Personal Trainer Felix Demonstrating Foam Rolling.

Ever wonder what those are and what they’re for?

Well, they’re called “Foam Rollers,” and they’re used in something called “Self-Myofascial Release.”  Self-Myofascial Release, or SMR, is a big term for basically using one’s own body weight to break up tightness or adhesions in your muscles and soft tissue.  It’s something that virtually everyone should be doing!

Why is foam rolling so beneficial?  Well, foam rolling helps increase flexibility and range of motion, as well as reducing muscular soreness.  These benefits help increase your workout performance and reduce recovery time after a hard workout.  Foam Rolling and SMR can also help prevent future injury by helping correct muscle imbalances and and stress in the joints. 

Breaking up adhesions is not exactly a painless experience, which is why sometimes you will see someone Foam Rolling with a less than pleasant look on their face.  But the relief felt afterwards is instant, and usually immense.

Click HERE for a website with many examples of muscle groups that most benefit from Foam Rolling.

Want to try it?  Contact Kerry for a COMPLIMENTARY session with a Personal Trainer!

Emotional Benefits:

• Increase awareness of the mind and body
• Improve peace of the mind and a sense of happiness
• Improve posture
• Increase relaxation
• Reduce anxiety

Physical Benefits:

• Boost the immune system
• Improve skin health and nourishment
• Improve sleep
• Increase wellness
• Reduce formation of excessive scar tissue
• Relieve muscle tension and stiffness
• Reduce heart rate

With the busy lives we lead, we can all benefit from a little stress-management. Maybe A Therapeutic Massage is just what you need!

Below is an article link that discusses a study used to show benefits of kettlebell training on neck and back pain. The result…  kettlebells are better for you than you may think.

(copy and paste the link below into your web browser if it doesn’t open upon clicking the link)

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/turning-to-kettlebells-to-ease-back-pain/

No need to hit the books, thanks to Chavez Walden, the South Carolina-based expert massage therapist with all the answers. As Chavez knows, massage can be beneficial in many aspects. Here’s what he has to say.

Integumentary System
What it is: Your skin, hair, fingernails and other protective barriers.

Benefits of Massage: Move beyond the surface of your skin and you’ll come across another protective barrier known as the fascia—a water-based substance that separates muscle groups. When the fascia cools, it becomes gel-like. Friction from a massage will provide the heat necessary to warm up the fascia, returning it to a more liquid—and therefore relaxed—state.

By loosening the fascia, you can improve the flexibility and elasticity of the skin. This is especially helpful for pregnant women, as it can aid in reducing stretch marks. Other benefits: Massage therapists who utilize creams, oils and lotions that contain essential vitamins and nutrients can further enhance the quality of your skin through massage.

Respiratory System
What is it: The primary means by which blood and oxygen circulate the body.

Benefits of Massage: Breathing is so much more than a simple inhale and exhale. In fact, there are several muscles that attach to the ribcage, called the secondary respiratory muscles. As with any other muscle in the body, when the secondary respiratory muscles are relaxed through massage, they function more effectively.

Your secondary respiratory muscles are constantly in use. Releasing the tension of the diaphragm or intercostals will allow the rib cage to expand further, resulting in the ability to breathe more deeply and with less effort.

Cardiovascular System
What it is: Your heart and blood vessels, as well as all the blood pumping between them.

Benefits of Massage: The heart itself is a muscle, and as you probably know, it doesn’t take breaks. Since that’s the case, a full body massage can be extremely beneficial.

Strokes that involve friction create heat as each part of the body is kneaded. Heat then causes the vascular walls of your veins and arteries to expand, allowing blood to flow more freely. As the expansion becomes more widespread, your heart will require less effort to pump blood throughout the body, ultimately decreasing the number of heartbeats your body requires to function per minute.

First up is Juli, demonstrating a Dumbell Burpee with Pushup and Press.  Enjoy!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

What better way to do that than by helping them have a healthier heart??

It’s no coincidence that American Heart Month is February, the same month we celebrate Valentine’s Day.  It’s a great reminder to help inspire our loved ones to a healthier lifestyle, and to take care of our own hearts for them as well. After all, we want the people we love near us for as long as possible!

How can you help?  Be a part of the Million Hearts Initiatve, a national program designed to educate and inspire everyone to make heart-healthy choices.  Go to www.millionhearts.hhs.gov to learn more or to take the Million Hearts pledge.

With almost 2 million Americans suffering from a heart attack or stroke every year, chances are that nearly every person reading this has had their life touched by heart disease in some way.  Let’s make this Valentine’s Day mean more than flowers and chocolate- let’s fight back against the leading cause of death in America!

Felix Castro, Entrenador Fisico y enthusiasta de todo momento; con certificacion obtenida a traves de WITS, y estudiante de Ejercicios Ciencia y salud ofrece sus sevicios en Ingles y Espanol.  Felix te motiva, te ensena, te entrena.

Pido una cita con Felix HOY!

Entrenador Personal Felix Castro

Trainer: Juli deGrandis Carter

Training Together For: Ten Months

Ben Says: “I have always exercised, but found that I just can’t push myself hard enough to get the results I want.  Juli pushes me harder than I could ever push myself!  She has helped me get into better shape than I thought possible!”

Personal Trainer Juli and her client Ben