Getting High on Exercise!

We all know that regular exercise is great for toning-up your body, warding-off disease and generally improving your overall health.

But exercise is also a great mood enhancer. It can put a smile on your face when you’re feeling down and boost your energy levels when you’re feeling weary.

But why does this happen? Here are some of the most popular theories which try to explain that exercise high.

The Endorphin Effect

If you go back to our hunter/gatherer days, prolonged physical activity was necessary for our survival. If we didn’t go out chasing animals and rummaging for food, we’d basically starve. It’d therefore make sense if our bodies had a way of reducing pain during the hunt, and somehow make this physical activity more enjoyable.

This is where endorphins come in. They’re chemically similar to morphine, and naturally relieve pain within the body.

Although they’re not fully understood, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that endorphin levels in the blood rise during exercise (and also during sex… but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions there!). These endorphins appear to not only increase our tolerance of pain, but also give us a sense of pleasure and relaxation.

Getting Satisfaction

Exercise can also give you a great sense of achievement, and this could be part of the high that you experience.

Whether you’ve managed to run to the top of a hill without stopping, or survived your first tough exercise class, you can really feel triumphant and get a buzz from a good workout.

Stress-busting Fitness Fantasies

Exercise can also provide a great distraction from life’s troubles. Whether you’re out on a run or in the gym, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about finishing that report, achieving those sales targets or paying the bills.

It’s also amazing how the answers to your problems can somehow pop into your head during a tough training session. As a result, you’ll often come home feeling not only healthier, but a much happier person too.

For daydreamers like me, exercise can also be a time to allow your mind to wander. You can enter into your own private make-believe world, where you can be whoever you want to be and achieve anything you want to achieve (anyone for the 2012 Olympics?!).

Conclusion – Chase that High!

Regular training can definitely perk you up, relieve stress, and give you a heightened sense of well-being.

Whilst the jury is still out as to exactly what causes this high, it does exist and is definitely a habit that’s worth pursuing.

All it takes is a bit of hard work on your part, and you’ll be rewarded with an energy-boosting, exercise-induced, feel-good factor. Best of all, its free, legal and available on-tap!

Surely it’s not something you should be missing out on?

Fancy a Challenge? How about running 7 marathons in 7 continents in just over 5 days!

I love hearing stories about people who push the physical limits of the human body, and take on extraordinary challenges and adventures. Top of my Herculean list at the moment is Richard Donovan, who has just completed a Global Marathon Challenge by running 7 marathons in 7 continents in just over 5 days (and that includes travel!).

Donovan’s recent run around the world began in Antarctica where he battled strong winds, blinding snow and sub-zero temperatures. He then flew to sunny Cape Town, followed by Dubai, London (in the snow!), Toronto, Santiago, and finally Sydney where temperatures rose to 33^o!

He completed this gruelling challenge in a total of 130 hours and 8 minutes. During this time, he ran 295km (183 miles), spent over 62 hours ‘resting’ on planes, and flew 43,000km!

To put this into perspective, running a marathon (26.2 miles) is a pretty tough challenge in itself. However with enough groundwork, plus a beefy mental attitude, I believe it’s well within most people’s reach.

Running back-to-back marathons, however, takes things to a whole new impressive level. This type of endurance event is reserved for the hard core, those who are fit enough and sufficiently foolish to attempt it.

But Donovan’s challenge was no measly trot around a few city parks. Not only did he run a huge distance over a short period of time, he also had to contend with sleep deprivation, jet lag, and extreme temperature and weather changes ranging from deep snow to intense heat!

Compare this to your own training over the last few weeks. If you’ve wimped out of going for a run around the block because you thought you might get a bit damp or cold (especially during the recent snow and rain), then let this story put you to shame! These are just mild inconveniences in comparison!

For further inspiration, and to read more about Donovan’s challenge, and GOAL, the charity he ran for, visit his website at www.worldmarathonchallenge.com.

How Can You Make Running More Fun?

Every runner needs some help to stay motivated from time to time. Here are a few ideas to help keep you on your toes and off the sofa!

1) Run Free

Ditch your schedule, route plan and stopwatch. Head out the door and, once you’re warmed up, literally run like a child. Don’t worry about form, how fast you’re running, where you’re going or how far. Just go for it. Let everything go. Feel the wind in your hair. Enjoy the exhilarating thrill of running fast. It feels good. Feels like you’re flying. Nothing can hold you back…

2) Head for the Hills

Hill training is great for creating “buns of steel”! Not only that but your whole body will get a good workout, including your arms and chest. It’s also enormously beneficial for building strength, endurance and speed.

Try not to approach a hill with a feeling of doom, though. Hills are only hard if you make them hard. Instead, see it as an opportunity to vary your pace and leg stride. Change down a gear and lessen your speed as the gradient increases.  Use your arms to help power you up to the summit.

When you get to the top, allow yourself to revel in that sense of elation. Hurrah you’ve made it! Let the endorphins flow!

Then, liberate your legs and arms as you enjoy some effortless speed on the way back down. This requires a different style and attitude. Relax your whole body, chill out and enjoy the ride!

3) Push the Boundaries

Be progressive. Challenge yourself on your regular run, be it 2 miles or 10. You can do it faster, can’t you?

Time it. Record it. Beat it!!!!!

4) Run to the Beat

Would you go on a long car journey without a radio or music?

Depending on the type of run, music can give you that extra boost when you hit a slump, take your mind off the pain or just put an extra spring in your step.

Invest some time into creating the right playlist for the type of run you’re doing. If you’re going for speedwork, try having a fast beat song, followed by a slower song. Run hard to the fast beat, and then recover listening to something more chilled out.

Make sure you stay safe. Never have headphones on after dark or in unpopulated areas, and be aware of your surroundings.

5) Cool Running Gadgets & Gismos

Although spending your hard-earned cash on the latest running gadget won’t necessarily transform you from a red-faced, wheezing jogger into a finely honed, lean-machine athlete, it can be a good way to help inspire and motivate you.  

Heart rate monitors are great for understanding how hard you’re running, help you track your progress, keep you running at the right intensity and stop you from under or over training.

GPS watches, such as the Garmin, can tell you how fast and how far you’re running including your elevation. They work in a similar way to the Sat Nav in your car. You can even impress your friends and family with how far you’ve run by downloading your routes onto Google Maps!

Similarly, you can use footpods, like those made by Polar, Nike and Suunto. These ingenious gadgets work by monitoring the movement of your foot and transmitting this data back to your watch. You’ll get all the information you need on your running distance, speed, cadence and much more!

Finally…

So now you know that hills don’t have to be horrendous, running like a child and testing yourself can be fun, and music can make your runs rock!  What's more, you no longer need to waste time measuring your routes using a bit of string and a map.  There are plenty of swanky toys on the market that’ll do a much better job, and offer far more entertainment! 

All you need to do now is get out running, and enjoy it!

Motivational Mottos to Spur You into Action

Some of them are my own creation, some I’ve just heard and have stuck in my mind, and others come from books and the internet. All of them make me smile and give me inspiration in different ways.

1)    The smug feeling you get after a workout is far better than the guilty feeling you get if you've given exercise the cold-shoulder. 

2)    “Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today'. ” Peter Maher, Canadian elite marathon runner

3)    Exercise is like mouthwash. If you can feel the burn, it's working!

4)    “Apart from the survival advantage when escaping a sinking ship in a cold ocean, being too fat has nothing but downsides.” Mike Stroud, Survival of the Fittest

5)    “Think of it like sex or a tax rebate. A little is always better than nothing. If all you have is 17 minutes to fit in a run, then run for 17 minutes.”  Runner’s World.

6)    Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows that it must out run the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up you had better be running!

7)    Conditions are never just right. People who put off doing things until all factors are favourable, achieve nothing.

8)    Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from places a shower will never reach!

9)    Force yourself outside the door, once your out, that’s the hardest bit of the workout over and done with.

10)    The more “buts”, the bigger the BUTT!

So that's the motivational bit, now get out there and train!

What’s the Point of Sports Drinks & Gels?: Part 2

Re-fueling on the Run

There’s a variety of sports drinks, gels and bars on the market to provide you with a quick carbohydrate hit whilst on the run. All are designed to boost your energy levels and prevent you from resorting to using fat as a major fuel supply during endurance events.

Research suggests that you should consume between 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour (depending on your size and exercise intensity) when exercising. It's worth noting that this is the maximum amount that your body can deal with, so consuming more than this will not make you run faster or further!

As it takes at least 30 minutes for the carbohydrate to be absorbed into the bloodstream, it’s important to start consuming it before you start feeling tired.

Drink & Be Merry!

Sports drinks are a great way to replenish spent energy and also re-hydrate your drained body.

Most big city marathons have drinks like Lucozade Sport at regular intervals. However many people find that they can’t tolerate the taste or suffer from stomach cramps after drinking it. It's worth experimenting on training runs first!

You can buy other brands, such as the Science in Sport PSP22, which are easier to stomach. However carrying a couple of litres of liquid around 26.2 miles can be a bit cumbersome!

Get Gelled Up!

A logistically easier option is to carry energy gels, which can be tucked into shorts, belts and pockets etc.

They are essentially concentrated drinks of about 100 calories each, and they come in range of flavours and textures.  It's important to take on some water (usually around 200ml) with the gels to help them
get absorbed into your bloodstream.

Beans, Bars & Bananas

Some people carry jelly beans, bars and bananas and munch on them whilst running. These can all be good sources of quick-release energy if you eat a little and often. They also need to be consumed with plenty of water to help them be absorbed.

What Else Should You Know?

You ideally need to strike a balance between carbohydrate availability, performance and minimizing digestive distress. Practice is the best way to do this. 10 miles into your marathon is neither the time nor the place to discover that a particular sports drink gives you diarrhea!

A word of warning, if you're training for less than an hour, you should not be using sports gels or drinks. You only need to be taking on water to avoid dehydration.

Finally, the amount of glycogen stored in your muscles before you set off will have a huge impact on your performance. To boost your glycogen levels, you should eat plenty of carbohydrates in the days before, and morning of your marathon. This will mean that you will be able to run for longer and harder before you have to rely too much on your fat stores (see Part 1) for fuel.