Ramsey Resident - 2000 - May/June

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Activity Minutes Exertion Level Calories Burned Aerobics 45 Moderate 306 Vigorous 428 Basketball 60 Shooting baskets 367 Casual 489 Competitive 653 Bicycling 30 Moderate 326 60 653 30 Vigorous 408 60 816 Hiking 120 Moderate 979 Vigorous 1306 In -line Skating 90 Moderate 612 Vigorous 857 Running 8- minute mile 2041 10- minute mile 1632 12- minute mile 1306 Softball 120 Moderate 1020 Vigorous 1224 14 LET'S GET HEALTHY! Now that the weather is finally beautiful, many folks get outside and get active. But have you ever wondered how many calories you are actually burning up doing your favorite activities? The Web site, www.phys.com, will actually calculate the number of calories that you can burn up while doing your favorite activities. The following activities were selected based on their popularity. The results are based on a middle -aged man at about 180 pounds. I think the results will surprise you. Now, as a result of working out, you are not only burning off calories, you are also losing fluids. Do you feel like you are running out of steam, hitting the proverbial `wall' half way through your work out? Well, according to Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., who has recently published the results a study that she did on exercise and fluid loss in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, without an adequate supply of fluid, working muscles don't get the oxygen they need. The result is that you will tire sooner. So, just how much water do you need? Is it enought to drink eight glasses a day? Dr. Kleiner recommends using the following formula to determine the minimum amount of water you need while exercising: Multiply your weight by 0.04, and double the result. This number corresponds with the minimum amount of eight -ounce glasses of water you need each day to sustain your activities. So, for a 130 -pound woman, this would mean that she would need to drink 10 1 /2 glasses a day — well above the generally accepted eight glasses per day recommendation. Four and a half glasses of this total amount of water can be used before, during and after your daily exercise routine. Dr. Kleiner suggests drinking 2 glasses of water before you start exercising, at least a 1 /2 glass of water during your exercise and 2 glasses of water after you have completed your exercise. In this way, you can maintain and replace fluid levels that will keep you energized and your body hydrated. Many folks think that they do get enough water during the course of the day; that they will drink something when they get thirsty. But Wayne Askew, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Foods and Nutrition at the University of Utah ( www.fdnu.utah.edu /faculty.html) stated that just because you don't feel thirsty doesn't mean that your body doesn't need water. He stated that our thirst mechanism is not one of the better regulatory mechanisms, that by the time you feel thirsty, your body's fluid level is on the decline. Studies have shown that the human body is in a constant state of water loss. When we are not sweating through activity or exercise, we are losing water through skin evaporation. Just the act of breathing causes us to lose another drop or two of moisture. More than any other element, water is what keeps us going. It is the body's transportation system, moving things like oxygen and nutrients that we need and taking away those that we don't. It is also contributes to the regulation of our internal temperature — keeps us from meltdown that fevers, high air temperatures and prolonged exertion can cause. It also fills in around joints acting as a cushion and filling both cells and intercellular space, giving our bodies form. Dion Zappe, a physiologist with Astra Merck drug company, stated that as people age, their ability to sense low fluid balance decrease and they can become seriously dehydrated. He also indicated that so many of the symptoms that we associate with age and the elderly such as memory loss, dizziness, fatigue, poor cognitive function and headaches may be the result of under - hydration, not age. Dr. Zappe indicated that studies have shown that most often these symptoms can be alleviated by increasing the amount of water we drink daily. It has also been suggested through other studies that often our feelings of hunger, irritability, or sleepiness may indicate a mild dehydration and that drinking some water will often make people feel better. So, the next time you feel a headache coming on or a little sleepy, try a glass of water! Success in marriage is not so much finding the right person as it is being the right person. — Anonymous