One of the easiest ways to strengthen your abdominal muscles, and support your back, is through good posture.
You may feel like you're already standing straight, but in reality, most of us stand like the hunchback of Notre Dame and we walk with our chins leading the way. Practice good posture by bringing your head and neck back in alignment with your spine.
Here are 5 steps to perfect posture, stronger abs and back and reduced aches and pains:
Pull your shoulder blades back slightly toward each other and down away from your ears.
Lift your chest up and out.
Pull your head back just enough to keep it in line with your spine.
Position your pelvis or hips to create or maintain a natural (but not exaggerated) arch in your lower back.
Pull your belly button in toward your spine without changing or tilting your hips or losing the arch in your lower back.
Now, enjoy the powerful way you will feel as your body straightens and aligns itself…and don’t forget to breathe!
Top 5 Health Factors
The top five health factors that age your body are smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and inactivity. These are all integrated factors that are driven by the lifestyle choices you make. Luckily, regular exercise can help take care of four of these. And if you don’t smoke, you’ll be better able to exercise. The payoff for investing in healthy lifestyle choices is huge and it’s never too late to begin.
Top 10 tips for better running technique
Relax – it’s impossible to run well if you aren’t relaxed. Pay attention to common tension sites, including the hands (unclench those fists), the jaw and forehead, and the shoulders. Research shows that when we clench the jaw, neural signals are sent along the spinal cord, causing us to ‘brace’ our posture and tense up.
Let the knees, not the feet, lead the legs. Imagine your limbs moving in a circular motion, so that your foot lands under your knee rather than in front of it, where it will act as a ‘brake’.
Don’t grip with the front of your ankles, particularly on hills. Many of us have a tendency to run with rigid ankles, which doesn’t help with shock dissipation or a smooth stride. Consciously think about letting your lower legs ‘dangle’ when your feet are in the air, as suggested by Danny Dreyer, author of ChiRunning. Swimming, or kicking your legs in water, can also help loosen inflexible ankles.
Visualise growing taller with every step – this should help you avoid slumping on to the pelvis, a position in which your core stability is compromised. Granted, this does require some core stability.
Don’t try too hard. Running isn’t a battle against the ground or the air. Imagine it as controlled ‘topple’ forwards – all you need do is put your legs and arms out and you’re on your way!
You only need try running with your hands in your pockets to realise how much your arms count in running. Imagine your arms as pistons, propelling you forward, with elbows bent to around 90ยบ. Don’t allow the arms to swing across the body, and keep the wrists and hands relaxed but not floppy.
Your head weighs approximately 7-10 lbs (depending on how clever you are!), so be smart and look ahead, not down, otherwise the weight of it will throw your upper spine forward and make your lower back jut out, putting a lot of stress on the skeleton. Focus on the ground ten to 15 metres ahead. The other thing to be aware of is allowing your head to jut out on your neck, a position many of us adopt sitting in front of a computer or TV, which worsens as we get tired.
Run light – think of running over the ground rather than into it. Don’t bounce from foot to foot. Imagine you are trying not to leave footprints.
Don’t deliberately ‘flick’ off the toes as your foot leaves the ground or clench them inside your shoes. Just allow the foot to roll smoothly off the ground.
Monitor yourself as you run. Practise running through a ‘body scan’ from top to toe. Are you gritting your teeth, or are your arms coming across your body? Take note of any tension, tightness or pain. A ten-second body scan every ten minutes or so can help you keep tabs on your technique, make you aware of any niggles that, if ignored may eventually become full blown injuries, give you an opportunity to stretch any tight areas and generally help you ‘regroup’ – time well spent.
Taking to the hills When running on a nice flat, even terrain it is easier to perfect your running motion – but things get a little trickier when you throw in a few hills.
The most common mistake runners make when climbing hills is to look down, taking the hefty weight of the head forward and throwing the spine out of alignment. Leaning forward also reduces the involvement of the hamstrings, giving you less propulsion.
Instead, look ahead, shorten your stride a little and use your arms to help propel you upwards. Don’t try to maintain the same pace you had on flat ground, the golden rule is ‘even effort, not even pace’.
Running downhill might sound a lot easier than running uphill, but the knees and quads can take a real pounding, not just because of the increased impact but because the thigh muscles are contracting eccentrically (to decelerate you), which causes more microscopic damage in the muscle.
To descend less painfully, relax, particularly in the thighs and at the front of the ankles, and don’t ‘brake’ or lean backwards. Take your arms wider for balance, but ensure you don’t inadvertently take legs wider, too.
Don’t look down – it’s tempting to do so if you are running on rough trail but try to pick your route a few metres ahead and then keep your eyes focused on the next bit of trail instead of on your feet. If the path is wide enough, try zig-zagging down the slope, rather than running straight down – this enables you to maintain more control.
Breathe easy There are lots of ‘theories’ on the best way to breathe during running. I believe the best way to breathe when you’re running is the way that comes most naturally. I am not a proponent of all these ‘breathe in for two strides, out for two strides’ patterns, or of advising runners to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth (although you won’t swallow quite so many flies).
In fact, a study from Liverpool John Moores University showed that once exercise is just moderately hard, the most efficient way of breathing in and out is through the mouth, not the nose.
Upping the pace Surprisingly, one of the best ways of improving your running technique is to practise running faster. Just occasionally. When you speed up, your arm and leg movements are bigger, improving your range of motion. But don’t try to get faster simply by taking bigger strides. Research shows that getting a runner to increase or decrease their instinctive stride length forces them to work harder and use more oxygen.
Rather than striving for giant steps, focus on keeping your feet ‘fast and light’. You will find that speeding up your arm movement will help quicken the legs. It’s also a great idea to practise some ‘strides’ or ‘pickups’. Strides are a slightly slower version of a sprint, and will help improve your running form. The greater ‘drive’ required by the supporting leg as it pushes off also puts more emphasis on the hamstrings, while the forefoot landing strengthens the calves eccentrically (while lengthening). From a standing start, start to run and gradually speed up to a pace just below your sprint speed. Go for 5x20 metres.
Let the knees, not the feet, lead the legs. Imagine your limbs moving in a circular motion, so that your foot lands under your knee rather than in front of it, where it will act as a ‘brake’.
Don’t grip with the front of your ankles, particularly on hills. Many of us have a tendency to run with rigid ankles, which doesn’t help with shock dissipation or a smooth stride. Consciously think about letting your lower legs ‘dangle’ when your feet are in the air, as suggested by Danny Dreyer, author of ChiRunning. Swimming, or kicking your legs in water, can also help loosen inflexible ankles.
Visualise growing taller with every step – this should help you avoid slumping on to the pelvis, a position in which your core stability is compromised. Granted, this does require some core stability.
Don’t try too hard. Running isn’t a battle against the ground or the air. Imagine it as controlled ‘topple’ forwards – all you need do is put your legs and arms out and you’re on your way!
You only need try running with your hands in your pockets to realise how much your arms count in running. Imagine your arms as pistons, propelling you forward, with elbows bent to around 90ยบ. Don’t allow the arms to swing across the body, and keep the wrists and hands relaxed but not floppy.
Your head weighs approximately 7-10 lbs (depending on how clever you are!), so be smart and look ahead, not down, otherwise the weight of it will throw your upper spine forward and make your lower back jut out, putting a lot of stress on the skeleton. Focus on the ground ten to 15 metres ahead. The other thing to be aware of is allowing your head to jut out on your neck, a position many of us adopt sitting in front of a computer or TV, which worsens as we get tired.
Run light – think of running over the ground rather than into it. Don’t bounce from foot to foot. Imagine you are trying not to leave footprints.
Don’t deliberately ‘flick’ off the toes as your foot leaves the ground or clench them inside your shoes. Just allow the foot to roll smoothly off the ground.
Monitor yourself as you run. Practise running through a ‘body scan’ from top to toe. Are you gritting your teeth, or are your arms coming across your body? Take note of any tension, tightness or pain. A ten-second body scan every ten minutes or so can help you keep tabs on your technique, make you aware of any niggles that, if ignored may eventually become full blown injuries, give you an opportunity to stretch any tight areas and generally help you ‘regroup’ – time well spent.
Taking to the hills When running on a nice flat, even terrain it is easier to perfect your running motion – but things get a little trickier when you throw in a few hills.
The most common mistake runners make when climbing hills is to look down, taking the hefty weight of the head forward and throwing the spine out of alignment. Leaning forward also reduces the involvement of the hamstrings, giving you less propulsion.
Instead, look ahead, shorten your stride a little and use your arms to help propel you upwards. Don’t try to maintain the same pace you had on flat ground, the golden rule is ‘even effort, not even pace’.
Running downhill might sound a lot easier than running uphill, but the knees and quads can take a real pounding, not just because of the increased impact but because the thigh muscles are contracting eccentrically (to decelerate you), which causes more microscopic damage in the muscle.
To descend less painfully, relax, particularly in the thighs and at the front of the ankles, and don’t ‘brake’ or lean backwards. Take your arms wider for balance, but ensure you don’t inadvertently take legs wider, too.
Don’t look down – it’s tempting to do so if you are running on rough trail but try to pick your route a few metres ahead and then keep your eyes focused on the next bit of trail instead of on your feet. If the path is wide enough, try zig-zagging down the slope, rather than running straight down – this enables you to maintain more control.
Breathe easy There are lots of ‘theories’ on the best way to breathe during running. I believe the best way to breathe when you’re running is the way that comes most naturally. I am not a proponent of all these ‘breathe in for two strides, out for two strides’ patterns, or of advising runners to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth (although you won’t swallow quite so many flies).
In fact, a study from Liverpool John Moores University showed that once exercise is just moderately hard, the most efficient way of breathing in and out is through the mouth, not the nose.
Upping the pace Surprisingly, one of the best ways of improving your running technique is to practise running faster. Just occasionally. When you speed up, your arm and leg movements are bigger, improving your range of motion. But don’t try to get faster simply by taking bigger strides. Research shows that getting a runner to increase or decrease their instinctive stride length forces them to work harder and use more oxygen.
Rather than striving for giant steps, focus on keeping your feet ‘fast and light’. You will find that speeding up your arm movement will help quicken the legs. It’s also a great idea to practise some ‘strides’ or ‘pickups’. Strides are a slightly slower version of a sprint, and will help improve your running form. The greater ‘drive’ required by the supporting leg as it pushes off also puts more emphasis on the hamstrings, while the forefoot landing strengthens the calves eccentrically (while lengthening). From a standing start, start to run and gradually speed up to a pace just below your sprint speed. Go for 5x20 metres.
5 Super foods for your best workout or event
1. Whole grains-
Whole grain food such as cereal, bagels, pasta, and bread give good, long-lasting energy to the whole body. As the most important food group, we should eat many whole grain carbohydrates before a workout or an event.
2. Eggs/Lean meat-
Eggs are a good source of protein. Other protein sources will work as well, such as lean meat or dairy...The important thing is to get adequate protein before and after a workout. Protein helps the body in maintaining aerobic metabolism instead of anaerobic metabolism, which prevents the body from taking protein from lean tissue. Adequate protein speeds recovery and helps in actual performance situations.
3. Fresh fruits and Vegetables-
Fresh produce is a great way to get vitamins and minerals that help the body function as normal. They are usually fat-free and contain lots of energy for the body to use during exercise. Some fruits, such as bananas, contain potassium, a mineral that regulates water levels in the body and stabilizes muscle contraction. Low potassium levels can lead to muscle cramps and fatigue, so eating potassium-rich foods is a good idea. However, it is important to regulate potassium intake, because too much too quickly can lead to a heart attack. You should take in 435 milligrams of potassium for every hour you exercise. While potassium does not aid in actual performance, it speeds recovery and should be considered as one of the most important supplements to an exercise program.
4. Calcium-Rich Foods-
Foods such as cheese, yogurt, and milk contain necessary calcium, which creates strong bones and protects athletes from injury. These dairy products are also a good source of protein, but they should be eaten well before a workout or an event, as they take some time to process. If the body does not tolerate dairy well, supplements should be included to ensure that athletes receive the recommended daily intake of 1000 milligrams. As an example, a cup of skim milk provides about 300 milligrams of calcium.
5. Fibre-Rich Foods-
Fibre is the nutritional component that keeps you full and regulates the digestive tract. Many of the foods already mentioned include fibre, but it is important for you to know which foods help you regulate fibre levels. Examples of fibre-rich foods include whole grains, apples, berries, almonds, and legumes. A simple way to determine the necessary amount of fibre is to add 5 to your age. For example, a 10-year-old needs about 15 grams of fibre daily. After the age of 15, you need 20-25grams of fibre a day.
The top ten reasons why we don't get in shape and stay that way
1. We start things we won't maintain. Yep, we are models of inconsistency. We have almost been doing things for years. We have an amazing ability to start and stop fifteen new programs/diets (etc.) every year. For many of us the biggest barrier to permanent results is simply the reality that we don't finish what we start. It's that complex. Gyms owners can rely on the fact that the vast majority of people who sign up for a twelve month membership won't turn up too often, if at all.
2. We react emotionally rather than plan and behave logically. When it comes to exercise, diet, lifestyle and our body in general, we are reactive, emotional creatures. But you know that. If only we'd throw a little logic into the picture, we might see some better results.
3. Generic exercise programs. If we all had the same genetics, the same goals, the same medical issues, the same (current) fitness level and were all the same age, then generic exercise programs would be fabbo. Fortunately we're all different. Our exercise programs should be too. The program you ripped out of the fitness mag ain't gonna be your best chance of success - no matter what the beefcake or the bimbo in the advertisement said.
4.We're soft. Yep, we're big babies. Many of us simply don't train hard enough to get results. We go through the motions and have been for a long time. We're maintaining rather than progressing. The objective of exercise is to stimulate our body physically (stress it) so that it will need to adapt (get fitter, leaner, bigger, smaller, faster, more flexible). The problem is that we need to get uncomfortable to adapt and many of us have an aversion to discomfort. Bummer. Don't do what's comfortable, do what works. Look for effective not easy.
5. No variety in our workouts. If we always train the same, we'll always look the same. And we do. On both accounts. So many of us are creatures of habit. When it comes to our exercise program we should be creatures of variety if we want to keep our body changing and the results coming. Try a completely different workout and you'll discover how fit you aren't (if you know what I mean).
6. Too much fuel in the tank. I know we all know this but it would be remiss of me not too mention the fact that we simply eat too much. Waaaaaaaaaaay too much. We're fat because we eat food we don't need. Constantly. If the only piece of dietary advice we took any notice of was to reduce our food intake by 30%(ish) we'd have next to zero obesity. Sadly, that seems too complex for some people. Better try another five hundred-page diet book.
7. We get in shape for events. Yep, we get in shape for weddings, birthdays, parties, reunions and even seasons (summer), if only we'd get in shape for life. We're good at getting our head around behavioural change for four to six weeks, now we need to try four to six decades.
8. We talk crap. When it comes to the state of our body, we talk crap. We just do. We constantly rationalise, justify, explain and blame away our fat selves. If only we'd be honest, responsible, accountable, proactive and consistent - then we'd get in shape and stay that way. Again, this stuff ain't rocket science.
9. Optional behaviours. As I said recently in The Non-Optional Stuff as long as we make certain behaviours (optimal eating, exercising and living) optional then we'll never reach our goals and we'll forever be on and off the weight-loss merry-go-round.
10. Attitude.
It's a fact Jack - it is what it is. Some people simply make the getting-in-shape process a nightmare because they are nightmares themselves. When I talk to people, I'm actually more interested in their attitude than I am their genetics or their physical potential. Experience has taught me that when it comes to creating life-long change, psychology plays much more of a role than physiology.
2. We react emotionally rather than plan and behave logically. When it comes to exercise, diet, lifestyle and our body in general, we are reactive, emotional creatures. But you know that. If only we'd throw a little logic into the picture, we might see some better results.
3. Generic exercise programs. If we all had the same genetics, the same goals, the same medical issues, the same (current) fitness level and were all the same age, then generic exercise programs would be fabbo. Fortunately we're all different. Our exercise programs should be too. The program you ripped out of the fitness mag ain't gonna be your best chance of success - no matter what the beefcake or the bimbo in the advertisement said.
4.We're soft. Yep, we're big babies. Many of us simply don't train hard enough to get results. We go through the motions and have been for a long time. We're maintaining rather than progressing. The objective of exercise is to stimulate our body physically (stress it) so that it will need to adapt (get fitter, leaner, bigger, smaller, faster, more flexible). The problem is that we need to get uncomfortable to adapt and many of us have an aversion to discomfort. Bummer. Don't do what's comfortable, do what works. Look for effective not easy.
5. No variety in our workouts. If we always train the same, we'll always look the same. And we do. On both accounts. So many of us are creatures of habit. When it comes to our exercise program we should be creatures of variety if we want to keep our body changing and the results coming. Try a completely different workout and you'll discover how fit you aren't (if you know what I mean).
6. Too much fuel in the tank. I know we all know this but it would be remiss of me not too mention the fact that we simply eat too much. Waaaaaaaaaaay too much. We're fat because we eat food we don't need. Constantly. If the only piece of dietary advice we took any notice of was to reduce our food intake by 30%(ish) we'd have next to zero obesity. Sadly, that seems too complex for some people. Better try another five hundred-page diet book.
7. We get in shape for events. Yep, we get in shape for weddings, birthdays, parties, reunions and even seasons (summer), if only we'd get in shape for life. We're good at getting our head around behavioural change for four to six weeks, now we need to try four to six decades.
8. We talk crap. When it comes to the state of our body, we talk crap. We just do. We constantly rationalise, justify, explain and blame away our fat selves. If only we'd be honest, responsible, accountable, proactive and consistent - then we'd get in shape and stay that way. Again, this stuff ain't rocket science.
9. Optional behaviours. As I said recently in The Non-Optional Stuff as long as we make certain behaviours (optimal eating, exercising and living) optional then we'll never reach our goals and we'll forever be on and off the weight-loss merry-go-round.
10. Attitude.
It's a fact Jack - it is what it is. Some people simply make the getting-in-shape process a nightmare because they are nightmares themselves. When I talk to people, I'm actually more interested in their attitude than I am their genetics or their physical potential. Experience has taught me that when it comes to creating life-long change, psychology plays much more of a role than physiology.
Just for the Health of it!!
Want to get in shape for summer?
For more information contact
Tim
- We can help you get back on track, or take you to the next stage in your fitness development.
Sessions on offer include Boxing cardio and Running groups
Each group is different and is designed to: - Enhance your energy
- Develop and maintain your motivation for exercise
- Increase your abdominal and core strength
- Improve your running technique, speed and strength
- Develop and improve your flexibility
- Improve your cardiovascular fitness
For more information contact
Tim
0400612689
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