An engaging and fun activity after a day of labor is playing a recreational sport. Golf, tennis, pickleball, running, and biking are some of the most popular sports among our personal training clients. Engaging in sports requires physical capabilities and athleticism, including the ability to endure long periods of potentially strenuous activity, consistent practice to …
Tag: stress relief napa
Jun 19
Being Comfortable in Uncomfortable Situations at the Gym
I grew up a gym rat, starting to go to a local gym in sixth grade. The gym gave me something to do. I saw how a room filled with inanimate, stationary objects used by other exercise participants offered a simple yet engaging and fulfilling aspect of my life that had been missing. Over time, …
Jun 13
Resistance Training and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis can be defined as a condition in which bones gradually lose density and become more porous and brittle over time. As the inner structure of the bone thins and hollows, the risk of a fracture increases. Ordinary daily moments that most of us never think twice about begin to carry more weight. This becomes …
Jun 05
Building a Strong and Resilient Lower Back
“All I did was bend over to pick up a bag of dog food,” Wolfgang explained as he eased himself onto the bench at the beginning of his training session, clearly wincing in pain as he put his hand on his lower back. “I hear about people throwing their backs out moving couches or refrigerators. …
May 31
Strong Calves help with Balance and Coordination
“I almost went down stepping off the curb at the grocery store last week,” Frieren mentioned as she laced up her shoes for her morning training session. “I caught myself, but for a second I really thought I was going over.” She laughed it off, but the look in her eyes told the rest of …
May 23
Treat Foods are Good for Lifetime Fitness
People often ask me what my favorite foods are. I always give my honest answer enthusiastically. “Pizza, donuts, and ice cream,” The reply is usually paired with a look of bewilderment, “Then how do you stay so fit?” I suppose that’s a fair question. I maintain a healthy body fat-to-muscle mass ratio, and I have …
May 19
Walking with Intention
Somewhere between the ages of six and eighteen months, humans accomplish one of the most remarkable feats in our species’ physical development. We figure out how to crawl, and not long after, we push ourselves up onto two wobbly legs and begin walking. Becoming bipedal is one of the defining traits that make humans unique. …
May 02
Benefits of Prone Position Exercises
Injuries, joint conditions, and pain-producing areas among our personal training clients commonly occur in the lower back, knees, and shoulders. In terms of which area of the body is most affected by pain, the lower back seems to be public enemy number one, followed by the knees as the second most compromised area, and in …
Apr 24
Built to Last: Strong, Sharp, and Aging with Power
“Who’s that handsome guy?” My grandpa remarked after looking at his reflection in the mirror after I gave him a fresh haircut. It was nothing fancy. I simply used his clippers, stashed in his bathroom drawer, to trim the back and sides of the scraggly, unevenly grown hair sprouting from his scalp in random places. …
Apr 08
The Formula for a Better Workout
“That’s just bad math,” my physics professor told me, clearly unimpressed, as I struggled through a long equation involving solving for potential energy involving force production in overhead throwing athletes in the lab. “Use PEMDAS.” She had a way of delivering that line with just enough irritation to make sure it stuck. At the time, …