One of the more nagging injuries that has a higher likelihood of occurring during the spring and summer is "Tennis Elbow" (or lateral epicondylitis).  Contrary to its nickname "tennis elbow" does not always occur from playing tennis.  As the weather gets nicer we tend to do more outdoor activities, and we tend to jump right in without taking into consideration the inactive winter months.   Tennis elbow can come about by performing any number of repetitive gripping, grasping, squeezing or lifting tasks.  Some of the most common causes are having a new racquet grip or change in racquet string tension.  An increase in activity level such as squeezing gardening shears, playing more tennis or other sports that require frequent gripping of equipment can cause these symptoms as well.   Incorrect posture and arm/hand placement while typing can produce a repetitive strain.  

It may be surprising to learn that weakness and or tightness in the shoulder, neck, upper back, core and/or hips can be a leading cause of tennis elbow.   For example, if your shoulder isn't strong enough, your elbow/forearm musculature will be overworked in order to complete your tennis stroke or other task.  This is a frequent cause of "tennis elbow".

Some days we'd all rather spend the day planted on the couch than anywhere else.

It's easier to choose take-out over home cooked.

• You are habitually inactive.
• You'd rather be a passive observer than an active participant.
• You're a master excuse-maker.
• You find shortcuts in order to avoid the long haul.

If that's you, don't get down on yourself. There are many legitimate causes of laziness. Here are just a few...

1. Sleep Deprivation: When you're short on sleep it's easy to become unmotivated, which quickly turns into laziness. Get a minimum of eight hours of sleep each night in order to maintain enough energy to get you through the day. Some experts even say that ten hours of sleep each night is what you need to function at your best.
2. Caffeine Abuse: Starting your day with a jolt of java may help with your initial alertness, but the dip in energy that takes place a few hours later could be the reason that you become lazy later in the day. Avoid the rush and crash of caffeine and instead rely on your steady supply of natural energy.
3. Bad Habit: At some point being lazy simply becomes a habit. If every night after work you head straight to the couch, it soon becomes automatic and not a conscious decision. Breaking the habit of laziness is actually quite easy. Simply take yourself off of autopilot and make the conscious decision to do something productive instead - like heading to the gym rather than the couch.
4. Inactivity: If your job keeps you in a chair for hours at a time, and you don't exercise when off the clock, then your body is just accustomed to inactivity. It's time to wake up your under-used muscles and to reacquaint yourself with the joy of motion. A simple way to get back into the swing of things is to go on a 30 to 60 minute walk either before work or after you return home. Once you've broken yourself in with consistent walks, contact me to get started on a fitness program that will quickly get your body back into great shape.

Laziness begins when you ignore that little nagging voice in your head. You know, the one that reminds you when you should take action on something rather than sit by and let the opportunity slip away.

Is today the day that you will kick laziness to the curb?

Is today the day that you will take action toward achieving your goals?

Is today the day that you will listen to that little voice of reason?

Call or emailtoday to schedule your first workout! We have options for every age and every level. Browse through our Youth, Adult and Active Aging Fitness pages!