Growing up as a kid I remember my mom always telling me to “sit up straight” and “don’t slouch”; however,  until I began to learn about how important proper posture is in living a pain-free, injury-free, and more comfortable life, I never really paid much attention to my posture.   Now that I have seen severe cases of rounded shoulders, thoracic kyphosis (hunch back), and forward head poke; I understand how crucial postural awareness is in preventing recurring neck and upper back pain often leading to headaches and stiffness.  Good posture also aids in good breathing, digestion, and circulation and is very important for health and well-being; it plays into the saying “if you look good you feel good”.  If you have a desk job, or sit in the same position for long hours at a time you could potentially be suffering from recurring aching in the muscles of the neck and upper back.  In people with poor posture, it is common muscle imbalances are present, for example a significant weakness in the muscles of the upper/mid back and tightness in the muscles of the chest cause the appearance of forward rounded shoulders.  If you feel like you need to give your posture a check, read on for more information on how to do so & some exercises to fix it, if necessary. 

CHECK YOUR OWN POSTURE:

*Have someone take a picture of you from the side in your natural standing posture.  If you see any of these signs in your own posture, your posture might need some attention.

Signs of Poor Posture:

• Head slumping forward and chin not parallel to the ground
• Chest sunken in and signs of a “hunch-back” type of curvature beginning the upper/mid back
• Shoulders rounded forward and ear not in line with middle of shoulder

Recommended Exercises:

*Perform these exercises at least once daily in combination with neck, chest, and back stretches.

PRONE THUMB RAISE

This exercise strengthens your back to encourage a more upright standing/sitting position.  Begin by lying on your stomach on the floor with arms straight and in a “Y” position.  Rotate your arms outwards, make a fist, and point your thumbs to the ceiling.  Before lifting your straight arms up off the ground, pull your shoulders back and down as if you are squeezing a pencil between them.  Move arms up and down for 15 repetitions, remembering to pull your shoulders down before raising the arms in each rep.

DUMBBELL EXTERNAL ROTATION

This exercise is to strengthen the rotator cuff, which is a neglected and very weak muscle in the majority of people.  Begin by lying on your right side with the left arm bent at 90 degrees and elbow resting on your left hip.  With a light dumbbell in your hand (2-5lbs), lift forearm up by rotating shoulder up and down.  Ensure elbow remains in a fixed position throughout the exercise and repeat for 12 to 15 reps on each side.

STANDING WALL ANGELS

This exercises targets the muscles between your shoulder blades and helps improve shoulder range of motion and upper body posture.  Begin by standing with your back against a wall and your feet approximately 12 inches from the base with legs straight.  Lean against the wall, so that your back and head are pressed against it, and raise arms to your sides at 90 degree angles.  Ensure that your shoulders, elbows, and backs of your hands are pressed against the wall.  Pull shoulders back and down, press your arms against the wall, and slide the backs of your hands as far up the wall as you can manage before you experience pain or your shoulders are no longer pulled down.  Slide your hands back down to starting position and repeat 10 times.  You will feel a stretch across the chest and the muscles between the shoulder blades being activated.

TIPS FOR IMPROVING POSTURE:

• Walk/sit with good posture.  Keep your chin parallel to the ground and tucked in to chest, shoulders back and down (squeeze the pencil), and chest up
• Do not sit still in the same position for an extended period of time, get up for 5 minutes to stretch or move around for every 1 to 2 hours of sitting.
• Exercise regularly and don’t forget to STRETCH!  Exercise keeps muscles strong to provide proper postural support and stretching prevents unnecessary muscle tension and stiffness.

Email Michelle@core-condition.com for videos of the above exercises or more information about improving posture.

Michelle Roots BA Kin, CSCS, PES

A piece of equipment known for supporting a revolution in body weight training and a very popular “craze” in the fitness industry right now is the TRX Suspension Trainer.  Many professional athletes, MMA fighters, and celebrities have been known to train with the TRX making this piece of equipment a staple in many top personal trainers’ “bag of tricks” in order to continue to challenge clients and prevent boredom in their workouts.

What is it?

The TRX suspension trainer is a piece of equipment that can be used for simple and ultimately challenging exercises and workouts.  It was originally created by a Navy Seal who was tired of not having any exercise equipment or space to perform exercises for his whole body while on duty; therefore, it was designed to take up very little space and be versatile enough that it can be used for training indoor, outdoor, and virtually anywhere.  This is apparent through the name of the company that created it “Fitness Anywhere” (www.FitnessAnywhere.com). 

The suspension trainer itself can be packed into a small mesh bag for easy portability and convenience and is a comprised of two 6 to 7 foot heavy duty nylon straps with soft foam handles at the end of each strap.  The straps are adjustable in length to accommodate any size individual and different positions required for the multitude of exercises that can be performed with the TRX.  It can be attached very easily around anything strong enough to withstand the user’s body weight and is also available with a door hanger, again to be hooked into a door way strong enough to hold the users body weight. 

 Benefits of training with the TRX:

• Although many exercises with the TRX require a great deal of core and overall functional strength, most exercises can be adapted for the beginner, elderly, or the extremely overweight individual.
• It takes up very little space, is easily portable, and is considerably affordable.
• Exercise with the TRX can be performed indoors or outdoors.  Whether you are in a gym, home gym, garage, hotel room, a full body workout can be done ANYWHERE!  It can even be hooked around a sturdy tree to take your workout to the park on a sunny day.
• TRX training can be added into any workout in conjunction with free weights, body weight exercises, and weight machines.
• The TRX can be used for upper body, lower body, and core strength exercises, balance training, flexibility training, or plyometric training to name a few, but the possibilities are endless depending on your degree of creativity with the device.

Check out this video of me demonstrating some of the MANY exercises that can be performed with the TRX:

I have been training with the TRX and using it with clients for approximately 3 years now and I highly recommend it to anyone looking add variety to their workout.  I have used it with a wide array of clientele including professional, college, and high school level athletes, as well as weekend warriors, those new to working out, and even in a rehabilitation setting.  The results and feedback from all clients have been similar-“2 thumbs up!”

Due to the small learning curve in TRX exercises, it is very important to start slow, get lot’s of practice, watch the introductory DVD that comes with the purchase of most TRX’s, and possibly book a session with a TRX certified trainer in your area to ensure you are performing all exercises properly to reap the benefits and avoid risk of injury. 

Email Michelle@CORE-Condition.com for more information on TRX training and other recommended fitness products.

Michelle Roots BA KIN, CSCS, PES

www.CORE-Condition.com

Watch this amazing motivational video!! This is a great display of physical fitness and strength, but more importantly MENTAL STRENGTH!

Remember in whatever you do or strive to do…..”never, never, never give up!”-Winston Churchill

Enjoy and share,
Michelle

Here are some advanced exercises to perform with the stability ball if you are looking for ways to mix up your workouts or challenge your core strength and stability.

Turn on your speakers and enjoy

Watch this video of the girls training their hearts out to prepare for the upcoming season. 

Nice work girls!!! It will all pay off soon enough

Michelle

Turn up your speakers!!!

Check out a highlight video from Kwantlen men’s and women’s basketball pre-season on-court conditioning. 

They worked very hard and it’s all going to pay off this season.

GOOD LUCK EAGLES!!!!

Try adding skullcrushers to your next work out to increase strength in your triceps and shoulder stability!! Challenge your core and lower body isometric strength by performing the exercise on a stability ball. 

If you’re not comfortable with the stability ball, begin by performing skullcrushers on a bench first.

Check out the kind of things yo can do with a little “CORE Conditioning”

Michelle

Michelle took part in the NCCP Club Coach Olympic Weightlifting Technical Course this past weekend in Vancouver, BC.  Two, eight hour days of learning and perfecting proper technique in Olympic weightlifting exercises such as the clean and jerk, the power clean, the snatch, and the back squat, for example. 

Check out these videos of Michelle in the last day of the course performing a clean and jerk with 37 kilos and 40 kilos as part of a mock Olympic weightlifting competition.

Check back soon for videos of exercises and more!!