Oct 17

The Big Toe’s Role in our Lifetime Fitness Journey

The first thing most of us do in the morning, after silencing the alarm, is put our feet on the floor.  Before the coffee brews, our feet and ankles take the body’s weight and get us standing.  The feet are the first part of the body to react to the ground, and the ankles just above them play a big role in how well we move from that first step forward.  Strong feet and ankles are one of the early lines of defense against a random fall or an unfortunate ankle roll, and they help all of us move better.

When we focus on ankle strength with our personal training clients, one of the first things we watch is whether the arch of the foot collapses inward as the foot takes weight.  We also want the foot to generate enough force off the ground for the movement at hand, without hindrances or complications.  Everyday functional movements such as getting out of bed, climbing a flight of stairs, and getting in and out of the car depend on both of these qualities.  Balance, coordination, and proprioception, which is the body’s built-in sense of position, also play a role.

The ankle moves in a few basic directions.  Dorsiflexion pulls the top of the foot up toward the shin.  The tibialis anterior, the muscle running down the front of the shin, is responsible for most of this motion and lifts the toes so they clear the edge of each stair.  Plantarflexion points the foot down.  The gastrocnemius, the larger of the calf muscles, drives this motion and pushes the body up and forward when we climb a stair or rise onto the balls of the feet to reach a high kitchen shelf.

Inversion tilts the sole of the foot inward, and eversion tilts it outward.  These motions let the foot adjust to uneven ground or a sloped driveway.  Circumduction is a circular motion that combines all four directions, like drawing a circle in the air with the big toe.  Smooth movement in each direction helps the foot adapt to the surface it lands on and can reduce the likelihood of rolling an ankle.

The toes have their own collection of muscles.  The flexors curl the toes down and press them into the floor, while the extensors lift them up.  The big toe is the last part of the foot to leave the ground when we walk, and it helps propel the body forward.  When the big toe lifts, the tissue along the bottom of the foot tightens, helping raise the arch.  Strong big toe extensors and flexors can help keep the arch from collapsing inward and support a steady push-off.  Not doing enough foot and ankle exercise can leave these muscles deconditioned, leading to shorter, choppier steps and a feeling of unsteadiness when getting up from bed or a couch.

We prescribe the big toe extension exercise as fitness homework for many of our personal training clients.  It’s a safe, simple, and effective exercise that builds strength and control across the foot’s biomechanics.

Sit in a sturdy chair with both feet flat on the floor and your knees bent at ninety degrees.  Keep the ball of your foot and your other four toes pressed into the floor, and slowly lift only your big toe as high as you can.  If the other toes want to lift along with it, use your hand to gently hold them down at first.  Hold the top position for two seconds, then lower the big toe back to the floor with control.  Ensure your arch stays lifted and your foot doesn’t roll inward as the toe rises.  You should feel the muscles along the top of your foot and the front of your shin working.  Repeat this movement for ten to fifteen repetitions on each foot.

Getting out of bed, climbing the stairs, and stepping out of the car are movements most of us make every day.  A few minutes of foot and ankle exercise one to three times per week can make each of those movements a little steadier.  Strong feet and ankles are an invaluable asset to our lifetime fitness journeys, and they help us start every day on solid footing with the first step out of bed.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.

Oct 12

Staying Limber Throughout Your Travels

At the end of September, I had the privilege of visiting a few friends in Portland, Oregon, for about three days.  The weather was the quintessential Pacific Northwest climate. It was a little colder, the air a little wetter, and some drizzle had already started in the latter half of the month.  This was a nice change from Napa, where we’ve had warmer weather and no rain.

Portland was beautiful.  Brisk early mornings, epic sunrises, plenty of coffee shops, birds chirping around the city, and the occasional steampunk-graffiti-style mural on the side of a random building all made up the landscape.  One of my favorite hobbies is visiting different areas and checking out their food scenes, and Portland didn’t disappoint.  We were fortunate enough to enjoy a Malaysian-style dinner, a Vietnamese-style breakfast, and, of course, plenty of delicious donuts strewn across Alberta Street, Burnside Street, and Hawthorne Street.

We stayed in a very nice hotel right in the heart of downtown Portland.  However, when staying at a hotel and sleeping somewhere other than your normal bed, a stiffer mattress can affect the joints in different areas of the body.  This can be especially noticeable after a day of perusing a new city.

After waking up the first morning, I definitely felt the effects of a harder mattress and pillows that weren’t the ones I usually have at home.  My neck, back, and shoulders were sore, and I felt like I had just tripped down a hill and collided with a tree.  To help reduce the effects of sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, I made sure to practice some mobility techniques for my lower back and hips and some static stretching for my hips, knees, and ankles.

Another thing that helped keep my body in line was finding little opportunities to stretch throughout the day.  One of those opportunities came about while riding the hotel elevator.  I could’ve taken the stairs, but the elevator was already on its way down, and other guests were likely waiting for it too.  We were going up five floors in what seemed like an elevator that was trying to break the Guinness Book of World Records for slowest elevator in the world.  As the number changed on the display, a generic ding came from a two-inch speaker each time we passed a floor at about the speed of a snail crossing a hiking trail.  I noticed this ride would take a while, so I decided to do a stretch we instruct our personal training clients to do when their ability to reach their arms overhead is compromised by a previous shoulder injury or deconditioned upper-extremity strength.  We call this the shoulder glide stretch.

The shoulder glide stretch is an exercise we use with our personal training clients who might have tightness in the upper neck, the front of the shoulder, and the shoulder-blade area.  Facing the wall in a split stance and reaching one arm up the wall stretches the hip flexor, abdominals, and shoulder region at once.  It’s a safe, simple, and effective stretch for just about anywhere there’s a flat wall.

To perform the shoulder glide stretch, start in a split-stance position facing a wall, with one foot staggered forward and the other staggered back.  Keep the knee and toe of your front foot close to the wall in front of you, and lift the heel of your back foot off the ground.  While leaning forward and keeping your spine neutral and rigid, glide one arm up the wall, keeping your bicep next to your ear.  Bring your chest and the back of your arm toward the wall until you feel a brief stretch in your chest, bicep, and abdomen.  Hold this stretch for about five seconds, and then slide your arm back down.  Repeat this for about five to ten repetitions on each side (or the length of one elevator ride to the fifth floor).

I could have just watched the digital display and listened to the chime letting me know I was getting closer to the fifth floor.  However, I wanted to make good use of my time and help my body feel better after a night in an unfamiliar bed.  By the time the doors opened, my shoulders and neck felt better, and my body felt a little closer to its normal alignment.

The human body adapts to the demands we impose upon it.  Little, steady doses of movement, like a stretch in a slow elevator, can make a difference while traveling and in our everyday lives.  Many of our clients find similar relief when they fit a few stretches into the moments between work, errands, and family obligations.  Consistently practicing these small habits can help us keep feeling good enough to enjoy new cities, new food, and the activities we love for years to come.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.

Sep 27

Simple Fitness Benchmarks for a Long Healthy Life

It should come as no surprise that consistently practicing a fitness routine benefits long-term health and everyday functionality.  Most of us already understand, without reading research articles or sitting through a college course, that getting stronger, eating the right foods, and taking care of our bodies help us live happy, healthy, and strong lives.  Regular physical activity plays an important role in reducing the risk of chronic disease and premature death.

The image commonly associated with regular physical activity is someone sweating in a gym, waving around a fifty-pound kettlebell, or holding a barbell over their head.  Regular gym-goers who maintain this elite level of physical capacity deserve recognition.  Sticking to a routine of going to the gym four to five times per week while also eating a clean diet is a challenging feat.  For many of us who are balancing work, family, and a calendar that already looks like a game of Tetris, that level of commitment might feel out of reach.

However, images of hyperathletic people commonly seen in internet articles, on social media, and in TV commercials can give people the idea that, to be fit, a person must look like a fitness model or a professional athlete.  When it comes to reducing the risk of chronic disease and premature death through fitness, much simpler forms of exercise can be just as valuable.

Simple fitness adaptations are more attainable for most people and strongly connected to a long, healthy life.  For example, being able to stand on one leg for ten to twenty seconds, hold a thirty-second plank without pain, or walk up a hill of about fifty yards without feeling out of breath are all practical benchmarks of fitness.  Each benchmark reflects the balance, strength, and cardiovascular conditioning we rely on for everyday functional movements such as stepping off a curb, carrying groceries, or climbing a flight of stairs.

These simple adaptations improve overall function and can reduce several risk factors.  Standing on one leg reflects the strength and coordination of the muscles around the hip, knee, and ankle, and practicing it can help reduce the risk of falling, since every step we take briefly places our body weight on a single leg.  Strength and weight-bearing exercise can help slow the progression of osteoporosis and arthritis by supporting bone density and building the muscles that support our joints.  Regular exercise can also help alleviate psychological, emotional, and mental stress.

A good question might be, “What are some simple, effective exercise habits a person can follow to enhance health?”  These habits are subjective.  They depend on a person’s interests, physical capacity, hobbies, and what they really want to get out of their fitness journey.

For example, some people really enjoy running.  Running anywhere from ten minutes to a few miles, two to three times per week, can build a routine that supports their fitness goals.  Others might prefer small-group fitness classes or meeting with a personal trainer one to two times per week.  In a class or personal training session, a coach can guide exercise selection, keep movements safe and effective, and help hold each person accountable.  Either way, these habits contribute to the overall process of building a routine.

If you haven’t exercised in a while or are managing a health condition, talk with your physician before starting a new routine.  From there, starting with one of the simple benchmarks above can give a clear place to begin.  For example, you can start by standing on one leg next to a kitchen counter for a few seconds at a time and progress to ten to twenty seconds over several weeks.  Who knows, you might surprise yourself and be able to stand on one leg longer than you expected.

The human body adapts to the demands we impose upon it.  A lack of exercise puts the body in a deconditioned state.  In contrast, consistently practicing a routine that fits our own interests and lifestyle pays far more dividends than an intermittent, random session ever could.  Routines built around what we enjoy can improve everyday functionality, reduce the risk of chronic disease and premature death, and, most importantly, help us live happy, healthy, and strong lives for years to come.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.

Sep 23

Feeling Better Walking Out Than Walking In

“I had a rough day, and I’m not sure I want to be here today,” a client told me recently as they set down a gym bag.  Something had happened at work that morning, and the drive over hadn’t shaken it loose.  “Okay, I understand,” I said.  We talked about it for a few minutes.  Then I said what I say to just about everyone who walks in and might have had a bad day before their training session, “We’re both here right now, we have a fun and invigorating session on the schedule, and the dumbbells have no opinion about anybody’s morning.  Let’s go work out.”

Fifty minutes later, that same person was laughing at a story about how we both burnt a set of cookies last weekend and asking whether we had time for another set of squats.  On the way out, I heard a sentence I hear nine times out of ten.  “Thank you.  I feel better than when I walked in.”

That sentence describes one of the most powerful outcomes of taking some time out of your day to work out.  Exercise commonly gets filed under losing weight and building lean muscle.  Ask a room full of people why they want to join a gym, and those two answers cover most of the hands in the air.  Stress relief rarely gets mentioned.

This time of year in Napa seems to pile it on.  Harvest has everyone working long hours, the evenings get dark before dinner is finished, and the runway toward the holidays starts to feel short.  Add a difficult conversation at work, a week of family logistics complicated enough to challenge an air traffic controller, and whatever showed up on the television, one of the slew of social media apps crammed into the phone, or the front page of this newspaper, and the result is probably feeling a sense of anxiety.  Many of us arrive at the end of the day feeling wrung out.

Our bodies respond to these stressors by releasing stress hormones into the bloodstream.  These chemical messengers have earned a rough reputation.  However, stress hormones can be beneficial throughout exercise.  They raise the heart rate, sharpen the senses, and prepare the muscles to move with urgency.  When you perform a set of exercises holding a weight over your head, such as a dumbbell chest press, it’s good to be mentally alert and highly focused. This is where stress hormones benefit exercise.

Stress hormones can also be produced from extrinsic input we get in our everyday lives. For example, a tense work meeting or an unsettling news headline can trigger a release of stress hormones while the body stays seated in a chair.  The hormones arrive, the muscles receive the message, and the movement they were prepared for never happens.  A person can finish a day like that feeling physically exhausted and jittery after an afternoon of thinking, without moving at all.

An exercise session raises stress hormones on purpose.  That elevated heart rate lets someone get through a challenging set of squats or a few minutes on a rowing machine.  Exercise might be one of the most potent stress-reducing medicines available to us without a prescription.

One additional push-up, ten more seconds of holding a plank, or five more repetitions on a set of squats can give a sense of accomplishment.  That sense of acknowledgment tends to override the black cloud of a rough, stressful day that came along with the person as they ventured through the gym door.  Additionally, the management of additional stress hormones from extrinsic stress such as psychological, emotional, and mental stressors throughout the day can be less apparent when exercise is consistently applied to a person’s routine.  A well-conditioned body from practicing exercise can manage external stressors more efficiently.

The human body adapts to the demands we impose upon it.  A lack of exercise leaves the body deconditioned and less equipped to handle the stress everyday life delivers.  In contrast, consistently practicing strength and conditioning two to three times per week pays far more dividends than an intermittent, random session.  Those dividends include stronger muscles, healthier joints, and, most importantly, the ability to walk out of a training session feeling better than we walked in for years to come.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.

Sep 12

An Overlooked Vitamin for Strong Bones

“Have you read anything about vitamin K2?” asked a client of mine at the end of a training session.  She found an article written for endurance athletes about the nutrients that support bone health, and she wanted to know what I thought.

The article made a good case.  It walked through calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K2, along with the foods that supply them, including leafy greens, egg yolks, organ meats, hard cheeses, and fermented foods.  Calcium is the mineral that gives bone its hardness, and vitamin D helps the body absorb it.  Vitamin K2 helps direct that calcium into the bones.  Bone is built out of minerals, and those minerals come from what we eat.  Anyone managing bone loss should talk with a physician or registered dietitian about the nutritional side of it.

The article closes by saying bones remodel based on the stress applied to them and the building materials available.  Food supplies the materials.  Physical stress signals to the body where those materials are needed.  Resistance training provides that signal, making it one of the best vitamins we can take for our bones.  Productive stress from safe, effective exercise doesn’t seem to get the same attention as supplements on the vitamin shelves next to the pharmacy.   It also requires more effort than opening a bottle.

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones gradually lose density and become more porous, with advancing age, hormonal changes, and long stretches of reduced physical activity all contributing to the process.  Bone is living tissue.  The cells inside bone respond to the forces that travel through them, rebuilding and reinforcing the mineral structure after the stress of exercise.  Bone responds to the imposed demand of exercise-induced stress much like muscle, and so do the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Everyday functional movements, exercise, and recreational physical activity such as hiking, long walks, and a jog around the neighborhood send force up through the feet, legs, hips, and spine.  Recreational athletic physical activities might include cycling, paddling, tennis, or golf.  However, bones carry less load when humans are sedentary or inactive.

Exercises that produce an effective contribution of force are compound movements, which cross more than one joint.  For example, a push-up loads the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and spine.  A squatting movement loads the hips, knees, and ankles.  These forces travel through the body’s large bones.  When the muscles surrounding those bones are asked to produce force, the muscles adapt, and so do the bones, the joints, and the coordination of the nerves firing into those muscles.

Building strength by consistently practicing safe, effective compound movements helps maintain bone strength.  Moving our bodies through space with control reduces the likelihood of a fall, and falls are what turn fragile bones into fractures.  Better control can also reduce the likelihood of moving a joint beyond a safe range of motion.  It’s worth speaking with a physician about bone density testing and about what kind of exercise is appropriate before starting a new routine.

The countertop push-up is a safe and effective exercise we use with our personal training clients to load the bones of the upper body.  It requires nothing more than a kitchen counter, and it delivers force through the wrists, forearms, shoulders, and spine while the feet stay planted on the floor.

To perform the “countertop push-up,” stand facing a sturdy countertop and place your hands on the edge slightly wider than your shoulders.  Walk your feet back until your body forms a straight line from your heels to the top of your head.  Slowly lower your chest toward the counter, taking about three seconds on the way down, and press back to the starting position.  Keep your hips in line with your shoulders throughout the movement.  We recommend that our personal training clients start conservatively with new exercises, doing three to five repetitions.   However, if you master and feel competent with this technique, we recommend more repetitions with proper form.

The human body adapts to the demands we impose upon it.  Consistently practicing resistance training one to three times per week can pay invaluable dividends toward bone health.  The article my client handed me was right about the building materials for bones.  Eating the right foods and exploring supplements can support bone health and help manage osteoporosis.  Resistance training tells the body where to apply those building materials, and, most importantly, it builds stronger muscles, better balance, and the confidence to keep moving through the activities we enjoy for years to come.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.

Sep 05

Strong Legs Help Manage Knee Osteoarthritis

“I have to wear stupid heels when going up and down the stairs.  That kills my knees,” commented a client of mine who works as a stockbroker in San Francisco.  She was in her fifties, climbing office stairs several times a day in shoes never designed for it, and the pain had settled into her kneecaps.

After a visit to the doctor, she was told that she had an advanced form of osteoarthritis and that the degeneration of cartilage, bone-on-bone compression within the joints, and the advancement of age were contributing factors to her knee pain.  She didn’t want to accept that knee pain would dictate the rest of her life, so she signed up for training.  Instead of chasing individual muscle groups, we trained coordination, movement through different planes of motion, and the moments when her knees actually hurt.  After a few months of consistent strength and conditioning, she was hiking with her family and climbing up and down stairs in the stupid heels with significantly less knee pain.

Osteoarthritis is worth separating from arthritis in general, because other forms work differently in the body.  In the knee, it means the smooth cartilage covering the ends of the femur and tibia has thinned and roughened over the years.  Resistance training doesn’t rebuild that cartilage, and it isn’t a cure.  What it changes is the muscular system surrounding the joint.

The quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles constantly adjust force to control the knee while we move.  These muscles work like a car’s suspension system.  Strong muscles don’t eliminate every bump in the road, but they help the rest of the vehicle, which are the joints in our body, manage them.  Muscles also work as brakes.  Descending a staircase or stepping off a curb requires the quadriceps and glutes to control how quickly body weight travels downward.  Better brakes mean better control over how force enters the joint.

The most useful way to think about it might be engine size.  If a person’s legs are deconditioned, standing from a chair can require nearly all of their available muscular capacity.  However, after several months of consistent strength and conditioning, that same action of squatting up from a chair might require closer to half of the force produced by the working muscles responsible for that specific action.  Everyday functional movements such as climbing stairs, carrying groceries, and getting up off the ground become relatively less demanding when a body conditioned through consistent, effective strength and conditioning practice is present.

The nervous system also plays a role.  People living with knee osteoarthritis frequently demonstrate weakness in the quadriceps and hamstrings, altered muscle activation, and reduced awareness of where the joint sits in space.  For example, when intense knee pain is present, common adaptations to compensate might include stiffening the knee, taking shorter, choppier, scuttle-like steps when walking, favoring one leg, or contracting every muscle around the joint at once.  Building strength and control through safe, effective exercise so the right muscles produce enough force can help alleviate joint pain.  Compound exercises that require several muscle groups to work together help develop that timing.

Cartilage is less like the rubber tread on a tire and more like living tissue that expects to be used.  The cells within it respond to loading, and appropriate movement sends signals that help maintain healthy cartilage.  Excessive stress can do the opposite.  The old wear-and-tear model can lead us to believe that using an arthritic joint will wear it out faster.  It’s worth speaking with a physical therapist or physician about what’s appropriate before starting a new routine.

The reverse step-down is a safe and effective exercise we use with our personal training clients to build control on the way down.  It trains the quadriceps and glutes to act as brakes, which is exactly what a staircase demands of the knee.

To perform the “reverse step-down,” stand on a low step or curb with one hand on a wall or railing for support.  Ensure you are facing the step to emulate a “backward stepping” motion off the inclined surface.  Slowly lower one foot toward the ground, taking about three seconds on the way down, while keeping your knee tracking over your toes.  Tap the ground lightly, return to standing, and repeat for five to ten repetitions on each leg.

The human body adapts to the demands we impose upon it.  Consistently building hip, knee, and ankle strength each week can pay invaluable dividends toward osteoarthritis management.  Strong legs can lead to longer hikes, less knee pain when climbing up stairs in stupid heels, and, most importantly, the freedom to keep doing the activities we enjoy for years to come.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.

Aug 28

August 2026 Coach Spot Light: Coach Paul Atienza

Coach Paul Atienza was born in the Philippines and moved to the Bay Area at age 6. He got into fitness through wrestling. Paul’s experience with the sport’s physical and mental demands, along with his kinesiology education, helped shape him into the coach he is today.

His interest in wrestling was sparked by watching the WWE (the largest professional wrestling and sports entertainment company). One of his idols you may know is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He wrestled all throughout high school.

In the gym, Coach Paul’s favorite exercises are the barbell back squat and pull-ups because they are his strongest lifts.

Outside of holding down the gym, you’ll find him hanging out with his cats, exploring new restaurants around the Bay Area, or at church.

Fun fact: His secret talent is being an exceptionally talented drummer. Give him almost any song, and he can pick it out by ear. Jazz is the one exception, and he’ll be the first to admit it.

One of Paul’s favorite quotes is “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.”

In the near future, Coach Paul has some big goals. He’ll be the first to say that his goal is to ensure his parents are well taken care of. Having grown up as the youngest in his family and been well cared for, he believes in giving back and caring for his loved ones. He also would like to explore more of the world, visiting countries such as Italy, Greece, and Japan.

If you happen to come across Coach Paul in or outside the gym, don’t be afraid to say hi.  (He’ll probably beat you to it!)

– Written by Coach Vincent Nguyen

 

Aug 28

Strong Legs Get us Up and Down From the Floor

When was the last time you got down on the floor and back up again without reaching for a chair, a coffee table, or a nearby wall?  For some of us, we might not think twice about this.

A new grandchild might change that.  Toddlers and boisterous seven-year-olds don’t do their business at table height.  They play on the ground, and getting down there on our hands and knees to join them is one of the more meaningful things we get to do.  It can also be daunting.  Standing over a stretch of carpet and calculating the trip down and back up is often overlooked when we think about a person’s overall strength and fitness levels.

The floor isn’t the only place where strong knees matter. Getting into and out of bed, standing up from a chair, and climbing a flight of stairs rely on the muscles around the hip, knee, and ankle joint.  Throughout recreational athletic physical activity, the bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves of the hips, knees, and ankles carry us through a round of golf, a few games of pickleball or tennis, a hike, a bike ride, an afternoon on a paddleboard, and the training miles that lead up to a 5K, a half marathon, or a full marathon. Whether the destination is a finish line or the living room rug, knee strength is important.

The knee is a hinge joint.  Its job is to bend and to straighten, actions called flexion and extension.  The hamstrings along the back of the thigh draw the heel toward the back of the leg and create flexion. The quadriceps along the front of the thigh straighten the leg, creating extension.  Both muscle groups attach at the hip and travel down across the knee, creating anchor points for contractions that extend and flex the joint and provide reinforcement.

Hip muscles are commonly overlooked when creating plans to optimize knee health.  The hip houses the adductors that draw the leg toward the midline of the body, the abductors that carry it away, and the internal and external rotators that turn the leg in and out.  When these muscles are strong, the rotational forces reaching the knee are reduced.  Strong hip abductors and rotators help keep the knee joint in line and support patellar tracking.  Optimal hip strength can reduce the likelihood of the knee shifting beyond a healthy range of motion or turning inward or outward when it shouldn’t.

When the muscles surrounding a joint are strong, the bones at the ends of that joint sit in a better position, and bone-on-bone contact that might produce discomfort can be less present.  For those of us living with advanced osteoarthritis, strengthening the hip and thigh muscles can help reduce pain.  It’s worth speaking with a physical therapist or physician about what is appropriate before starting a new strength and conditioning routine.

The supine knee extension is a simple and effective exercise we use with our personal training clients to build strength around the knee.  It requires nothing more than a mat or carpeted floor, and it trains the muscles that straighten the knee while the spine and hips rest on the ground.

To perform the “seated-on-ground knee extension” exercise, sit flat on the ground with good posture, with one knee extended and the other knee flexed so the foot is flat on the ground.  While keeping the toes flexed toward the body, extend one leg as if you are trying to touch the back of the knee to the ground until you feel a slight muscular sensation in the quadriceps and kneecap region.  Repeat this movement for five to ten repetitions each leg.

The human body adapts to the demands we impose upon it.  Consistently building hip, knee, and ankle strength each week can pay invaluable dividends for long-term lower-extremity health by influencing the reduction of age-related joint pain and increasing overall functional capacity.  Strong lower extremities can lead to easier mornings, friendlier staircases, and, most importantly, the ability to get up and down from the ground for years to come.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.

Aug 23

An Overlooked Cause of Back Pain

Who is more likely to develop lower back pain, the framer who hoists heavy lumber all day or the programmer who has spent twenty years at a desk?  Most of us would bet on the framer. Heavy lifting looks dangerous, and desk work looks harmless.  However, an underused, deconditioned back can cause as many problems as an overworked one.

Carpenters, framers, and sheet metal workers put a lot of stress on their spines. Lifting stacks of heavy boards loads the vertebrae with compressive forces. Crawling through an HVAC duct all afternoon folds the body into positions that would make a physical therapist cringe.  After years of this work, the lower back can accumulate wear and tear that appears as stiffness, soreness, and life-altering spinal injury.

Lower back spinal underuse conditions are commonly overlooked. Consider the person who has spent ten, twenty, or thirty years commuting to work, flying across the country for sales meetings, or writing computer programs at a desk. These occupations involve low levels of physical activity performed in one position. The body adapts to the shape it is used to.  Over years of sitting in a desk chair with the thighs and torso at a ninety-degree angle, hour after hour of sitting molds the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the spine and hips into a position that is challenging to reverse.

When we sit, the hips flex to roughly a ninety-degree angle while the torso stays upright. Held there for hours, the spinal stabilizer muscles that run along the spine from the neck down to the hips have little work to do, and muscles that stop working become deconditioned. The glutes lengthen. The hip flexors, which attach the front of the spine to the pelvis, shorten and decondition as well. The deep core muscles supporting the front of the spine follow suit. The result is a collection of muscles that have become too short in some areas and too long in others, leaving the spine with less support than it needs.  Over time, that lack of support can also contribute to more serious issues, such as irritated discs and compressed nerves.

A deconditioned support system for the spine can disrupt everyday life just as much as a lifting injury.  Bending over to pick up a grandchild, loading groceries into the trunk, and pulling weeds in the garden require similar groups of muscles for spinal stabilization. Consistently practicing exercises that condition the spine and hips one to three times per week pays far more dividends than an intermittent, random session.

The straight-arm plank is an exercise we use with our personal training clients at every level, from novice to advanced.  This exercise uses gravity as the only resistance and recruits the abdominal muscles along the front of the spine, the paraspinal muscles along the back of the spine, the hips, and the arms all at once.

Lie face down on the floor with your hands under your shoulders. Press the body up until the arms are straight and the knees are extended, with your weight resting on the palms and the balls of the feet. Tuck the hips slightly toward the ribs and draw the rib cage toward the belly button to flatten the lower back. Gently flex the quadriceps to keep the hips from sagging. Imagine screwing your hands into the ground to activate your arms and protect your wrists. Hold the position for twenty seconds, then rest. If a floor plank is too demanding at first, do the same position with your hands on a countertop or wall, and progress toward the floor as your strength improves. You should feel muscular activation along the abdomen, lower back, and hips. Work up to two or three holds per day, and advanced exercisers can build toward a minute or more.

Holding a plank is a safe and effective exercise that builds muscular endurance in the muscles that stabilize the spine. Twenty seconds feels longer than it sounds. That brief effort recruits the front of the spine, the back of the spine, and the hips in a single movement, which is a remarkable return for such a small amount of time.

Consistently practicing exercises like the straight arm plank helps produce strong muscles, reinforced joints, and a stable spine, and most importantly, a lower back that stays happy, healthy, and strong for years to come.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.

Aug 15

What Makes a Personal Trainer Happy

Have you ever wondered what makes a personal trainer happy? It’s likely the first guesses would be watching a client lose ten pounds, add fifty pounds to their bench press, or cross the finish line of their first marathon. Those accomplishments are worth celebrating. However, the moments that warm a trainer’s heart the most are much smaller, and they arrive much earlier.

Someone interested in our personal training services recently reached out to us about developing a fitness routine two years after having her first baby. She explained that her body was doing things it had never done before. Her back hurt in ways it never had before. Her hips ached. A little extra weight had settled in. She had returned to work after maternity leave, noticed pain showing up everywhere, and decided it was time to get back in shape. We scheduled her initial consultation.

She arrived about ten minutes late, apologized profusely, and avoided eye contact. Her hair looked like she had just been shot out of a cannon. Her shirt displayed what appeared to be dairy stains, baby vomit, or both. Her socks didn’t match. Her pants were on backward. Anyone raising a small human while holding down a job knows this uniform well. A bit of trepidation came through in her voice as she described her current fitness levels and what she hoped this training program would accomplish.

Her experience makes sense from a functional standpoint. Pregnancy and childbirth ask a lot of the body. The abdominal and hip muscles stretch and decondition, posture shifts to accommodate a growing baby as the abdomen expands and stresses the spine and hips for nine months, and the months that follow involve hours of carrying, rocking, and lifting a rapidly growing human off the floor. Add a lack of sleep and a return to work, and it’s understandable that the back and hips might speak up in ways they never had before.

During the first session, we covered foundational movements. We walked through the simple dynamic stretching routine we teach all our personal training clients and practiced a push-up with a conservative incline, using a desk about thirty to forty inches tall. She admitted that performing a push-up from desk height felt a little embarrassing. She also agreed it was useful. Establishing a starting point, wherever that point is, is how fitness levels get re-established.

The next week, something amazing happened. She showed up fifteen minutes early and began the dynamic stretching routine on her own. She was decked out in a new fitness ensemble: a headband, hair tied up in a bun, an athletic shirt, matching shorts, exercise tights, and a brand-new pair of training shoes. She looked like she was preparing for a Division I college volleyball tryout. The fire had been ignited.

Witnessing that spark is what makes a personal trainer happy. The spark doesn’t show up as a number on a scale or a personal record on the squat rack.  Arriving early, wearing the right workout clothes, and practicing something as simple as a dynamic stretching routine sets a powerful tone that has the potential to redefine a person’s identity from someone in pain who might feel out of shape to a strong, happy, and healthy individual who exercises regularly.  When someone starts reinvesting in themselves, potential emerges. Potential is the raw material a coach works with when someone is ready to ingrain lifetime fitness into their identity.

Significant life events change the body. Giving birth, recovering from surgery, starting a demanding job, or caring for a family member can put exercise on the back burner for months or years. When we return, the starting point can feel humbling. Many of us have likely hesitated to begin because a desk-height push-up doesn’t feel impressive. In contrast, consistently practicing simple movements one to three times per week pays far more dividends than an intermittent, random session. Giving ourselves permission to start where we are is a valuable first step.

Helping people overcome these challenges has been my life’s work for more than twenty years. Watching someone overcome the physical changes of a significant life event, such as persevering through pregnancy and bringing a child into the world, is one of the greatest privileges of this profession. The spark becomes a hot-burning star that never extinguishes. For this client, her star lit up somewhere between a backward pair of pants and a brand-new pair of training shoes.

The human body adapts to the demands we impose upon it. Consistently practicing exercise helps produce strong muscles, reinforced joints, and a resilient state of mind, and most importantly, proof that a spark lit at any starting point can keep burning for years to come.

Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.