Fitness Friday

We all want to work our hardest, we all want to sweat when we hit the gym.  But often times, we hit little snags and get minor aches and pains.  Yet, we push through them thinking that maybe if we warm them up, get loose, the little ache or pain will go away.  Ask yourself, "Does It Hurt?" Don't rationalize pain away.  If you're injured, you're injured.  You need to take step back, regress some exercises, and work on something else like foam rolling or stretching.  Pain is often an indicator that something is wrong, not that you have to work through something. 

Speaking of injuries, did you know that people complain of low back pain more often than anything else?  The problem often times comes down to what kind of position we put our bodies in on a daily basis.  Think about when you drive your car?  How exactly are your feet positioned or more specifically, your right foot?  Turned out?  Or how about your shoulders?  Are they elevated and rolled forward?  Next time you're driving, be conscious of how you're sitting.  In the meantime, give these exercises a go.  If you're not sure you are doing them correctly, with good form, check with a knowledgeable trainer!

I've written about this time and time again, but the value of sleep can not be overstated.  There are so many benefits to getting a good nights rest.  On the flip side, there are severe detriments to being sleep deprived.  After one night of poor sleep, your hunger increases, your immune system is put at risk, and you lose focus easily.  Long term, risk of stroke, diabetes, & obesity increase.

There is a lot of talk about fat and how much or how little you should eat.  People get easily confused with all the overload of information that is out there.  Fats are essential to eat.  Don't let
"low fat" = healthy in your head.  Cooking is where using some sort of fat becomes iffy.  Some oils are better to cook with than others.  Use this handy dandy chart to figure out what kind of oil/fat you should use for what. 




Weekend Workout
Warm-up: Pick a distance, about 30-40ft
Skips
High Knees
Butt Kicks
Carioca/Grapevine
Frankenstein Walks
Forward "Tebow" Lunges
Reverse Overhead Reach Lunges

DeadBugs x20
Bird Dogs x 20
3 sets

Ladder Workout
1-10-1 reps (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1)
Squats
Push-ups
Rows
Reverse Lunges
Pistons/Cross Body Mt Climber