SlfDctr

If flexibility is the cool brunette cheerleader in the 2009 Taylor Swift music video, then mobility is undoubtedly the blonde band geek pining from the bleachers. Mobility doesn’t get nearly the attention and respect it deserves, but on this week’s episode of Trainer of the Month Club, trainer Morit Summers of Form Fitness Brooklyn is here to show you that mobility truly belongs in your strength workouts. “Today we’re going to do a strength and mobility workout to get your body moving, and to make your body feel really great and strong,” says Summers at the top of the equipment-free class. Quick refresher: Flexibility refers to a given muscle’s ability to stretch , while mobility speaks to how well said muscle can move within a joint. “Mobility is one of the most important aspects of both a successful training plan, and being well in the body over time,” yoga and mobility instructor, Gabrielle Morbitzer previously told Well+Good. Once you’ve put on your yoga clothes and unrolled ...

I started running for the first time at the beginning of 2022. As my feet hit the pavement, I felt some tightness up and down my shins , but I thought it was just a part of “getting used to” running. Turns out I was wrong. After a couple of runs, I was limping and unable to put weight on my left foot. A few visits to a podiatrist, and one MRI later, I discovered that I was part of a growing population who are experiencing overuse injuries in their feet as a result of getting active again after being sedentary for so long. There’s even a term for it, according to The New York Times : pandemic foot. “During the pandemic, early on, we were seeing potentially less [injuries],” explains Dennis Cardone, MD , a sports health expert and chief of the Division of Primary Care Sports Medicine at NYU Langone Health. “People were a little bit less active, but as they start to return to activity, there has certainly been a spike to [injury] levels that are higher than pre-pandemic.” ...

We often hear about the many benefits of walking , from strengthening your heart and lungs to decreasing stress and anxiety. Uphill walking has rightly earned a place in the spotlight, with added benefits of strengthening the glutes and hamstrings, and ramping up your heart rate. But what about going in the other direction? “Downhill walking is a great way to improve muscle strength and stability,” says Jason Schuster , DPT, physical therapist and the co-owner of Intricate Art Spine & Body Solutions . “Although it can also create impairments if your muscles and joints are not ready to be introduced to the amplified forces and stresses.” Fortunately, this is easily avoidable if you’re aware of how the muscles, joints, and nervous system work—and spend a little time strengthening your lower body. The mechanics of downhill walking Downhill walking requires the muscles on the front of your thighs—the quadriceps—to contract eccentrically, which means they’re working as the fibers le...

You know how it is when a big sneeze catches you by surprise, and all of a sudden you’ve peed yourself a little? Incontinence , or leaking, happens when you lose control over your bladder and the ability to hold in urine. “It can be caused by a myriad of issues, like pelvic organ prolapse or an actual issue with the neurological function of the bladder,” says Amelia Ponchur, DPT, a lead physical therapist at Genesis PT & Wellness in Dallas, Texas, with a specialty in pelvic health and restoration. Leaking can also be due to urge urinary incontinence, where you’re rushing to the bathroom but can’t make it in time. When it happens from sneezing, or other movements like coughing, laughing, jumping, running, or twisting, it’s most likely stress urinary incontinence, where the motion puts pressure on your bladder, causing a little bit of urine to come out. “Your nervous system and certain muscles are not coordinating well with one another to be able to take on the force or pressure e...

Once you’ve made it to a workout, endorphins and momentum are typically the champions that keep you moving. But what do you do in the moments when that’s just not enough? You know, the times when the prospect of completing another rep or running another mile feels akin to pulling your own teeth? The truth is, these moments are actually full of opportunities to help you develop as an athlete, and a person. “There’s a benefit in building what we call ‘self efficacy,’ or the belief in your ability to do something if you persist in those moments,” says Jamie Shapiro , an associate professor of sports psychology at Denver University. “It helps develop resilience and also confidence.” So it can be worth it mentally and physically to push through at times when you want to give up. That might be easier said than done. But there are strategies you can use to keep going when you’re feeling tired or otherwise low on motivation. Crucially, knowing that those moments are going to happen, and b...

It would take a lot to throw trainer and CBS The Talk host Amanda Kloots for a loop. In the past few years, the founder of Amanda Kloots Fitness navigated the tragic death of her husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero (and wrote a book on the experience with her sister Anna Kloots, called Live Your Life ), all while raising her now 2-year-old son Elvis Kloots, launching a T-shirt line , and performing on Dancing with the Stars . Through it all, she’s been unwavering in her characteristic poise and grace, using her social accounts to spread messages of positivity amid tough pandemic times. As for what continually sets her up to take on so much so well? That would be a morning routine as resilient as she is. And if there’s one thing you should know about it, it’s that Amanda Kloots never skips her A.M. jump-rope session. If you’re a fan of Kloots, you’ll know she’s had a years-long devoted relationship with jump roping, even launching her own AK! Jump Rope and developing out-of-the-b...

Sometimes, life is stressful and you end a week feeling about as tense as a rusted bike left chained to a fence. Or, maybe it’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining on your living room floor, and you think, I can’t possibly let this quiet go to waste—I must roll out my mat and get some stretching in . No matter the reason, stretching can be a salve in good times, bad times, and average or uneventful times. The health benefits of stretching are well-documented. And this recent episode of Good Stretch with Pilates instructor Chloe De Winter offers a nice, extended, full-body stretch session that can seriously benefit your body and mind. Stretching has a whole host of benefits. The  Mayo Clinic  explains that stretching before a workout can prevent injuries, improve the results of an exercise, and improve movement in daily life. And there’s broader value to practicing a slow full range of motion movements. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic , stretching can help increase...

Even as someone who works out regularly, my lack of glute strength easily gives away how many hours a day I spend sitting on my butt. Whenever I get injured—whether in my hips, my thighs, or my lower back—my physical therapist almost always tracks it back to some kind of compensation my body’s making for my weak backside . (The price of #desklife.) Last month, it was my tailbone that started to act up so badly that I could barely walk to the kitchen and back. My doctor confirmed it was sacroiliac joint pain, and although it was likely caused mainly by pregnancy hormones relaxing my pelvis too much too soon, the problem was exacerbated by instability from—you guessed it—weak glutes. I promptly went scrounging around YouTube in search of some workouts that might help. In one video  by BodyLove Pilates , trainer Ali Handley shares a glute exercise that’s done seated with a resistance band looped around the calves: While pushing the legs outwards into the band, you slowly lift and lo...

It’s easy to get stuck on the roller coaster of an on-again off-again relationship with exercising. We’ll make a decision to get fit, and plan out a fab workout schedule—only to suddenly hit a wall. Because let’s be real: Life happens. Best-laid plans to hit the gym before work or squeeze in a Pilates class at lunch sometimes get waylaid. Before we realize it, we’ve gotten completely derailed for weeks, or even months. Then, low and behold, we get back into it! But is the yo-yo exercise routine doing more harm to our bodies than we realize? That sore feeling after a big workout is your muscle fibers tearing and rebuilding to become stronger as they repair themselves. While that’s not a bad thing (in moderation), when you stop exercising for a period of time, studies show that your once-apt muscles need a little bit more time to get back in the routine. Bill Sukala , an exercise physiologist with PhD in exercise science, says to ignore the tired adage of “no pain, no gain.” “While ...

Pregnancy can be quite a physical journey. As your body undergoes monumental changes to accommodate a growing baby, unfortunately, muscle aches seem to be a nearly inextricable part of the process—particularly lower back pain . “Carrying around extra weight puts added stress on the muscles of our low back, especially when you consider that a lot of that extra weight is carried in the front [of the] body,” explains Antonietta Vicario , a certified yoga and Pilates instructor and the vice president of talent and training at P.volve , a physical therapy-inspired functional fitness method for women. “During pregnancy, it is common to have more of an arch to the lower back , called lordosis, caused by the shift in the center of gravity. The extra weight and extra compression of the lordotic curve are a recipe for low back pain.” Fortunately, stretching can be a safe, natural, and effective way to relieve this discomfort. Vicario walked us through four of the most effective moves that are...

In the past decade, the fitness industry has come a long way toward being inclusive of all bodies. The focus has largely shifted from aesthetics to overall well-being, plus-sized activewear has hit the mainstream, and mentions of “ bikini bodies ” are now fewer and farther between than ever before. Yet despite these strides, there’s still a common misconception that a “healthy” body looks a certain way—namely, thin, white, and toned. For actor and producer Mindy Kaling —a self-proclaimed “chubby brown girl”—this toxic belief made her feel “sheepish” about ever wanting to talk about her love of exercise. “I have been into fitness since I was 22 years old, and have been working out four to five times a week ever since, but I never felt like that was something I could own because I didn’t look a certain way,” says Kaling. “I was worried that people’s reaction would be, ‘You don’t look like someone who works out four times a week.'” But the truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all loo...

If you deal with achey, sensitive wrists , you may have decided long ago that planks simply aren’t for you . But don’t shut down the core workout just yet: If you still want to feel the full body burn of plank pose, dropping down to your forearms is a great way to protect your wrists—so long as you avoid a few common forearm plank mistakes. “Forearm planks are amazing at building shoulder and postural muscle strength , really challenging our core, while also taking any unwanted weight out of the wrists,” says Brian Spencer of East River Pilates on this week’s episode of  The Right Way.  You’ll also feel this full-body exercise in your legs, glutes, and chest… but not in those wrists. Like traditional plank pose, mastering the forearm plank is a bit of an art—and Spencer wants you to be wary of a few faux pas. Mistake #1: Dropping the head down Instead, keep the back of your head in line with your spine. You’ll know you’ve got the right position if you’re lookin...

Are you taking care of your moneymaker? And by moneymaker, we of course mean your wrists, hands, and forearm zone. Think about it: If you work at a laptop, these muscles, joints, and nerves are what allow you to do all of the typing and scrolling that brings in your paycheck. Unfortunately, all that crucial use of these body parts makes them a potential site for musculoskeletal problems, say Rochelle Mendonca , PhD, OTR/L, an assistant professor of programs in occupational therapy at Columbia University, and Colleen Maher , OTD, OTR/L, an associate professor of occupational therapy at Saint Joseph University. It turns out, having proper wrist posture is important. Mendonca and Maher say problems can arise from improper use, which includes staying in awkward positions (like resting your wrists on the surface of a desk or your laptop) for long periods of time, and repeating the same motions over and over without rest. “These types of postures and movements can cause stress or strain...

Although she may be a professional cliff diver, Ellie Smart swears she’s not an adrenaline junkie. “It makes me terrified,” she admits. “If you put me up on a 20-meter platform right now in this second, I wouldn’t do it.” For her, getting to a place where she can confidently attempt a dangerous dive takes meticulous mental prep. “We have a saying in cliff diving: If you’re not afraid, you shouldn’t do it,” Smart says. She points out that fear is a natural physiological response to danger that protects us by heightening our awareness and increasing our adrenaline. “There’s a level of fear that’s really important to have,” says Smart, 26, who fell in love with sports psychology as a collegiate diver at UC Berkeley, then went on to get her master’s degree in sports and exercise science with an emphasis on human performance. She says that the trick to harnessing fear so that it’s helpful is not letting it get to the point where you spiral into a rabbit hole of “what ifs,” which will in...

Anyone who menstruates knows that the hormonal fluctuations of our monthly cycle can wreak havoc on our bodies. In particular, premenstrual syndrome , or PMS, can make you want to never leave your bed. Bloating, abdominal cramps, fatigue, appetite changes, headaches, moodiness, and muscle aches can all hit right before you get your period and have you craving little more than blankets, chocolate, and a Netflix binge. But the truth is, gentle activity can often be the best medicine: “Exercise may feel like the last thing you want to do,” says Amy Hoover , DPT, a physical therapist at P.volve , a physical therapy-inspired functional fitness method for women that designs workouts for each phase of the menstrual cycle. “Learning to move in the right way for your specific needs can be rewarding and not only improve discomfort but also mood and a sense of accomplishment.” How can exercise alleviate PMS symptoms? Exactly what causes PMS is unknown . But experts believe it may be due to a ...