To be continued....

As the school year comes to a close, it has truly been my pleasure working with the wonderful students in this class that were the energy behind Healthy Hawks.  Many of them are going on to college, careers or further education opportunities.  I wish them well and hope that a future class will pick up where they left off.
For now, Healthy Hawks blogs will be at a standstill....but our hope is that we helped someone out there be a little better informed, motivated or just piqued their curiosity about ways to live a healthier life.

Thanks for reading...be well.

Get Outside and Workout!

Spring is finally upon us! If your staring longingly out the window while jogging on your treadmill, try some of these exercises to get you out in the sun.

Workouts to do outside:

Tree Pull Ups:

-Find a tree branch and do as many pull ups as you can in 60 seconds. To challenge yourself do a push-up between each set of pull ups. Targets quads, biceps, shoulders and back.

Three Part Park Bench Push Ups:

-Put your feet on the park bench and your hands on the ground. Do 10 push ups.Then reverse the position and do ten push ups that way. Then do 10 push ups on the ground. Targets chest and shoulders.

Calf Hops:

-Stand under a tree and put your hands above your head. Jump up and touch the tree at the highest point staying at your toes the whole time. Do it for 60 seconds. Targets calves.

Park Bench Step Ups:

-Keeping your right foot on the bench, step up and down with your left foot, brining your leg to your chest. Then  keep your left foot on a bench and do the same thing with your right foot. Repeat the set 20 times. Targets abs and arms.

Try these exercises and you can improve your body and your tan!

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/motivation/get-started/best-outdoor-workout/#page=2

Science + Fitness = Performance

There has been a focus on new sportswear that can enhance an athlete’s performance. It brings them that extra inch that will allow them to strive towards victory. I’m going to be focusing on sports wear that was used in the recent Olympic games. First is the Speedo LZR Racer Swimsuit. This swimsuit was developed with the help of NASA and the Australian institute of Sport. It is made up of woven elastane-nylon and polyurethane material that supposedly holds the body in a more hydrodynamic position while in water. It also allows more oxygen to flow to the muscles. Finally, it avoids drag through ultrasonically welded seams. It has been proven by dozens of world records being broken since the LZR Racer first came out. 

The Adidas AdiStar Rowing Shoe is another upgraded sports apparel which allows the rower to transfer more power. This transfer of power is provided with a stable base which is why there’s a lightweight rowing plate with stabilizing outriggers. There’s also a built-in ventilation within the heel to keep the feet at optimum temperature.

To help runners adjust to high temperatures Nike created the Precool vest which holds a number of pre-frozen ice packs. The athlete wears the vest for about an hour prior to the race, reducing their core temperature. by reducing his/her core temperature the body won’t be wasting energy on trying to keep the body cool. 

Finally, Nike created the Aerographics Jersey for the USA basketball team. This jersey is designed to increase airflow by 31%. All of these inventions are proof of the technological advancements within our society and it's great that a number of these inventions are capable of helping athletes perform their best.   

A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE ON HER FITBIT

I’ve used my Fitbit for a little over five months now and have accumulated over a million steps, or 461 miles. As a runner, competing throughout the year at EHS, I’ve always been curious about how far I am really going, and how active I really am. The most important lesson that the Fitbit has taught me is that without track, I would not be hitting the recommended 10,000 steps a day. On the days I have off, I barely accumulate 3,000. I’m still not sure whether that is because I feel I have earned the days off because of my hard work on the track during the week, or if I’m really just that lazy. It’s easy to fall into a habit of not exercising, especially without a sport, and the Fitbit has definitely shown that.

What’s deceiving, especially as a student, is that during the school day I was not nearly as active as I thought I was. Before wearing a Fitbit, I predicted that I accumulated at least a mile a day rushing from class to class. I was sadly mistaken. At 2:30 each day, I’d check my steps, only to be disappointed. I didn’t even make it half a mile most days. Our lifestyles don’t naturally incorporate sufficient exercise, so we have to purposely include it in our daily lives.

My coach once told me I would never be able to improve something I couldn’t measure. With the Fitbit, it’s possible to measure my activity throughout the day with quantitative evidence. And the motivation to hit 10,000 steps every single day is what keeps me going.

WINTER FARMERS MARKETS

Do you miss the fresh food from the warmer months and going to the farmers market during the long winter? 

On Saturday, March 8, there is a winters farmers market being held in Exeter High School. There will be over forty different fisherman, farmers and other food producers selling their fresh, locally grown products. There will be a variety of veggies, cheese, seafood, meats, baked goods and much much more. 

If you can't make it that Saturday there will be another one on Saturday, March 22, in Rollinsford at the Wentworth Greenhouses, which is near Dover. 

For more information visit http://seacoasteatlocal.org/find-local-food/our-winter-farmers-market/.

Couch to 5K: Get Fit in May

Have you always wanted to run a 5K but just weren’t sure about how to go about it? We have a perfect idea for you, courtesy of walkjogrun.com, and have timed it so that the training schedule will end with the Get Fit in May 5k held at Lincoln Street School in Exeter. The plan is personalized for you, as you can make your own schedule and choose what type of 5K you want to run, whether it be walking, jogging, running or a combination. But you don’t have to do it alone. The Exeter Healthy Hawks Program at EHS, led by Mrs. Gendreau, will help you along the way. There will be training after school, led by students, starting in early March. The Get Fit in May 5K will be held on Saturday, May 17, at Lincoln Street School in Exeter. We’ll keep you updated on the details of the upcoming run with announcements, blog posts, and tweets. So if you’ve ever wanted to run a 5k, now is your chance!

For more information, see Mrs. Gendreau F277 or email her at agendreau@sau16.org. You can also tweet us at @Healthy_Hawks.

http://www.walkjogrun.net/training/5k/training-plans.cfm

How a Medical Anomaly Can Make a SUPER ATHLETE

Do probably know that when you go for a run or do other forms of exercise your muscles begin to feel fatigued after a while.  This is caused from Lactic Acid build up. This occurs when you are doing maximum intensity workouts and your body runs out of ATP (a chemical that is formed from carbohydrates) to be used as energy. To continue to have energy to use so you can keep going, glucose is broken down and Lactic Acid is produced. This occurs during anaerobic exercise, which is when your body isn't getting the oxygen it needs to form the ATP.

To help prevent this lactic build up you should stay in your maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), allowing your body to use the oxygen to make ATP. To get rid of the lactic acid that builds up you need to do a cool down and stretch after you exercise.  This is true for almost everyone in the world, but there is one exception, Dean Karnazes. He is known as the Ultramarathon Man, and he runs for hours and doesn’t get tired.

This is because, unlike the rest of us, his lactic acid levels actually decreases as he continues to run. This means that his muscles never get tired, they don't burn and he doesn't get sore. He could run forever if he didn’t need to sleep.  This biological anomaly has allowed him to run utra-marathons, 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days and other extreme running events.  He is a spokesperson for kids getting out and moving.

To learn more about Dean Karnazes you can visit his website www.ultramarathonman.com