Success Stories

Why Should I Stretch?

Stretching is important, that is no surprise. But why it is important to stretch is interesting. For years, we have stretched our muscles as a way to warm up, and prepare the body for exercise. We have also stressed the importance of stretching because we feel that it reduces our risk for inquiries. And while stretching does improve flexibility and range of motion in your joints, it is still up in the air if the act of stretching actually helps reduce injuries and warm our muscles or does stretching simply supply us with a well-balanced exercise program that gives us an overall healthier body.

There is no doubt that stretching is a good thing, but the first thing to remember is you’re body must already be warm before you stretch. So with that said, I would not think that stretching helps us to warm the body because we should already be warm before we stretch. In fact, many exercise physiologists recommend stretching after your workout is all done! That’s right, the best time to stretch is after your workout and not before. And besides the physiological benefits, stretching after a workout is a really nice way to cool down and allow our minds to shift from exercise back to our normal day-to-day life’s activities.
So with that said – stretching does not seem to help warm our bodies in an effort to reduce injuries. Now were stretching can reduce the possibility of an injury is when you are stretching your body with the intent to increase range of motion around a joint and enhance mobility. And there are a few different ways to receive that benefit.

STATIC STRETCHING:
The first way is the traditional way, through static stretching. A static stretch is done while the body is at rest and is not moving. And the purpose of the stretch is to gradually lengthen the muscle to a point of mild discomfort. One of the most common mistakes people make with static stretching is not holding the stretch long enough. In order to receive the full-benefit of static stretching you need to help the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds (most people hold these types of stretches for less than five seconds!) And lastly, you should not move or bounce while performing static stretches. Take your time and hold your stretch and just breathe as you hold the position.

DYNAMIC STRETCHING:
Now, if you absolutely stretch before your workout, dynamic stretching is a great option. This type of stretching uses motion and active movement around a joint in an effort to enhance range of motion. Please note, the reason this type of stretching helps to reduce the threat of injury not because you are warming the muscle but because having a healthy range of motion reduces the possibility of moving your body outside it’s abilities. When first looking at this type of stretching it often is confused with ballistic stretching. But the difference between ballistic stretching and dynamic stretching is that ballistic stretching incorporates moves that are jerky and bounce while stretching. An example of dynamic stretching would be a walking lunge or arms or wrist circles. The important thing to remember with dynamic stretching is that while you are moving during the stretch, you are always doing so with control and without momentum.

So, it’s up to you. For the most part, stretching before a workout is, for the most part fine. You probably won’t hurt yourself. The question is how much you will benefit. And if you are anything like most people, you are limited on time for your workouts and want your exercise routine to be as efficient as possible. In that case, I recommend saving your stretching for after your workout. Enjoy your stretching! It really feels great! You may even want to get a few exercise videos to show you some great stretching options. But whatever you do, take a few moments to stretch at least three times each week.

Why People Love Yoga

It’s no surprise to anyone who does Yoga: Yoga does in fact help you tone and sculpt your muscles and create a lean and luscious looking body! Just think about it, Yoga focuses on enhancing range of motion around a join while making the muscles stronger. And since joints are the cornerstone to your body, it just makes sense that practicing Yoga regularly would result in a more fit and toned body. And since anyone can do Yoga, and you don’t need any special equipment, it is a perfect home workout that can be done anytime of the day.

One of the most common questions people ask before starting Yoga is how often they should do Yoga? To get the most out of Yoga, you should practice at least twice a week. Now, if you want to change it up a bit, you could do one day Yoga and one day Pilates. By doing one of each workout, you are still working on the same goals, but you are adding variety. And the fasted way to see results in fitness is by constantly changing your workouts and keeping your body guessing to what you will do next.

Most people prefer to do Yoga in the mornings because it seems to help start the day off right. It makes sense because one of the big benefits of Yoga is reduced stress. So by starting your day with Yoga, you set yourself up to a body and mind that is ready for the challenges of the day. And if you can control your stress, you are ahead of the game!

If you are new to Yoga, you may consider using exercise videos if you want to do Yoga at home. When choosing your workout video, pay careful consideration to the workout description. If you are new to Yoga, choose a workout that emphasizes that. If you want to reduce stress, find one that focuses on stress-reduction. In other words, figure out what you want to get from Yoga and then choose your workouts with your goals in mind.

As with anything new, give yourself time to learn the moves and the process. If you try Yoga and don’t seem to love it right away, give it a little time. In fact, give Yoga at least two to three weeks of continuous practice before you decide if Yoga is for you or not. With regular practice, you will start to see why everyone loves Yoga.

Below is a free online Yoga workout.  It’s a great place to start…and it’s free!

How To Set Goals For Weight Loss

We do it all the time. With the best of intentions, we decide we want to do something. It can be a very small task or a huge undertaking, but it often turns out the same – we don’t change! We say we want to start doing home exercise videos and we even buy a few workouts and do them a few times. But more often than not, those workout videos start collecting dusk somewhere near our TV. So, how do you actually reach a goal successfully? How do we match what we say with what we are doing?

The Root Issue:
Before choosing a goal, it’s important to have a clear picture of what you what and what you are willing to do about it. It’s easy to say “I want to lose 50 pounds.” But it’s a lot harder to do what you need to do to get what you want! Ask yourself a few questions:
Why do I want to lose weight? If weight loss is not your goal, substitute what you want. Now, really think about it. The answer has to be about you., it can’t be how others would perceive you or what they would say when they saw you! Think about how your life would change if you achieved your goal. Think about how you would feel about what you achieved and how your lifestyle would be affected.

Why aren’t I at my goal weight?
Again, feel free to substitute an appropriate goal. When I answered this question I was shocked! I realized the biggest reason I wasn’t at my goal weight was because I had developed the belief that everything else in my life was more important than my health. I had put my business before my health, my marriage and family and all my friends. Once I realized that, I was able to see how ridiculous that was. And from then on, I decided that I would give myself whatever I needed to be healthy and fit.

Access Your Current Situation Without Judging It
Most of us can access our current situation; we do it all the time. We look in the mirror and say “You have got to start exercising!” But what we fail to do is to be able to look at where we are without making it bad, ugly or wrong. For example, I started running about six months ago and quickly realized I was not a naturally gifted runner…a basic jog was incredibly challenging. I told my husband how frustrated I was about being such a slow runner. So he asked me to “access my running without judging my abilities.” So, instead of saying I was a slow runner (which was a judgment) I started to say “I run a 13-minute mile” (which is a fact.) Once I was able to look at where I was, without criticizing my running, I was able to create a plan to get what I wanted – which was to run a 12-minute mile.

Chunk It Down
“Chunking it down” simply means to take a goal and create several smaller goals. By developing smaller goals that are quickly achievable, you will start to get the feeling of success – and there is nothing more motivating than success. Success breads success. Achieving goals creates momentum to get you future towards your goals. Lets say you’re goal is to eat healthier. For the first week, instead of removing all your favorite foods from your daily life, simply ADD a few healthy foods to each day that you already like! If you like apples, for the first week, your goal would be to simply eat two apples every day.

The amazing thing is that once your behavior gets lined up with what you say you want, you can start to see some great things happen! If you want to get fit and exercise more – by slowly changing your lifestyle to reflect what you say you want, the possibilities are endless – you make the call. You are now in control of your life!

How To Do Pilates Correctly

Everyone is either doing Pilates or talking about it these days, so it is no wonder there are some really wonderful Pilates exercise videos on the market that provide people who workout at home with a number of wonderful options. But before you start a new Pilates, take a few minutes and learn the Five Basic Principles that make Pilates so great! These principles will give you more bang for the buck and help you get better results from your exercise program.

The Starting Position.
First and foremost, it is best to start your exercise in a position that is tension-free. Stress will only limit you. So find a space in your home to exercise with limited distractions and discomfort. You don’t have to be completely relaxed to start, because lets face it – that’s a big reason you are doing Pilates! But in a perfect world, you have a few moments to yourself when doing Pilates. Many Pilates workouts start with you lying on your back with a neutral spine while slightly activating the muscles throughout your core to maintain the position of your back. The good news is that after you do Pilates for a while, this position will become part of your daily life and you will be able to provide support for your entire body by maintaining “neutral spine.”

Principle #1: Breathing.
Proper breathing techniques ensure that you get enough oxygen to the working muscles and to help reduce or eliminate tension throughout your body and helps with concentration and focus. The basic principle involves an expansion of the rib cage and out to the sides of your body and your back without lifting the shoulders.
Remember, when you inhale breathe through your nose and feel your sides and rib cage expand. And exhale though pursed lips and allow the rib cage to close.

Principle #2: Pelvic Placement.
During a Pilates exercise routine, there are two primary positions for your back: Neutral Placement (or otherwise known as Neutral Spine) and Imprinted Position. Neutral Placement has you maintaining a normal curve in the lower back. This position varies from person to person. So a good way to find Neutral Placement is while laying on your back first press your lower back firmly into the grown. Next arch it up so your shoulders and tailbone are pressing into the mat. Now, find the point in between both extremes – That is Neutral Placement. This position is ideal when you have both feet on the floor. Now Imprinted Position has the lower back pressing into the mat and the slightly titling your pelvis up. Just be careful not to squeeze your glutes too much (but a little is ok!). This position is best to when your feet are off the floor as to create a more stable body.

Principle #3: Rib Cage Placement.
As you are lying on your back (with a Neutral Spine), think about feeling a sense of weight gently resting on your ribs. Keep your ribs on the mat but try not to move your rib cage into the mat. Keep your ribs still and remember, as you breath think about breathing into the back and sides of your ribs so you can keep your ribs stabilized.

Principle #4: Shoulder Placement.
Your shoulders should not be lifted too far of the mat or pressed down too far either. Your shoulders should be somewhere in between. Find the middle point in between pressing your shoulders down firmly and rounding them up off the mat and hold that position.

Principle #5: Head and Neck Placement.
Your neck should have a natural curve with balanced comfortably between your shoulders.
Using a technique called the Head Nod lengthen the back of your neck and nod your head slightly forward while keeping about two to three inches between your chin and chest (or about the size of a tennis ball.)

These five principles are just the start of a wonderful form of exercise that will not only strengthen and tone your abs, back and butt but it will also help with concentration and stress reduction! And you can do Pilates anywhere, which is why so many are doing Pilates from home with exercise videos.