By Ryan Unverzagt Last month we covered the FitBall Crossover Crunch so since you already have the fitball on hand, this month’s exercise is the FitBall Pushup. There are two ways to start. The first way is to lie over top of the ball face down and walk out on your hands to the desired start position. The second way is to place the hands on the floor with one leg on top of the ball, and then bring the other leg up after establishing balance. Figure 1 shows the start position. I have the ball under the shins and my hands are slightly wider than shoulder width. The next step is to perform pushups while maintaining balance and control. Key points of the FitBall pushup include: -Do not let the hips drop toward the floor because this can cause unwanted stress to the low back. -A wide hand placement will provide more stability. Narrow placement will be harder. -Slow and controlled descent and ascent will be more challenging than a faster pace. -Ball placement will also alter difficulty level. Closer to the hips is easier and closer to the feet is harder, especially when the ball is under the toes (weight on the balls of the feet). For an advanced move, you can also roll the ball toward the hands by tucking the knees to the chest and lifting the hips upward. Perform this move in between pushups when your arms are extended. About the Author: Unverzagt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
By Nicole Flanigan Whether you are an exercise pro or a beginner to the gym chances are you have a few questions about your workout. With summer just around the corner everyone is stepping up the workout to get ultimate results. Here are a few tips to keep that workout moving in the right direction. DO: Work out every day: You don’t need to be at the gym seven days in a row, but try for at least five days. To get a good habit started you must be consistent. Doing something every day even if it is just a little is all you need to keep up the motivation. For the best results, don’t overwhelm yourself. You should aim for 30 minutes of cardio every day and strength training twice a week for the first month or two. Once this workout has become a part of your regular routine you are ready to increase your intensity. Set new goals: It’s easy for gym regulars to hit a slump and stop seeing the benefits or having the fun that kept them motivated in the past. Before you start dodging gym dates, find a new challenge: Sign up for a 5K, or plan an active vacation like hiking or kayaking. Keeping your workouts interesting and goal oriented will make it more fun and also give you something to work toward. Breathe better: To improve your performance, focus on your breathing. Next time you are jogging on the treadmill or out on the path try inhaling to a count of three and exhaling to a count of three. Steady your breathing with your pace and you will feel more energized during your workout. Something new: Many advanced exercisers can get stuck in a workout rut. Some exercisers will stick to the same…
By Kim Putens With the change in weather comes adjustments in the way we care for and dress our skin. For men, the changes may actually mean more work. They may actually have to consider caring for their skin before heading out into the bright sun. While, for women, these changes might mean less work – lighter skin care products and less make-up. For women, the result may be a quicker routine. So, what must you do to get ready for summer? For starters, get a really good sunscreen. Consider two different types of sunscreen products. One that is for maximum protection. This would be a typical sunscreen product that you would use when playing sports and going to the pool or beach. Another sunscreen product would be for every day. This would be a light moisturizer with sunscreen. A tinted moisturizer with sunscreen would be a good choice to add a little color, even out skin tone, and provide protection from the sun. Second, take a look at your skin care regimen. Even the driest of skin types need to lighten up on skin care products in the summer. I have dry, like the Sahara desert, skin in the winter, but in the summer my skin is much more moist due to the natural humidity in the air. Be sure to switch up your skin care regimen to products that are more appropriate for the current climate. Many products used during the winter months can be pore clogging in the summer. Even though my skin is dry in the winter, I reach for much lighter moisturizers in the summer. If you have combination skin, consider only using moisturizer at night. Your skin may be naturally moist enough during the day that you may not need one. Try it out,…
by Nicole Flannigan As a personal trainer and mother, I can appreciate being able to have an hour to myself to get in a good workout. This event rarely happens. It seems that by the time I actually have some time to spend on myself there is still a million things to get done. Exercise is always on my list of things to do for the day and I have found that the best way to fit it in is by doing a 15-20 minute workout at least twice a day. Fitting in a workout can be easier if you make it a part of your daily routine. I know this is easier said than done, but it is possible. Make your workout fun for you and for your kids. Try doing a workout video in the living room while your kids play. If they are old enough to move around have fun with them, you get your workout in and the kids get worn out too! When babies are too young to move on their own, it’s the best time to strap them in a stroller and go for a walk. If you are a runner, I highly recommend investing in a jogging stroller – it will make exercising fun and the jogging strollers fold up so you can take them just about everywhere. Exercising increases your metabolism, increases energy and will help you sleep better. You can complete an entire strength training routine in just under 20minutes using only your body weight. The best part about body weight training is that you can do it anywhere! E: The following could be formatted independently from the text so it looks cooler. Total Body Strength Workout Warm-up: jumping jacks, walk in place for 1 minute Squat Jump -Stand with your…
By Genevieve LeFranc As former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright so deftly put it, “There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women.” With Mother’s Day fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to not only thank the women we love, but to also learn from them. Some of the best beauty advice comes from the women in our lives we respect and admire most for their inner and outer beauty. This month I reached out to beautiful women I know. I asked them to share their beauty knowledge and beauty tips, how they work with their different features and skin types, or a philosophy they swear by. These smart, savvy women tell us which products work for them, and the simple, seemingly obvious rules many of them live by. They represent different ages, races, and ethnicities across a wide beauty spectrum. From students and professionals to new moms and grandmothers, let’s join forces, share the girl power, and trade our tricks! Dolores M. – 56 On eye makeup and aging: Wearing eye makeup is getting more difficult as I age and wrinkles appear, especially around my eyes. Those fine little wrinkles are places where eye makeup settles and I end up looking like I’ve done a bad job applying eye shadow! As a result I am at the point where I just use mascara to enhance my eyes—rarely do I use eye shadow. Go-to product: I’ve used Oil of Olay (the original pink stuff) all my life and lately have been using their nighttime firming cream. Kyle A. – 20 Go-to product: My all-time favorite is Maybelline Falsies mascara. This little tube of magic makes my lashes fuller and longer. Who knew I could get million dollar lashes for less than 10 bucks! Favorite…
By Ryan Unverzagt May is the perfect month to initiate an exercise program if you have slacked lately. The weather starts to cooperate better which favors more outdoor activities. Walking, bike riding, hiking, jogging, or even rollerblading are fun things to do this month. I encourage you to get outside but if not, I have a great exercise for your core. This one’s called the FitBall Crossover Crunch. I find it helpful to use a ball that is a size smaller than the one you normally would use. A 65cm ball is my usual size, however, I’m using a 55cm for this exercise because a smaller ball will keep you closer to the ground for stability. You need your opposite hand and foot touching the floor while performing this exercise. If a bigger ball is used, you might not be able to reach the ground and there’s a good chance you’ll fall off! To start, lay on top of the ball with it placed on your mid-to-low back. The ball should curve along the lumbar and lower thoracic vertebrae. Keep your opposite foot and hand in contact with the floor while the other leg is straight and parallel to the ground (figure 1). You should have your other elbow bent with the hand behind your head. Bring your elbow toward the opposite knee (from the straight leg) to “crossover” to the middle. Focus on contracting your abdominals to help bring your shoulder toward the center for a slight rotation (figure 2). During this movement, the ball should not roll. To finish, slowly release tension on the abs to bring your elbow and leg back to the start position. Finish 20 reps with the same side before you switch to the opposite arm/leg combo. Don’t try to alternate sides, this can…
By Kim Putens Spring is finally here – a great time to pair back the layers of our beauty routines, and lighten our load. The big trend this spring is lighter make-up. Forget the heavy pigments and piled on high make-up from winter. This is the time to let your natural skin shine through. The beauty trends for spring that we like look like a resurrection of the 60’s and 70’s – natural, ethereal, dewy and colorful. Barefaced, doe-eyed, and pale colors, reminiscent of Bridget Bardot, are flooding the beauty scene. SKIN – Beautiful skin that looks like it has barely been touched is the trend. This is the time to throw out those heavy, matte foundations and make room for tinted moisturizers. Tinted moisturizers will give your skin a hydrated look with very little effort. And, because they are lighter in weight, your skin won’t look like it’s been fitted with a mask of make-up. It’s also time to let skin shine, but not sparkle. Shining with shimmer and glitter is not the objective. The key to this look is keeping the skin looking hydrated as though it’s glowing from within. It’s best to look for products infused with mica that help to reflect natural light and make the skin glow. Also, a natural looking glow is one that is subtle and applied strategically either on the cheekbones or around the temples. CHEEKS – Get cheeky this spring with a dab of dewiness. Simply add a little gloss or mica enriched moisturizer to the cheeks to make them glow. Do this while keeping the cheek color subtle, but fresh. Look for barely-there colors of light pinks and peach tones. You can also give your cheeks a lift by adding cream bronzer below the cheekbone area. This will automatically turn…
By Ryan Unverzagt Welcome back to another edition of From the Trainer! April is one of my favorites since I celebrate my birthday and I still have a few years to go before I hit the big 5-0! Staying in shape has always been my goal as I get older and it should be a priority for you as well. This month’s exercise is the Single-Leg (SL) Dumb Bell (DB) Squat. It will challenge your balance, posture, and legs. The set up for this one is important because the wrong foot position can cause you problems. Let’s take it from the bottom up. First, you need a place to put your uninvolved (back) foot. I used a 12-inch plyometric box, but a flat bench or an aerobic step works great too. Grab a pair of light DBs to hold at your sides. With the box or bench behind you, take a long stride forward to give yourself space to work. I have my right foot back on top of the box with the left leg supporting all of my body weight. Use your back foot for balance only (figure 1). Lower yourself by bending at the hip and knee until you reach about 90 degrees. If your knee passes over your toes, widen your stance if necessary. You can hop your foot forward if you trust your balance, but I recommend taking your back foot off the bench or box to line it up with the front foot and then take a small step forward to increase your distance. Keep your torso upright with good posture as you control the decent. Once you have reached the bottom (figure 2), push yourself back up by contracting the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps to extend your hip and knee of the front leg….
By Nicole Flanagan As March rolls into April and the nicer weather starts to make a more permanent appearance it is time to give your workout a make-over. Warmer weather means we get to ditch the long pants and jackets and trade them in for shorts and t-shirts. If you are not feeling quite like you are ready, don’t worry, you still have about six weeks to do a quick over-haul on your existing workout. Many times all we need to bust that plateau is a new workout! If you feel like you are still holding onto a few extra pounds from the winter try some of these exercises and amp up the cardio to get the results you need for the spring. The idea of this workout is to use minimal equipment to get maximum, total body results. All you will need are a set of 5-12 lb dumbbells and either a stability ball or workout bench. Sumo Squat with Tricep Extension: Stand with feet more than shoulder width apart, toes turned slightly out with a dumbbell in each hand. To get in the start position, bend elbows 90 degrees and bring them beside your ears so the weights are behind your head, palms should face each other. Maintaining arm position, lower into a wide squat, return to standing position and extend right arm toward the ceiling. Lower the dumbbell to start position. Repeat the squat, this time extending the left arm toward ceiling as you return to standing. Do 12-15reps Single Leg Squat and Bicep Curl: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides, palms facing forward, stand with back to a stability ball with feet hip-width apart. Reach leg behind and place your shin on the stability ball. Lower yourself to the ground for a…
By Nicole Flanagan Spring is in the air and so is the pitter pat of beginning runners of all ages hitting the roads and trails across the country. Similar to the masses of new gym goers in January excited by New Year’s resolutions to become fitter, beginning runners often hit the road at the first sign of warmer weather with similar aspirations. Many new runners head out with good intentions and admirable goals, but often find themselves overwhelmed or unenthused with the progress of their new activity. Why is that? Running is often the first choice of new fitness enthusiasts because of the low start-up costs, the fact that you can do it just about anywhere, and there are no long term dues or fees associated with running. Because of the low cost and ease of access, many new runners aren’t prepared mentally or physically for the new demands they’re about to put on their bodies and well as the time investment needed. All good things come in time and running is definitely one of those “good things.” Here are 10 tips to help ensure success with your new adventure into running. Get Fitted: Pay a visit to your local independent running store. Often these smaller stores have more knowledgeable staff than the big box retails stores. Many provide a gait analysis that reveals your foot strike pattern. Knowing this will help in selecting the best shoe for your foot type. Don’t skimp on your shoes. Be prepared to pay $80 to $100 for a good pair of running shoes. Get Technical: Invest a little in some technical fabric running shorts, tops, and socks. Technical fabric can be made of a variety of fibers including natural and synthetic materials. Avoid 100 percent cotton. It tends to retain sweat causing chaffing,…
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