Roll Out The Tension {Foam Roller For Calves}

Spring has arrived, and with that I have noticed more people outside running. Whether you're a new runner or and experienced runner, sometimes we can over do it and the end result tends to be sore muscles.

Sometimes I find the most painful sore muscles can be the calf muscles, so with that being said, I thought I'd provide you with an excellently effective foam roller exercise that will take away that tension in your calf muscles.

http://www.fitsugar.com/Foam-Roller-Exercises-7523990#photo-7524005

How To:

Sit on the ground with your legs straight, left leg crossed over the right, with the roller under your right calf.

Lift your bum off the ground so that your weight is supported by your hands and the roller.

Roll the length of your calf from the back of your knee to the Achilles tendon.

Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds and switch legs.

Tip: When you find a really sore spot, stay still and let the flesh of the muscles sink into the roller.

Take Care,

Leanne.

[Photos courtesy of: Core Performance Women (Penguin)]

How To Foam Roll

Have you ever foam rolled before?

If you answered "no" then you are really missing out. Foam rolling not only relieves sore muscles, but it also prevents serious (and very painful) injuries.

I can speak from experience; a few weeks ago I had a very painful and tight lower back to the point where it hurt to turn my torso slightly to the right or left (even sitting in a chair was causing me a lot of discomfort). My trainer kept telling me "I really think that your back pain is coming from your glutes and hamstrings being too tight". After spending weeks of not believing this I was ready to believe what he was saying so I spent almost an hour foam rolling out my legs and butt. I kid you not when I say that after 1 hour of foam rolling, focused entirely on my glutes and hamstrings I felt almost no pain or discomfort, and the next day I was back to normal with no tell tale signs that I was ever in pain at all.

Moral of the story, foam rolling works!

So without further delay, here's a guide on how to foam roll like a pro.

http://moyoga.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/foam-rolling-infographic.jpeg

Now although I said that I foam rolled for an hour, I assure you that you do not need to spend that much time doing this; a normal foam rolling session for me is usually anywhere from 10-20 minutes.

If you stay consistent and make foam rolling part of your daily stretching routine, I guarantee you will see results; your muscles will be less sore and looser, and you will notice that you will not only be in less pain, but you will over time have a greater range of motion in your movements.

Tip: the firmer the foam roller, the better. Go for a foam roller that when you press your hands into it, you have little to no give in the material. 

Take Care,

Leanne.

Stretching The Pain Away {Yoga For Back Pain}

Do you suffer from lower back pain and are in need of some good stretches? If you answered "yes", then look no further; I have a total of 6 awesome yoga inspired stretches that will help to alleviate the strain on your back and loosen up your tight muscles.

http://www.considermefit.com/2013/08/14/yoga-for-back-pain/

If any of these stretches are unfamiliar to you and you require a more detailed explanation on how to perform these stretches follow the link above.

Hold each of these stretches for a minimum of 20 seconds (I like to hold my stretches for 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on how tight my muscles are). And always remember you do not want to stretch to the point of pain; just go as far as you can comfortably and work your way deeper into the stretches over time.

If you perform these stretches once a day you will start to feel the tension leaving your muscles.

Take Care,

Leanne.

Handstand Master {Yoga}

When you look back at your childhood, I bet there are things that you did back then, that you wish you could still do now. One of those things for me is doing a handstand.

If this is something that you would also like to be able to do, then follow the steps below and you will work your way up to it as you build up the strength in the muscles that enable you to perform a  handstand (there is a lot of core strength that is required).

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/the-pose-handstand-adho-mukha-vrksasana?workout=27589

Level 1 (Beginner)
Stand with your back and heels against a wall. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor a few feet in front of you, raising your hips and straightening your legs to come into downward-facing dog (an inverted V). Place your right foot flat on the wall so your leg is straight and your thigh is parallel to the floor. Brace your core, then slowly place your left foot next to your right. With both legs straight, shift your weight so that your shoulders are directly over your wrists (you'll be in an L shape). Hold, then bend your knees and slowly lower one foot to the floor at a time.

Level 2 (Intermediate)
Repeat phase 1, then lift your right leg off the wall, lifting your heel toward the ceiling while keeping your hips and toes square to the wall. Your left leg is still parallel to the floor, with your foot flat on the wall. Hold, keeping your core tight, arms straight, and neck relaxed, then slowly bring your right foot back to the wall and switch legs. To release, bring both feet back to the wall, bend your knees, and slowly lower one foot at a time.

Level 3 (Advanced)
Face the wall and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor about 10 inches away from it. Get into downward-facing dog, then walk your feet in a few inches, stacking your shoulders over your wrists. Brace your core and slowly raise your left heel toward the ceiling, leg straight. Keep your hips square, arms straight, and neck relaxed. Hold, gazing toward your fingertips, then lower your leg and switch sides.

Level 4 (Expert)
Start in downward-facing dog with your hands shoulder-width apart and legs straight. Walk your feet forward, shifting your weight onto your hands and stacking your shoulders over your wrists. With your arms straight and core tight, lift your right leg toward the ceiling, keeping your hips square. Bend your left knee and gently hop to raise your left leg toward the ceiling, bringing your hips over your shoulders. Hold, then slowly come down one leg at a time. 

And that's it. If you follow these instructions and keep at it, you will be well on your way to being able to perform (and hold) a handstand.

Take Care,

Leanne.

*Note: To master more difficult Yoga poses, follow the link to Womens Health Magazine's webpage.

Fat Blasting Yoga

Are you a fan of yoga, but when you aren't in a class don't really know what to do as far as creating a fat burning sequence?

If this sounds like you, I have a great yoga sequence for you that is sure too torch fat and burn calories:

http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/page/7

Just follow this sequence in alphabetic order 5-10 times. Or if you want to go for 30

minutes, set a timer and just repeat the sequence until the timer goes off.

There you have it, an easy but effective yoga workout that will blast away fat.

Take Care,

Leanne.

Build Stronger Knees

It may surprise you, but many athletes (especially runners) and dancers have bad knees. No, I'm not kidding. The reason for this is because the cartilage that cushions your joints wears down, which in the long run can result in pain, inflammation, and stiffness in the knee.

Once this cartilage is worn away it cannot grow back, and in turn you will need surgery for a knee replacement. 

Don't panic though, there are stretches and exercises that can help strengthen your knees.

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/build-better-knee#.UKgr_Fir4yk.pinterest

Stretches: IT Band

Lean into each stretch for 15 to 20 seconds, then switch sides.

Wall Banger: Stand with your right side about six to 12 inches from a wall. Squat and lean your upper body to the left until your right hip touches the wall. "It stretches the IT band and strengthens the glutes," says Nancy Cummings, Ed.D., assistant professor at Florida Southern College.

Side Stretch: Stand with your left foot crossed in front of your right, and lean your upper body to the left with your hands overhead. Lean as far as you can without bending your knees.

Backward T Stretch: Stand, feet together, facing a wall about six to 12 inches away. Hold your arms to your sides like you're forming a T. Without bending your knees, reach down and back as far as you can with your right hand.

Strength Moves: Hips, Glutes, and Quadriceps

Do independent of running so your muscles aren't fatigued during this program.

Leg Lift: Strong hip abductors help prevent strain of the IT band. "There's less torque on the band because you're decreasing the amount of hip abduction," says sports-medicine specialist Sharon Flynn, M.D. Lie on your side with your elbow on the floor. Lift your upper leg up about a foot and return to the starting position. Do 20 to 30 on each side.

Four-Way Kick: Attach your ankle to a cable machine (or use a resistance band). Face the machine. Kick your leg backward 20 times. Rotate 90 degrees and kick to the side. Repeat in all four directions (when you're facing away from the machine, kick forward). Start with two sets of 20 in each direction on each leg, and work up to three sets of 50 in each direction.

Lateral Step Up with Kick: Stand with your left side next to a step that's eight to 12 inches high. Step up with your left foot, driving the right foot in the air so it's even with your waist. Step back down and repeat. It strengthens the lateral muscle of the quad to help protect the knee, Cummings says. Do two sets of eight to 12 repetitions on each side.

Hip Lift: Balance on your right foot (use a wall for balance). With your left knee bent, drop the left hip and lift it up. "Let the hip drop, and try not to bend the left leg," says Stephen Pribut, D.P.M., a sports podiatrist in Washington, D.C. "You'll feel it in the glutes." Do 15 to 20 times on each side.

Step Down: Stand on a step on your right foot. Lower your left leg toward the floor, making sure the knee of your right leg is centered over your foot. "With the step down, you're putting more focus on the glutes," says Matt Schneider, athletic trainer and physician assistant at the Boulder (Colorado) Center for Sports Medicine. Do two sets of 10 on each.

**To read the full article, visit the following link on Runners World:

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/build-better-knee#.UKgr_Fir4yk.pinterest

Take Care,

Leanne.

Hip Opening Stretches

It's surprising how many people have tight hips (myself included). One of the best ways to reduce the tightness of the hips, and to increase the flexibility of the hip joints is to do stretches. 

The following stretches are meant to open up your hips, and increase strength and flexibility:

http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/post/45305031034/healthylittlenerd-fitnessloveaffair-here-are

If you've ever done yoga, you may recognize some of these stretches. I've tried 8 out of 10 of these and they feel unbelievable.

If you have tight hips, or are just looking for a good stretch (runners, these are great stretches for you) I highly recommend that you try these.

Take Care,

Leanne.

From Stretches To Splits

Being able to do the splits seems to be a well known sign of flexibility. If you can do them, good for you (really I mean it). If you cannot do the splits and have always wanted to be able to, I have some good news for you: you can work your way up to doing the splits by simply stretching.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/331292-stretches-for-training-to-do-the-splits/

If you do the following stretches, over time you will increase the flexibility in the muscles and joints that allow you to do the splits properly:

Hamstrings:

Start on your hands and knees. Bring your right leg forward placing your right foot between your hands. Slowly slide your right heel forward until your right leg is straight. Lean forward over your right leg until you feel a stretch in your hamstring. Hold this position for 30 seconds with your right foot flexed and 30 seconds with your right foot pointed.

Quadriceps:

Starting from the split-prep hamstring stretch position, bend your right knee as you straighten your left knee and move your hips forward. Keep your left knee pointed toward the floor. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds. Switch legs to stretch the left hamstring and quadriceps.

Hip Flexors:

Place a pillow on a sturdy straight-backed chair. Stand in front of the chair with your back facing it. Bend forward and place your hands on the floor, bending your knees slightly. Lift your right leg back and place your knee on the pillow, resting your right ankle against the chair back. With your hands still planted firmly on the floor, move your left foot forward until your lower left leg -- from front ankle to knee -- is perpendicular to the floor, and your thigh is parallel to the floor. Lift your hands to your left thigh and gently press your torso toward an upright position. Switch legs to stretch your left hip flexors.

Toes:

 Kneel with the insides of your knees, ankles, heels and big toes together. Concentrate on pressing the outsides of your calves and ankles in toward the centerline, as you sit back onto your heels.

**To read more detail, visit the original article at Livestrong.Com**

Take Care,

Leanne.