Strickland Fitness

If I stand on one leg and the leg I am standing on is moving, can I still be balanced? The answer is yes. One definition of balance (which we will use for the purpose of this post) is: The ability to maintain bodily equilibrium. This means you don’t have to be completely still to be balanced. However, you need to be in complete control to be balanced.

When I start working with a client, one of the first things I go through is learning how to balance. I do a lot of exercises which makes the body use small stabilizing muscles to help complete the exercise. The client must know how to balance correctly to gain the benefits of these types of exercises. This knowledge helps in everyday life as well as sports and recreational activities.

Let’s learn the first step to good balance. In order to be in a balanced position, you have to activate your core. I will go into the definition of “core” and what it really means in a later post. What this means for you right now is controlling the center of your body. Keeping the center of your body (center of gravity) still will facilitate balance. Now, when I ask a client to stand on one leg, the first thing they do is put out their arms to the side of their body and then begin to lift one leg. This action of putting their arms out to the side has initiated the concept of counter-balance, not balance. Our tendency is to use our arms to add a little weight to each side which we can use to try and help us stay stable. Using this method of balance might keep you on one leg, but it does NOT mean you are balanced.

The legs are equipped with lots of little muscles which help stabilize the ankles, knees, and hips. It’s these muscles that should be used in complete balance. So with the standing on one leg example, the muscles in the leg should contract and relax as needed to keep you standing.

Let’s give it a shot. Stand on one leg and concentrate on keeping your arms relaxed and the center of your body completely still. Once your center is not moving, you should feel some small contractions in your legs which helps you stay in that position. If your upper body is not moving and you are standing on one leg, you are balanced.

You can use this concept in many things in life. If you are a skier or snowboarder, the next time you hit the mountain, concentrate on keeping your center still and let the legs do the work. It will definitely help you stay dry! If you like doing yoga and you can’t seem to stay in a pose without falling, think about activating your core and you will be like a statue.

Take it outside

Tired of looking at the same stuff at the gym? Getting bored with the same old exercises and the same old routine? Try making a scenery change.

Most of us use the gym as our primary place to work out. It is incredible how amazing it feels to hit the beach for a run instead of the treadmill. Don’t live near the beach? Head to the park or nearest school track for your next run. The fresh air and change of environment will spark a new exhilaration in your workout. Hearing the natural sounds of the park or beach can give you the peace of mind that the murmurs of local gossip can’t. You can really get in touch with your body.

You don’t always need the apparatuses that the gym offers to get a solid workout. A few dumbbells and elastic bands will do just fine. I love taking my clients to the beach and doing some interval sprints in the sand and some light resistance training with elastics and dumbbells. Doing some stretches after a great workout to the sound of crashing waves revitalizes the body the way a crowded gym floor cannot.

If you are used to taking a stroll down at the beach or through the local park, speed it up a little bit and you now have a nice cardio workout. A great exercise session isn’t where you do it; It’s what you do.

Today is your day to make a difference. During these hard economic times, it is even more important to get to the gym, eat right, and take care of yourself. Now is the time to make the changes in your life that will leave you feeling healthy, strong, and ready to take on the world.

Changing the inside of your body will change everything that happens outside your body. How you ask: If you feel great, you will proceed to make great things happen. Let’s make “Joe the plumber” even more famous by putting him into two different scenarios:

“Joe the plumber” #1 is frustrated by the economy and work and all the things that aren’t going right in his life. He used to work out and take care of himself, but lately he has been feeling down about everything. He has lost the energy and motivation to get to the gym and has found himself a few pounds overweight. He hasn’t been setting the time aside to make healthy meals. He is now using the drive-thru for quick hunger fixes. He wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror, and sees a tired uninspired man. He spends every waking moment in negative thought. How do you suppose his day is going to go?

“Joe the plumber” #2 is dealing with the economy and work and all the things that aren’t going right in his life. He gets up early feeling fresh after a good night sleep, has a good breakfast, and heads off to the gym. He spends an hour not thinking about anything going on outside, anything on T.V., the Dow Jones, or any campaign. He dedicates this hour to himself. He spends his hour working hard. He looks good. He feels great. He leaves the gym with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. He says to himself on the way to his car that no matter what life brings him today, he will be ready to crush. How do you suppose his day is going to go?

Make the changes in your lifestyle that will leave you feeling awesome.

Work out.

Eat right.

Get plenty of rest.

You will look great. You will feel great. You will accomplish great things.

Be the second “Joe.”

Warming Up

The importance of warming up is undeniable. It’s a wonder why so few of us actually warm up before any type of exercise; Maybe it’s not knowing what to do or what to do it for. I will answer both of these maybes.

You should warm up before any exercise session. It does not matter if it is cardio or resistance training.  The two basic parts of a warm up are low intensity movement and active stretching.

Why warm up: To ready the body for maximum performance and prevent injury during and after exercise. The difference between working out cold and working out with a warm body is substantial. Muscles perform better when they are rich with oxygen. This oxygen gets to your muscles via blood. Warming up moves blood throughout your body saturating your muscles with oxygenated blood. Your muscles and body will then be ready for intense activity. Some examples of the first part of your warm up (low intensity movement) are: Biking, jogging, rowing, walking, and stepping. 5-10 minutes of any of these examples is plenty to get the blood flowing to your muscles. This should not be intense as to not exhaust yourself before your actual workout.

The second part of your warm up should be active stretching. Have you ever seen track athletes hopping down the track raising their knees up and down to and from their chest before a race? This is an example of active stretching. You are putting your body through the motions of the actual exercise you plan to do. This prepares the ligaments and muscles for the force that will be placed on them. Going through full range of motion before resisting the motion (with speed, weight, or force) is crucial in injury prevention. Some examples of active stretching are: walking lunges, side-to-side lunges, arms swings, and trunk rotations.

Your muscles and ligaments are like a rubber band. When warm, they are elastic and flexible. Put the rubber band in the freezer and then try to pull it apart…it snaps. That is what can happen when you exercise without warming up.

Before any workout, do 5-10 minutes of low intensity movement followed by 10 minutes of active stretching. Your workout will be that much better and your chance of injury goes down greatly. You also burn a few extra calories doing it!!