Fitness
Self-Myofascial Release: The Guidelines
March 10, 2011 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) is a technique that enables fascia to go back to its original state. Not all of us are able to afford the assistance of a masseuse on a regular basis, and that’s where Self-Myofascial Release exercises can come in handy. They only require simple objects such as a foam roller or a tennis ball. Basically, Self-Myofascial Release techniques don’t only improve your flexibility, but they also improve your performance and even help lessen the possibility of injuries.
Here are the guidelines for having an effective SMR session:
1. You have three tools to choose from: a tennis ball, foam roller, or a massage stick. Grab one, then go ahead and use it to apply pressure to areas of the body.
2. Do 10-20 repetitions on each side. Make sure to do so slowly, but surely.
3. If you notice pain in any spot, hold it there for 30-45 seconds until the pain starts to fade away.
4. Proceed to increase the intensity and apply more pressure. Stack legs on the foam roller.
5. From origination to insertion, roll on the entirety of the muscle.
6. Stretch! This will escalate your flexibility.
Fitness
Arriving At the Finish Line of Your Goals
February 23, 2011 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
It isn’t much of a secret: shedding those pounds you just don’t want is certainly not easy work. However, the more persistent you are when it comes to working on your personal fitness, the easier it’ll get over time.
Stories of successes in weight loss vary from person to person – it all depends on how hard you are willing to work to get the results you so desire. In spite of the differences, though, one thing remains as clear as daylight: it all pays off.
As a fitness trainer, I’ve helped and watched many people triumph through the countless ups and struggle through the many downs of bettering their physiques. I understand, beginnings can be difficult, and often times they’re the most difficult part of the process.
Just think, it’s only the beginning. But once you zoom right past that, you’ll be well on your way to that finish line.
Fitness
Fitness for Life: A Lifelong, Positive Decision
October 14, 2010 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
You want to be fit, in shape, and love your body. You see other people at the beach who are fit, in shape, and love their bodies. They make it look so easy and you want that for yourself. But where do you start? And why do you want to be fit? Because you want to impress someone? Because you have a wedding or birthday or high school reunion on the horizon?
Fitness is a lifelong, positive decision. Lasting results don’t come about because you want to look good for an occasion. Don’t you want to look and feel good every day?
Being fit is a skill acquired only after years of daily decisions that reflect the goal. A world-class athlete, like Federer, or even a world-class piano player–any skill-set that is far above the average–takes years of dedicated practice. It’s common to forget when watching Federer about all of the years of practice that went into his ability to make it look easy, just as it is easy to forget when you see some one in really good shape that it took years of behind the scenes work to get where they are.
The piano master didn’t roll out of bed one morning with Mozart memorized in his finger muscles–it took years of dedication, which breaks down into hundreds of daily decisions. The same thing is true for Federer, years of dedication brought him to the place he is at today, which meant every day he made positive decisions with that goal in mind. And the same is true for you, once you are serious about getting in shape, and staying in shape, every day you will face forks in the road.
Do I choose my old eating habits or create new ones? Remember, fitness for life boils down to daily decisions. Do I leave the gym early or stay longer? Do I park close by or force myself to walk? Elevator or stairs? Soda or water? Do I split an over-sized meal at a restaurant or force it all down even though the serving is twice what I would make home?
Start today. Write down your lifelong fitness goal and ask yourself, “What can I do differently today in order to help achieve my goal?” Carry that question around with you when you go to school, or work, or out to lunch, or on a date. Get excited about this journey of new decisions. Your entire world can be transformed, but the choice is yours. There is no fast-track to Mozart or Federer, so don’t buy into a fast-track for fitness. Your health is yours to maintain, and your body is yours to sculpt. But results start in the mind, not the muscle. Control your mind and transform your body. Question your auto-responses–what you automatically eat, what you automatically read, watch on TV, or think about. See yourself as someone on track to becoming fit for life; on track to inspiring transformations in others.
Can you see yourself as fit for life? What are you going to do about it today?
Fitness
Tips for Building and Maintaining Shoulder Strength
March 21, 2010 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
1. Strengthen your shoulder. The shoulder is able to move fluidly thanks to the synchronized correspondence between several muscles, the shoulder blade and the bicep tendon. Strengthening all of the muscles works to stabilize the shoulder, reduce the risk of injury, and increase the longevity of optimal performance.
2. Use proper posture. Bad posture only causes further stress on the shoulder. It doesn’t matter if you are on the court, in the gym, driving to work, or talking on your cell phone, always try to stay mindful of whether or not you are slouching.
3. Stretch out the stress. Stress will cause muscles to become sore and take longer to heal. As discussed a couple weeks ago, stretching is a great way to relieve pain, de-stress, improve posture, and prevent injury.
4. If injured, seek advice from a personal trainer or physician. Your gut may be telling you to strengthen your shoulder after an injury since it feels weak, but exercising too soon can do more damage than good. Bottom line: If you are experiencing any level of chronic pain or discomfort in your shoulder, play it safe and seek a professional!
Fitness
3 More Dietery Do’s for Active People
February 5, 2010 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
1. Do: Spinach. It won’t make your forearm muscles bulge out like Popeye, but it will definitely super charge your body with antioxidants, calcium, potassium, magnesium, folic acid, and vitamins C, E and K. Spinach is low in calories, high in fiber, and makes for a delicious, refreshing salad!
2. Do: Oats. Not only has this cereal grain been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol, but oats also contain a rare antioxidant that helps to prevent free radicals from damaging good (HDL) cholesterol, keeping your heart healthy! To top that off, they’re rich in complex carbs, making oats (from oatmeal, certain breads, granola and energy bars) a perfect food-fuel to start your day!
3. Do: Almonds. New research presented at last year’s annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine confirms that almonds are a smart and tasty addition to any active person’s diet. For four weeks, a group of elite cyclists ate 60 almonds a day prior to meals. When compared to a separate group of cyclists who ate an equal number of calories from cookies, the almond group increased their antioxidant capacity by 43% and improved their time trial distance by 5%!
So, why not try changing up your diet and feel the difference for yourself?
My Suggestion: Start tomorrow with slivered almonds mixed with oats, blueberries and yogurt. And come lunch time, remember: fast food will only slow you down. No one is immune from the harmful effects of saturated fat, salt and soda-not even active people. But at the same time, not one wants to sacrifice taste … and luckily, no one has to! Try topping off a spinach and romaine salad with grilled chicken, strawberries, roasted almonds and a poppy seed dressing…
Fitness
The Pleasures of Exercise!
January 22, 2010 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
|
In my experience, when it comes to exercise, most people fall into two camps. Either they view working out as a source of happiness in and of itself, or they see it as a drag. When people fall into this second camp, they’ve often been inactive for years and wish only to feel happy about their bodies. But if you can’t find joy in becoming an active person, and you keep going on dreading the gym, just how long will your new toned body last? … Cycles of weight gain and weight loss will be sure to follow anyone who has forgotten just how much fun exercising can be! An effective personal trainer should reawaken in their clients the simple joys that come with being active. When we were kids, we didn’t need motivation for exercise, we realized that moving around felt good and was fun! Bad habits, superficial “solutions,” and a culture preoccupied with being perfect have confused and held so many back from reaching their potential. There is fitness for an occasion, a dress size, a number on a scale, and then there is fitness for the rest of your life. Way too much of the fitness industry today focuses on quick-fix gimmicks, leaving consumers with false ideas about what it means to be healthy and happy. But let’s face it, no gadget from an infomercial used ten minutes a day will ever help cut the pounds in a lasting way longterm way. Health for the long-term is certainly a tough sell-as good healthy habits don’t fit nice into a bottle or a box — but it’s the only worthwhile way to go and get fit! |
Fitness
3 Dietery Do’s & Dont’s for Active People
January 15, 2010 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
1. Do: Sweet Potatoes. Believe it or not, sweet potatoes have been ranked one of the most nutritionally balanced vegetables in the world. The complex carbs and B vitamins make them a perfect food for anyone active.
Don’t Buy Into the Latest Diet Craze. No effective workout could ever be fueled with a low carb, high protein diet. When the body is fed an unbalanced diet, everything from organ function to clarity of mind can undergo stress. Forget about hype. Think health.
2. Do: Cottage Cheese. For many, cottage cheese is an acquired taste, but it remains one of the best sources of casein (a slow-digesting protein) in the world.
Don’t Forget to Eat After Exercising. You may be home from the gym and relaxing, but your body is struggling to make muscle repairs. It needs a small, post-workout meal of protein and carbs within two hours, like cottage cheese with fruits, berries and nuts.
3. Do: Apples. Nutrient dense, packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and water, apples are a perfect snack to eat everyday. They may not keep the doctor away if you catch the flu, but they can certainly help keep the pounds off.
Don’t Skip Out On Breakfast. Skipping breakfast will only make the mind less sharp and leave the body craving nutrients. Try to make time for a light, balanced breakfast. And if you never seem to have the time, remember: You can always throw an apple in your bag!
Fitness
Set Your Mind To Fitness!
December 4, 2009 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
Have you ever been concerned that you aren’t getting the results at the gym you desire?
We’ve all been there. Between long hours at work and making time for the family, it can be nearly impossible to find the time it takes to stay fit. And too often when we do find the time, we drag our bodies to the gym while our minds remain elsewhere.
Your legs may be pumping away on the treadmill, but your thoughts are caught up on the past or anticipating the future. The truth of the matter is that if for any reason you can’t set your mind to fitness and focus on the present moment, you might as well not show up to the gym.
Setting your mind to fitness can make the difference between a great workout and a grueling one. Here are some tips to on how to focus and mentally prepare for a workout:
-Go over your goals
-Think about your accomplishments
-Prepare a mix of music
-Remember to have fun
-Talk to people at your gym about your goals
-Discover a personal trainer
The simple truth is that upholding a positive mindset about your personal fitness and health can dramatically increase the effectiveness of your workout. A personal trainer is someone who can help make all your distractions go away for a while; someone who can set your mind to fitness so you can start to see the results you desire.
Fitness
Benefits of Cooling Down
October 30, 2009 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
Recently I was contacted by a client concerned about the fact she kept getting nauseous after working out.
“How soon after a meal do you go to the gym? I asked.
“I always give myself a few hours.”
“And are you drinking enough water?”
“Yeah, I drink a ton of water at the end every workout.”
“Then what happens?”
“I usually rush to the showers so I can get to work on time.”
“And this is after ten to fifteen minutes of cooling down?”
She paused. “I don’t usually make time for that.”
This is all too common. Everyone wants to make the most out of the time they set aside for personal fitness. Giving yourself 10 to 15 minutes to jog, walk, stretch and relax after your workout allows your heart and respiration rates to decrease gradually, limiting stress on body systems. When you stop a workout suddenly, all the blood flowing through your muscles remain in the muscles, especially in the legs, causing stiffness, soreness, and cramping. On top of that, a sharp reduction in blood pressure can cause dizziness, fainting, and … nausea.
For top athletes who already have a low heart rate, the risks of blood pressure reduction are increased even more. The same goes for anyone with heart disease, or those prone to high blood pressure and narrow blood vessels.
A good rule of thumb is to allocate a minimum of 10 minutes to cool down after your workout to allow your body to return to its normal state and avoid injury or health issues!
Fitness
Top Priority Footwork
October 23, 2009 by Ryan Krane · Leave a Comment
If you want to get the most out of your training, all those hours perfecting your forehand, practicing overheads, volleys and backhands, your success depends on your agility. What good is a textbook shot if you’re too slow to give yourself enough time to setup? Or if your balance is off? Or if you have trouble running down those drop shots and lobs?
Never miss another chance to run down those tough shots!
With training programs tailored to improve agility, clients agree: “I’m getting to balls I never got to before!”
Agility brings all of your other skills into focus on the court, making footwork a top priority for players of all levels. It is the glue that binds every other aspect of your game. Tennis is all about explosive bursts of energy and a mutual ability to slow down, keep steady, focused, balanced, and calm.
As soon as the ball is in play, be prepared to:
-Spring into action with a quick first step.
-Judge the direction of the ball
-Slow down, swing, follow through
-Change direction, spring into action again
All while maintaining balance and control!!!
Developing and maintaining optimum agility takes constant attention, and is often the most neglected area of a player’s game. If you are still struggling to rise to the next level of competition, chances are you need to prioritize footwork into your training schedule.
Empower your game! Move like you’ve never moved before!
A heightened capacity to compete is built on a player’s footwork-the foundation of their game. Don’t neglect your game’s foundation! A personal trainer can be there to chart the progress of your footwork, motivate you to reach new heights of energy, and instill a sense of self-confidence that lasts!
