Friday Run - with Beurer and Runtastic

By Mia Dragostin

I wanted to keep on exercising today, nothing big...just my regular daily half hour. Initially I have planned for an indoor 5k on a treadmill, then decided to go for an outdoor run...the day is so grey and gloomy

Power Walking in Edinburgh - Grey and gloomy day over Arthur Seat

Power Walking in Edinburgh - Muddy footpath

... and the footpath so muddy... 

I don't know why, but today the run really felt hard...got tired so quickly, every step felt so difficult, so close to simply give up...Even if I was a little disappointed of not being able to do a full run around, I must admit that at least I've done something...better than nothing!

I thought it would be interesting to check my heart rate graph with my new Beurer PM70 heart rate monitor, so I strapped it up and ...go girl, go!
The result is that out of the 45 minutes, I have exercised constantly over 60% of MHR, and about 20 minutes over 85% MHR, with a spike of about 200bpm....I still wonder if this spike really happened or it was a fault of the monitor...

Curious to see how Runtastic is working, I also took my phone with me.

Power Walking in Edinburgh - Runtastic map

If you want to find out how I do (and also to have a 'Cheer' from me, don't be shy and connect with me on runtastic ...just look for 'Mia D' ...

First Day of 2013 - First wee Run

by Mia Dragostin

No, it was not the New Year resolution that took me out for a wee run so early; I don't do New Year's resolutions... 

 I only have a new heart rate monitor, and I was curious how is working..more details about it later...now I just share the joy of being able to make it around Arthur Seat, just like this, after at least 2 weeks of continuous eating and pure lazyness...Yay! :-)

 

View Around Arthur Seat 3.3 miles = 5.31km in a larger map

Ready for Olympics - History: 100 metres

Should I design a new power walking program?

After joining the SIE bootcamp, I keep thinking about designing a new power walking program.

The first one was for academic purposes only, a research exploring the effect that power walking could have over health risk factors associated in metabolic syndrome (blood pressure, BMI, weight, fasting glucose).

During the research I have discovered a lot of things that I had no idea before.
The most important for me was that even if fitness professionals can come up with the BEST program ever, there is a BIG problem: if the client does not keep up with the frequency of exercising, there will be no result whatsoever.

I truly believe now that the first step should not be so much a perfect program, but a program which can be flexible and supportive enough for the client. Without permanent care and conversation with the client, I believe there can be no long term adherence to exercise, especially when is involved change, or the transition from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active one.

So, to keep it short:
I would need to find out from people who do not exercise enough (or at all) currently, or who have a very low level of total physical activity during the average day - the following:


If you want to become more physically active, what are some of the barriers which, at present, keep you away from doing this? (Please do this in at least 100 words).


Could you please share this post with your friends, I deeply appreciate your help.

Power Walking: Core Exercises

Here we have another series of 4 core exercises.

Reaches

Lying flat on the floor, bend at knees, lift your heels. Activate core muscles - this means you pull your belly button towards your spine, and keep that muscle contraction during entire exercise. Lift both arms in front of you so they are in line with your shoulders.

Raise your head and shoulders from the floor, only by contracting your abdominals.

Lower under control, repeat. Keep the movement rhythmical.

Power Walking: Reaches

Crocodile crunch

Lying on the mat, lift both legs towards you. Activate the core muscles.

With your head and neck off the floor, raise the upper torso and bring the legs towards you, then reach. Lower under control and repeat the movement.

Power Walking: Crocodile Crunch

The plank

Activate your core muscles, drawing your navel to your spine. Resting on your forearms and toes, hold your body up. Keep your elbows under your shoulderblades with forearms facing forward.

Power Walking: The Plank

Hip abductions

Lying on your side, position one leg over the other, bending the lower leg. Do not point the toes. Lift the higher leg so that it is in line with the hip and return to the start position. Perform 6 repetitions.

Continue the same scissors like movement from hip line until the foot gets to the level of the shoulder. Repeat 6 times.

Without stopping, perform a full range  -shoulder to starting position - movement; repeat 6 times.

Change the side.

Power Walking: Hip Abductions

Repeat each exercise at least 2 times X 10 repetitions each side (where is the case).

Reference: 

Mark Anthony (2006) - "Once a week work-out, Transform your body in 12 weeks", Collins and Brown Publishing

Power Walking: Week 6 Day 5

It took me more than usually to get to the 5th day of power walking of the week...
I kept walking, at least 8500 steps a day; I really kept active, but I didn't do the intensive part of the walking.

Today it was the Rock'n'roll Edinburgh Half Marathon and I was around ;-) ...around, not in the race...not yet :-)

Even if I didn't manage to get a better editing, I hope you can get a flavour of how it was @Edinburgh...

Right after the race we have had our last group meeting of the 6 weeks of Power Walking project. Together with Jennifer and Kevin have done some heart rate tests, some new core exercises and a very light downhill jog...and yes, we can do them all!

This week I will try to do the post-exercise tests and consider done the college project. Now, if our volunteers want to continue for another 6 weeks (only from now on I expect to have real results), we can go on.

I will post tomorrow the core exercises.

Next Saturday, 21st of April, we will be at Cramond for the Edinburgh Parkrun.

5k, here we come!

I make sure there will be some pictures with us too :-)

Meanwhile, keep on walking!

Power Walking: Week 6 Day 4

Today 9,932 steps and about one hour of intense strength training.

I've also tried some new low GL recipes  - a lentil and paprika dip, then a falafel one (but again, no luck...still my falafel home cooked is far of resembling in any way with the one ready-made....); after the falafel failure, I decided to save at least tomorrow's breakfast, so I prepared for the first time, from real ingredients (nuts, seeds, many types of flakes) - muesli...I am really curious how it tastes.

Here I have some old pix, but I kinda like them...

Power Walking: View over Firth of Forth (I think this is how its called)

Power walking: Near Dean Village

Power Walking: A college - I think

Power Walking:  Museum of Modern Art

Power Walking: The water of Leith

Power Walking: St. Mary's Cathedral

Power Walking: St. Mary's Cathedral - detail

And keep on walking!..as you might discover great things while keeping fit and healthy ;-)