November, 2010 | Vol 3, Issue 11
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Healthy Habituator
All the Fit News to Email |
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Dear Reader
|  At Healthy Habits, we help people who are frustrated, unsure, bored, or otherwise unsuccessful achieving their exercise and/or weight management goals. We only work by appointment and feature private exercise rooms, so the focus is on you. We listen to you, we help you where you need help, and we hold you accountable for your "homework."
Call us at 684-1607 for a free consultation or trial workout. |
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Healthy PoSSStural Habits
| No, its not a snake or a mistake. The SSS is for Sitting, Standing and Sleeping postures, which can have a profound effect on how we feel and function. Humans are designed to be upright on two feet, with our torsos and heads supported by our spines and hips. We have functioned this way for thousands of years, until now. Now we sit most of the time, and this is causing us problems.
Sitting too much for too long causes a long list of problems: weak glutes, excessively curved spine, shortened abs, tight hip flexors, rounded shoulders, overly arched neck, all of which cause further complications by themselves and in conjunction with each other.
One such complication is that Standing becomes problematical, since it requires the joints to work in the opposite way from Sitting. Feet are less used to weight bearing, the spine is hard to erect, and the hips don't like to extend. So, we have to compensate, causing other complications. If you throw in high heels, then it's really a mess! The center of gravity shifts forward, so the knees may have to continuously bend, and the pelvis tilts forward, causing the low back to arch. So, now you have pain in the knees and low back.
Sleeping would seem to be safe, right? But the same consequences of Sitting too much which make Standing a problem also affect those who Sleep on their backs, causing low back pain. Side Sleepers commonly have their arms and shoulders in front of them, further rounding the back and tightening the chest muscles. Face down Sleepers often have pain from too much arching of the low back and from twisting the neck.
So, what's a body to do?
- be aware of your own postural issues and compensations and try to alleviate them
- get professional help with the above, if needed (preferably a Healthy Habits trainer!)
- Sit as little as possible, change positions and chairs often, get up and move around periodically
- make sure that your desk, computer, etc are set up to promote good posture, not bad
- choose smart shoes based on health not fashion
- eliminate upper body posture habits when Standing that make things worse (crossing your arms, carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder, putting your hands in your pockets)
- try Sleeping with a pillow under your knees when face up, and between your knees when on your side
- use a pillow that keeps your head in line with your spine
It turns out that "the Great Satan" is not America or Iran, but Sitting!
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| News of the Month | |
Star of the Month is KDF, who continues to work out hard even while pregnant with twins. Trainer Gaye has to remind her that she is pregnant and needs to slow down. KDF has successfully lobbied her doctor to allow her to exercise at a higher heart rate than is usually recommended. With her first baby, KDF worked out the day she gave birth.
SH came in drinking a protein shake so that we'd know he ate breakfast. For a change!
JenW's pants fit better. As do RM's and JM's.
MAD fell off her bike and couldn't make her workout - first time I've had that excuse!
NM is getting comments on how good she looks now.
EL learned a valuable lesson when he automatically increased the weight after his wife AL had just lifted it - only to find out that he couldn't lift it and had to go back to the same weight! To make it worse, she noticed it.
SM asked when his dog Patrick (who comes with him) was going to make the newsletter on the same day he (Patrick not SM) pooped in the hall. DONE!
Healthy Habits is now on FaceBook. You are all invited to be friends, and hopefully fans. In fact, it would be a big help if you would. Please click here to sign up.
Our blog page is up and running on the website, or you can also see them on FaceBook.
Quote Corner:
SB: "I am more enthusiastically opposed to working out this morning than usual."
Duly noted - let's get started.
DG: "That's too hard - but I can do it."
And she did. Not so hard after all.
RR text: "Yahoo!"
when I confirmed that I could workout with her. My first Yahoo!
VL: "What a great way to start the day!"
when she worked in the morning on a day off instead of her usual after work time.
Welcome new clients: JM and Rainman.
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Radio Star
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Most sports lovers in Memphis know who the Rainman is. The Rainman has a popular local sports talk radio show on weekday afternoons (2:00 - 3:00 pm on 560 AM), and a syndicated Saturday morning show where he picks winners and losers for that weekends' sporting events. Many people subscribe to his handicapping service to help them make bets on games.
Well, the Rainman has made his biggest bet yet. He is working out with Trainer Mike to lose weight, increase his fitness and improve his deteriorating but still formidable golf game. He committed to such a program on the air, so that his audience can help hold him accountable. In fact, he even announced some of his Fitness Assessment results on the air, which were not too good. So, he's serious! Rainman will do 1 workout a week at Healthy Habits, and once a week Mike will go to his house for a workout. In addition, Rainman has daily treadmill and stretching homework.
In less than 2 weeks, Rainman has lost 5 pounds, eliminated about 10 cokes a day, and is doing 20 minutes daily on the treadmill. So far, so good! You can follow the Rainman's story on Mike's blog, and by listening to the Rainman's show. On Tuesdays, Mike is a guest on the show to report on his progress, take questions, and give tips on fitness and weight loss. Just call him the Trainman. I hope some Healthy Habits clients will call in to share their own success stories.
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Mike Ross-Spang
Healthy Habits
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