OPS Fit OUTCAN Personnel Staying Fit Volume 8 • Issue 4 • December 2018 in This Issue
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OPS Fit OUTCAN Personnel Staying Fit Volume 8 • Issue 4 • December 2018 In this issue: OUTCAN Member Profile Captain Michael Zelenski. .................... 2 CAF Sports Day 2018 .......................... 6 Annual MCpl Gregory MacCheyne Memorial Award .................................. 8 Stay Mindful with 4 Tips for Holiday Eating ..................................... 9 Exercise a hard habit to make ........... 11 Follow-up from Capt Garneau-Bégin’s participation in the Fire and Ice Ultramarathon ................................... 13 The Canadian Embassy in Venezuela Welcome to OPS Fit (OUTCAN Personnel Staying is on the run ....................................... 14 Fit), the quarterly OUTCAN Physical Fitness Program newsletter. This newsletter contains information Upcoming events December 2018 to February 2019 .... 15 related to healthy living and physical fitness training for OUTCAN personnel and their families. Monthly OUTCAN Fitness and Health Initiatives ......................... 15 If you have any questions, input, or material you Featured Exercise would like included in this section please contact Birddog in Plank ................................ 16 Todd Cirka, VCDS OUTCAN Physical Fitness Coordinator at [email protected] or at 613 852 7059. 1 OPS Fit Newsletter • Volume 8 • Issue 4 • DECEMBER 2018 OUTCAN Member ProfileCaptain Michael Zelenski, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma In the June issue of the Instrument School (AIS) as a both he and his wife, Keeley OPS Fit newsletter we focused pilot instructor. Shortly after started riding several times a on cycling safety regarding settling in, one of ZMan’s pilot week. Oklahoma offers a fair road cycling. In this issue, we colleagues, LCol Adam Jung, climate throughout the winter thought we would introduce invited him to join for a short and cycling offered the couple another genre of cycling, ride on a local mountain bike an outdoor sport in lieu of mountain biking (MTB), and trail. It only took that one ride the skiing. the benefits it can offer to your on the tight and demanding overall fitness regime. trails of OK for ZMan to get It was February of 2017, when hooked. Having been an expert ZMan and Keeley entered their Captain Zelenski (aka ZMan) motocross racer in his youth, first state race (only weeks and his wife moved to the “fangs” came out again! after their first ride). The event Oklahoma City in September of He purchased a used bike was the second USA Cycling 2016 for an exchange posting from a local pawnshop and sanctioned race for the 2017 at the US Air Force’s Advanced season; they had missed the OPS Fit Newsletter • Volume 8 • Issue 4 • DECEMBER 2018 2 OUTCAN Member Profilecontinued first race, which was held weeks many racers having years of race during their holidays in earlier. Both will readily admit experience under their belt. Nova Scotia in the Kentville they were ill prepared for their Canada Cup. 1st race; they had not pre- The couple began to train both ridden the course, nor had they on mountain bikes and road The couple agrees that the ever watched a race prior to the bikes, ate healthy and properly sport has provided far more competition. Still, they finished prepared for upcoming races. than just a fitness element to unscathed, but humbled by the The Tour de Dirt series offered their lives, it has introduced skillset of their fellow riders. them a way to visit various them to new friends, a new places throughout the state and lifestyle, and has eased the Oklahoma’s State MTB they started to look forward to transition to a new location. Series, Tour de Dirt, includes weekend getaways to train and 10 mountain biking races also driving hours after work to Mountain biking has throughout the state over a get pre-rides in on the tracks significant health benefits. 10 month period. There are they would be racing at. Over the last few decades, three different categories of mountain biking has remained racers starting with Cat 3 – By the end of the 2017 race a popular outdoor recreational Novice, Cat 2 – Advanced and season ZMan had lost 30+ activity. According to the Cat 1 – Expert/Professional. pounds and had placed st Outdoor Industry Foundation, The top finishers in each of 1 place in the Men’s Cat 3 nearly 40 million people the categories advance up the while taking home the coveted mountain bike every year in following year. The length and State Gold Jersey, his wife had the U.S. difficulty of the races depend secured a 3rd place podium on the category in which a place in the Cat 3 women. As public health concerns person competes. As ZMan and This year, with three races including obesity, heart disease, Keeley were new to the sport, remaining, ZMan is leading and diabetes are on the rise, both registered as Cat 3 racers the Cat 2 State Championship physical exercise, especially in their respective age brackets Tour de Dirt for 1st place and in the outdoors, is becoming and this meant that their races his wife in on track to win the more critical to our health as would be between 60 and 90 state for the Women’s Cat 3. individuals and as a society. minutes in duration. The Cat 3 They both won Gold at the field of riders is quite large with Mountain biking is a fun and 2018 Kansas State Summer good competition throughout, exciting way to enjoy the Games and even managed to 3 OPS Fit Newsletter • Volume 8 • Issue 4 • DECEMBER 2018 OUTCAN Member Profilecontinued many health benefits of regular fitness and neurotransmitter in the brain, which helps to cardiovascular exercise including: prevent depression and anxiety. The focus and attention needed to ride a challenging 1. Improved Heart Health single-track can become a form of moving Regular exercise is known to improve meditation; ultimately helping to relax cardiovascular fitness. Mountain biking uses and weather life’s stressors by acting as a large muscle groups that require a lot of distraction from negative thoughts that may oxygen. This makes the heart work steadily, contribute to anxiety and depression. Gaining increasing your heart’s fitness by 3-7%. new skills and improving your mountain biking abilities also helps to build confidence 2. Less Stress on the Joints and self-esteem. Mountain biking is a low impact sport, meaning it puts less stress on your joints than 5. Increased Brain Power other aerobic activities such as running thus Researchers at Illinois University found that a reducing the risk of injuring them 5% improvement in cardio-respiratory fitness from cycling led to an improvement of up to 3. Decreased Risk of Diseases 15% on mental tests. This is in part due to Regular moderate exercise is known to building brain cells in the hippocampus – the strengthen your immune system and keep region of the brain responsible for memory. you healthy. Researchers at the University of “It boosts blood flow and oxygen to the North Carolina found that people who cycle brain, which fires and regenerates receptors, for 30 minutes, 5 days a week take half as explaining how exercise helps ward off many sick days off work compared to their Alzheimer’s,” Professor Arthur Kramer said. sedentary counterparts! 6. Whole Body Workout 4. Reduced Stress and Improved It’s no doubt you’ll recognize the defined calf Mood muscles of an avid cyclist, but you may not The vigorous demands of mountain biking realize that mountain biking uses the muscles stimulate your body to release natural of your whole body. Of course, cycling builds endorphins, which are the body’s way of strong legs, thighs and calves and helps you feeling good and getting more energy. get that nice tight butt. The balance required Exercise also boosts serotonin, an important to stay upright strengthens your abdominal OPS Fit Newsletter • Volume 8 • Issue 4 • DECEMBER 2018 4 OUTCAN Member Profilecontinued and core muscles. Climbing and maneuvering 9. Social Benefits turns also strengthens your upper body. And It’s common for mountain bikers to strike up as an added bonus, mountain biking doesn’t a conversation on the trailhead with fellow require an expensive gym membership or a riders, volunteer at local mountain bike personal trainer to get a good workout. events and pop into their local bike shop just 7. Improved balance and to say ‘hello’. Like most sports, mountain coordination biking creates a strong connection between fellow athletes and their community. Unlike plodding on a treadmill or stair stepper, mountain biking is a dynamic activity 10. Enjoy Nature that requires the rider to constantly adjust What better way to experience the great to varying terrain, pitch, and elevation. outdoors than to eat some dust and get Staying steady and secure on a mountain intimate with thorny bushes on the trail? bike not only keeps you from crashing, but Seriously though, mountain biking, more than strengthens neural pathways and reinforces any other activity, allows you to quickly get off muscle memory. the beaten path and enjoy the solitude and 8. Sleep Better majesty of nature. You may immediately feel tired and worn out after a ride, but it will ultimately lead to improved regenerative sleep when you need it at night. The exercise of riding decreases cortisol, a hormone that keeps us awake. Being an outdoor activity, mountain biking exposes you to daylight which helps to maintain the body’s natural circadian sleep/ wake cycle, not to mention raising your body’s production of vitamin D. 5 OPS Fit Newsletter • Volume 8 • Issue 4 • DECEMBER 2018 CAF Sports Day 2018 CFIOG Det Hawaii posing prior to hiking the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail Staff and family from NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy looking forward to some volleyball Members at NOPF Whidbey Island ready for a run/walk along the seaview trail OPS Fit Newsletter • Volume 8 • Issue 4 • DECEMBER 2018 6 CAF Sports Day 2018 continued Canadian Det Joint Base Lewis-McChord challenged their National Guard counterparts to a game of softball.