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I'm sure you've heard the saying, "a calorie is a calorie," and that when weight loss is the goal, you can probably loose weight on a 1,200 calorie/day diet whether it is 1,200 Twinkie calories or apple calories. At this point, you might be thinking, "Cool! I'll go on the Twinkie diet!"   Our bodies are smarter than that though, and I say, thank goodness. I know - I'm no fun at all :-). Last week at the grocery one of my kiddos held up a box of Twinkies and had the audacity to ask me to purchase them. I nearly burst a vessel in my forehead trying to restrain myself from smashing the box with......
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Being that it is summer, and there are vacations, kids home from school, camps, a lot of running around in circles...sometimes a workout is hard to knock out, even when intentions are high. When that happens, I have a 30-minute, total body workout that requires very little equipment, yet will leave you dripping in sweat. Wanna hear it? Here it is... You'll need:  a set of 10 or 12lb wts (lighter if you like), a resistance tube 5-10 minute warm up @ 40-50% max heart rate Set 1: 10-14 Burpees (also called pop squats) 3-way lunges w/ dumbbells: Start with weaker leg leading. Take one lunge forwa......
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Stumbled upon a few deals I'd like to pass along: 20% off planners! For all of you planners out there (you know who you are, planning each workout weeks in advance), get a head start on school year planning at MomAgenda. MomAgenda is offering 20% off small School Year books (use code: schoolyearsmom) Visit MomAgenda.com, offer expires 7.31.2011 *P.S. I LOVE MomAgenda planners. Seriously, love them - totally created by moms, for moms. Enough said. EatingWell magazine has a new book out: EatingWell 500-calorie Dinners for $22.45 (10% off the regular price). While you are planning workouts in you......
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Check out this video if you are unfamiliar with trigger point therapy... TPR Therapy, Ironman competitor Have you ever wished you could afford a personal masseuse? One who could come to your home, preferably daily, to help relieve you of the knots and muscle tightness that inevitably occur from daily workouts and, well, being a mom? In search of a solution to my IT band issues, I tried a chiropractor (not money well spent), stretching, massage therapy (therapist too gentle to release deep tissue), and my O.D. The O.D. provided the most valuable information: without proper biomechanics, the bod......
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The mysterious " fat burning zone " continues to confuse many gym-goers. The theory goes something like this: working out in a "zone" of intensity that is less intense for at least 20 minutes will burn more fat calories than calories from carbohydrate. Is this true? Yes and no, but mostly no. You actually burn more calories from fat right now, sitting still, reading this post, than you do on the treadmill. That is because in the resting state, the body burns a higher percentage of fat calories. As you crank up the exercise intensity, you burn a little less fat per calorie. However, it really c......
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Until about four years ago, I thought Yoga was a waste of time. My Type-A, monkey brain couldn’t handle the slow pace of poses held, well, forever. Then I discovered “power yoga,” and my mind was forever changed, along with my body. Turns out, when you run, and run, and run, the range of motion in your joints becomes limited. Thanks to yoga – specifically, downward facing dog, also known as Adho Mukha Svanasana – I can still run, and run, and run. According to my yoga instructor, Loretta, I have better range of motion than most runners (insert smiley face). Thanks Yoga!

The benefits of Downward facing dog

Provides a good stretch to the upper body, especially the shoulder complex and upper back, as well as the hamstrings and calves. Done correctly, you’ll also notice a nice stretch from your palms to your fingertips, as well as the heel of the foot to the toes.

Experts say this pose improves digestion, helps slow down the central nervous system (thus, reducing stress), and is supposed to help relieve headaches and lower back pain.


The pose

You can begin Downward Dog on your hands and knees, or from a standing position, or following Chaturanga and Cobra poses.

Begin with feet hip-width a apart and place hands on the floor slightly in front of the shoulders.

Exhale, lift your hips, and push your hamstrings away from the floor. Keeping your spine long, lift your tush toward the ceiling, gently nudge your heels toward the floor (it is okay to have a slight bend in the knee if you need to), making sure you can not see your heels (they should be aligned directly under your ankle bone.

Press through the base of your fingers and keep fingers spread out. Keep shoulders wide with shoulder blades down and back (as if you’re pushing them toward your tailbone). Your head should be between your arms.

Experts recommend holding this pose 1-3 minutes, however if done in a sequence (think Power Yoga), you may only hold it for 5-10 seconds.


(Note: if you suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome or have wrist problems, you should not do this pose. Also, if you are pregnant, do not do this pose past your 2nd term. High blood pressure sufferers, consult your physician before beginning a yoga practice. As always, let your instructor know if you have a health conduction.)



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