Cary Raffle Certified Personal Trainer - NYC

Part 3 of a series of 3 articles: Good posture is essential for the best exercise performance, and to avoid pain and injury. and in everyday life. Working on a laptop all day, leaning forward to see your screen, carrying a baby, playing a violin, or working the chest muscles too hard while failing to develop the upper back muscles.... All of these can lead to the symptoms of the upper extremity postural distortion: rounded and forward tilted shoulders forward tilted head in some cases, the palms of the hands face to the rear when standing Some of the problems this posture can lead to include headaches, a painful nerve impingement in the shoulder, rotator cuff problems, and labored breathing or snoring. From an exercise standpoint, the body is not in an optimal position to perform many exercises such as overhead shoulder press, curls, chest press or fly, and so on. Individuals with this posture frequently mistake the soreness they experience in their upper back as muscle tightn...

From the Mayo Clinic When you eat and what you eat can affect your performance and the way you feel during your workout. To get the most from your workout, follow these guidelines: • Wake up early enough to eat a full breakfast . "Most of the energy you got from dinner last night is used up by morning," says Stephen DeBoer, a registered dietitian at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. This. "Your blood sugar is low. If you don't eat, you may feel sluggish or lightheaded while exercising." If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a smaller breakfast or drink something to raise your blood sugar, such as a sports drink. • Time your meals. Eat large meals at least three to four hours before exercising. If you're having a small meal, eat two to three hours before exercising. • Don't skip meals. Skipping meals may cause low blood sugar, which can make you feel weak and lightheaded. • Eat after your workout. To help your muscles recover and to ...

It's not a cure but it won't hurt Should you exercise when you have a cold? Studies have found that regular, moderate exercise is effective for reducing one's risk of catching a cold. In a study of people with colds, exercise didn’t speed up recovery, it didn’t slow it down either. Unless there is fever or any serious problems, it appears the best medicine may be to continue exercising moderately while the cold runs its course. From research published in the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, click here to read a summary from the American Council on Exercise. Information from ACE FitFacts, permission granted.

Part one of a series of 3 articles Good posture is essential for the best exercise performance, and to avoid pain and injury. and in everyday life. Flattened and externally rotated feet, Knees rotated and tilted inward... When these postural distortions are observed while standing or performing movements, they indicate a Lower Extremity Postural Distortion. The legs are not capable of producing optimal levels of force, or of absorbing force from activities such as running. Tight Muscles include: Calves Inner Thigh IT Band Hip Flexors Common complaints with this postural distortion include foot pain (heel spurs or plantar fascitis), knee pain, hip pain and shin splints. Weak muscles include: Tibialis (shins) Vastus Medialis (a quadricep) Glutes Maximus & Medius Hip External Rotators As you can see, when a muscle is tight, its opposing muscle is weak. An effective corrective component of your exercise program will focus on strengthening the weak muscles and stretching the tight muscl...

From the American Council on Exercise In a perfect world, everyone would know exactly what and how much to eat for both optimal health and peak performance. Unfortunately ours is not a perfect world and most of us are left on our own to decipher the implications of current research findings or the latest nutritional fad. Americans seem to be married to the idea that in order to achieve our goals, we must consume special dietary products in amounts not normally found in a typical diet. But while the initial promises offered by makers of these supplements are often enchanting, the actual benefits to the consumer don't necessarily live up to the advertising. Let me know if you have any specific questions, and click here to read or download a PDF of the full story. Fit Facts are reprinted from ACE FitnessMatters magazine. permission granted.

Exerpts from a Joint Position Stand of the American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada There is no evidence that athletes need a diet significantly different than the general population - Carbohydrates should represenet 55-58% of energy (calories) - Protein should represent 12-15% - Fat should represent 25-30% - Individuals who want to gain muscle mass should consume 1.6.-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight - Endurance trained athletes should consume 1.2- 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight - Consumption of higher amounts is not shown to be beneficial and could cause health problems - Carbohydrates are essential to the recovery process, they replace muscle glycogen and facilitate the repair process - The post exercise meal should contain a mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat - Supplements should generally not be required if sufficient nutrients are being consumed in the diet.

From a position stand by the American College of Sports Medicine ACSM recommends that the public follow these general guidelines for losing weight and keeping it off: Consult with a trained healthcare professional, consider losing weight if BMI is 25 or above, reduce caloric and fat intake, exercise 2.5 - 4.5 hours a week, and use dietary supplements/weight loss drugs only under physician supervision. -An "energy deficit" of 500-1000 calories a day is recommended -An effective weight-loss program must include increased energy expenditure in addition to reduced dietary intake. -Significant health benefits can be realized with a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week; there may be advantages to increasing to 200-300 minutes per week -Even modest reduction of 5-10% produce significant health benefits -If energy needs exceed energy intake, weight loss will occur -Very low calorie diets (VLCDs), used in conjunction with dietary supplements and requiring medic...