Your Best Friend

Phoebe is my very active 2 year old cattle dog. She is my little “go girl” I like to run, she likes to run, so we make a good pair. Over time with her and her predecessors I have gotten a couple of tips to make running, or walking with your best friend a bit easier.

1. You can get a “tie out lead”, it’s longer and has an adjustable clip so that instead of keeping the leash in your hand or on your wrist you can wear it around your waist and have your hands free. This will also keep your gait more even, since it is easier to swing both arms equally. Your legs and arms like to work together so if your arms swing is uneven your stride will probably be as well.

2. A friend gave us a collapsible nylon water dish that clips to Phoebe’s collar, great for long runs, a hydrated dog is a happy dog!

3. Same friend, thanks J. gave us a cool collar, it has a freezable insert and really helps keep your dog comfortable on a warm day. (I think I want one for me!)

4. This is a safety tip. I have said before that I’m not a leash-law Nazi, but people really need to know that their dogs will come when called and how they react to other dogs. Phoebe and I have had some close calls with aggressive off leash dogs. Pepper spray is an option, but you may hit your dog. Another friend suggested a travel size bottle of hair spray, it won’t hurt either animal, but will (hopefully) discourage the attack. If this doesn’t work, don’t try to hold on to your dog or get between them, your dog will have a better chance if you allow her either to run free or defend herself. You can’t outrun a full sized dog, so don’t try. Don’t make eye contact, don’t turn your back, back away slowly, upwind if you can. If you have a sweat shirt, wrap it around your arm and use it as a shield. That being said, there is no perfect answer for this, so please, people with aggressive dogs, please keep them under your control!

5. If you run with more than one friend at a time, get a buddy lead splitter, you clip your lead to the center and it attaches to two collars, this will keep you from getting tangled leads. (More than two dogs, you’re on your own (-:)

6. Last tip, better for both of you, try to run where there isn’t a lot of vehicle traffic, it isn’t good for your lungs or your dogs.

Keep moving, stay well!
Sandra

Exercising Under the Weather

No matter how healthy you are, sooner or later some bug will catch up with you.
When it does do you you still maintain your work outs or stop all together until you are completely over it?
The answer is yes……and no……maybe.
If you are running a fever, you are nauseous or have a major headache, then no, it isn’t smart to do anything strenuous, even if you can make yourself. Your body is telling you to rest, so it can heal.
If you have the “sniffles” or something mild,, then studies support that moderate exercise might lessen your symptoms by loosening congestion and increasing circulation.
It’s important however to not feel guilty about taking a few days off, and not to expose people to your illness when it is in an active phase.
Hydrate, relax, get some extra sleep.
Some of us feel intuitively when it makes sense to keep moving and when to lay low, the body talks! But some feel that stopping even for a day or two destroys all gains and momentum.
So not true, in fact some of us experience what feels like a post illness energy boost!
What you can do that may help you relax and heal is some gentle stretching or yoga that you can do at home. Some also find mindful breathing, counting breathes, and visualization of healing scenes can be helpful.
A bit of good news; even if being a regular exerciser won’t totally save you from everything germ/virus out there, being fit is generally associated with fewer illness and less severity/duration when it does occur.

So relax and feel better! Sandra

Scary Halloween Stuff

It’s scary thinking about what Halloween candy can do to your food plan.
It takes about 20 minutes of moderate activity to burn off one mini candy bar, but you don’t need to deny yourself a few treats. Make a trade with another food item, or put in your 20 minutes first and “buy” that treat. You may even find that after you get your HR and energy up you are less interested. In that case, “bank” the extra calories burned for later.
Delegate passing out treats to somebody else, if you can’t then don’t buy your personal favorite. For instance gum or lollipops are way less tempting to me than Kit-Kats or Milky Ways.
Maybe have a bowl of popcorn handy and something to sip on, drinks flavored with cinnamon can take the edge of cravings, so maybe try some hot or cold flavored tea.
Or turn off your porch light and go for a walk or run somewhere that has an interesting concentration of decorations and costumes

Remember everybody blows it on occasion. It’s really counter productive to beat yourself up about it, you are a human not a machine.

Tomorrow is a new day!
(And there’s a whole 3 weeks until Thanksgiving!)

Boo!

Athletic Recovery

So you did your marathon, backpacking adventure, trek up the mountain, whatever it was and now your muscles are talking to you and those first few steps after sitting or laying down are very dicey.

I get it, both professionally and personally. I recently completed an 18.4 mile round trip to the top of Half Dome, cables and all with two friends. It was awesome, sometimes hard and occasionally scary fun!

We trained for it and we were ready, but we all had some stiffness and soreness over the following few days.

You may be a bit sore or so stiff and pumped that it’s hard to move, but movement is exactly what you need for delayed onset muscle soreness.

Ice packs are good for the first 24 hours for any acute soreness, then warm or cool water, soaks or shower (whatever feels better to you). I have a hand held shower that has a massage type setting, it feels really good on sore muscles!  Gentle stretching is also important.

Walk, or do some other low impact activity, starting the next day. If you have access to a pool, then easy water exercise is great. Stay in the shallow end and stay vertical, just move around.

Hopefully you pre-hydrated, stayed hydrated during your event and you are continuing to stay hydrated.

Your muscles could be a little swollen (pumped) if you are sore. Micro tears are created in the muscle fibers when you stress them. Fluid will collect as part of the healing process. You can help move the fluid out with massage, but it should be gentle, heavy pressure will just make the soreness worse. So ask your massage therapist to go easy.

If you have done adequate prior training, all soreness should be gone is less than a week, with light exercise. Then you can start training for your next adventure!

Remember if you want it, plan for it and believe you can do it, whatever it is, you CAN, so go for it!

Oh, and Leslie, Debbie, you ROCK!!!

Core Issues

I often sound like a broken record when I am working with clients, because I repeat certain things over and over again! Particularly when it comes to the “core” which I define as the entire trunk, meaning everything that isn’t your head, arms or legs.

It’s so important to maintain core engagement when performing almost any exercise, that I must be forgiven for the reminders.

Here is a short list of essentials for keeping your core strong and avoiding injury when training;

1. Focus on pulling gently up and in with the lower abs, too much engagement will lead to lower back tension. Pulling with the upper abs will cause a “boxer crunch” which will flatten the back and hunch the shoulders.

2. Lift your rib cage and and let it expand as you inhale, not just in the front but all the way around.

3. Keep your knees soft, locking them will force your hips into an  anterior, (forward tilt) and put unnecessary tension on the lower back.

4. Slightly lift the back of you neck and let your chin relax.

5. Relax your shoulders, if your posture is otherwise correct then your shoulders should be supported and you don’t need to pull them back, which creates tension in the upper back. If it’s hard to release the tension in them then shrug a few times, lifting your shoulders toward your ears and letting them drop.

If you work on your posture this way you will be much more comfortable thoughout your exercise session. Practice this even when you aren’t exercising. You will have less back/neck discomfort, and (bonus!) you will look taller and slimmer!

Stay Well, keep moving, Sandra

The Power of Voice

When someone is in a stressful situation, some physiological things occur. The muscles tense, the throat constricts,  blood flow retreats toward the center of the body, circulation is reduced and breath becomes more shallow. Sometimes people actually hold their breath as if they were under water.  Analytic brain function is reduced as well.

We can’t really prevent that, it just happens, but we can change it.

Work on breathing in and out though your nose, making your diaphragm expand and contract with each breath, make a full exhale so on your inhale you get more oxygen. Do this while your are remembering past situations that were stressful. Even in the past these situation will create some of that same physiological response. With good breathing technique you are teaching yourself  a new response to similar situations that may occur in the future.You can make this a “muscle memory” over time, so that it will happen more automatically. This will help to relax the muscles and push more blood flow to your brain and extremities.

So now let us kick that stress senario up a notch and say you are in a scary or vulnerable situation, one in which you may even be attacked. Your first line of defense in a direct confrontation should be your voice, but your voice won’t help if it comes out in a high pitched squeek or whisper. Again, this is something you will need to practice, and it’s easier for some of us than it is for others. Using that same breathing technique I just mentioned, work on adding a single word and make it come from your diaphram. As you exhale and contract those muscles say “NO!” as loudly and as deeply as you can. (You might want to do this with your doors and windows closed so you aren’t attracting attention you don’t want.) It may sound silly, but you will also need to knit your eyebrows, frown and make what I call a NO face. If you are smiling and your face is relaxed your voice will have a higher pitch.

This is very different than screaming. Screaming is inarticulate and suggests panic, hysteria and having no control. You could hope it makes the attacker think you are crazy and leave, but it may also empower him/her if you are in a place where no one else can easily hear you.

Work on this until you know your voice will carry.  The added benefit is that you will exhale fully, preventing the possibility of hyper-ventilating, and get more oxygen into your lungs on your next inhale. This will help you fight the feeling that you’re frozen and can’t move or think, preventing you from taking action. (Like running away!)

Practice with lots of single syllable words, “NO!” “STOP!” “HELP!”, then add simple phrases, “GET BACK!” “GO AWAY!” With children I would teach them to yell “MOM, HELP!” First to make a possible attacker think that mom was nearby, and second because it would guarantee any other mother in ear shot would take notice. Anytime any child yells mom, to this day, I look for the source, even though my daughter is an adult, it’s just ingrained in us mothers.

With an adult, I teach them to use their spouses or a friends name for the same reason, even if no one is around the attacker wouldn’t necessarily know that, so it may be a deterrent.

Whether you are in a situation where someone is being socially aggressive and you need to respond assertively in a deeper stronger way, or you are in a situation that could become physically dangerous, learning to breath through it and use your voice affectively will help.

There is much more to recognizing, avoiding and or confronting stressful situations. I will be posting a series of  safety and awareness techniques over time.

Remember, physical defense should be taught in person, with an experienced trainer, but if you have a good base of safety information, your  personal security and peace of mind will be greatly enhanced.

F.Y.I. an added benifit to physical defense training is that a good instructor, (me for instance (-:) will create artificially stressful encounters and teach you effective ways to deal with them. This kind of training can give you tools and confidence to deal with analogous situations that aren’t necessarily threatening in a physical way, but can give rise to intimidation. You can learn breath and balance, how to remain centered, how to exit a situation gracefully, and how to speak strongly if necessary without being aggressive.

My husband and I have frequently done volunteer bartending for community events, where most people are great, but there is on occasion one or two that get a little rowdy, confrontational or loud.  It has served us well to be able to project calmness awareness, control and assertiveness when needed.

Practice, breathe, be well and as always,

Keep moving!

Sandra

Supporting our Military Families is an honor

I am happy to be involved in providing fitness training to members of our Military and their families. I can offer a fun stress relieving environment to help them get in shape, stay in shape and stay active while they are stationed nearby.

Getting outdoors

Good weather is here again, so it bears repeating, outdoor exercise is awesome, so go for it!
Running, walking , riding, gardening, make me happy in more ways than I can list, but remember it’s important to use your SUNBLOCK, I think the best ones are zinc oxide based, some are invisible or tinted now so you don’t have to have “white nose”, and HYDRATE! Everyone knows this now but almost nobody does either as well as they should. Also, the best times for outdoor work or exercise are before 10am and after 4pm when the sun’s rays are weaker.
Sun damaged skin isn’t pretty and leads directly to risk of skin cancer, dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, weakness and confusion, and is life threatening in it’s severe form. A big plus to getting your fluid levels up? You burn more calories! When you become even slightly dehydrated, your body starts to conserve the fluids and energy it has stored. Our body’s are always worries about drought and starvation, so reassure your body that you’ll always give it what it needs, ;^D

Yeah for spring!!!

Squat Advice

Squats or other kneeling exercises like lunges are great for activating a lot of the large muscles and for increasing stability in the lower legs. They are also good for working balance, especially if they are done on a wobble board or Bosu.

The caveat is that you really need to do them correctly or you will end up hurting your knees and also possibly your lower back.

The first thing to remember is to engage your abdominal muscles, (which is true for most exercises, but often forgotten). You also want to keep your torso long, by that I mean, don’t hunch your shoulders or let your rib cage collapse. Keep your shoulders relaxed and lift your diaphragm, while using those abs to stabilize your lower spine. F.Y.I. this is pretty much how you want to maintain your posture all the time, exercising or not. Try not overly tense the muscles around your rib cage, you should be able to feel your diaphragm expand and contract freely when you breathe.

The second thing to to is to keep your knees over your ankles or slightly in front; never let them go past your toes. Instead reach back with your hips while keeping your shoulders aligned over your knees. You can use TRX straps or stiff firmly anchored tubing for balance, or simply extend your arms to the front as you lower into the squat.

There is also a wall squat, or chair squat variation that you can do with a stability ball between you and the wall. Start with the ball right behind your lower back. Walk your feet out from the wall, so that when you lower, it looks like you are sitting in an invisible chair, back straight and knees over the ankles.

In a lunge position, whether stepping back or forward, your legs should look like two L’s.  The front one facing down  and the rear one facing backwards. Again, use straps or a band anchored to the wall and do reverse lunges if you need assistance at first. Then progress to free standing and forward stepping. As you adapt you can move onto an unstable surface for added challenge.

There are lots of variations and ways to keep these exercises challenging and fun, by using medicine balls, kettle bells or free weights,  but get your basic mechanics down first.

If you have had injuries you definitely want to check with your Doctor before any exercise, and consider consulting with a Trainer, (like me!) for personal instruction on correct form, durations and repetitions.

Kickboxing Fitness

I believe any exercise is better than no exercise when it comes to getting health benefits. I like to run, partly because it is something I can do with my dog. I enjoy walking too, because it’s something I can do with my husband (-; strength training keeps the  muscles toned and tight, and all of it helps keeps weight off and strengthens the heart.

I make use of the Bosu, straps, bands, free weights and hula hoop, for myself and with my clients, but I have to say that if I had to pick one favorite, it would have to be kickboxing.

What is unique about using kickboxing for fitness is that it’s so random and inclusive. The body moves in about every direction it can move, the correct posture requires core engagement, it works every muscle in the body, it’s aerobic and well suited for interval training. When targets are added, like heavy bags and focus mitts there is a resistance quality as well.

It doesn’t get boring because it’s so varied, it stimulates the mind and imagination. It helps one learn to focus the movements, mind and breath in harmony. Skills are learned and being perfected.

The kicking requires balance, and again, lots of core control, it burns about the same amount of calories per hour as a good run, and well, it’s just fun!

I recommend learning the movements from a trainer with experience, bad technique can cause problems, and taking things at a tolerable pace.

Don’t put up with a fitness Nazi! You want a  trainer to encourage you, help you go as far as you safely can and end the class with a happy sweating smile on your face!

Oh, and I do have an open or two for my Monday/ Wednesday class (-: