With a torn MCL I haven't been able to run in months. To ease back into running, my physical therapist recommended running on the Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill. This allows you to run while reducing your body weight load to say 80% of your full body weight.
I put on the special airtight shorts, and stepped onto the treadmill. All of a sudden the treadmill started filling with air and there was a giant bubble from the waist down. There was a subtle lift that I could hardly notice. But increasing and decreasing the body weight percentage made a noticeable difference in how heavy my legs felt. Other than making me feel lighter, I was able to run completely normally.
It provided a great way to ease back into running and test out the load on my MCL. Would highly recommend for anyone with a recovering injury that is trying to get back at it!
If your are a diligent athlete, you are stretching your iliotibial band, and more broadly your hip flexors, every time you go for a run or workout. The best way to keep your IT band in check is to properly stretch is all the time. But if you are like us, we neglect this area from time to time and end up with sore IT bands. So then we really need to focus on these areas. Below are the 6 best stretches to work out the kinks. Then keep doing them to prevent future injuries!
But the best way to prevent IT band injuries is to build up your glutes. Your glutes are one of your most powerful muscle groups, and building these up will reduce your likelihoods of injury. In the meantime, try these out to relieve you IT band.
Yesterday was a gorgeous day in San Francisco. So we took a stroll down to Crissy Field and came across this truck.
Why not bring the gym outside when the weather is so nice?!?
Well, if your truck isn't fully equipped, find other ways to get outside. We played tourist in our own city yesterday and rented bikes and went across the golden gate bridge. Made us realize that sometimes the tourists really do get it right.
For creative ways to do something new in your city, check out what some of the more popular activities are. Its easy to forget when you have spent a long time in the same place. And no, we don't mean go and stand in Times Square. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and grab a lite lunch there before heading back. Or head to the beach in LA and rent a stand up paddle board. Just enjoy the nice weather while its around!
Photo: www.bodytransformationlab.com Yesterday, I was holding a two pound pilates ball and couldn’t believe how big it was, twice the size of my fist. It got me wondering about what a pound of fat really looks like in volume. Here are some scary reminders.
One pound of fat is about the size of a coffee mug. That’s a lot of extra weight to lug around.
Photo: www.bodytransformationlab.com And 100 pounds of fat? You could fill a table with it!
To put this in perspective. If you weigh 180 pounds and have a body fat percentage of 30%, you are carrying around over 50 pounds of fat. That’s half the fat on the table!
Photo: www.bamboocorefitness.com
Now if you were to drop your fat percentage to 15%, that’s only 25 pounds of fat. And even if your total weight doesn’t change, you will notice a significant difference on your body. Muscle has a much higher density that fat, so even if your weight stays the same, your waist and other areas will shrink. Take a look at the comparison.
Now is the time to trade in that fat for muscle!
Feeling the onset of a potential cold? Remember to stay healthy and stay active. Instead of fully cutting out your workouts, just ease them up for a few days until you are feeling back. These are a few ways you can lighten your load when you aren’t feeling a hundred percent.
· Cardio: Cut your distance in half, or keep your target distance but slow your pace significantly
· Classes: Use a lighter weight than normal or opt for the easiest option on exercise variations
· Lifting: Drop your weight and your reps down
If these seem like too much, take the time to stretch or do simple yoga.
And don’t forget extra sleep, water and vitamins!
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