Welcome to 2011

Happy New Year to all, I hope 2011 is a happy and successful year. Now that 2010 has passed, a fresh start can commence, with many having new years resolutions that they would wish to stick to.  Elite Therapy has had a good year, continuing to grow its existing client base and maintaining the same original clients as previous years. Hopefully the growth can continue.

A change in Elite Therapy that is, unfortunately, forced upon me is the increase in VAT, which means for the first time since I began I am having to slightly raise my prices, though I will only change them on the 1st of April, not like the 4th of January as the Government has decided. With this change I am informing all existing and new clients of the discount packages which allow you to book your appointment when you choose and if booked and paid before April, may avoid the price increase for a few more weeks and you would also get a session FREE as well. So please ask how you can do this and save some extra money!

I look forward to seeing you soon, Carmine

New Year Exercise

So Christmas has gone and its about the time that the majority of the population decide it’s time to shed a few pounds. So whether you are joining a gym or doing it yourself, here’s a few tips to help you along. It’s important you choose a suitable activity for you. This depends on age, weight, previous exercise experience and you must make sure you still eat the correct food for recovery.

For example, it wouldn’t be worth an elite runner walking for an hour as their body would be able to cope with it quite easily. As it would be inappropriate for a person who doesn’t regularly take part in physical activity, to go and cycle 50 miles a day as the body would not cope and injuries will begin to occur.

After you find a suitable exercise, with a suitable duration, decide on how many times a week you would like to do it. 2-3 times a week should be ok if you are just beginning. Recovery in between exercise days is important to help repair in muscles so that they can perform more efficiently in the next session. A massage session will also aid recovery and relax the muscles and rest of the body at the same time.

To progress, it is recommended that a maximum increase of 10% a week should be carried out. For example, someone who can run for 10 minutes should increase to 11 minutes per session. This may not sound much but, it is a big step if you could not do the previous aims.

Below are a few examples of how much you may burn doing everyday exercises.

Walking on a treadmill 4-8 calories per minute

Walking outdoors 6-8 calories per minute

Jogging on a treadmill 13-18 calories per minute

Running on a treadmill 18-28 calories per minute

Swimming (breast stroke) 10-15 calories per minute

Swimming (front crawl) 10-14 calories per minute

Cycling (leisurely) 4-10 calories per minute

Cycling (fast) 10-16 calories per minute

Remember to select activities that are suited to you, not just the ones that burn the most calories as they may lead to injury.

How much Protein do I need in my diet?

A lot has been discussed lately about the amount of calories to intake in the day to remain healthy. However, there is less mentioned about what those calories should be to be healthy.   Carbohydrates, proteins and fats make up the majority of a diet, along with fluids, vitamins and minerals that don’t carry very much calorific content. Proteins should make up around 10-15% of calories in a typical diet.

Proteins make up around 10-12kg of the bodies weight, most of it in muscles. They are needed for repair of tissue as well as to help build on existing muscle and maintain the bodies efficiency in movement and injury and illness prevention, amongst other things.

It has been suggested that the body would need around 0.83 grams of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day to maintain the recommended daily allowance. So for an 80kg male, a daily intake of 0.83 grams of protein times 80 would be needed daily to maintain a suitable balance in the body. This is 66.4 grams of protein a day.    The best sources of protein are found in eggs, fish, lean beef, chicken, cow’s milk, brown and white rice, amongst others.

During exercise, proteins are not used as a primary source of energy, so dietary intake should not be changed. However, during intense training programs, daily intake could be increased to 1.2-1.8 grams per kg of body weight, to assist with recovery of muscles and if there is the desire to increase muscle mass in the training program. This should be discussed with a coach or a professional able to advise on dietary requirements.  

References

 

1. Exercise Physiology, 5th Edition, McArdle W.d., Katch F.I. & Katch V.L., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, London