Stretch of the Week: Downward Dog
October is my favorite month. I might be biased because it’s my birthday month;) But all the leaves changing beautiful colors and fall festivities really lifts my heart! We have to be mindful though as the colder months approach because we end up being inside many more hours. This means that if you sit for your job, you may end up sitting even more when you get home! So this month will be all stretches you can do with a chair while you’re at work (or wherever you like). We have to take a break every now and then to stretch those muscles that are in a fixed position for hours. This month we will focus on the muscles that get shortened while we sit, mainly the hamstrings and the pectoral(chest) muscles. We will also target the muscles through the side body to counteract the slouching and poor posture that happens from sitting too long. Let’s get started!
Stretch of the Week: Self Massage for the Lats
Happy Fall and welcome to the final week of September! This week I am providing a self massage technique for the lats.
You will need a foam roller for this stretch. You can purchase one for relatively cheap on Amazon! You have to be able to lay on the floor for this one as well, so the only contraindication would be if you are unable to get down and up from the floor. You could always try to use a wall instead.
Stretch of the Week: Lateral Lat Stretch
This weeks lat stretch is called a lateral Lat stretch. Say that three times fast! It also involves a quadriceps stretch if you like 🙂
Contraindications for this stretch are if you have knee problems please just sit in a chair. You will need a yoga block if you would like the quad stretch added.
Sleeping positions: The good, the bad and the ugly
Do you sleep in different positions on a nightly basis? Chances are the answer is yes—and that’s common. There isn’t any one sleeping position that works for everyone. Some people prefer to sleep on their side, others on their back. Your usual sleep position — along with other factors, including your weight— can strain your back and contribute to development of back pain. Sleeping positions also affect existing back pain, either by letting you sleep comfortably or by making you wake up sore and achy. Similarly, back pain is more likely to keep you awake when your sleeping position provides no relief.
Stretch of the Week: Self Massage Technique for the Forearm
Summer is coming to an end as we approach the last week of August. I’m a fall person myself but I will miss these hot days where my body is warm, making stretching a little more enjoyable! Did you know warming up the body makes you a little more flexible? I always do my stretching after some kind of exercise, even if it’s just taking a walk around the block! I highly recommend it, so this week I will be giving you a self massage technique that will help warm up those forearm muscles before you stretch:)
Knee Stability in Golfers
The knee can be a very simple or complex structure, especially in terms of the golf swing. The knee joint is simply the femur (thigh bone) connecting to the tibia (shin bone). The knee is constructed to simply flex/bend and extend/straighten. Or is this joint really that simple?
Stretch of the Week: Forearm Twist
It’s the third week of August, how are your wrists and forearms feeling!? Looser I hope! This week we will be doing a forearm twist. We have two bones in our forearms, the ulna and the radius, that help us to make that twisting, or supination/pronation, of the forearm. In between these bones are little muscles and when they are tight it’s difficult to make those movements with the arm. This stretch will assist in helping to loosen these muscles as well as the muscles connected to the radius.
Tips to Triathlon
Triathlons take more time to train for with needing to work on three different disciplines in the sport. It may seem overwhelming and like you don’t have enough time. It can be mind boggling thinking about how to actually fit it all in your weekly schedule. Planning ahead and setting goals are key, but also incorporating a few training techniques into your weekly workouts will help enhance your workout and help you feel ready for race day.
