Difference between Jogging and Sprinting (not the obvious)

The first time I did sprints I did about 10 sprints each for a few seconds. I loved how sprinting felt, every sprint made me feel strong and by the end of every sprint I was dead.  In my mind sprinting was just running a lot faster than my usual jogging so I was surprised when my muscles hurt the next day. Because I loved how I felt when I did my sprints and because I loved the after effects I decided to add more sessions of sprinting to my weekly workout plan. To me it felt manageable, just replacing my runs with sprints but this plan did not go as expected. I could not keep up with sprints and my other training.

So I went back to reading about the difference in sprinting and jogging. This post is a little bit about the science of exercising and I will try to make it as interesting as I possibility can

Aerobic Exercise

Jogging or doing any exercise at a medium intensity falls under the aerobic category. Aerobic exercises are those where you have a raised heart rate but can still manage to work out for an extended period because the oxygen level required is same as our oxygen intake. The oxygen we breathe in works with glycogen stored in our body to produce energy along with carbon-dioxide and water.

This entire mechanism is very similar to our normal breathing process the only difference is our heart rate is higher so as to increase the amount of oxygen we can breathe in which is turn gives us enough energy to exercise.

Anaerobic exercise

When you do very high intensity workout your body works a little differently.  Sprinting or other very high intensity exercises can be grouped under anaerobic category.Anaerobic exercises are more difficult because your body needs energy very fast and our oxygen consumption is not enough so the glycogen is broken without using oxygen. In this process along with energy our body also produces lactic acid which causes muscles to get tired faster and energy production stops in a few seconds that’s why you can’t sprint for longer than a few seconds because the breakdown of glycogen without oxygen is not complete which in-turn effects the amount of energy produced. If you notice after any very high intensity training you will continue to take deep breath to cover up for the lost oxygen once your body gets that oxygen it will then oxidise the lactic acid build up in your muscles but if you continue to push your limits you will definitely feel the fatigue.

I hope you found this post useful. Soon I will share a post about how to balance your aerobic and anaerobic workouts (I am still doing my research on that)

 

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Tanvee

Busy...Busy...

Each day of my life is becoming busier than the previous. I am not even sure how this keeps happening to me. I need to figure out a way of organizing and managing my time better. There are so many things I want to do and so many things I am already doing most of the times I feel I am stretched and other times I feel I am not being productive enough..

Anyways on the workout front I am good.. luckily for me it has now become such an integral part of my life that I make time for my workouts. Healthy living is one aspect of my life that I have not comprised on even when I am very busy and even on days when I am very tired my food and workouts are still going as planned.

I start most of my days at the gym - My favorite workout - Legs

The one thing that really suffers the most is my blog. I am going to really start setting a schedule for my blog because I have so much to share and the only way I can do it is by keeping up with my blog.

This week was a long weekend plus we took two days off and also celebrated T's birthday :)

Getting ready for a night out with a few friends

Today I feel we should have taken more time off, even with a small break I have not been able to catch up with my to-do list. Anyways I promise I am going to get back to writing more often.

Brighton - part celebration for T's birthday

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Tanvee

I can also have fun

A lot of people assume just because I am very particular about my fitness and my food I don’t really have fun. I know a few people who are on their weight loss journey and get miserable at the thought of going out, they avoid meeting friends and family. Personally I don’t think that’s the right way, just because you are making healthier food choices or exercising regularly doesn’t mean you have to cut yourself from all the fun.

I go out for dinners, I love brunch on Sundays, I go out for movies and I also meet my friends over coffee many times. I have not reduced my social life I am having fun and still staying healthy

Here are a few things I do that help me

When I am hosting

If I am hosting I make sure my menu is interesting and healthy. My menu is always 90% healthy.  I might not eat bread but doesn’t mean my family or friends can’t have bread with their meal, that’s why 90% healthy. I will usually make two options for my dessert one which will be a healthier recipe (there are so many great recipes online) and the other is a regular option.  Over time I have noticed people usually always enjoy the healthier option more and most of them are pleasantly surprised. There are times when I make only the healthy option and nobody has complained nor have I had leftovers :)

The only issue is finding the correct recipes and making sure they are good. I don’t want to serve something that is only healthy I want to make sure people enjoy it too. These days I know the sites with good healthy recipes but initially when I had just started I would always experiment on T (that’s how I narrowed down a few sites that have perfect recipes for me)

When I am invited to a party

If I am invited to a party I have no control over the food that will be served but I have control over the choice I make when I get to the party and I am good at exercising that control.  

I eat only things I think are healthy, sometimes I might taste or take a small bite of the unhealthy stuff. If somebody is really forcing me to eat something I don’t want to I will usually smile and say ‘No thank you’ if that doesn’t work I will say ‘I will take it later’ and keep avoiding it.

The worst case scenario is when you lose control over what you eat. If I ever eat more than planned at a party depending on how much more I ate I balance it out in the following days. Usually I will add a few extra minutes to each of my workout for a week (I don’t compromise on my rest day) and I eat healthier than usual for one entire week.

Basically I either control my choices or I balance out my wrong choices with extra workouts

When I dine out

If I know where we are going in advance then I always check the menu and know what I am eating. If it’s a last minute decision I stick to chicken or salmon with different vegetables. I always look for baked or grilled options.

Drinks 

If I am going out for drinks I avoid cocktails, I usually alternate between a glass of wine and a glass of water. It’s good to be hydrated and I always plan an early morning workout the next day this keeps me on track. The next day I usually go for a long run and then for the entire week I add a few extra minutes to my workout.

 

Movies

If I can I carry chopped fruits otherwise I take a cup of coffee. Recently we went for an outdoor movie with a few friends. We had strawberries, apples, grapes, Olives, nuts, multiseed ryvita thins and flavored water I doubt anybody missed popcorn or nachos

I think I have covered most things I do when I am out socializing. Like the title says I can have lots of fun while choosing to live a healthier lifestyle I hope you can do the same

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Tanvee

Rushing through your workouts - Big NO!!!

I have noticed a few people rush through their floor exercises or their core training. I was one of them when I started. There are many reasons why we rush through our workouts two of my most common excuses for rushing through my exercises were No time and I wanted to do more repetitions.I focused more on the number but soon realized it was not really effective.
 

Here are a few reasons why you shouldn't be rushing through your exercises

You will lose form and could hurt yourself

When you do quick movements your focus shifts from the exercise form and you will injure yourself. For example if you rush through your crunches there is a possibility of you straining your neck or if you rush through your squats you could hurt your knee or your back and these injuries can stop you from working out for a long time...so it's not worth taking the risk

You don't really work your muscle
A lot of floor exercise need you to breathe properly and engage your muscles. If you rush through your exercise you do not give yourself enough time to complete the entire motion of the exercise (full range of the exercise). When you do your exercises quickly it's more like taking a short cut. Also a lot of core exercise focus on keeping muscles engaged through stability and balance but if you rush through these exercises it increases movement and reduces stability.

Over exertion (this is specially true when you are doing weight training)
If you don't give your muscles the appropriate rest time between sets you will get cramps in one of the later sets  or your pull your muscles because you will be straining your muscles. The correct amount of rest between sets is important otherwise each set will become less effective than the previous.

So what to do when your are doing floor/core/weight training
1. Focus on form not on number
2. Rest between sets (not too much rest. Too much rest is not very good either)
3. If you have less time do fewer exercises but make sure to do them properly (no short cuts)

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Tanvee

Running after a break

This year my running has not been as good as it was last year. Last year I was running at least 3 days a week, I had improved my distance and my stamina was constantly improving. This year I started doing other things. I joined new classes, lots of spinning, jumping exercises and I also started weight training in process I lost out on my usual running. I have been doing a few hill sprints but other than that no long distance runs. Somewhere at the back of my mind I was worried about my running stamina being affected but I also was hoping all my other workouts would cover up for the lost runs.

Anyways a few weeks back I decided to go for a run but I could not complete my run as planned. I got side stitches, my speed was not very good and I came back irritated. That’s when I decided I needed to include a few running sessions every week. It took me atleast 5 runs before I could get back to the point where I was last year. I needed a lot of patience because it did feel like a step back for me and it was very frustrating to stop at distance which I could pass comfortably a few months back. I was actually very disappointed with myself but being disappointed and crying about it doesn’t help I had to get up make a new plan that included running and get back out. Now I try to get in 3 running sessions every week.  

Early morning run /Empty streets

Does this happen to you? If you replace your run with a different cardio does your running get affected or am I the only one

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Tanvee

Outdoor training Vs Indoor training

The other day somebody asked me if I prefer outdoor training or indoor training and my immediate response was outdoor training but surprisingly I do a lot more of indoor training.  Here’s a little bit of my experience with working-out both outdoors and indoors

Running:

Ever since I started running outdoors I get bored using the treadmill. I used to have patience of using the treadmill for long runs but now I can only do about 20 minutes and even in those 20 minutes I can't just stick to running at a constant pace I need to do interval training to keep my mind occupied on the treadmill even music doesn’t help beyond a certain time on the treadmill
I find running outside very entertaining. I love seeing the world go by, I love seeing other runners, I get extra happy when a runner smiles or nods at me suddenly I feel like I am a part of invisible running group.  Another wonderful thing about running outside is the wind blowing, every few minutes I feel refreshed and the occasional drizzle also feels lovely during my runs.

Outdoor training wins in this department for me.

Spinning/cycling:

I love my RPM (spin) class in the gym. I love the music, I love the energy in this class. I really enjoy this class, It’s as challenging as I want to make it and usually I am drenched by the end of a 45 minute class.

I also enjoy cycling outside though I enjoy cycling only on the cycle paths away from all the traffic. I am not very confident of cycling in traffic. I don’t have my own cycle so I rent a cycle when I plan to go cycling outdoors. T enjoys cycling too so we spend a lot of our weekends cycling around one of the cycling paths in and around London

I can’t decide which one I like better – RPM or cycling outdoors but I definitely do indoor spinning more often maybe if I had my own cycle and if I was more comfortable with riding in traffic I would be able to decide which one I like better.

Body weight exercises and Calisthenics

The first time I did these exercises outdoors was when I attended the outdoor circuit class and I have attending that class ever since. Doing all these exercises outside actually gave me more confidence. Exercising in the park when people are sitting around sipping coffee was not easy for me it was completely out of my comfort zone. Working out in a group outdoors helped me, I doubt I can do the same thing alone (I am still not that confident).

I have attended my outdoor class in the rain and in freezing temperatures. I have worked out with my group when people passing by have stopped to comment on us working out...all this has actually increased my confidence and improved my attitude.

It’s easier mentally to do all these exercises in the gym where you are surrounded by people doing similar stuff not that easy to do when you are surrounded by people relaxing and a few staring at you..

Outdoor training wins in this department because it pushes me out of my comfort zone which is always a good thing.

Weight training

I have always done weight training indoors, either at home or in the gym. I am not even sure about how I could do it outdoors. I doubt I would carry my dumbbells or kettle bells outside for a workout and I use a lot of other machines for my weight training so outdoors is out of question for me

In this department indoor training wins (I have no idea how this could be done outdoors)

I love training outdoors because it is more entertaining and refreshing but when I count all the factors I end up indoors more often than outdoors.
What about all of you? Do you prefer training outdoors or indoors?

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Tanvee

My food journey

One of the most common questions people ask me is about how I manage to make healthy food choices. This post is mainly about my journey from a person who used to ‘crave burgers almost every day’ to a person who hasn’t had a burger for a long time and the best part is I am happy about it, I don’t feel deprived in any way.

I was a person who could eat at any time of the day. I did not leave any opportunity to eat. I would eat if I was bored, I would eat if I was busy (I was used to munching of something while studying), I would eat with my family, I would eat if I was alone,  I would eat if I was happy to celebrate and I would eat if I was sad. I could eat a burger followed by a proper Indian meal and still have some space for dessert. That’s how much I ate. Food definitely was an important part of my life and this was one of the main reasons why I could never ever follow a strict diet for even a single day. None of the diets that I read about ever worked for me, I used to make many plans to follow a strict diet but the minute I had a reason to eat I would...I knew if I wanted to lose weight I had to get my eating in control...Here’s a list of few things I did to make it easier to get to where I am today

• I did not give up doing things I love

I am a social person, I love going out with friends and family. Even now you will see me go out most weekends.  I love hanging out with friends/family and most of these things always involve food. Just because I have started eating healthy doesn’t mean I have given up on going out.  The only difference is now when we go out to eat I make healthier food choices doesn’t mean I always order salads. You will usually see me eat grilled chicken or salmon both these are always easily available. When I go for dinner parties or a house party I eat a little before going and then I make the best possible choice I can. I spend more time talking than eating (isn’t that the point of meeting friends)

Just because you are choosing to start eating healthier does not mean you have give up on things you love doing. It just means you have to find a way to do the same things while making healthier choices.

• I know I will make mistakes and it will be OK as long as I don’t stop trying

It takes time to reach a point where you are comfortable with making healthy food choices. It’s not easy for anybody who is used to eating unhealthy. I have made my share of mistakes and even now there are times when I wish I had more will power but I am willing to work on myself every day. I have accepted that I will make mistakes and that’s how I will learn and improve.  Don’t be disheartened or put yourself down because you went off track just be willing to get back on track that's the most important thing.

• I gave myself all the time I needed

I am not somebody who lost weight in a short time I took my time (I am still work in progress). I did not directly switch from junk to salads. I switched from very unhealthy to a little less unhealthy then to even less unhealthy and finally healthy. It was a very slow process. When we used to go for movies I used to buy nachos, popcorn and coke. My first switch was choosing between popcorn and nachos. Then I switched to sharing whatever I bought, the next switch was giving up on coke for either water or coffee and finally I gave up on popcorn. For every switch I made I gave myself enough time to settle down before moving on. I did not jump directly from nachos, popcorn and coke to coffee those small intermediate steps helped me stay on track longer because I did not feel deprived.

• I found replacements I love

I have always loved eating something sweet after my lunch/dinner and I still do. These days I usually eat frozen fruit or I mix fruit with yoghurt and  make my own flavored frozen yoghurt (I love it). Sometimes I have dates with nuts all these options are things I have always loved so I don’t miss my chocolate because dates and nuts makes me feel as happy as a chocolate would or my frozen yoghurt is as good as ice cream for me.

Also if search enough you usually find very healthy recipes for almost everything. My current favorite is sweet potato brownie (I will share the recipe soon)

• I never stay hungry

This might surprise a lot of people but I still eat very often in a day. I usually have 6 small meals in a day sometimes even more. I have chopped fruits, carrots, nuts and some healthy snacks that I make over the weekend packed for each day. I think I eat every 2-3 hours.I have noticed if I stay hungry or skip any meal I make bad choices so I try to avoid the situation as much as I can.

grilled chicken/smoked salmon/my packed snacks :)

• I don’t have too many rules

1. Avoid processed food ( frozen meals, cans, cornflakes/granola, biscuits, chips. I prefer making my own at least I know what goes into it) 
2. Avoid sugar, no sweetener too (I use honey if I really need to) 
3. Make the best possible choice I can
4. If I make a wrong choice I just make sure my next choice is right

I hope you all find this useful and it helps you make better choices. For me eating healthy is not about depriving myself (or feeling sorry for myself because I am not eating something) it is about exploring different options till I find healthy options I love 

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Tanvee