Revolving lunge- the third position of SloBody’s Daily Dozen and the first spinal extension combined with internal and external rotational forces. This is a set up position to understand the forces necessary to be able to root, reach, and rotate in tandem for a long, strong, and pliable body.

Why the heck do we practice revolving lunge? Do you feel unequal forces pulling on your spine? Does your left hip feel more restricted than the right? Does your low back feel compressed when you are standing or running? Practicing revolving lunge will most definitely highlight any left/right and front/back imbalances. It will also aid you in strengthening the weak spots while lengthening the compressed areas. Prep your body to extend, contract, and rotate while strengthening the legs and stretching the hips.

What are the benefits to practicing revolving lunge? It strengthens the legs and prepares the hips for the rest of a practice. It prepares the spine for more difficult work with it’s active extension and rotation. It is challenging and almost immediately warms you up, ‘greasing’ the spinal extensors for activity. It is considered a detoxifying pose; it rejuvenates the spinal column and flushes the abdominal organs.

Quick pointers for practicing safely and efficiently:

• While standing, slide left foot 3-4 feet back. Feet point forward and press down for support.

• Right knee stacks over ankle; left hamstring contracts while relaxing buttocks.

• Place left hand close to the right foot and reach right arm for the ceiling.

• Gaze at left hand during set up, at right hand when in deepest part of pose.

Hold for 6-10 breaths then switch sides.

Extra Tip: if one side is markedly tighter, do that side first and then repeat after 2nd side. Double down on it for more immediate results!

Often pain felt in the body, be it a stiff neck, low back discomfort or knee pain is a result of lacking space in your  joints or spine.  If you can reconnect with maintaining and/or increasing space in the joints or muscle beds pain can be mitigated.  How do you go about this on a daily basis?  Follow these 3 simple steps:

1)  Plant your feet or whatever body part happens to create the foundation of an exercise or posture.

2) anchor your core – lift your pelvic floor (mulabandha) engaging your low abdominals.

3) Reach up and out from your foundation to create length and extension.

Your breath will help increase your awareness and accentuate each of the above.  Use your inhales to plant your roots and extend. Use your exhales to lift the pelvic floor and engage the abdominals.  These tips are especially useful and necessary for back bending and rotations – some of the most common movements where we tend to shorten the body to gain ground rather than listening and lengthening to support the motion.

Here’s to staying mobile, active, and upright as we go through this experience called living.

staying active / ages: 42/95/41/90

Curious for more…please join us for the workshop.

The routine today begins with relaxing, lengthening, and opening posture work followed by a nice vigorous strength and endurance section. Do one, do both, play around!

Routine: 5 breaths each element, each side, unless otherwise noted.

posture work
column 1                                        column 2
• child’s pose                                • 1/2 virasana
• pigeon                                         • 1/2 lotus fold + rotate
• on back eagle arms                   • standing forward fold
• plow                                             • squat
• seated forward fold                  • 1/2 seated forward fold
• down dog                                    • pigeon
• shoulder release                        • pyramid
• seated forward fold

conditioning fun • down dog->low push up (chat) 20x
• squat->pistol L->squat->pistol R 10x
• down dog->pushup knee up L->pushup knee up R->pushup 10x
• down dog sweeps l/r 20x
• plank chest taps l/r 20x
• mountain climbers 40x
• mountain pose arms up
• windmills – 5 each direction
• crescent->pistol squat L  5x
• crescent->pistol squat R  5x
• panther pounce prep  10x
• panther pounce  10x
• wheel push ups  10x
• plow – 10 breaths
• handstand  6x
• wheel  2x
• squat

Another relaxing and sunny day. We could really get used to waking up to 70°. Started off with a practice in the morning and then to the beach on the bikes.

Day 3 morning practice: all elements are 5 breaths long unless otherwise indicated
l/r = left/right side

• down dog
• child’s pose
• down dog leg up l/r
• revolving lunge l/r
• down dog->low push up (chat) 10x
• revolving triangle->triangle l/r
• down dog->low push up (chat) 10x
• standing forward fold->hands under feet(pada hasta)
• squat
• squat pistol prep 10x
• crescent l/r – 10 breaths
• pigeon l/r
• cobra->up dog 10x
• down dog->pada hasta
• bound angle
• pistol squats l/r - down to up 5x
• seated forward fold – 10 breaths
• plow – 10 breaths
• pistol squats l/r – 5x

The sunny warm south Day 2,

Taking a break while on our bicycle ride along the Hollywood boardwalk. Nothing like being in an environment where you can sit outside in the morning, enjoying your coffee and the views in shorts and t-shirts without a hint of chill in the air at the end of January, while staring off into the Atlantic at the vast openness.

The routine for day two has a good amount of posture work with breathing. Great for relaxing and observing with just a little conditioning! Here’s the routine:

Day 2
• bicycle ride - 8 miles
• down dog – 5 breaths
• pigeon  – 5 breaths each side
• down dog – 5 breaths
• lunge → revolving lunge → pyramid – 5 breaths each element
• pigeon – 5 breaths each side
• down dog – 5 breaths
• squat – 5 breaths
• squat pistol prep (left leg then right leg) – 10x
• pistol squats (up to down left leg then right) – 10x
• pistol squats (left leg then right leg) – 10x
• standing straddle fold – 5 breaths
• pistol squats (left leg then right leg) – 10x
• standing straddle fold – 5 breaths
• pistol squats (left leg then right leg) – 10x
• shoulder release – 10 breaths

That’s it. Straight forward, basic movements. Don’t fret over getting everything right. Just do it slow and steady, watching your form and paying attention to the differences in symmetry between the sides.

Enjoy your night. We’re off to a dessert place named Jackson’s. Been here since 1958 and gives you really large servings of ice-cream. Good stuff to indulge in at 72° at 8:20p

Reporting in from sunny South Florida enjoying day 1 at the beach. Even though we’re on break we wanted to report in and let you know that we’re still working out, just a lot lighter.

Here’s the routine:

• walk to the beach – 1.5 miles
• pistol squats( left leg, right leg) – 50
• down dog – 10 breaths
• down dog – low push up (chat) – 50
• mountain climber zip ups – 20
• walk from beach – 1.5 miles
• pigeon (left side, right side)

So before we come back and you tell us you’re hurting from not practicing, know that you can modify the workouts we list and follow loosely. Do what you can, mark it down, and next time you’ll do a little bit more. Anything is better than nothing.

Don’t forget the reward after…total abstinence is madness. Life is participatory.

It’s a tough one right?  Anyone who teaches, coaches or trains others full time knows about burnout!  It doesn’t really matter what discipline, it’s a day in, day out GIVING of  your attention, information, and support.  Hearing yourself say the same words OVER  and OVER again…JEEZ…listening to yourself can get really OLD!

BUT, it’s true, we love what we do, we believe in what we do and wouldn’t trade it.  As trainers involved in the fitness industry for the past 2 decades, we certainly share the rewards of our line of work. We are also very familiar with the demands – physically, mentally, creatively – that it places on an individual.  So what do we do to refresh ourselves and stay away from “calling it in”?  How do we find balance?

Some key items we have found that keep us motivated and fresh are taking classes and networking with other fitness professionals.  Sometimes just getting out of our own “schtick” brings ideas for new ways to cue, inspires new moves or brings a new twist to a staple exercise.  The simple enjoyment of just showing up to follow directions rather than being the director provides a needed break and can shift one’s perspective.

Here’s a list of things we do to keep our head in the game:
Take some one else’s class - This can be such and easy way to get in your own exercise and come away with a couple new tools in your pocket. Even if it turns out not to be your favorite experience there is usually a nugget to chew on.

Take a class or workshop outside of your discipline.  Bet you find something you can integrate or a new way to look at something super familiar.

Exercise daily.  Sounds like funny advice for folks in the fitness industry, but let’s face it, we are not working out when on the clock.  Take even 20 min to do something just for you.  And a big point here, especially for those of us who are former athletes, it doesn’t have to be a “hard” workout.  It can be simple (take a easy walk or run, stretch, get on the foam roller, etc) the point is to check in with yourself and tend to what’s needed.

Get a massage.  Yes they can be pricey, but can you trade someone for it?  It has taken us several years, but we get them regularly.  Think of it as a well needed tuning for your instrument and investment in your longevity.  Really, it’s sooooo good.

Eat well and get enough sleep.  We know, duh!  But it’s so true.  This has been a key ingredient for us for avoiding colds and getting run down.

Shift your schedule.  One thing we often have in this industry is flexibility.  Are there some changes that would make your day or week more efficient?  Can you drop or trade a class time that doesn’t work for you?  Can you condense your clients/classes so you don’t have long breaks between them? (We find spreading classes out is more tiring than stacking them) What if you stepped out of your box and considered new options?

Take vacations!  They don’t have to be extravagant.  You don’t even need to leave town.  Just carve out some time to take a break.

The list above developed over time and has been key to staying in this industry for the long haul.  Lord knows these 2 bull heads have crashed and burned many times!  If you are consistently finding yourself depleted, try a couple.  See if there’s a shift.  You will probably continue to add tweaks and turns until you find the schedule that works for you.

Have anything to add?  What do you do to keep going?

It’s always this time of year that we hear stories from our clients about how they avoided a weather related injury or how they are performing beyond expectation in their winter activities.

Either they started sliding on a slippery sidewalk and were able to correct their balance before a full on splat.  Or, they did totally bite it and much to their surprise, they were strong and pliable enough to escape without injury.  Others report “dusting” (I love that) their fellow skiers/snowboarders as they went run after run on their new legs of steel.

These stories are awesome.  For the folks saving themselves from the fateful slippy step, it’s just another one of those benefits that is not touted in a brochure or on a website, but is a side effect of the new found awareness, strength and mobility developed from consistent practice.  For you guys bounding down the hill with more freedom, what’s better than feeling the exhilaration of having a greater ability to do something you love?

SO, next time you legs are burning in class and you are cursing the instructor under your breath (well, not everyone is so restrained) it’s good to remember why you torture yourself .

REMEMBER, we do this…

To avoid this…

And spend more time doing this…

and this…

and this!

Got a story about how your training has helped you?

Down Dog- the second position of SloBody’s Daily Dozen.  The first top loading, shoulder and arm strengthening, back of the body elongating pose.

January begins the heart of winter and the time that people spend much more time in activities that tighten the body, from the hips to the hamstrings, to the shoulders. These are exactly the spaces down dog will peel open, strengthen, and make pliable. Perfect for a time where ice and snow is prevalent outside, where slip and falls happen. Prep your body to be able to rebound  and respond with more finesse and ease.

In the morning after getting out of bed and hanging around in Child’s pose for a few breaths, you can softly move into Down Dog and see what your body is saying to you. In the afternoon refresh the shoulders, low back, and hamstrings with a 5x Down Dog to Plank. At night hang in Down Dog for 10 breaths.

BTW: If you’re really tight in your hamstrings or your knees hurt, raise your heels and bend your knees and little. Shoulder or wrist issues? You can always practice on your forearms. Keep up with the practice and all will evolve.

Winter weather watch: look how you can save yourself if you practice frequently! Thanks for the picture from the acrobat and former SloBody Teacher Trainee, Mary Little. Great form and no long term issues. Not a modification for everyone

The answer statistically  is probably not. According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, a 2002 study cites about 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions each year, but less than 20 percent keep them. Why? Because making a resolution is conceptual while following through is practical.  Being practical can be a pain in the ass, tedious, and many a day unrewarding. Why would you keep on doing that to yourself, day after day?

We didn’t make a resolution for 2012 in regards to business or health, we made a plan. Resolutions like the ones above are too vague and destined to fail because of it. Let’s take for example our fitness goals, since we are a fitness and wellness company.

I was reading a book a little over a month ago called Wheat Belly. I didn’t pick it up because I have gluten intolerance or some special need for a diet, I just saw a book cover with bagels on it, and I love bagels. Well…I digested this book in a few days and began researching it’s claims and just became disgusted with how our wheat and it’s products come to market. So I decided to quit eating wheat. No more bagels and lox! (Well maybe when I visit Florida and sit in the sunshine.)

I didn’t wait for the new year, I didn’t make a resolution to quit, I made a decision and then a plan of attack to follow through with the initial idea. To do anything worthwhile you have to cut a path. The following steps are the path we use:

Be Specific: it can’t be random, you have to be able to state what you are going to do in one or two sentences (ie: I am going to cut wheat out of my daily meals and snacking options).
Write it down: you have to make it concrete and place it somewhere you see it all of the time, maybe multiple places (your computer screen, the refrigerator, bathroom mirror).
Make time: Saturday and Sunday have become prep days for snacking items, like cutting all of the veggies, making the different salads, dressings, etc, packing the nut varieties up. Without making time, you will default to the easiest path. With food this would mean buying something made with wheat! Not an option.
No doubts: once you commit don’t start doubting what you are doing. You’ve made a plan now do it. Don’t let others tell you it can’t be done or you’re crazy. You already know you’re crazy so press on.
Accountability: being accountable makes a world of difference. When somebody’s going to work out with you, eat with you, or just check in with you, it keeps you going because you feel like a schmuck if you don’t follow through. Janine is that person for me. She helps keep me out of schmuckdome. 
Breathe: In other words take a time out, step back, don’t be so serious. You’ll get farther along by relaxing than fretting.  It’s okay if you falter or go off track every now and then. The key is to persist, go back to the top of your list you’ll come back around.

That’s it. No resolution, just a commitment, a goal and a plan and you’re on your way to real change not just conceptual change.