Fitness Everyday!

Posts Tagged ‘fun fitness’

When I first started hooping some ten+ years ago, there were not that many people hooping in my then little community of Ojai, CA.  I would hoop in my backyard on a regular basis as my everyday fitness, but I also longed for some quality time to be with others and hooping.  So, I decided to take some hoops to a local park and hoop it up.  At first, it took a little courage to be out in the public to play with my hoop, but it doesn’t take long before a curious onlooker comes over and inquires about the activity.  Usually it comes in the form of a question or comment like; “Wow, is that a hula hoop? or “That looks like fun, but I have never been able to hula hoop,” which leads to a perfect opportunity to share the joys of hooping.  It takes just a couple of minutes to give some tips on basic hooping and that’s how it happens, before long there will be others who come along to give it a whirl. 
Initially, I would take my boom box and organize a good playlist on my ipod to play while hooping in the park, and then I discovered that there was a local drumming circle in that same park on another day, and thought this might add even more to the experience.  It didn’t take long for a hooping community to be born and it became a regular weekly event.  Years later, this hooping community continues to come together and while the faces come and go with change, the continuity of the hooping and drumming has become a regular and expected event, with an open invite for anyone to come and participate. 
Getting a hoop community going in your own neighborhood is easy.  First, choose a time that you can initially commit to on a weekly basis, and a time that is generally open for most people.  Late afternoons in the middle of the week are good or a weekend afternoon is also a good choice.  Secondly, choose a safe and public location that is centrally located in your town or city and has parking.  Also, consider shade and a level surface for hooping, also check to see that it doesn’t conflict with other activities or events happening in that same location.  If it is a public park, you may want to consider checking with the Parks and Recreation department to see if there are any permits needed.  Lastly, bring some hoops along to share and possibly for others to purchase.  You will find that as people in your community become interested in hooping they will want to have their own hoop, which provides another perfect opportunity to perhaps generate a little extra income.  Bodyhoops provides the best in fitness and dance hoops for youth and adults and offers the best pricing for bulk orders.  You can purchase a bundle of hoops at 50% the retail cost and then resell them to make a profit (10 pack minimum purchase).  Hooping promotes a healthy positive lifestyle and hooping is such a fun way to get people together to experience the joys of dance and movement.  Getting a hoop community going in your area is an easy and fun way to give back to your community by providing a positive healthy activity for all ages to enjoy and experience.     

Summer is here, and it's definitely hot out now.  Even after the sun sets here in Ojai, California, the air still feels dry and really warm outside.  Extreme environmental conditions can add significant stress to the cardiovascular system.  So, when the heat is here and temperatures are high, it's important to take into consideration, some special precautions when exercising out in the heat.

First of all, its important to understand that when you exercise you already produce a considerable amount of metabolic heat.  Sweat glands secrete water onto the skin, and it is evaporated, which serves to cool the underlying blood.  If environmental conditions are favorable, these mechanisms will adequately prevent the body temp from rising more than 2-3 degrees, even during heavy exercise. In the heat, however, dissipating internal body heat is difficult, and external heat from the environment may add to the total heat load, which could result in a higher than normal heart rate at any given level of exercise.  So, it's important to practice vital fitness, and for exercisers to decrease their workout load in the heat so that they can stay within their target heart rate zone.  This is especially important to know in the hot , humid environment, because when the air contains large quantities of water vapor, sweat will not evaporate readily and since its the evaporative process that cools the body, adequate cooling does not happen.  Under these conditions, heat exhaustion and heat stroke become possible dangers.  Usually this happens to individuals who do not take into account the difference in humidity, especially when traveling from one unique environment to another more extreme or different environment.

Heat exhaustion happens when the core temperatuer exceeds 105 degrees fahrenheit (41 C)  Heat stroke requires medical attention.  Symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion include; weak, rapid pulse, low blood pressure, fatique headache, nausea, dizziness, general weakness, paleness, cold clammy skin, profuse sweating, elevated body core temp (over 104 degrees F).  For a heat stroke it could also include hot dry skin, bright red skin color, change in mental status, and labored breathing. When this happens the exerciser needs to stop exercising, move to a cool ventilated area and lay down.  Elevate the legs, drink fluids, monitor the body temperature, and if extreme heat stroke condition is happening, try to cool the body down immediately in any way possible (wet towels, ice packs, cold bath) and get medical attention. Here are some vital fitness tips for exercising in the heat:

• Begin exercising gradually in the heat.  Give yourself time to acclimatize to exercising in the heat.  This can take approximately one week to ten days.  Start with short periods and gradually add more time to your fitness everyday.
• Always wear lightweight, well-ventilated clothing.  It's a good idea to dress with natural fibers, most synthetics retain heat.  Cotton materials are cooler.  White reflect heat better than other colors.
• Never wear impermeable or non-breathable clothes.  Don't get fooled into thinking that wearing a rubber suit in the heat is going to add to your weight loss.  Wearing non-breathable garments could lead to significant heat stress and injury.
• Replace body fluids as they are lost.  Drink water while exercising, take a break when you need to but avoid over-hydration because this can be equally as negative.  The best tip for drinking fluids is frequent consumption of small amounts of water.

By taking into consideration these tips with your summer time fitness everyday, you can monitor your needs and make modifications so that you can continue to enjoy and benefit from your fitness everyday.