It’s almost here!  Don’t wait any longer.  Sign up today, HURRY!!!!

The MissFIT Team has planned a fantastic hour of fitness.  No, not wine and cheese this time.  Get ready to try something that gets you moving, is out of your box, and will stretch your mind and muscles.

Class will include three 20 minute workouts. 

1.   To start we will kick it into high gear with a heart pumping Boot Camp workout.  Shannon will lead us though a series of  invigorating and new ways to get strong and fit.  It will be awesome and you will not even realize you are exercising because  it’s so much fun.

2.  Debi has planned an strength and conditioning Outdoor Interval workout that will leave you strong and pumped!  You know you’ve been wanting to get ready to show off your arms and legs this summer.  Why not let Debi get you ready?

3.  Lastly, Katie will show you how her Active Outdoor Yoga can be relaxing and calming following a fabulous workout.  She will keep you flowing thru the poses and prepare your amazing body for your next challenge.

To reward you for your putting forth  your best effort, we will have some MissFIT Morsels to help you refuel your beautiful body.  So what are you waiting for.  The class is open to all so bring a friend, daughter, neighbor, even your husband or significant other! 

Here are the details:

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Rain date: June 13, 2012

Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Libertyville, IL

6:00-7:00pm  Arrive as early as 5:30 to check in.

Cost: $30

Call MissFIT today at 847-775-0076 or email us at info@missfitcomplete.com to register.

If this class is just what you have been looking for then wait no longer. 

Introducing the MissFIT Fresh Air Fitness 6 week Class

Fresh Air Fitness Outdoor Intervals

Wednesdays at 6:16-7:15pm at Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Libertyville

Meeting Dates are: 6/13, 6/20, 6/27, 7/11, 7/18, 7/25  (no class on 7/4)

Cost: $90

You have probably heard your Mom’s voice in your ear “Sit up Straight”.  You may not have listened to everything she told you, but that is one you should have.  In today’s world, it’s not as easy as it sounds.  Especially with the amount of time some of you spend sitting at a desk working on your computer.  Just like I am as I write this post.

Many people have desk set ups that aren’t conducive to good posture, because of that, a few things start to happen when they get tired. Their head drops forward as they stare at the screen, the upper part of their back hunches over and their shoulders move forward because they’re continually reaching their arms up and out. 

Prevent Long-Term Damage

Poor posture at work can lead to exaggerated lordosis (curvature of the lower back) or kyphosis (also known as “hunchback”).  Eventually our bodies become accustomed to those deficiencies, and we’ll adopt that incorrect posture even after we leave our desk.  With exaggerated kyphosis (curvature in our upper spine) our muscles between our shoulder blades will become longer and weaker to their counterparts, the chest muscles. This causes an imbalance causing the scapulae to be pulled forward (protracted), adding to the “hunchback” posture and issues that go with it.

If you don’t change those deficiencies, it will most likely get worse or increase their chance of injury.

When you aren’t moving efficiently, it makes your activities of daily living more difficult and inhibits movement when you’re working out.  If your weight is distributed evenly and your spine is neutral, you’ll feel more in control of your body and be able to move more freely.

Solve It with Movement

Correcting postural deviations caused by your desk-bound enviornment should be the first obstacle you tackle in a training regimen. Get started with these 4 movements:

Prisoner Rotations – Start in a kneeling position and interlock hands behind the head without pulling head forward. Engage core muscles to stabilize lumbar spine. Exhale and rotate arms to the right until a point of resistance is reached (no bouncing or rotating the hips). Hold for 15 seconds and then laterally flex the trunk, pointing the right elbow toward the floor. Hold for 5 seconds, and then return to upright position. Laterally flex in the opposite direction before returning to upright position and allowing the trunk to rotate further into the movement. Perform 2-4 repetitions on each side to promote thoracic spine mobility in the transverse plane.

Bird Dog – Start in a hands and knees position on a mat, with knees underneath hips and the crease of wrists underneath shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Engage core, keep spine in a neutral position and avoid sagging hips. Lengthen left leg, engage quadricep, and lift your left leg off the floor until parallel with the mat. Do not lift above hip height. Slowly raise and straighten right arm so that it’s parallel with the floor and head is aligned with spine. Do not allow shoulders to tilt upward. Shoulders and hips should stay square or parallel to the mat throughout exercise. Hold for no more than 7 seconds, then slowly lower back to starting position.

Table-Top Kneeling Lat Stretch – Kneel facing a low table, couch or chair, bending forward to place both extended arms on the object (rest forearms). Engage core to stabilize spine and prevent lordosis. Start with arms internally rotated, thumbs pointing inward. Exhale and gently collapse trunk and head toward the floor, maintaining a neutral spine while externally rotating the arms. Hold for 15 seconds, and then perform a series of slow anterior and posterior pelvic tilts. Relax and repeat 2-4 times.

Shoulder Packing– Start lying on the back with knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on floor, aligning the anterior superior iliac spine with knee and second toe. Position arms at sides of trunk with palms facing upward. Engage core to stabilize lumbar spine. Exhale and perform 2-4 repetitions of scapular depression and scapular retraction, holding each for 5-10 seconds. Using passive assistance from the opposite arm, gently push down on the shoulder without losing lumbar stability. Hold for 15-60 seconds. Relax and repeat 2-4 times on each shoulder.

Get started today to erase the negative effects of sitting at your desk or computer all day.  Even if  your job does not involve this work hazard, these are easy exercises to do every day.  We all spend too much time working with our hands and arms reaching in front of us, so we are all at risk. 

Just say to yourself “Stand up Straight”!

Be Fit!

Peggy

Hamstring Curl: Stand with the front of your thighs against a surface (a table or wall). Flex one knee up as far as is comfortable. Hold for 5 – 10 seconds, then lower slowly. If possible, do not touch the floor between repetitions. (Ankle weights will increase the intensity.) Do 1-3 sets with 12-15 repetitions each. Remember to rest in between sets.

Bent-Leg Raises: Sitting in a chair, straighten one leg in the air (without locking the knee). Hold for about one minute. Bend your knee to lower the leg about halfway to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to starting position. Work up to 4 reps on each leg.

Straight-Leg Raises:  Sit with your back against a wall, left leg straight and right leg bent with your foot flat on the floor. Slowly raise your left leg straight up about 12 inches off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Calf Raises:  Using a chair or wall for balance, stand with your feet about hip width apart, toes straight ahead. Slowly lift your heels off the floor, rising up onto your toes. Hold, then slowly lower.

Hip Adductors (Inner Thigh) strengthening Inner Leg Lift :  Lie on floor on your right side, shoulder and hips aligned. Use your right hand to prop up your head. Place your left hand on floor in front of you to help balance yourself. Bend left leg and bring it to the floor in front of you. Slowly raise your right leg about 10 inches off the floor then, hold for a second, then slowly lower leg to ground. Do 10 reps. Repeat on other side.

Stationary Bike: Biking is a good way to increase strength and range of motion. Make sure you have the right positioning of the legs. At the bottom of the pedal stroke, the bend in the knee should be 15 degrees. Start with 10 minutes and slowly increase your time.

Last Tuesday’s Blog Post talked about Runner’s Knee or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.  I gave you some reasons that your knees might get achy after you start running.  Have you had a chance to diagnose your problem?  That is next to impossible, unless you are doctor, therapist or a  trainer.  You probably haven’t had time to go to the doctor, so here are some exercise that will strengthen your knee in a safe and simple manner.  If the pain persists, make that appointment to see your doctor.

Before doing any exercises, you want to warm your muscles up.  Some low impact exercises to do without any equipment are: fast walking, climbing stairs, skipping, high knees and jumping jacks.  Once you have gotten warmed up, try these stretches.

Standing hamstring stretch: Place the heel of your injured leg on a stool about 15 inches high. Keep your knee straight. Lean forward, bending at the hips until you feel a mild stretch in the back of your thigh. Make sure you do not roll your shoulders and bend at the waist when doing this or you will stretch your lower back instead of your leg. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Quadriceps stretch: Stand an arm’s length away from the wall with your injured leg farthest from the wall. Facing straight ahead, brace yourself by keeping one hand against the wall. With your other hand, grasp the ankle of your injured leg and pull your heel toward your buttocks. Don’t arch or twist your back. Keep your knees together. Hold this stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.

These are just some simple exercises to help start strengthening the knees.  Remember you should be pain free before you do any of these exercises.  So make sure you have rested your knees for a couple of days. 

Stay tuned to Tuesday’s Fitness Blogs for more knee exercises!

Be Fit!

Peggy

If our blog posts have been working these last 2 months, then you have started to become more active.  And we have done a good job motivating, educating and inspiring you to take care of your body the best way you can.  Huh, but all this new activity is causing more aches and pains, you may say.  So why are you doing this if it hurts?  Well, your body is wondering the same thing!!!
Have you ever heard the quote : ” It’s going to get worse before it get’s better”?  Well, this is not always true, but when starting a new exercise routine, it can happen.  Your muscles ache in ways you never dreamed of, right?  You feel like the Tin Man every time you get up from a chair, right?  Your joints are screaming for oil.  Well what do you expect after months of inactivity???

 
After reading this post, maybe you will learn that you are not alone.  Even some highly trained athletes occasionally get achy joints.  One of the most common overuse injuries affect the knee joint,  and patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), or simply “runner’s knee,” is the most common overuse injury among runners.   It occurs when a mistracking kneecap (patella) irritates the femoral groove in which it rests on the thighbone (femur).
 

Causes
Pinpointing a single cause is difficult. There could be structural issues that are going on that cause the issue.

• the patella may be larger on the outside than it is on the inside
•  it may sit too high in the femoral groove
•  it may dislocate easily
•  worn cartilage in the knee joint reduces shock absorption
•  high-arched feet provide less cushioning
•  flat feet or knees that turn in or out excessively can pull the patella sideways

 
Or there could be muscular issues that are causing the problem.

•  Tight hamstring and calf muscles put pressure on the knee
• and weak quadriceps muscles can cause the patella to track out of alignment

 
It strikes mostly younger, recreational runners and twice as many women as men, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine. (Women tend to have wider hips, resulting in a greater angling of the thighbone to the knee, which puts the kneecap under more stress.)

Symptoms
How do you know if you have Runner’s Knee?  Symptoms include:

•  tenderness behind or around the patella, usually toward its center
• you may feel pain toward the back of the knee, a sense of cracking or that the knee’s giving out
•  steps, hills, and uneven terrain can aggravate PFPS

Prevention
To prevent PFPS,

•  run on softer surfaces
•  keep mileage increases less than 10 percent per week
•  and gradually increase hill work in your program
• Visit a specialty running shop, like Kiddles in Lake Forest www.kiddlessports.com , to make sure you’re wearing the proper shoes for your foot type and gait
• strengthening your quadriceps will improve patellar tracking
• and stretching your hamstrings and calves will prevent overpronation

Treatment

• at the first sign of pain, cut back your mileage
•  the sooner you lessen the knee’s workload, the faster healing begins
•  avoid knee-bending activities, canted surfaces, and downward stairs and slopes until the pain subsides
•  as you rebuild mileage, use a smaller stride on hills
• Consider orthotics if new shoes don’t fix the problem.

If your feet have good form, your knees will follow.  See a doctor if the pain persists, to rule out another condition.  Check back next Tuesday for some great exercises to stretch and strengthen your knees.  And you too could complete the Boston Marathon and be just like Danielle!

Happy running!
Peggy