Winston Salem Fitness

People who have suffered from back problems and injuries realize how vital the back is to ones everyday functioning and body. Even a simple activity like squeezing a ball which might appear to involve just the fingers and the muscles of the forearm actually involve the latissimus dorsi along with other back muscles as well.The Latissimus Dorsi are the large, flat, dorso-lateral muscles in the trunk that connect the upper extremity to the vertebral column.

It might seem unbelievable but if you actually squeeze the ball yourself, you will feel a tensing of the muscles on the side of the arm you use.This is particularly noticeable if one is experiencing back pain.

Strong back muscles are essential for any sport as it helps in speed and coordination,balancing the body,movement and provides support for limbs to work in coordination.

Given below are some simple exercises that will help strengthen the back muscles.It is always advisable to do them on a firm surface but make sure it isn’t too hard as otherwise it might cause undue pain or pressure on the bony parts of the body.

Knee to Chest:

Lie on your back.Clasp your hands behind one thigh and slowly pull it towards your chest while keeping the other leg flat on the ground in front of you.Vary the action by flexing the ankle first by pointing it towards the toe and then by pulling it back toward the knee simultaneously while stretching your leg.Hold this position for around 5 seconds and then alternate legs and repeat this exercise around 10 times.

Rotations:

Lie back with your feet on the floor and your knees bent.Extend your hands on either side and make sure you place your palms flat on the floor.Now lift your feet off the ground slowly and gently rotate your trunk by moving your knee slightly to the right and then to the left.Once your body becomes more supple then you can increase the range of this exercise as the goal should be to touch your knee to the floor.

Alternate the action by crossing your arms over your chest, and then repeat.

Pelvic Press:

Lie down on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the floor. Push the small of the back into the floor, so that you can feel the muscles in the lower abdominal getting stretched. Vary the action by moving your feet together first and then slightly apart before repeating the exercise.

Pelvic Lift:

Lie down on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the ground, arms crossed over your chest. Keeping the legs and knees together, raise the buttocks up slightly and hold for 5 seconds. Lower slowly, count to two, then repeat.

It is important to breathe in and out normally while doing these exercises

Dog Stretches:

Go down on all fours, raise your head so that your eyes are looking forward. Lower your arms and arch your back, hold 2 seconds, then go back to the original position. Slowly extend one leg, as near parallel to the floor as you can. Hold 3 seconds, then put the leg back into starting position.Switch legs and repeat. Vary the exercise by extending the leg with toe pointed, then flex the ankle perpendicular to the leg. Hold for 2 seconds and repeat. Do 10 reps for each leg.

Although mild discomfort due to inactivity is to be expected while exercising, if you find that it is causing pain to any region of the back,hip or leg stop immediately and consult a physician.

Backs are to golf what knees are to football… the longer one plays either sport, the greater the chance for a specialized injury.

In fact, statistics show that 80% of all injuries on the PGA and LPGA tours are to the back. Combine that with the fact that 80% of all adults suffer back pain, and the risk for golfers-recreational as well as the serious variety-vaults from critical to extreme.

Lack of muscle strength, muscle endurance and flexibility head the culprit list. Factor in the hours of repetitive motion (often performed improperly), and it’s a tribute to one’s love of the game-and perseverance-that more bags, woods, and short irons don’t show up at garage sales every spring.

Help is Now Available

Aging may be inevitable, but thanks to modern science it now can be endured with dignity and accommodation. And golf happens to be an aging-friendly activity-if approached properly and shown a little respect.

A program adapted by the University of California (Berkeley) Health Services is helping golfers of all ages to improve their skills and gain more enjoyment from their sport. By following the program, players can swing with more accuracy and consistency, hit longer drives, and reduce fatigue and injuries. Recommendations by the Berkeley experts include:

Establish A Walking Program

Wear shoes that have good support and begin a regular walking routine to include at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Work up to a comfortable pace and swing your arms in a controlled fashion. Try walking uphill and downhill to diversify your routine. Then stretch for 5-10 minutes after walking to keep your muscles from tightening.

Warm-Up Exercises

Knee to Chest: Stand and face a bench. Put your right foot on the seat of the bench and lean forward, bringing your chest toward your right knee. Hold for 20 seconds. Do five times and repeat with other leg.

Back Arch: Stand placing your hands at the back of your pelvis. Gently lean backward, allowing your back to arch as far as comfortable and your knees to flex slightly. Next, arch your back and twist slightly to the right; then slightly to the left. During your back swing and follow-through, limit the extent to which you arch your lower back in this exercise to avoid injury.

Neck Movements: Stand with your feet apart, lower abdominal muscles firm and upper back straight. Keep your shoulders facing forward and turn your head¾first to the left and then to the right. Repeat the movement five times. Move your head to look down and repeat exercise five times. Then move your head sideways to bring your left ear toward your left shoulder. Follow this movement to the right side and repeat exercise five times.

Shoulder Stretch: Stand with your feet apart. Hold your club horizontally. Raise your arms overhead 5-10 times. Do not arch your lower back to bring the club higher. Then raise your arms to shoulder height and move your arms across your chest to the right and to the left, five repetitions each way. (Do not turn your body or your head.)

Rotation: With feet and kneecaps facing forward, hold your club horizontally in both hands and bring it to shoulder level. Slowly rotate your upper body toward the right and follow the movement through to your left. Repeat the exercise five times.

Side Bends: Stand with your feet apart and lower abdominal muscles firm. Hold your club overhead and bend from side to side. Repeat five times.

Fitness Value Recognized by Pros

Nancy Chan, a California physical therapist who specializes in golf fitness, believes physical conditioning is every bit as important as equipment and mental focus.

“If taking golf lessons and buying the best equipment doesn’t help your game, you may want to look at your body,” Chan says. “The body is the best piece of equipment you’ve got.”

Like her Berkeley counterparts, Chan stresses posture, balance, strength, flexibility, and conditioning. “But exercise should never be painful,” she says. “And you should keep it simple and set realistic goals.” At the same time, many of today’s most successful touring pros have taken conditioning to the next level. David Duval and Tiger Woods head a prestigious list of professional golfers who employ strength and conditioning coaches full time. Two of the longest drivers in the game, both men understand the importance of maintaining strong and flexible bodies.

“The development of strength and power comes from your movement patterns,” Chan explains. “The lower back transfers the power to the hips, but without flexibility and muscular distribution throughout the body, your back and shoulders are an injury waiting to happen.”

Getting and staying in shape doesn’t have to be dull and boring! Try some of these fun fitness activities to make your workout time more enjoyable.

MUSICAL EXERCISES – Put on your favorite music and do some yoga! No need for slow, elevator music. Move to your favorite beat. Or pop on the headphones or earphones and grab your MP3 or cassette player or hand held PC and bike to a nearby park. Too cold or rainy? Then head to a mall or other enclosed area where you can walk. Caution: make sure you are alert while listening to music with headphones or earphones.

FUN IN THE SUN – Check out the latest tanning solutions and try fun, scented versions with funky, multi-colored sunglasses. Grab your cassette player or MP3 player and favorite tunes. And pack some flavored water, new flavored health bar that you’ve been dying to try and some frozen berries in your carryall for breaks and have a “sense”-ational time.

FITNESS CLASSES – Try out a new fitness class for fun. Enjoy a full water aerobics workout with less stress on your joints. Grab some colorful water gear and swim to the beat. Or try a dance or Jazzercise routine. No need to commit long-term, just ask about popping in for a class or two to check it out and enjoy. Meet new friends and get fit all at once.

VCR / DVD – Head to the library or local rental store and grab a fun fitness video or DVD. Crank up the sound when your favorite tunes come on and join the taped workout participants in the privacy of your own home.

GYM / FITNESS CENTER – Dig out those coupons you’ve been receiving in envelop mailers and those money saving coupon magazines. Again, no need to commit long-term. Just head on over and use the free or low-cost trial / invitational period and enjoy!

JOURNALING – Spice up your logging routine with an inexpensive new journal from a discount or dollar store nearby. Crate snazzy charts with colored markers. Add bright colored stickers for each workout. Paste or tape clipped pictures of your goals throughout the covers and inside sections. For example, paste pictures of that vacation spot you want to travel to with your new, healthy YOU wearing a new swimsuit.

So add some fun in with your fitness activities. Wake up your senses with new taste, smells, sights, touches and sounds. Forget that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” stuff. Workouts plus play make Jack a fun, fit boy!

Winston Salem Fitness – 10 Workout Tips to help you have a better, more effective workout.

1. If the goal of your workout is to burn fat and to become leaner, you MUST do your strength training first and your cardio training second. You will deplete your body’s stored sugar (glycogen) levels when doing weight training and then your body will be forced to use body fat for fuel when doing cardiovascular training.

2. Design training programs over 6-12 weeks with specific goals for each of the weeks. Having something short-term to focus on will increase your motivation greatly from one week to the next.

3. Whenever possible, choose free weights over machines. When you do strength training with free weights, a much greater amount of muscles must be used to provide balance and stability. You will get more work done in less time. The “carry over” to real life will also be significant as compared to training on a machine where all of the balancing is done for you.

4. Lifting weights more slowly will help to build more muscle. If you can go through each repetition of each set of each exercise, you will increase the total time that your muscle is “contracted” while it is working. This time is very important and will have a large impact on whether you get stronger or not.

5. Training “efficiency” is more important than training “volume.” Muscles respond best to intense, but brief, work followed by adequate rest and recovery. The most common mistake by frequent exercisers is doing too much and pushing the body beyond its ability to recover.

6. Learn how to read food labels to get the most out of your workouts. Training without eating in a “supportive” manner, will yield only minimal gains. Besides understanding what is meant by “Grams” of fat, protein and carbohydrates, buy (and eat) foods that are low in sugar. 1g of sugar is equal to 1 teaspoon, therefore a yogourt with 16 grams of sugar contains 4 teaspoons of sugar which will make it very difficult to burn fat and become lean.

7. Always allow at least 1 full day of recovery per week. To keep things fresh and interesting, even if you don’t feel like completely resting 1 day per week, doing so will aid immensely in both your mental and physical well-being and will help you to keep improving in the long run.

8. Learn the joys and benefits of Cross- Training. To continue challenging your body in a positive way, trying activities that are new to you can have a tremendous impact on your overall strength and endurance. You will find that when you go back to your regular routine, you may be stronger and fitter as a result.

9. Always have a back up plan. In Case Of Emergency! Always think of at least 2 or 3 activities or workouts, which yield the same results so that you never have to miss a session. For example; if you do not have the time to get to the gym, learn a “back to basics” using little or no equipment to do at home.

10. Don’t believe the hype! If it appears to be too good to be true, it probably is. Real sustainable fitness results last a lifetime. Don’t rush things or fall prey to hype and hyperbole. Use your head, plan and follow through.

Who among us can truly say that they are as lean and toned as they ever want to be? Most people, even the fitness buffs, are in a constant fluctuation between their ideal body and a body that is not quite ideal. So how do we sway this struggle in our favor? Quite often the difference between the body that you have today and the body that you wish you had is made up of simple daily decisions.

Winston Salem Diet and Exercise Tips

#1.Eating small meals every 2-3 waking hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage. Make sure that these are healthy meals containing balanced amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

#2.The easiest way to effortlessly lose weight is to not eat three hours before bed. It has been proven that not eating three hours before bed reduces fat storage throughout the night.

#3. A great way to burn off excess fat is to walk or jog for as little as 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning. Performing a calorie burning activity right when you wake up is more effective since your body is depleted of calories, and is forced to pull energy from fat stores. A personal trainer can help you identify your ideal target heart rate for maximum fat burn.

#4. The average Venti sized Frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Beverages such as this contain high amounts of sugar should be consumed rarely since the extra calories they contain are readily stored as fat.

#5.During your workouts do exercise that incorporate compound movements rather than simple ones. This will not only help in burning more calories, but will also tone more muscle at once! A few good compound movement exercises include: squats, clean and press, dead lifts, bent over rows, and lunges.

#6. Want to effortlessly drop 30 lbs in one year? Millions of people drink an average of 2 regular soft drinks a day, which is a total of 300 calories. When you add these extra 300 calories up over a year, they result in over 30lbs of weight gain! Say no to soft drinks, and say goodbye to your unwanted pounds!

#7. Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat! Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar is just as fattening of a substance than fat itself, when eaten in excess.

#8. Set fitness goals for yourself, write them down and post them where you will see them everyday. Your goal may be to lose 5 pounds, to lose 5 inches off your waist. Make sure that you are very specific with your goals, vague goals will get you nowhere. A qualified personal trainer can help you set your goals and guide you to them.

#9. Pump some iron! Did you know that 1 lb of muscle burns 30-50 calories per day, while 1 lb of fat only burns about 9 calories per day? The more muscle your body contains the more calories you burn each day. Resistance training has been called the fountain of youth – and it really is!

#10. Eat a small meal and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you need more food. This will give your stomach and brain time to communicate. If you have eaten enough food, your brain will alert your body and you will find that you don’t desire anything more. If you are still hungry after this period, eat a small amount more and wait another 20 minutes.

#11. Make a habit of weighting and measuring yourself monthly and tracking your gains and losses. This will prevent gradual weight gain from creeping up when you least expect it.

#12. Drink a large glass of water before every meal. It may seem like a chore, but drinking a large glass of water before eating is a great way to partially fill you up and prevent you from overeating.

#13. When lifting weights, try slowing down the speed at which you lower the weight. Lowering weight in a controlled manner will add strength and tone to your muscles and decrease the chance of an injury.

#14. Eating right when you wake up is vital to breaking the fast your body goes into every night. 2- 3 hours after you eat your body shuts down your metabolism and acts as if it needs to store food. In order to communicate with your body that it is healthy, well fed, and not in need of extra fat storage you need to start your day off with a small meal and continue to eat small meals every 2-3 hours.

#15. Try the straight leg raise for a challenging ab workout. Lie on your back with your hands under your low back, legs straight out in front of you. With your lower back on the floor, exhale as you pull your legs straight up into the air. Inhale as you lower your legs back down to the matt. This exercise helps to strengthen and flatten your lower abs.

#16. Eat complex carbohydrates instead of simple sugars for a leaner body. Your body is in constant need of carbohydrates to be converted into glucose and used as fuel. When your body has extra glucose it will be stored as fat for later use. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, take longer to break down into glucose, and will therefore be less likely to be stored as fat than simple carbohydrates such as table sugar, or fruit sugar.

#17. Make sure that you are exercising in your “Fat Burn Zone” during cardiovascular workouts by checking to see if you can hold conversation without breathlessness. Your body needs oxygen to aide in fat burn, so make sure that you are breathing deeply.

#18. Want to spend 5 seconds a day to encourage weight loss? Drink a glass of cold water every night right before you get into bed. Your body will have to heat this water up to your body’s temperature of 98 degrees, and it will have to burn a few calories in the process! This sets your body up to burn calories as you sleep! When you make this 5 second activity a habit, you will be excited to find yourself losing weight easier than ever before.

#19. Your body needs a variety of nutrients to function at its peak and burn fat. Find new, healthy alternatives to your daily meals, and substitute them frequently. Make sure that you are eating 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, of different colors.

#20. Losing patience with exercise? The key to weight loss and fitness gains is to consistently give your body new challenges. Mix up your workouts every few weeks, and don’t be afraid to try something new! Hire a personal trainer who can help you add new excitement to your fitness program.

#21. Water is needed for every function of your body, including the burning of fat. Try drinking a big glass of water in the morning, before meals, while exercising, and before bed. Drink up – it’s good for you!

Take the time to incorporate these tips into your daily lifestyle, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your results! To gain the most from these tips I suggest that you hire an experienced personal trainer who can guide you all the way to your goals.

Remember that healthy weight loss takes time, so be patient! Make an effort towards your goal everyday and don’t get discouraged! Now go get’em and put these Winston Salem diet and exercise tips to good use!