Tag Archives: flexibility

Beginner’s Guide to Yogilates

In 1997, certified Pilates instructor Jonathan Urla combined yoga postures and Pilates exercises and named it Yogilates. Louise Solomon created her own blend of both and termed it Yogalates. Whatever you call it, hybrid classes like these are very popular in health clubs and studios across the country.

Yogilates and other hybrid yoga and Pilates workouts are designed for the purpose of gaining the benefits of core work from Pilates while mixing in the breath and flexibility training of yoga. Just as a yoga practice may not target all of the core muscles, a Pilates class may overlook certain stretches that promote a balanced and healthy body. Combining the two introduces a dynamic experience of connecting the breath with a new level of mind and body fitness.

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Posted on July 21, 2023 by Jill

Stretching is Essential for Runners

To stretch or not to stretch, that really isn’t a valid question for the runner. Perhaps the runner can ask “When should I stretch?” or “How do I stretch?”  but, in my opinion, contemplating whether or not to stretch is a recipe for pain and injury.

The task of running is tremendous for the body. The heart works hard, the muscles work hard, the lungs get one of the best workouts possible during a run. While running is so great for a person’s health, it must be noted that all that work really stresses the body as well. After long runs, my muscles get very tight and sore, proving that they need some extra attention before you run on them again.

Stretching can help loosen up tight muscles and allow for more range of motion. Motion on loose muscle verses tight muscles seems to paint an obvious enough picture as to why runners should stretch. A well stretched and flexible runner has the potential to run faster with less effort or training verses the naughty, non-stretcher who knocks out several intense workouts in a week. That fact alone has inspired me to up my stretching game!

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Posted on July 6, 2023 by Lacy

P90X Fitness Assessment Tracks All Areas of Health

The reason anyone starts a fitness program is to see results, and the only way to know how far you’ve come is by knowing where you started.

P90X, the popular extreme home fitness program, understands the importance of tracking all indicators of fitness.

Instead of just tracking weight or measurements, P90X has an intensive Fitness Assessment that tracks your weight, measurements, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular capacity every step of the way.

The P90X program is split into three phases, 30 days each, and at the end of each phase, you will retest to see how much your health has improved. The first test is done before the first P90X workout so you know your baseline of fitness.

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Posted on January 31, 2024 by Kelly

How Fitness Improves Your Sex Life

There’s really no delicate way to approach this subject. Sex, although it’s amazing and natural, is entirely taboo, but we can’t ignore the importance of it in our lives. Not only is sex vital to the survival of the human species but good sex is vital to the mental health of most everyone. That’s not to say that a lack of sex is bad, because abstinence can be a fabulous thing but bad sex- that’s just no fun for anyone. This is why I’m here to tell you that regardless of how old you are or what stage of a relationship you are in, physical fitness is the ultimate catalyst for a healthy sex life. It sounds like a no-brainer, but exercise does more than make you hot and sculpted (although that’s probably plenty to up the ante a bit!) By nurturing your physical fitness you will experience:

Increased stamina If you can huff and puff your way to the finish line of  a marathon then it becomes that much easier to do the same in your sex life! The stamina you build during your workouts will directly follow you into the bedroom.

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Posted on January 26, 2024 by Theresa

Nintendo Announces Zumba Fitness Game for the Wii Fit

Well, it’s here at last. Wii Fit has released the new game  Zumba Fitness. Zumba is an extremely popular Brazilian dance program that incorporates international dance techniques with aerobic exercise. With over 30 songs, including motivating Latin dance music, Zumba Fitness will help you tone your muscles, build your endurance levels, and  have fun all at the same time.

The game is comprised of several different difficulty levels and dance venues to challenge every bit of your fitness level and dance technique. A few of the exciting dance venues include a gym, a nightclub, and a penthouse roof of a high-rise skyscraper.

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Posted on January 13, 2024 by Matt

The Sit And Be Fit Program Allows Wheelchair Bound to Exercise

The Sit And Be Fit program is a non-profit organization researched and designed by Mary Ann Wilson, a registered nurse, and a team of physical therapists, doctors, and exercise specialists. The chair exercise television series has been broadcast on PBS stations for over twenty years now and has over sixty million household viewers annually. The program is so effective due the success of effectively improving the health and wellness of people of all ages and fitness levels; especially those that are limited physically or wheelchair bound.

The program is comprised of a variety of carefully researched chair exercises designed to target every muscle in the body as well as to improve the overall health and wellness of the body.

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Posted on January 10, 2024 by Matt

Piloxing Combines Pilates With Boxing for a Killer Workout

Leave it to Hollywood to come up with the newest fitness craze of the year. Piloxing is a deadly combination of Pilates and boxing. Founded by Swedish dancer and celebrity trainer, Viveca Jensen, this style of training incorporates the benefits of each and turns them into an intense “fat torching, muscle sculpting, and core-centric interval workout.” Not only does Piloxing blow the heart rate out of the water, but it tones and strengthens the body with the use of weighted gloves. If you have been struggling to find a new routine or motivation in general, this is the perfect style of training for you. Get ready to incorporate fun with fitness.

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Posted on January 8, 2024 by Matt

YogaToes For Healthy Feet

Most of us take our toes and feet for granted, except for when we get a stellar pedicure that has us admiringly gazing at our polished and shining tootsies. But for dancers, yoga practitioners and even diabetics, the appreciation and care for these 10 digits goes far beyond the newest O.P.I. color.

Enter YogaToes. Different from yoga socks, which are slip-resistant five-toed socks that you can wear on or off the yoga mat, YogaToes are “a vacation for your feet.” Similar to the dividers your pedicurist will slip in between your toes as you wait for them to be exfoliated, buffed, polished and dried, YogaToes are that and much more. (more…)

Posted on September 29, 2023 by heather

Power Plate: Fitness with Good Vibrations

The Power Plate has become a huge hit in the fitness industry and is great for all ages. The Power Plate is a vibrating device that was designed to stimulate the body’s natural response to vibration. How does it work? Well, the Power Plate’s vibrations create instability and the human body has to recruit tons of muscles throughout the body to help with stabilization.

These muscles range from large muscle groups to small stabilizer groups that are often never exercised and forgotten about. Simple movements on the Power Plate turn into totally body movements due to the vast scale of muscle contractions and recruitment.

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Posted on June 28, 2023 by Matt

The Many Fitness Benefits of Soccer

Soccer, the most popular sport in the world, is an excellent form of exercise that solidly covers all the bases for fitness. Often referred to in other countries as futbol, soccer was referred to by my kids’ Dominican coach as “continuous running that just happens to include ball skills.”

Soccer is ideal for all ages, skill levels and sizes, and can be played in just about any open space. It’s a team sport, which means that at any time of the game, you may be sprinting, running slow, passing the ball, or standing still.

Because of its non-stop action, soccer is a great all-over workout. It is a form of exercise that targets the whole body, including your thighs, calves, abdomen, buttocks and cardiovascular system.

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Posted on June 11, 2023 by Carmen

10 Week Wedding Fitness Plan: Week 9

healthy brideWeek eight of the wedding fitness plan consisted of self-stretching exercises and I hope that you found them beneficial along with the previous weeks. Today the focus is on assisted stretching. Assisted stretching is a more advanced form of stretching due to the fact that you can stretch different parts of the body (that are unattainable by yourself) and stretch past the point of comfort. As a trainer, I stretch my clients after every workout to help lengthen the muscles and prevent the risk of future injuries.

Wedding Season Week 9:

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now!!” (Goethe)

Tip: Remember to listen to your body, it knows when enough is enough and when to push it. (more…)

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Matt