Saturday, December 3, 2011

DYNABODY FITNESS HOLIDAY CHALLENGE

With the Holiday season coming up quick, exercise is the first thing to go when people are busy. People overindulge at holiday parties and have added pounds to deal with. Did you know that obesity is now considered more dangerous than smoking?

To keep you committed to exercise during the Holiday season I’m putting on a Fitness Holiday Challenge to all my current and former fitness bootcamp participants.

The Fitness Holiday Challenge will work on a point system. You accumulate points based on the time spent exercising.

up to 30 min. of Exercise - 1 point

up to 60 min. of Exercise - 2 points

over 60 min. of Exercise - 3 points

A Maximum of 3 points per day.

EXERCISES THAT COUNT:

Cardio/Aerobic - Running, Step, Skipping, Calisthenics, etc.

Resistance or Training - Weight Lifting, Bodyweight Exercises, Bands, Tubing, etc.

Active Sport - Hockey, Soccer, Racquet sports, Basketball, Volleyball, etc.

Fun/Moderate Activities - Curling, Bowling, Walking, Yoga, etc. * 1 point only.

Now remember - you want to keep your heart rate elevated and should focus on intensity. And don't forget your WarmUp and Cooldown!

For my part, I will include a bodyweight exercise program you can do for the 5 weeks that the bootcamp is off. (We don’t start again until January 17th and 19th)

FREE WORKOUT!

As an added incentive, I will be offering a “workout with Doug session” for one lucky individual – one in December and another in January for all of those who participate in the Challenge. We will hit the gym and go through the paces with a full blown workout session – at no cost to you! (Except for spent calories)

This is a great way to stay motivated and be accountable during the Holiday season!

ps: Even if you don't want to participate and would like to try my Bodyweight Exercise program, send me a quick email at dynabody@gmail.com and I will forward the program for you to try.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

You Can NOT outwork a poor diet.

Last month I mentioned that it is estimated that by 2015 75% of Canada’s population will be overweight or obese. Modern society is obsessed with convenience. We are putting personal entertainment and modern technology at a higher priority than our own health. Simply put, we are Lazy!

-Did you know that obese people sit for 2.5 more hours per day than thin people.

-Did you know that over the past 20 years exercise rates stayed about the same while sitting increased by over 8% and obesity doubled?

All is NOT doom and gloom. Especially if you are in the “majority”. Finding a balance between work, school, family and social life may seem impossible. The question here is how devoted are you to your health and vibrancy? If you keep doing what you have always been doing you’re going to have the energy and body you’ve always had. Your body will adapt to whatever you give it – so it’s time to wake up.

A common misunderstanding is that people who are overweight should stick to cardio workouts so that they can “lose weight” before building muscle. Lifting weights is non-impact. The increased muscle gains will better shape your body than cardio.

Remember that intensity rules no matter what type of exercising you are doing. You need to be sweating and breathing hard to really get results. Too many times I’ve seen people at the gym going through the motions – wasting their time and only fooling themselves. Then wonder why they see no results and quit after a short time period.

And here’s a wake up call - The majority of people that work out are focusing on the wrong thing - not only are they doing things inefficiently but they make no effort to improve their diets.

Simply put - YOU CAN NOT OUTWORK A POOR DIET.

A healthy lifestyle requires both exercise and controlled calorie intake (of the healthy variety).

Here are some pointers;

Keep your heart rate up for the duration of your workout. Use the perceived exertion test 0 if you can talk normally while exercising you aren't working hard enough.

Do weights before cardio to burn more fat. By weight training first you burn off your stored glycogen (carbs) first. After this preferred fuel source is used up, your body has no choice but to dip into fat stores once these carbs are used up.

Add some non-exercise specific activity into your day — like taking the stairs

Stop smoking. The reason many people gain weight after quitting smoking is because they stop "going out" for that smoke, and, start to eat more to curb the craving. And if you do quit - DO NOT "try it"for any reason - you will start again! Continue to go outside for a walk. You will also realize your food will taste better.

Now, regarding food....

Flush your system by drinking water with every meal and avoid caffeine and sugar. Yes, coffee withdrawal will bring on a headache but after a few days the symptoms disappear. Try a herbal or green tea or a hot lemon water instead.

Eat breakfast every day. And that doesn’t mean sugary cereal or bagels either. Have an egg and some oatmeal. Sprinkle cinnamon on your oatmeal – the thermogenic properties help you burn fat.

Eat an apple before your meal. This will help curb your appetite.

Eat whole grain foods (bread and pasta) that include the bran, germ and grain seed (endosperm). Note that 100% whole wheat bread is NOT the same since it made with whole wheat flour which is processed and only consists of a portion of grain’s main nutrients.

Ensure you eat protein with every meal. This helps cut the amount of insulin released in half, which actually helps reduce fat storage.

By combining clean eating with resistance training your body will actually be warmer. It’s not the fat that keeps you warm it’s your metabolism. One pound of muscle burns 50 calories per day while one pound of fat only burns 3 calories. Since lean muscle burns more fuel than fat you need to weight train. Now isn’t that a good thing to know when winter is coming??

Finally, you need to stop worrying about weight and focus more on feeling better about yourself and your body. Just remember, the fat will come off in time. Obsessing about it will result in frustration and lack of motivation. It’s one of the main reasons why most people give up. The weight won’t come off any quicker.

Besides, don’t you feel much better after a good workout?

There are no magic formulas for improving your health. Best results come from a long-term strategy involving eating and activity habits. Take baby steps - you have the rest of your life to run...

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

First Aid & CPR Training

EMERGENCY FIRST AID – CPR

Medical emergencies don't occur every day. But when they do, being well informed can help you deal with these situations. Everyone should learn at least the basic first aid and CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) techniques. You may need to use them at any time at home, at school or work or even while you're traveling. Knowing what to do can make the difference to a person's recovery, and you could even save their life.

The goal in learning first aid is to give care to someone suffering from an injury or medical emergency until trained medical help can arrive.

There are four basic steps to take in an emergency:
· Recognize that an emergency has occurred.
· Decide to act
· Call EMS (Emergency Medical Services)
· Give first aid until help arrives

When calling EMS personnel for help, inform the dispatcher; 1) what has happened 2) the address and 3) the phone number from where you are calling.

A Primary Survey
In any emergency , you must first perform a primary survey to determine if any conditions threaten a casualty’s life. Things to consider;
· is the casualty conscious?
· Are there signs of major bleeding / circulation problems?
· Is the casualty breathing?
· Is the person in shock?

CARDIOVASCULAR EMERGENCIES
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SDA) occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating effectively. SCA is a major cause of death in Canada. In sudden cardiac arrest, the heart no longer pumps blood to the brain. Without the oxygen and nutrients supplied by the blood, brain cells begin to die within minutes, and death soon follows.

What are the odds?
The more people in a given workplace, at a public event, etc, the more likely the occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest.

It is estimated there is one cardiac arrest for every 100,000 life-years.

Life years = # of people per location by the average age.

Example 1: Over 2,000 employees with an average age of 40 years = 80,000 life years.
You can expect at least one incident of sudden cardiac arrest in the workplace per year.

Example 2: At a outside event with 5,000 spectators with an average age of 40 years, it works out to two likely incidents of SCA per year. (ie; (5,000 x 40) /100,000)

Those who are at a high risk of having a Cardiac Arrest include; 1) The elderly
2) People who have high levels of stress
3) People who smoke
4) Lack of physical exercise
5) Poor eating habits.

As you can see, only the first factor is out of everyone’s control. However, aging can be slowed down dramatically with changes to eating habits and introducing physical exercise.

Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
* Persistent Chest Pain
* Difficulty breathing
* Neck, abdominal or back pain (women)
* Pale or bluish skin
* Pulse too fast, too slow, or irregular
* Sweating (stress)Nausea and vomiting

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
CPR can help maintain oxygenation and blood circulation. Without CPR, brain cells begin to die within 4 to 6 minutes. CPR provides a minimum of the normal blood flow to the brain and heart. The chance of survival is very slim (around 2%) unless defibrillation (AED) can be applied within 5 minutes.

Using a Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can increase the chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest by 30 to 74% or more. The AED is a small, easy-to-use device that detects electrical activity of a person’s heart and checks the heart’s rhythm.

The window of opportunity for using an AED is small – defibrillation is best performed within 5 minutes of cardiac arrest. Chances of survival decreases 7-10 percent with every minute that passes after the arrest.

CPR GUIDELINES

For Adults: Chest Compressions are Continuous Try to compress at 100 beats per minute and about two inches (five centimeters) deep until emergency help arrives.

For Children, Infants, Drownings and cases where cardiac arrest hasn't been witnessed, you must do both Chest Compressions and Ventilation.
Ventilation (Rescue Breaths)
Normal breath given over 1 second until chest rises

Chest Compression to Ventilation Ratio:
30:2

Chest Compression Landmarking:
Center of the chest (heel of hand between the nipples) for an Adult or child
Below the nipple line at chest center for an infant

AED - 1 shock then 5 cycles (2 minutes) of CPR.

QUESTIONS???
Can I kill someone if I do CPR incorrectly?
No. The person in cardiac arrest is already clinically dead. CPR can only help.

What if I crack a rib when I do CPR?
Frequently ribs are broken with the pressure CPR places on the sternum. Up to 30% of cardiac arrest victims have broken ribs as a result of CPR. This happens more frequently with older casualties. But remember, it's better to have a cracked rib than be dead.

Will CPR always save a life?
No, in fact, most instances of CPR for cardiac arrest are unsuccessful (2% success rate , 70% with AED)

When should I stop CPR?
When help arrives to take over, or the victim starts to move.

STROKE
A stroke or CVA (cerebrovascular accident) is caused by a blood clot or bleeding from a ruptured artery in the brain. The risk factors for stroke are similar to those of heart disease.

Signs and symptoms of Stroke Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, leg – usually on one side of the body.
Difficulty talking or understanding speech
Dizziness or confusion
Unconscious
Loss of bladder control

Steps to take in case of a Stroke
· Call EMS (911)

Before the ambulance arrives Here are things you can do next;
· Give CPR or mouth to mouth resuscitation if needed.
· Do not attempt to move them. Make the stroke victim as comfortable as possible. Loosen clothing.
· Do not give them anything to eat or drink. Stroke causes the inability to swallow and they could choke. · Do not take aspirin, because you do not know what kind of stroke it is. Though aspirin can reduce blood clot, it could make hemorrhage worse. If an aspirin has been taken that day, be sure to tell the ER. · Breathe Deeply. Taking slow, deep breaths can help to calm the stroke victim, while providing more oxygen to the brain. Keep them lying down and talk to them reassuringly.
· Keep the Head Cool, the body warm. If you have ice packs, you can apply them to the head briefly keep it cool. Wrap in a thin cloth or it will be too cold. Keeping the head cool cuts down on the inflammatory reaction during stroke and may help with the painful headache during stroke. Covering them with a coat or blanket to keep the body warm will prevent shock.

BLEEDING
Severe bleeding is a life-threatening emergency. Direct Pressure should be applied to decrease the bleeding. If you suspect internal bleeding there is little that a first aider can do - call EMS immediately. Do not dismiss a closed wound as “just a bruise”. If a person complains of severe pain or has trouble moving a body part seek medical attention immediately. Severe internal bleeding may cause the casualty to go into shock.

FIRST AID MYTHS
1) Sucking a Snake Bite Slicing into a newly bitten victim and removing the poison by sucking it out does NOT work. The venom doesn’t just sit in the wound waiting for you to remove it. Cutting into the wound will just create infections. Sucking it out with your mouth is even worse - the snake will just get a two-for-one special that way. Call EMS (911) first. Keep the bite below heart level. Wash the area with warm water and soap. Remove constricting clothing and wrap with an elastic pressure bandage.
2) Butter on Burns Butter and oil are great for basting, but unless you want to make a burn worse, leave them in the kitchen. Oils hold in the heat, exactly the opposite of what a burn victim needs. Cool the burned area with water unless a large part of the body is affected. Cover with moist sterile dressing to prevent infection.
3) Putting Something in a Seizure Patient's Mouth to Bite While somebody suffering a seizure may very well bite his or her tongue, it rarely becomes an airway emergency. Seizures look scary, but generally do very little harm. You're more apt to cause an airway blockage by stuffing an object in the seizure victim's mouth.
4) Breathing Into a Paper Bag for Hyperventilation There are a lot of reasons why we hyperventilate (breath fast). In no case is a paper bag indicated as proper treatment. This one is actually very dangerous. DO NOT USE A PAPER BAG FOR HYPERVENTILATION! Instead, tell the casualty to relax and breathe slowly. Reassurance is often enough to correct hyperventilation.
5) Leaning Back with a Nosebleed I know, I know, mom's going to be mad when you bleed on your soccer uniform, but leaning back will cause you to swallow blood. To control a nosebleed, lean forward and pinch the nostrils together until the bleeding stops.

CONCLUSION
I have only touched on some of the major First Aid and CPR Guidelines. In an emergency situation many people will either panic or freeze. By taking a first aid and CPR training course on a regular basis you can retain what you have learned. You can rest assured that you can help a friend, colleague or loved one in the case of an emergency situation.

References/Links:
http://www.redcross.org
http://www.sja.ca
http://www.strokefamily.org/strokeemergency.html

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

DynaBody Fitness Bootcamp Summer Sessions

We are into the beginning of the Summer Fitness Bootcamp sessions that happen each Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Since we have attained the limited number of participants I am allowing for drop-ins. Cost is $10 per class.

Never been? First class is free for first-timers! So bring that friend who’s been procrastinating.

If you would like to participate please email me and I will let you know the particulars.

And don’t forget, one time events are also available. Great for family /work outings and sport teams. Get a gang together and have a blast!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

SUMMER BOOTCAMPS - TUESDAY & THURSDAY

FINAL BOOTCAMP

This week is the final bootcamps of the spring session. I’ve seen some great progress by all of the participants. Great job everyone! Remember – “USE IT OR LOSE IT”

These last two classes are open to all so if you’d like to join in and have fun feel free to come on down!

Tuesday: Bannatyne School Thursday: Strathmillan School 6:30 to 8:00 pm

SUMMER FITNESS BOOT CAMPS – starts the following week!

The Summer Fitness Bootcamp sessions are planned for Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings – starting June 28th and June 30th and runs through to September.

This 1 hour session will be a good challenge for all.

Cost is $75 for 10 Tuesday or 10 Thursday classes. All 20 classes for just $100!

Start time is 6:30pm.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

WALK FOR ALS

Thanks to all that participated in the Walk for ALS – held Saturday June 4th at at Assiniboine Park.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal, rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease that currently affects between 2,500 and 3,000 Canadians, more than 200 of which live right here in Manitoba. Money raised in the Walk for ALS not only goes towards research to find a cure for ALS, it also helps to provide support services to families affected by ALS.

Last year, Winnipeg’s Walk raised over $108,000, thanks to the efforts of more than 700 combined walkers and volunteers, as well as our many generous sponsors.

You can still donate – please visit the ALS Website for more info.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Bootcamp Location Changes

Please note the following Fitness Bootcamp Location changes:

Thursday, May 26th - class will be held in the Small gym at Strathmillan School.

Tuesday, May 31st - class will be held in the Large gym at Strathmillan School. Please use the parking lot and enter on the East side of the gym.

See you there!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

No Evening Bootcamp Classes next Week - March 29th to 31st

Due to school spring break there will be no evening fitness bootcamps on March 29th or 31st.

Enjoy your time with you kids and family and don't forget - "Use it or Lose it!"

Saturday, March 12, 2011

I’d like to thank all those who participated in my survey sent out last month. Your responses were fantastic! – and muchly appreciated!

As mentioned, Dynabody Fitness & Health is expanding it’s services. We will be offering a wide range of practical and effective fitness programs, seminars and wellness services, especially designed for businesses and their employees, along with fun activities and events for sports teams, interest groups and individuals..

Our website has been greatly improved so check it out: Dynabody.ca

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

I need your help

Feedback is important to the continuous improvement of the quality of our fitness programs.

I have a short survey that I hope you can spend a few minutes to complete. Please click on the following link to start the survey: Click here

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/38HC9CZ

YOU are important to us and we need your honest and objective evaluation so that we can provide better programs in the future. YOU are important to us and we need your honest and objective evaluation so that we can provide better programs in the future. And plans are in the works to expanding services available to you!

Dynabody Fitness & Health will be offering a wide range of practical and effective fitness programs, seminars and wellness services, especially designed for businesses and their employees, along with fun activities and events for sports teams, interest groups and individuals.

Our mission is to empower individuals to enrich their quality of life through the promotion of health and fitness.

Your opinion is important to our success! I’d like to personally thank you for taking time to complete this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/38HC9CZ , and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Doug Yaholkoski

DYNABODY FITNESS & HEALTH

Enhancing Individual, Work & Family well-being

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Fitness Bootcamp starts soon!!!

The Fitness Bootcamps start this February 1st and 3rd in the Winnipeg/St.James area!

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp is a fun and exciting workout for all fitness levels, sizes, and ages (16+)! Each class will help improve your anaerobic/aerobic conditioning, coordination and timing. Have you ever tried kettlebells? an exercise ball? What about a bosu balance trainer? This Bootcamp has many innovative activities that incorporate calisthenics, obstacle courses, functional circuit training, abdominal and core body exercises along with games and martial arts techniques. And the best thing is – it’s fun!

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp has two 10 class evening sessions available from 6:30 to 8:00 pm

Tuesday classes: Bannatyne School, 363 Thompson Drive, starting February 1st, 2011 (WFT1-11)

Thursday classes: Strathmillan School, 339 Strathmillan Road., starting Feb 3rd, 2011 (WFT2-11)

Check out the video at: Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp promo

This is just one of the new and exciting classes offered by the St. James-Assiniboia School Division Continuing Education program. To inquire on this and other Continuing Education classes please phone 832-9637 or email coned@sjsd.net . Go Online at: http://www.localcourses.com/sjsd/

If you have any questions or concerns you can also reach me directly via email: dynabody@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!