Trainer Tells All: Free Fitness Advice

A Healthy Core

2009-11-21T08:43:00.001-05:00

I can't really stress the importance of a healthy core. We often pay too much attention to our abs and not enough attention to our backs. The human body is made up of many antagonistic muscle groups (e.g. triceps/biceps, chest/back, quadriceps/hamstrings). Do you consider your abs and back? When we think of back, the word spine pops into our heads, not muscles! However, we may talk about healthy backs but what does that mean. The muscles in our back are so important to our posture, to protecting our bodies from injury and from allowing the abs to work appropriately. When we refer to a healthy back, the lower/mid back are often what's being referred to simply because the upper back isn't forgotten quite as often. Still, if you've ever seen a "muscle man" walking around with his shoulders hunched forward, it's often because he has a stronger chest than back. He has worked his chest more than his back. As I had mentioned before this is one of those antagonistic muscle groups in the body. When when group of muscles is stronger, the body is pulled in that direction. When you spend hours upon hours doing ab exercises and no time working on your back you will get the same effect.

I often see a display of week low/mid back muscles in individuals who slouch forward, or even complain of low back pain. You can't forget about the low back. There are several great exercises you can add to your workout. You can also try a Pilates like class that will work on these muscles. It will also work in your favor to not do more than 1-2 set of ad exercise in a given day. Your ab muscles are like all other muscles in the body and do not require so much attention!!!

A great way to check the health of your low low back is to stand upright, arms out to the sides. Then raise one knee above hip height. If you can not get it up there, or can not hold it up there, you need to work on your core strength. You many also need to work other muscles groups. This particular test is for your hip flexor which attaches itself to the spinal erectors in your low back. Weak hip flexors can be a culprit of low back pain and increase your risk of injury to that area.

How to Get That Flat Stomach

2009-11-18T12:55:00.002-05:00

Spinning off from yesterdays thoughts about these silly fitness gimmicks, I can't help but come back to the #1 requested goal. Everyone wants a flat stomach. There are so many fitness toys, so many classes so much advice, consumers don't know where to begin. The unique solution to the "belly bulge" is so simple you'll be shocked and maybe disappointed.

With a bachelor's degree in marketing, I know a thing or two about how advertisers pray on our very innocent desires. Fortunately for my readers, I gave up marketing the minute I realized how unethical it really is! Now I'm watching out for you.

Do not buy into these silly infomercials you see on TV. The old saying, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is to good to be true" shall be your motto when it comes to your health and fitness as well. There are no magic pills, no magic number of abdominal crunches, and no magic diet. A flat stomach is all about old fashion blood sweat and tears. Well, it's not so much the blood and tears as it is the sweat.

At one point there had been a "hypothesis" if you will, about spot reduction. And really, the trend has not left. Unfortunately, now we know that it's just not true. All of your "bun and thigh buster" videos and "ab blaster" workouts aren't really going to make you look like the girl teaching the class. In order for anyone to get that tight but, yes you do eventually have to do some resistance training that focuses on the related muscles, but if you have any fat sitting on top of those muscles you have to get rid of that to see the muscle underneath. This leaves us all back at our starting point, good old fashion cardiovascular exercise (walking, running, jogging, kickboxing, step aerobics (you get the point).

I could go on and on into this subject but for today I will leave you with this. If you want a flat stomach work on burning your calories first. We can talk about the crunches tomorrow.

Weighted Hula Hoops

2009-11-17T14:33:00.000-05:00

Is it a good idea, or just another gimmick? If you haven't heard, the weighted hula hoop is one more toy to add to your home workout gym, or not!

I never was really good at hula hooping and I'm not afraid to admit it. This may be why my opinions of the weighted hula hoops are a bit jaded. A friend introduced me to the product back in 2006 and I have to say I was less than impressed. She begged me to try hers for weeks. She came in and said how sore her abs were day after day. Sore, that's a good thing right? We like to believe that the more ab exercises we do, the smaller our waistlines will be, the flatter our stomachs. Unfortunately, if you still believe this, you're wrong. It is physiologically impossible to "spot reduce" or focus weight loss on one area of the body. So if you're hula hooping for a smaller waist, well, good luck!

Now back to the story! My friend further indulged my senses by lifting her shirt to show the bruises she had acquired from this hula hoop that she LOVED. Maybe I'm missing the point but her hula hoop seemed to be that boyfriend that ditches over and over to hang out with the bros yet we haven't figured it out yet? WHY?

I did try the hula hoop, and my consensus...it hurts, and not in a good way! My friend is not the only one who experienced the bruising after using these hula hoops either. I just can't figure out why anyone would waste money on a fitness toy that causes bodily harm?

If you have back problems you should not hula hoop and I would not recommend the weighted hula hoop two days in a row as your body will need time to heal. There is no reason why, with all of the fitness options out there, that a weighted hula hoop is necessary. You can in fact get a great workout hula hooping but it does not need to be weighted. Furthermore, if you are looking to lose weight, slim your waist line, or flatten your stomach, some less painful calorie burning options would include, running, jogging, walking on an incline, spinning, cross country skiing or a host of other weight baring aerobic exercises!