Live Life Stronger OP

Girls weekend wouldn’t be complete without a hellacious workout! Ola is the absolute best!

Now that we have talked about better posture in our upper back, it is important to talk about how that posture can effect a very popular staple exercise for our core.... the plank. Planks are a great way to not only challenge our abdominal muscles, they also (if done properly) are great shoulder blade stability exercises.

A lot of people put unneeded stress on their shoulder joints while planking by pushing their arms away and rounding their shoulders. This not only puts more strain on the shoulders, it also takes away from your abdominals not letting them get the full effect of the plank. I always like to tell my clients they should be able to plank on the ice. If they feel like (if on the ice) they would do a belly flop, make small adjustments to fix the problem.

Once planking correctly, your abdominals will fully benefit and shoulder blade stability will increase as well. If in the plank position you feel strain in your back, it does not mean you should lift your hips, instead, you should elevate your plank with your arms on a box as high as needed to where you feel your abdominals engaged and no strain in your back. Once you can hold the plank for 2 minutes, start lowering the elevation to make it more challenging. Happy Planking!

Give yourself some grace with the "80/20 rule".

Most people begin a fitness journey because they want to get healthy and "toned", which means they want to lose body fat and gain muscle. Both of those reasons are highly dependent on nutrition choices. Your nutrition practices don't have to perfect 100% of the time. If you can make healthy choices for 80% of your meals, you can still achieve your body recompositioning goals.

If you eat 3 meals and a snack every day, that means you just need to make healthy choices 23 times in a week. That leaves 5 opportunities for you to enjoy the fun foods, plan to go out with friends for drinks, or celebrate with a delicious dessert.

Now go out and enjoy your weekend (in moderation!)

Happy Wednesday and Mother’s Day! Let's talk posture.

Like I have talked about in previous posts, our daily lifestyles create an environment where we tend to spend long periods of time working either at a desk or over a table. Long periods of time with our arms forward tends to make us round our shoulders forward which stretches and relaxes all the muscles in our upper back and tightens all the muscles throughout our front. This rounded posture also causes us to relax our deep abdominal muscles (the internal girdle) creating shoulder instability which leads to shoulder pain and lower back pain.

Exercises that strengthen and increase endurance in the muscles of the upper back and abdominals while stretching through the chest can help correct these instabilities. The result will be decreased pain and lower risk of shoulder and back injury. Sitting and standing with our shoulders back and pressed down puts our shoulder blades in their natural "pockets" and makes your deep abdominal muscles engage fixing bad posture. When posture improves achy stiff joints will start to feel better, and you will find your clothes will fit better as well.

So make your mom happy and take her advice, stand up straight!

In that same vein: Don’t fear moving slowly forward...fear standing still.

Happy Wednesday! In the past two functional movement posts, I have discussed how improper movement and posture can lead to limitations in motion which increases the risk of back injury and chronic pain. When our hips are tight, we tend to change how we move. These changes in movement can lead to deficiencies in some muscles and increased tightness in others. Poor posture, improper movement and muscle imbalances all increase strain on our mobility joints (knees, hips, etc.…) causing chronic pain and/or injury. When we are young, we have great posture and mobility.
Unfortunately, busy lifestyles and the absence of routine stretching leads to muscle tightness. The result of years of muscle tightness requires daily stretching to make any real change. Try the below stretches to help regain mobility in your hips which will allow activities of daily living to be performed properly. Sit-to-Stand, Bend and Lift and even something as simple as putting on pants and socks will all be easier! To really make changes, a stretch should be held for 2 minutes. Two minutes should be a goal to work toward, not to start out immediately. I like to have my clients count their breath instead of watching a clock. If you are holding your breath while stretching, most likely you are pushing the stretch too far. There is a difference between a stretch and a strain. Focusing on breathing allows you to relax into a stretch so your muscles do not fight it. Try adding the 4 stretches (both modified and advanced) to your daily routine!

What's a mindful means of recognizing and appreciating?

"Want more confidence? Love yourself.

Ready to set boundaries? Love yourself

Ready to release your emotion? Love yourself

Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for your entire life."

Have a great week!

With the right professional guidance, exercise can be safe and has a lot of benefits for both mom and baby. After receiving the ok from your doctor, check in with one of our trainers to get started.

Exercise During Pregnancy May Save Kids From Health Problems as Adults One day soon, a woman’s first trip to the doctor after conceiving may include a prescription for an exercise program.

Ever wonder how many servings of fruits and veggies you really need for health?

Turns out 5 is the magic number.

To be more specific, 3 servings of veggies and 2 servings of fruits.

Why more veggies? They're more nutrient dense for less calories.

A recent study in the journal Circulation analyzed data from over 100,000 people and found those who consumed 5 serving of fruits and veggies significantly cut their risk for lifestyle related diseases and death from any cause.

Nutrition data has shown for a long time that fruits and veggies have the most bang for your buck when it comes to vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.

Interestingly, the study also found that the types of veggies and fruits matter.
Starchy veggies (sorry white potatoes, peas, and corn) and fruit juice don't contribute to extending your life (though they are still tasty and certainly have a place in your overall nutrition plan).

Bring on the dark green leafy veggies! Bring on the berries and citrus fruits! Try working an extra serving in to every meal.