minutes.
• After the workout, we should consume 500ml for every ? kg of weight lost as compared to the weight before workout. To be exact, one must weigh without clothes which may be drenched in sweat after the workout.

Some other indicators of dehydration – particularly over a longer period – are dark yellow, strong-smelling urine [rule out supplemental vitamins or other medications that could cause similar changes in the urine], rapid heart rate at rest, and prolonged muscle soreness. Urine should be light yellow in colour and the frequency should be 3-4 times per day. The normal range for resting heart rate is 40-100 beats/min. Most exercisers would be aware of their own resting heart rates and an elevation of the same by 10-15 beats/ min signifies dehydration.

Muscle soreness [usually just a persistent ache in the muscles] which lasts for longer than 24 hours, in the absence of a vigorous workout, may be indicative of dehydration when co-related with the history and other signs and symptoms of the individual.

Is water the best drink for a workout?

In most cases, yes. Unless your workout is continuous and prolonged beyond an hour, sports drinks give no additional benefit over water. Sports drinks contain 5-8 per cent carbohydrates as well as necessary electrolytes. Apart from the commercially available ones, sports drinks can be made at home by diluting fruit juice 2:1 and adding a pinch of salt. If the workout is moderately intense and under an hour, cool water is better absorbed in the gut and is therefore preferred over lukewarm or warm water. Beware of consuming concentrated juices or beverages immediately before, or during the workout, as it can cause nausea, abdominal bloating and discomfort or abdominal cramps.

So, to maximise performance and safety in the workout, drink up.

The post Exercising? Don’t forget to drink appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

What should you expect from your personal trainer?

The personal trainer essays several roles while taking you towards health and fitness.

As a coach – The personal trainer will teach you how to carry out exercise in a safe and effective manner.

As a spotter – Will often work within your personal space to ensure that you lift weights correctly and will be on standby to ensure you are never trapped under a weight if you fail to lift it.

As an educator – Will teach you to understand your body and its response to physical challenges. S/he will also help you to learn the “how” and “why” of exercise to some extent.

As a counsellor – Will help to identify barriers in your pursuit of fitness and offer solutions to overcome them. S/he will also help you get realistic about your fitness regime and offer options and modifications to keep boredom and injury at bay.

As a motivator – Will apply motivational strategies to get the best out of you. S/he is also a role model for you and thereby motivates to adopt healthful behaviour.

As a programme manager – Will customise the fitness programme to your fitness status. S/he will also help to set a goal after analysing your wants and needs and design a programme incorporating your time availability and preferences. Most of all, s/he will ensure a flexible programme design to accommodate your changing status and needs.

As a health facilitator – Will carry out basic health screening and identify risk factors for various health disorders which may be worsened by exercise. The personal trainer will also assess response to exercise through a fitness test. This helps not only to identify an abnormal response to exercise but also to quantify your current fitness status.

Moreover, the personal trainer will recognise signs and symptoms of a health challenge including an acute injury and refer to a physician for medical clearance and recommendations. Often, the personal trainer and the physician work hand-in-hand when exercise is a cornerstone in the management of disease.

What should you look for before hiring a personal trainer?

The personal trainer should, of course, be a qualified professional from a reputed organisation. Standard certification exams provided by top-notch international organisations [The American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, International Sports Sciences Association, Progressive World Fitness, The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. to name a few] are now easily available in India for personal trainers.

These certifications require the trainer to have an adequate knowledge of:

• Exercise anatomy and physiology
• Kinesiology and biomechanics
• Health screening and fitness testing
• Programme designing, implementation and monitoring
• Modifications in exercise for challenged populations [diabetics, obese individuals and pregnant exercisers]
• Injury prevention and exercise in environmental extremes
• Health psychology
• Legality and professional ethics.

The more varied clients that s/he has dealt with, the better equipped will the trainer be to offer a wide choice of programmes, advise regarding equipment and accessories and will also easily recognise a problem that is beyond his scope of practice and may warrant a referral to other healthcare providers. Added skills and qualifications like nutrition management, relaxation and stress management techniques, Pilates, cardio kickboxing or core training will add to the repertoire of the personal trainer and enrich his store of exercise options.

You should change your personal fitness trainer when:

• S/he has not screened you before starting exercise
• S/he changes your exercise routine day-to-day according to his/her mood
• S/he keeps emphasising on “no pain, no gain”
• S/he asks you to pop pills [medical drugs]
• S/he decides your goals for you without taking into consideration your wants or needs
• S/he is always late for sessions or often cancels appointments at the last minute
• S/he is constantly tired or bored during sessions
• S/he interferes in your personal problems
• S/he has discussed you or your body with other clients
• S/he refuses to educate you about exercise and would rather have you dependant on her/him for the rest of your life
• You are uncomfortable with his/her proximity to your body or his/her spotting technique

Questions you should ask before hiring personal trainer services

• May I see your certificate or certification card?
• Are you currently CPR certified?
• May I know which services are included in the professional charge?
• How are we planning to monitor progress?
• Will I need to invest in equipment to get an effective workout? And what amount? [there should be no big investment to start with]
• Will you provide me with knowledge and exercise technique that will make me self-dependant for a basic fitness routine after a period of time?
• Will you provide me with a practical exercise plan for the period when I travel?
• Will you put me on a maintenance plan after I achieve my goal?
• Will you address motivation issues with me?

When it comes to personal training, it is easy to misconstrue the relationship at several stages. At no point should the personal trainer claim to be the “one-stop-shop” for complete wellness. To build trust the trainer must be particular about adhering to professional ethics and should never go beyond his scope of practice. Ultimately, the healthy client – trainer relationship is one which cannot exist without mutual respect, genuineness and empathy.

The post PERSONAL TRAINER: Your guide to Fitness appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.