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The High Heel Workout

When we wear high heels regularly it makes permanent changes to our muscles and tendons.  The calf muscle and Achilles tendon get shorter.  Tight, short muscles and tendons can impact the rest of our body in negative ways, so it’s important to incorporate a few moves if you love your high heels and want to keep them in your wardrobe rotation.

 

Think STAND (Stretch, Tone, Ankle, Nourish, Doggie)

 

1.Calf Stretch:

You can do the calf stretch in so many ways.  You can face a wall and step one foot back pushing down into your back heel.  You can stretch your calves using a BOSU or a flex band.  You can use a set of stairs and let your heel hang off the bottom.  You can also use a half-foam roller and place the ball of your foot on the top.  Heels stay on the floor.  As you gain flexibility you can creep the foot that isn’t on the foam roller forward.

 

2.Tone Shins

We don’t think about our shins much when we exercise (unless, of course, they hurt), but keeping the shins strong can help combat the tightening of the claves.

Lean against a wall.  Walk your feet about 1 foot forward and then try to […]

The High Heel Workout2024-04-23T17:13:43-04:00

Limber for Life

It is so easy to skip stretching.  I skip it myself after many workouts. What gives?  We all know stretching is beneficial.  Why do we brush it aside so easily?

To encourage ourselves to stretch more we need to 1) enjoy it and 2) recognize it has value. Even if we don’t love exercise, many people make themselves do it because they know it’s good for them.  Why isn’t it the same for stretching?

Why We Stretch:

Range of Motion

We don’t need to be the newest member of Cirque Du Soleil, but it’s beneficial to maintain our mobility.  Ultimately that’s what stretching does.  It helps you keep your full range of motion (ROM) at every joint.

When we lose range of motion and flexibility, it limits what we can do.  Maybe you’ve noticed you can’t get up and down off the floor anymore, it’s hard to get your sock on, or you can’t scratch that itch on your back in a spot you used to be able to reach.

Reduce Pain

Also, limited ROM can lead to pain and discomfort.  If joints are clamped down and restricted it can lead to injury or pain.  This works at the other extreme too.  People who are hypermobile often […]

Limber for Life2024-03-08T16:38:15-05:00

Indoor Workouts

It’s winter.  That can mean chilly weather, icy sidewalks, and messy precipitation.  But that doesn’t have to derail your workout.

There are great moves you can do with items in your own home that will add some variety to your regular workout routine.  Variety is essential for a healthy body.  So if you are missing outdoor workout routines, know that staying in can help make you even stronger when you head back outside in spring.

Plus a little variety is fun.

Here are some tips for your at-home workout:

  • Use a full laundry detergent bottle as a kettle bell
  • Use cans or water bottles as weights
  • Lately, you can find all sorts of wall workouts online—some of them put your feet on the wall so make sure you pick a place in the house you are okay with that.
  • Chairs are very versatile. They can help modify a workout or make it harder
  • Stairs are great for climbing or working on general leg strength.

Here is a sample Chair and Stair workout.

So what fun workouts can you create?  There is no limit.  Get creative.  Play with the items in your house and the structure of your house. Let us know what you come […]

Indoor Workouts2024-01-26T12:04:37-05:00

Help!!! I’m Losing Muscle!!!

Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle tone that happens as we age.  It can be seen in lack of strength, balance, and speed—though there are currently no definitive measures for practitioners to look at when diagnosing sarcopenia.  That might be changing as sarcopenia became an official disease in 2016.  It’s considered a treatable disease.

New research indicates it also might not be inevitable.  Humans may not just lose 3-8% of our muscle mass each decade starting in our thirties (that’s the actual data).  It could be that each decade we move less and therefore lose muscle.  That makes the answer simple: move more and keep your muscles.  It also implies you aren’t fighting an uphill battle.  So how do we keep as much of our muscle tone as possible?

Keep Moving and use the acronym MOVE:

Movement Awareness:

Notice anything you’ve lost.  Is it harder to balance? Can you no longer get up and down off the floor.  When you pick something up do you no longer squat and instead hinge from the back? Is it hard to lift a heavy pot suddenly?

Objective:

Set an objective.  What do you need to train to help rebuild what you’ve lost? Who can help and is there anything […]

Help!!! I’m Losing Muscle!!!2024-01-26T12:07:20-05:00

Achey from Raking

This time of year we want to be carving pumpkins, picking apples, sipping cider, and leaf-peeping. But at some point, we’ve got to rake the yard and sweep up leaves that work their way into the house

Since raking only has to be done once a year our body isn’t always in shape for it, and we can get sore during or after. Luckily the very tool making us sore (that rake) can help us do some great stretches.

Try the chest opener, side bend, and standing cat stretch in the video below.

And if you want to add a few warm-up moves before you start raking, do some marches trying to tap the rake with your thighs.

Household items like a rake or a broom can become your friend. Use them to your advantage. They can actually deepen the sensation of certain stretches in a beneficial way. Try for yourself:

Keep Reading

Looking for more exercises to boost strength? Check out Maggie’s recent blog on the importance of Grip Strength!

Click here to learn more ways to boost arm strength!

Keep Connected

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Achey from Raking2023-11-01T18:25:41-04:00
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