If that’s even a word – would mean exercising while playing arcade style games.

If the thought of another treadmill workout isn’t going to get you to the gym today, then consider these fun, interactive options. They’re also great to use as a family.

The Denver Athletic Club has an entire area dedicated to these toys – dedicated to the kid in all of us. Call today for more information: 303.534.1211.

The link is to an article in the American College of Sports Medicine. In summary, PLAN AHEAD! You do it at work; You set alarms every morning; You even plan your weekends. If your body and mind are worth as much to you as your Wednesday business meeting, then just do it!

Consume higher quality calories (and fewer if you need to). Take in less simple sugars (candy, white breads) and more complex carbohydrates, rich in nutrition and fiber (whole grain breads, vegetables).  Don’t forget to take in some quality proteins (nuts, eggs, and low fat meats like fish).  Eat small meals/snacks (300-500 calories each), every 3 hours or so, instead of 2 or 3 very large meals.

Do that for a month and you will be more fit, period.

The hard truth is that the better shape you are in the more fun it is. And once you have achieved great fitness, it is easier to maintain than it is to improve. That’s good for news for the conditioned, bad news for the rest of us.

Here’s a quick hit-list of ‘must haves’ in regards to cycling fitness:

Core strength

Injury resistance

Patience

Willingness to work

Want to learn more? Come to the Colorado Endurance Conference on April 2 at The DAC. You’ll get those answers and more. Check it out: www.enduranceconference.com.

It has no nutritional value, but it is often referred to as a nutritional ergogenic aid (i.e., an external aid that improves performance).  It is absorbed quickly, and potentially affects all systems of the body since it is absorbed by most tissues.  Its positive effects include sharpened focus/alertness and glycogen sparing through the augmented use of body fast as a source of fuel.   Are you still baffled as to why there is a Starbucks on every block in every major city!

The question still remains: To caffeinate or not to caffeinate? 

In the 1970’s studies suggested caffeine enhanced endurance performance.  The studies suggested caffeine triggered the release of body fat to be used as a fuel source.  Stored carbohydrates (glycogen) is in limited supply in the body, and your body’s preferred source of energy, so preserving it would therefore increase performance. 

In the 1980’s studies found that caffeine did not alter exercise metabolism!  Although, those studies did not actually measure performance… go figure. 

Recent work has turned the scales yet again in favor of caffeine’s ergogenic effects.  Specifically, 3-9 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight about one hour prior to exercise has been shown to increase performance.  In practical terms, a person weighing 150 pounds should consume 200 mg of caffeine, which is equal to about 1 mug of drip-percolated coffee.  These studies observed well-trained or elite athletes however, so the interpretation is a little fuzzy for the weekend warrior.

 There are cautions and limitations, of course:

***Caffeine improves performance for events that last approximately 5 minutes at 90-100% intensity.  Sprint performance, on the other hand, is not improved.  The reasons for this are still relatively unknown.

***There are also side effects of caffeine ingestion that may outweigh the benefits: anxiety, jitters, inability to focus, insomnia, and irritability to name a few.

If you still want to ride the caffeine train, then know that the optimal dose is 3-6 mg/kg body weight.  Side effects are minimized at this dose, and for the elite out there, urine levels are legal at this dosage.

My professional opinion: Experiment!  You may be one of the lucky ones who gets to fill his/her water bottle with Columbian Bold.  More than likely, the dehydration, increased bowel movements, increased heart rate and body temperature, anxiety, and irritability will not prove to be helpful when standing at the starting line of your next marathon.

Why commit to something you disdain?  Think of your workday like a school day in third grade.  Cursive writing for 40 minutes, and then spelling, and then environment class, and then… Ever see a child get bored with recess?  Some of you have, yes, I know.  But most kids don’t.  You know why?  Because it’s the one time of day that they do whatever they want to do!  And do they play on the monkey bars the entire time!  NO!  They run constantly from 4-square, to tag, to the slide, back to 4-square, and they don’t stop, and they laugh the entire time!  Do that!

There’s one catch.  You have to go to the gym, even if you don’t want to.  But once you’re there, follow your instincts.  You’ll be surprised at how good of a workout you get in.  You may even go longer than you anticipated.  Soon enough, you will think of your workout more like recess, instead of study hall!

OK, so there’s two catches.  If you feel like running 10 miles and you’ve never even walked a mile, then maybe a few rules would do you some good.  Here are the basic rules of unruliness:

1. Warm up.  Even if it’s just for 5 minutes, it’ll help to prepare you for whatever craziness your subconscious has in store for you.
2. Ease into it.  The first few exercises should be a notch up from the warm up.  Consider it warm up part 2.
3. Use proper form.  Do pushups until you collapse if you like, but never compromise your posture.  Bad form = injury = detention.
4. Commit to at least 30 minutes of activity.  It’s a rule.  Even though you get to follow your folly, it must involve activity. 
5. Stretch when you’re done for at least 5 minutes.  You probably worked some muscles you forgot about; they’ll probably be sore and tight tomorrow; stretch.

Here’s an internal dialogue that goes through my mind during a typical strength workout:

I feel like doing pushups…9, 10, 11…I feel like stopping…on to a standing 1 arm chest press…8, 9, 10…feels pretty good, although the weight is a bit light, oh well…18, 19, 20…it’s starting to burn, I like this one…32, 33, 34…that’s enough…I think I’ll hop on an elliptical now…

That’s it.  Do what you want, have fun, play, and unleash your unruliness!

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