The Many Benefits of Stand-up Paddleboarding

Stand-up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is a fun activity that almost anyone can learn, and it is one of the best workouts available!   Stand-up Paddle Boarding is low impact and provides a combination of balance, core, strength, and endurance.     Since you are standing you have to use everything from your feet (wow do you use your feet!) all the way up through your entire shoulder girdle.    Because you are standing your arms never have to go above shoulder height which means that there is much less stress on the rotator cuff muscles than kayaking.    You use your shoulders heavily but your shoulders are stressed in the position where they are naturally most stable and strong so much better than kayaking for those with shoulder and neck issues!

Just standing on a Paddle Board forces you to stabilize your entire body and core, and it is one of the best activities available to develop balance.   Best of all if you do fall you land in the water and getting back on the board is very easy!  

SUP Technique Breakdown

Learning to SUP is easy but mastering the stroke and maximizing your speed takes lot of practice.   The first thing to focus on is NOT pulling the water!   Instead you want to plant the blade in the water and pull yourself and the board up to the paddle blade.   Imagine that you are stabbing the paddle firmly into soft sand then pulling yourself and the board up to the paddle.     If you can clearly visualize the difference here it will go a long way to getting your stroke where it needs to be for optimum speed.   Think about grabbing the water NOT pulling the water by you!

Reach

Once you get a little feel for it start looking at how far you are reaching forward to put your paddle in the water.   You want to reach as far as possible each time you stroke, BUT there is a limit based on your particular anatomy, shoulder strength and balance.    If you reach too far you can over-stress your low back, shoulder or just be off balance which is counter-productive.

Catch

This is where the blade of the paddle enters the water.    Make sure the entire blade enters the water before you begin to pull.   The catch should be as smooth and clean as possible with no splashing.

Pull

Now you are ready to apply power to the paddle.   Use your entire body for this part of the stroke.   It is NOT about using your arms.   Rather your arms merely connect you to the paddle through your hands and you use the rotation of your torso, hips, and shoulders to drive your paddle!  Try to relax your arms as much as possible to perfect this technique. Do not pull too far back as this will actually slow you down.   Once the paddle passes your hips if you keep pull you are actually pulling the paddle up meaning you are pulling the paddle board down and this only slows you down.

Release

After the pull you need to release the paddle from the water.    Like the catch you want this movement to be quick, smooth, and with zero splashing.   Feathering the blade of the paddle creates a smooth release and set-up for the next catch.   You feather by dropping your top shoulder, “breaking your wrist inward”, or a combination of both.  

Recovery

Once you release the paddle you are ready to set-up for the next catch and pull.   Try to relax during this phase – the key to optimum paddle technique is learning to set a rhythm between tension and relaxation and ultimately getting your breathing into a rhythm with the stroke.  The first time you feel this come together it is amazing – really zen!  So stay relaxed and let go of the tension you produced in the catch and pull and smoothly swing the paddle forward to prepare to drive the blade fully into the water for the next pull!

How many calories can you burn Paddle Boarding?

Obviously your actual calorie burn will depend on the intensity of effort you are putting into to paddling along with your height, weight, and the wind and water conditions you are paddling in.     However here are some estimates based on people weighing between 165 and 200lbs :

            Casual Paddle Boarding – 300 – 430 calories per hour

Yoga on Paddle Board – 416 – 540 calories per hour

Touring on a Paddle Board – 615 – 708 calories per hour

Surfing on a Paddle Board – 623 – 735 calories per hour

Racing a Paddle Board – 715 – 1,125 calories per hour

So if you have not taken the plunge yet – google “Stand-up Paddle Board Rental” and find a rental location and give it a whirl.   Rentals including paddle, board, and lifejacket are generally $25 - $35 per hour so get out there and give it a go!   

For a great tutorial on the paddleboard check out this excellent article:  https://www.justpaddleboard.com/sup-technique-for-beginners-getting-started/ 

PV Untuk Yuyuko dari Jinrui no Minasama e

Setelah dilakukan siaran langsung Streaming dan mengkonfirmasi akan dirilis di PS4 dan Nitendo Switch, Junrui no Minasama e bagikan video promosi karakter mereka Yuyuko.

Yuyuko Oura diisi suaranya oleh Mina Nakazawa.

Game ini akan dirilis pada tanggal 27 Juni setelah mengalami keterlambatan semenjak 30 Mei. Harga yang dibadrol untuk memboyong game ini adalah sebesar 6,980 Yen (sekitar Rp 920.000,-).

Konsep dari game ini adalah menyuruh pemain memainkan karakter wanita yang mencari cara untuk bertahan hidup di reruntuhan Akihabara. Di dalam game pemain akan mencari beberapa item dan informasi di beberapa area, mencari dan memasak makanan, dan melakukan penemuan tanpa menggunakan informasi dari smartphone dan internet. Lagu tema untuk game ini berjudul "Precious Days" yang dibawakan oleh Nanahira.



Sumber:
Gematsu
Youtube Channel Nippon Icchi Software

PV dan Karakter Baru dari Symphogear XV

Perjuangan Hibiki dan teman-temannya belum berakhir!

PV (Promotion Video) dari musim kelima anime Symphogear, Symphogear XV telah diunggah lewat situs Youtube.

Di dalam video tersebut disematkan pula lagu pembuka berjudul METANOIA. Tidak ketinggalan pula nanti terdapat 3 karakter baru:

Dari Kiri ke Kanan:
Milaarc: CV.Aimi, Venessa: CV.M.A.O, Elsa: CV.Kanna Ichinose

Nantinya Symphogear XV dijadwalkan akan mengudara pada tanggal 6 Juli 2019 berdasarkan informasi dari studio, SATELIGHT. Dan akan menjadi musim terakhir dari 4 musim Symphogear sebelumnya.

Game Pastel Memories Akan Hentikan Pelayanan

Game mobile Pastel Memories akan menghentikan layanannya.

Penghentian layanan game Pastel Memories akan berhenti pada tanggal 6 Agustus 2019. Penghentian layanan belum diketahui sebabnya, namun berdasarkan akun twitter resmi mereka, mereka akan menghentikan layanan pada sore hari tepatnya pukul 15:00 waktu setempat.

【お知らせ】
『ぱすてるメモリーズ』をお楽しみいただきありがとうございます。
2017年10月23日にサービス開始以降、多くの皆様に支えていただいた『ぱすてるメモリーズ』ですが、誠に勝手ながらこの度、2019年8月6日(火)15時をもちまして、サービスを終了させていただくことになりました。
(1/3)

— ぱすてるメモリーズ公式 (@pasumemo) 7 Juni 2019

Dan semenjak postingan tersebut di muncul, dukungan untuk twitter mulai dihentikan. Saat ini staff tidak bisa membalas pesan yang ditujukan kepada akun twitter resmi dengan nama pengguna @pasumemo.

Staff mengatakan, bahwa diwaktu yang singkat ini, mereka akan tetap memastikan pengguna masih bisa menikmati game hingga sampai batas waktu yang telah ditentukan.

Anime Pastel Memories

Setelah 2 tahun semenjak diluncurkan pada tanggal 23 Oktober 2017, dan sampai mendapatkan adaptasi anime, para penggemar merasa tidak percaya bahwa layanan akan dihentikan, namun pengguna sangat mengapresiasi staff dan proyeknya, dan berharap bertemu dilain proyek. Terimakasih banyak Pastel Memories.

Ultraprocessed Foods and Weight Gain

A recent National Institute of Health Study showed why Ultraprocessed foods drive weight gain.   The study showed that those eating Ultraprocessed diet ate 459 calories per day more than those eating a diet of unprocessed foods – both groups were allowed to eat as much as they wanted during three meals per day and food intake was closely measured as participants lived in a control setting for the four weeks of the study.

What are Ultraprocessed Foods?

For this study Ultraprocessed foods were defined as foods with ingredients predominantly found in manufacturing such as high fructose corn syrup, flavoring agents and emulsifiers.     Examples of food used in study include Cheerios, Check Boyardee Ravioli, diet lemonade and Hellman’s Mayonnaise.

Researchers found that participants eating the Ultraprocessed diet had increased levels of Ghrelin – a hormone released by the body to trigger hunger.     Researchers believe that Ultraprocessed foods have altered taste and texture making them easier to overeat including being easier to chew and swallow.

In addition, those eating the Ultraprocessed diet had higher levels of fasting glucose and insulin which means increased fat storage and decreased fat utilization.

In another related study on Ultraprocessed foods researchers found that for each 10% increase in Ultraprocessed foods the risk of death rose by 14% even after accounting for confounding factors such as smoking and obesity.

So the take home message is eat whole foods that have not been processed or minimally processed!

The Many Benefits of Safe Sun Exposure

As with a lot of health advice the media tends to be very polarized when it comes to sun exposure.    While Ultraviolet (UV) exposure can cause sunburn which can lead to the development of skin cancer - proper safe, sun exposure is critical for optimal health and wellness.   

In addition proper UV exposure is critical for Vitamin D production which is by far the best way to optimize the many benefits of Vitamin D (See these previous blog posts on how to get safe sun exposure and supplement vitamin D in the winter:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-facts-on-safe-sun-exposure-and.htmland http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-to-optimize-vitamin-d-levels-in.html)  Also, sunlight delivers more than UV light!

Sunlight exposure has many has many other proven benefits beyond Vitamin D production including:

Sunlight kills bad bacteriaon the skin and is proven to improve psoriasis, acne, eczema and fungal infections of the skin.

UVA exposure from the sun causes skin to release stores of nitric oxide which is a potent signaling molecule with many benefits including vasodilation of blood vessels that can lower blood pressure and improve erectile function.     Nitric Oxide is also critical for proper immune function.

UVA and UVB exposure cause endorphin release which is relaxing and produces a strong analgesic effect helping to reduce pain.   Endorphins also act as a potent anti-depressant. 

Sunlight exposure early in the day is critical for proper sleep/wake cycle – sunlight signals received through the yes signal the master timekeeper in the brain, the suprachiasmic nucleus, that it is daytime and this keep time in all the peripheral “clocks” in the body so they function properly.   All cells express genes that keep cellular time and regular gene expression and activity.     For example skin cells exposed to UV light they expressed higher levels of two “clock” genes that control cellular circadian activity.  

Decreased sunlight exposure during daytime negatively affects circadian rhythms and night-time melatonin production so while night-time exposure to light (and blue light in particular) decreases melatonin secretion – daytime exposure (particularly early morning after first waking up) increases it later in the night!

The infrared rays of the sun penetrate the skin deeply producing many benefits including:

Increased Circulation

Helps reduce blood pressure

Helps prevent sunburns – so early morning sun exposure (when there is a high percentage of Infrared and reduced UV) can paradoxically help prevent sunburn later in the day.

Reduces pain and stiffness – this a very real benefit which is why you see animals like cats sit in the sun and stretch!

So enjoy safe sun exposure every day to reap these many benefits.   The key is pre-burn exposure.       Morning sun exposure (prior to 11am is very safe in most locations) and will greatly improve circadian rhythms and sleep while mid-day exposure is key for Vitamin D production.      To learn how to get safe sun exposure read the two previous blog posts mentioned above.

Can Cold Showers Improve Exercise Performance and Fat Burning?

Exposure to cold is unpleasant, but used properly, cold exposure is an extremely potent tool for improving health, exercise capacity, and fat burning.

Cold causes an increase in metabolic rate to produce heat to try and counteract the effects of cold resulting in increased calorie/fat burning. However, exposure to cold has a far deeper biological and hormonal impact on the body.

Cold Therapy (CT) is proven to increase adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is a hormone that stimulates fatty acid oxidation in muscle cells by activating AMP-activated protein kinase. Or in simple terms – cold increases adiponectin, adiponectin burns fat.

CT also lowers blood sugar levels by burning glucose as heat, and increases glucose uptake into muscle helping speed up recovery times. Clearance of excess blood glucose into muscle helps prevent blood sugar being converted into fat by the liver. Meaning a cold shower after a high carb meal might prevent a lot of the negatives from high sugar intake!

CT also activates conversion of regular body fat (known as white adipose tissue or WAT) into brown adipose tissue (BAT – aka Brown Fat). BAT is very different than typical fat in that it is dense in energy producing mitochondria (hence its brownish color) and utilizes body fat (typically from the belly and back) as its fuel source.

Cold and Norepinepherine

Norepinepherine (NE for short) is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is one of the primary initiators of fat burning.  NE is the key initiator of the Sympathetic Nervous System’s (SNS) Flight or Fight Response.

The Flight or Fight Response is something we have all experienced anytime we are really scared such as almost getting into a serious car accident. If you recall an experience like that you will remember that you are often shaking after the danger has passed.

Shaking occurs because when you perceive a threat the brain pushes out high levels of NE. High levels of NE stimulate a cascade of effects including:

Increased heart rate

Increased oxygen consumption

Increased circulation

Shut-down of digestive tract while pushing more blood to muscles for action

Increased pupil dilation

Increased mental focus

Reduced perceived exertion, pain, and inflammation.

Release of fatty acids and glucose from storage to fuel high levels of muscular activity.

High levels of NE also stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete epinephrine (EP).   EP is also known as adrenaline.   NE and EP are chemically almost identical with NE being a neurotransmitter and EP being a hormonal version.     

This strong SNS response prepares you for action!

Even brief exposure to extreme cold (20 seconds at 40°F, 4.4°C) causes a 200-300% boost in norepinephrine that lasts for an hour. As stated above increased NE stimulate release of EP as well. You experience a noticeable boost in vigilance, focus, attention, and mood, along with improved oxygen delivery, blood circulation, antioxidant function, mitochondrial biogenesis, and reduced perceived exertion, pain, and inflammation.

Cold and Sleep

Although cold exposure initially causes a strong sympathetic nervous response (like what occurs during any high intensity exercise) later the body re balances and there is an increase in your Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) response as a reaction to this stimulus.

Your PNS is basically your rest/sleep/repair mode.   So the increased PNS response to cold exposure after the acute SNS response helps with sleep quality.    

    

Takeaway – Cold Showers can be an effective tool to boost exercise performance and fat burning. for those seeking lower body fat levels. Do 5-10 minute sessions in the morning, dry off and then warm-up and exercise – you will feel rocket charged, have a better workout and burn more fat!

To learn more about all the positive effects of using cold exposure for positive health and fitness benefits listen to this great podcast on the subject:  https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/cold-stress-hormesis