How to make a TRX into one handle
Learn how to make a TRX Suspension Trainer into one handle with Charlene Hutsebaut PT.
FREE – Back Health & Core Workout
After a request from a regular pilates client who is recovering from a back injury I made this short video where I lead you through an easy and safe core workout to help strengthen your lower back muscles. Based on Pilates concepts these exercises are for those who are recovering from a lower back injury and have been cleared by their doctor or physio to exercise again.
Ask the Experts – Functional Training with Pilates
As originally seen in “Total Sports Nutrition” magazine – Oct/Nov 2012 – Issue 3
“Functional Training with Pilates” discusses weight training combined with Pilates. How to get the flat abs without getting big muscles?
Weight training for women has so many advantages. Let me first say that you will not get big by lifting weights. Body builders take years with very structured routines and eating plans to achieve their physiques. As a recreational resistance trainer you will tone your muscles, decrease body fat, strengthen bones and increase your metabolism without gaining huge mass. There are other benefits as well such as healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Visualise a very simplistic picture of the body in layers with the skin being the first, followed by fat cells and then muscle below. As you increase your muscle mass, your fat cells will begin to shrink which means an overall toning and “slimming”effect around the body as these layers re-shape.This, along with the increased metabolism, occurs because muscles burn more energy than fat cells. The article was meant to convey the integration of the body as a unit rather than segments.The combination on of mindfully working the core muscles whilst doing weight training moves plus the overall body benefits of lifting, along with a healthy nutrition plan should achieve the flat abs you are ooking for. And again, I can assure you, as a woman lifting weights, you will not become huge like a body builder.
View the original article here
Beach workout ideas!
Wherever you are in the world there is probably a beach somewhere nearby.
Whether it is a fresh water lake, ocean or sea there are many activities you can do to have fun & keep active while there…..
Here’s a little list to inspire you…
- walk
- jog
- play frisbee (in or out of water)
- jog in shallow water (parallel to shoreline)
- knees up in shallow water (parallel to shoreline)
- swimming
- water-skiing
- body boarding
- surfing
- hops, skips & jumps along the sand
- pilates or yoga moves on your towel
- play with the kids in the water
- throw a baseball, rugby or football
- kite surf
- do press-ups, planks & v-sits on your towel
- canoeing or kayaking
- snorkling
- diving
- hacky sack on the beach (retro for sure & great exercise!)
- squats in calm water (great support for those recovering from injury or just learning)
- tread water (great energy burner)
- walk or jog the sand dunes or steps up from the beach
- walk the dog in the morning or evening (wear your bug spray!!!)
- throw a ball around in water with partner, leap out of water to catch & enjoy the landing
- play in the waves (I have great memories of doing this in Canada and New Zealand)
- hike the surrounding rocks & explore shoreline pools (be careful here & watch footing)
That’s it for now. I am sure you and your friends and children can come up with many more fun ideas. Be sure to wear your sunscreen and protective clothing if needed. I am sure something on our list has caught your fancy….Have fun!!!
Top 10 Exercise Tips for Stress
By: Charlene Hutsebaut, Fitness Expert for The De-Stress Diet: The Revolutionary Lifestyle Plan for a Calmer, Slimmer You
Is it a good idea to exercise when you’re feeling stressed?
You bet!
Moving has many “de-stressing” benefits.
Use these top ten tips to guide you:
1. Use short non-exhaustive sessions of varying intensities.
2. Do these shorter workouts more often in a week rather than only 2 or 3 longer bouts.
3. Weight train. It helps to increase muscle which in turn positively influences your metabolism.
4. Exercise at work. Walk at lunchtime or do a short office workout or yoga practice somewhere quiet.
5. Move outside. Studies show increases in mood and Vitamin D intake (great for weight management, bone health and cancer prevention)
6. Exercise with others. The benefits of social activities are:
- Boost in mood
- It’s fun and makes us laugh
- We get a natural hit of the happy chemical dopamine because of the tribal nature of social settings
- Stimulates healthy competition
- Can bring more purpose to workouts for some people
- Allows time with partners, family or friends which otherwise may not happen
- Gives a designated time to meet someone to be active
7. Rest. The body needs time to rejuvenate and repair after workouts. This is just as important as the workouts themselves and you’ll come back stronger. Continually struggling through hard workouts day after day will only increase your feelings of stress.
8. Take the stairs. A British Journal of Sports Medicine study found that going up and down stairs for 2 minutes, 5 times per day boosted their fitness over an 8 week period. This is another way to take time out from your work day to “De-Stress”.
9. Vary and alternate your workouts. Move like our hunter-gatherer ancestors and modern Olympic athletes. One day have a short workout, the next slightly longer then take a rest day.
10. Try something brand new. It takes you out of your comfort zone. This will allow you time to be in the moment as you learn new movement patterns. Imagine being able to forget about the stressors of your life even for a few minutes.
Making exercise part of your life
This week I have a guest blogger! Her name is Michelle Pierre-Carr, an amazing woman who is a former Great Britain athlete and now a business owner and new mother. She explains her journey from competing at the elite level, to today, showing that even those who have been at a high level of performance need to make exercise a part of their life…..
Michelle is 2nd from left in photo!
“When people ask me about my athletics career, I often have to do a double take. Was I really an athlete? As it’s seven years since I retired now and my life has changed so much.
But yes I can hold my hand up and say that I was a former international Great Britain athlete and spent 13 years representing my country with the highest accolade being a Commonwealth silver medal at the 1997 Kuala Lumpur Games and a 4 x 400 metre finalist at the 1997 Athens World Championships. Never quite made the Olympics as my Achilles tendon proved to be my weak spot and my demise towards the end, but given that I started out life as a child constantly in hospital due to asthma I can’t knock my achievements really.
My life then obviously was completely different, physically I was training six days a week with 3 track sessions and 3 gym sessions which included weights, and mentally I was travelling from South London where I lived to West London every day to train with my coach Ron Roddan. If anyone from London can appreciate how difficult that can be given the traffic on an average day I would have to say back then I had the determination of an ox to be prepared to do that every day without batting an eye lid to achieve my goal.
Now as a destination wedding planner and owner of Pierre Carr, Exclusive Tropical Weddings and more recently a mother there never seems enough hours in the day to get business things done let alone think about exercise even though the heart and mind is willing. Don’t get me wrong I believe exercise is the foundation for feeling good, looking good and taking years off. But I am like everyone else now seeing how I can fit it into my hectic schedule. So yes even a former athlete has those days when they just can’t get it together.
However what I will say is even though I don’t have time to go to a specific class or to the gym I walk a hell of a lot with the pram in tow. I do believe that it’s not about making drastic measures that you can’t commit to, but it’s about making exercise part of your life. So if you need to get off the bus a stop before then do it. It might not be a lot of exercise but you are doing something at least and you will be surprised that by doing something every day can make a huge difference in the long run.”
Michelle Pierre-Carr
Former 400m GB athlete