Starting to Move

MOTION

We wake up in the morning, get into our car, sit in traffic for an hour, on our way to a desk job where we sit for 8 to 9 hours, then get back in that car to sit in traffic for another hour on our way home, don't forget to hit the drive thru at your favorite fast food joint, get home and sit and watch TV for 2 to 3 hours. GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND MOVE!!!

I could write forever on different workouts that you can do to burn more calories but first off we could be and should be moving more. Convenience is at an all time high. From elevators, to drive thrus, to home food delivery, we hardly need to move. Let's start with something simple.

1. Don't take the closest parking space to the door.
2. Stop emailing and texting your co-workers in the office down the hall. Get up and talk face to face.
3. Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
4. If it is possible, sit on a stability ball instead of a chair at your desk.
5. Wash your car yourself in one of those coin-op places instead of a drive-thru.
6. While your waiting for your flight, walk around the terminal instead of sitting at the gate.

Now that we are moving, let's talk about workouts. Before entering a workout program ,it is best to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. This can easily be determined by performing a few assessments. Any trainer that is certified by NASM can perform this. I use four tests:

1. Overhead squat
2. Single leg squat
3. Modified overhead squat
4. Modified single leg squat

These 4 tests tell me exactly where your body is tight and where it is weak. Commonly with sedentary individuals, the lower leg, low back, and hip flexors are in a tightened state and the butt and deep core muscles are weak. This is the reason that you see a lot of trainers these days doing lots of ball exercises and single leg balancing exercises.

When starting a new program, most individuals start with machines because they are easy to use and set up. Please step away from the machines and if your trainer is starting you on them, GET another trainer! You need to be challenging the body's nervous system, i.e. free weights, dumbbells, kettleballs, bands, balls, moving in different directions, single leg or single arm exercises. The nervous system controls the muscles, which control the bones, which produce movement. Get the nervous system in shape first. This will lead to better movement patterns which will produce bigger, faster, stronger muscles and keep you from hurting yourself. Gone are the days of weight machines.