Well? Half the year is in the history books, have you achieved those New Year's resolutions? 

Maybe yes, maybe no? If you haven't hit those goals yet, it's not too late. This is a great time of the year to re-establish those fitness commitments. You have 8 weeks until Labor Day to get in shape. This is plenty of time to make some amazing changes and get a second chance towards the body of your dreams!

Need some help with your plan?  Call Healthlink at 210-297-9900 and we can help you achieve those goals.

Good Luck!

I was reading a message posted on one of the many fitness sites that I read daily the other day and I came across an interesting discussion.  The comment posted said:

"YOU ARE THE AVERAGE OF THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU SPEND THE MOST TIME WITH"

So take a little time today and reflect on that!

Do you ever wonder what you would look like after you lost those 10-25-50 lbs?  Well, I stumbled upon a FREE website this weekend that will give you a good idea of how you will look at your goal weight.  Check it out... www.weightview.com

Summer is here!  Although we have had only a little rain this year, as I drive by local golf courses in San Antonio I see lots of green and the desire to play golf is growing.  If you haven't already, it's time to get the cobwebs off and get outside and enjoy these cooler months before the sweltering heat of August makes us run inside for cover.

Healthlink has a Titleist Performance Institute Golf Fitness program that can help you get ready!  Contact me at cramirez@baptisthealthsystem.com  to learn more.

Poor posture is often the result of weak muscles and repetitive actions that encourage this poor posture. Let's look at the average persons daily activities. They sit at a desk or computer for 6-10 hours per day, then sit in their car anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours per day and then go home and sit on the couch for 1-3 hours every night. 

Not only are they spending 15 hours a day sitting, but now they go to the gym and perform all their exercises sitting in exercise equipment!  Do you see a pattern here? 

Too much sitting reinforces forward head and rounded shoulders. So what can you do about it? A good first step is to make sure you incorporate some good postural strengthening exercises into your workout program. 

Try these 2 stability ball exercises for better posture!

SUPINE ABDOMINAL STRETCH AND BACK EXTENSIONS
             
Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions and see your posture improve!

Stability balls are great tools to incorporate balance and core conditioning exercises to your current strength training program. There are endless applications for stability balls, this is not limited to stength and core exercises but can include mobility, stability, pre-habilition or injury prevention and balance. 

Some basic guidelines before you start working with the balls:

• don't do anything you are uncomfortable with
• make sure you use the balls in a space free of clutter
• initially perform exercises with a spotter or near a wall to prevent falls. 

The balls do come in different sizes but there are clear recommendations on the box regarding size needed based on height. 

So let's get started with some basics:

This first exercises will help improve balance and your confidance with the ball:
SEATED TWIST and SEATED BALANCE ON 1-LEG    
                                              












Try performing 2 x 10 reps per exercise to improve your balance and core stability.

Check my next post for more stability ball moves to improve posture!

I came across an e-mail in my inbox that questioned the safety and benefits (if any) of using a stability ball vs a chair in the workplace. As a exercise physiologist that loves to incorporate balance and stability into the exercise programs that I create, I do not advocate taking those exercises into the workplace. 

There have been a few studies that have tested the effects of using a stability ball as your work chair. What do they reveal? Not a good idea to sit on a stability ball for prolonged periods of time. Dr. Stuart McGill, a leading researcher on spine mechanics states that the "Quadratus Lumborum muscle (which produces lateral flexion and stability of the trunk) is highly active, during prolonged ball sitting and it places a high compressive force on the discs".  That does not sound like something that will help my back pain but potentially increase it. 

So, if you want to use a stability ball in the workplace, I would recommend you use it as a lunch time workout tool, NOT as your desk chair.  

Check out the study here: http://cre-msd.uwaterloo.ca/stability_ball.pdf. 

In my next post I will give you some exercises to try...stay tuned!

5.  Activities that burn calories, but don't necessarily raise or elevate metabolism.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the way most people approach a fat loss plan. They do long moderately intense cardiovascular workouts that have great benefits such as improving heart function and reducing the risk of stroke and diabetes, but don't necessarily raise or elevate metabolism. If your primary goal is fat loss, this is NOT your best option. Remember that fat loss is about eating smart and training smart. Take a look at your current fitness goals and make sure your exercise program will lead you to the finish line.

4. Activities that burn calories and elevate metabolism

This strategy sounds similar to the previous post except, we are not necessarily looking to promote or build muscle. We are more concerned with optimizing the "afterburn" or an elevated post-exercise metabolic rate.  This is best achieved with high intensity interval training (HIIT). These activities are performed outside your cardiovascular comfort zone and usually last between 15-30 minutes. 

An example would be intervals performed on any cardiovascular piece of equipment - treadmill, bike or elliptical machine. The basic strategy is to perform 30 seconds of high intensity work (go as fast as you possibly can) followed by 1:30 minute recovery. Repeat cycle for the entire 15-30 minute session. This is a great way to increase your metabolism and positively impact your fat burning mechanisms.

*Remember that this strategy should only be attempted if you have a good base of fitness, in other words, you can complete 45 minutes of cardio at 85% of your max heart rate. As always, consult your physician before beginning any new exercise routine.

3. Activities that burn calories, maintain/promote muscle mass, and elevate metabolism...strength training in all it's forms

Now that you have a sound nutritional plan in place it's time to talk metabolism or resting metabolic rate(RMR). Your RMR is the amount of energy (calories) that your body needs to maintain it's lean tissue (muscle). So by adding activities that promote or maintain muscle mass you will force that muscle mass to work harder and in turn elevate your metabolic rate. This should become your number one priority when developing a fat loss program.