Image by Fevi in Cayman via Flickr
Welcome back everyone,
Did you try any of the last exercise assignments? Even though they have golf specificity in mind this time of year, they're great for the non-golfers alike. Each of them address physical changes and challenges we all experience. You'll feel fabulous after doing them I promise.
We're still in the stage of trying to re-establish mobility in the body. Our last section touched on the hip region. Today we're moving up the spine into the mid back. As you've heard me say many times before, this is the area that our lives tend to impact heavily. Everything we do tends to pull us forward increasing the forward rounding (pronation) of the shoulders while increasing the rounding of the mid to upper back. Think about it...
Has anyone seen this person?
If you're the person above, or even close, try this simple test at home. Grab a driver, broom or whatever you've got laying around. Sit on the edge of a chair or bench and lie whatever you've chosen across the front of your shoulder, cross your hands in front of you and grab hold of it. First, allow yourself to slouch down as far as you can (just to add contrast and drama), then try and turn from side to side. Hmmm... Can’t turn very far can you? Now, try sitting up straight with navel in and ribs high. Repeat the aforementioned rotation. Eureka, it's magic right? No, there's an element within our spines called coupled motion. In order for the mid back to be able to rotate from side to side, (yes, yes, yes again, rotation comes from the mid back not the low back), it has to be in a neutral spine or "normal" position. Too much rounding forward or too much extension will essentially lock the joints up and will cause dramatic reduction in your ability to "disassociate" the shoulders from the hips in your back swing.
Don't see the parallel? Okay, think of a clock. You're forward or target side arm runs up the vertical plane or clock face to say nine o’clock. That's equates roughly to 80 MPH club head speed. Yep, that means you big hitters will be playing your next shot with your Tommy Bahamas around your ankles because you didn't make it past the women’s tees. Ha-ha!!!
Let's look at Tiger now. His forward arm reaches about mid night. That equates to more than 135 MPH club heads speed and WHAMO!
In know we all want to "get after it", but it's got to be done right or your body will get the motion from somewhere else and, you guessed it, this is where these nagging swing faults begin.
So, start simple while we've got time before this season's tee off. Try the movements Dr. Rose from the Titleist Performance Institute is demonstrating below, or contact me for a golf performance assessment and really kick it off right.
Feel the green, its coming.
5 Stupid Things Healthy People Do
You are not a stupid person. Not by any means. In fact, it's my guess that you're healthier than most. You probably exercise regularly. You watch what you eat. You keep up-to-date on the latest health concerns. You don't binge on sugar. And you never - ever - eat fast food. Well, almost never. But you do have a few unhealthy skeletons in your closet -ones that you probably aren't even aware of. The following 5 Stupid Things are frequently committed by health conscious people. Once you break these bad habits, you'll find that achieving your weight loss goals just became a whole lot easier.
1. You're Dehydrated
- It has been said that 75 percent of the population is chronically dehydrated. Would you disagree? When was the last time that you actually drank 8 glasses of water in a day?
- Dehydration occurs when more fluid leaves your body than is taken in. Symptoms include: fatigue, irritability, headaches, nausea, rapid heart rate, and, in extreme cases, even death.
- Dehydration also slows your metabolism, which hinders weight loss.
You shouldn't wait until the feeling of thirst or dry mouth hits you, at that point damage has already been done. Instead, constantly rehydrate throughout your day to avoid dehydration.
The best way to do this is to incorporate water into your daily schedule. Have a water bottle at your desk and train yourself to sip on it often, and get into the habit of drinking a full glass of water with each meal and snack.
2. You Eat Out Too Often
- Research suggests that most people eat out one out of every 4 meals and snacks. That's an average of once a day.
- Restaurant food is designed to do one thing: to taste good. In order to increase eating pleasure, each item is loaded with fat, salt and sugar. This causes you to eat way more calories than you actually need.
- Even when you order ‘healthy' items, you're still taking in more calories and fat grams than you would if you had prepared the item at home. Imagine the last salad you ordered out. Didn't it come with cream dressing, croutons, cheese sprinkles and a piece of butter laden bread on the side?
The main reason people eat out is for convenience, so with a little organization you'll find that preparing your own meals takes less time than you thought it would. On the weekend sit down and plan out your meals for the week. Then go to the grocery store and stock up on everything you'll need for those meals.
Pack your lunch and snacks each night before bed, then grab it on your way out the door in the morning. When you prepare dinner at home, make enough for at least the next day as well. Your efforts will pay off both in terms of weight loss and in money saved.
3. You're Sleep Deprived
- In Gallup Poll surveys, 56% of the adult population reported that drowsiness is a problem in the daytime. That's more than half of us that clearly don't get enough sleep.
- Healthy adults require 7-8 hours of sleep each night. When you fail to meet this need your body goes into sleep debt, which continues to accumulate indefinitely until you catch up.
- A lack of sleep negatively affects your immune system, your nervous system, and interferes with healthy hormone release and cellular repairs.
The best way to combat sleep deprivation is to set a scheduled bedtime. Your body will benefit from a consistent sleeping and waking routine, and you're sure to get all the rest you need.
If you have trouble falling asleep once you're in bed, then try these two tips. First, make sure that you don't drink any caffeinated beverages after lunchtime. Second, don't eat for three hours before you go to bed. This helps eliminate sleeplessness due to indigestion, and will also turbo-charge your weight loss.
4. You're Stressed Out
- I don't have to tell you that we are living in a fast-paced world and that most of us have stress levels that are through the roof. But what you might not realize is that your stress levels are making you fat.
- Stress creates an increase in the hormone cortisol, and chronic stress creates a chronic increase in cortisol. This is a problem because is slows your metabolism, leads to cravings and is linked to greater levels of abdominal fat storage.
- The vicious cycle of stress and weight gain goes around and around. Stress causes you to eat emotionally, and your raised cortisol levels cause that food to be stored as fat.
One of the most effective ways to instantly eliminate stress is to sit down and write out a list of all the things that are bothering you. This should include things that you need to get done, issues that weigh on your mind and anything you believe contributes to your stress level.
Once it's all down on paper, organize it like a to-do list and start resolving each item. Doing so will get the stress off of your mind and will put your body into the motion of resolving each issue.
5. You're on Exercise Autopilot
- You do the same thing each and every time you exercise. Same machines, same pace, same duration. While your routine sure feels comfortable, your results have long since halted.
- A plateau occurs when your body adapts to your routine and weight loss stops. It is incredibly frustrating, and totally avoidable.
- You don't have to increase the amount of time that you spend exercising in order to see quicker, faster results. It's all about challenging your body.
There are two simple ways to instantly increase the effectiveness of your exercise routine. First, increase your pace. Secondly, increase your intensity. Constantly vary your speed and intensity in order to keep your muscles guessing and adapting.
Another way to break through the exercise plateau is to do something totally new. If you regularly use weight machines then start using free weights. If you normally jog on the treadmill then start using the bike.
Are you ready to break the plateau as you take your routine to the next level?
Would you like to know without a shadow of a doubt that you are going to lose weight in the coming months?
It's my goal to see you achieve greatness. I believe that you've got what it takes.
It's so simple. Call or email today to get started on a program that will improve your health and well being, and will get you amazing results.
Instant Accountability
Do you have a weight loss goal that you're working toward? Post it on Facebook, and get instant accountability from friends and family. Be specific with your post. Include the exact amount that you aim to lose and the date that you'll lose it by. You may be surprised how encouraging and supportive your friends will be - it may be exactly the motivating boost that you need to achieve your goal.
Gourmet Open-Faced Salmon Sandwich
Open-faced sandwiches are great for cutting out extra calories while trying to lose weight. This recipe calls for sprouted grain bread, which is flourless bread that is densely packed with nutrients. Store your sprouted grain bread in the freezer, since it is made without preservatives or chemicals to promote shelf life. Yield: 2 servings
Here's what you need:
- 1 sprouted grain bun
- 2 Tablespoons hummus
- 1/2 cup arugula
- Half of an avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
- 6 oz smoked salmon
- 2 thin slices of onion
- 4 slices of heirloom tomato
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Spread each piece of the bun with 1 Tablespoon of hummus. Top each with half the arugula, avocado, salmon, onions, and tomato.
- Season with freshly ground sea salt and pepper.
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