Bad Advise from Reputable Sources
August 20th, 2008 I was reading one of the most trusted magazines runners depend on the training and race advise to help them achieve whatever endurance goals they have set and read “you do not need to hydrate during a 5K because dehydration will not effect your run during the race.” This statement totally disregards all the reputable science that is available that lays out clearly the importance of drinking when thirst. Now some people will think it just a 5k and the onset of dehydration will not effect that race may have a semi viable argument but there are many issue that they would not be taking into account. Such as, forming good hydration practices by listening and answering your body signals to drink when thirsty. Anytime you ignore your body’s signal to drink during exercise, you start limiting the rate at which you can achieve your endurance goal whether you’re walking or running, so drink when thirsty to achieve success faster. Anytime you ignore your hydration needs, you start developing bad habits that must be broken or the bad habit becomes an albatross that leads to disappointments when you are attempting to increase your distances. The follow the links below will help you learn more about the sources that backs the statements above up. Moreover, John R. Hobbs is the CEO of Desired Innovations, Inc., holds two patents, has completed three half marathons and four marathons in less than eleven months and knows how important hydration was to his success. Races completed - Gasparilla Marathon, Tampa, FL. February 2007 - Sarasota Half Marathon, Sarasota, FL. March 2007 - Country Music Marathon, Nashville TN. April 2007 - Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon, San Diego, CA June 2007 -OUC Half Marathon, Orlando, FL. December 2007 - Disney Marathon, Orlando, FL January 2008 and Clearwater Halfathon, Clearwater, FL. January 2008. The USA Track and Field Organization offers this recommendation for staying properly hydrated: “runners should be sensitive to the onset of thirst as the signal to drink” … “consuming 100 percent of fluids lost due to sweat while racing” or a “1:1 ratio”. See “USATF announces major changes in hydration guidelines” GUIDELINE # 5: Runners should aim to drink ad libitum between 400 – 800 ml (1-3/4 to 3-1/2 cups or 14oz. to 28oz.) per hour, with the higher rates for the faster, heavier runners competing in warm environmental conditions and the lower rates for the slower runners/walkers completing marathon races in cooler environmental conditions. See complete report here. The following link will educate you so you can correctly assess your personal hydration intake needs. All the reputable information on hydration seems to end up with the same conclusion - complete replacement of fluid losses during exercise is necessary to perform at your peak efficiency and ensure speedy recovery - Moreover, the ease and convenience of accessing your replacement fluid is a factor that encourages proper hydration. “Proper Hydration for Distance Running - Identifying Individual Fluid Needs”, by Douglas Casa, Ph.D., ATC, FACSM, of the University of Connecticut, is issued by USA Track & Field. “IMMDA-AIMS Advisory statement on guidelines for fluid replacement during marathon running,” was written by Tim Noakes MBChB, MD, FACSM of the University of Cape Town, South Africa; and David E. Martin, Ph.D. FACSM, of Georgia State University. It was published in IAAF New Studies in Athletics, March 2002, pp. 15-24. My experience with the Athletes’ Oasis containers leads me to believe that Athletes’ Oasis is the most amenable to these recommendations. Tags: 5k, fitness magazine, hydration, running, training, walking
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Habits – Developing Good Ones from the Start
May 16th, 2008 To increase your overall adeptness from the beginning of a new running/walking routine, there are many things you can do to help accelerate your results while making the overall experience a more positive one. This was written by John R. Hobbs whose knowledge after completing four marathons in one year and four half-marathons, gave him the following understanding about developing good habits to accelerate your fitness goals. Proper attire for your workout of choice is essential to assure the least amount of distraction during training. High-tech wicking clothes helps you maintain your core body temperature at safer levels while exercising and usually cause less skin irritation during training. Properly-fitting good quality shoes are also recommended from the start of any new fitness routine. Posture and arm swing/movement is often overlooked when you start your new fitness regiment, and it will elevate the way you look and feel about yourself, even if you’re happy with yourself now, because your core becomes stronger. Note: you should add some type of core strength trainer into your workout schedule from the beginning, but don’t overdo it. Varying the distance from one workout to the next lets you increase your endurance faster, partly because you have adequate time to recover while also decreasing your chance of injury. Google some training schedules for runners and walkers to find the one that best suits you. Stretching only after your muscles are warm prevents you from injuring yourself, with the bulk of your stretching exercises coming after your aerobic workout. Most athletes find holding each stretch for a minimum of 20 to 30 seconds without bouncing works best. Hydration habits are the single most overlooked part of people’s new fitness activity, with the main reason being lack of knowledge about staying properly hydrated and not knowing the benefits received from staying properly hydrated. International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) states “Practice drinking during training runs, so that you can drink comfortably while running. Use the same drinks in the training run and the race run.” (The only way I know how to “use the same drink in the training run and the race run” is by bringing your own replacement fluid). The USATF.org recommends you “drink as soon as you feel thirsty” The only product on the market that allows you to easily and conveniently consume the recommended amounts of fluids when you need it most, without interrupting your routine while exercising is Athletes’ Oasis. See more references and links on staying properly hydrated here. Happy Training!! Tags: developing good excercise habits, hydration, running, walking
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New Hydration Recommendations From Major Sources
April 7th, 2008 The USA Track and Field Organization offers this recommendation for staying properly hydrated: “runners should be sensitive to the onset of thirst as the signal to drink” … “consuming 100 percent of fluids lost due to sweat while racing” or a “1:1 ratio”.See “USATF announces major changes in hydration guidelines” GUIDELINE # 5: Runners should aim to drink ad libitum between 400 – 800 ml (1-3/4 to 3-1/2 cups or 14oz. to 28oz.) per hour, with the higher rates for the faster, heavier runners competing in warm environmental conditions and the lower rates for the slower runners/walkers completing marathon races in cooler environmental conditions. See complete report here. The following link will educate you so you can correctly assess your personal hydration intake needs. All the reputable information on hydration seems to end up with the same conclusion - complete replacement of fluid losses during exercise is necessary to perform at your peak efficiency and ensure speedy recovery - Moreover, the ease and convenience of accessing your replacement fluid is a factor that encourages proper hydration. “Proper Hydration for Distance Running - Identifying Individual Fluid Needs”, by Douglas Casa, Ph.D., ATC, FACSM, of the University of Connecticut, is issued by USA Track & Field. “IMMDA-AIMS Advisory statement on guidelines for fluid replacement during marathon running,” was written by Tim Noakes MBChB, MD, FACSM of the University of Cape Town, South Africa; and David E. Martin, Ph.D. FACSM, of Georgia State University. It was published in IAAF New Studies in Athletics, March 2002, pp. 15-24. My experience with the Athletes’ Oasis containers leads me to believe that Athletes’ Oasis is the most amenable to these recommendations. Tags: Advisory statement on hydration, distance running, fluid replacement, identifying your fluid needs., IMMDA-AIMS, proper hydration, USA Track and Field Organization
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Why An Even Balanced Routine is Important for Most Sports
April 4th, 2008 What do most beginners, amateurs and novices that participate in the majority of the following sports do differently from most people (except for elite speed walkers and runners) that walk, jog or run for fitness? Automobile Racing, Aquatics, Archery, Ballroom Dance, Base Jumping, Baseball, Basketball, Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Bodyboarding, Body Building, Bouldering, Boules, Boxing, Breakdance, Bull Fighting, Canoeing, Canyoning, Caving, Cheerleading, Classical Dance, Core Rhythms, Cricket, Cross Country Skiing, Curling, Cycling, Decathlon, Discus Throw, Dog Sledding, Down Hill Skiing, Drag Racing, Equestrian, Falconry, Figure Skating, Flag Football, Football, Frisbee, Frisbee Golf, Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Hang Gliding, High Jump, Hiking, Hill Climbing, Hockey, Horseback Riding, Hurdles, Ice Hockey, Ice Racing, Inline Skating, Jazzier Size, Judo, Jujitsu, Jump Roping, Karate, Kayaking, Kitesurfing, Knee Boarding, Land Sailing, Long Jump, Luge, Medicine Ball, Modern Dance, Modern Pentathlon, Motorcycle Racing, Mountaineering, Mountain Biking, Mountainboarding, Nascar, Parachuting, Paragliding, Parasailing, Pole Dancing, Pole Vaulting, Pool Playing, Power Walking, River Rafting, Rock Climbing, Rodeo Riding, Rope Climbing, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Scuba Diving, Shootfighting, Shot Put, Skateboarding, Skibobbing, Sky Diving, Skysurfing, Slalom, Snow Boarding, Snow Sledding, Softball, Sombo, Speedball, Speed Skating, Spelunking, Sprint Running, Steeplechase, Sumo Wrestling, Supercross, Surfing, Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Taekwondo, Table Dancing, Tap Dance, Toboggan, Track and Field, Trampolining, Triathlon, Ty Bo, Tug of War, Ultramarathon, Volkssporting, Volleyball, Wakeboarding, Water polo, Water Skiing, Water Tubing, Weight Lifting, White Water Rafting, Wind Surfing, Wrestling and Yoga. That’s right!! Most of the above listed athletes work both halves of their body in an even, balanced way so their movements are fluid and more efficient. Moreover, they look better doing their chosen sport because their muscles are working positively together the way most of your body’s skeletal and muscle structures intended you to move: with rhythm and style. Balance is perhaps the most underappreciated component in a good athlete. If balance is so important to people in all the above sports, just think how important it is in walking and running! Tags: Balanced Workout, Body Friendly Workout, Efficient Workout, Endurance, hydration, Rhythm, Smartest Way to Workout, Uniformed Workout
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There’s a key reason many people who train six days a week for years fail to reach great distances, and it’s rarely mentioned, if at all.
March 19th, 2008 Over the last couple of days, I spoke with three runners who all trained for years and could only achieve 10K in distance. Then today, I read a few postings online about increasing the distance of your runs and walks, and to my dismay not one of them mentioned how important staying properly hydrated is when trying to increase your endurance. The professional and medical facts concerning proper hydration are straightforward. For instance, once you start becoming dehydrated, lactic acid builds up in your muscles and becomes an albatross, keeping you from achieving greater distances. It also elevates the likelihood of cramping and serious injury at the same time. So, to all of you walkers and runners looking to increase the mileage of your fitness routine, I challenge you to up your consumption of water, preferably with balanced electrolytes added such as ElectroMax, and within two weeks your endurance should have a noticeable improvement. Happy running! PS. I do believe Athletes’ Oasis® is the best solution to help accelerate your potential while also helping you feeling better after your workout is complete. Tags: cramping, decrease likelihood of injury due to dehydration, hydration, Increase distance, increase endurance, maitain hydration levels while exercising, sports bottles, system, training aid, water bottles
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Most Common Issue Fitness Trainers Address
March 9th, 2008 Great fitness trainers never assume anything about their new trainees because they like giving advise curtailed to the actual needs of the individual. When assessing strengths and weaknesses proper knowledge of the athlete has to be ascertained before starting them on a training regiment. Each coach achieves their assessment through a series of physical tests and questions to pinpoint specific strengths and weaknesses, which enables them to accelerate the fitness levels and endurance of the new pupil. The most common albatross keeping their new client from increasing thus achieving new fitness heights is lack of proper hydration. The excuses are wide ranging from “my routine is only X amount of minutes and I drink before and after” to “there is nothing on the market that does not hinder my rhythm” or “I do not need to consume as much fluids as most people when exercising because I’m conditioning myself”. Most instructors instinctively know that any explanation is just an excuse and subsequently implements a vital strategy to increase electrolyte charged water intake of their new protégé. Coaches are now starting to implement the use of our new innovative water bottle system Athletes’ Oasis® to enable their athletes to maintain proper hydration so they achieve and surpass the fitness goals they’re striving to reach. Our solution is the answer because ergonomically designed bottles become an extension of the hand / arms so you don’t miss a beat when you’re out there running, walking or doing any other exercise. John R. Hobbs is the CEO of Desired Innovations, Inc., holds two patents, has completed three half marathons and four marathons in less than eleven months (Gasparilla Marathon, Tampa, FL. February 2007 - Sarasota Half Marathon, Sarasota, FL. March 2007 - Country Music Marathon, Nashville TN. April 2007 - Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon, San Diego, CA June 2007 -OUC Half Marathon, Orlando, FL. December 2007 - Disney Marathon, Orlando, FL January 2008 and Clearwater Halfathon, Clearwater, FL. January 2008) http://www.athletesoasis.com/ Tags: hydration, increase endurance, maitain hydration levels while exercising, sports bottles, training aid, water bottles
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Train Like a Pro Even If You’re Not!!
February 20th, 2008 Are you walking or running, working up a sweat, trying to become healthier while striving to achieve your fitness goals? Is one of your fitness goals to walk or run 1m, 5k, 10k, a half-marathon, marathon or ultra marathon? Would you like to know the three most overlooked aspects during training, which would helps you accomplish your fitness goals faster, because you’d be working your whole body in a more efficient manner?The three areas most often neglected are posture, arm swing and hydration. If you need proof, take the time to watch a track and field event and you will see how the elite athletes run: 1. Straight up with their head high and shoulders square. In other words, they have good posture. 2. Their arms are at a 60% to 90% angle with elbows close to their sides, and their hands never cross the center of their body. This is not by accident. It’s about working their muscles in concert, propelling themselves forward in the most fluid manner. 3. They drink plenty of electrolyte charge fluid well before even a 100 meter race, and if the event lasts more than 20 minutes, you’ll see them consume liquids during the race. All three areas above are important, but the most important one is staying properly hydrated, because dehydration can kill even properly trained athletes. Just look at all the people who ended up in the hospital, specifically the one who died during the Chicago Marathon in 2007. John R. Hobbs is the CEO of Desired Innovations, Inc., holds two patents, has completed three half marathons and four marathons in the last eleven months (Gasparilla Marathon, Tampa, FL. February 2007 - Sarasota Half Marathon, Sarasota, FL. March 2007 - Country Music Marathon, Nashville TN. April 2007 - Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon, San Diego, CA June 2007 -OUC Half Marathon, Orlando, FL. December 2007 - Disney Marathon, Orlando, FL January 2008 and Clearwater Halfathon, Clearwater, FL. January 2008) http://www.athletesoasis.com/ Tags: form, hydration, hydration system, posture, sports bottles, water bottles
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Common mistakes made by runners and walkers of all fitness levels and how to correct them.
January 30th, 2008 When training to achieve their fitness goals, they hardly ever work on their posture and form. Improper posture and form while training keeps them from achieving their goals as fast as they could if they focused on these areas. Focusing on these areas enhances their overall workout and allows their bodies to operate at peak efficacy because all their muscles are working in concert to propel them forward in the most fluent manner. Adding to this problem is that most hydration systems used while exercising do not make it possible for people to maintain proper posture and form. This causes a dilemma, because they understand how important hydration is in order to hit the fitness level they’re striving for, but do not know there is an ergonomic solution. After using all the different hydration systems on the market, we’ve decided Athletes’ Oasis® http://www.athletesoasis.com/ is the only one that allows the user to maintain proper posture and form while easily and conveniently drinking fluid. For your convenience, we compared the different types of water bottles and hydration systems on the market for runners/walkers and listed the pros and cons of each. You do not have to believe this article about the pros and cons if you use one of the listed types of systems below. Just ask a friend to watch you from behind and give you their honest opinion about your body rhythm, the evenness of your arm swing or lack of it and you will understand the assessments of the each product listed. Disposable water bottles: Pros, holds water allowing you to stay hydrated. Cons, they clog up the landfills; carrying a single water bottle does not let you maintain proper form and posture so you do not have an even arm swing due to the fact you out of balance; you have to use both hands or mouth to open/close; because all the weight of the fluid is on one side of the hand, your hand wants to turn; forcing you to hold onto it the whole time you’re working out, and costly because they must constantly be purchases. Bottles that are held to the hand with a strap, like Fuel Belt and Amphipod: Pros, holds water, allowing you to stay hydrated without having to hold. Cons, transporting a single water bottle does not let you maintain proper form and posture so you do not have an even arm swing due to the fact you out of balance; you have to use both hands or mouth to open/close; because all the weight of the fluid is on one side of the hand, your hand wants to turn; and you can’t clean them in a dishwasher. Backpack type reservoirs like Camelbak and Platypus: Pros, holds water, allowing you to stay hydrated without having to hold. Cons, you have to suck a tube to drink, which causes excess air in stomach; it makes you top-heavy, causing you to want to lean forward and lose proper form and posture, you can’t clean in a dishwasher. Belt type systems like Fuel Belt, Amphipod and other generic brands: Pros, holds water, allowing you to stay hydrated without having to hold. Cons, bounces against your body, causing discomfort and chafing; they take away from the efficiency of your arm swing because you are forced to keep your elbows away from your body (Chicken Winging your arms); are not conveniently located, causing you to twist and turn to retrieve them – therefore, any belt type system does takes away the fluency of your motion and you do not maintain proper form and posture; many types make it hard to retrieve the bottles and to replace the little bottles back into the holders; you can’t clean them in a dishwasher. Athletes’ Oasis: Pros, Strap to your hands so wear them, not clutch them; you use one in both hands at the same time so you maintain proper form and posture because you’re balanced with the proper arm swing; enables you to conveniently carry 30 ounces of water to keep you hydrated for hours, keeps your fingers free for multitasking (cell phones, iPods, eating, etc.); has a patented trigger and valve system so you drink without impeding your stride; you open/close with the hand it’s in; it has a large opening that lets you easily control the flow of liquid while continuously walking/running; the top comes off easy for quickly filling; and they are dishwasher safe. http://www.athletesoasis.com/
Cons, The trigger can only be operated with the thumb at this time and should not be used when doing speed work.
The Bald Eagle knows the importance of balance, which is why when it loses a feather on one wing, the matching feather on the opposite wing will soon fall out. You should know the importance of balance too, which is why Athletes’ Oasis has earned the highest recommendation for use while running, walking or doing any other fitness routine. John R. Hobbs is the CEO of Desired Innovations, Inc., holds two patents, has completed three half marathons and four marathons in the last eleven months (Gasparilla Marathon, Tampa, FL. February 2007 - Sarasota Half Marathon, Sarasota, FL. March 2007 - Country Music Marathon, Nashville TN. April 2007 - Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon, San Diego, CA June 2007 -OUC Half Marathon, Orlando, FL. December 2007 - Disney Marathon, Orlando, FL January 2008 and Clearwater Halfathon, Clearwater, FL. January 2008) http://www.athletesoasis.com/ |
