Club Blog

I am sure that you are aware that a body can only survive a few days without water. All of our bodily fluids are mostly made of water. Water carries all the essential ingredients to nourish our body systems and acts to remove metabolic waste. Water also participates in many complicated chemical reactions required to maintain essential bodily functions. It lubricates our joints and protects our tissues and organs from shock. Water is definitely the most important nutrient for an athlete.

For an athlete to achieve optimal performance proper hydration must be maintained. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink water you are already dehydrating. Remember to drink 6-8 ounces of water every fifteen minutes during your workout. Here are a couple of ways to see if you are adequately hydrated.

• Weigh in before and after a workout. Drink two cups of water for each pound of body weight lost.
• Check the color of your urine. A dark gold color means you are dehydrated. Pale yellow or clear urine indicates a proper level of hydration.

Drinking water is essential to overall great health and body function!  At La Jolla Sports Club, they understand this and their personal trainers work hard to ensure that your workouts are both effective and safe!  They even have a great nutritionist to help you on the way! 

La Jolla Sports Club has a nutritionist on staff that has a B.S. in Dietetics and Nutrition. Make an appointment today to set up an initial assessment. Meal plans will be provided based on current nutrient deficits and personal needs. Constant contact and follow-ups will be provided to help all clients stay on track. Other services are provided as well such as trips to the grocery store, educational seminars, and weekly consultations.

It’s easy to fall into the trap: A workout buddy passes along an exercise tip, and then you pass it on to several folks you know. One day, you’re at the fitness gym, and sure enough, you hear the same tip repeated, so you figure it must be true. But in the world of fitness, myths and half-truths get passed around often – and some of them may be keeping you from getting the workout you need.

Some myths are just harmless half-truths, but many others can actually be harmful, according to La Jolla Health Fitness Trainers. They can be very frustrating and sometimes even lead to serious injuries.

One reason myths get started is because we all react a little differently to exercise. So what’s true for one person may not be true for another. In this sense you sometimes have to find your own ‘exercise truths’ – the things that are true for you. That being said, experts say there are also some fitness myths that just need busting, and the sooner the better! So to help put you on the path to a healthier, safer, and more enjoyable workout, we figured we would discuss what’s not true when it comes to exercise tips:

Fitness Myth No. 1: Running on a treadmill puts less stress on your knees than running on asphalt or pavement.

Fitness Myth No. 2: Doing crunches or working on an “ab machine” will get rid of belly fat.

Fitness Myth No. 3: An aerobic workout will boost your metabolism for hours after you stop working out.

Fitness Myth No. 4: Swimming is a great weight loss activity.

Fitness Myth No. 5: Yoga can help with all sorts of back pain.

Fitness Myth No. 6: If you’re not working up a sweat, you’re not working hard enough.

Fitness Myth No. 7: As long as you feel OK when you’re working out, you’re probably not overdoing it.

Fitness Myth No. 8: Machines are a safer way to exercise because you’re doing it right every time.

Fitness Myth No. 9: When it comes to working out, you’ve got to feel some pain if you’re going to gain any benefits.

Is interval training right for you?

In interval training, you alternate between bursts of higher-intensity exercise and periods of less-intense exercise (or “active rest”). As you get more fit, you decrease the “rest” time and increase the high-intensity periods. According to La Jolla Health Fitness Trainers, you’ll see big fitness gains if you train this way regularly.

For example, if you now run for 30 minutes at 6 mph, try this routine: Jog for five minutes to warm up. Then, increase your speed to 6.5 mph for one to two minutes (less if you can’t go that long). Then, jog for a few minutes at your normal speed, then again at the faster speed, and so on until you reach your time limit. Your ratio of work to active rest would be 2:3 if you ran for two minutes at 6.5 mph, then jogged for three minutes at 6 mph.

You can also use your heart rate to set intervals. For example, if your heart rate hits 70% of your maximum when you jog at 6 mph, start at that speed. Then increase either your speed or elevation (if you’re on a treadmill) to get your heart rate to 85% or 90% of maximum for one to three minutes. Then, go back to jogging at the 70% heart rate, and continue alternating.

As your fitness improves, your heart rate will be lower at the higher speeds, and then you can spend more time at those speeds. A good starting ratio of work to active rest is 1:3; you can always vary the ratios if they turn out to be too hard or too easy.

Gym Trainers recommend interval training just once a week to start, as it is more intense than you may be used to. Once you get a feel for it, you can do it more often.