BOTH SIDES UP

Exercise balls have been around for more than 100 years. The balls that can turn simple exercises such as crunches into core-building exercises that work many of the major muscle groups of the body. Why are exercise balls so effective? They are effective because you must stabilize your entire body to do the exercises.

The BOSU Ball (a half ball mounted on a platform) has some similar properties as a regular exercise ball. What makes this piece of equipment so unique is that it also requires muscle power for balance, but provides enough stability so that you feel comfortable and don't get injured. This piece of equipment helps build strength and endurance in the major muscles of your legs and trunk that will tone you up and prevent back pain. The BOSU can be the ultimate challenging exercise tool...you can challenge yourself by doing several upper and lower body exercises on both sides of the BOSU Ball...each side has a different component (one side being soft and where the half ball is located/the flip side being hard...the black platform side) that makes each exercise different, unique, and challenging.

Always mix things up. If you haven't tried using a BOSU Ball...give it a try. There are so many possibilities available to you when you use this unique piece of equipment.

IDEA Personal Trainer, Feb., 2003.

Tips For Flexibility Training

When it comes to "The Big Three" of exercise--cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training--it’s pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring. 

However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching. Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance and optimize functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week. 

How can you include an effective flexibility workout in your fitness program? Here are some guidelines: 

1. Think in Terms of Serious Flexibility Training, Not Just Brief Stretching. Squeezing in one or two quick stretches before or after a workout is better than nothing, but this approach will yield limited results. What’s more, generic stretches may not be effective for your particular body. The more time and attention you give to your flexibility training, the more benefits you’ll experience.

2. Consider Your Activities. Are you a golfer? Do you ski, run or play tennis? Do your daily home or work routines include bending, lifting or sitting for long periods? Functional flexibility improves “the stability and mobility of the whole person in his or her specific environment,” says physical therapist Deborah Ellison. She recommends an individualized stretching program to improve both stability (the ability to maintain ideal body alignment during all activities) and mobility (the ability to use full, normal range of motion). 

3. Pay Special Attention to Tight Areas. Often the shoulders, chest, hamstrings and hips are particularly tight, but you may hold tension in other areas, depending on your history of injuries and the existing imbalances in your muscle groups. Unless you tailor your flexibility training to your strengths and weaknesses, you may stretch already overstretched muscles and miss areas that need training. 

4. Listen to Your Body. Stretching is an individual thing. Pay attention to your body’s signals and don’t push too far. Avoid ballistic stretching, which uses bouncing or jerking movements to gain momentum; this approach can be dangerous. Instead, slowly stretch your muscles to the end point of movement and hold the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds. Older adults, pregnant women and people with injuries may need to take special precautions. 

5. Get Creative. Varying your flexibility training can help you stick with it. You can use towels, resistance balls and other accessories to add diversity and effectiveness to your stretching. 

6. Warm Up First. If you’re stretching on your own, don’t forget to warm up your muscles before you begin. Walking briskly for 10 or 15 minutes is a simple way to do this. 

7. Find a Flexibility Class That Works for You. Classes that include stretching are becoming more popular and more diverse. Some combine cardiovascular and strength components with the flexibility training; others focus exclusively on stretching. 

8. Stretch Yourself--Mind and Body. Did you know that your emotional state may affect your flexibility? If your body is relaxed, says Ellison, it will be more responsive to flexibility training. Listening to music and focusing on your breath can help you relax as you stretch. You may also want to explore yoga or exercise inspired by the work of Joseph Pilates. In addition to stretching, classes in these disciplines may include relaxation, visualization and other mind-body techniques designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness. 

9. It’s Not Just for Wimps. Forget the idea that stretching is just for elderly, injured or unconditioned people. Many Olympic and professional athletes rely on flexibility training for peak performance. 

10. Do It Consistently. It does not help to stretch for a few weeks and then forget about it. Integrate regular stretching into your permanent fitness program. For inspiration, look to cats and dogs--they’re dedicated practitioners of regular stretching!  :)

Focus On Stretching

How many of you struggle with touching your toes (done the proper way, with legs straight)? Or maybe you just always seem to be tight no matter how much you stretch.

Many studies have shown that people who are unable to touch their toes show a huge amount of poor flexibility which inhibits the ability to build muscle and makes them more susceptible to injuries, especially those involving your lower back.

The reality is that a thin film of connective tissue called fascia surrounds every bone, organ, and muscle in your body like a big sheet of plastic wrap. The fascia unites seemingly separate muscle groups, causing them to function together. One of the best examples of this is "superficial back line," a chain of fascia-linked muscles that run from the top of your head, down your back, and all the way to your toes. The fascia ties these muscles together in such a way that if one muscle is stiff, it can limit movement at any joint up or down the chain. So if you are unable to touch your toes or have a hard time with stretching...the limiting factor could be the muscles of your lower back, in your calves, or even on the bottom of your feet.

All of this matters because stiffness in you superficial back line prevents you from working your lower-body muscles through their entire range of motion. This also leads to poor lower-back posture when you are performing movements such as squats and lunges.

Try to add a stretching routine to your daily regimen and try to include strength exercises that a will help increase your flexibility. You want to focus on stretches and exercises that lengthen and strengthen the back, hips, calves and soles. One important fact is that tight foot muscles can reduce the flexibility of your ENTIRE LOWER BODY.

Health and Fitness. 2007. pg. 148.

Some Good Lower Back Exercises

Do The Body Right And Stretch

Back It Up

In this blog entry, I am going to lay it down for you. One of the most common injuries among most people is the FAMOUS BACK INJURY. Of all my years of training, the back has to be on the top of the list as the most frequent injuries most people will face some time or another. I want to first discuss the importance of knowledge. I was reading this book the other day and it one important fact it stated is, that as little as ten minutes of exercise a day for two weeks will bring about a striking degree of improvement for most people 
(Sobel, D. Klien, A. Pg.4).

Exercise is the best thing for back pain. Exercise stretches and strengthens the four sets of muscles that support the spine. Your abdominal muscles, although they do not attach directly to the spine, are responsible for girdling your internal organs and contributing to good posture. The abdominals also assist the extensor muscles of the back, which flank the full length of the spine to maintain proper alignment of the vertebrae. And your hip and buttock muscles help support and govern the position of your back while you're sitting, standing, or walking. Muscle pain usually occurs from weakness, spasm or loss of elasticity due to age or inactivity....and all these conditions can be remedied through exercise. And not just any exercise but the RIGHT EXERCISES for the back, performed the right way, were the ONLY key to a pain-free back.

Four Goals That You Want To Accomplish When Performing the RIGHT EXERCISES THE RIGHT WAY:
1. Prevent back problems from plaguing you in the future 
2. Treat a disabling episode of acute pain 
3. Achieve lasting relief from chronic backache 
4. Make lifestyle changes that can put an end to back pain


I am a big believer that it doesn't matter if you have a back injury or not, but EVERYONE needs to have a strong core. It is the center of your being and it helps protect you from getting injured in any activity you choose. When a person exercises and begins a workout program, they may want to develop their body, they may want to lose weight or lower their body fat, whatever the goal is they want to be in shape. And in order to be in shape you must be in overall good health and always looking to improve. You never want to stop improving. For example, you begin creating your foundation, maintaining that foundation, and taking your foundation to new heights. And in order to accomplish all three areas you must be able to overcome any challenge put in front of you through physical fitness. 


As a trainer, I believe you must have a strong foundation to support any workout program. I always want my clients to improve and it is important to me that they progress through exercise. But, I don't believe in a half-ass foundation, I believe that in order to reach an optimal fitness level they must have a strong core. Everything stems from the core.