Monthly Archives: May 2011
HOOLA HOOP YOUR WAY TO FITNESS!
A truly inspirational story that proves that if a gym doesn’t meet your needs…fitness and healthy living can definitely be mobile!!!
Success Story of the Month
We would love to share with you all a wonderful success story from one of our Alive and Well Personal Training clients. Her name is Irene and she is truly a great example of motivation and perseverance.
We hope you find it just as motivating as we do.
Click Below to Read More:
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Picture Perfect Posture…
Posture is defined as the typical position of the body – the relative arrangement of one body part to another.
Poor posture: forward head posture, increased thoracic kyphosis and excessive lumbar curvatures Why then do you suppose everyone is so mentally conscious of posture, yet fails to demonstrate good alignment physically?
Aches and pains at the end of the day often result from improper use of the musculoskeletal system or from poor posture.
The more you know…
Reactive hypertonus occurs in muscles that should not be activated continuously. Continuously poor posture with a forward head can cause pain to the upper trapezius muscles.
Reactive hypertonus also occurs when muscles that must normally be activated to maintain posture are not challenged in their function.
(Klein-Vogelbach, 1990).
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Proper posture is just as important as eating right, exercising, getting a good night’s sleep and avoiding potentially harmful substances like alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
Good posture: means your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints and ligaments can work as nature intended. Having good posture means your vital organs are in the right position and can function at peak efficiency.
This is obviously something we all want to aspire to…as can affect our overall health. Yet interestingly, many of people out there (and even we as trainers and therapists!!) are examples of poor posture. We walk around with our head forward, increased thoracic kyphosis (or middle back curvature) and either flattened or excessive lumbar curvatures. EEP!
Surprised? Well, you’re not alone. The importance of good posture in an overall fitness program is often overlooked by some (not all…) fitness advisers and fitness seekers out there. In fact, the benefits of good posture may be among the best kept secrets of the current fitness industry!
The good news is that most everyone can avoid the problems caused by bad posture…and you can make improvements at any age.
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As posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health what are the key points to rememeber about good posture?
Better Posture Made Simple
Follow these simple steps to quickly improve your posture.
1) Bring your feet parallel, not turned out, and about hip width apart. Bringing your feet parallel engages the muscles in the front of your thighs and keeps your hips, knees and ankles in proper alignment.
2) Reach up through the top of your head, feeling your spine lengthen, getting tall.
3) Bring your pelvis to a neutral position. To find this neutral position, place your hands around your hips, then tuck your tailbone slightly until your pelvis is directly over your thighs, so there is no bend in your hip joints, and there’s less sway in your low back. As you tuck your tailbone, you should feel your abdominal muscles engage a bit.
4) Draw your shoulders back and relax them down, bringing your hands in line with the seams of your pants.
5) Level your chin, keeping your head directly over the spot between your shoulders, not forward or back.
Here are some easy ways to check your posture at home:
Stand facing a full length mirror and check the following:
1) Your shoulders are level
2) Your head is straight, not tilted to the side
3) The spaces between your arms and your sides seem equal on both sides
4) Your hips are level, not sloped to one side
5) Your ankles are straight and not turned in or out.
You can also have someone look at you from the side and check the following:
1) Your head is stacked over your body, not jutting forward or pulled back
2) Your chin is parallel to the floor, not tilting up or down
3) Shoulders are in line with ears, not drooping forward or pulled back too far
4) Your hands are in line with hips, not forward or back
5) Your knees are straight, not bent or hyper-extended
6) Your lower back is slightly curved forward, not too flat or curved too much, (creating a swayback)
Boost your Breakfast IQ!!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. 
Click Below to test your Breakfast IQ to make sure you’re getting a healthy, happy start to your day.
The Vitamin D Challenge
So what does vitamin D promote? Test your vitamin D “IQ” with the quiz below – you just may learn a juicy fact or two.
How can a trainer help?
We all know the THEORY behind personal trainers and results they deliver (the ones who care anyways). But what is it that makes a trainer good for you and makes you see the results you want?
Why should YOU hire a personal trainer?
Click below to find out more:
