Get Fit Quick Tip:
Set your mind to reach your fitness goals!
Get your mind right in your fitness, and you’re half way there! A supportive mindset can be accomplished in spending a few minutes every day. Sit quietly and visualize accomplishing your goal- How will you feel? What will you see? What will you say? It’s important to include all your senses in your visualization and make it feel “real” to your mind. Get your mind right to reach your goals!
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Challenge your Coordination!
Fitness means many things! Endurance, strength, power, flexibility, and balance and coordination are all aspects of fitness! Set a goal to try a new exercise each month that challenges your coordination. The mental focus required is a nice distraction from the physical effort. And because of the mental focus you’ll need to master this aspect of fitness, your interest remains high and your motivation will soar! For an all-inclusive workout with an emphasis on coordination consider stand up paddle board, basketball, baseball, jump rope, dance, slack line, rollerblading, trampoline, tennis, just to name a few.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Lying Hamstring Stretch
Sitting most of the day? Do this hamstring stretch to ease lower body and lower back tension. Lie down on the floor on your back. Extend your right leg straight up with your heel toward the ceiling. Place a strap or belt securely under the arch of your shoes to assist your stretch. Keep your shoulders and hips on the floor. Hold for 10 seconds, then release. Next, extend your left leg straight up toward the ceiling. Place the strap or belt securely under your arch. Hold for 10 seconds, then release.
*Consult your physician before performing stretch.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Listen to your body!
How do you know when nagging soreness from exercise warrants a trip to the doctor? Soreness is part of working out sometimes. Discomfort is also part of working out sometimes. Pain is NOT part of working out. So here’s the bottom line: If a move, motion or exercise doesn’t “feel” right to your body, it probably isn’t. Unload the weight and stop the exercise. Revisit proper form without weight or resistance, and then try again. If it still doesn’t feel right, then adjust the range of motion, mode of exercise or consider modifications. This is a feeling you don’t want to push through. And if you have pain that results, here are few guidelines to know when to take it seriously:
When ice doesn’t make it feel better.
When you have loss of range of motion or mobility.
When pain wakes you up at night.
Any pain accompanied by swelling, change in appearance of joint or muscles, numbness or tingling.
When you’re unable to perform your usual workout because of pain or discomfort.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Take a Break…
… and practice deep breathing! Simply close your eyes and take three to five deep breaths. Don’t worry about breathing technique such as breathing in through your nose or out your mouth, etc, do what feels most comfortable to you. Instead breathe in for a count of 2-3 seconds, hold for 1 second, then slowly exhale for 3-5 seconds. Then pause and relax, and begin again. The key is to not rush each breathe, just find your natural rhythm. When we breathe mindfully, our nervous system receive a message to relax. In doing so, our muscles relax, tension releases, stress decreases, our mind clears and we feel better.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Slow down your weight training. Add pauses to reduce momentum!
When lifting weights, pause at the top of the range of motion and pause at the bottom of the range of motion. Adding in one to two second pauses reduces momentum during weight training. Reducing momentum means your muscles work harder instead of bouncing or swinging through your routine.
*Consult your physician before performing exercise.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Seated Hamstring and Low Back Stretch
Ease muscle tension at the end of the day with this full body stretch. Begin seated on the floor with both legs out straight in front of you. Cross your right ankle over your left ankle and walk your hands forward, tuck your chin to your chest and bend forward from your low back. Hold for 2 to 3 deep breaths, then release. Next, cross your left ankle over your right ankle, walk your hands forward and ease into the stretch. Hold for 2 to 3 deep breaths, then release.
*Consult your physician before performing exercise.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Total Body Stretch
Stretch your body into relaxation at the end of the day. Here’s how:
Begin seated with both legs out straight in front of you. Cross your right ankle over your left. Gently walk your hands forward bending your chest toward your knees. Hold for 10-20 seconds or 2 deep breaths, then release. Next, cross your left ankle over your right. Walk your hands forward, and hold for 10-20 seconds or 2 deep breaths, and then release.
*Consult your physician before performing exercise.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Go PLAY!
Take a note from kids and add the PLAY to your workout!
Every once in awhile forget counting reps, sets and logging rest time, and go PLAY! Let loose and run, jump, skip and hop. Implementing one PLAY day per month is a great way to keep workout motivation high. Adding play to your workout is also a great way to take the pressure off of regulating intensity and such. Let your mind wander, get lost in your thoughts or the scenery around you. Invite friends and chat it up while getting active. Take a walk around your neighborhood, play with your kids, hit up the outdoor obstacle course at your local park!
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Seated Hamstring Stretch
If you’ve been sitting for hours without a break, ease lower body muscle tension with this seated stretch. Sit with both legs out straight in front of you. Sit up tall, bend from your hips and reach both hands toward your toes. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then release. For an extra stretch, drop your chin toward your chest.
*Consult your physician before performing exercise.
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