For A Health Boost, One Leg Can Be Better Than Two

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For A Health Boost, One Leg Can Be Better Than Two

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by Phillip Tomlinson

It was a real precious moment and, if you saw it, chances are you would have thought so too.

You see, babies have been known to be the authors of some pretty awesome moments – like the time when one little guy put forth a giant effort in accomplishing a first.

Yes, “first” would be the operative word, as in if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again.

Needless to say, this little guy didn’t succeed at first, but he did at last – after falling smack on his butt several times over.

But, eventually, he pulled himself up in his crib and found that he was a little stronger for it.  And guess what?

He now thought it was a good idea to stand only on one leg.  So, doing just that, he swung the other up, because may be — just may be — climbing out may not be impossible after all.

Something tells me you too may want to become adept at standing on one leg.  Heck, may even want to improve your climbing and, to that end, you may find that standing on one leg could do you a world of good.

For a balancing act that’ll give your core a workout, take a look at the Bodinsync Prescription below.

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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• Bend from your waste and reach your arms straight out in front of you to hold on to a sturdy support.  As in diagram 1 — lift and bend your other leg to point your knee behind you as far back as you can so that your toes point toward the ceiling.  That’s your starting point.
  

  digaram 1

• Now re-position your leg by moving your knee toward your chest as in diagram 2.
  

  diagram 2

• When your knee is as close to your chest as possible, lift it out to the side to form a right angle with your supporting leg as in diagram 3.
  

  diagram 1

• Return your leg to the starting point.  That’s ONE REPETITION.   Do 10

TIP:

Move from one position to the next slowly to develop a rhythm until your are able to smoothly quicken the tempo so that your knee moves freely in a circular motion.  Once that’s achieved, reverse the movement, and then switch your legs.

You can make the routine more challenging by letting go of the support and straightening your back to stand tall on one leg while performing the movement with the other.

NOTE:

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to chairotom@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20

One Plus One Can Add Up To A Healthy You

by Phillip Tomlinson

“One plus one equals two…”

Yes, here they were – these cute kids — gleefully clapping hands, along with their teacher, while reciting what to so many before them should now be obvious:

“Two plus two equal…”

You get the idea.

THE AVENUE TO SUCCESS

But, thankfully, while counting is no longer a problem, do we really get the idea that, in many instances, the numbers game is the avenue to success?

And, yes, wouldn’t you know it, that idea also extends to slimming down and toning up.  In fact, the research is definitive:

Adopt a numbers strategy.

In other words, incorporate several ideas that in their totality will be efficient.

TURNING HEADS THIS SUMMER

Do this and you would have employed the fastest strategy to sculpting that body that’ll have you turning heads this summer.

Here’s a snapshot of what your strategy may look like:

• Do full-body workouts.  Remember, you are looking for quality and not quantity.  Do repetitions that will challenge the maximum number of muscles at once. which means your workouts will be shorter but more effective.  Resistance exercise is king because you continue burning calories for hours after your last rep.
• Make the best use of protein.  Because it takes your body twice as much energy to break down protein as it does to break down carbohydrates, you’ll need to include protein in all your meals and snacks.
• Nourish your body smartly.  Ingest the majority of your carbohydrates when you’re active.  For example, your body needs protein and carbohydrates before and after your workout, with as little fat as possible – no more then two grams.
• Eat fats when you are less active.  Examples would be fatty fish like salmon, nuts, avocado, turkey, etc.  The idea here is that your body will burn what’s available.  Hence the saying, you need fat to burn fat.  This is where you’ll need to go very, very easy on carbohydrates
• Rest.  Remember, your body does most of its repairing and growing when you rest.
• Drink water.  All that needs saying here is that every metabolic reaction in your body needs water.
• Avoid, as much as you can, sitting for long periods.  If you have a job that confines you to a desk, take a standing break once an hour.  Why?  Research has shown that right after sitting down the electrical activity in your muscles slows down and your calorie-burning rate decreases to one calorie per minute.  Over an extended period this puts you at risk for weight gain.

So, what are you waiting for?  Start planning that strategy now.  Make a checklist, and pretty soon you’ll discover that one plus one can magically add up to lot more than two.

Do The Darnest Thing And Boost Your Health

by Phillip Tomlinson

They’ll say the darnest things, won’t they?

Kids, that is.

And if they aren’t saying anything, well…

You can count on one thing:  They’ll do the darnest things.

And while you may not remember the first time you held yourself aloft while pushing up from the floor with your hands, ask your momma and she’ll very likely remember the exact moment oh-so-many-years-ago when you did just the darnest thing in reaching that milestone.

So, how are you doing on milestones these days?

And, of course, you have to know that I am referring to milestones of a health-and-fitness nature.

You see, if you aren’t still doing the darnest things, it’s time to get in touch with your inner kid and remember how moments like that one oh-so-many-years ago was instrumental in turning you into the incredible bipedal machine you are.

Ready to raise the bar on incredible?

Then check out the Bodinsync Prescription below for a routine that’ll put you back on all fours and have you doing the darnest thing to benefit just about every muscle in your body.

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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• Attach one end of a resistance band to a firmly anchored point, like the foot of a weight bench.

Assume a push-up position away from the point of attachment,  and reach under and across your body to grip the free end of the band as in diagram 1.  You may have to vary your body’s distance from the bench to find the correct tension.  Be sure to position your legs away from your body and out to the side to form a firm base.

diagram 1

• Pull on the band, extending your arm from under your body and out to the side as in diagram 2.

diagram 2

• Hold for a count of five before returning your arm to the starting point.
• Do 10 repetitions while maintaining the push-up position.
• Switch to the other side and do another 10.
• Now re-position your body or the band, extending your arm out to the side to grip the band as in diagram 3.
  

  diagram 3

• Pull the band toward you and under your body to the farthest point, as in diagram 4.
  

  diagram 4

• Hold for a count of 10 before returning your arm to the starting position.
• Do 10 repetitions.

REMINDER: For a closer look, click on each image for a bigger picture.

TIP:

• If a full push-up position is too difficult, the routine can be done with your knees on the ground.  CAUTION:  If you do this from  knees-down position, be sure to do so with ample padding on the floor to avoid injury.
• The routine can be made more difficult by narrowing the placement of your feet while in the push-up position, or/and moving your body away from the bench to increase the tension of the band.

NOTE:

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to chairotom@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20

Play Ball And Rev Up Those Muscles

by Phillip Tomlinson

Let’s play ball!

Yes, America’s national pastime has begun and that familiar refrain not only inspires the boys of summer to arms, but may just as well be a clarion call for every living thing that had tucked itself in away from the cold.

And, if you’re taking stock, it all seems to magically unfold like those first petals opening to greet that something in the air.

And by the time that first pitch is thrown on Opening Day, everything and everyone is beginning to come out to play.

Yes, it’s a time when the birds are back to sing on cue and bushy-tailed squirrels find joy atop a power line.

And because it’s time to play ball, we too can’t be more excited to shed the restrictions of winter and a lot more.

A lot more?

Sure.  You knew I‘d be going there.

That’s because there’s no better time than spring to step up to the plate and hit one outta the park by shedding those extra pounds hidden under wintry layers – unearthing that beach body that’ll have you gliding into summer.

So, since I’m thinking you’ve got game, check out the BodinSync Prescription below and, well…

Let’s play ball!

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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• With your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart and slightly pointing out, squat down and place your hands on top of a medicine ball as in diagram 1.
  

  diagram 1

  Be sure your heels are touching the floor to create a firm base for an effective hip, lower back, hamstring and Achilles tendon stretch.

• Bring your body forward directly over the ball as in diagram 2.
  

  diagram 2

  Your hands should be firmly on top of the ball and your heels should now be up.  CAUTION: Be sure your shoulders are exactly over the ball and not too far forward or you could topple, causing serious injury.

• Press your hands into the ball and simultaneously jump your feet back into a pushup position as in diagram 3.
  

  diagram 3

  Be sure your feet follow their trajectory from the squat so that you land with a firm base that completes a tripod with your hands.

• Slowly – very slowly – remove one hand from the ball and out to your side as in diagram 4.
  

  diagram 4

  If this proves too difficult, simply remove your hand a few inches away from the ball for a few seconds and replace.  Now do the same with the other hand.

• With both hands firmly back on the ball, jump your feet forward into the sumo squat.  THAT’S ONE REPETITION.  Try five repetitions.  You can make this routine more challenging by doing a pushup before lifting your hands from the ball and by standing up and squatting back down before starting the next repetition.  .

TIP:

If the sumo squat is too difficult, squat at a manageable angle, bend over and place your hands on the ball.  Next, walk your feet out until you have assumed a pushup position and do the rest of the routine.  Of course, you will have to walk your feet in and stand up to complete one repetition.  For a bigger challenge, walk your feet back in, remove your hands from the ball and bring your torso upright into the squat before bending back over to start the next repetition.

NOTE:

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to chairotom@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20

The Fast Lane To A New, Healthier You

by Phillip Tomlinson

Was like clockwork.

Whenever I was there, she was too. Or so it seemed.

Slow and steady.  An Eveready bunny on a treadmill.  In search of that thinner waistline. Just going and going and…

Well, you get the idea.

But if more could turn out to be less, this was it. And the proof was right there in the pudding.

But this is not about her; it’s about you.

And if you’re among the legions who’ve committed to getting in better shape this year, your head is definitely in the right place. But…

NEWSFLASH

If the Eveready bunny treadmill thing is part of that New Year’s resolution, you could be making a big mistake.

That’s because treading rubber like this for long periods could do more harm than good.

Yeah, I know, distance runners do this all the time, and just look at how much asphalt they eat up.

Two cheers for endurance!

A PROBLEM HIGHLIGHT

Now that’s out of the way, let’s defer to science to highlight the problem:

This kind of training is a sure-fire way to wipe out your heart and lung reserve capacity.

And if this sounds bad, it is.

Here’s the skinny: If you hop on the treadmill or elliptical trainer consistently for long periods without the benefit of short bursts of intense activity, you could eventually cause your heart and lungs to shrink.

And, yes — you know where I’m going — this could leave you susceptible to a heart attack.

Why?

THE FAST LANE IS WHERE YOU NEED TO BE

Because reserve capacity is what allows your heart and lungs to deal with sudden stress like when you dart for that train before it leaves the station.

Simply put, the fast lane of interval training is where you need to be.  In other words, only short bursts of intense activity will improve your reserve capacity thereby priming your heart and expanding your lungs and, in the process, turn you into a fat-burning, high-performance machine.

You’ll be doing yourself a few other big favors too — like saving a ton of time, adding years to your life, reducing your risk of joint problems, escaping the ravages of the army of free radicals generated by conventional cardio, strengthening your immune system and, of course, doing better than you ever imagined with that New Year’s resolution.

So go on: Run or walk up a staircase as fast as you can, then descend slowly back down, doing these back-and-forth intervals for, say, about 10 minutes and you would have done more for yourself than if you did a steady endurance run for 40 minutes.

And chances are, in no time, you’ll agree that the proof is in the pudding.

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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NOTE:

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to chairotom@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20

Cartier: To Your Health!

by Phillip Tomlinson

Cartier.

Oh, Santa Baby!

Hey, was just The Season To Be Jolly when the images can be pretty heartening.

And if you were thinking French this Holiday Season, well there’s nothing wrong with reaching for the finer things in life.

Cartier if you please or, should I say, if you could have. But, then again, may be Santa climbed down your chimney with one of these super-sparklers from Louis Francois Cartier and had you instantly feeling like a million dollars when you stepped out.

TOP OF THE LIST

Anyway — before getting ahead of ourselves here — you know there’s only one thing that can really keep you feeling your best, and it’s at the top of the list of the finer things in life.

Yup, you guessed it, your health which, incidentally, could also have you feeling like a million dollars.  And since we’ve just bid adieu to the Holiday Season and you may still be dead set on Cartier, let me add another one — Cartier that is — to your list:

A NUTRITION JEWEL

Jacques Cartier, another Frenchman. The one who brought an-oft-overlooked nutrition jewel to the Americas back in 1536.

Yes, cabbage — the other Cartier — is a-jewel-of-a-powerhouse that, according to research, can improve your health and add years to your life. Years more to enjoy those super sparklers you may have acquired.

FOOD AS MEDICINE

To put things into perspective, just consider these key links to this cruciferous vegetable which has long been used as food as well as medicine:

• It is a potent source of natural antioxidants which can help minimize oxidation, thereby limiting cell damage and inflammation.
• It has been found to play a significant role in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Can help steel us against cardiovascular illnesses.
• Red cabbage in particular was found to contain some 36 anthocyanins — phytonutrients that are believed to help fight various cancers. Among them, cancer of the prostate, bladder, breast and colon.

A pretty good bargain for food on the cheap which, as one story has it, was fed to laborers to keep them healthy as they built the Great Wall of China.

If you are averse to eating this nutritious vegetable, you can avail yourself of its healthful benefits by taking cabbage pills which have been shown to be effective.

May the Cartier tradition — Louis’s and Jacques’s be yours in good health for a great, many sparkling years.

In the meantime, learn more about the super family of vegetables that cabbage is a part of by clicking on the link below in the BodinSync Prescription.

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/super-veggies-cruciferous-vegetables

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to chairotom@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20

Season’s Greetings To Your Health: Go Ahead, Jump!

by Phillip Tomlinson

‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly.

And you know how it is.

Means a lotta things:

Santa scooting down the chimney, a holly wreath over the door, a gift or two given or welcomed and, well, on and on…

May even mean rocking to the rhythm of a music machine, a la Van Halen, in the spirit of a classic that could just as well have been a Holiday anthem:

“Might as well jump.  Go ahead, jump…”  That’s the spirit!

Now, how’s that for moving your body?

Come on, you had to know that pretty soon we’d be talking movement.

And, just like the Holidays, that could mean a lotta things.

But one thing is sure:

The Holidays can bring a whole lotta excitement.  But, hey, there can be no real excitement without movement.

Wanna help supercharge the excitement?  Well, check out the BodinSync Prescription below for a quick workout routine that‘ll help you move that body with reckless abandon.

Season’s Greetings to your health.  Go ahead, jump!

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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1. Assume a standing position — your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart and pointing slightly out to the side as in diagram 1.
   

   diagram 1

2. Go into a full sumo squat with your hips below your knees while placing your palms on the ground, shoulderwidth apart, as in diagram 2.  Be sure the soles of your feet are entirely on the ground.
   

   diagram 2

3. Jump your feet straight out behind you, and together, to assume a pushup position as in diagram 3.
   

   diagram 3

4. execute a pushup as in diagram 4.
   

   diagram 4

5. Jump your feet back into the sumo squat position without placing your hands on the ground.  See diagram 5.  CAUTION:  Be sure, in this and the following  jumping maneuvers  to land softly — from toes to heels.
   

   diagram 5

6. Jump to do a 180-degree turn facing the opposite direction while holding the squat — from takeoff to landing — as in diagram 5.
   

   diagram 6

7. Jump 180 degrees exactly the way you traveled back into the original sumo squat position as in diagram 5.
8. Now, stand back up into the starting position as in diagram 1.  That’s one repetition.  Do 10.

TIP: 

For balance, reverse the direction of your jump after five repetitions.  In other words, jump five times to your left and five times to your right.  Or it may just be that you’d rather go for the gusto and do 20 jumps — 10 to your right and 10 to your left.

NOTE:

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to kerolinson@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20

Stand Up Regularly And Avoid A Death Sentence

by Phillip Tomlinson

“How sweet it is…  Pins and needles, needles and pins.  It’s a happy man that grins.”

If only America’s most famous bus driver, the Honeymooners Ralph Kramden, knew that researchers, as early as 1953, discovered that people like him were on borrowed time, he may not have been cooing “how sweet it is.”

And, well, he may have been a worried rather than a grinning man.

Yes, Ralph’s considerable girth inspired some sick jokes but, in this case, that’s not what researchers were worried about.

Far from it.

A LIFE-AND-DEATH ISSUE

Rather, what he did was the issue.  And, like Big Ralph, what you do could be a big issue — no pun intended.  So big, in fact, that it may be lethal.

Yup — a life and death issue.

Let’s put it this way:

Sit for too long like Ralphie Boy, and you are more likely to die sooner than the person who spends a lot of time on his or her feet.

Of course, you’re thinking, that’s obvious.

But, hold your horses. 

Really. 

In this case, things aren’t that simple.

This, according to scientists who found that the reason for this difference in life expectancy was the action of a gene that is not at all influenced by how much you exercise but, rather, by how much you sit or stand.

THE SCARY PART

And here’s the scary part:  It applies to you even if you’re ripped to the bone.

The British study first done in 1953 concluded that bus drivers were almost twice as likely to die of heart disease than conductors who were always on their feet. 

The culprit?  A gene that can cause heart disease.  And it doesn’t matter if the Ralph Kramdens of this world exercise vigorously every day after sitting behind the wheel for eight hours.  But it also doesn’t matter if you are skinnier than a rail, sit for eight hours and then work out to the limit of your endurance.

The mere act of sitting for long hours causes the gene to have an adverse effect.

Yes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) will be at its highest level — effectively breaking down fat for use as energy, when we are standing — but will take a nose dive when we are sitting.

THE CURE

The cure?  Start giving up that chair through regular breaks, staying on your feet longer than you sit. 

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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NOTE:

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to kerolinson@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20

Lose Your Chair; Your Muscles Will Thank You For It.

by Phillip Tomlinson

She does it sitting down.

For well over an hour.

Reading the newspaper that is.

I know, that’s not so unusual ’cause lots of people do that.  Right?

Well, not the way she does.

You see, there’s sitting down, and then there’s really sitting down.  Without a chair, as you would expect.  And I should also tell you that she’s a mere 69 years young.

Of course, all this is relevant because I’m talking about squatting.  Like when you were a kid and hardly had much use for a chair.

So, here’s the question, now that you’re all grown up:

Can you still comfortably assume a full squat, a few inches from the ground, like a sumo wrestler, and hold it for a significant period of time as if you were 69 years young?

Good for you if you can!

But here’s the flip side:

If you can’t, like so many of us, or struggle to revisit this once-comfortable position, you are at a disadvantage.

The answer?  Work toward being a kid again when you could squat and stand up at will and in the process effect physical development that enabled you to play with reckless abandon.

While you may have left recklessness behind, I’m pretty certain that playing is still in the cards.  So, to keep playing at the highest level, check out the BodinSync Prescription below for an exercise that’ll help you reduce your limitations by shoring up your quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, hips, adductors, lower back, calves, abdominals and — as a bonus — your arms and shoulders.

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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1. Select two dumbbells that you can perform curls with.  Select weights that’ll challenge, but not cause strain.
2. Assume a standing position — your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart and pointing out to the side.
3. Place the weights on the ground, inside your feet as in diagram 1.
   

   diagram 1

4. Go into a full sumo squat with your hips below your knees, the soles of your feet entirely on the ground as you grip the weights.  See diagram 2.
   

   diagram 2

   NOTE: If you are unable to do a full squat, use a support such as a an aerobic step adusted to the appropriate height or a very short stool as in diagram 3. 

   

   diagram 3

   Your aim should be to ultimately make the support lower and lower until you are able do a full squat.  CAUTION:  Be sure not to squat on or near the edge of the support, since this could cause it to topple resulting in serious injury.

1. Using the inside of your thighs as stops, press the outside of your elbows against them, palms facing up, and curl both dumbbells up to the top of your shoulders as in diagram 4.
   

   diagram 4

2. Driving with your hips and heels, stand straight up as in diagram 5.
   

   diagram 5

3. Now, turning your palms in, drive them straight up above your head into a military press as in diagram 6.
   

   diagram 6

4. Lower the weights back to the top of your shoulders, palms facing in.
5. Lower yourself back into the squatting position.
6. Lower the weights back to the ground, palms facing in.  THAT COMPLETES ONE REPETITION.  Do 10.

TIP:

Pay special attention to the position of your hands.  When you curl to the top of your shoulders, your palms are facing up, but when you eventually lower the weights to the ground again your arms are facing in to do the negative half of a hammer curl.

To make the routine more challenging, take a 30-second rest and do every move, back-to-back, 10 times.  In other words, after the initial compound routine, do 10 curls from the squat position, 10 squats and, finally 10 military presses.

NOTE

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to kerolinson@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20

Be A Big Baby And Improve Your Health

by phillip Tomlinson

Just make your heart melt — those little people.

Babies, that is.

Ever really watched the movements of a baby?  Sure you have.  Can be pretty amusing and downright funny.

Pumping those legs, while on its back, on a sprint to nowhere; rolling across the floor, from its back to its stomach and vice versa, as if trying to put out a fire; moving its head from side to side uncontrollably because at this age babies lack impulse control.  All this, designed to build muscle for advanced locomotion and body control.

Yeah, that word “muscle.”  You had to know I was going there.

But before I go there, let me ask you this: 

Ever reminisce about being one of those little people again?  No?  Not even so you can be fed, cleaned and pampered?

Don’t miss squirreling across the floor on all fours?

May be it’ll help to be reminded that it’s muscle-building movements like these that turned you into the bipedal machine you are.

And, yes, with a bit of tweeking, some of these movements can still improve your efficiency a bunch.

So, go ahead, be a big baby.  Check out the BodinSync Prescription below and get down on all fours for an effective core exercise that can definitely help in the body control and locomotion department.

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BODINSYNC PRESCRIPTION

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1. Place your hands on the floor, palms first — bringing them together to form a triangle, thumb-to-thumb and forefinger-to-forefinger as in diagram 1.
   

   diagram 1

2. Maintaining the placement of your hands, assume a pushup position, forming a secure base with your feet in a wide stance as in diagram 2.
   

   diagram 2

3. Keeping your shoulders square and flat, move one arm slowly out to your side while balancing on the other as in diagram 3. 
   

   diagram 3

   Take care not to rotate your body as you perform the arm movement.  Hold the position for a second before returning your arm to its original position on the floor.

4. On the same side as the arm you moved, pick that leg up — if you moved your right arm, pick your right leg up and bring your knee toward your right elbow as in diagram 4.
   

   diagram 4

     That’s one repetition.  Try for 10 on one side.  Rest for 20 seconds before switching to the other side for another 10.

TIP:

If this is too challenging, you may decrease the degree of difficulty by doing the following —

1. Simply balancing in the push-up position — using it as a kind of bridge — for repetitions of 20 to 30 seconds several times per week before attempting the leg and arm movements.
2. Performing the arm and leg movements at less acute angles — decreasing their traveling distance.

NOTE:

Interested in trying out some fun and functional ways to improve your physical fitness?  You’re welcome to send your E-mail to kerolinson@gmail.com to arrange for a class at the low introductory price of $20