Many California Baptist University students work out in hopes of increasing their vascularity. However, maintaining a healthy diet and consistent workout routine is not an easy task, especially for those who are unsure of what vascularity means.
Dylan R. Sellars, International Sports Science association personal trainer and employee at LA Fitness in San Bernardino, said that being vascular means a person’s veins are exposed to the outer layer of skin. He said being vascular proves that an individual has a low percentage of body fat. However, Sellars said that genetics determine whether or not someone can be more vascular than another.
“You can work to improve your vascularity by lowering fat (levels) below 10 percent,” Sellars said.
Sellars also said that eating foods with less sodium is important because sodium causes the body to retain water. He also said staying hydrated and drinking at least a gallon of water a day is important to one’s health.
“Heat also plays a role, for example, a sauna is good because it gets the blood flowing throughout the body causing vascularity. There are also vitamins that help with blood flow to the veins,” Sellars said.
Sellars recommends that each person, depending on their weight and body composition, should cut out 400 – 600 calories a day. This will allow them to lose a pound of pure fat each week. He said that this is not only healthier but it will also keep a person from losing too much muscle mass.
For exercise, Sellars recommends having a cardio workout in a regimen to help speed-up metabolism. This will not only help speed-up the fat-burning process, but it will also increase blood flow through the body.
Charles J. Hewett, personal trainer at CBU’s Recreational Center, said that tight skin, bulging muscles, and protruding veins are not a sign of being healthy and vascular. Hewett said that is actually the body’s sign of dehydration. Hewett recommends that in order to be healthy and vascular, it is important to maintain a healthy diet.
“Stay away from red meat,” Hewett said. “Make sure to have a protein shake because sometimes you can’t get certain proteins from chicken. Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and greek yogurt … as well as brown rice and black beans because it is a complex carbohydrate.”
Hewett recommends eating at least four to six small meals through out the day in order to keep one’s metabolism up because this will help burn more calories. He also recommends avoiding carbohydrates before going to bed at night because the body cannot burn off calories while the body is sleeping and will store the excess calories.
