Painful Hip Flexors

If you’re into to ice sports, cycling, are sitting or driving more, or have been hauling heavy packs, you may be at risk for hip flexor tightness and pain. The biggest and deepest of the hip flexors is the iliopsoas, which begins as one muscle and splits off into two, the psoas major and the iliacus. About 50% of the population also has a psoas minor muscle.

Iliopsoas trigger points can cause pain in the most unusual places, including the mid and low back, upper buttocks, hips, groin, abdomen, and pelvic floor.

Proper stretching, sleeping positions, and exercise can reduce or even eliminate this type of pain.  Short of prevention, the most important thing is that you attack the pain/injury right away and don't let it continue to worsen.

There is a great article on www.calmmindpainfreebody.com that gives some really great strategies for working with this type of injury including a variety of stretches, sleep positioning and trigger points that can really help with long term treatment.

~Noah

New Year, Healthier You!

The boxes and packaging are cleaned up... the tree is on it's way out... you know what that means!  It's almost New Years, the time of year we all make New Years Resolutions.  I know how difficult they can be to keep, but choosing a few that are related to your health makes it a bit easier to stay on track.  After all, if we don't take care of ourselves no one will!

I found a great article on Health.com that gives some great examples of good (and realistic) health resolutions for 2012.  Take a peek and let me know what you think!

~Noah

12 Ways to Survive the Holiday Frenzy

The holidays bring so many things - fun with friends, family, parties, food, shopping... it's a time where it is very easy to get very off track - very fast.  I found a really great article on Better Health USA that gives some good tips to maintain a generally healthy lifestyle this time of year, without denying yourself of the things you enjoy. 

Remaining vigilant during the times you CAN control your food and activity is super important.  You can't dictate your schedule or menu if you're visiting family, but you can before and after your visit.  You can squeeze in a quick run or even a walk with a friend during the holiday craziness without missing out on all of the fun.  Compensating for an anticipated big "cheat day" by having a few super clean healthy days leading up to it can really help keep you from getting hopelessly off track.

Remember, maintaining your current weight or fitness level this time of year is enough... just try not to backslide and you'll jump right back in after New Years!

~Noah

Music can help keep you moving!

I know that when it comes to working out, I can't keep moving without great music. It's tough sometimes to find a good mix of music that keeps you going at a good pace, but I found an article on Women's Health Magazine's website that gives 8 different playlists with a wide variety of music. Even if you don't like any of the lists in it's entirety, you may be able to mix and match some of them together (along with some of your own music) to create a great workout playlist.

 

One of the most important things to consider is a song’s tempo, which should be between 120 and 140 beats-per-minute, or B.P.M. That pace coincides with the range of most commercial dance music, and many rock songs are near that range, which leads people to work out at that sustained pace. It also roughly corresponds to the average person’s heart rate during a routine workout.

Create your own playlist - and share it! Most people are always looking for a great mix for the gym.

~Noah

7 Workout Mistakes

While we all try to get into the gym regularly, if you're not changing things up, getting your nutrition on track, and not taking care in other areas of your life, it's just not going to give you the results you're looking for.

Simple things like not skipping meals, not skipping the basics, getting enough rest... these can make all the difference! 

I'm often asked about cardio - how much is enough?  The reality is that 20 minutes 3 times a week is sufficient for most people.  Unless you are training for longer distance running or some other very specific event that is all that is needed.  If you balance strength training with those 20 minutes, however, you are going to get an overall fitness level much higher than if you did one or the other alone.

Yahoo! Health has a great article about the 7 Workout Mistakes to Avoid - they have some information about cardio and the other things I talk about above.  Read it and see whether you're sabotaging your own workout goals.

~Noah

Post Thanksgiving Workout

If you're anything like me, you tend to indulge when you get all your family together for a "eating" holiday!  I tend to eat really clean most of the time - protein, whole grains, vegetables, etc. - but the holidays definitely make it challenging.  Add to that a bunch of family obligations making it hard to get to the gym (or perhaps you're out of town and not near your gym), and you are left with a loss of momentum by Monday.

This article from The PostGame gives a good example of getting back into the swing of things over the weekend, without even hitting a gym.  Give it a look and get moving!
~Noah

Speed Up Your Fat Burn!

As my clients will tell you, I talk often about eating and training habits when trying to slim down.  Today I found a great article on Yahoo! Health that talks about all six of the things I'm always reminding my clients about:

• Eat breakfast!  According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, those that eat breakfast enjoy a waistline that is on average 2 INCHES smaller than those that don't!
• Eat regularly!  Ideally, you should eat every 3 hours - going more than 5 hours between meals slows your metabolism and causes your body to burn fat slower.
• Ride a bike!  Riding just 6 miles per week helps lower insulin levels by as much as 19%.  Walkers who go the same weekly distance show no reduction in insulin levels.
• Drink green tea!  Drinking just 3 cups per day helps your body burn an extra 30 calories a day according to Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  Who doesn't want to burn calories for free??   'nuff said.
• Lift Weights!  Strength training speeds metabolism, burns calories and sculpts sexy muscles... yet only 17% of women do it.  Some experts recommend as much as 60% of your workout should be strength training (40% cardio) to get the most out of every minute.  I don't know anyone who doesn't want great arms and abs - this is the way to get them!
• Limit your time between sets!   Exercisers who waited only 35 seconds between sets decreased their body fat by 27 percent more after eight weeks than those who rested three minutes, researchers at San Antonio Catholic University of Murcia say. Shorter rests keep your metabolism humming along and your heart rate up, so they shave minutes off your time at the gym and help your afterburn for hours once you’re done with your workout.

Click here to see the full article.  It's a quick but informative read!

~Noah

Importance of Water!

One of the top things I'm asked by my clients is why I push them to drink so much water.  There are lots of complicated, scientific answers to this, but the reality is that water is THE most important thing you can do for your body!  As written about in this article by Spartafit, being only 15% dehydrated is considered lethal! 

When you are training and working your body in so many new and exciting ways, it is imperative that you hydrate - a lot!  In fact, it is imperative that you hydrate whether you're working out or not.  If you have any questions, let me know.  In the meantime, keep drinking your water!

~Noah