Which comes first...the stretch or the warm up???

Think about cooking a chicken...is it easier just out of the freezer or after it has been thawed?? After it has been thawed or warmed up right?? Well your body is the same way. It is safer and healthier to challenge/stretch a muscle after it has been warmed up. You should warm up first with a few minutes of walking, cycling, or elliptical and then stretch to properly prepare your body for a workout. You should also do stretching exercises at the end of your workout to help lengthen your muscles and keep them from cramping. Stretching cold muscles can cause pain and long term injuries. So even if you work with a trainer and they warm you up, a good idea is to come to your appointment a little early and do your own warm up/stretch program to keep you body healthy and your workouts beneficial.

Your Foot Bone's Connected To Your Back Bone!!??

You are probably asking...WHAT??? Well, here is how... Your feet carry you around all day long and can get tired and painful for many reasons, such as tight/loose shoes, high arches or blisters. In turn that can cause misalignment in the ankles, which can throw off the knees and change the position of your hips and, low and behold, can cause low back pain. See the connection!! So next time your back hurts, remember that it may not be coming from your back. Check out the shoes that you wear everyday to work and your tennis shoes you wear to the gym. Maybe they are not the right fit for your feet. Try Runner's High or a specialty shoe store that can help you fit your shoes to your feet.

Take Time To Do It Right.

It is better to do 10 exercises in perfect form than it is to do 100 in bad form!! A close to perfect push-up, lunge or squat will work more efficiently to burn calories, sculpt and build the muscle and challenge your body so that you can reach your fitness goals. SLOW DOWN and take the time to do the exercise correctly instead of rushing through it so you can leave the gym. It's not a numbers game, it is a game of form....Try It!!! Next time you exercise slow down and do 10-20 slow and perfect push-ups instead of 100 quick and easy ones. Send me an email and tell me which was more challenging. I bet it was the 10-20!!! :) Hope to hear from you soon

Drink Water When You Are Hurgry!!

I know it sounds silly, but a lot of our hunger, or what we think is hunger, is actually our body telling us that we are dehydrated. If you get the urge for a mid-day snack, drink a glass of water first. The hunger feeling will most likely go away. If after 15-20 minutes you still have that hungry feeling, then you TRUELY are hungry and you need to eat a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or a small handful of nuts.

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