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 30
Commonly seen Lower-body exercises at the gym might include squats, lunges, and leg presses. However, one overlooked movement that is critical not only for refining lower-body strength but also for reinforcing the structural integrity of the stabilizing muscles of the hips, knees, and ankles is side-to-side movement. The lateral split squat targets lower-extremity muscles involved …
Mar 27
“Make sure you look forward,” I cued Tina, one of our personal training clients, as she was performing a set of “zombie squats” during one of her training sessions. Her eyes darted toward me momentarily to receive the instruction and then returned to looking straight ahead. She immediately rotated her head upward, with her chin …
Mar 22
In the fitness world, diets like Keto, Paleo, and “low-carb” aim to promise fast results. But what if there were an approach that improves performance, recovery, and long-term health without extreme restrictions? Enter the Mediterranean diet. Inspired by traditional eating patterns in Greece and southern Italy, this approach emphasizes food quality, balance, and consistency rather …
Mar 20
Sciatica is a term used to describe pain, tingling, or numbness that travels from the lower back down through the hip and into the leg due to irritation of the sciatic nerve. It forms from several nerve roots in the lumbar and sacral spine and travels through the pelvis, deep in the hip, down the …
Mar 15
Push-ups are one of the foundational bodyweight exercises we incorporate in nearly every training program in our personal training clients’ exercise prescriptions. One variation we would like to highlight this week is the incline eccentric push-up. To execute this movement properly, place your hands on an inclined surface and “screw” your hands into the surface …
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 …
