7 posts tagged “personal trainer”
A little tongue-twister someone sent me by email a while ago. As usual, I wonder when or how people have the time to come up with these things...
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Sue Crutcher, Life Empowerment Mentor
Baby Steps to Success Expert, Personal Trainer
I just got in late last night from my sister’s. Yes, we had a wonderful weekend … I only get to see her and her family once or twice a year.
As I hadn’t pre-planned a post for today, I thought I would send a big THANK YOU to everyone! I was at my SueCrutcher.com site this morning clicking through to everyone else’s sites – the ranking has gone from 1,487,347 last Monday to 986,774 this morning – up 500,573 in one week. Phenomenal!
CREATE a fabulous day.
Sue Crutcher, Life Empowerment Mentor
Baby Steps to Success Expert, Personal Trainer
Here it is, all in one place for you. I apologize – it does take more than 1 minute to complete. However, it is less than two minutes. I’m sure everyone will be able to fit this routine into their day at least one time.
· Ball your hand into a fist
· Squeeze tightly
· Open wide, splaying fingers as far open and apart as you can
· Ball back into a fist
· Repeat 3 times
· Extend your left arm in front of you without locking your elbow
· Tilt hand up 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
· With your right hand, gently pull the index finger of your left hand toward you
· Follow through, pulling back each finger in sequence.
· Switch hands
· Repeat with opposite hand
· Extend your left arm
· Tilt your hand up 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
· Using your right hand, gently pull all the fingers on your left hand toward your wrist
· Hold for a second but do not over-extend. You should feel a stretch but no pain.
· Release
· Switch hands and repeat
· Extend your left arm
· Tilt your hand DOWN 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
· Using your right hand, gently pull all the fingers on your left hand toward your wrist
· Hold for a second but do not over-extend. You should feel a stretch but no pain.
· Release
· Switch hands and repeat
· Extend your left arm in front of you (without locking elbow)
· With your right hand, gently pull your thumb DOWN and toward your wrist
· Bring it back to neutral
· With your right hand, gently pull your thumb UP and back toward your wrist (this will not work nearly as well as down. Do not worry … just stretch it a bit)
· Bring it back to neutral
· Repeat with other hand on other arm
· Put both of your palms together (like a prayer) in front of you at face level
· Extend your fingers and thumbs while keeping palms together.
· Press palms together strongly
· Hold
· Keep the base of your palms together and gradually lower your hands until your lower arms are horizontal (or as close as you can get them to horizontal). You will likely be around your chest area
· Hold
· Now, take your hands down further keeping the fingers and upper palms together (allow lower palms to separate if needed)
· You will feel a stretch on the inside of your fingers and wrists
· Hold
· Repeat
Power to the geeks!
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert
Personal Trainer, Life Empowerment Mentor
Here it is, all in one place for you. I apologize – it does take more than 1 minute to complete. However, it is less than two minutes. I’m sure everyone will be able to fit this routine into their day at least one time.
· Ball your hand into a fist
· Squeeze tightly
· Open wide, splaying fingers as far open and apart as you can
· Ball back into a fist
· Repeat 3 times
· Extend your left arm in front of you without locking your elbow
· Tilt hand up 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
· With your right hand, gently pull the index finger of your left hand toward you
· Follow through, pulling back each finger in sequence.
· Switch hands
· Repeat with opposite hand
· Extend your left arm
· Tilt your hand up 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
· Using your right hand, gently pull all the fingers on your left hand toward your wrist
· Hold for a second but do not over-extend. You should feel a stretch but no pain.
· Release
· Switch hands and repeat
· Extend your left arm
· Tilt your hand DOWN 90 degrees (or whatever you can)
· Using your right hand, gently pull all the fingers on your left hand toward your wrist
· Hold for a second but do not over-extend. You should feel a stretch but no pain.
· Release
· Switch hands and repeat
· Extend your left arm in front of you (without locking elbow)
· With your right hand, gently pull your thumb DOWN and toward your wrist
· Bring it back to neutral
· With your right hand, gently pull your thumb UP and back toward your wrist (this will not work nearly as well as down. Do not worry … just stretch it a bit)
· Bring it back to neutral
· Repeat with other hand on other arm
· Put both of your palms together (like a prayer) in front of you at face level
· Extend your fingers and thumbs while keeping palms together.
· Press palms together strongly
· Hold
· Keep the base of your palms together and gradually lower your hands until your lower arms are horizontal (or as close as you can get them to horizontal). You will likely be around your chest area
· Hold
· Now, take your hands down further keeping the fingers and upper palms together (allow lower palms to separate if needed)
· You will feel a stretch on the inside of your fingers and wrists
· Hold
· Repeat
Power to the geeks!
Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert
Personal Trainer, Life Empowerment Mentor
Everyone appears to have enjoyed and incorporated the neck and shoulder stretches from last week. This week we will focus on a series of simple hand, wrist and finger stretches that will be very helpful due to all the time we spend on our computers.
These stretches may be done as often as you think of them – preferably at least once an hour while at the computer. More frequently is better. Doing them once a day is still better than not doing any at all so do not get frustrated if you don’t always remember. In time, with practice, they will simply become part of your typing routine.
Stretch one hand at a time or, to save time, stretch both simultaneously:
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Ball your hand into a fist
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Squeeze tightly
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Open wide, splaying fingers as far open and apart as you can
-
Ball back into a fist
-
Repeat 3 times
That’s it for today. It’s a tough one. Tomorrow we add another one and start on the routine that will be finished by Friday.
To your self-care….
Sue Crutcher, Personal Trainer
It would appear from the last two posts that everyone almost everyone has issues with their shoulders and upper back. This is probably a direct co-relation to the amount of time spent in front of your computer. We have looked at ‘dropping your shoulders’ and ‘pinching your shoulder blades’. Today we will approach the opposing muscle groups and stretch them a little. Given enough time and bad posture habits, you have the potential to become hunched forward with rolled shoulders and an inverted chest. Not a healthy or hot look at all. So … baby steps … stretch your pectorals and deltoids. Huh? Hint: your chest and shoulders.
Every day, do your dropped shoulders and shoulder blade pinch as often as you think of them. The ideal would be at least once an hour while in front of the computer. Now, add a new stretch into the group. Be GENTLE with this stretch – you can hurt yourself if you are overzealous or not used to stretching. If you do overdo it, ice it immediately (10 minutes ice pack on over fabric each hour) to reduce swelling as soon as possible.
PEC STRETCH
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Stand up
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Do your shoulder drop followed by your shoulder blade pinch
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Walk over to the nearest doorway
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Raise your arms just like the beginning of the shoulder blade pinch (elbows at 90 degrees, upper arms straight out from shoulders, palms forward)
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Go toward the doorway as if you are going to walk through it.
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As soon as your upper arms/elbows touch the frame: STOP
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Now, gently (and I do mean gently here) lean forward through the door with your arms stationary on the frame.
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Feel that stretch across your chest and into your shoulders?
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Hold for a couple seconds breathing normally
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Now breathe in deeply and lean just a little bit further forward.
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Hold for a couple seconds breathing normally.
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One more time, breathe in deeply and lean yet another little bit further forward.
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Hold for a couple of seconds and return to starting position.
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Bring your arms down slowly to your sides, do a shoulder drop and return to your desk.
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Repeat throughout the day every time you leave the room (and, if your really gungho, every time you re-enter the room as well)
Within a few days of this you will notice that you are walking straighter, your back isn’t as tight and you look taller. Keep it up – it’s a great posture builder.
CREATE a fabulous day!
Sue Crutcher, Personal Trainer
Life Empowerment Mentor & Success Coach
Many people have sore backs and for various reasons. Sometimes, like me, they fall off a cliff, get crushed by a tree, smacked by a backhoe bucket, or have a dirt bike attack them. Those sorts of incidents cannot be directly addressed by the following exercise, however, a strong back will recover faster than a weak one.
One of the best ways to strengthen your back is to strengthen your abdominals. You might think that a little odd but it does work. If your core is strong, your erectors (large vertical muscles on both sides of the spine) do not have to work so hard to keep you vertical thereby lessening the chances of inflammation and spasm in them. This also falls under the ‘opposing muscle groups’ which is a specific type of training.
There is still a lot of ‘old school’ thought about the proper way to do a sit up and work your abs. Scared you, didn’t I? The word sit up instills fear in almost everyone. Lucky you, we’re not doing sit ups – today.
Matt – you get the day off here. We don’t want to aggravate that ol' sciatic again! The modified version might be ok for you but, please … as always, listen to your body. If anyone else has a history of low back pain, be very careful trying this and be sure you do the modified version only.
Today, we are going to work on something referred to as ‘the plank’. Not as in 'walk the plank' ... although after a few repeats you may prefer that. Try the modified version first if you are relatively inactive. John, I would think, from the sound of your comments on my blogs, that you can jump right in on this one! WARNING TO JOHN – it would be wise not to ‘show off’ here as you will be very sore the next day.
April – this is an ideal exercise that will initiate conversation in lineups, especially if you wear a tummy-revealing stretchy top baring your ripped abs (not too ripped which is not at all feminine … just enough for a hint of ripped; oh, and not too revealing as that puts you into a different category altogether for conversation). You’ll have to check with Jennifer to see if this outfit is acceptable for the small closet … I’m betting you can have one as it doesn’t really require much space.
Also, this is perfect for Scott and Steve when they are traveling as you need absolutely (teeheehee on the ‘abs’ there) no fitness equipment.
“Enough with the warm up” you say, “get on with it Sue”. All right; all right! Sheesh.
You will need a clear area on the floor as long and wide as you are; preferably padded (like a carpet or throw rug … if you have a yoga or exercise mat = perfect).
MODIFIED version:
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Get yourself down to floor level on your hands and knees.
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Bend your knees so that your feet are elevated between 45 and 90 degrees (preferably closer to 90)
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Arms about 1-1/2 shoulder width apart; it should be comfortable (move them until you find your easiest placement)
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Suck in your hanging tummy – yep, I know you forgot about it and just let it sag. Keep your tummy sucked in during the entire holding time. There is a tendency here to hold your breath. Be aware of that.
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Keeping your knees where they are; drop half way down to the floor by lowering your arms only.
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Look at the floor (do not stretch your neck and look up and around you)
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HOLD
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That’s it.
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Just hold and breathe normally.
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Hold as long as you can – we’re hoping for 30 seconds or more here.
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Return to starting position
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Repeat three times.
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Your goal is to do one ‘set’ (3 repeats) twice a day – morning and evening would work well.
NORMAL version:
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Get yourself down to floor level on your hands and knees.
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Arms about 1-1/2 shoulder width apart; it should be comfortable (move them until you find your easiest placement); knees about 1 foot apart.
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Straighten your knees (but don’t lock them) and raise your body up on your toes (or the balls of your feet if you are flexible)
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Suck in your hanging tummy – yep, I know you forgot about it and just let it sag. Keep your tummy sucked in during the entire holding time. There is a tendency here to hold your breath. Be aware of that.
-
Keeping your knees where they are; drop half way down to the floor by lowering your arms only.
-
Look at the floor (do not stretch your neck and look up and around you)
-
HOLD
-
That’s it.
-
Just hold and breathe normally.
-
Hold as long as you can – we’re hoping for 30 seconds or more here.
-
Return to starting position
-
Repeat three times.
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Your goal is to do one ‘set’ (3 repeats) twice a day – morning and evening would work well.
ADVANCED versions:
If both of these are just too easy for you -- congratulations! Try one of these versions...
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Same as ‘normal’ above but incorporate one of the following:
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Lengthen the timeframe in the hold position; go closer to the floor; put your arms further apart or closer together; use fingertips only, not hands; use thumb and first two fingers only; use first two knuckles only. Yes, I have even more advanced techniques. Let me know when you’re ready for them!
REMEMBER – if, at any time, you experience pain (especially a sharp pain) STOP IMMEDIATELY. Do not do this exercise again without direct supervision from a qualified professional.
Tomorrow we’ll look at ‘lower back pain’ from a totally different perspective and it involves no physical exercise whatsoever. Until then …
Yours in health,
Sue Crutcher, certified personal trainer; life empowerment mentor; success coach
