Here is a short video I put together to provide you with some “baby beginner” exercises to help you build your core strength.
Yours In Health!
Dr. Wendy
Browsing Posts published in August, 2010
(Sure it’s a line out of the Bill Murray movie, “What About, Bob?”…but it can definitely help you get the results you want.)
We all want change and we want it NOW! We want to lose weight, be healthier, be happier all in an instant. You and I both know that lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. It is the little consistent steps we take that get us to our goal. Most people I know are all or nothing. They jump into change and go gung-ho until they burn out three days later. They go 500 miles an hour and hit the wall.
So how do you make change? With Baby Steps. Here are some suggestions for making change.
1. Drink one extra glass of water a day.
2. Eat one extra serving of vegetables a day.
3. Walk 5 minutes a day.
4. Do 30 seconds of stretching several times per day.
5. Do 5 squats or push-ups during tv commercials.
6. Park farther from the store and take your cart back.
7. Close your eyes for 30 seconds and deep breathe.
8. Go to bed 10 minutes earlier.
9. Read 1 positive quote per day.
10. Take 5 minutes to listen to your favorite music.
11. Eliminate 1 sugary treat per day.
12. Dance (ok maybe just wiggle) to one song a day.
13. Compliment someone. It will make you feel better.
14. Write down something you want to accomplish and read it every day.
15. Draw a picture, even if it is a stick figure. It will help bring out your creative side.
Pick one or several and start your Baby Stepping today!
Yours In Health!
Dr. Wendy
Tire/Sled Dragging – A Great Alternative For Leg Conditioning
Powerlifters have long known the benefits of using sled dragging for recovery and General Physical Preparedness GPP). More recently, athletes have been adopting these methods of training for explosive unilateral training. Leg strength, endurance, and recovery are all addressed by dragging. It is also possible to shorten the rest periods and make this a killer cardio workout as well.
Using dragging for the general population is wonderful for many reasons:
This is a low skill movement, which basically means that if you can walk, you can pull a sled. This allows people to push themselves without spending a long time learning technique. Also, there is no loading to the eccentric shortening) phase of the muscle, which translates to less soreness and more frequent workouts. Lastly, dragging works the legs unilaterally, or one at a time, in a primal movement pattern that can make you a stronger runner/walker.
Couple all this with the low cost and the vitamin D you’ll be getting, and you have a nice, healthy, summer workout!
Stay Strong!
Jake
Myself, Jake “The Trainer”, my staff – Tiffany and Kacie…we all LOVE our Vibrams. Vibram Five Fingers mimic being barefoot while allowing your feet the protection they need. Being barefoot increases strength in the muscles of the feet, it increases foot stability, and it also increases proprioception (how the foot responds to the Earth).
Remember when you were a kid how you could run on any surface? Now most adults have such whimpy feet (that’s a technical term) that they can’t even walk barefoot in their own backyard. I would suggest that you get yourself a pair of Vibrams and get back in touch with your feet.
If you would like a pair of these amazing “non-shoes” for yourself visit – http://www.VibramFiveFingers.com - beware of other sites. I recently had a patient who thought she was getting a great deal on a pair of Vibrams from a site that appeared to be the official site only to never have them show up. Don’t let this happen to you.
Yours In Health!
Dr. Wendy
