Wellness Wednesday With Intern Gail
Hi everyone, this week I thought I’d focus on moms and dads who stay home with the kids during the summer. It can be hard to get your workouts in when you’re a full-time parent, but there are ways to get it done. By the way, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity 5 days per week, or 20 minutes of high-intensity cardiovascular activity 3 days per week. And the good news is that if you are really crunched for time, exercise done in 10-minute bursts at different times during the day counts. Ideally cardio exercise should be supplemented with weight or resistance training at least 2 days per week.
Here are some ways to get those summer workouts in:
- Drop your kids off at Kid Central while you work out in the fitness room or take a fitness class.
- Get a workout DVD. There are DVDs for all fitness levels, and the styles range from Boot Camp, to Kick-boxing, to Zumba. Sometimes, the kids will want to join you! Some require exercise equipment such as weights ~ Goodwill is a good source for finding low-cost equipment. A nice option is to check out a few DVD’s that interest your from the library and try them out.
- Bring the kids to the running track with you. Depending on their age, they can run with you, play on the playground (if within view), read a book, or walk around the track. Be sure to bring sunscreen, water, and healthy snacks.
- The SWCC opens at 5:15 AM on weekdays– try getting up and hitting the gym early. I guarantee you’ll be smiling the rest of the day!
- The SWCC is open until 9:30 PM on weekdays– try for a post-dinner workout; or go after the kids are in bed.
- Plan activities with your kids that allow all of you to get some physical activity – go for a hike, play volleyball, run around the playground together, have a family dance party, or go for a family bike ride.
- Make up your own boot-camp-style workout. These can be as simple or complex as you like, according to your ability level. Include a combination of cardio and resistance/core activities. Cardio activities could be things such as running in place, front kicks, squats, lunges, burpees, jumping jacks, jumping rope, mountain climbers, butt-kickers, and high-knees. Resistance/core exercises could include push-ups and exercises with weights and resistance bands if you have them. Also include a round of abdominal exercises. Make sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes and cool down and stretch at the end. To put together the workout, you could do each activity for 30 seconds to 1 minute, either doing all the cardio and then all the resistance, or alternating cardio and resistance. Have the kids join you!
How Hard Should I Work?
Moderate-intensity activity has you working at 55-69% of your maximum heart rate(MHR).
High-intensity activity has you working at 70-89% of your maximum heart rate (MHR).
Here is the formula to calculate your maximum heart rate: 220 – age = MHR.
Example:
Sue is 45 years old. 220-45 = 175. Sue’s MHR is 175.
Her target heart rate for moderate-intensity activity is 55-69% of 175 or 96-121 beats per minute.
Her target heart rate for high-intensity activity is 70-89% of 175 or 122-156 beats per minute.
