Cardiovascular fitness:Frequently asked ques-

tions! Cardiovascular fitness is essential for

both a healthy heart and mind. When we talk

about cardiovascular fitness we are referring to

the overall ability of the body to generate en-

ergy through the circulation of blood and oxy-

gen. Any improvement of cardiovascular

health involves strengthening the heart and

increasing endurance. Because the heart is just

like any other muscle in the body we can make

it stronger by exercise and conditioning.

What is the cardiovascular system?

The cardiovascular system is the system that

circulates blood throughout the body. It is of-

ten referred to as the circulatory system. The

primary organ responsible for the circulation

of the blood is the heart.

How does cardiovascular fitness benefit the

body?

The cardiovascular system is an integral part

of almost every part of the body. Therefore,

the benefits of cardiovascular fitness go be-

yond simply strengthening the heart. This type

of exercise has a direct effect on the mental

processes because of the increased blood flow.

When you exercise regularly there is also an

increase in the number of red blood cells

which the body uses to transport oxygen

throughout the body.

What type of exercise strengthen the cardio-

vascular system?

There are basically two types of exercises.

There are aerobic exercises and anaerobic ex-

ercise. Aerobic exercises are those which in-

volve the larger muscles and lasts a long

enough period of time to increase the body’s

need for oxygen and it is this type of exercise

which is essential to strengthening the cardio-

vascular system. Therefore, appropriate forms

of cardiovascular exercise are running, aero-

bics, vigorous walking, cycling and some

sports if played actively enough. The key is to

choose something that you can enjoy if at all

possible. The more pleasurable the activity is,

the more likely you are to continue doing it.

How can I get started?

The problem most people have in beginning

an exercise program is simply getting started.

Getting started involves more than just exer-

cising the first day. There are many who do

this and never return. The key in getting

started is to make it a part of your lifestyle and

a habit. One big factor in a regular workout

routine is to have a workout partner ot trainer.

Knowing that somebody else depends on you

will greatly increase your chances of keeping

your commitment.

How do I know I am doing enough?

There is a simple guide to determine if you are

exercising hard enough. The first step is to

find the upper limit of your heart rate. You can

find this by taking your age and then subtract-

ing it from 220. So for example, if you are 35

then the upper limit would be 185. Once we

have this then we can use it to determine

whether we are reaching an ideal level of 60%

to 80% of the upper limit. Most trainers agree

that the heart needs to reach a rate of 60% -

80% of the maximum for a sufficient cardio-

vascular heart rate.

Cardiovascular Fitness

E D E N M O R E G O L F & C O U NE D E N M O R E G O L F & C O U NE D E N M O R E G O L F & C O U NE D E N M O R E G O L F & C O U N T R Y C L U B

T R Y C L U BT R Y C L U BT R Y C L U B

Take care of

your body

with steadfast

fidelity. The

soul must see

through these

eyes alone,

and if they

are dim, the

whole world

is clouded.

Country Club News

August 2010 Health & Fitness Team

P A G E 2

The issue is

not how

much fat you

consume, its

how much of

the good fat

you

consume,

and how

much of the

bad

The Facts On Fat Some fats you should be eating, and some you should avoid. Here’s a few tips.

Limit trans fats

A little of anything , including fat won’t hurt you… unless its trans fat. According to a recent study, you can reduce your risk of heart attack by 50% by eating just 4g less of trans fat each day. You could make a start by using a soft marga-rine. As a general rule, the softer the margarine, the less trans fat it contains. If you tend to spread your margarine thickly on your morning toast, try a trans fat free marg from a health food shop such as Holland & Barrett.

Ask for a baked potato in-stead of chips.

I know this one will hurt, but check out the facts. Most restau-rants cook their chips in vegetable oil loaded with trans fatty acids. They then reuse the oil, which causes chemical reactions that could make the oil even higher in trans fat. Be warned: one extra large order of chips has up to 19g of trans fat.

Ignore the call of the vending machine.

That’s because nearly every proc-essed snack food is made with partially hydrogenated vegetable

oil. Even a seemingly healthy processed snack can tip the trans fat scale. A good guide:if the snack leaves your fingers feeling greasy, you can bet it contains trans fats.

Take your vitamins with satu-rated fat

As bad as a saturated fat can be in excess, you still need a certain amount of the stuff to utilize im-portant fat-soluble vitamins. In a study published, 5 people took beta-carotene supplements either on an empty stomach or with some fat. The source of fat in this case was Haagen-dazs ice cream. After eating that, beta-carotene absorption went through the roof. Other fat-soluble nutrients include the prostate-cancer fighter lycopene (found in toma-toes), vitamin D, E and K.

Keep track of your burger intake

You will probably be shocked at how many burgers you get through. Foods such as meat pies, sausages, mince and burgers con-tain enormous amounts of satu-rated fat. But remember you’re cutting down, not out. The satu-rated fat in red meat is high in stearic acid so, in moderation, it’s not as bad for you as other fatty foods.

Hit the olive oil

It’s one of the richest sources

of oleic acid. Every man should

have a bottle of olive oil in his

kitchen to cook with, instead of

butter or margarine. Olive oil

also contains vitamin E, an anti-

oxidant that will strengthen

your immune system and may

lower high blood pressure.

Snack on nuts

Nuts are generally high in

mono-unsaturated fat and low

in saturated fat. Pistachios, pe-

cans and almonds are all exam-

ples of nuts with the best ratio

of mono-unsaturated to satu-

rated fat. Like olive oil, they

also contain vitamin E.

Eat a steak with your milk

Beef and lamb are natural

sources of conjugated linoleic

acid (CLA). Granted, CLA sup-

plements are available in health

food shops, but research is yet

to prove that supplements

work as effectively as when

nutrients come from food.

E D E N M O R E C O U N T R Y C L U B N E W S

Dish of the month What you’ll need

For the tuna:1 tuna fillet ,1 handful

of shredded lettuce , 1 handful of

cherry tomatoes, ¼ red pepper,

chopped. A few pitted olives, 1 tbsp

olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tbsp

Dijon mustard, ½ clove of garlic,

crushed pinch of dried thyme.

For the vegetable cous cous:70g

cous cous, ¼ cooked yellow squash,

diced, 1 tbsp crumbled feta, ½ tbsp

chopped almonds, ½ tsp mint, ½ tsp

olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Tuna with vegetable

cous cous

Preheat a non-stick griddle pan

over a medium heat and sear the

seasoned tuna for no longer than

one minute on each side. Remove

and set aside. In a large bowl toss

together the lettuce, tomatoes,

olives and red pepper. In a small

bowl whisk together the olive oil,

lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic

and thyme. Cut the tuna into ½

inch thick slices. Put the salad mix-

ture onto a plate and top with the

tuna and dressing. Prepare the cous

cous as per the packet directions.

Add the remaining ingredients and

toss well before serving.

You are

what you

eat.

August Challenge

This month, the challenge is to compete, at the highest level, across a number of different disciplines.

All you need to do is sign up to the challenge and for your chance to experience a new training style and be in for the

chance to win a prize. Each week we have come up with 3 ‘events’ that all competitors can complete. Completing the

tasks will require discipline, strength, endurance, flexibility, power or all of the above. The only way to win will be to

complete in each event, so put in the extra time! – “you have to be in it to win it”.

The events for that week may be completed in any order, so long as they are completed on separate days and within the

specified week. Points will be awarded based on the number of reps and the length of time it takes to complete the spe-

cific event.

To get yourself registered speak to any trainer at gym reception.

Week One: 2nd - 8th August

Event One: 500m / 0.5km Cross Trainer

Challenge - Complete 500m / 0.5km in the quickest time pos-

sible under the guidance of a trainer. Men - level 5

Ladies - level 3

Event Two: 1000m Row

Challenge - Complete 1000m in the quickest time possible

under the guidance of a trainer. Men - level 10

Ladies - level 8

Event Three: Spin Bike

Challenge - Set the resistance at the minimum level. Every

30 seconds, increase the resistance by a full turn. Continue as

long as possible. End of challenge when you either stand up

or stop.

Week Three: 16th - 22nd August

Event One: Stepper

Challenge - Complete 0.1km on the stepper under the guid-

ance of a trainer to record time taken. Men - Level 6

Ladies - Level 4

Event Two: Top-xt

Challenge - Complete 0.5km on the Top-xt under the guid-

ance of a trainer to record time taken. Men - Level 6

Ladies - Level 4

Event Three: Treadmill

Challenge - Either walk, jog or run 1km in the quickest time

possible under the guidance of a trainer to record time taken.

Week Two: 9th - 14th August

Event One

Exercise one - How many lunges you can complete in one

minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Exercise two - How many cable bicep curls you can com-

plete in one minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Men - 10kg Ladies - 5kg

Event Two:

Exercise one - How many sit ups you can complete in one

minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Exercise two - How many burpees you can complete in one

minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Event Three:

Exercise one - How many tricep dips you can complete in one

minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Exercise two - How many steps ups you can complete in one

minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Week Four: 23rd - 29th August

Event One:

Exercise one: How many Press ups you can complete in one

minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Exercise two: How many weighted leg raises you can com-

plete in one minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Event Two:

Exercise one: How many dumbbell thrusters you can com-

plete in one minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Exercise two: How many 10metre shuttles can you complete

in one minute under the guidance of a trainer.

Event Three:

Exercise one: How long you can hold the plank position for

under the guidance of a trainer.

Exercise two: How long you can hold the extended lateral

raise position for, under the guidance of a trainer.

Stuff you need to know August Offer Not to be missed.

No Joining fee for all new members. Worth £50

Yoga/Pilates Do you want to increase your flexibility, tone your muscles and relax your mind ? Why not try our Yoga or Pilates classes ? Run by an experienced teacher Victoria, these classes are designed to comple-ment your day to day training and life-style. In order to measure your progress, we suggest signing up to a six week course. For more information contact gym reception on 02892 613838.

Refer A Friend For the month of August we are re-running our refer a friend scheme. Here’s how it works; simply refer a friend into full membership and you will receive £30 cash-back. It couldn't be easier, just speak to any member of staff, give us the details and we do all the work.

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Maximuscle Promax Diet