Relieving pain!
March 24th, 2010The knee is probably the most common site of injury in athletes or anyone following a rigorous exercise program.
An active person may experience pain (ie: knee pain or sciatica) when soft tissues of the body become restricted due to overuse, trauma, or inactivity.
Last year, I tweaked my knee in a soccer game and ended up with Tendonitis. After having an MRI that came back clean, the doctor have me anti-inflammatories and told me to stay off it. Well, if you know me, then you know that is an impossible solution. So I pulled out my foam roller and within a few months, I was back to playing soccer. So why a foam roller? To understand that, you’ve got to understand what Fascia is:
Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue that provides support and protection for most structures within the human body, including muscle. This specialized system looks much like a spider web. It is densely woven and it covers and interpenetrates every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein, as well as, all of our internal organs including the heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord. This uninterrupted web of tissue connects every body part together like the yarn in a sweater.
In the normal healthy state, the fascia is relaxed and wavy in configuration and is easily able to stretch and move. When one experiences trauma or inflammation the fascia becomes tight, restricted, and is a source of tension to the rest of the body, often resulting in pain or limited range of motion. An extremely high percentage of people suffering with pain and/or lack of motion may be having fascial problems, and this often goes undiagnosed.
So how do we treat this?
Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy that relaxes contracted muscles, increases circulation, and stimulates the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.
So how do you get this therapy?
Foam rolling is an extremely effective form of soft tissue therapy. Not to mention it’s quick, cheap and easy! I have many clients who have been able to totally eliminate knee pain, Sciatica and other pains from a combination of foam rolling and stretching.
When purchasing a foam roller, make sure it’s hard. Many foam rollers are a soft and spongy, however I recommend one that doesn’t have any “give.” To start, you should use the foam roller before AND after exercising. And don’t forget to stretch after exercise!
If you are looking to purchase a foam roller, you can do so through Santa Monica Sweat for $30.
Email info@santamonicasweat.com if you’d like to purchase one.
Now watch this video for directions on how to use the roller.
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Healthy Chinese food at home
March 23rd, 2010Cooking and eating at home is so important when it comes to weight loss…or just being healthy for that matter. It’s definitely possible to eat healthy and count/eye calories when eating out, but it depends on what your eating.
My rule of thumb is: “When in doubt, don’t eat out.”
Ok, I’m so cheezy…but it’s no lie. If you’re not sure what ingredients are being used to cook your food, or you’re unsure how many calories/fat is in that meal…then DON’T eat it!
Chinese take-out or something from your local Mexican Restaurant is likely FULL of calories, fat AND salt!
So I decided to prove to you that making Chinese “take-out” at home actually tastes better than the real “take-out.”
Watch this video:
Leave A Comment »The 2003 me, and the 2009 me!
March 10th, 2010People often think that personal trainers or fitness instructors have it easier than everyone else. After all, it is our job to be fit.
But the truth is, getting fit and/or losing weight requires hard work and dedication no matter who you are.
I’ve been an athlete my entire life, but I’ve always struggled with weight and using food as a way to cope with the struggles of life.
I’m 5’2” and a year after I graduated from college I weighed almost 180 lbs. This was an all time high for me. And I remember having a single moment that I realized, damn, I’ve better figure this out or it’s only going to get worse. I knew I had to change something (or many things) in my life if I was going to change my body. The year I spent at 180 lbs was super depressing, and I vowed that I would never allow myself to feel that way again…or look this way again:
Laura 2003
Laura 2003
For me, I knew the solution was getting a handle on food. I’m the type of person who can workout for hours every day, but when it came to food, I had no control. No control of my portions, and no control of my sudden urges to eat an entire bag of chips! For the most part (minus those Doritos here and there), I have always been a somewhat healthy eater. I’ve never craved fast food or fried chicken, but I could eat a giant
salad with too much cheese and too much dressing. Or I could eat a healthy dinner of grilled chicken brown rice and broccoli, but I’d eat too much chicken and too much rice. And on top of that, I could always justify having “just one” of anything. Just one brownie, and just one Hershey kiss, and just one chip, and just one beer, and just one coke. But all those “just ones” added up to a lot of calories!
The bottom line was, I needed to get control of my food issues, and fast, if I was ever going to feel good about myself again. I had to figure out what were the forces that were causing me to over eat. And while I tackled that, I created a plan for myself. From then on, I didn’t put myself in situations that would derail my plan. I never let myself get so hungry that I just ate whatever was in sight. And I wouldn’t let myself ruin what I had worked so hard to achieve. I figured out that being in control of what I put in my mouth feels good!
It took time and hard work, along with many successes and failures, to get to where I am now.
Laura 2009
And today, I work hard every day to keep myself on track. I still have a very emotional relationship with food, but I now know that I am in control of myself, and that feels really good! So my advice to those who struggle with weight loss:
Take1 day at a time. Don’t think about being a certain weight or size. Think to yourself, “I’m going to be in control today. I’m not going to let myself get the better of me.”
Workout. No matter how much you weigh or what size bottoms you wear, a workout will only make you feel better about yourself.
Be prepared. You know you’ve got to eat, so be ready and set yourself up for success. Have pre-cut & washed veggies on hand. Grill an extra chicken breast so you can have it ready for lunch the following day. Don’t keep foods in your house that aren’t going to get you to your goal! Don’t put yourself in situations that will tempt you to de-rail!
Be the person you want to be and work hard for it! Nobody said life was going to be easy!
Leave A Comment »Q&A: The Abdominals
March 3rd, 2010A common misconception is that you can work a specific muscle group in order to decrease the amount of fat in that area. This is referred to as Spot Reduction or Spot Training.
This idea often comes into play when referring to working the abdominals. The reality is, doing a ton of abdominal exercises isn’t going to get you to washboard abs. Why? Well to simplify it, fat does not belong to the muscle it surrounds. Meaning, you can’t work a specific muscle in order to burn the fat that surrounds that muscle. You’ve just got to burn calories and build lean mass (cardio/calorie burning + strength training). And to lose fat, you’ve got to burn more calories than you consume. You might have the strongest abs in the world, but if you’ve got a layer of body fat surrounding those strong muscles, nobody’s ever going to see them!
And remember, your body will decide where it wants to lose the fat first. It’s a matter of genetics. If you’re trying to lose belly fat, you may find your legs getting smaller first. Don’t fret! You can’t control that, so just stick with it and you’re body will eventually get there!
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