Maximizing your Cardio Workout using Vitamins

By Josh Wardini

[Click image on the right to see the full Infographic.]

Want to get the best out of every cardio workout? Then you need to fuel your body with the highest quality nutrition possible. You’ve heard it all before – you need to exercise properly and eat properly to be as healthy as possible.

It’s something every mother has told her kids at some stage or another – you have to eat your vegetables. The reasons given are numerous – eat your carrots so that you can see in the dark, veggies make you healthy and strong, etc. You know the drill.

And, as it turns out, our mothers were right. We do need to eat our veggies. What they got wrong, however, was how many servings to eat daily. Until recently, it was thought that five servings of fruits and veggies a day were adequate.

Research has since found out that nine servings a day are essential for optimal health. And it’s as important to have a varied range of veggies as it is to get enough servings. A varied range is essential so that you get the range of vitamins you need.

You might even be slightly deficient in some vitamins now. The easiest way to check if you really are could be by looking at the following vitamins infographic. It contains more information on what the various vitamins do and what the symptoms of their deficiency are. We found it at medalerthelp.org, a site which reviews devices that can help the elderly with proactive emergency care.

But it is not just that fruit and veggies are good for our body. They provide fiber and vital nutrients that are essential for good gut health as well. What does the gut have to do with the mind? That is something that science is only just starting to understand.

We don’t know the exact mechanism yet, but there is a correlation between poor gut health and increased levels of depression. So, if you truly want to get the most out of your cardio, mentally as well as physically, you better start filling your plate with healthy fruit and vegetables.

Top 10 Calorie Burning Sports

Guest Post by Alicia Kate.

Previously in ‘12 Tips to Stay Fit with Modern Lifestyle’, one of our recommendations to get into great shape was to take up a new sport. Athletes are some of the fittest and healthiest people on the planet for a reason. In the context of fitness, playing sports is ideal for burning fat because it burns a lot of calories and you enjoy the activity so you strive harder and end up burning more than you would simply exercising. If you are looking for a new sport here are 10 calorie burning sports you should consider.

Many of the exercises below are ideal for Summer, but can also be done other times of the year.

1. Marathon

Running a marathon burns thousands of calories, with a 130 lbs runner burning 2,224 calories during a typical 26.2 mile course. A 165 lbs runner, on the other hand, will burn 2,822 calories, while 210 lbs runner will burn 3,593 calories. Marathons are the perfect way to get fit due to the training involved to be in good enough shape to be able to run one.

2. Basketball

A lot goes on when you play basketball. You run and sprint back and forth between the two hoops on the court frequently. You move constantly both to score and to block shots. For all that constant effort, you will burn upwards of 400 calories per hour depending on your body size. A fun session with friends is enough to get the heart racing and burn a lot of calories.

And there is no age limit for playing many sports. Some people keep playing well into their old age.

3. Soccer

Soccer is one of the best sports for getting into great shape, with some sources claiming that 900 to 1,400 calories per hour are burnt - although it really varies on how much they are running and the size of the individual player. Soccer players are some of the fittest athletes due to the intensity and pace of the game. A match typically lasts for around 96 minutes. While you most likely won’t be playing for that duration of time, a quick soccer game with friends can still provide a very good workout.

4. Football and Rugby

Concussion concerns in football are real, so we are recommending less physical versions of the sport—touch and flag football, and also rugby which requires a less violent method of tackling opponents. While physical contact may be prohibited in touch and flag football, you will still burn 600–900 calories an hour as you will be doing a lot of running, sprinting, pivoting, catching, and throwing.

5. Tennis

Tennis is akin to a full body workout, with your upper and lower body, along with your back and core, getting an intense burn. You will burn a lot of calories simply by moving around the court, and you will burn quite a few more swinging the racket. An hour of a singles tennis match will burn approximately 400–500 calories.

6. Swimming

Swimming, despite being low impact, is an aerobic exercise that is a full body workout. It is also one of the most accessible sports as you can swim in public pools, rivers, lakes and the ocean. The best part of swimming is that you are getting a great workout without stressing your joints. Swimming is perfect for those carrying recurring injuries and want to get back into shape.

7. Rowing

Rowing is a must try if you want to lose weight and get a great upper body workout to boot. Your shoulders, back, and biceps will be tested and that means you will burn 560 calories per hour. As mentioned, a strong back and shoulders is needed to excel in rowing, so before you try out this sport, you might want to fortify your back by performing the exercises Cardio Trek suggested in ‘6 Exercises for a Stronger Back’.

8. Boxing

To be a boxer is to be in the peak of physical condition. Going 12 rounds in the boxing ring is one of the biggest tests of endurance an athlete can go through. Boxers burn upwards of 600 calories an hour. While it may be a step too far to get into the ring in competition, boxing training is a highly effective way to burn calories and build serious strength.

Note - While Cardio Trek does provide boxing lessons for people in Toronto, it should be noted that we favour a more relaxed and jovial approach to teaching boxing wherein we focus on exercise and having fun. People who want to do boxing as a serious sport are recommended to go to a dedicated boxing gym and find a boxing coach who teaches competitive boxing.

9. Martial Arts

Learning a martial art like Tae Kwon Do or Karate can have the same intensity as boxing, but with a different focus. As kicks, elbows, knees, grappling, and even wrestling are all allowed in some martial arts (eg. Judo combines wrestling with throws), martial arts training is a true full-body workout. You will be burning between 400 to 600 calories an hour.

10. Lacrosse

The intensity and pace of Lacrosse, along with carrying and swinging a lacrosse stick, make it a highly effective sport for becoming physically fit. Upper strength along with good cardio levels are required to play this sport, which is why if you are looking to burn calories it is a good place to start.

Lacrosse is one of the potentially more violent sports on this list, and compares to say "ice hockey" and has a reputation of being pretty brutal.

Conclusions

There are many other sports worth trying and plenty of other reasons why you should play sports aside from that fact that doing so burns calories. Playing sports improves all aspects of health such as enhancing heart function, lowering cholesterol levels, improving blood circulation, and decreasing hypertension and stress levels. It also brings forth positive energy, promotes discipline, and builds self-esteem.

So, what are you waiting for? The time to play sports is now!

8 Fun Autumn Sports

Want to try a new sport this Autumn?

Autumn is a great time of year to try a new sport. It doesn't have to be a "competitive sport" per se. It is possible to do a sport just for the fun of it. And Autumn is a great time of year to be trying these new sports. There are a number of benefits to trying a new sport in the Autumn.

#1. The weather. Not too hot, not too cold. And unlike Spring, not too rainy.

#2. Less crowds in public parks and national parks.

#3. The scenery. Is there any more beautiful time of year to go outside and enjoy the wonder of nature?

So lets get started.

Fun Sport #1 - Mountain Biking in Autumn

You don't need a mountain to do it. You also don't need a fancy mountain bike either. A hybrid bicycle will get the job done. And the scenery you see will take your breath away, even in the bicycle trails of Toronto.

Below is 3 real photos taken on Toronto bicycle trails.

Fun Sport #2 - Archery

Am I biased because I happen to teach archery lessons? Yes. Is Autumn my favourite time of year to do the sport? Also yes. Seriously. The weather is wonderful. The scenery is amazing and if you get lucky you will even see some deer and other wildlife at the Toronto Archery Range.

Update, October 11th - Student and myself saw two whitetail stags today who wandered into the archery field and to the south of the target butts. It is currently the pre-rut. In a few weeks these stags will be fighting over the doe we've seeing lately.

The photo below is a screen capture from a video I made of the two stags.

 

But yes, Autumn is truly a special time of year to be doing archery. There is a reason why bowhunters most often hunt during the Autumn.

Fun Sport #3 - Basically Any Outdoor Team Sport

Soccer, field hockey, road hockey, lacrosse, baseball, etc. Pick one.

For the purposes of choosing a photograph, I am going to go with road hockey because it is pretty popular in Toronto and thus easy for people to find others who are also interested in road hockey.

Fun Sport #4 - Nature Hikes or Fell Running

Someone should turn nature hikes into a competitive sport. Oh wait, someone already has. It is called Fell Running and it even has its own marathon, known as the Barkley Marathon, and is a 100 mile hike that must be completed in less than 60 hours. The competitors have 2 and a half days to do a 100 mile hike over difficult terrain. Not for the faint hearted either. People have been known to die during the Barkley. It is a cold wet affair done in late March / early April, but the athletes who compete in it train all year long. So Autumn is a good time to train.

But if you would rather have fun doing this activity, maybe stick to bringing your camera along and enjoying the scenery. There is no need to make it a competitive sport.

Fun Sport #5 - Canoeing and Kayaking

Remember to take your camera!

Fun Sport #6 - Sandyachting

Yes, that is a real thing. See the photo below. A bit expensive to get into, but certainly a fun way to spend your Autumn. Or Spring. Or Summer. Stick skis on it instead of wheels, and you could do it in the winter too.

Fun Sport #7 - Horseriding

I wrote a post awhile back about horseback archery where to get horse riding lessons in/near Toronto. If you skip the archery stuff, just read the section about where to get horse riding lessons in/near Toronto and that will help you on your journey to finally taking up horsemanship as a skill.

Scratch that off your bucket list during the Autumn and you will get some great Autumn trail rides in the process.

Or better yet, learn how to ride a horse AND do archery, and then you will be able to do both at the same time!

Fun Sport #8 - Spelunking

The Niagara Escarpment in Ontario has various caves, caverns, crevices and chasms that a person can explore. True, you can explore caves any time of the year, but the crevices that dot the landscape along the Niagara Escarpment are best explored during the Autumn because you typically have to hike quite a bit just to get to the crevices. Summer? Too many mosquitoes and too hot. Winter? Too cold and slippery. Potentially dangerous too. But Autumn is a great time of year to explore as the weather is perfect for it.

Take a friend with you who likes to do photography and you will have a fun time.

 If caves and crevices are not your thing, the Niagara Escarpment is also home to many waterfalls. Like Inglis Falls or Hilton Falls. The photo below is of Hilton Falls, near Milton Ontario.

What is my favourite bow to shoot?

So I was talking back and forth with one of my previous students about archery equipment, answering any and all questions he had, and I mentioned I had recently purchased a vintage bow off eBay, bringing my total number of bows to 32.

To which they responded and added a postscript:

" P.S. 32 bows!! At least you must have a sweet collection. Which one is your favorite bow? "

I had to seriously think about that question because I had never chosen a favourite out of them.

So I responded with the following:

Honestly, very difficult to choose a favourite. It really depends on my mood what I feel like shooting on a particular day. I definitely prefer the older recurves I have collected from the 1970s. I also have other older bows from the 40s, 50s and 60s... the oldest of which is from 1942. Obviously I don't shoot the really old ones that often because I consider them to be "shootable museum pieces", and thus I prefer to only shoot those on rare occasions when the weather is favourable - don't want to shoot them when it is too hot, too cold, or too wet.

Of the bows from the 70s my favourite is probably the Black Hawk Avenger from 1972. It is a rather pretty "magnum style" recurve. It is called a magnum style because it is shorter and designed for hunters to easily move around with, less worry about it getting caught on branches etc. The problem with that design however is that it makes the bow less forgiving. A longer bow is more forgiving, you can make a mistake and still hit the target. With an unforgiving bow, you make a mistake and miss completely. Thus while it is a small beautiful bow, it is very challenging to shoot accurately and perhaps that is why I enjoy it more - because I like the challenge it presents.

Photos below, the Black Hawk Avenger. I really should take more photos of this bow. These photos do not do it justice. I also have a Black Hawk Chief Scout (compound bow) which is the prettiest wooden compound bow I have ever seen. They don't make them like that any more.

 

 

 

Weekday Archery Lessons, Autumn Discount 10%

Autumn is one of the best times of year to do archery.

Now here is a special offer for anyone who has lots of spare time on weekdays and is looking to get into archery.

For a limited time* I am offering a 10% discount when people sign up for 3 or more archery lessons on weekdays.

*Offer valid until September 21st (Autumn Solstice) 2018. Offer does not stack with the standard Seniors Discount of 10%. Offer does not apply to weekend archery lessons.

Discount Code: AUTUMNSOLSTICE10.

So why am I offering this discount? Honestly, it is so I can fill up some empty time slots on specific weekdays. Purely a logistical motivation on my part to fill those days.

The regular weekday rates for 3 or more lessons for 1 student are:

3 Lessons - $170; 5 Lessons - $270; 10 Lessons - $520.


So the discounted rates are:

3 Lessons - $153; 5 Lessons - $243; 10 Lessons - $468.

Want to book now? Start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com. Have a nice day!

Notes

• Browse my archery lessons page if you want to book lessons for 2 or 3 people.
• This discount also makes now a great time to prebook archery lessons for Spring 2019.
• You can also buy archery lessons as a gift for a friend, family member or colleague. I sell Gift Vouchers so they can redeem the voucher later and schedule accordingly.