Using Your Total Gym To Ease A Sore Back As a therapist and trainer, I am amazed about how many individuals have low back pain. Even when the diagnosis is another body part or a person comes to work out and I ask about previous or current injuries, the response…
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”- Einstein
We all have good intentions when we start exercising. We commit to working out three times a week, eating a healthier diet, and going for a hike with friends on the weekends.
The first week goes great. Most of us are sore because the only movement we’ve done in the last couple months is the move from the couch to the bed to the office chair. The next few weeks go by without any issue. Around the third week, the soreness has lessened, energy levels have increased, clothes are fitting a little looser, and people are starting to notice positive changes, both mentally and physically.
You think to yourself – I just need to maintain this consistent routine and the positive changes will continue. Results are happening. Life is good.
You are now 6 months into your healthier lifestyle. You miss a workout now and then but, for the most part, you’ve been getting your 3 workouts in every week. You lost weight and dropped a few inches around the waist. Sadly, when you step on the scale now, it seems to always be on the same number as the week prior. The compliments from family and friends have tailed off as well. You are working just as hard as you were in the beginning, but the strength gains and fat loss results have hit a wall.
This is a critical time for folks. Unfortunately, many get frustrated and revert back to their unhealthy lifestyle citing it’s too much work for such little progress. Others will continue to exercise but really just go through the motions and remain stuck in “plateau limbo.” The last group is the determined group. The mentally tough and focused group who will do whatever it takes to overcome this sticking point. The final group is the group that will find a solution to this all-too-common problem.
Wouldn’t you rather prevent a problem instead of spending time and effort managing one? Why “treat” a disease when you can avoid it in the first place?
It’s the same thing with stress. That’s right… Those who sell stress management and stress reduction tools, seminars and supplements may not like to hear this, but stress doesn’t have to ever disrupt your life if you are equipped with the tools to prevent it in the first place. Read on and get ready to live stress-free.
In the 25th Anniversary edition of my 1988 original, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff P.S. It’s All Small Stuff, I point out that stress is a perspective on life.
Voltaire wisely noted, “Life is a shipwreck, but we must still sing in our lifeboats.”
But Michael, my life is crazy, my boss drives me nuts, the kids are always sick, I can never make it to the gym and our finances are stressing me out…I don’t even see a lifeboat!
When it comes to stress, there definitely is a lifeboat. You see, the Greek philosopher Epictetus was 100% right when he observed, “People aren’t disturbed by outside things and events, but by the views which they take of them.” There’s a lifeboat all right, and it’s right there behind your eyes, and between your ears.
Ah, summer! Just saying the word makes me happy. Especially when the best thing that goes with summer is the beach! Yes, summer and the beach go together like peanut butter and jelly. Not only is the beach a great place to get away and relax, but it is one of the best places to have an amazing workout. Exercising in the sand makes everything a little bit more challenging. Whether you’re a novice or a pro, young or old; one of nature’s greatest gifts has something for you.
Don’t get pigeon-holed into thinking that your beach workout has to consist of only squats and sand runs. Today I am going to make it really simple to get a total body workout with just a beach ball and towel. Come take a walk on the sandy side with me; No matter your age or level of fitness, these beach exercises are sure to please.
What you will need:
Exercises:
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The Challenge
I would like to invite you to a fitness challenge that can benefit you in many ways. This challenge will provide you with:
It will also entertain your mind and body to try something new or improve upon a skill you may have already mastered.
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The summer months are here. That means it’s time to get outside and take advantage of the sunshine. Before rushing into the heat, we’d like to share some of the best benefits and safety tips to make your workout safe and enjoyable.
Outdoor training has numerous benefits, including:
Hi Total Gym Team,
I would like you all to benefit from my recent experience working to regain my quality of life. On June 15th of this year, at age 49, I had a full, left hip replacement.
A recent article on WebMD revealed that the number of hip replacements performed in the United States has increased substantially, and the procedure has become more common in younger people, new government statistics show. The article went on to report that the number of these procedures grew 205% from 2000 to 2010 for people between ages 45 to 54.
Regardless of your age or current fitness level, please read on to see how you could prevent this procedure. In addition, I will share how my Total Gym helped me prepare for the surgery, and thrive through my post-surgery full recovery.
Rachel Maser of Clean Food Crush is back at Total Gym Pulse with another clean eating recipe! Check out “Build-A-Bowl” The Ultimate Prep Ahead Meal!
This is great for when you don’t know what to make, or want to prep a few meals ahead of time.
Pick ONE option from each category:
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Joseph Pilates – a gymnast, circus performer, martial artist and boxer – originally created an exercise regimen to help rehabilitate World War I soldiers. Not long after the war, he moved to New York and evolved his exercises and his “reformer machine” for the rehabilitation of injured dancers. Almost 100 years later, Pilates is still popular because it helps develop long and lean muscles; improves the flexibility of the back, shoulders, and hips; and builds a very strong core with low impact moves.
The Total Gym can be transformed into a reformer machine with a Pilates Toe Bar attachment, which allows you to perform upper and lower body Pilates movements. The design makes it possible to drop the heels to stretch the Achilles tendons while articulating through each joint of the foot. Compared with another Total Gym accessory, the Padded Squat Stand, the Pilates Toe Bar extends further than the squat stand allowing a greater range of motion in the knees and ankles and encourages proper alignment. If you want to get a full Pilates workout on your Total Gym, then the Pilates Toe Bar is the accessory that you should go with.
Airplanes are notoriously filthy, and they’re cleaned far less frequently than you might think. Certainly, deep cleaning isn’t done during the short period of de-boarding and re-boarding at most airline gates. In addition, there are several other travelers that have been in the seat before you. Germs such as bacteria and viruses can live on surfaces for several hours, so chances are you are sitting in the midst of others germs when you take your seat on the plane!
In spite of the ease of getting practically inoculated with germs on the airplane, there are some simple things to remember in order to avoid getting sick after you de-board the plane.
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