Category Archives: Health & Wellness

Feeling stiff or unmotivated? Start here with this 2 min mobility routine.

Here’s a warm-up, 5 workouts, and a cool down you can do at home…

We know this is an uncertain time, and if you are practicing social distancing, there is no need for you to neglect your fitness.

Follow along these warm up and cool down videos before&after your workout, or to just get your butt off the couch after Netflix and chillin all day. Plus, we’ve included 5 at-home workouts listed further below. Visit our YouTube page to see more exercises.

5 Bodyweight Workouts You Can Do At Home  

10 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout

• Perform a bodyweight squat to reverse lunge for 1 minute. 
• Perform a push-up to slow mountain climber (incline if necessary) for 1 minute. 
• Perform glute bridges for 1 minute. 
• Perform bird dogs for 1 minute. 
• Rest 15 seconds between exercises.
• Complete the circuit twice and you’re done! 

15 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout 

• Set a time for 15 minutes. 
• Perform 10 split squats each leg. 
• Perform a side plank for 20 seconds each side.
• Perform 10 plank to push-ups alternating arms each time.
• Perform 20 feet-elevated glute bridges. 
• Rest 15 seconds between exercises. 
• Do as many rounds as possible with good form in 15 minutes. 

20 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout 

• Perform 10 push-ups or 10 incline push-ups. 
• Perform 10 bodyweight squats or 10 bodyweight jump squats.
• Perform 10 bear crawls. 
• Perform 10 jumping jacks. 
• Rest 15-30 seconds between exercises and 30-60 seconds between circuits.
• Do as many rounds as possible with good form in 30 minutes. 

25 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout 

• Set a timer for 25 minutes. 
• Perform 10 bodyweight squats. 
• Perform a bear crawl forward and backward for 5 yards each.
• Perform 10 reverse lunges on each side. 
• Perform 10 slow mountain climbers on each side. 
• Rest 15-30 seconds between exercises and 30–60 seconds between circuits.
• Do as many rounds as possible with good form in 25 minutes. 

30 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout 

• Perform 10 walk-outs (can add a push-up, if desired). 
• Perform 10 bodyweight single-leg RDLs on each leg. 
• Perform 10 dead bugs each leg.
• Perform 10 wall slides.
• Perform 10 lateral lunges each leg. 
• Rest 15–30 seconds between exercises and 30–60 seconds between circuits.
• Do as many rounds as possible with good form in 30 minutes. 

Are you hydrated?

This graphic does a good job of showing how much water we are made of. Still think you drink enough water? Did you know adults can lose as much as 1.5 liters of water through sweat during a hot day? Not only are more fluids are needed when it’s hot and humid, but add in exercise and your fluid requirements climb toward 10 liters per day. So after your next workout, take your water cup with you to continue sipping on your way home….every ounce counts!

Have you met our June client of the month??

We are so lucky to get to work with incredible people everyday on improving their quality of life. That’s really what working out is all about at the end of the day…improving and maintaining a quality of life that will allow you to do what you want, when you want, without being limited by physical ability. Here is one of those incredible people…

Hello, I’m Marla and I’m coming up on a year of working out at Definition Fitness. In my first session, I met with Patrick and expressed my goal to lose weight and learn about strength training, and over 60 lbs later, I’m still chipping away at my journey to optimize my health.

I couldn’t be more pleased with my experience here. Every week Patrick continues to challenge my abilities, and adjust each session to address, or accommodate, for any weaknesses or imbalances and complement my other fitness endeavors in hiking and pilates. Everyone is so encouraging, knowledgeable, and passionate about what they do here, it’s hard not to leave feeling accomplished after each workout.

June Challenge

Walk or run 1 lap around the block after your workout at Definition….

Why?

1. More light exposure……If (hopefully WHEN) you read The Circadian Code, you will learn that light is a main regulator to our natural rhythms. The hormones cortisol and melatonin, the hormones that help regulate blood sugar to give the body the appropriate amount of energy that is required throughout the day, are effected by the signals light sends through the body’s nervous system. Read the Satchin Panda’s blog “Light therapeutics: How light (or darkness) affects our circadian clock, sleep, and mood,” for a great explanation. Plus we all need more vitamin D- skip the pill and go outside.
2. Trigger your parasympathetic nervous system….In Chris Kresser’s article Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic State: How Stress Affects Your Health getting out in nature is listed as a way to help get your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system back in balance. A simple walk around the block could go a long way in reducing stress and triggering your rest and digest mode.
3. Get happy….exposure to green space has been shown to improve your mood. And have you seen our neighborhood? It’s gorgeous! So go take a look around!
4. More Steps… for those of you tracking your daily steps taken, this will help you get more. ‘Nough said.

At the end of the month and challenge, what do you get?? You get to Move Better… Feel Better… aannnddd Look Better!

Back pain from the front?

When your pain is in the back, it is usually because of a problem in the front.

This statement sounds completely backwards. Let me explain. When you are in pain, it is easy to assume that the problem is wherever you feel the pain. So you take a Tylenol and put the heating pad where the pain is and you feel better. But then a few days later, you are in pain again. Why is that?

I have an experiment for you. Take a thick rubber band. Put it over your thumb and forefinger. Now with a paperclip, shorten the front side by folding the band on top of itself, but only on the front side. The opposite side gets pulled and the tension it feels becomes visible. That tension is the pain. It is simply the symptom. The reason for the tension is the shortening of the band in the front. Now remove the paperclip from the front. The tension on the rubber band evens itself out again.

Your muscles work in a similar manner. When you sit, your abdominal muscles and hip flexors are shortened, and your low back muscles are lengthened. Now think about how often you are in that seated position; in the car, at your desk, on the couch, while you are eating, etc. That is a lot of time that for your body to be in a flexed position! That whole time, your low back muscles are working over time trying to hold you upright.

Similarly, think about all the times your arms and head are in front of your shoulders; using a computer, texting, driving in the car, etc. Your upper back and neck are working so hard to pull you back into a homeostatic position that they get over worked and begin to hurt. By lengthening your pectoralis muscles and the Sternocleidomastoid, you are allowing your neck and shoulders to return to the proper position.

Massage therapy uses a combination of gliding and compression movements to lengthen the muscles that have become shortened and increase blood flow to the areas that are in pain, allowing for the body to heal. Regular massage therapy appointments ensure that the clients’ muscles stay hydrated and pliable to help reduce the risk of new and recurring injury.

Massage Therapy Questions Answered!

Having worked in the massage therapy field for almost 15 years I have had the pleasure of working on hundreds of bodies. While some clients find silence to be relaxing, others like to talk. I encourage everyone to do whatever helps them to feel comfortable. I also like to encourage people to ask questions so that they better understand what I am doing and help put their mind and body at ease. Below is a collection of just a few of the more frequently asked questions I have been asked.

• Don’t your hands get tired?
  • Sometimes, but not very often. My forearms tend to get tired before my hands.
• How many massages can you do in a day?
  • I try to do no more than 6 hours
• What is the greatest number of massages you have ever done in a row?
  • 7, and I couldn’t write my name for a week!
• Has anyone ever fallen asleep?
  • All the time! I take it as a compliment
• How often should I get a massage?
  • That depends on the goal of your session. If you have an issue that you are trying to alleviate, I recommended twice a week for 6 weeks. If you are looking to maintain your health and wellness, every 2-4 weeks will best fit your needs. The good thing about massage is that it is impossible to overdose!
• What makes a knot?
  • A knot is when muscle fibers adhere together in the muscle belly making the area inflamed and cause pain.
• Did you go to school for this?
  • And I take continuing education classes to help improve the work I do.
• How can you massage people’s feet and butt?
  • Just like I massage the rest of their bodies, with my hands!
• How did you find that spot?
  • Just doing my job!
• Does your husband get a massages all the time?
  • No, have you ever met a house painter who comes home excited to paint their own house?
• Do I have to get naked?
  • Whatever is comfortable for you. If that means you leave on your undergarments, you can.
• What does it feel like when the muscle releases?
  • It feels like my hand is moving, just a little, when in fact I am keeping it still on the pressure point.
• My pain is in the back. Why are you working on the front?
  • I believe in working the cause, not just the symptom. While the pain you are having in located in the back, it is because those muscles are elongated and compensating for the shortened muscles in the front.

If you have any questions that you would like answered, please feel free to ask and I will be happy to answer!

GET OUT THE VOTE

Hi everybody!! While we are all in the voting mood, Definition Fitness small group participants will be able to participate in an election day of of our own….Have strong feelings about burpees? Are lunges taking over your life? Sick and tired of the robo calls about the benefits of kettlebell swings?? Well now’s your chance to let your voices be heard! Vote on the exercises you DO want to see added to your workout this Friday by clicking the title of the blog above, and writing your selections in the comments section. It’s your civic duty, after all, as a small group participant;)

PUSHING EXERCISES:

1. PUSH UPS
2. BENCH PRESS
3. SHOULDER PRESS

PULLING EXERCISES:

1. PULLUPS
2. SEATED CABLE ROWS
3. 1 ARM DUMBBELL ROW

LOWER BODY EXERCISES:

1. WALKING LUNGES
2. BOX SQUATS (WITH BARBELL ON BACK)
3. KETTLEBELL SWINGS

FULL BODY COMPLEX MOVEMENTS:

1. BURPEES
2. SLAM BALL
3. CABLE CHOPS

Facial Cupping

Cupping has been around for centuries, but only recently has it become a big deal in the United States. People are only just beginning to learn of all the benefits that this ancient treatment has to offer.

The traditional Chinese practice of cupping uses suction cups directly on skin to promote circulation and relieve muscle tension. When it comes to the face and jawline, the practice even claims to help with sinus congestion and headaches. It has been shown to help alleviate pain associated with TMJ Syndrome.

Its beauty claims are even bigger: reducing puffiness, softening fine lines and wrinkles, stimulating collagen and helping products absorb more easily. Facial cupping works to increase blood flow and circulation to leave you with glowing, radiant, decongested skin. 

Facial cupping uses small, specially designed suction cups to lift and massage facial tissue. The result is innovative skincare that truly transforms the skin no matter the age or type.

 One major ailment that can potentially be treated with cupping is acne. In fact, cupping has been found to be especially effective against difficult cases of skin inflammation, such as cellulite, cystic acne and herpes infection.

Facial cupping uses small, specially designed suction cups to lift and massage facial tissue. The result is innovative skincare that truly transforms the skin no matter the age or type.

Hot Stone Massage: The Ancient Relaxation Treatment

Hot stone massage has been used in therapeutics for thousands of years. History shows the Chinese using hot stones for treatment over 2,000 years ago. It wasn’t just the Chinese who used hot stone massage, many ancient societies all over the world used and still use hot stones to heal and treat ailments. So, what exactly is hot stone massage?

Hot stone massage is just what it sounds like, heated stones used in the massage process. These are smooth, flat stones made from basalt, which is a type of volcanic rock that retains heat. Imagine the wonderful feeling of massage and then add in the relaxing feeling of heat concentrated on the areas that are being massaged. Seems like it would feel pretty good right? People from the last 2,000 years would agree with you.

Hot stone massage allows for increased blood circulation. Don’t worry about the stones being too hot, your therapist can ensure that they are at a comfortable temperature for you. There are many benefits to hot stone massage which include but are not limited to: alleviation of muscle tension and pain, reduction of stress and anxiety, relieving symptoms of autoimmune diseases, promoting relaxation and sleep for insomniacs, decreasing pains associated with fibromyalgia, arthritis, back pain, and many more health conditions. All of these benefits are great for today’s fast-paced type of society.

Still not convinced? Then, try it out for yourself and schedule an appointment today to feel your tensions melt away!

-Thomas Pearce, Pinky Uttayaya-Andrews