KINFIT

R.I.C.E.

RICE is the acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. It is a common treatment used immediately after any kind of joint or soft tissue injury such as sprains, strains, and contusions (eg. knee or ankle sprains). Together, the components of RICE will help decrease pain and inflammation (swelling) which occurs after acute injuries and help promote healing and flexibility. Following these steps will improve the effectiveness of recovery from soft tissue injuries.

Rest - Rest the injured area by stopping and taking a break from any activity that causes pain.
Ice - Put an ice pack to the injured area for 10-20 minutes. This will help decrease pain and prevent/reduce swelling. Do not apply ice directly on skin. Place it in a plastic bag or towel before applying.
Compression - Wrap/compress the ice on the injured area with an elastic bandage. This will help reduce swelling.
Elevation - Raise and keep the injured area above the level of the heart to help minimize swelling.

Rest Principle for Strength Training

In order for any gains in muscular stength, endurance and hypertrophy to occur, adequate rest periods between workouts is needed so that the muscles trained can recover. When adequate rest occurs the lifter should be stronger at the next training session. 48 hours for a specific muscle group is the general rule - some muscles require more and some less. Longer recovery is needed if training intensity is high and less if low. Variations of the rest principle can be manipulated to create different training effects or adaptations.

Don't forget to watch our latest episode or any that you may have missed and be sure to check back next week for Episode 10! Have a great week!

FITT Principle

The F.I.T.T. principle is a basic set of rules or guideline for exercise prescription or training. The acronym stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type (cardiorespitory or resistance traning). This basic principle is applicable to individuals exercising at low to moderate levels. Below are the recommended set of guidlines to follow that you can use to determine whether or not you are exercising or being active enough.

Frequency - 3-5 days per week
Intensity- 50-85% of HRmax (maxium heart rate)
Time - 20-60 minutes
Type - Aerobic or Resistance Training (1 set, 8-12 reps, 2x/week)

Be sure to check back next week for our Thanksgiving day episode!

Balancing act

Hope everyone managed to have a fun and active weekend. Here's a nice report about physical activity and health benefits done by CBC (Benefits of physical activity 'irrefutable). Also check out our quick FitTip below on balance and don't forget to visit back next week for Episode 5! Have a great week!

FitTip
As we get older we begin to lose our sense of balance, which is why it is very important to improve and maintain our balance through training and exercise. You don't necessarily need fancy expensive equipment to do this, nor do you have to go to a gym. Balance training can be done right at home, all it takes is a little effort and some creativity. A simple yet challenging exercise for most people would be standing on one leg. Once you've become well at it you can challenge yourself further by closing your eyes or having someone give you light taps or pushes. You can set goals for yourself by keeping track of the number of times you touch down with the opposite leg and the length of time you can maintain your balance each time you do it. You can even modify existing exercises such as doing a one arm bent over row with one hand on a stability ball or standing on one leg. There are alot of ways you can modify exercises to include balance and proprioception so we'll be sure to go over some on future KinFit episodes, so keep watching!

Stay cool and avoid dehydration!

Hi everybody! With all the hot and humid weather we've been having in Montreal here is a short FitTip to help everyone stay hydrated and cool when having fun under the sun!

FitTip
Exercising outdoors can be fun but when the temperature rises above 23-25 degrees, our bodies have to work harder to keep cool. When you add humidity to the equation, the sweat we produce has little chance to evaporate, which negates its ability to lower body temperature. Exercising in such conditions will increase sweat rates and hasten dehydration. An average sized individual (100-170 lbs) can lose between 1.5-3.5 L of water through sweat for every hour they exercise, so it is important to stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

The ACSM suggests consuming 150-300 ml of fluid for every 15 mins during intense exercise (eg. running, cycling, soccer, rugby, etc). It is also recommended that children should consume around 120-175 ml of fluid every 15 minutes. Athletes are encouraged to consume 500 ml of fluid 2 hours before a workout and another 590-710 ml post exercise.

So what should you drink? Water is usually the fluid of choice when workouts last 60 minutes or less, while sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade, with its added sodium and electrolytes, is the recommended choice during and after workouts that last longer for 1 hour.

For more information about hydration you can visit the Gatorade Sports Science Institute and be sure to check back next week for Episode 3 where we'll be talking about more ways to stay cool and to avoid heat illnesses when exercising!

What comes first? Sunscreen or bug spray?

Hope everyone had a great Canada Day weekend. We're off this week but we'll be back next week with Episode 2 so stay tuned! In the meantime here's a useful FitTip and food tip for everyone. Have a great week!

FitTip

What comes first? Sunscreen or bug spray? Actually, a research team in Winnipeg found that people were likely to absorb 2 times more DEET when they put on bug spray and sunscreen together. Parents should exercise a bit more caution when applying both on children. However, it basically comes down to weighing the benefits of bug spray and potential infections from these bugs. The last word? When used correctly, DEET is safe. So, put sunscreen on about 20 minutes before you put on bug spray.

InFOODmation

Trans-Fat is short for Trans Fatty Acids and is actually made from combining vegetable oil and hydrogen under conditions of special temperatures and pressure to form a solid substance. This process of hydrogenation also gives it the name of "partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oil." This type of fat may lead to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, can increase the level of bad cholesterol and decrease the level of good cholesterol in the blood. The problem is, many foods contain this type of fat, mostly commercially sold food. An easy way to see if the food you are buying contains this type of fat is to look at the nutrition label or ingredients list and see if trans-fat or any type of hydrogenated oil is named. Fast food restaurants also use this type of oil to prepare their food since trans fat has a longer shelf life and is easy to store. The good news is, many of these restaurants and food manufacturers are beginning to switch to less harmful oils. So be sure to read your food labels!! For more details, visit the Health Canada website and CBC Indepth: Trans Fats.