How Cardio Can Build Strength

For optimal fitness, you know you should do both cardio workouts for aerobic health and strength training for muscle building, metabolic benefits, and bone density. But if you're a cardio bunny who maybedoesn’t visit the weight room as often as you should, listen up: “Swimming, cycling, and running can all be used as mild to moderate ways of building strength,” says Lauren Jensen, head coach at Tri Faster, “as long as the amount of training stress is progressively increased over time.” In other words, as with weights, you have to increase the resistance or the number of reps as your muscles adapt.

While the cardio-strength combo suggestions below aren’t a perfect substitute for lifting heavy, they’ll definitely boost your strength, especially for the specific sport in question—though don’t be afraid to also cross-train by, for example, trying a swim workout if you’re a runner. Use one of these workouts in place of a shorter steady-state swim/ride/run (with a proper warm-up and cooldown), in addition to one more traditional weight-training workout per week for major muscle toning.

 Swimming

Water by nature creates resistance on the body as you move through it. “In simply overcoming the resistance, an athlete gains strength,” says Jensen. She suggests swimmers increase the “load” further by isolating the upper or lower body by doing kick-only laps holding a kickboard or pull-only laps wearing hand paddles. You can also wear a “drag” swimsuit (i.e., one that’s intentionally baggy).

Cycling

Anyone who’s taken a challenging cycling class knows that by upping the resistance on the bike, your leg muscles get a real burn. Outdoors, you can get the same effect by tackling hills, riding into the wind on a gusty day, and standing up while pedaling to vary how the muscles get activated. If you’re an indoors-only cycler, Jensen suggests this workout: Pedal for one minute at a resistance that forces you to work hard to sustain 60 to 70 RPMs (revolutions per minute), then rest for a minute and repeat. Work up to five minutes of hard pedaling.

Running

As with cycling, running up hills provides a solid leg-strength workout. Pick a hill outdoors with an incline that takes you 30 to 45 seconds to get up at a pretty hard clip. (On the treadmill, try a four-percent incline at a pace you can sustain for that amount of time.) Charge up your hill, using shorter strides and a faster step than you do on flat, then walk or lightly jog down (or reduce the treadmill's incline and speed for about triple your time on the "hill"), aiming to keep your timing the same for each uphill. Start with five reps and work your way up to 10. Another option?Run stairs or stadiums. For the harder core, try wearing a weight vest during an interval workout. One “strengthener" to skip: Holding weights in your hands while you run—it’s a shoulder injury waiting to happen.

Originally posted by womenshealthmag.com

How Women Can Benefit From Jiu Jitsu

Gracie Barra believes that women should be a part of a great movement known to all as Jiu-Jitsu for Everyone! While commonly misconstrued as a male-dominated art, Gracie Barra aims to bridge the gap and relieve the world of the mindset that “Jiu-Jitsu (and martial arts in general) is only for the guys.”

There is a slow but steady climb in the following for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by women. The appeal of BJJ to women has recently seen an overwhelming number of interest from women for the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. There is also a strong link between exercise, stress, sleep, and work. Truly, women who are involved in active sports like Jiu-Jitsu will see many benefits.

With an increasing number of Female Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions, a lot of women are taking interest in the art that started out in the Gracie family. Here are some of the few basic and practical reasons how women can benefit from practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And yes, you get to wear a pink-colored Gi. =)

Less Abdominal Cramps During Painful Menstrual Periods

Dysmenorrhea, or commonly known as those abdominal cramps that occurs every time a woman gets her period. Mostly this is characterized by extreme pain ranging from 3 to 6 in the pain scale. Almost half of the women experience these symptoms, while a small group experience incapacitating pain.

The good news is great exercise has been known to significantly reduce the amount of pain felt during episodes of Dysmenorrhea. Proper and regular exercise is known to reduce the amount of estrogen concentration in the blood which known to be the cause of the symptoms. The stretching of leg muscles can increase the cramps experienced during menstrual period, as proven by doctors.

What other great exercises is there than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?!

Women Need to Learn to Defend Themselves

There is a long standing notion by some members of society that women are weak. This thinking is backwards, and false, and is certainly incorrect on many levels. Women are not weak individuals; however society has falsely etched the stigma on women. In the United States alone, an alarming 1 in every 6 women has been sexually assaulted. This number is a conservative figure. Other sources suggest that 1 in every 4 women suffer assaults. Regardless of the number, it is also a woman’s responsibility to learn how to fend off their attackers. BJJ will teach you how to be aware of the situation, the basic anatomy of an attack to women, and how to properly disable attackers. Avoiding attacks and confrontations should always come first.

Jiu-Jitsu is a Great Stress Reliever

In an article released by the American Psychological Association, about women in the United States, it says that 8% more women are reported to be more stressed as opposed to their male counterparts. Married women also report having significantly higher stress levels than men leading a 33% mark compared to 22% for the singles group. Most commonly, stress results to obesity as 31% of women admit resulting to eating as a way to relieve their stress.

The Women’s Program in Gracie Barra offers a way to relieve stress. Meditation, Yoga and other great programs are available.

Sleep Better, Work Better

Stress can lead to insomnia. The numbers prove that women are more likely to suffer from stress, as an adverse effect sleep can also suffer. While the easiest way out is popping a sleeping pill, exercise and the right diet can easily improve one’s sleeping behaviors.

Work can be stressful, but endorphin’s can help in keeping you in a relaxed and relatively happier mood. The natural enzyme produced by the pituitary gland, once released, provides a feeling  of euphoria. There is a strong link between mood and work productivity. It is common knowledge that stressed out workers who are unable to compartmentalize are less likely to perform better at work.

Now that you know the many benefits that Jiu-Jitsu has to offer, sign up today for our Women’s Program and get started on your journey to a happier and healthier life today.