Update: I recently saw a fitness quiz that might be fun for the readers of this column. It was originally given by Consumers Union to 650 readers to evaluate knowledge of fitness and is now published in the January 1998 issue of Consumer Reports' On Health magazine. I will ask these questions, give their answers, then comment as a fitness professional on the answers. Ready? Here goes.
1. T/F - You should drink fluids whenever you start to get thirsty during exercise.2. T/F - The body burns more calories during hot weather.
3. T/F - The health benefit of exercise begin to kick in when you raise your heart rate into your "exercise benefit zone."
4. T/F - Your maximum heart rate is the level you achieve during strenuous exercise.
5. T/F - It's best to stretch your muscles for a few minutes before warming up.
6. T/F - Weight training is dangerous for people with high blood pressure.
7. Which can raise your level of "good" HDL cholesterol?
a. Aerobic exercise
b. Strength training
c. Stretching
d. All of the above
8. T/F - Running and other types of high-impact exercise can lead to osteoarthritis.
9. T/F - You can prevent muscle soreness by taking a pain reliever after a hard workout.
10. T/F - The best first step for sedentary people is to do strength-training exercises for their leg muscles.
11. T/F - To build strength, you need to push your muscles to the point of exhaustion.
12. T/F - The more frequently you perform strength-training exercises, the more muscles you'll build.
13. T/F - You shouldn't exercise when you have a head cold.
Answers:
1. False. They maintain that you should drink fluids before you get thirsty because thirst follows the need for water and you can get dehydrated if you wait. Try to drink two 8-ounce cups about two hours before a hard workout, another cup every 20 minutes during the workout and an additional cup or two within a half-hour after.
2. False. If may feel as if you're burning more calories, but the cost is about the same.
3. False. There are clearly health benefits of doing moderate exercise that is not in the heart-rate training zone. Brisk walking, cycling, gardening or even cleaning the house reduces blood pressure, stress, anxiety; may help control weight. Death rates are lower in moderate exercisers than in non-exercisers, and heavy exercise does not decrease the risk very much.
4. False. You have to get to a maximum work level to measure maximum heart rate. We normally work at from 60 to 85 percent of our max, which is usually about 220-age.
5. False. I missed this one. They recommend stretching after exercise when muscles are warm and pliant.
6. False. Weight training can be helpful if done properly. Be sure to exhale during the exertion phase and use moderate weights. Check with your physician before starting, too.
7. a. Aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise tends to raise HDL, while strength training lowers the "bad" LDL.
8. False. Research shows that moderate exercise does not lead to osteoarthritis. What's moderate? No more than five miles, three or four times a week. To further decrease the risk, try alternating with low-impact exercise using cross-training.
9. True. This one surprised me, too. A 1991 study found that using an anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen before a strenuous workout, can help prevent soreness afterward. Later research showed that a better strategy was to use it after. That way, you can evaluate the need.
10. True. I'm not sure I agree with this one, but they say that since strong legs facilitate most forms of aerobic-style exercise, building them promotes aerobic endurance.
11. True. I don't completely agree with this one, either, but their point is that you must do enough work to cause the changes in the muscles to occur. If you stop too soon, you may not reach the threshold. You do need to lift from eight to 12 times and use enough weight to be tired at the end.
12. False. You need recovery after a hard workout, so three days a week are as effective as daily exercise.
13. False. As long as there are no below-the-neck symptoms, such as fever, achy muscles, coughing deep in the chest, diarrhea or vomiting, it may be OK to exercise if you don't overdo.