ESSENTIAL FLAX – THE MIRACLE SEEDS

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Flax – the Miracle Seed

ILANA KATZ, MS, RD, CSSD

The science of nutrition has so much to offer and when buzz words stick around for more than a few months, we know its worth investigating the empirical evidence behind the buzz. Flaxseeds is one of those that has been around for sometime now, and most people are getting them in some form or another if they are conscious of healthy eating by any measure. Studies show that flaxseed may help fight everything from heart disease and diabetes to even breast cancer.

The essential fats are the buzz words lately, and hence Flaxseed’s growing importance. It is very high in omega-3 essential fatty acids – yes, the good fats. Omega-3 fat is referred to as an “essential” fat because it is not produced by the body, and must thus be consumed. Essential fats aid in lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, lower the risk of certain cancers, and reduce the inflammation of arthritis, as well as the inflammation that accompanies certain illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and asthma.

In addition to the omega-3s, the other components of flaxseed, namely lignans and fiber, are extremely beneficial on the health measuring stick, as well.. Both act as phytoestrogens and antioxidants, while the fiber contained in the flaxseed is of both the soluble and insoluble type.

Other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids other than flaxseed, include fatty fishes such as salmon and mackerel. The difference the fatty acids from fish are that although they are still vital for good health, they are not “essential” fatty acids, as the body does produce them. All the fatty acids, those from flaxseed (alpha-linolenic acid) and those from fish (EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA or docosahexaenoic acid) decrease inflammation. Inflammation itself is a known trigger for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis, thus by decreasing it, the risks of these major diseases is substantially lowered. Furthermore, the lignans and phytoestrogens in flax, having antioxidant qualities also reduce risk of cancer.  A rich source of fiber to boot, aids in lowering cholesterol and maintaining digestive health.

Although fish doesn’t have these benefits, it is also a good source of protein. Fish, particularly those that contain the Omega 3 fatty acids, are also prone to contain traces of mercury, and the FDA advises consumers to check the advisory boards for high mercury sources in fish, particularly women who are pregnant, nursing, or may become pregnant as well as parents of young children, to avoid these populations from eating certain fish or too much of the higher mercury fishes.

Sports dietitians are also including flaxseed as a daily recommendation to athletes because it has been found to improve the metabolism of fats, especially helpful with endurance sports. When glycogen stores run out (hitting the wall, or bonking), the body begins burning fats in which case, an efficiency of fat burning can make a difference in performance. Omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseed has been hypothesized to improve response time. Electrical impulses move from the brain to muscles across cell membranes are rich in these essential fats. Omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseeds are the most efficient fatty acids in allowing these electrical impulses to move from cell to cell. Furthermore, they aid in muscle repair at the cellular level, significantly improving the rate and quality of tissue repair.

Flaxseed is available in supermarkets and health food stores and comes in whole seeds, ground seeds, or oil. The ground seed is what has all the goodness – the fiber, the lignans, and the essential fatty acids, while whole seeds will pass through your system undigested.

The recommended daily amount of flaxseed is approximately 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, or 1 teaspoon of flax oil (which is best used cold, perhaps mixed in a vinaigrette salad dressing). Whole flax seed should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. Storing it in the refrigerator or freezer is a safe bet.

Using flaxseed effectively:

There is so much soluble fiber in flax that it is important to drink plenty of water when eating flax products, otherwise constipation may result A high fiber diet may take some time to get used to, so start to slowly introduce flax.

For vegans, or people with egg allergies, flaxseed can be used as an egg substitute in recipes for baked goods This is because of the soluble fiber, which adds structure to the food.

Some tips to incorporate flaxseed in your daily intake:

Sprinkle ground flax on cereal, yogurt, or salads. Mix flax into meatloaf or meatballs.
Add ground flax to pancake, muffin, or cookie batter, or other baked goods such as pie crust. Coat fish or homemade chicken nuggets in ground flaxseed and oven fry.
Toss salads with flax oil and vinegar.

Nutty Health Toast

Mix a Tbsp of the ground seeds with 2 Tpsps of honey, and then spread the mixture on toast. It has a nutty flavor, and is a great alternative to buttering your toast.

Flax Trail Snack

Per Serving ( ¼ cup ): : 160cals, 6g fat, 15g carbs, 2g fiber, 6 g protein.

1 cup sugar free maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sesame, etc)

½ cup sliced almonds & ½ cup pecan pieces
1 cup ground flax
4 cups of oats

Mix together the syrup, sugar and extract in a pot over low heat until melted and smooth. Add other ingredients to the pot and stir. Spray a baking tray with Pam. Toast at 3000 for an hour, mix around every 15 minutes.

Hydration for Cycling: Drink and Ride

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Drinking and Riding. A Century old Story.

It is Century season. Yes,” century,” :one hundred,” it too has a season. Whether that means miles or kilometers, it is 100 of them. In the cycling world, we like to call 100 miles a real century and 100 kilometers a metric century, which equals approximately 67 miles. Either way, to get on a bicycle, and pedal for that long, sitting in one position on a tiny seat, up and down hills is an accomplishment.

I decided to blog on this topic for a couple of different reasons. One, I am doing a couple of them myself this season, in preparation for my 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in mid October. The second reason is because a century bike ride is considered an endurance event, hydration can play a huge role in the success it. Whether success means, just completion of the 100 mile or kilometer distance, or completion and enjoyment simultaneously, drinking on the bike can make that difference.

Here is my opportunity to confess to my personal drinking problem. Oh yeah, me, I have a drinking problem. Keep Reading… !

Running on empty?

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Whew, this last week has been an amazing run of nutrition seminars for me. I consistently feel humbled to be in the presence of some amazing athletes, as well as honored to be able to present my knowledge on Sports Nutrition to groups like USA Track and Field, the Atlanta Track Club, Triple Seven Dance Studio, Sports Factory and many more. I thus wanted my blog for this month to review some of the highlights coming from these athlete interactions. Thanks for the great feedback and compliments. Here is thus a back-up of busting the myths behind the non-fueled training days with some structure for you to be implementing this on the run.

Any time I mention that I am a sports nutritionist, I immediately get bombarded with questions on the night before a marathon, or some similar endurance experience’s carbo-loading meal. It has amazed me over the years, that this meal is the one most have been lead to believe is the one to determine performance success. I attribute that probably to the traditional pasta dinner that has developed over the growth of endurance sports, and race directors themselves now even include such a function as part of the race agenda. Ironically however, the meal two nights before, and more importantly right before, as well as intake during, is least on the list of questions asked, yet these are the meals that should be a focus for sparing of glycogen. Before I get too technical, glycogen refers to the muscle fuel used during exercise. The body generally has enough glycogen stored to sustain 65-85 minutes of exercise.  In fact, glycogen needs to be present for fat to burn, and seeing it is so limited, why are athletes not as concerned with spreading that limited supply over the time it takes to complete the event, not only before, but during the event itself.

Patterns I have seen emerge over this, refer to both types of athletes… one, those that “won the parent lottery” as I like to put it, in other words, genetics have always been on their side, and body composition just comes naturally or two, those that are more concerned with their leanness and/or weight as a first focus, the sport was often taken up as a means to that ultimate goal.

The athletes that lean towards weight obsession are the ones that tend to avoid a pre work out meal, or supplement glycogen sparing during training and/or racing. I discovered this in my own market research attempts: I often get approached by companies attempting to market their individual miraculous sports nutrition product once they find out what I do for a living. I am always open to trial, so I am happy to experiment, and read up on their research and product development, and yes, I will help them market (never sell though) their product if I believe in it. One day, I was given a product and I decided to take it over to my running group to see how they all felt while using it as a sport drink during that morning’s long run. I observed carefully, as most of the girls blew it off, and the guys had all consumed more than one serving anxious and ready to go with this new induced energy shot. Not that I was surprised or anything, but most of the women had commented on how many calories the product was loaded with. I guess with my extended knowledge on sports nutrition, it never crossed my mind that calories used for glycogen-sparing would even hinder any weight loss efforts.I thus began to dig deeper into the research: For those of you actually holding off calories because you think they are merely supplementing and therefore adding excessive calories for a day’s intake, research actually shows that making an effort to spare glycogen during training/races results in less calories taken in on those days in the long run.  Completing a well fueled endurance day, prevents you from wanting to eat everything not tied down to a table, so to speak. So by supplementing your workouts, with calories, not only will you increase performance due to extended glycogen sparing, but you will also come out better at the end of the day on overall caloric balance.

Other reasons that athletes hold off on calories include GI distress, cramps, no appetite, etc. The solution here is to start off slowly by attempting to take in a small pre work out meal within a half an hour to an hour before and some fast burning carbs during, such as a sports gel, a few sports beans, or even a shot of sports drink (based on texture of choice). As you get used to that, increase. The philosophy behind this is, that similarly like training your cardiac system to handle intensity, you have to train your metabolism to be able to oxidize carbohydrates at high heart rates.

Many athletes, and particularly the weight conscious ones, will keep their intensity of their workouts moderate, and hold off fueling such work outs before or during. The theory backing this up is moderate work outs burn more fat, but higher intensity work outs burn more carbs. Furthermore, they believe carbs taken in before or during a work out would restrict fat burning.  This happens to be one of the most misinterpreted phenomenons within the science of sports nutrition. For starters, burning carbs during a work out does not rule out that fat gets burned as well. In fact more calories will be burned in a fueled workout due to increased performance.  Better yet, the more carbs that are burned in a workout results in more fat burn in the period following the work out. If more fat is burned, as a main fuel during a work out (a less intense, more moderate workout would offer), then you continue to burn carbs following the work out, but do not forget that carb storage is limited. As you can, believing the myth that moderate work outs is the only way to burn fat, places a plateau on potential calories able to be burned overall during moderate work outs.

Research backs this up by proving interval training is one of the most effective fat burning workouts out there. Interval workouts are highly intense, and thus burn carbs as the main fuel source, so why then is it so effective as a fat burning tool?  As just explained, it is the recovery period following a very intense workout that will continue to burn fat for many hours. The term is referred to as EPOC – Excessive Post workout Oxygen Consumption.

Finally for those athletes that really cannot stomach anything, there are some benefits to fasting prior and during a work out, but unfortunately these benefits only take effect if this fasting is practiced every so often, and not consistently. The explanation here refers to breaking what we call a physiological plateau. In other words, we become physiologically acclimatized to whatever we do consistently, and over time, nothing changes if nothing changes. This would be a good time to implement a non-fueled work out. The “change” would stimulate a positive influence again to reawaken the fat burning potential. This works particularly well for endurance sports.

In summary, to spare glycogen and increase performance, as well as optimizing intake of calories for leanness, practice fueling endurance workouts by taking in carbohydrates before and during the work outs. Recover with a 3:1 carb to protein meal, so that glycogen is restored for the next work out. Plateaus can be overcome by not eating before or during an endurance work out but only on the odd occasion (a rule of thumb may be once in two or so months).

Whether you are an elite and competitive athlete or one that uses sport as a means to optimal body composition, do not hold off on optimally fueling any endurance training or races. Not all of will stand on a podium in out lives, but the competition is always alive and strong – don’t forget ultra satisfying PR (personal Record, or best yet in performance).

NUTRITION FIGHTS SYMPTOMS OF FATIGUE

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ILANA KATZ MS, RD, CSSD

 

One of the most common complaints I hear from friends, clients and co-workers, is that they are all exhausted. Now don’t get me wrong, yes, I am working with many endurance and ultra-endurance athletes who train up to twenty hours per week. One’s knee-jerk reaction is “well, no wonder… all that training” meaning training logically elicits exhaustion, right?  Believe it or not, no wrong – research has shown that physical activity, particularly endurance should generate invigoration (1,2)

So why then are we a nation of exhausted people? Co-incidentally, we are also a nation that leans towards convenience. So what has that got to do with exhaustion… mmm… allowing others to do the work for you? Spelled out, going for food that is already prepped by some form of processing, rather than taking some time out to prepare and control ingredients. Although this may seem to buy one some time for more rest and relaxation, it actually contributes more towards exhaustion. Oxymoronic, isn’t it? Skimp on your own preparation and control and you will shortchange yourself not only in extra energy, but relief of constant fatigue. Furthermore, besides energy, nutrition plays a major role in daily mood stabilization. This article is thus my intention to wake you up and get you into good mood food

Melatonin (cherries, tart cherry juice)

Melatonin is the neurotransmitter that regulates the sleep and awake cycle. There is no better way to restore energy than to get a good nights sleep every night.  Cherries and cherry juice not only are high in disease-fighting supernutrients, such as antioxidants, but they are also a good source of melatonin. The European Journal of nutrition did a study last year which showed that subjects drinking as little as 2 – 4oz oz of cherry juice twice daily significantly improved their sleep patterns compared to the control group, who were given a placebo (3). So to all you insomniacs, here is something to experiment with, especially in season (that’s cherry season, as well as training season).

Tryptophan (grains (quinoa, oats, brown rice,) corn, potato, pasta, turkey)

Most of us are aware that turkey is known to be the precursor to a glorious nap after thanksgiving dinner, right? The hypothesis behind this is the presence of the amino acid tryptophan, stimulates serotonin, the neurotransmitter which produces a relaxation period shortly after it is stimulated.  Most of the clinical research on tryptophan for insomnia occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. However more recent studies have leaned towards a more skeptical look on these results producing a positive relationship (4).   Don’t let this deter you however, because even though it may be a sleep enhancing myth, tryptophan has been found to reduce depression. A recent study found that tryptophan (2 grams a day), significantly decreased levels of depression scores, and an improved sleep after four weeks of treatment (4). So, maybe not sleep enhancing food in the short term, but definitely a good mood food. Tryptophan is also high in dense carbohydrates such as multigrain bread, brown rice, potato, corn, pasta and quinoa.

 Vitamin B6 (tomato, banana, oats, rice, enriched cereals)

B vitamins have typically been the generic prescription for those struggling with lulls of energy daily. In particular, Vitamin B6 (like tryptophan) aids in the stimulation of serotonin, the relaxant neurotransmitter as described above. Food sources naturally rich in B6 include tomato, banana, oats and rice. Most cereals are fortified (enriched) with B6 to reduce the overall effect of our exhausted nation.

Iron (lean beef, poultry, spinach, cooking in iron skillets)

Anemia is a most definite cause of fatigue. Iron is beneficial for people who are typically fatigued due to the progression of iron loss, on the fast track to iron deficiency anemia. Those at an increased risk include vegetarian or vegans (not getting iron due to lack of red meat, the most biovailable source of it), women who have a heavy menstruation cycle (loss of iron in blood), and athletes (degradation of oxygenated blood.) The worst combination that increases risk of anemia is a vegetarian, female athlete. Animal protein is the best source of the most biologically available iron, however for many watching their heart health or for vegetarians/vegans, spinach not only contains a high source of iron, it also is rich in antioxidants and energy producing carbohydrates. Cooking in iron skillets can also aid in providing the mineral to those lacking iron from food sources. [For in depth detail on iron deficiency anemia in athletes, also see: http://192.185.164.20/1985/nutrition-science/iron-deficiency-and-athletes-ilana-katz-ms-rd-cssd/ ]

Omega 3 fatty acids (walnuts, pine nuts, salmon, tuna, mackerel)

Fats in general are rich in energy, merely because they have much more calories packed into a gram than any other nutrient. But be aware, we do not want to over eat fat, particularly when focused on a lean body composition.  Some fat is essential in ones daily intake, so its best to focus on the healthiest sources of fat and avoid saturated and trans fats, which not only increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, but also replace the healthier sources and essential fats. Recent studies have shown that Omega 3s support and protect the heart, the brain and nervous system, as well as vascular health (5).  Nuts are a particularly good source of fat, particularly walnuts and pine nuts which are high in Omega 3 fatty acids.  These sources are great aid in faster and more efficient recovery from endurance work outs.  If getting a good source through food is lacking, endurance athletes dealing with fatigue should consider supplementing with at about 2000 mg per day of fish oil.

Water

It should not be a surprise to most that water is the most valuable nutrient for an even keel of energy throughout the day. This means consistent hydration and replenishment of what is lost through heat. Sweating is the means for the body to cool itself through evaporation off the skin, thus sweat losses not replenished can risk dehydration with horrible symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, chronic exhaustion, irritability and severe headaches. These symptoms shout out loud: “Bad Mood.” Moreover, many individuals rely on thirst as means to prevent dehydration. This is a big mistake for multiple reasons. For one, the more in a constant state of dehydration one is in, the less thirsty one feels (body slowing metabolism for protection). Furthermore, the sense of thirst diminishes with age. Yes, this is why dehydration is a leading problem amongst the elderly. Watermelon thus makes the cut. It is the fruit with the highest water content, and simultaneously is rich in other antioxidant sources and nutrient benefits.

Polyphenols (potato, dark chocolate, tomato, mint, citrus fruit)

Polyphenols are biochemical compounds that increase chemicals in the brain associated with wakefulness and alertness, thus they emit a sense of energy and well being. It is no surprise then that chocolate makes the cut for good mood food, particularly dark chocolate because of it offers other healthy benefits too.  The chief reason for the interest in polyphenols, is the recognition of the antioxidant property. It is bonus that the discovery of good mood food resulted simultaneously (6). These super nutrients are found in tomatoes and certain aromatic plants such as mint, and they are also present in high concentrations in citrus fruit. Interestingly, methods of preparation have a marked effect on the polyphenol content of food. Peeling fruit, vegetables is not the best idea, particularly root vegetables (such as potatoes). Peeling removes a significant portion of polyphenols because these substances are often present in higher concentrations in the skin.  Heat may also cause a loss in opportune nutrient benefits. Onions and tomatoes lose between 75% and 80% of their superfood benefit after boiling for 15 min, 65% after cooking in a microwave oven, and 30% after frying. Therefore steam cooking of vegetables, which avoids leaching, is preferable.

Foods to Avoid to Overcome Fatigue

Caffeine

The boost you may think you are getting from your cuppa Joe in the morning is actually detrimental to curing fatigue. Not only is it an addicting substance, meaning that if you do not get your fix you will suffer from headaches and fatigue, but it also can result in a caffeine crash. This means that once it has gotten your heart rate up and you feel ready to face the day, the biochemical response to that is to send counter regulatory hormones to even out this high, overcompensating, and resulting in sleepiness later on (similar to a sugar high, then crash). [For more details on the sugar crash, you may be interested in reading  http://192.185.164.20/1428/nutrition-science/dissolving-sugar-cravings/]

Alcohol

It is often argued that alcohol has a proven benefit to heart health due to its rich antioxidant content. The antioxidants are actually coming from the grapes in wine, or the hops in beer. Alcohol itself does not offer any antioxidant qualities. A glass of wine or beer from time to time will not cause any havoc, however too much alcohol has a dehydration effect, symptomatically inducing sleeplessness and fatigue. [For more detail on alcohol metabolism, also see http://192.185.164.20/1845/weight-management-strategies/metabolic-effects-of-alcohol/ ]

High Fat Foods

Saturated and trans fat, as opposed to omega 3, mono and poly unsaturated fats takes a lot longer to digest which can result in stomach cramps and further lack of sleep, particularly if over eaten or consumed close to bedtime. On the other hand, avoiding essential fats can also lead to digestive and health problems. The best advice on fats is to get most of your required fat for the day from the good sources of fat, and avoiding solid at room temperature fats, as mentioned above.

In summary

Foods play a role in moods and energy. Some as you will have noticed enable rest, relaxation and a good night’s sleep, while others not only induce insomnia, but prevent its healing and simultaneously result in irritability and fatigue.

So the quick and dirty meal plan formula to fight fatigue is to keep your energy even throughout the day by eating more often. Focus on lean proteins that are also rich in iron, such as lean beef, poultry or plant based green leafies. Foods high in antioxidants and other super powers as described above should be a part of your consistent meal planning. Do not neglect hydration, and avoid overdoing the caffeine and/or alcohol.

REFERENCES:

  1. Talbott SM, Zhu JS, Rippe JM. Coryceps enhances endurance in sedentary individuals. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2001;33.
  2. Yuri Verkoshansky. Block Training system in Endurance Running.
  3. Eur J Nutr 2011, oct 30.
  4. Riemann, D., et al., The tryptophan depletion test: impact on sleep in primary insomnia – a pilot study. Psychiatry Res, 2002. 109(2): p. 129-35.
  5. Journal of Medical Food 2010; 13(3) pg 580.
  6. Manach et al., Polyphenol food sources and bioavailability. The American journal of Clincal Nutrition.

EFFECTIVE FAT BURNING WORK OUTS

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Intense Cardio Work outs

Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD  

 

FAT BURNING SPECIFIC ROUTINES

(interval training should be done 2 to 3 times a week to aid in optimal fat burning)

 

The following 11 workouts are designed for fat burning. Why Interval training is associated with fat burning is because the higher the intensity the more likely the physiological response is to overcome lipogenesis sensitivity (in layman’s terms, fat storage mode). To keep it simple, the mechanism is related to how the different hormones bind to either alpha or beta receptors. Befoe going into a physiology dissertation, in its simplicity, high intensity can overcome problems associated with alpha-receptor dominance in stubborn body fat. Well, why not keep the intensity high all the time, you may ask. The answer is that while high intensity can break down fatty acids in the cell, it does not burn fatty acids as a fuel, so that’s where the intervals become important. Switching between high and low creates that magic bullet.  Furthermore, research shows that keeping up with a high intensity level consistently with out some form of moderation will set in a burn out factor, and its better to incorporate moderation, resulting in more time spent exercising, than an all out high intensity routine that would likely be short-lived.

 

The first exercise is for beginners. If you are just learning about interval training, start with the basic concept and then build in some of the other routines as you progress.

Work outs 2 – 11 are designed not only as excellent interval sets with varying times built in for your convenience (so some are shorter, some are longer) but also with variety to create a consistent level of interest. Some of these work outs are pretty difficult, so listen to your body and there is nothing worng with progression… taking it down a notch until you are ready to kick your own butt is equally as admirable, just because you are doing it!!

 

  1. Basic      Interval Training – this can be done on a treadmill, stairmaster or      stationary bicycle.

30 minute work out.

Whichever piece of equipment you have chosen, figure out what is a moderate zone for yourself, and a high zone. If you have already had your heart rate test done, use zone 1 to 2 as the “off” time, and zones 4 and 5 as the “on” time.

 

Mins 0 – 4: warm up (zone 1) easy intensity of about 2 out of 10

Mins 4 – 5: moderate intensity : zone 3 (jogging, can hold a conversation)

Mins 5 – 8: low intensity, easy jogging, zone 1 to 2

Mins 8 – 9: high intensity zone 4 to 5 (cannot hold a conversation, all out work

Mins 9 – 10 :  moderate intensity

Mins 10 – 13 low intensity

Mins 12 – 14 high intensity

Mins 14 – 15 moderate intensity

Mins 15 – 18 low intensity

Mins 18 – 19 high intensity

Mins 19 – 20 moderate intensity

Mins 20 – 23 low intensity

Mins 23 – 25 high intensity

Mins 25 – 28 moderate intensity

Mins 28 – 30 lowest, cool down (back to walking comfortably)

 

  1. Step      Machine

Set the step machine on Manual workout for 20 mins. (level 6)

Warm up for 2 minutes.

At the 2 minute point, take the level up to 9.

Change out your stance on the steps every 2 minutes – for example 2 – 4 minutes, take your feet to very front of the stairs (short, quick stokes, pushing from the balls of feet), 4 – 6 minutes: slide feet back on the pedals and push out long full range strokes pushing off on heals. Continue to alternate stance 4 more times, and then for the last 6 minutes go back to the neutral stance in the middle of the pedals.

 

In Summary:

Mins 0 – 2: neutral

Mins 2 – 4: front

Mins 4 – 6: back

Mins 6 – 8: front

Mins 8 – 10: back

Mins 10 – 12 front

Mins 12 – 14 back

Mins 14 – 20 Neutral

 

 

  1. Treadmill      – 30 minute workout

 (hips, hamstrings and glute strengthening)

 

Form: Power walk – long strides and squeeze glutes at the end of each stride.

Jogging – Choose a challenging pace with a jogging pace at at least 2 points higher than a walk.

Lunges – in place lunges, alternating right and left

 

Walk for 5 minutes ( first 2 is warm up, next 3 begins the rotations)

Leave the treadmill running, jump off of it and do alternating leg lunges for 30 seconds.

Get back on treadmill and at a jogging pace, jog for next 30 seconds.

Cycle through walk/lunges/jog according to this rotation below:

 

Mins 0 – 2 (walk/warm up)

Mins  2 – 5 (long walking strides, squeeze glutes)

Mins 5 – 5:30 alternating lunges

Carefully get back on treadmill and walk up to minute 6

Mins 6 – 8 jogging

Mins 8 – 10 walking

Mins 10 – 10:30 lunges

Carefully get back on treadmill and walk up to minute 11

Mins 11 – 13 jogging

Mins 13 – 15 walking

Mins 15 – 15:30 lunges

Carefully get back on treadmill and walk up to minute 16

Mins 16 – 18 jogging

Mins 18 – 20 walking

Mins 20 – 20:30 lunges

Carefully get back on treadmill and walk up to minute 21

Mins 21 – 25 walking

Mins 25 – 28 jogging

Mins 28 – 30 (cool down, easy walk)

 

  1. Elliptical,      treadmill and stationary bike rotation       – 45 minute work out

(starts with treadmill, then elliptical, and ends with bike)

Treadmill:  20 straight minutes.

Form: long stides and squeeze glutes at end of each stride.

Min 0 – 10: set at a pace of ~ 4.0 at 0% grade.

Min 10 – 20: 12% grade and pace at ~ 3.5, maintaining stride form

Elliptical:  15 minutes.

set program that is most like a consistent running stride.

Set level (resistance) at moderate (should be aout 160 – 180 strides per min)

Cycle: 10 minutes

manual setting 3. Pedal hard (feel your hamstrings) for straight 10 minutes

 

  1. Stepper      and stationary bike – 30 minute work out

Set stepper up on Manual setting. Alternate between level 6 and level 10  for the following intervals (every 30 seconds) for 10 minutes:

Mins 0 – 2: warm up at Level 6

Mins 2 – 2:30: Level 10

Mins 2:30 – 3 Level 6

Mins 3 – 3:30 Level 10

Mins 3:30 – 4 Level 6

Mins 4 – 4:30: Level 10

Mins 4:30 – 5 Level 6

Mins 5– 5:30 Level 10

Mins 5:30 – 6 Level 6

Mins 6 – 6:30: Level 10

Mins 6:30 – 7 Level 6

Mins 7– 7:30 Level 10

Mins 7:30 – 8 Level 6

Mins 8 – 8:30: Level 10

Mins 8:30 – 9 Level 6

Mins 9 – 10  Level 4 (COOL DOWN)

Jump on stationary bike for 20 minutes at moderate pace (level ~ 3 or 4)