blog #88 Where am I for the next 10 days? Medical Birthright in Israel

I was accepted for the “Medical Students Mifgash Experience” sponsored in partnership with American Physicians Fellowship for Medicine in Israel, taking place from  June 17-28 2010.

Check out the video

“The American Physicians Fellowship, established in 1950, is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the state of medical education, research, and health care in Israel. The ‘Medical Students Mifgash Experience’ pairs American health professionals for all 10 days of the program in Israel. Highlights include participation in field-training exercises, military medic simulations, and opportunities to network with Israeli physicians of all backgrounds. It's a special way to experience Israel and deepen ties with your Israeli colleagues.”

I am excited to visit a new country and meet new people, but I’m mostly excited for the clinical component of this trip because it is specifically aimed at Med/Health students. As an aspirating Registered Dietitian (I graduate with my bachelor in science this fall), I will receive an invaluable experience observing the practices in Israel and then cross-comparing them with the clinical settings here in America. When I return to volunteer at New York Presbyterian hospital in July, I will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the clinical settings.  

blog #87 Lecture at John Jay College about anaerobic vs. aerobic training

Last week I was a guest speaker at John Jay College in Manhattan. I was asked to speak about any topic relating to exercise in professor Meredith Sobel’s Physical Education class. I also showed the students some basic stretches and body weight exercises that can be performed almost anywhere without the use of equipment.

My topic was the very basic differences of anaerobic vs. aerobic training

Anerobic=heavy or moderate lifting from dumbbells or barbells. These are movements like dead lifts, and power exercises like clean and press (requiring short bursts of energy or limited oxygen)

Aerobic=long, sustained exercises like running or jogging (requiring stamina and the presence of oxygen)

1.      Anaerobic exercises use resistance so that you will also be building muscle, plus bone as an added benefit.

2.      Aerobic exercise will have more of an impact on the cardiovascular and circulatory system.

3.      Combining the two would give the greatest health benefits.

Read this for more explanation:

Examples of anaerobic exercise include: heavy weightlifting, any type of sprint (running, biking, swimming, etc.), jumping rope, hill climbing, interval training, isometrics, or any rapid burst of hard exercise. 

What are the Benefits of Anaerobic Exercise? 


Anaerobic exercise uses your muscles at a high intensity for a short period of time. As a result, it can help:

·         Develop stronger muscles

·         Improve your VO2 max (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus improve your     cardio-respiratory fitness

·         Increase your capacity to withstand the buildup of waste substances (such as lactic acid) and  remove them from the  body. This means your endurance and ability to fight fatigue will improve.

Aerobic exercise is recommended for weight loss initially. General guidelines suggest 30 to 45 minutes of aerobics with moderate-to-high intensity three to five times a week. Examples include:

1.      Walking

2.      Jogging

3.      Cycling

4.      Treadmill

Because some of the students in this class lead a sedentary lifestyle, Professor Sobel added that doing a little bit of physical activity every day is better than nothing. Taking the stairs and getting out the subway one station earlier can help a sedentary person increase their level of endurance. Lastly, she recommended focusing on the guideline that even a 10 percent body weight loss is a great feat.

If you are sedentary, it is recommended to start with aerobic exercises and then incrementally add in anerobic exercises to optimize your level of fitness.

I recommend reading this article: 

“Physical fitness is a compromise of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness.”

This article stresses, “Instead of aerobic vs. anaerobic it should be aerobic and anaerobic!”

 What are you doing in your routine to add both cardio (aerobic) and strength (anaerobic)?

blog #86 Summer Playlists (free downloads)

When you are working out this summer, particularly outdoors, what tunes are you listening to stay motivated? My client and I were talking this past week during her session about music and motivation. She has been listening to her iPod more often and she expressed her newfound love for an intense beat.

New FREE downloads:  (just click to open and drag to your media player, such as iTunes)

DJ CHACHI – SUMMER MIX

And

DJ CHACHI – LACTOSE INTOLERANCE VOLUME 1

Personally, I think the Summer Mix has too much rap, but the beats are still good for running. I like the Lactose Intolerance Volume 1 mix better.

Do any of my readers know of any free downloads to recommend to other workout enthusiasts?