Does the music we exercise to really matter? According to an article in the NY times and a study published last year, it really does matter. Participants rode a stationary bicycle at a pace they felt was comfortable enough to maintain for thirty minutes for three separate rides. On each ride the same six songs were played but on each ride the tempo of the songs changed, either slower or faster than the original tempo without the riders knowing it. As you can imagine when the tempo slowed so did their pedaling, mileage, heart rate and even their level of enjoyment for the song. When the tempo speed increased; their speed, mileage and heart rate increased. Surprisingly their level of enjoyment for the music, the same music, increased.   Unfortunately the tempo of the music didn’t change the comfort level of the exercise. But it did seem to motivate participants to push harder and go faster. The article in the NY Times states that multiple experiments have found that your body responds to the beat of the music, which results in you moving faster or pushing yourself harder. Our bodies want to synchronize to the music we listen to. We naturally want to tap our feet or sway to the beat when we hear music. Take advantage of this phenomenon and let it help you increase the tempo of your workout.  So next time you plan for a run, load up your playlist with some up tempo Justin Bieber and leave the Jack Johnson behind. Our bodies are made to move to the music. So let’s move.
NY Times article referenced is titled: Phys Ed: Does Music Make You Exercise Harder? By Gretchen Reynolds.

Check out this link to find all the parks and amenities in your zip code!

http://gethealthyclarkcounty.org/chronic_disease/ptp_home.html

1.Look up when on the treadmill. Avoid looking down while running on a treadmill. You may end up tripping or straining your neck. Focus your eyes on something at eye level like the display monitor.

2. Avoid leaning on the handlebars of the stair climber or elliptical machine. Stand with your chest high and your head and spine aligned. If you are on a machine with handles, hold them so your hands are below shoulder level. 

3. Use foot straps when cycling. This will help you push and pull the pedals properly. Your lower body really can benefit from the pulling up on the pedals motion. When you are pushing with your left foot, your right should be pulling up. 
 

Perhaps you have been waking up early to fit in your morning walk for the past few weeks. You are feeling great about your effort and anticipate seeing real results this time. You are excited to jump on the scale and see your progress!  You anticipate all your hard work paying off in pounds shed but after seeing the scale you quickly become discouraged seeing that the scale has not budged very much. Do not  despair! Keep in mind that you do loose fat during the first few weeks of working out but that you are also building muscle at the same time. Especially if you are doing any strength training exercises. The lean stuff is more dense and takes us less space than fat so you will probably lose inches before you drop weight. Try measuring your progress instead of weighing yourself. Every week record the circumference of your waist, hips, and chest. Seeing those digits go down will keep you motivated and show you that your hard work does pay off!

As you get ready for your pool party and BBQs this holiday weekend, keep in mind the importance of safety in and around your pool!

Jointly developed by the American Red Cross and the National Swimming Pool Foundation, Home Pool Essentials: Maintenance and Safety teaches home pool owners the basics of pool and hot tub maintenance along with strategies for creating a safer environment.
For only $19.95, you receive 6 months of access to the online course, a printable resource guide and a record of completion.In about 2 hours, this course provides information to help make pool and hot tub care easier for home owners as well as steps to help prevent, plan for and respond to emergencies in and around the home pool.
The Southern Nevada Health District would like to provide you with a 10% discount off the registration price.  Register today at www.HomePoolEssentials.org and use discount code HW3A7732.

Whether it is soccer in the park, a bike ride, a hike in the mountains, or just a day in the garden, when the summer heat comes it is important to be prepared.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are dangerous side effects of overdoing summer exercise. These come when the body can no longer sustain the pace, the heat, the humidity, or the loss of fluid.  The body cools off by sweating, and as long as you remain hydrated, the body is able to cool itself off.
When you become dehydrated, the problems start.
Signs of heat related illness include general fatigue, weakness, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, and an increase in body temperature.
This doesn’t mean you have to abandon your quest for a great summer workout. Just follow these simple guidelines to exercise smart in the heat. 

•  Take it Slow.  Take it easy at first.  As your body adapts to the heat, gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts or your time outside.
• Drink Plenty of Fluids.  Drink plenty of water while you are working out- even if you don’t feel thirsty.   Try to avoid drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol, which actually promote fluid loss.
• Dress Appropriately.  Wear lightweight, loose fitting clothing promotes sweat evaporation and cooling by letting more air pass  over your body.  Avoid cark colors which absorb heat.
• Avoid the mid-day sun.  Plan your outdoor activity for the morning or evening- when it is cooler outdoors. 
• Wear sunglasses and sunscreen. Protect your skin and eyes from the harsh sun!

Darling Tennis Center. Want a great place to play tennis this weekend? Reserve a state of the art court for only a few dollars an hour. Playing here makes you feel like a tennis pro! http://darlingtenniscenter.net/
 
Moon Light Hike. On Friday May 28th come on a led a led easy one mile  hike to explore sections of the River Mountains Loop Trail and a sand wash near Boulder Beach at night! To discover the desert on this night, call 293-8990, for more information about time and location.

Moon Light Race. Want something a little faster pace?  Check out the Moonlight Madness: 5K, 10K or Half races on May 29th. A race at night is MUST DO experience everyone should have! For more information check out their website, http://desertdashlv.com/course_maps

Bump ,set, spike it! We might not have beach access here in the valley, but don’t let that stop you from playing some volleyball. Go to our Places to Play webpage, select a zip code and look for the volleyball icon (or other park amenities).  Select a park where you can meet up with friends for a pickup game. http://gethealthyclarkcounty.org/chronic_disease/ptp_home.html

Ok, before you roll your eyes and yawn, read on and let me repeat and explain. Running… is… fun. Not fun in the loud partying with your friends’ kind of way. No, the fun of running comes quietly, almost slyly. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it.  It comes on its own terms.  It can’t be manufactured.  It must come to you. And it will, if you’re patient.
Running IS fun. It’s so simple. And so easy to forget.
My latest reminder came Wednesday afternoon when I went out with some of my friends for a run.  We often run together as they are training for a marathon and I am training for a half marathon.  They were planning to run 7 miles that night, and I was going to run 5. As we started our run, I was feeling a little sluggish. I just wanted to get it over with so I could go home, take a shower and put on my PJ’s.  I was feeling OK  a couple miles in, moving along at a even pace like normal.  And as I kept running I began to feel better and better, and before I knew it I had passed my turn around point.  Looks like I will be running the whole 7 miles with my friends, I thought. Then I smiled. I think I actually laughed out loud, a little bit.  That’s when it hit me: Hey, this is fun.
Here’s the thing: the fun had nothing to do with how fast I was running or how slow. The fun was merely in the consistency, and in knowing that I’ve managed somehow to train my body to “know” what a 7 mile run feels like and then to be able to run it and know it won’t kill me.  All I know is that on that day, out on the trail running with my friends, a feeling washed over me that could only be described as “fun.”
A little nerdy? Sure. But I think you know what I am getting at. You don’t always have to run your fastest time, or be the first to cross the finish line to have fun and ejoy it. The fun comes when you least expect it, like out on a  7 mile  run that you didn’t even want to go on!

-Amanda Reichert, Health Educator II

When people talk about wanting to exercise more or start working out again, those words are often followed by talk of needing to go to the gym more or needing to join a gym. We often associate exercise with the gym.  The gym is a great place to be active and provides many many ways for people to achieve their fitness goals, but the gym is not the only answer. It’s time to think outside of the gym!  There are many opportunities to reach your fitness goals outside of the gym.

Hit the pavement. Exercising outside is probably the best and most simple way to exercise without a gym membership. There are no fees and contracts with the outside world and the hours of operation are pretty good. Instead of walking on a treadmill, take a walk in your neighborhood. Take note of how different your perspective of your neighborhood is on foot verses your car. You notice things you don’t normally pay attention to in the car. If walking or running is not your thing, take a blast from the past and ride a bike. It was fun when you were a kid and great news it is still fun! The bonus is that you can have fun riding and be active.

Forget the borrowed and the blue, try something new!  Spice up your workout with something that you have not tried before. A great new activity suggestion is yoga. Thanks to the internet we can try yoga for free! Check out yogatoday.com to sign up for a free weekly yoga class. Just typing in “yoga” on YouTube will bring a million videos for you to try as well.
 

Check it out. The library is not just about books these days, its a great free tool when it comes to workout DVDs. Visit your local library to see what workout videos they offer. Being able to checkout and return the videos makes it so you never get sick of the same one.

These are just a few ideas of how you can think outside of the gym, what are some things you do?

The local jurisdictions are working hard to build an interconnected trails system in this valley. Check out these websites below to view maps of trails in your area.

City of Las Vegas: http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov
/files/CLV_TrailsMap.pdf
 
North Las Vegas: http://www.cityofnorthlasvegas.com/Departments
/ParksAndRecreation/PDFs/CityParksBrochure.pdf
 
Henderson: http://www.cityofhenderson.com/parks
/pdf/parks/full_henderson_trail_map.pdf
 
Clark County: gisgate.co.clark.nv.us