-Fix Those Weak Links!-

Let's face it...most of us (well, myself not included, lol) work a 9-to-5 job and spend most of our day in a seated position. What does this have to do with fitness, you ask? Well, as you may already be aware, sitting at a desk for extended periods of time can wreak havoc on your body. What does it do? Well, for starters, it can contribute to what we in the industry call "upper crossed syndrome," which is basically a fancy term for protracted (slumping) shoulders, tight chest, upper trapezius/sternocleidomastoid (aka your neck)/anterior shoulder muscles, and forward head carriage. Quite often, this can lead to excessive neck tension and headaches. Not fun. Spending too much time in a seated position can also lead to a lack of proper lumbar curve, due to this upper crossed "cascade" of issues. Add to this the fact that one's hips can become very tight, thus leading to a lack of mobility and decreased hip/glute function. In a nutshell, the body is put under a tremendous amount of stress due to gravity itself, and the seated position that most of us adhere to more often than not just exacerbates the problem. If you exercise, kudos to you! If you don't, DO! Even simple exercises are better than none at all! Everyone should add some mobility work to their routine if they want to stay as pain- and injury-free as possible!

Yours in Health,
Sarah

The exercises are:
Dowel "Halos" x 5 ea direction
Stick-Ups (thumbs to wall) x 5-10
Overhead Squat x 15
Stability Ball Circles x 5 ea direction
Bird Dogs (hold 5-10 sec) x 5-10 ea
Side-Lying Hip Abduction + Raise (hold 5-10 sec) x 5-10 ea
Marching Bridge (hold 5-10 sec) x 5-10 ea

-How NOT to Exercise...Part 1-

I have been working out since I was a senior in high school...so that means, oh, roughly 14 years, give or take a few months :)

I will be the first to admit that over the years, especially waaaay back in the day, I have commited NUMEROUS "exercise sins."

Prepare to be enlightened!

My first suggestion...if you REALLY want to wreck your body and live in pain 24/7? Perform bodybuilding-style routines with as much weight as you can tolerate for 12-15 reps per set. What does this really mean, you ask? Well, bodybuilding-style routines revolve around "body part specific" exercises, such as biceps curls...exercises that typically involve ONE joint and mid-to-high reps with as much weight as you can handle.

DUMB. JUST PLAIN DUMB!

First off...all the reps...rep after rep, taxing a single joint...can we say, no...can we SCREAM tendonitis? Repetitive lifting in this manner WILL give you good-looking muscles...BUT at a price...it kills your joints. I had tendonitis in practically every joint, back in the day.

Aside from the fact that this kind of training can lead to overuse injuries and overtraining, it's completely non-functional! I mean, what everyday situation calls for a biceps curl? Yes, we pick up things throughout the day...we DO use our biceps...but NEVER in isolation.

Bodybuilding training THRIVES on isolated movements.

Real life, on the other hand, relies on compound movements that originate from the "core" muscles.

Would you rather have a good-looking body with painful joints
or
a balanced, even better-looking body with healthy, functioning joints?

You decide!

Stay Healthy!
S

Take Care of Yourself...NOW!!

I believe that total health and total fitness go hand in hand. To make the most of you life, you must be mentally, emotionally, and physically fit/healthy.
So....what are you doing to enhance your level of fitness? Or...what are you NOT doing that is causing you to be unfit? To get the most out of your life – you’ve got to stop! Face it, we only have control over a few things in life. It sucks, but it’s true.
So much in life feels, seems, and probably is, out of your control – but when it comes to your health – there is a lot you can do – or stop not doing – to be fitter, get healthier, and enjoy your life more.
Exercise more - this you have control over. Do it. You need to do cardio and resistance/weight bearing exercise regularly. It's common sense and such an easy concept... so why don’t people exercise regularly?
Your psyche: this is the all-important wild card. This is the thing that no one wants to talk about because, well, we haven’t quite figured out how to make it work for us. Well, some of us have, sort of.
We know that using repetition for mental conditioning works, so feed your mind positive images and thoughts of where you want to be, how you want to look, and what you want to do, throughout the day. Stop harping on what you don’t have – express your wants as desire, not coming from a place of lack.
We also know that you have to believe what you are saying way deep down inside for it to really manifest in your life, so say it, live it, and do what you can to feed your subconscious the messages that you do want to be healthy and happy.
And we know that if you live in the negative, you will stay in the negative, so stop berating yourself, stop not taking care of yourself, and stop putting everyone else’s needs ahead of yours.

The Skinny on Smoothies

Click here to see a recent story on Good Morning America about smoothies. It's the video titled "Skinny On Smoothies" on the right hand side. It's pretty crazy. You can never be sure that each employee at these smoothie places are using the same amount of ingredients. Be sure you know EXACTLY what is in your smoothies and make your own! See some of the recipes I posted on June 18!