Move It Sister/Brother-This Ain't No Parking Lot!!-fitness tidbits from Lisa Tonra

"Move It Sister - This Ain't No Parking Lot!" 
by Lisa Tonra, Personal Trainer

I'm old, out of shape and everything hurts - why start exercising now? Because exercise really IS the fountain of youth!

Let's start by getting some common myths out of the way…

1. I'm (getting) old anyway. 
As the saying goes, age is just a number. Exercise, both cardiovascular and strength training, helps you look and feel younger and stay active longer. Equally as important,  regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of serious conditions, including Type II diabetes (diabetes mellitus), cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, obesity, colon cancer, Alzheimer's Disease and dementia. Much research has shown that inactivity often causes older adults to lose the ability to live independently. Being sedentary can lead to more doctors' visits (or worse, hospitalizations) and increased use of medications for largely preventable illnesses. Exercise is the key to staying strong, energetic and healthy, and delaying or reversing common conditions of the aging process.

2. Exercise will put me at risk for falling down. 
Not true! Regular exercise builds strength and stamina, which prevents loss of bone mass and improves balance, thus REDUCING your risk of falling! Muscle weakness has been shown to be the biggest risk factor for falls. Although we do lose some muscle mass with age, exercise can slow this rate of loss and even reverse it.

3. I've never exercised before. 
No problem - it's NEVER too late to start exercising! Physical movement and sports skills can be learned at ANY age (you may not become an Olympic contender, but I can guarantee that climbing stairs, walking the dog and carrying groceries will become MUCH easier). The advice of a well-qualified personal trainer and/or physical therapist can be invaluable as you begin your journey towards greater health.

4. My joints ache and it hurts to move. 
Motion is lotion for aging joints! Most adults over 50 suffer from osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) at one or more joints. Exercise will improve strength, flexibility and posture, helping to alleviate its common symptoms which include stiffness, pain and loss of functional movement and mobility. One of the greatest 'at-risk' joints is your knee. The odds of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA) rises hugely after age 50. By age 80, about one-third of men and half of all women will have OA of the knee. As knee OA progresses, it can cause debilitating pain, reduce your mobility and increase difficulty in performing daily activities. Add it all up and your quality of life is greatly reduced (and who wants that?) But adding exercise to your life can significantly reduce your risk for developing symptomatic OA. If you already have an arthritic knee, hip, or shoulder exercise can greatly improve your mobility and will reduce discomfort. More mobility and less pain? Let's GO!

5. I'm forgetful and get distracted easily - I can't manage an exercise program.
Not so fast! There is much research to support the value of exercise in shoring up memory and brain function. Both cardiovascular and strength training exercise can actually help to 'bulk up' the brain by creating more cells in the brain areas responsible for memory, learning. and critical decision making. More blood flow to the brain = sharper thinking AND reduced risk of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia. 

Knowing that regular exercise can improve bone mass, strength, flexibility, agility, ability to carry out daily activities, memory and brain function (WHEW!) what are you waiting for? 

Here are some tips to getting started safely:

1. Get medical clearance from your doctor. Ask if there are any activities that you should avoid.

2. Consider your existing health concerns. For example, if you have diabetes you may need to coordinate your meals and medications with your exercise schedule. If you have hip or knee OA, water exercise may initially be the best choice for you.

3. START SLOWLY! The usual aches and pains that accompany OA can be circumvented by adding activity in small 5-10 minute increments. Try a ten minute walk around your neighborhood at a leisurely pace each day for a week. As your fitness improves add a few extra minutes to the walk or challenge yourself with hilly terrain. Remember, motion is lotion for your joints!

4. Challenge yourself to commit to your new activity schedule for at least four weeks. After about a month your exercise schedule will become a habit that you will miss if you skip!

5. Stay focused on short-term goals such as improving your mood and energy levels.

6. Listen to your body. Exercise should not be painful or make you feel lousy (but do expect a small amount of typical muscle soreness after unaccustomed activity or more intense exercise). Stop immediately if you have chest pain, feel short of breath, feel dizzy or nauseous. Stop the activity also if a joint is red, swollen or feels tender.

7. Get expert help. If you've never exercised before, have been 'out of the game' for a while, or simply feel unmotivated enlisting the services of a professional is a wise choice. A well-qualified fitness trainer or physical therapist can help ease you into a routine that is best suited to your body type, interests and activity limitations. Lifestyle changes, including exercise routines, are most effective when you have a personalized program, preferably with a professional who works directly with you. It can indeed be intimidating to work with a trainer in a gym setting, but there are many options today! Exercise experts can meet you at your home, office, or community center and can arrange small group training sessions or classes. What better way to get fit AND catch up with friends than a buddy workout or class that is tailored to exercisers just like you? A pro can also make sure you cover all components of a well-designed activity program: cardiovascular exercise, strength training, flexibility and balance exercises.

So If you dread working out, it’s time for a mental makeover! Consider physical activity that is tailored to you as part of your new lifestyle, instead of a tedious chore that must be done. The best thing about exercising is that it gives you energy for more activities. When it becomes habit, you’ll never want to give it up. And exercising with others, either as part of a formal program or with your neighbors and friends, can add to the enjoyment of becoming physically active. Done safely, and under the guidance of a therapist or trainer, it’s NEVER too late to start. Once you add EXERCISE to your life you'll add LIFE to your years!

About Lisa:

Lisa Tonra, a twenty-year veteran of the fitness/wellness business, holds credentials from ACSM, NASM, and BASI Pilates and is currently a Physical Therapy graduate student. She specializes in injury 'pre-habilitation,' prevention and recovery for all sports-related and overuse conditions. Lisa can also design, implement, coach and monitor fitness routines for all recreational athletes, fitness enthusiasts and beginning exercisers. Her philosophy is a simple one: "There is a (sometimes hidden) fitness enthusiast in all of us! It’s good to set a short-term fitness, health or lifestyle goal to get yourself up and moving, but challenge yourself to take the longer view of 'training for life.' What are Your Body Goals? I can help you achieve and maintain them, and do it injury-free!" 

Visit Lisa's personal website here: http://yourbodygoals.com

Plyometrics for the Distance Runner: Fitness Tips from Personal Trainer Lisa Tonra

PLYOMETRICS for the Distance Runner - JUMP for Faster Race Times and More Energizing Runs!

5K, 10K and half-marathon runners! Looking for faster race times, a greater sense of 'ease' with your run and greater running efficiency? It's time to step (or hop) it up with plyometric training!

Plyometric training helps runners recruit muscle fibers in the most efficient way. Plyometrics are based on the principle that a muscle's Stretch-Shortening Cycle (defined as an active stretch, or eccentric contraction of a muscle, followed by an immediate shortening, or concentric contraction of that same muscle) can create much more power than a normal muscle contraction. This is because the muscles are able to store the tension from a stretch for a short period of time - causing the muscle to react like a rubber band. The better your muscles are at producing force against the ground quickly, the less time you spend on the ground. Plyometrics help the hip and lower extremity muscles transition from their eccentric to concentric contraction more quickly, thus producing more force against the ground. Now we're moving fast!

As a rule, distance runners tend to recruit and use more Type I (aerobic, slow twitch) fibers. But when speed work is incorporated into your routines, more of the anaerobic, Type II fast-twitch fibers are recruited. Part of improving your ability to run is maximizing muscle recruitment. The more muscles recruited, the more ability you have to produce force against the ground and the faster you’ll go! However, the goal is ALSO to recruit as few muscle fibers for the task as possible. It sounds contradictory, but the more muscles you recruit, the more oxygen they require, and this can lead to decreased running economy. So we have to be picky with our fiber selection! Running economy is all about using oxygen efficiently. Our goal is thus greater recruitment of those explosive fast-twitch fibers, which use less oxygen. More bang for the buck from a muscle perspective!

NOTE! In addition to good overall strength in the major muscles of the hips (gluteals and hamstrings) and thighs (quadriceps), it is CRITICAL that you have adequate strength in your calf muscles and flexibility in your ankles for the plyometric drills. The biggest calf muscle (gastrocnemius) usually contains a larger proportion of Type II fast-twitch muscle fibers, and responds well to traditional strength training. 

Beginners should start with calf training basics: 

1. Heel raises: holding onto a counter top, squat rack or other sturdy surface, raise and slowly lower your heels until you reach fatigue. Use a weight amount such that you are completely fatigued by 10-15 repetitions. This weight can be simply your body weight, or you may hold small dumbbells of equal weight in each hand. You may also try lifting one heel at a time, with or without added weight. More advanced exercisers may use the same exercise but increase the weight amount used, such that fatigue is reached by 6-10 repetitions. Everyone should complete 2-3 sets with a 1-minute rest interval between sets.

This basic exercise is well worth the time invested: more Type II fiber recruitment  in your calves equals better ground force reaction time, less overall body fatigue and a better race time!

Once you've achieved good basic strength in the calves, it'll be time to move on to some basic Plyometric drills.

Beginning runners can start with stair climbing (two stairs at a time if you're able), two-footed hopping in place, or short bursts of running uphill. Each activity should be performed for 45-60 seconds per bout.

More advanced runners can try the following:

2. Ankle hops: With feet hip-width apart and heels elevated, balance on the balls of your feet. Bend your knees, place hands on hips, and repeatedly hop forward, pushing off and landing only on the balls of both feet. Stay on the ground as little time as possible between hops and never let your heels touch the ground. For variety, you can try hopping backward. Reps: Start by hopping 10 yards, building up to 20 yards. When you're ready add a second and third bout of 20-yard hops with 1-minute rests between them. This drill will strengthen EVERYTHING below the knee, but especially the Achilles Tendon, shin muscles, calves (see above), and the flexor muscles that support the ankles.

2. Squat Jumps: Stand with both feet hip-width apart and place your hands on your hips. Tilt your hips back and bend your knees, leaping straight up as high as possible. Land softly with both feet  in the same spot. Bend your knees to absorb the impact. Reps: Begin with one set of 10 jumps in rapid succession. As you get stronger, build up to three sets, each set separated by a 1-minute rest. This drill will strengthen all of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments from the waist down. Efficient!

In a nutshell: plyometrics work primarily because they strengthen everything related to your feet and ankles. They make all of the muscles, tendons and ligaments acting on your ankles stronger and more powerful, helping you to become "stiffer" (a good thing!)

How tired should you feel with this type of workout? In general you should finish any plyometric workout just as fresh as when you started. If you feel unduly fatigued you likely did too much. Keep the repetitions low enough so that each rep is a quality rep. With regard to rest intervals, rest at LEAST one minute or long enough to be at 100% for your next attempt. 

As with ANY athletic program, make sure you check with Dr. Blake about proper footwear and the need for corrective orthotics. Bring any new (or existing) foot and ankle injuries, or muscle/joint pain to his immediate attention.

Best of luck! And here's to your next personal BEST race time!

About Lisa: 

Lisa Tonra, a twenty-year veteran of the fitness/wellness business, holds credentials from ACSM, NASM, and BASI Pilates and is currently a Physical Therapy graduate student. She specializes in injury 'pre-habilitation,' prevention and recovery for all sports-related and overuse conditions. Lisa can also design, implement, coach and monitor fitness routines for all recreational athletes, fitness enthusiasts and beginning exercisers. Her philosophy is a simple one: "There is a (sometimes hidden) fitness enthusiast in all of us! It’s good to set a short-term fitness, health or lifestyle goal to get yourself up and moving, but challenge yourself to take the longer view of 'training for life.' What are Your Body Goals? I can help you achieve and maintain them, and do it injury-free!" 

Visit Lisa's personal website here: http://yourbodygoals.com

Shin Splints: Fitness Tips from Personal Trainor Lisa Tonra

The Dreaded Shin Splints (aka, 'This dull, aching in my shins makes me WISH my leg were splinted!)

Runners, basketball/tennis players, even cyclists take note - start your program slowly!

As a new runner or player of sprinting-centric sports (basketball, tennis, etc.), you may be prone to developing pain in the front or inside area of your lower leg. This is very common. After more serious conditions are ruled out by your orthopedist or podiatrist (like a stress fracture), you may receive a diagnosis of 'shin splints.' This is a fancy term for a condition that involves inflammation or tears of the muscles of the shin, or the bone to which those muscles attach. While uncomfortable and activity-limiting, they are very often due to simple over-training and/or muscle imbalances in strength and flexibility between the front and the back of your lower leg and ankle.

After consultation with Dr. Blake (or another sports minded doc) about proper footwear selection and the use of orthotics, the following treatments and exercises will help you manage your current discomfort and help ward off future episodes of The Splints.

1. Ice! Nothing reduces inflammation like icing. Ice for 20 minutes per session, as many times as you can in one day. Another option is to use contrast baths: submerge your affected lower leg up to the knee in ice water for one minute, then follow with immersion in hot water for one minute. Repeat the cycle for 20 minutes total.

2. Cross train!  Use the stationary bike, elliptical machine, rower or swimming pool (anything that reduces the impact of ground forces on the lower leg) in place of your usual running/sprint-centric workout at least once per week. Work at the same level of cardiovascular intensity and you will not lose one scrap of your hard-won fitness gains.

3. Stretch! If the pain is on the INSIDE of your lower leg, stretch your Achilles Tendon. If the pain is on the FRONT of your lower leg, stretch both your Achilles Tendon and your calf muscles. The stretches are similar, and easy to do anywhere. Simply face a wall or other sturdy object (like a counter top). Lean forward slightly from the hips, with hands at waist or shoulder height for support. Place one leg behind you, hip distance apart from the leg in the front. Keeping the knee straight, press the heel of the foot on the back leg into the floor until you feel a vigorous stretch in the back of the lower leg (just above the heel). The muscle being stretched is your gastrocnemius, or large calf muscle. To focus the stretch on the Achilles Tendon, simply BEND the knee of the leg in the back position. You may drop your hips down and forward to deepen the stretch. Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. Repeat twice.

4. 'Pre-habilitate!' Developing good strength in your shin muscles and the muscles of your feet and toes will go a long way toward warding off future bouts of The Splints. Here are a couple of good ones to try:

     a.  While sitting with feet flat, trace the alphabet on the floor with your toes. You can also try picking up marbles or a towel using your toes. Try 2-3 rounds of 60 seconds each.

     b. Walk on your heels (with toes pointed up towards your shins) for 30 seconds. Rest for one minute, then repeat. Do 2-3 cycles of heel walking.

You can also ask your Dr. Blake about taping the lower leg, if you simply must continue to run. A good taping job will help hold the tendons of the muscles of your shins against the shin bone itself to prevent additional stress on the area.

Remember, increasing your mileage slowly (no more than 10% per week), actively cross-training  and avoiding excessively hard running and playing surfaces will go far in preventing future episodes of shin splints. Because no one likes to be sidelined from their favorite sport!

Good Luck!

About Lisa: 


Lisa Tonra, a twenty-year veteran of the fitness/wellness business, holds credentials from ACSM, NASM, and BASI Pilates and is currently a Physical Therapy graduate student. She specializes in injury 'pre-habilitation,' prevention and recovery for all sports-related and overuse conditions. Lisa can also design, implement, coach and monitor fitness routines for all recreational athletes, fitness enthusiasts and beginning exercisers. Her philosophy is a simple one: "There is a (sometimes hidden) fitness enthusiast in all of us! It’s good to set a short-term fitness, health or lifestyle goal to get yourself up and moving, but challenge yourself to take the longer view of 'training for life.' What are Your Body Goals? I can help you achieve and maintain them, and do it injury-free!" 

Visit Lisa's personal website here: http://yourbodygoals.com

Fitness Tidbit of the Day from Lisa Tonra

Fitness tidbit of the day:

Gals: are your thirties well behind you? (I'm right there with you!) Have you noticed that your knees seem to be moving a bit more towards each other, perhaps even looking somewhat knock-kneed? You might 'need' to look a bit more south, towards your feet! It's always wise to check with your podiatrist to rule out more serious conditions and those requiring orthotics or other external support, but a few simple exercises performed in bare feet can make all the difference in knee health. Try this simple routine:

1. Warm-up: While standing, lift all ten toes off the ground and lower them. Now lift all ten toes off the ground and spread them as far apart as possible. Finish with lifting one heel off the floor at a time, rolling from one side to the other. Repeat each move for 12 repetitions.

2. Heel Raises: Standing on both feet, raise your right heel and then set it down. Do the same with the left heel. Now holding onto a firm surface, such as a counter top or chair back, rise up onto both heels simultaneously. Do one set of each movement for 12 repetitions.

3. 'Domers': Standing with feet flat on the floor, lengthen toes along the floor as broadly as possible, then pull them inwards towards you while keeping them on the floor. Try to keep your toes straight rather than curling them under your foot. Return toes to starting position and repeat 12 times.

Strengthening these small-but-mighty muscles of the feet will help increase your foot and lower leg strength, enhance your awareness of foot mechanics and give your knees a big positioning boost! Good luck!


About Lisa:

Lisa Tonra, a twenty-year veteran of the fitness/wellness business, holds credentials from ACSM, NASM, and BASI Pilates and is currently a Physical Therapy graduate student. She specializes in injury 'pre-habilitation,' prevention and recovery for all sports-related and overuse conditions. Lisa can also design, implement, coach and monitor fitness routines for all recreational athletes, fitness enthusiasts and beginning exercisers. Her philosophy is a simple one: "There is a (sometimes hidden) fitness enthusiast in all of us! It’s good to set a short-term fitness, health or lifestyle goal to get yourself up and moving, but challenge yourself to take the longer view of 'training for life.' What are Your Body Goals? I can help you achieve and maintain them, and do it injury-free!" 

Visit Lisa's personal website here: http://yourbodygoals.com