SUMMER 2002:

ACE Fit Fact - click

Corporate Wellness:

If you do not offer shower facilities and want to have a lunchtime class, schedule yoga or sculpting classes.

These classes offer the benefits of stress reduction, better self-image, and improved strength and concentration without the benefit of excessive sweat.

Cross Training:

TRY SOMETHING NEW! Mix it up! If you constantly find yourself on the same cardio machine at the gym, in the same step class day after day, running the same route, or using the same 5 weight machines, chances are you need to try something new.

Our bodies adapt to our exercise programs rather quickly, often resulting in training plateaus. Also, always working out the same could be placing excessive stress on your muscles and joints. To learn more about cross training, check out our featured ACE Fit Fact...Cross Training for Fun and Fitness (An ACE Fit Fact)

Kickboxing

TIP #1

When punching in your cardio kickboxing class, your core is your power. With every punch you want the hips and shoulders of the punching arm to rotate in the direction of your punch. Shoulder and elbow injuries can occur when you try to extend only the arm with force as you try to 'punch harder'.

Keep this in mind for a safer, more effective workout.

TIP #2

When looking for a cardio kickboxing class, ask an instructor what their music speed is for class. A SAFE speed for a cardio class is 130-140 BPM, which allows time for proper form and range of motion.

A class consisting of primarily kicking should be closer to 130 BPM.

Personal Training:

When interviewing a prospective trainer, look for a nationally recognized certification (such as: ACE, AFAA, NASM, ASCM, NSCA) and years of experience.

Also, a good question to ask is: "How many contact hours of continuing education do you have in the last 12-24 months?" Most certifying bodies require 15 contact hours every 24 months in order to remain certified and current in the industry.

DID YOU KNOW? Guru Fitness™ trainer Linda Freeman consistently attends 30-45 hours of continuing education every year?

Resist-a-Ball®

When working with Resist-a-Ball®, clothes that fit snugly work the best. Also, try to avoid slippery fabrics such as satin-like shorts and shirts. Loose or slippery clothing can slide on the ball and make you feel less stable. If you tend to sweat a lot, try wearing full-length tank tops versus cropped, as sweaty skin can also slide on the ball.

Strength Training:

What's one of the best glute training exercises around? The one-leg squat.

The one-leg squat can be performed with the Smith Machine at the gym, with a Resist-a-Ball® against a wall (ball placed in your lumbar spine) or free standing. When performing a one-leg squat, your range of motion will most likely be smaller than the range-of-motion of a two-leg squat.

Performance Tips:

• Make sure you hinge at the hips and allow your tailbone to go back, while keeping chest lifted and neck neutral.
• The knee of the working leg should not extend in front of the toes with heavy weight loads.
• The knee of the working leg should always track between the big and little toe.
• Abdominals should always be "turned on": pull your belly button toward the spine.
• When pushing back up to standing, concentrate on pushing equally through the foot and contracting the quadriceps (front of thigh) muscle.
• Execute slowly and with control.

Added benefit: It improves the integrity of the knee joint.

Yoga

Always remember that each pose is a process. There is no "perfect pose", there are only "places you can continue to take your body"

Every body is different, every day is different. Listen to your breath, your body and your heart and you will be in your pose.

SPRING 2002:

Strength Training:

What's your hurry? Slow down your strength training and realize proper form and better results. A recommended lifting time is: 6-8 seconds concentric phase and 4-6 seconds for the eccentric phase of each exercise. Surprise! This is not the "Superslow" method, just a recommended speed for optimal strength training.

Group Fitness:

One thing I often see in my various group fitness classes is participants not wearing proper footwear. I see:

• Little White Keds (no support!)
• Old, Old Running Shoes (hello...nothing left here!)
• Socks only, No shoes (ouch!)
• Dirt-covered grungy shoes (please be considerate to our workout surfaces)
• Black-soled dress shoes (hot, sweaty, no support and leaves marks on the floors)

It is SO important to wear proper footwear! A good gym cross-trainer is usually a good bet for group fitness classes, especially if you take a variety of classes. If you take mostly classes with lots of impact (jumping jacks, plyometrics, sports moves) you may want to check out a basketball shoe, which offers lateral support and cushioning for impact.

These shoes both have in common: good grips on bottom, cushioning, lateral support, overall comfort and sometimes "ventilation systems". Workout shoes for indoor classes should only be worn indoors, preserving the workout floor surfaces as well as keeping things clean for the next person (nothing like doing pushups in a pile of someone else's dirt!). If all else fails, you can always try yoga - no shoes required!

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