THE SKINNY ON LACTIC ACID FOR ATHLETES

Aerobic capacity, the amount of oxygen your muscles can use per minute, is commonly tracked to determine an endurance athlete’s potential. Runners, swimmers, cyclists and others incorporate aerobic capacity training goals because it is often used as an indicator of fitness.

But, not considering mental toughness, the best indicator of success in endurance events isn’t just how well your muscles can get the needed oxygen from your blood but it is also how high a percent of it you can sustain over a long period of time.

YOUR WEIGHT DOESN’T MATTER!

I know, I know, there are lots of reasons why people are fixated on their weight. Yes, overweight people have more health problems than people who are at their ideal weight. Yes, there is a social stigma against overweight people. And, yes, self-esteem often does track weight. I get all that.

But, focusing too much on the scale can distract you from finding your way to your most healthy self. A person obsessing about weight might make bad decisions in desperate attempts to just see that number on the scale go down. Even if you wouldn’t go towards an eating disorder, you could still miss the mark in the long run. Eating too few calories signals to your body that it is time to kick into starvation mode which really creates havoc! Missing key nutrients in your diet can cause a multitude of problems. Not all exercise regimes promote ideal health. I’ve met many a person who gets so discouraged scale-watching that they throw in the towel and completely give up.

What works better is a focus on fitness and health and strength and flexibility and endurance and stamina and a positive outlook. Get the picture?

If your decisions about eating, exercise and attitude support your long term fitness and health goals, your body will naturally get to its right size.  So, let’s back off on setting weight goals.

In fact, THROW OUT YOUR SCALE!

Instead, here are some alternative goals that might work better for you. Keep in mind that this journey is a process and it’s a lifestyle for a lifetime. So, we’ll be learning more and more details as we go along.

Notes on book entitled YOUNGER NEXT YEAR by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge

If you’re a person that doesn’t need “proof” that exercise can have a MAJOR impact on how you feel and what you can do in your life, don’t bother to read this post.  If you don’t need any motivating information about how much control you have over your health, see ya!  If you don’t want any advice on what your fitness plan should include, catch ya later!

If you’re still here, please keep reading and you can share my exitement and amazement over what is possible!  Come on, check it out!

METABOLISM 101

This is an excellent article on metabolism for those interested in losing weight!

http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com/nutrition/other/metabolism-101