Different sides of summer training

IT IS summer time, for some this is the best time to exercise. For those exercisers who are not consistent who like to hibernate in winter this is the time they come out to workout. I know for certain that, for most individuals who lift weights this is the time they enjoy exercising the most.

The combination of high temperatures and the high repetitions in lifting expands the blood vessels resulting in the rush of blood and the swelling body pump that most lifters experience and enjoy the most during the exercise process.

So for those who were consistently exercising in winter and spring this is the time to put on the tank tops and expose the toned muscular physiques, as well as those toned shapely feminine physiques.

Because of the pump, the increased blood circulation and the efficient transportation of blood and nutrients, we do not have to warm up too much as when the temperatures are low.

Personally, I enjoy exercising in winter more than I do in summer. I have more energy during the winter season workoutsthan in summer and I can alsohandle prolonged workouts comfortably.

However, if we are to enjoy maximum benefits we have to be consistent, we just have to exercise in all seasons and in all kinds of weather.

However, there is need to remind each other of the benefits and the dangers we can encounter whilst exercising in any particular kind of weather.

Apart from the fact that exercising in extreme heat is unbearable, exercising in extreme heat can result in injuries. Extreme heat can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat strokes.

The hot weather creates more heat in the bodies and in order to cool down we sweat profusely.

There is competition for blood that is transporting oxygen and nutrients between the working muscles and the sweating process.

The longer this competition persists the more the body systems are strained and this will result in a slack in performance.

The resulting increase in the uptake of oxygen and glycogen use will result in the accumulation of more lactic acid and therefore more pain. This increase in the use of oxygen and glycogen will cause fatigue and exhaustion so there is need to replenish our glycogen stores and drink more fluid.

When we sweat and then stop sweat- ing, the situation becomes more dangerous as the body is heating but there is no cooling, so we have to be careful the systems do not cease to function just like an overheated vehicle.

If possible try to exercise early morning or late afternoon when the temperatures are a bit low to avoid the extreme heat in the afternoon.

Try to exercise indoors, but if you have to do it outdoors then wear a hat or cap, and always carry a water bottle with you. Wear clothes that will help reduce the absorption of heat. Exercise or jog with friends if possible and always carry identification documents and a phone in case of emergency.

For athletes, my opinion is that exercising done during the same time the match or competition will take place would be ideal and valid, as this will help you acclimatise and get used to the competition situation. I understand that experts are now simulating any kind of weather conditions indoors for valid exercise and practice sessions that match the completion/ match conditions.

For those who are into the sauna take it easy, too much sauna in this weather will leave you dehydrated, tired and lethargic and therefore unable to execute your daily chores with ease. Guest Mrs Maureen Nyemba If you think the gym is for young muscular men and young lean model like ladies only think again; the gym is for “all bodies”. What an inspiring sight to see motherly figures donning leotards and sweating it out in the gym very early in the morning.

Our guest this week is 59-year-old, Maureen Nyemba, the owner of Betta Ball sports shop and Oxygen gym both located at Joina City. One would think being a proprietor of two entities that are involved in fitness and sport would be self explanatory evidence that she was already passionate about fitness, but in actual fact it came around accidentally.

Her husband was a friend of a couple of past soccer greats who encouraged her to trade in sportswear. The entrepreneurship spirit was already in her, she was already into buying and selling goods, but they encouraged her to get into the business of selling exercise and sportswear.

This journey saw her trading sporting and exercise wares and getting involved in the various sporting disciplines in which she supplied goods and this includes fishing. This resulted in her formalising and growing her operations.

So, Mrs Nyemba was already into exercising before she opened the doors to her gym. She is a mother to six children, five girls and one boy and she has several grandchildren.

Mrs Nyemba’s fitness lifestyle also comes about as a result of learning from experiences. Like most people of her age group, she has seen close relatives and friends succumbing to heart problems, cancers and other diseases.

In particular she mentioned witnessing colleagues experiencing the excruciating pain associated with arthritis. So she has taken steps to avoid or mitigate the effects of such illnesses and exercising is a priority to her.

Mrs Nyemba says all her children are into exercising and they encourage her to do the same in particular her daughter Vimbai who is a medical practitioner.

Vimbai is always checking on her mother, encouraging her to exercise and eat well. Mrs Nyemba tries to work out five days per week. Her warm up is forty five minutes to one hour running on the treadmill. After that she goes on the stair master or cross training machine.

Her work outs comprise of alternate sessions of aerobic activities on one day and weights the next. She says she has to do weights in order to counter the diseases for the elderly. She also appreciates the modern machines into which you can feed statistics like age and weight and these will show your heart rate as you exercise and tell you when to stop an activity, so she never goes beyond limits.

Mrs Nyemba is really a fitness buff ,she takes her food seriously and she knows exactly what is in her food. She has a book on her desk called “Healthy Foods”. This book is a guide that advises on what to eat for people trying to avoid or living with all types of conditions. I had the pleasure to sample the various nuts and dried fruits, soy milk, almond milk, she keeps in her desks .She says she does not add salt or sugar to her meals and she gets these from the foods she eats. She gets her sugar from dried fruits. She also keeps a bottle of omega 3 fish oil supplements to keep heart problems and the much dreaded arthritis at bay.

She is into small grains, vegetables and rice cakes. She eats red meat once a week, but she is into the road runner, goat meat and game meat. At home she cooks her own food despite the fact that she has two maids. She says the maids prepare their own food and she cannot force them to eat what she eats.

So far Mrs Nyemba says she is blessed as she does not suffer from any illnesses and no medical conditions and climbing the stairs at her workplace is as easy as ABC for her.