Mobility and flexibility are common words tossed around these days. So, what exactly do these words mean? Here’s a simple definition of both: mobility refers to how freely a joint can move through its full range of motion versus flexibility refers to the length of a muscle, thus flexibility is a component of mobility. Other factors that can inhibit mobility are muscle tension, lack of strength, soft tissue damage, and compensations in the body from other ailments.
So, which is more important…mobility or flexibility? Well, the answer to this question will differ from person to person but generally, mobility will most likely be of greater importance. But keep in mind that mobility and flexibility have a direct relationship to each other. Let’s take the knee for example. The group of muscles called the quadriceps function to extend your knee. When these muscles are tight, then the length of the muscle is decreased. So, if this muscle group continues to get tighter and not able to stretch then it directly leads to the inability to extend that knee, which overall decreases your range of motion in the joint (decreased mobility). See how it all ties together and why warming up before and stretching after your workout should always be a part of your routine?!
You’re probably thinking, yes stretching is important but you just want to get your workout in and be done. Well, think of the many benefits you gain from improving your flexibility and mobility. It increases the blood flow to your muscles so that there’s improved circulation. It also lubricates the joints, improves posture, increases the elasticity of the muscles, prevents injuries, decreases recovery time, and just allows your body to perform more efficiently!
The benefits are undeniable and can take your workout to the next level! If you’re still not convinced, then come by the gym and ask for our Dynamic Mobility Improvement program and see how we can help you…
We keep hearing and reading that we should obtain 10,000 steps per day. Even most fitness trackers are automatically set to 10,000 steps daily. So where did this number come from? Well, it all started back in 1964 when Japan was preparing to host the Summer Olympics in Toyko. Fitness, health and wellness were gaining more awareness in the Japanese population especially the benefits that came from regular exercise, such as fighting obesity, diabetes, hypertension, etc. During this time, the development of the modern pedometer was introduced and sales took off! The number 10,000 was derived from the Japanese term, Manpo-kei, which translates to 10,000 steps meter. From that point 10,000 steps became the minimum number of steps to walk on a daily basis.
So, now you’re probably thinking, how far is 10,000 steps? Well, that number will have some variance to it based on each individual but roughly it’ll equate to 4-5 miles (1 mile roughly yields 2,000-2,500 steps).
Now, let’s take into account our daily lifestyle. It tends to be more on the sedentary side. Let’s think about this for a minute…driving, meetings, desk jobs for 8 hours a day, watching TV, etc. All these different daily activities add to our poor posture, aches, and pains.
Getting 10,000 steps can seem intimidating and almost impossible to achieve to some but in reality it’s not. First off, start tracking your steps as soon as you wake up. Keep your pedometer or fitness tracker on in order to track your steps throughout the day. Here are some simple tips to reach that goal:
Break up your time at the desk by getting up to get a drink a water or even get a simple stretch in
Take the stairs vs. the elevator
Park a little further in the parking lot
Go for a walk after dinner with a friend/dog/spouse/kids
Go window shopping
Go for a walk on the beach
Talk on the phone while going for a walk
If you’re not close to 10,000 steps yet, then find your starting point and try to increase your step count by at least 500 steps each week! A little improvement each day is better than none.
Now, here’s the fun part…jump into our 10,000 Steps Challenge for the next four weeks. The goal is to get:
10,000 steps per day = 70,000 steps per week = 280,000 steps for four weeks
Those who reach the minimum of 280,000 steps by the end of the challenge will get FREE access into our Mobility Class! The person that gets the most steps overall will be able to enjoy a FREE 30 minute foot massage!!
So get those walking/running shoes on and your pedometer or fitness tracker ready and get moving!!!
Ever wonder how professional athletes can keep training and improving their PR? How it almost seems as though they’re invincible? Did you know that you can be just like them by changing one particular aspect of your workout routine? Well, guess what! You CAN and all it takes is incorporating cross-training.
So, what is cross-training?
Cross-training is a type of training that involves combining exercises from other disciplines. It’s a way to supplement a person’s training by improving strength, endurance, and flexibility. In addition, it prevents injuries, muscular imbalances, and burnouts. In other words, it’s whole body fitness. It can involve incorporating weight lifting, yoga, spinning, swimming, and the list goes on and on. You don’t have to incorporate everything all at once but the important thing is to break up your routine by adding cross-training to your exercise program.
Still not convinced?
Here are the benefits of cross-training. One of the best benefits from cross-training is injury prevention! Yes, preventing those same nagging injuries from overuse and repetitive movements. Take for example, running. Who doesn’t love running, especially since the Gate River Run is just a couple of months away! The constant impact from the pavement, improper shoes, biomechanical irregularities, muscular imbalances, over-training are just some of the reasons that injuries (is. joint pain, low back tightness) occur or reoccur. By incorporating cross-training, such as swimming, biking, or weight lifting, you can minimize the impact and instead work on building the endurance and strength a different way, which in turn will maximize your running in the end.
Another great reason to cross-train is for rehabilitation purposes. Let’s take running again. Say your low back is tightening up while running. Well, instead of continuing to beat your body down, incorporate biking, elliptical machine and some core training. The key is to not exacerbate your injury nor prolong the recovery process. Letting the body heal and recover will prevent you from sitting on the sidelines.
Other great benefits of cross-training are increased motivation and active recovery. By breaking up the routine and allowing you to explore more areas of the fitness world and other sports, might just give you an added kick to your motivation. Active recovery during your workouts is great in being able to enhance your endurance and strength, which will be positively reflected in your running performance.
So, before you create injuries or make current injuries worse, consider adding some cross-training to your training protocol. You’ll be surprise how much more your overall performance will be!
My nutrition journey started about 5 years ago. I was exhausted, apathetic and on the verge of depressed. People would look at me and tell me I looked tired or sad. And the worst part was that I was in pain. My stomach was constantly hurting. There was a throbbing, stabbing pain and I always felt bloated. I finally decided something was wrong with me and sought an answer. Numerous doctor appointments, ultrasounds, and even a colonoscopy later, no one could tell me why my stomach hurt. Then I realized not a single doctor had bothered to ask me what my diet was like. That’s when I decided to see a wellness coach. She was able to analyze my blood and urine tests, as well as my visual appearance. She urged me to take wheat and gluten out of my diet for 30 days. She had a strong suspicion that’s what was making my stomach hurt. Take wheat and gluten out? How would I do that? I was someone who thought pretzels and fat free chocolate pudding was eating healthy. So I started reading…a lot. After a very expensive trip to Native Sun to restock our pantries with food I could actually eat, I mentally prepared for what I thought was going to be the hardest challenge I would ever face. Not even a week had went by when my stomach started to feel better, the bloating went down, my energy levels increased, and I no longer had that sad, tired look. Keeping this up with out going crazy would be the hard part though. Salad every day? What else was there with out gluten in it- especially for lunch? It would take trial and lots of error before I felt like I had a good handle on this gluten-free thing- and do it affordably. Over the last 5 years I have tried the Zone Diet, the Paleo Diet, Advocare supplementation and cleanses, and juices cleanses. From these experiences I have compiled what I call my 10 commandments of eating (in no particular order of importance), and I try to follow this 95% of the time. This will be the first installment in my monthly nutrition tips and tricks. Keep in mind, this is what I have experienced and what I believe has worked for me- you may or may not agree, but I thought I’d share…
My 10 commandments of eating:
1. Eat breakfast everyday
2. Eat 4-6 hours after my last meal, or 2-3 hours after my last snack
3. Make sure there are always these 3 nutrients represented at each meal or snack:
A carbohydrate (in the form of veggies or fruit)
A lean protein (in the form of lean meat, Greek yogurt, eggs, etc)
A healthy fat (avocados, olives, nuts and seeds, or the fat in animal meat or oils)
**This combination will ensure the meal or snack’s glycemic load doesn’t impact your blood sugar levels too greatly, thus avoiding a spike then a crash.
4. No processed flours- that includes bread, pasta, crackers, cereal and cereal bars, EVEN if its gluten free. And that goes for cookies, cakes, and other desserts of course 😉
5. COLOR- your plate must have color. Green, orange, purple, red. Keep a food journal for 2 to 3 days. Look back over it and close your eyes to picture the food you ate. Is it a colorful memory or is it all brown and white?
6. No sugar. Unless it is coming from fruits (no more than 2-3 whole servings early in the day or for dessert) or dark chocolate…for my desperate fix 😉
7. I try to make sure there is 12 hours between my last meal of the night and my first meal of the day- allowing my digestive system to do its job and then rest.
8. When drinking alcohol, red wine or clear liquor. No sugary mixers- only water or soda water, unless its fresh squeezed juice with herbs
9. Take the time to measure your servings. Do this for about 1-2 weeks, and you will have committed to memory what 1 serving of coffee cream is or what 1 serving of deli turkey is. This step is incredibly important.
10. Eat organic vegetables and grass-raised animals whenever possible. Have you ever seen the picture of the farm worker wearing a HAZMAT suit to spray to spray the crops? If it’s not okay to touch his skin, why is it okay for us to consume it?
