Apr 17
As members of the general population, we engage in a wide variety of physical activities. Some of us participate in a broad range of hobbies and chores that keep us active, such as walking our pets, gardening, or completing home improvement projects. For those of us who have children or grandchildren, our physical activities become …
Apr 16
What if getting stronger and preventing injuries wasn’t about doing more exercises, but about moving better? That’s the idea behind functional movement training. Functional movement training grew out of physical therapy, rehabilitation science, and strength and conditioning. Instead of isolating single muscles, it focuses on training fundamental movement patterns your body uses every day (e.g. …
Apr 16
There are two primary forms of stretching we use with our personal training clients: dynamic and static. Dynamic stretching is performed before exercise. Dynamic stretching can be defined as the act of moving through full ranges of motion to create short, repeated stretches that prepare the body for exercise. A few examples include arm circles, …
Apr 12
Along with injuries and joint complications in the lower back and knees, shoulder injuries are among the leading causes of issues affecting everyday functional ability in the general population. Upper neck and shoulder impingement, rotator cuff strains, and frozen shoulder are among a slew of conditions that can afflict people’s shoulder health, causing pain, weakness, …
Apr 03
We’re entering the fourth month of the year, and New Year’s resolutions are in full effect. Learning new skills, progressing toward new professional goals, and refining one’s overall sense of psychological and emotional well-being are among the areas people most often seek to improve in New Year’s resolutions. Let’s not forget one of the top …
Mar 13
Arthritis is a degenerative joint condition in which the smooth cartilage that normally cushions the ends of the joints gradually wears down. Healthy cartilage allows joints to glide smoothly and distribute forces during everyday movements. Previous joint injuries, the repercussions of a life of manual labor in one’s career and lifestyle, or advancing age contribute …
Mar 09
“Engage your core” is a term we often hear to avoid back injury during strenuous activity. It should go without saying that bracing one’s core is beneficial when lifting a wine box off the ground, carrying it thirty meters, rotating it to place it on a shelf, and lifting it to a shelf of varying …
Feb 27
After finishing a set of dynamic stretches, Nestor, one of our personal training clients, mentioned, “The inner part of my elbow is flared up. I think I have a case of tennis elbow from going crazy on the drums last night. I’d like to take it easy on a few of the more rigorous strength …
Feb 19
The knee and ankle are commonly overlooked contributors to mobility, strength, balance, and coordination. Walking, climbing stairs, hiking a trail, or participating in recreational athletic physical activities such as tennis, golf, or pickleball all depend on the seamless relationship between these two joints. When they move well together, life feels fluid. When they do not, …
Feb 06
“I’m trying not to get old,” Nero responded after I asked how he was doing at the beginning of his training session. Nero is one of our veteran personal training clients with an animated sense of humor who uses physical activity as a key tool to empower his life. As a gentleman in his early …
