Fitness Goal

My fitness goal is to obtain a better beep test score. On average i have ranged between 7-9, but i know i can achieve more since i only end up in zone 2 or 3 after my test. To solve this i need to work towards gaining a better aerobic energy system because i am using anaerobic right now. An app i will use to assist me in achieving my goal is: RunKeeper. It is an app that helps you track your running pace, measure your distance, and helps you with training goals. I will use this app during runs and cardio workouts to help me increase my stamina and help me to do better!

Why Can Whales Hold Their Breath Longer Than Most Mammals?

Whales are mammals, just like humans. Over 50 million years, the ancient creatures spent more and more time in the water, and eventually, stopped coming to land altogether. So they evolved in a way that let them live in the ocean, along with them changing physically they had to change internally. They had to learn to develop specific breathing techniques that allowed them to stay underwater for a long time without them having to constantly come up for air. In one breath, a human body can absorb about 15 percent of the oxygen inhaled. The whale absorbs as much as 90 percent of the oxygen it breathes in. Whales store the excess oxygen in myoglobin, a special protein cell found in muscles. Whales have greater amounts of myoglobin than other animals, allowing them to store larger amounts of oxygen at a time. When a whale dives into the water their heart beats more slowly and some arteries become constricted. This slows the flow of blood to certain organs without decreasing blood pressure and ensures each breath last longer. For example; the sperm whale's respiratory system allows it to hold its breath for 80 to 90 minutes at a stretch. The beaked whale can swim without a breath for as long as two hours. Whereas humans can hold their breaths on average up to a minute. A whales "nostrils" are located at the top of their head and called blowholes. Since they can only breathe at the surface, whales have had to learn how to develop a conscious or voluntary breathing, meaning they choose when they take a breath. So they surface every few minutes to blow out a mixture of water and air and take in a breath of fresh air. Where as humans have the ability to breathe out of their mouths and nose a whale only has one.

Crash Course Video

Crash Course Video
The Respiratory system and the Circulatory system have the ability to work in several different ways. This crash course video has taught me a lot more than i expected to learn, just like the fun fact about animals being able to use simple diffusion, which allows them to take in oxygen without using their lungs but instead their wet membranes. When the heart pumps blood into the lungs it is pumping deoxygenated blood and the circulation makes it oxygenated. After the blood becomes oxygenated it is returned back to the heart and is circulated throughout the body. The circulatory and respiratory system work together by the process of inhaling and exhaling also known as breathing. The respiratory system also has to make sure that the body releases carbon dioxide by preforming gas exchange once oxygen enters the body.

Interim Report

Hi Mom and Dad! This is my interim report for the Human Kinetics Coop.

So far, the highlights for me have been: So far the highlights for me in Human Kinetics CO-OP have been the field trips; I have thoroughly enjoyed the many things we have experienced such as Woo Kim, Grouse Grind, and Rock Climbing!  


I am the most proud of: I am most proud of my participation and improvement in class and super fit. I am proud of the confidence I have and my improvements in super fit, I have surprised myself with what I can do and will do my best to keep it going.


The most interesting things I have learned about are: The most interesting thing I have learned is about the heart. I was really fascinated to learn about how it works and how the blood circulates. 


An example of when I really pushed myself in SuperFit is: I really pushed myself in the extended Beep Test, I ran throughout and didn't give up. 


I could make improvements in: I could make improvements in my beep test score because I know i can go for longer and push myself more.


I am really looking forward to: I am really looking forward to hot yoga coming up. 


Lates (how many & reasons) - I have been late to SuperFit because of running to and from my locker.
Preparedness for class (gym strip &/or supplies) - I am always fully prepared, always have my gym strip and the proper supplies. 


The Basics - WORK HABITS:

Attendance (classes missed and why) - I have not missed a class.

Participation in field trips (woo kim, grouse grind, rock climbing) - I do my best to fully participate in all the field trips, and i have attended them all with a positive attitude. 

Class time management (are you using your class time to complete your work? engaged in class discussion? participating? following along? doing your best? or talking too much? ) - I always complete my classwork on time, and participate fully but i do tend to talk sometimes.

Blog assignment completion - (out of 8 assignments) Comments?
I have completed all my blogs fully.
Self evaluation of work habits for each class in coop - G/S/N

Biology 12: G
Exercise Science 12: G
Super Fit 12: G

Grouse Grind Experience

During the Grouse Grind my body was exposed to all sorts of feelings. I was well beyond my final zone when I arrived at the top. Throughout the grind I experienced that my leg muscles were tiring a lot due to the steepness of the mountain, and that I began to breathe very heavily but I did not feel like I was out of breath or running out of energy. The climb was tough nonetheless it required a lot of power and strength, which to succeed needed to come from your mind because that was the one thing I felt could have stopped me but failed to do so. During the climb I realized that when i kept a steady pace it helped my body to cope with the climb and did not make me want to stop and any point or slow down, but when I started to speed or go faster I felt my body shutting down on me and in a way telling me to keep a specific pace going, and when I did do so it assisted me in time and shortened the breaks. Judging from my experience doing the Grouse Grind the energy system my body was using was the anaerobic glycolysis, because while I was changing speeds I felt that I could only continue for 30 seconds - 2 minutes and it decreased my function, but during my regular movement I experienced the aerobic energy system as my body was enduring a lot while my heart rate was increasing and cellular respiration was present.

VO2 Max

My VO2 Max based upon the result of my beep test score is 40.5 which is an average rating. For upcoming beep tests I will do much better because at the end of my test i was only around zone 2, therefore my body can sustain doing the test for longer and can endure more. 

                                  

Fitness Friday

Beep Test: 8.2
Sit & Reach: 5
Plank: 2 minutes
Push-Ups: 8

Blood Flow Through Body

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHDbYlyg2FE

Heart Dissection

In Biology we dissected a pigs heart. The size of the heart varied between all the groups, some were larger, and some were smaller. The one that my group members and I had was just big enough to comfortably fit into the palm of my hand. It had a semi round shape and a growing point towards the left side because of the Left Ventricle. And if you held it a certain way you could even see the sort of heart shape it had. While holding it in my palms it felt heavier than it was supposed to after rinsing the heart and defrosting the ice it weighed roughly around one to two pounds. The colour on the outside was a reddish-brown and became whiter around the veins. On the inside it was a deep red-brown colour but the arteries and Chordae Tendinae were still a brighter reddish pink colour. The Cordae Tendinae looked like thin pink strings, when looking at them you think that they are wear and easy to break but when you touch or pull on them you realize that they are very strong and sturdy.The AV valves don't look like they seem they are just flaps of flesh but when the heart is whole they are a reliable passage way. The left AV Valve and right AV Valve are approximately the same size. When examining the main chambers and atrium's of the heart you see a difference in size and shape. The Left Ventricle and Right Ventricle believe it or not are the same size but the thicker walls and rounder shape of the left ventricle makes it appear to be bigger. This is because the left ventricle pumps blood to the body and the right ventricle pumps blood to only the lungs. The atrium's are very thin and floppy and act as the passage way for blood to enter, their size is roughly the same. The Pulmonary Trunk is a large blood vessel that prevents the back flow of blood from entering the ventricular chambers, when dissecting the heart if you were to put your finger through the Pulmonary Trunk you would find it being led straight to the atrium, inside the Pulmonary Trunk is a very pink colour it is wide and just slight smaller than the Aorta. The Aorta is the largest artery in the body, and even looks the part. All the blood passed from the heart to the systematic tissues go through the Aorta, the Aorta in this heart had a very large opening and was thick in diameter. 

1. The thing found to be the most surprising was how easy it was to find each part of the heart. I expected that it would be difficult to find all of the parts of the heart because the heart was a pigs so therefore it was smaller, but i was wrong. It turns out that each and every part of the heart is completely visible in its own way!

2. The Atrium's and the Ventricle's differed a lot. The Atrium's were significantly smaller than the Ventricle's because the only jobs the Atrium's have is too collect blood from the veins and deliver the blood to the heart, whereas the Ventricle's must use their squeezing muscle power to pump blood to the arteries above them therefore requiring more strength and power. Ventricle's are structured according to their job they have more muscle, are larger, and is rougher to touch although the Atrium is easier to touch, have less muscle, and are very small.

3. The Left Ventricle is more muscular than the Right Ventricle because the left is responsible for pumping blood to throughout the body whereas the right is only responsible for pumping it to the lungs.

4. As the heart muscle contracts and relaxes, the valves open and shut, letting blood flow into the ventricles and atria at alternate times. When the aortic valve closes and the mitral valve opens, it allows blood to flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. As the left atrium contracts, more blood flows into the left ventricle. When the left ventricle contracts again, the mitral valve closes and the aortic valve opens, so blood flows into the aorta.The structure of the valves are like flaps, therefore when the heart is whole they attach to form a inlet and makes it easier for the process.