Updating Files.

Been updating client files all week and going over progress with Coach Cindy. And will probably continue updating all weekend with their improvements and where they are and new stats. Looking over my notes from day one, they have grown so much in this time. Can't imagine them any other way now.

All The Ways We Hurt Our Back

Couldn't sleep last night. Coach Cindy and I were discussing a client who's back seemed to be regressing and we couldn't figure out why. I got up and looked up all the ways to try and improve her back. I was diving back into all my corrective exercise training, yoga tricks, FMS stuff, everything. And then I was getting ahead of myself. We are dealing with humans here who can communicate and sometimes we get so caught up in improving our clients and using our training, we forget that the client can talk. So I texted her and asked why one of our best athlete's back looks so weak lately?

She said she thinks she needs a new mattress. She's been meaning to get a new one... I asked if its old and squishy and sunken down in the middle. She said yes... If she notices problems with her back and thinks she needs a new bed, and her coaches notice something is up, I think it's time for a new bed. It's crazy how we would have tried all these therapies if we didn't just ask her what was going on. Sometimes solutions are simple. So if you've been meaning to get a new bed because it's hurting your back, go get one!

We can try to resolve any issue as much as we can, but if we don't remove the thing that's causing the issue in the first place, we become like everyone else, we treat the symptom. There's so many things out there for trainers to get certified in to deal with mobility issues and limitations and chronic pain. We forget that our best ally is common sense, curiosity, and dedication.

A lot of times its things like bad posture throughout the day, sitting at a desk, your shoes, the way you walk, holding your wallet in your back pocket, your purse, driving too much or how you have adjusted your seat (slightly leaning the seat back alleviates a lot of pressure), or your activities like golf, tennis, basketball, or even yoga. I know people think yoga is good for your back, and it can be. But a lot of it was never intended for people who had sedentary lives. You have to regress yoga back as much as you can, back injuries in yoga are quite common.

Fix your bad habits, then fix your back. And always be mindful of what you are doing before you play guessing games to what's going on with your back. Especially when you exercise, people think, oh the workout hurt my back. More often than not, back problems are a chronic issue, meaning it built up over time so it's something you did all the time and continue to do outside of training.

Even Former Clients Cannot Escape

Since I am friends with a majority of my clients on Facebook, even the former clients, I tend to check on them a lot. I saw a bit too many unhealthy food habits one former client was posting and had to send her a message to remind her of her original goals. Former shmormer. Once a client, always a client. Even if you no longer train with us, we are still ever vigilant! And maybe a bit obsessive as well...

Is More Exposure Better?

I always get contacted by random TV shows. This time a show on Bravo. I always turn them down. I hope one day though there will come an opportunity that will be uplifting and positive and not all sensational.

Approximately The Same Age

This picture might scare you. It's not that the person on the left is that sickly for her age. It's that the person on the right is very healthy for her age. Whenever I see people in their late 60s, to 70s, and 80s, who are no longer physically capable, I hear someone say, well that's normal for their age. Or they are just old...

It reminds me of my dad who's almost 90. Being diagnosed with cancer more than a year ago, he still seems in better health than most people 30 years younger.

Sometimes What We Call A Fast Metabolism

Is really IBS.

The Sum Of Training

Your training is more than the sum of one workout. Its the emails, the texts, the social media, the talks, the encouragements, the reminders, the accountability, listening to you whine, holding you up when you cry, answering all your questions, holding you accountable, always being there. The time spent not just on the lifts but time spent on mobility, correct form, and balance.

It may take 5-10 minutes to make people feel like vomiting. It could take up to half an hour to correct form or get people to memorize certain stretches or drills. But it's an investment that will pay off exponentially down the line.

There are people who have been working out all their lives but can't touch their toes, control their eating, control their emotions, or pull their own body weight.