Have you ever wanted to change the way you hit a tennis racket or a golf club, spent thousands of dollars on lessons, only to find yourself repeating old patterns when you actually went out to play?
You may be interested in having a session with me on Movement Re-education, a hands-on approach that will teach your muscles how to release old neurological patterns so they can move more freely with greater grace and coordination.
Movement Re-education combines techniques from Educational Kinesiology, Touch for Health, and Brain Gym, all of which you may have heard me speak about with great enthusiasm. These techniques are used by Olympic and other professional athletes to maximize performance in a variety of sports.
Dr. Candace Pert, author of Molecules of Emotion and co-discoverer of endorphins, told the IDEA fitness conference last year that modern medicine is now able to prove what yogis have known for hundreds of years: that your memory is stored in every cell in your body, not just your head. In fact, your kinesthetic memory is better than your visual or auditory memory.
Most people who try to improve their sports performance do so by attempting to change on merely a conscious level. In doing so, they have to fight months, or maybe years, of neurological patterns deeply ingrained in the muscle tissue.
Movement re-education is fun and feels great as your muscles are restored to their natural length.
How does the process work? We’ll do a little acupressure tune-up, then set a goal of something you’d like to do better. Most movement re-ed sessions take place on a massage table. Which muscles need work may depend on your goal and your overall level of coordination.
Movement re-ed can also improve muscular imbalances, which are the cause of tightness and soreness.
Free Yoga at Piedmont Park
If there could ever be anything more fun than a yoga class at Fitness Rush, it would have to be yoga in the grass at Piedmont Park!
Join me on Sunday, May 16, for a free yoga class at 4 p.m.
Cindy Spalding of Bohemian Skate School has asked me to teach at the end of a free day of skating, soccer, Tai Chi, and fitness clinics.
I love teaching yoga outdoors, soaking up the sunshine and wiggling my toes in the grass.
Bring the whole family for a day of free clinics that begins at 10 a.m. For more information, call the Bohemian Skate School at 404-298-6378.
Estimate Your Protein Intake: Look at All Your Food Sources
If you are doing your best to estimate your protein intake, take a look at your total diet.
There’s no protein at all in fruits, sugar, or fat, but you will find this essential nutrient other places. Where to look: Milk, 1 cup – 8 grams per cup Meat, chicken, and fish – an average 7 grams per ounce Beans – an average 7 grams per half cup serving Bread – an average 3 grams per slice Starchy vegetables – an average 3 grams per half cup serving Other vegetables – an average 2 grams per half cup serving
According to the IDEA Personal Trainer magazine, research conducted over the past 10 to 15 years has indicated that regular exercise increases an individual’s protein requirement.
If you are working out regularly and are unable to build muscle or lower your body fat percentage, a good place to look to comprehend why is probably your diet, with particular regard to your overall protein intake.
One famous woman body builder, Cory Everson, is a vegetarian. It is possible to get all the protein you need from non-meat sources, but to do so you will need to plan your meals carefully and possibly consider adding a protein supplement, like a shake.
Food Diaries: The Truth Will Tell
You may not feel like writing down what you eat. You may think it has nothing to do with losing weight, or even with being able to keep off what you have already worked so hard to lose. If you don’t think it’s worth keeping track, read on:
According to Health Psychology, a group of seasoned dieters – 38 men and women who had been dieting an average of 50 weeks – were followed from two weeks before Thanksgiving until two weeks after New Year’s.
These people must have learned something about how much they had to eat to lose weight, because each of them had already lost an average of 21 pounds.
However, when 75 percent of that group were not as vigilant about keeping their records, they gained back an average of 3 pounds.
The 25 percent who kept writing down what they ate continued to lose an average 7 pounds more, even during the holidays.
Other studies that I have read have reported that even seasoned dieticians underestimate the amount of calories they actually take in by as much as 1,000 calories a day!
The reality is that if we keep track of what we are eating, we can pay attention to which foods help us lose weight and feel great. The healthier you are, the better able you are to work out intelligently enough to get great results with your workouts.