If you have a tight neck and shoulders, doing a stretch like this scorpion opener and combining with these wall angels may be the winning combo for better mobility and posture. As always, consult a physical therapist or medical professional for any pain and stop any stretch or exercise right away if it doesn’t feel safe for you.
Read More“Working with JJ literally changed my life. He’s the only trainer who I’ve had a breakthrough with in terms of achieving my personal fitness objectives. He’s super knowledgeable in the space and uses data to drive decision making, which I love! I appreciate his holistic approach to fitness that not only includes exercise, but also nutrition and sleep. It’s obvious that he cares about his clients and wants them to be successful – and frankly, if you do what he says, you will see results.”
Read MoreThe East Coaster in me rolled my eyes when my friend Kat told me about “bagels” made from only fat free Greek yogurt and self rising flour. I was like, “gross”. But as usual, Kat was right. These little suckers from Weight Watchers were not only easy to make (and you know I don’t bake) but they are actually really tasty. This recipe makes four little bagels and they keep well in the fridge. Depending on how you top them you can serve and eat them plain or you can add some low calorie shmear, smoked salmon, etc. Enjoy!
Read MoreThe rainbow plank is one of my favorite exercises for developing a strong, stable core while also giving the muscles of the lower back, hips and legs a nice stretch. While challenging, most of my clients and students say it feels good, especially on the lower back. If you experience any joint or muscle pain while trying this stop right away and consult a doctor. Enjoy!
Read MoreIt’s always an honor being quoted in the press. I’ll preface this with exactly what I told the reporter (which he didn’t include). These machines can be great for any human regardless of gender. A machine cannot be better or worse for a woman than a man. I get where he was going. Because it is true that some women can be fearful of the functional training floor and wish to stick to the machines where it’s quieter. But men can feel that way too. And certainly trans and non binary gym goers. But I digress. If you are curious about which machines in the gym do what, give this US News & World Report article a look regardless of your gender.
Read MoreThere are SO MANY trackers on the market. And the landscape changes all the time. The ones discussed in this post are the ones I have personally used at various stages of my fitness journey and have seen work for many of my clients. If you have something that is already working for you, GREAT! Don’t fix what ain’t broke. But if you are looking for something to aid you along in your wellness journey maybe one or some of these can help.
Read MoreA few years ago a bodybuilder, a pastor and a pilates instructor each told me they drink apple cider vinegar every day. The bodybuilder said he kicks back a shot of it in the morning for its alkalizing properties to help offset the acidic effects of a high protein, low carb diet. The pastor dilutes 1tbs in 8oz of cold water and drinks it down to manage hunger and for weight loss. The pilates instructor sips on a diluted solution and swears by its ability to improve digestion and gut health. I did some poking around the Interwebs and asked some trusted experts for their thoughts on the stuff. Is this a case of placebo or is apple cider vinegar a true miracle elixir? Let’s explore.
Read MoreCurious about that little ab wheel thing at the gym? Want some tips for how to use it safely and effectively? Here you go!
Read MoreI’ve been lucky to work with the incomparable Allison Tibbs for several years. She is an amazing coach and is hands down a nutrition guru. A while back we partnered to deliver a fantastic healthy holiday happy hour to our corporate client Nixon Peabody. The menu included Allison's super yummy almond butter stuffed dates, no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies, non-alcoholic mulled wine and my favorite entree of teriyaki soba and veggies with shrimp and salmon. Here’s a PDF with the recipes. Be sure to follow Allison on IG @allisontibbs.
Read MoreSean Haleen is one of my favorite yoga practitioners (and friends!). And I’m IN LOVE with his YouTube channel where he shares loads of great virtual yoga videos and tutorials for a variety of issues and focuses. As a runner with an old back injury, this class for the IT Band and Piriformis is one of my favorites.
Read MoreTraditionally a lot of people jump into the holidays with two feet (see what I did there?!) and the best of intentions for crushing big fitness and wellness goals starting in the new year. Trainers like me used to see spikes in new gym memberships and requests for strict meal plans (instead of spikes in Coronavirus variants and virtual training sessions). If you are struggling with motivation and finding a goal that resonates with you, here are 15 some of my peeps are going for in the coming months that will influence their weekly fitness routines.
Read MoreThe Copenhagen Plank is the Regina George of core stability exercises. Beautiful and evil. This plank variation is great for runners or anyone who wants to improve frontal plane stability and adductor strength. Which is like, almost everyone! Hat tip to @dr.markpt and @pt.renew.
Read MoreIn January I had my cholesterol checked and it was high. Aren't genetics a blast?! I already eat pretty darn well, exercise, don't smoke or drink, avoid trans fats--all the things that are known to help. I want to avoid medicine if/however long I can and opted to talk to my doctor about nutrition as a path to lower it naturally. Literally all I've changed since January was replacing my old breakfast of Greek yogurt and fruit with homemade rolled oatmeal (not instant) and berries. Here’s what happened.
Read MoreI love a good nap (and so does Artie!). But there's a lot of misinformation and confusion around "the rules" of napping. This post from the folks at Whoop is super helpful so you can start napping like a pro.
Read MoreThe concept of “grounding” or “earthing” is an interesting one. On the surface it seems simple and rather intuitive: humans need to connect physically with the Earth to optimize our health. To ground you simply place your skin (usually feet or hands) in direct contact with the Earth (like natural grass, dirt or sand--no artificial surfaces). The health benefits of stepping away from our busy lives to move our bodies, get fresh air and sunlight and be in nature are proven and widely accepted. Fledgling research adds another fascinating potential benefit of this practice that Morgan and I discuss in this short five minute video.
Read MoreI’ve written about BFR (“Blood Flow Restriction”) or “Occlusion” Training on and off since 2017. This modality of resistance training has been clinically proven as a way to effectively and safely “hypertrophy” muscle. So when I was recently visiting my AMAZING physical therapist Dr. Mark Bautista, I was surprised to see patients being treated with BFR cuffs. I asked Dr. Mark about it and I learned about the deluge of recent clinical studies that have broadened the usage of BFR to include injury-specific rehab/prehab, sports performance, endurance, strength as well as traditional hypertrophy.
Read MoreYour amazing foot is filled with 26 bones, 30 joints and loads and loads of mechanoreceptors which provide critical information to the brain to help it make all sorts of decisions. Unfortunately, our feet can easily get stiff and immobile by stuffing them in ill-fitting shoes, walking around on weird surfaces or just not using them enough. So in this month’s Couch Talk we get up off the couch and show you some yummy and effective foot mobility and strengthening drills to give your feet (and your brain) some love!
Read MoreWhether you’re a veteran runner with several events under your belt or you’re considering your first 10k, half marathon or full marathon a comprehensive gate and mobility assessment might be a wise investment. I’ve prepared and trained dozens of clients for a variety of events from their first 5k to a Spartan and even an Iron Man and ultra marathon. If you’d like to improve your performance, manage existing injuries, reduce pain and prevent future injuries a run assessment can help.
Read MoreI've been working a lot this year, thanks to the incomparable Marcia Robles, on shoulders. Shoulders are like the Regina George of joints: they're fabulous but they're evil. Meaning they are (or should be) one of our most mobile joints, but due to modern living and desk culture many folks suffer from lack of proper shoulder mobility/stability, impingement and other dysfunctions which make it hard or impossible to strength train. But with the proper warm up and mobility drills, and the clearance of your physical therapist if you have one, this program is a great one for getting those striations popping and to stimulate hypertrophy (muscle growth).
Read MoreOnce a month I gather the best fitness and nutrition news, tips and videos from my blog into one handy email. I never share email addresses with third parties and you can unsubscribe at any time. Check out past issues.
