We have all heard about the core, but recently I have been learning about core stabilizing muscles. These are basically the muscles that are the foundation of our movements…the ones that not only keep us balanced, but also keep us moving. Core stability means using the muscles of the trunk to support the spine and body during activity. The trunk muscles include those in the abdomen and back, around the neck and shoulder blades, and around the pelvis, hips, groin, and buttocks. Strengthening your trunk gives greater stability and power to the whole body for it’s activities. Core stabilization helps improve posture, balance, strength, and coordinated movement, and helps protect the body from injury. One of the exciting things for me to think about in terms of fitness is how connected all the parts of our bodies are, and how crucial this is to all of our movements. [Read more…]
Try This at Home…It is Simple, but Far from Easy!
The Beach and the Baby Jogger
My children and I are in Bald Head Island for two days visiting some friends who have a house here. To get to the island you take a ferry, bringing whatever bags and gear on board with you. Since we are staying such a short time, we didn’t bring much. One item was large and a little unwieldy, but essential for the trip…the Baby Jogger. [Read more…]
A Few More Exercises For the Pelvic Floor and the Core
I have written about the pelvic floor on this website before. As I research and talk to professionals about this topic, I am amazed at the importance of this complex group of muscles, especially for women. Most of us know about Kegel exercises, and are hopefully already doing them regularly. I know I need to be even more consistent about doing them! However, there are many other exercises that can be done before or even during other core exercises that target the pelvic area as well. The following are some that strengthen the pelvic floor and the core, and can be done in just a few minutes while you are working out, or even right before bed: Core/pelvic floor exercises.
Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Pizza?
After loading about 10 frozen pizzas into the car on a recent shopping trip, my husband turned to me and asked, “Is it possible we are buying too much pizza?” According to my kids, there is no such thing as too much pizza. As the mother, however, I know there has to be a limit, right? But I do love pizza (yes, even the frozen kind)! To me it isn’t just how it tastes, it’s what it means…no cooking! I have tried recipes for pizza crust before, but in the end, it just seems like a lot of work for what has always been the “easy night”. Pizza and work in the kitchen just don’t seem to go together. [Read more…]
Have You Tried Pool Running? Great Workout!
If you haven’t tried pool running, now is a great time to give it a whirl! With the heat of summer upon us, a good pool workout can help you stay fit and cool at the same time. I have had the Aqua Jogger for about 20 years, but you really don’t need one to run in the pool. You can run without any device, or you can use a “noodle” that most kids use to play with in the water. Many runners (Mary Decker Slaney and Joan Benoit Samuelson to name a few) have used water running to combat injury in the height of their training. In the water, running can be continued without the impact of the hard surface of the roads. In fact, water running has an added workout benefit…resistance. You can feel the resistance immediately, and because water pressure in a pool is 12 times greater than air pressure, a pool provides two extremes at once–the resistance to stress the body, and the liquid density to protect it. [Read more…]
Is Glucosamine/Chondroitin for You?
The jury isn’t out yet on the efficacy of glucosamine/chondrotin supplements for the treatment of osteoarthritis. However, some people have found that after taking the supplements, they experience fewer symptoms.
According to physical therapist Alan Tyson, owner of Architech Sports and Physical Therapy, interesting results have been reported from studies about glucosamine/chondroitin intake. Basically, there are some who say the supplements have been shown to help those who experience moderate symptoms of osteoarthritis, but not those with mild symptoms or those with severe symptoms. Alan’s recommended dosage is 1500 milligrams of combined glucasamine/chondroitin. [Read more…]
Fitting in a Workout While on Vacation
I am writing this in the airport waiting for our return flight from Florida, where my husband (James) and I got away for four days. While there, we fit in some exercise. James is not the exercise enthusiast that I am, but he does like to run and is wonderfully supportive of me and my fitness “habits”. So while we were away, I ran three times (twice with James along Beach Road in Jupiter with beautiful ocean views, and once by myself for 8 hot, humid, and flat miles). I also went to a Kettlebell/TRX class taught by a friend, Josephine Bunn. Technically James and I did this together, since he dropped me off, went to Dunkin Donuts, and brought me coffee and a donut after the class (as I said, he is very supportive). Of course without our children with us, it was easy and fun to fit in a few workouts while on vacation. However, this is not our typical vacation (it was the first time we have gotten away for more than an overnight in 22 years). The other 99% of the time that we get away our children are with us. Yet, I still manage to squeeze in fitness most of the time. So with summer fast approaching, and the start of family vacations, I am sharing five ways to fit in a workout while away…or not! [Read more…]
A Little Nine Kid Romance and Some Old-fashioned Vitamin D!
James and I have been married for 22 years and we are on our first true vacation alone in all those years! We came down to Florida to stay at my mother’s house near Jupiter. A lot of logistics are necessary to accomplish this, and I am grateful to my sister Susan, and my mother who together have six of my children back home in Charlotte! James and I are relaxing, enjoying some romantic dinners alone, and soaking in some Vitamin D.
Speaking of Vitamin D, it appears to be making a comeback and is receiving some publicity lately, especially in it’s most natural form (sunlight). I am part of the generation that grew up hearing about the negative effects of too much sunlight. This is why most of us who are parents feel guilty if we don’t totally lather our children up when they go out in the sun. As a woman, I know how the sun causes my face to wrinkle and show creases prematurely (being a runner that started about ten years ago for me!). While most of these things are true, research is showing the importance of Vitamin D, especially as we age. [Read more…]
Quote of the Week: By Failing to Prepare, You Are Preparing to Fail
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail…Benjamin Franklin
I’ve got the marathon on my mind. I guess I would much rather think about it than start training for it! I signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon after enjoying it so much last year. It isn’t until the end of October, and so it is too early to start any serious training yet. However, since I am not a big planner, marathon training always presents a challenge for me. I have friends who love training for marathons. They say having a goal helps them become structured about their running and keeps them focused on the prize. Maybe it’s because I’ve started and then had to stop training for marathons a number of times that I tend to be a little hesitant about planning too far out. Whether it was a pregnancy, an injury, or just life that got in the way, for many years the marathon seemed elusive. In fact, last year’s Marine Corps Marathon was my first marathon in ten years! [Read more…]
Life is a Balancing Act! Why Balance is Crucial for Fitness
Did you ever think about the fact that about 40% of the time that we are walking around, we are on one foot? Balance is crucial, regardless of how athletic you are. Just think about what happens as we get older, and our balance is not as good as it once was. We begin to take shorter strides to compensate for our lack of balance. Hence, one reason for the shuffle that we sometimes see in elderly people. The balance is not as good and therefore stability is off. It isn’t too hard to see why balance is such a crucial component for fitness, too. [Read more…]
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