Stay Hydrated to Stay Healthy

Are you drinking enough water? Here in the developed world, we’re blessed with an abundance of clean, healthy water—but that doesn’t mean we’re getting our fill.

Importance of Water

Water comprises about 70 percent of the human body and 85 percent of the brain. It is the most vital nutrient—in fact, the only thing the body craves more than water is oxygen. Water is critical for optimal health and brain function. Water plays a significant role in several important processes in the body.

Adequate hydration:

·      Aids in digestion

·      Metabolizes fat

·      Maintains body temperature

·      Transports nutrients throughout the body

·      Flushes toxic waste from the body

·      Maintains body temperature

·      Regulates blood pressure

·      Provides energy

Signs of Dehydration

Most of us are chronically dehydrated. Unfortunately, we may be drinking too little water and too many beverages that are loaded with caffeine and sugar, which rob the body of precious water.

Thirst is not a good indicator of the body’s need for water. In fact, once you experience thirst, you are already dehydrated. Furthermore, many people often mistake thirst for hunger. If you’re hungry all the time, you may actually be dehydrated.

Dehydration is the number one cause of daytime fatigue and the number one cause of memory loss. Some other signs of dehydration include:

·      Dry skin

·      Constipation

·      Flushed face

·      Darker, concentrated urine

·      Sunken eyes

·      Headache

·      Dizziness

·      Muscle cramping

·      Impatience

·      Irritability

·      Fainting

·      Cold hands and feet

·      Drowsiness

Effects of Dehydration

Dehydration can have countless effects on the body, but the most common effects are fatigue, constipation, and elevated blood pressure. Chronic dehydration results in blood that is thicker and more viscous. As a result, the body has to work harder to push blood through the veins and blood pressure becomes elevated. Furthermore, the body fails to produce enough digestive juices, resulting in slowed digestion and constipation. And a slowed metabolism results in feelings of fatigue.

How Much Water Do You Need?

You may have heard that you need to drink 8-10 glasses of water each day. Although this myth has been dispelled countless times in the media, it persists. The truth is that our water needs vary depending on several factors: climate, muscle mass, level of physical activity, and diet. Individuals with a higher level of muscle mass require more water, which is why men often need more than women. Warmer temperatures and increased physical activity are also associated with higher water needs. Cold weather is no excuse to skip water—especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying winter sports, such as skiing and snowshoeing.

There is no perfect equation to determine how much water you need—it’s an individual matter. Some physicians recommend drinking the equivalent (in ounces) of half your body weight (in pounds). For example, a 120-pound woman would require 60 ounces of water per day according to this equation. The equation isn’t perfect, but it is a good starting point. You can monitor and adjust based on your activity level and climate. One good way to monitor your hydration levels is to evaluate the color of your urine—if your urine is clear (or almost clear), you’re probably sufficiently hydrated. Darker or colored urine can be a sign of dehydration; however, some medications and supplements can affect the color of urine as well.

Tips for Staying Hydrated

Staying hydrated is one of the simplest things you can do to take care of your health. If you think you suffer from chronic dehydration, follow these tips to incorporate more water into your diet. Your body will thank you.

·      Drink a glass of water first thing upon waking in the morning.

·      Carry water with you at all times so that you can sip throughout the day.

·      Avoid excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, which will only serve to dehydrate you.

·      Choose natural, whole foods that have high fluid contents (such as fruits and vegetables).

·      Drink before, during, and after exercise.

·      Drink before you feel thirsty.

Zenergy Sponsors AquAbility

Zenergy is proud to sponsor AquAbility, a non-profit corporation committed to providing therapeutic recreation through swimming for people with a variety of physical challenges. AquAbility serves Idaho residents with physical challenges, disabled athletes from around the nation, visiting disabled athletes, cross training Paralympians, and wounded war veterans.

We’ve partnered with AquAbility to provide the practice facility—but it’s really our awesome swim master Karen Morrison who brings this program to life by working with local participants to help them learn to swim despite their challenges. “Swimming is an activity that can be done independently—and this is a priceless freedom,” Karen explains.

Just ask Jet Turner, who has incomplete quadriplegia, with limited use of his legs and good use of his arms, but not his hands. “I started swimming with AquAbility at its inception in 2010, and have found swimming a sport that I can do completely without assistance,” he says.

The Power of Water

Why swimming? Swimming is unique because it provides a neutral-gravity aerobic training environment to everyone. In other words, it’s the great equalizer. In the water, anyone can reap the benefits of aerobic exercise. This aerobic exercise provides not just muscle and aerobic conditioning, but also an opportunity for body awareness and the confidence that comes with meeting physical challenges. And of course—freedom and independence.

“I’ve always enjoyed being in the water and now, after my injury, more than ever,” explains Dan Cnossen, who served with the U.S. Navy SEALs and was injured in Afghanistan, resulting in the amputation of both legs above the knee. Dan is now a member of the U.S. Paralympic biathlon/cross country ski team and has spent time in the Zenergy pool working on his swimming technique with Karen. “It was a great learning experience,” he says. “She improved my stroke tremendously and I feel much more aware of what my body is doing and needs to do as I move through the water.”

The Benefits of AquAbility

AquAbility is designed to foster physical and cognitive benefits, raise self-esteem, promote fitness, encourage and cultivate social interaction, improve quality of life, and to allow for independence in the sport of swimming for physically and visually challenged adults and children.

AquAbility is available to people of all ages who are challenged by a variety of permanent physical restrictions which limit their activities, including but not limited to: paralysis, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, visual or auditory impairment, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputations, spinal cord injuries, brain injury, and wheelchair users.

Participants like Jet and Dan are a testament to the value of the program. “Swimming is a great total body workout. My range of motion has improved, along with my muscle strength and coordination,” Jet says. “I have also made many new friends. I compete in swim meets and continue to swim/train with AquAbility twice each week. I love the workout and Karen pushes me to be better and try harder.  I can even swim Butterfly now!”

Find Your Heart Rate Training Zones

So, you’re ready to use a heart rate monitor—but how do you find your zones?

The Karvonen Formula is one of the most effective ways to determine training zones because it takes the resting heart rate into account, which is a good indicator of fitness levels. To find your heart rate training zones, follow the procedure below.

1. Find your average Resting Heart Rate (RHR) by taking your heart rate first thing in the morning (before even getting out of bed) for at least 3 days in a row. Place a heart rate monitor on your bedside table or use the tried and true method of taking your pulse for an entire minute. Take the average of three days to determine your RHR.

2. Find your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) by using one of the following methods:

• Age Predicted Max Heart Rate: Use the standard formula of 220 minus your age (which only holds true for a small part of the population.)
• 5 Kilometer Race Test: Enter a 5K race (cross-country ski, snowshoe, bike, run, whatever) and during the last 1-2 minutes, go to a full sprint. Add 5 beats to the highest number recorded during this period to estimate your MHR (because of muscle fatigue, you cannot drive yourself all the way to true max.)
• The Two-to-Four-Minute Test: Perform this test with a partner. Warm up for at least 15 minutes. Gradually increase speed and resistance so that HR increases by 5 beats every 15 seconds. At each 15-second interval, your partner shouts your exercise time and HR. Keep going until, even with increased effort, your HR no longer increases. At this point, your breathing is labored and difficult. Remember, Max HR is very uncomfortable! It should take you 2-4 minutes if your partner has helped you set the pace correctly.
• Biggest Number Test: If you have been wearing a heart rate monitor for a while, go with the biggest number you have ever seen on the monitor.
• Talk Test: Exercise until you find talking uncomfortable. Add 30-40 beats as a “guesstimate” of MHR.

3. Determine your Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) by subtracting your RHR from MHR:

                        MHR – RHR = HRR

4. Transfer the HRR you just calculated into the HRR column below, multiply it by the listed percentages and then add your RHR back into the second column.

ZONE	HRR	x Intensity	+ RHR	=TRAINING HEART RATE
55%		X .55
60%		X .60
65%		X .65
70%		X .70
75%		X .75
80%		X .80
85%		X .85
90%		X .90

Remember, if you want to exercise at a moderate intensity level, you will spend most of your time in the 65-80% range.

90 Days to a New You

Are you ready to kick-start your year with a complete fitness and nutrition program? Zenergy is launching another 90-Day Challenge—and this program has proven results!

"I never thought that getting fit would be so fun and educational,” says Mary Ann Chubb, one of the many participants who have taken—and conquered—the 90-Day Challenge.  “Working out in a group was really motivating for me. Not only did I learn new fitness routines, but I also learned how to eat in a way that nourished my body. During the program, I gained muscle, lost fat, and had lots of energy to sustain me throughout the day."


You don’t have to starve yourself or slog through endless hours of exercise to get results. Instead, you need the right recipe for success and Brenda Powell, one of our talented personal trainers and fitness instructors, is here to dish it up.

Here’s what you can expect from the 90-Day Challenge:

Getting Started

·      Individual Meetings: At the beginning of the 90-Day Challenge, Brenda meets individually with each participant to set goals, review current eating habits, and discuss injuries, food, allergies, concerns, and more. What’s more, she’ll help you develop a customized weekly workout plan.

·      Body Composition Analysis: The body composition analysis helps you establish a baseline so you can measure success. You’ll undergo the analysis before, during, and after the challenge.

·      Pictures: We’ll take “before” pictures so that at the end of the 90 days, you can see how far you’ve come.

During the Challenge

·      Group Workouts: There are two group workouts per week. These sessions provide motivation, camaraderie—and invaluable personal attention to help you develop safe, effective fitness habits.

·      Nutrition Talk: During the challenge, Brenda offers at least one nutrition talks to discuss the importance of protein, food timing, ingredients, label reading, and more.

·      Supermarket Safari: Having trouble navigating the grocery store? Brenda will take you on a supermarket safari where you’ll practice your new label-reading skills.

·      Food Journal: A food journal is an excellent tool for building awareness and accountability. By tracking your eating habits, you’ll be able to make lasting changes. You’ll turn your food journal in every week for feedback.

·      Body Composition Analysis: The best way to measure your progress…is to measure your progress. You’ll undergo body composition analysis halfway through the challenge so that you can celebrate your success and make any necessary adjustments.

·      Recipes and Handouts: You won’t be going it alone. Brenda will provide constant support in a variety of ways, including handouts and new recipe ideas.

·      Education: The best part of the 90-Day Challenge (well, aside from the amazing results you’ll experience)? You’ll learn fitness and nutrition skills that you can use forever. Learn how to balance your interests to create a well-rounded fitness program. Learn how to support yourself with proper nutrition. Learn how to build a lifetime of optimal health.

·      Email Support: Have a question during the challenge? You’ll be able to reach out to Brenda and get an answer.

After the Challenge

·      Body Composition Analysis: We’ll measure your body composition one more time so you can celebrate your amazing results.

·      Pictures: We’ll take pictures so you can compare the “before” and “after” pictures. It’s the perfect visual proof of your success.

·      A New You: Past participants in the 90-Day Challenge have lost an average of 12-15 pounds and 10 percent body fat!

·      Reformed Habits: The 90-Day Challenge is just the beginning. The challenge will launch you into a lifetime of healthy habits.

So, what are you waiting for? Commit to 90 days that will change your life. Join Brenda at noon on Friday January 25, 2013 in the Zenergy lobby to learn more.

Using a Heart Rate Monitor for the Best Results

Want to maximize your fitness results? A heart rate monitor could be the cheapest personal trainer you ever “hire.”

A heart rate monitor is a simple, efficient tool that monitors intensity and helps you create an individualized training program that is customized to fit your body and needs. Some people don’t exercise hard enough, while others exercise too hard—a heart rate monitor takes the mystery out of the process.

Understanding Heart Rate

Unless you are a professional athlete, you don’t need to understand all of the complicated science of exercise—you only need to know the basics. In order to build fitness, you want to strike the right balance between aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

• Aerobic exercise refers to the body’s fat-burning capability. An example of aerobic exercise is a long, slow bike ride at a comfortable pace where you can talk.
• Anaerobic exercise refers to the body’s sugar-burning capability. An example of anaerobic exercise is a sprint to the finish at the end of a bike race.

Your current fitness level and your fitness goals will determine how much time you spend training aerobically and anaerobically.

Target Heart Zone

You may have heard people referring to their “target heart zone.” This is a bit of a misnomer, as there are actually five true heart rate training zones (see chart below), but most people refer to the aerobic training zone as the “target heart zone” because that’s the one where we should spend the majority of our time.

By exercising in an aerobic heart zone, you teach your body to choose fat as its fuel source. The Maximum Aerobic Heart Rate is the heart rate at which you get the maximum aerobic benefits with the least amount of anaerobic stimulation. (For most people this is 80%.) When you train below this ceiling, you are actually training your body to choose fat as its fuel source (over glucose) and teaching it to use oxygen more efficiently.

The average exerciser who wants to increase fitness and lose weight should spend the majority of their exercise time between 65-80% of their maximum heart rate. Most people really only need to focus on three zones (based on a simplified version of the five zones).

A good rule of thumb is to look at your workouts for the week and plan to spend:

·      70% of your time in your target zone (which we are calling 65-80%)

·      10% above it (working harder at Anaerobic Threshold; sprints, intervals)

·      20% below it (warm up and recovery)

Benefits of Training Aerobically

There are many benefits to exercising in the aerobic heart zone (below 80%):

• Heart size increases (can pump more blood so heart doesn’t work as hard)
• Decrease in exercise heart rate
• Decrease in resting heart rate
• Increase in oxygen uptake in muscle fibers
• Increase in capillarization (builds more capillaries)
• Increase in fat utilization

It’s important to note that none of this happens when you exercise in the anaerobic zone. If you want to see the best results from your exercise, stick to a moderate (aerobic) intensity to get the most bang for your buck.

Heart Rate Training Zones
Zone	Percent of MHR	Description
Recovery	50-60%	This is very low-impact activity such as walking the dogs. You don’t feel winded or fatigued in this zone. The recovery zone has its place, but it won’t make you more fit.
Endurance	60-70%	This is fairly low-impact, could include walking, hiking, jogging, cycling, etc. You’ll break a sweat, but you’ll feel energized rather than super fatigued after working in this zone.
Aerobic	70-80%	This is moderate activity. You’re working, but you’re staying somewhat in the comfort zone. You can still talk and you shouldn’t feel exhausted after a workout in this zone. You could spend several hours working in this zone and will likely spend the majority of your exercise time here.
Threshold	80-85%	You’re on the aerobic/anaerobic threshold. You’re working hard, maybe doing intervals or just riding/skiing/running hard. You can only maintain this zone for about 15-55 minutes. You’re tired after working here and should take a day of recovery the next day. Use this zone 1-3 times a week, depending on your goals.
Anaerobic	85-92%	This is red-line, all-out sprint. You should spend very little time here. A true all-out sprint lasts all of about 10-20 seconds. You shouldn’t spend more than 2-4 minutes in this zone, once a week.

Exercise Intensity

Choose the right intensity level for the optimal results.

You may have heard that you need to exercise at a moderate intensity level to see results, but how do you define “moderate” and how do you know when you’re there?

Understanding Intensity

Exercise intensity refers to how much work is being done during exercise. Intensity level is the key to efficient exercise. Your intensity level will determine how much oxygen your body uses during exercise and how many calories you burn.

Intensity level is an individual measurement—what feels challenging to one person may feel easy to another. These differences are based on fitness levels, size, strength, genetics, and environmental factors. Don’t rely on a piece of exercise equipment to tell you the intensity level of your exercise. Instead, learn to identify and monitor intensity for yourself.

Choosing an Intensity Level

Monitoring and adjusting intensity levels is one of the best ways to improve fitness.

Exercise does not always have to be intense to be effective; there are reasons to exercise at different intensity levels at different times. The key is balance and variety.

In general, it is best to spend the majority of exercise time at a moderate intensity level. Low intensity exercise is valuable for building endurance and recovering, but if you spend too much time exercising at a low intensity level, you may not see improvements in fitness or weight loss. High intensity exercise is valuable for increasing your aerobic threshold, but if you spend too much time exercising at a high intensity level, you run the risk of injury and overtraining. What's more—high intensity exercise requires the right amount of rest and recovery in order to be beneficial.

Opt for middle ground most of the time—with some high and low variations.

Monitoring Your Intensity Level

How can you assess your intensity level? It may take a little practice, but you can learn to identify what low, moderate, and high intensity feels like. Remember, you don’t want exercise to feel easy, but you also don’t want it to feel challenging beyond your limits. Here are three ways to find a moderate intensity level:

• Talk Test: The talk test is a subjective way of measuring intensity level. If you can utter brief sentences, but cannot sing a song, you are probably exercising at a moderate intensity level. If you need to take a breath between every word you say, you are working at a high intensity level. Conversely, if you can talk in complete paragraphs or feel like you could belt out a rendition of your favorite song, you are exercising at a very low intensity—and may need to step it up.
• Rate of Perceived Exertion: Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is another subjective tool for measuring intensity level. RPE is an individualized scale ranging from 1-10 that allows you to rate how you feel during exercise. Often, you will see the RPE chart posted in gyms or fitness studios. Healthy adults are should aim for an RPE of 5-7 in order to achieve a moderate intensity level.
• Heart Rate Monitor: A heart rate monitor is an invaluable tool for providing precise information regarding your heart rate and exertion level. Many people refer to their “target heart zone” as the heart rate range in which they are exercising moderately. Determining your target heart zone will help ensure that you exercise at the proper intensity level every time.

Get Intense

Intensity level is the key to exercising right. Often, people who are exercising every day, but seeing zero results need only to increase their intensity level to see changes in their fitness and their body. There is a whole lot of science behind it, but it really doesn’t have to be complicated. Just remember—work hard, sweat, breathe hard, and opt for effort, not struggle. Good luck!