NutraChamps Blog

Category: Injury Prevention

Ice Baths- A Hot Trend with Exceptional Benefits
If you’re on Instagram, TikTok, or really any kind of social media then you have probably seen all of the recent hype around ice baths. More and more videos are surfacing of people bracing themselves and taking the plunge. For many, just the thought of being in freezing cold water is enough to send shivers up their spine. So why are so many people putting themselves in such an uncomfortable state? Do the health benefits outweigh the discomfort of it all? We’re going to fill you in on it all in this article!

When did people start taking ice baths?

While ice bathing might seem like a newer trend, it is something that has much more history than you may think. A variety of cultures have dabbled in their own version of cold therapy for thousands of years for a variety of different reasons and potential benefits.

Ancient Greeks and Romans were said to experiment with the healing benefits of water. The term “thermalism,” which is the use of hot water springs got the Greeks interested in utilizing water at various temperatures to ease muscle fatigue and other ailments.

Flash forward to modern day, we now have people like Wim Hof (who is also known as the IceMan) breaking numbers of records for cold exposure. He is one of the many advocates of cold therapy and the copious benefits it provides.

With the technology we have available at our fingertips to see what people are up to, more and more are observing others taking the plunge, and deciding to do it themselves, all in the name of health and wellness!

What are the benefits of ice baths?

There’s something to be said about the numerous benefits both mentally and physically that people feel from taking a cold plunge, because why else would they do it?!

Here are just some of the many reasons people choose to submerge themselves in ice cold water.
1. May relieve muscle soreness: You’ve probably heard that some athletes utilize ice baths after an intense game or training session – and for a good reason. Submerging the body in an ice cold bath has the ability to reduce muscle aches, swelling, and lactic acid buildup. Our blood vessels also constrict in cold water, which leads to less swelling.
2. May improve your mood: You may have heard about cortisol before, it’s a stress hormone that can end up causing anxiety, depression, and intestinal issues when levels become too high. One of the big benefits of taking ice baths is that it has been shown to decrease cortisol resulting in a more relaxed state and better mood overall.
3. May improve your sleep: Did you know that melatonin is a hormone our body produces in response to darkness and is responsible for helping us snooze? Well, ice baths can cause melatonin levels to spike which in turn can make you more sleepy. Ice baths also lower your body’s temperature which helps to induce sleep.
4. May boost the immune system: There is some research that is beginning to show that cold water exposure can have an impact on strengthening the immune system. Ice bathing can also assist with lymphatic drainage which helps to remove toxins from the body!
5. Support the nervous system: Research shows that cold water exposure benefits the central nervous system. This not only shows promise for a number of neurological disorders, but also anyone who is looking to stimulate the vagus nerve resulting in resting and digesting a little easier.
How to get started?

So if this all sounds great to you and you’re looking to dive in (no pun intended) then these are some of the ways you can get started with cold exposure!
1. Start with cold showers: Cold showers can be the gateway to an actual ice plunge. Even though cold showers can be tough themselves, you have a lot more control over the temperature, how submerged your body is, and the length of time. We recommend trying a quick cold shower in the morning for an excellent energy boost!
2. Practice deep breathing: One thing you’ll need to do to prepare for before an ice bath is practicing deep breathing. It is said that our breath is the anchor and stabilizer to keeping us calm and centred. At first you’re going to want to scream and might hate every moment of being in an ice bath. But if you can really hone in on your deep breathing, you’ll find the experience is one you can really enjoy. Powerful inhales through your nose and steady exhales through your mouth can make a really big difference.
3. Experiment with temperatures: The recommended temperature for an ice bath is between 30 and 60 degrees farenheight. If it’s your first time you’re probably better off starting with a temperature on the higher end and working your way down to lower temperatures in the future. The more you do this the more you will see just how strong and capable you really are!
4. Don’t force yourself to stay in cold water longer than you’re ready for: The first couple of times you go for a plunge you may just want to jump out immediately, but if you can get yourself to even 1 or 2 full minutes fully submerged then that is a huge success! Overtime you will be able to stay in the bath for longer and longer.
5. Have a support group: Things are always easier and more fun when you have support, accountability, and people cheering you on! One great way to start practicing ice bathing is to start with family, friends, or a partner’s support. It’s a great way to challenge each other and participate in something that you know is benefitting your health and wellness!
All in all, deciding to take a cold plunge is a personal choice, and not an easy one at first. If you’re feeling up to the challenge, the benefits have the potential to seriously impact the quality of your life! We’re really curious to hear from you guys, is ice bathing something you have tried or would like to try? Leave us a comment and let us know your experience!
January 20, 2023
I Was Wrong About Cold Showers…
Not only cold showers but cold exposure in general.

I wrote a blog on here a year ago called “The Effects of Taking Cold Showers For 30 Days” and I felt like returning to this topic since I have since learned some new facts about cold exposure that I didn’t know back then. I don’t mind being wrong, but when this does occur, I like to make sure I correct myself on any misinformation I may have spread.

Read all the way to the end to find out how you can start cold exposure therapy!

Let me specify: I don’t think that anything I learned in the past was really “wrong“.

I believe that the benefits I got were partially based on my pre-conceived beliefs and partially based on how I actually felt. I say pre-conceived beliefs because I didn’t take a placebo; I actually did 30 days of cold showers and wanted to see how it would affect me.

The following are a few new things I’ve learned over the past year and why I believe Cold Exposure is still important but can be done more efficiently than I originally thought.

Why use Deliberate Cold Exposure?

The science is out there. Cold exposure from water, ice, or air can provide many benefits such as better sleep hygiene, higher pain tolerance, quicker recovery time, reduced swelling and inflammation, improved attention, and a stronger immune system. Although there are numerous benefits, it doesn’t make it any easier to do. Overcoming the cold can be really difficult for most of us. Here’s why.

As babies, we all had a certain amount of brown fat on us. This is known as adipose tissue and is an important type of fat found behind the shoulder blades of babies. This brown fat helps to maintain your body temperature when you get too cold. It’s the same fat that bears use to stay warm when they hibernate.

Brown adipose tissue’s main function is to turn food into body heat. It is sometimes called “good” fat. Humans and mammals with higher levels of brown fat take longer to start shivering from the cold, than those with lower levels. Newborns do not shiver in the cold, because their brown adipose tissue levels are higher than in older humans.

As we age, we lose this brown fat (made of mitochondria, also known as energy), and we tend to have more white fat cells, which makes it hard for us to lose weight… that leads me to the first reason why many of us like the idea of cold exposure…

Weight loss

Beige and brown fat are great at raising your metabolism.

You can burn white fat, especially while you’re in a calorie deficit when you have more brown fat. Unlike which merely stores calories, brown adipose cells burn them to produce heat. So how do you get this brown fat?

You can increase your core metabolism and change your gene expression in those genes(!) by deliberately exposing yourself to the cold. Exposure to cold temperatures (in water or air) causes stem cells to form brown fat instead of white fat.

A former NASA material scientist, Ray Cronise, who spent 15 years overseeing experiments aboard shuttles at Marshall Space Flight Center avoided warmth altogether in an experiment in 2008. He took cool showers, wore light clothing, went for 3-mile-long walks in 30-degree weather wearing a t-shirt, shorts, gloves, and earmuffs, and slept without sheets. In 6 weeks, he had shed 27 pounds! This was nearly 3x his regular weight-loss rate without changing his calorie intake.

More studies need to be conducted on humans to make sure these are not unique cases.

Recovery In Sport

Heat is the enemy!

I used to wonder why I would get so discombobulated after running a long race and neglecting to drink water throughout. Little did I know that I was not the only one who experienced that while overheating in a race. It’s called “Hyperthermia”. Getting too hot can decrease your physical performance as well as increase your risk of exertional heat illness, including heatstroke and heat exhaustion, which can both be life-threatening. You may also be familiar with the less life-threatening exercise-associated muscle cramps.

Before even thinking about recovery, why not think of the prep? When getting ready for an outdoor sport, consider lowering your body temperature the hour before you play or run or cycle. This slows the rate at which your core temperature rises. In fact, this could boost your performance by 3.7%! During your sport, you can actually STOP what you’re doing. Your temperature will start to lower. If you plan on continuing your race or training, try putting ice or cool water on three spots that will bring your body temperature down a bit: your face, the palms of your hands, and the bottoms of your feet. This is known as glabrous skin, which means they are free from hair or down. They’re smooth, which makes them very good at dumping heat and bringing in cool!

Once you’re done with your sport, how about an ice bath?! Intense exercise can cause microtrauma to your muscles, which can stimulate muscle cell activity and help strengthen the muscles, but this can also cause delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS can occur between 24 and 72 hours after exercise, and can really get in the way of your next workout.

The ice bath can be helpful in recovery in the following ways:
- Constricts blood vessels and flushes waste products, such as lactic acid, out of the affected tissues.
- Decreases metabolic activity and slows down physiological processes.
- Reduces swelling and tissue breakdown.
Now you can get back to doing what you love quicker and better rested!

Immune System Support

Cold exposure can increase dopamine, leading to accelerated healing when you’re sick. It makes inflammatory cytokines go down and anti-inflammatory cytokines go up.

Even breathing, like the WimHof method, for example, could help increase dopamine. Because the cold exposure is helping you increase anti-inflammatory cytokines, you can actually do this while sick and you can speed up your recovery! Any kind of breathing that will relax your nervous system will help.

Coldwater immersion up to the neck can lead to very significant dopamine levels that go on for several hours. This makes it a better alternative to eating that slice of cake just because it will taste so delicious, even though you know you will feel terrible after.

Some like to take cold showers and then hop in the sauna to do cold-heat contrast therapy. I mentioned that in my last blog about cold showers, but thought it was an interesting point to bring up since many of us like to avoid cold water or weather because we’re scared we’ll get sick from the exposure.

Mood Enhancement 🙃

Controlling dopamine for motivation, focus, and satisfaction using cold water is possible! It sounds weird, especially since the thought of going into a bath full of ice does not sound enjoyable.

Things like eating chocolate can give us temporary pleasure during and after consumption, but right after, you feel a subtle discomfort, because you want more of that thing. This discomfort comes from the lack of dopamine that follows – if you take something or do something that leads to a huge increase in dopamine, your baseline naturally drops, because there isn’t a lot of dopamine around to keep your baseline going.

When you get addicted to taking or using something for dopamine, you tend to always want that feeling. You might only get excitement from that behavior and not other behaviors (school, relationships, well-being), and you stop getting dopamine release from that activity as well. This means you need more of that thing to feel like you’re at your “baseline”. This pattern can eventually lead to depression.

Anna Lembke, an American psychiatrist and Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University, specializes in the opioid epidemic in the United States. One of the individuals she was working with to combat drug addiction tried cold exposure to ween off of drugs. Believe it or not, the use of dopamine elicited by cold water exposure helped this individual get off of drugs completely. This is obviously just one case, but that’s still pretty amazing.

Anti-Aging

Taking cold showers can actually help you take back years of your life! Cold exposure stimulates the vagus nerve, which is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system. It’s a parasympathetic nerve that connects the brain to the gut and other vital organs, and it’s responsible for rest and digestion, aka the part of you that helps to bring down stress and reduce your inflammation. This vagus nerve also transports feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA from your gut to your brain.

Like I mentioned earlier, deliberate and smart cold exposure will wake up longevity genes and help to increase brown fat, which helps to improve circulation in your skin, helps you sleep better, and boosts your immune system.

All of these things together lead to a healthier and younger-looking you!

Conclusion

You may be wondering, “this is great and all, but how do I do this? Do I just hop in the shower and make it as cold as possible?” Well, the easy answer is no. The longer answer is this.

This process will vary from person to person. Some people can easily go out into the cold without a coat and shiver but tolerate it. Others will need a lot more persuasion to go out into the cold or even change the temperature of the water in the shower. The answer will be unique to you and will depend on your personal resiliency, grit, and mental toughness.

From my research, this is what I gathered for the absolute basics of cold exposure. If you’re taking a cold bath or shower, the water should be challenging to get into, but not so cold that you can’t stay in for 3-10 minutes. This can vary. For example, research shows that just 11 minutes of cold exposure a week (minimum), divided into 2-4 sessions, can help you reap all the benefits listed in this article.

How cold does the water have to be? If you dread cold water, getting into a cold shower to increase your epinephrine and norepinephrine will be really tough. Maybe start by getting into a shower that is tolerable or slightly warm and then slowly lower the temperature. You may want to visualize yourself overcoming these cold hurdles by pretending they are a “wall”. Once you hit your first wall, or resistance, sit with it. Breathe. Keep the temperature where it is. and stay in for a few minutes. You could also play around with making the water colder once you hit your wall. Do this up to three times.

It’ll be tough to gauge how cold the water is in a shower or how long you stay in every time unless you’re super diligent. Unless you’re a professional athlete who likes to track this information, it’s likely not worth the time and effort to track all of this. Just give it a try – it’s free of charge!

If you don’t have access to a tub or don’t want to take a cold shower, you can just go for a cold walk outside in a t-shirt and shorts with some mitts and earmuffs!

Let us know if you have tried cold exposure therapy and how it works/worked out for you in the comments below.

Resources:
- https://hubermanlab.com/dr-craig-heller-using-temperature-for-performance-brain-and-body-health/
- https://hubermanlab.com/supercharge-exercise-performance-and-recovery-with-cooling/
- https://hubermanlab.com/dr-david-sinclair-the-biology-of-slowing-and-reversing-aging/
- https://hubermanlab.com/using-your-nervous-system-to-enhance-your-immune-system/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210050065
- https://koarecovery.com.au/mood-stabilisation-cold-therapy-as-a-treatment-for-depression/#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20cold%20also%20increases,nerve%20endings%20to%20the%20brain.
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/out-in-the-cold
May 6, 2022
The Importance of Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor
Have you noticed that particular daily activities such as sneezing, coughing, running, or laughing end up resulting in leaking a little bit of urine? As a man, do you have a harder time maintaining erections? As a woman, has sexual intercourse become painful and uncomfortable? These symptoms can all be a result of a variety of different reasons, but they can also all lead back to your pelvic floor. If you’ve been feeling hopeless about why any of the above symptoms are occurring, you’ve come to the right place. Some call these times the “pelvic floor revolution,” because more information and practices are coming out about how to strengthen this area of your body. In this article, we are going to talk all about the importance of strengthening the pelvic floor and what you can do to support this often overlooked part of your body.

What is a pelvic floor?

Pelvic floor disorders tend to be more common in women than in men, and studies have shown that roughly one-quarter of women living in the United States are impacted by one or more pelvic floor disorders. This is quite a large number, especially because so many of us don’t even know where our pelvic floor is located, what it does, and why it’s so vital for our overall wellbeing.

A pelvic floor is a base group of muscles that are located in the pelvis and stretch from the front of your pubic bone to the back where your tailbone is located. Your pelvic floor works with other muscles in your body to support stability and the spine.

In men, the pelvic floor supports the bladder and bowel. In women, the pelvic floor supports the bowel, uterus, and bladder. Without even realizing it, you have used and activated your pelvic floor muscles by holding in gas or number one and two. If you’ve ever been pregnant, your pelvic floor was also greatly impacted by stretching and making room for a growing baby. After giving birth, women will experience a weakened pelvic floor for up to two months. Although some women are impacted by pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction long after childbirth, sometimes symptoms can even emerge years later.

What are the reasons for a weakened pelvic floor?

It is hard to pinpoint just how many people are really impacted by pelvic floor disorders, especially because awareness of the symptoms and condition is quite low. Although many of the causes remain unknown, there are definitely some known factors that can lead to a weakened pelvic floor or a pelvic floor disorder.
- Pregnancy
- Being overweight
- Trauma in the pelvic area such as a car accident
- Chronic constipation
- Pelvic surgery
- Advancing in age
In some of these circumstances, a weakened pelvic floor can’t be avoided, therefore it’s important to know what can be done to improve your pelvic floor health.

Why is strengthening the pelvic floor important?

Our pelvic floor muscles support our pelvic organs, so simply put, when you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, the organs that surround it also become stronger. Some of the benefits you can expect from strengthening your pelvic floor muscles include:
- Better supported bowels, bladder, and uterus
- Reduced urinary leakage, lower back pain, pelvic pressure, and incontinence.
- Less low back pain
- Less pelvic discomfort
- Better sexual intercourse
- In some men, a stronger pelvic floor can improve erectile dysfunction
- Increased confidence and quality of life
How to strengthen the pelvic floor?

If you’ve been dealing with any of the weakened pelvic floor symptoms that we mentioned earlier on in this article or want to strengthen your pelvic floor in general there are ways you can do so!

If you’ve never activated your pelvic floor muscles before you probably don’t know where to start. One of the easiest and most common ways to strengthen this set of muscles is by doing kegels. There are different ways of performing a kegel if you’re a man or woman. Here is how you can get started from almost any place, anywhere:

Kegels for women: First and foremost, to perform a kegel properly you will need to identify your pelvic floor muscles. One simple way you can do this is by practicing the next time you are urinating. While you are going, stop releasing during midstream. In doing so you should feel the sensation of your pelvic floor tightening. In order to perfect your technique and practice kegels throughout different times of the day, imagine you are sitting on a marble and begin to tighten your muscles as if you are lifting it. Once you start to get more comfortable with kegels you can repeat them three times a day for 15 sets, each 3 seconds long. With consistent practice, most women start to notice a difference within 4-6 weeks or by three months.

Kegels for men: Men can perform kegels too, just in a different way than women do! In order to identify and activate your pelvic floor muscles as a male, you can also try to stop urinating midstream. We advise not doing this often because it could become painful to stop and go. Once you have identified the feeling of tightening your pelvic floor muscles, it’s time to try kegels! To practice this exercise you will need to envision pulling in and lifting up your genitals from the inside. Start slowly and once you get the hang of doing them you can practice three times today for 10 sets of 3 second kegels each.

If kegels aren’t your cup of tea for strengthening your pelvic floor, don’t sweat it. There are other exercises and options available for pelvic floor strengthening. Here are some to name a few:
- Hip Bridges
- Squats
- Jumping jacks
- Pilates
- Yoga
- Physical therapy
We highly recommend consulting with a fitness professional or medical doctor before changing anything within your lifestyle or daily routine to see if it’s best suited for you.

We have more education than ever before about ways to improve our health, from the inside out and the outside in (pelvic floor muscles included). If you’ve been dealing with any of the troubling or uncomfortable symptoms that come along with a weakened pelvic floor, we hope that the right exercises or protocol can help you find comfort again in your daily life.

Sources:

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/roughly-one-quarter-us-women-affected-pelvic-floor-disorders#:~:text=The%20study%20also%20revealed%20that,cavity%20weaken%20or%20are%20injured.

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/pelvic-floor-exercises#benefits-of-strengthening

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/pelvic-floor-muscle-kegel-exercises-men
April 4, 2022
Are you experiencing knee pain?
Sometimes, this pain is known as Runner’s Knee. But what about those of us who don’t run and still feel knee pain? It’s more common than you think. Today we’ll explore what it could be!

The knee is a pretty intricate part of the human body. According to Summit health, “The knee joint is a meeting of three bones—the tibia (lower leg bone), the femur (thigh bone) and the patella (kneecap). The ends of both the tibia and the femur are wrapped in articular cartilage to enable them to glide smoothly together. The underside of the patella is also surfaced with cartilage, and two more pads of cartilage called menisci (singular meniscus) sit between the femur and tibia and act as shock absorbers.”

What could it be?

There are so many variables that it’s hard to pin-point one specific reason for knee pain.

Have you ever experienced knee pain? It could be from any of the following reasons:
- Injury (specifically to your knee – ruptured ligament, torn cartilage)
- Injury (above or below the knee, causing you to change your walking/running pattern/gait)
- Arthritis
- Gout
- Infections
Today we will focus on Runner’s knee, or Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, which is a common condition that causes pain in the front of or around the knee. It prevents many people from being able to do things like lunges, squats, jumping or high impact, walking, or running.

Why does it happen?

An injury like Runner’s knee can happen for a variety of different reasons.

Most of the time, the cause is usually a weakness in another part of the body.

For runner’s knee, we’re talking specifically about weakness in the hips and quads. This is especially true for runners or people who walk a lot, or those who use shoes that are not supportive.

Another cause could be tight/weak hamstrings & hips.

When dealing with weakness, the best thing you can do is strengthen those body parts. You could go and see a physiotherapist to help you do these movements, but I’d like to share some tips with you to try out before you go out and spend money.

Prevention

Thankfully, even if you have Runner’s knee, you can treat it without having to resort to surgery!

Whether you’re treating or recovering your Runner’s knee, you can likely do any of the following and see a vast improvement.

If you have weak hips and quads:
- Strengthen! Rehab or Pre-hab exercises like clamshells, donkey kicks, fire hydrants, straight-leg raises, lateral lunges, sumo squats, and side step-ups can do wonders and improve your injury as well as help you lift more, run pain free, and reduce inflammation!
If you have tight/weak hamstrings & hips:
- If you use your hammies and hips a lot, you could probably benefit from rolling (using a foam roller) or stretching. Here is a source for hamstring stretches, and here is a source for hip stretches!
- Tightness is usually a sign of weakness. Have you ever thought of strengthening your hips and hammies instead?! Here are some exercises you can try at home to strengthen your hips and hammies!
  - Other great compound exercises include box squats, single-leg deadlifts, and Romanian Deadlifts.
Conclusion

So what happens if I try all this and I still feel pain?

Most likely, none of the exercises or stretches above are going to help you right away. It will take consistent practice and after a while, you may notice nothing has changed. Now what?!

If you notice swelling in the knees, make sure to get it checked out by a doctor. You don’t want to assume it’s runner’s knee and then find out it’s actually something else.

Allow 3-4 weeks of constant rehab + prehab and strength training if you can handle it. If the pain remains, it’s time to see a professional to make sure you can nip it in the bud once and for all.

Let me know in the comments below if you have experienced knee pain in the past or are currently going through it. I’m personally experiencing it while working at home right now, and it has reminded me to get up more often, stretch, and do strengthening exercises! I hope you’ve learned something new today!

Resources:
December 22, 2021
The Hidden Dangers of Office Desk Posture

While the transition to work from home has given some workers more freedom, a lot of us still feel stuck at a desk for most of the day. You might have noticed that you’re experiencing more hip, back, or leg pain.

Why is this? Well, bad posture is probably the culprit. When you’re not sitting correctly, you’re putting strain on muscles and reducing blood flow, leading to an issue known as gluteal amnesia or dead butt syndrome (DBS).

Why is Bad Posture a Problem?

When your posture is wrong, you’re usually putting strain on your glutes. This is an issue because this muscle group connects to your back and leg muscles.

So, if you’re weakening those muscles or causing pain, then you’re going to have pain in multiple muscle groups.

What Do I Do if I Think I have DBS?

If you have pain or numbness in your lower back, glutes, hips, or legs, then you might be experiencing DBS. Let’s discuss some tips for preventing DBS and how you can deal with it if you’re having pain and numbness.

DBS Prevention

There are three simple things that you can do to keep yourself from developing DBS. First, you should sit with proper posture while you work. This helps ward off many muscular and joint issues, DBS included.

Next, you should make sure to add some extra glute-strengthening exercises into your routine. This helps combat how sitting for long periods each day can weaken your muscles.

Lastly, no matter your level of activity, make sure that you’re stretching properly.

Even fit individuals might develop DBS if they’re not stretching before and after workouts. You should also make sure that you’re standing up and doing some light stretching on your breaks.

DBS Treatment

If the DBS-related discomfort has already set in, you can still take action to reduce and eliminate your symptoms.

All the prevention tips above apply. Keep in mind that your muscles are strained. Therefore, you should start slow, especially if you’re not very active. Listen to your body when exercising and stretching because pushing it too far will cause further injury.

When you’re experiencing muscle soreness, rest and elevate the parts of your body that are in pain. You can also apply a cold compress to help reduce this pain. Gentle exercises, such as walking, helps improve your circulation and lessen symptoms.

When it comes to treating DBS, just make sure that you’re listening to your body while increasing your activity levels. It’s easy to overdo it, so take your recovery slowly.

How Can I Maintain Proper Desk Posture?

The first tip to improve your desk posture is to raise your laptop or computer screen. Many of us hunch over to look at our screens. When you raise your screens, it’s easier to lift your head without even thinking about it.

Next, think about how you’re positioning yourself. For best results, sit with both your feet on the floor. You should also be aware of how your arms are positioned. It’s best when your elbows are at a 90-degree angle or if you can position your elbows higher than your wrists.

If you’re still having issues, think about your desk setup. Ergonomic tools, such as specialized chairs and desks, can help you improve your posture long-term.

Still curious about how you can prevent DBS while working from home? Check out Hello TUSHY for more information and tips about combatting DBS.

December 6, 2021
Simple Stretches to do while you work
Have you been sitting all morning, so far?

Having gone from an active job where I’m standing all day and helping others move, I’m still struggling to adjust to this new “sedentary” lifestyle.

But just because you sit at a desk all day does not mean you need to give up the mobility (even if only a little) that you do have.

Don’t tell your boss, but we’re going to be stretching and exercising while working! 😉

I like to work from the feet up to the top of my head, so follow along or change it up if you want!

What you need

Technically, you can always stretch and stay mobile without props. I never tell my clients or athletes that they need to go out and purchase anything in order to do stretches, but it might help if you have some of these things around your house if you want to do something a little extra!

If you have the following, bring them out:
- A resistance band, a belt, OR a broomstick handle
- A tennis ball or any kind of ball will do!
- A sock or small face towel
- If you really want to get creative, get rid of your desk chair and replace it with a yoga/exercise ball! It’s called a stability ball for a reason!
If you don’t have any of those things, keep reading, because I’ll go over all the stretches you can do while seated in front of your desk, with or without props!

Feet

It’s definitely the sorest part of my body. I’ve got virtually no arch in my foot, and many people also complain about foot pain when they have a really high arch. Here are a few exercises that can help mobilize the feet while you aren’t really using them or putting your body weight on them.

1: Barefoot, you can place a sock or towel in between your toes to create a makeshift toe spacer to let your feet splay out. This is the opposite of what shoes do for us. That’s why they’re sometimes referred to as foot coffins!

2: Using that same towel, place it under your foot, and see if you can pick it up with your toes only. Do that a couple times and then switch sides.

3. If you have a ball (any variety: golf, tennis, lacrosse, your dog’s toy!), some light rolling under the footpads, the heels, and under your toes can release a lot of built-up tension and break up some of the fasciae.

If you’ve got more time, check out this source. GMB Fitness has a lot of great resources for those of you who want to up your mobility game!

Legs/Hips

Without getting up from your seat, you can try some great stretches that can benefit your hips and hip flexors.

1. Have you tried a figure-4 shape while seated? Simply cross your Right ankle over your left thigh so that your legs are creating a 4-shape. It will look something like the woman in the picture here, but instead of lying down, you can stay in your seat. Try this on both sides, and hold it for as long as you’d like. Just make sure you don’t press down on your knee, as your hips may not want you to push that far into this stretch.

Listen to your body and ease into this movement! You can always try it again later in the day to see if you feel better or worse.

Trunk/Torso

Your spine is meant to move throughout the day. When you don’t move for extended periods of time (consistently), you risk losing some of the lubrication in your spinal column. What once used to feel easy or mobile, may feel super crunchy or painful. This can lead to osteoarthritis, stiffness, and just an overall loss of mobility.

In order to avoid this, here are some stretches for your torso and spine:

1. Place your arms above your head and reach up for the ceiling. Try to keep your ribs from falling forward or back. Imagine you’re dangling from a set of monkey bars (even if you haven’t done this since you were a child)!
- - Keeping your arms above your head, arch your back so that you’re extending your back. Your arms will go back in space, your upper back should help you the most in this position.
  - Keeping your arms above your head, now do the opposite: flex your back. Your arms will come forward in space, and your lower back will help you the most in this position.
    
    Feel free to move through these with each breath you take (ex. Inhale to extend your spine, exhale to reach up to the ceiling, inhale to flex your spine, then give your arms a break).
Source: https://www.warrioraddict.com/news/2019/5-yoga-poses-de-stress-work

2. Now that we’ve stretched lengthwise, let’s try a twist! Grab the armrest of your chair on one side and begin to twist to that side. If you can’t reach that far over, place your opposite hand on your opposite leg and breathe there. Work your way up; start your twist from the base of your spine to the very top of your head. Your head should be the last thing to turn to face your chair.

Arms/Shoulders

The last stretch involved your arms and shoulders, so you may be feeling the burn already. Now, you want to focus on increasing the range of motion in your shoulders. Test it out every day. Do arm circles, try downward dog pose, or do some jumping jacks!

1. Desk angels: this is similar to wall angels, but you’ll be seated. Arms will come out to the side in a cactus shape (90deg). Lift your arms up (straighten) and down (bend the elbows), keeping your torso steady as if you’re against a wall. You should feel this in your shoulders, arms, and definitely in your upper back!

2. Interlace your hands behind your back. You may want to scooch your butt up on your seat so you’ve got space. Keeping your torso upright, lift your hands off your back and toward the backrest of your seat. Take some deep breaths in this position, and if you’d like, feel free to drape your torso over your thighs for a more intense stretch!

3. Shoulder Dislocates: This one is my favorite. Rather than explain it in writing, I’m going to direct you to watch this quick video. This will require a resistance band, belt, or broomstick handle. I can’t emphasize how much I love this stretch. I do it every single day.

Neck

And now, the piece de resistance! The one I’ve neglected the longest and that gives me the most aches and pains! Your neck is still part of your spine, so remember, staying mobile in the spine includes everything from your pelvis up to your head!

Gentle neck circles are a great way to mobilize the tissues around your neck. The one thing I’ve been trying to incorporate every day into my routine is Neck CARS, aka Controlled Articular Rotations. I learned to do this in a course I took a couple of years ago. Here is a great video that demonstrates Neck CARS.

Things to keep in mind: Keep your torso nice and steady when you do this movement. The movement should only be happening in the neck and head!

Conclusion

After almost a year of working from a desk at home, I now understand the pain my clients kept complaining about. Now I’m the one complaining! You don’t realize that your lack of movement can eventually cause pain until you are in pain!

I’ve been working consistently on mobilizing and stretching, but most of all, strengthening, by staying consistent with my workouts (both cardio and weight-training), and it’s helped a lot with the pain I was feeling while seated.

Who else is suffering from sedentary pain? Comment below with your tips and tricks so we know how you stay fit, active, and pain-free!
September 22, 2021
Improve your Eye Health with these 4 Easy steps
When it comes to our eyes, we tend to be more reactive, in that we pay attention once there is already a problem, rather than proactively aiming to have healthier eyes.

The technology is already out there: glasses. If we have eye issues, it’s most likely a decline or loss of eyesight. This can certainly be worrisome. Coming from someone who has fairly good eyesight, I definitely didn’t start thinking about my eye health until I worked a desk job and was stuck in front of a computer screen for 8 hours.

But what really gets people interested in eye health?

One day, you may notice a difference in your eyes, such as:
- Hazy or double vision
- Trouble seeing in low light conditions or discomfort with high-light conditions
- Red eyes for prolonged periods of time
- Eye pain or swelling (not from allergies)
- Floaters (black or grey specks, strings, or cobwebs caused by age-related changes)
- Frequent flashes of light
But no need to wait until you feel any of these. Taking care of your eyeballs is super important if you want to keep your vision until you’re old! And the great thing is, these easy steps apply to both children and adults – With online learning becoming the new normal, and children having easy access to technology, it’s great to instill these habits while they’re young!

4 Easy Steps to improve Eye Health

1. Eye Exercises

Blinking Breaks? Yes! I highly recommend them. It isn’t necessarily the computer’s fault your eyes hurt. Staring at anything for too long can cause eye strain. Imagine reading a book for hours where your eyes only move from Left to Right. Look away from what you’re working on every once in a while to bring for a few seconds (or minutes), then return to your task.

If you can, take breaks using the “20-20-20” rule. That means that for every 20 minutes you work, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 feet away from you for at least 20 seconds.

Another exercise you can try is facing forward and looking straight ahead. From there, look up without tilting or moving your head. Look down, being mindful not to move your head. Do this 10 times. Try the same thing but looking right and left. If you do this in the same spot every day, notice if you can see a bit further some days than others.

I personally love “palming“. Close your eyes and place your hands over your eyes. It’s called palming because your palms will be covering your eyes, with your fingers on your forehead. Don’t push down on your eyes; maintain light pressure, so light that you could blink. If you can sit here for a couple of minutes, that is ideal! Not only is this a nice break for your eyes, but it can also be a moment for you to breathe deeply and kill two birds with one stone!

There are so many more exercises you could try, it just takes a simple Google search or a search on YouTube to find more examples. If you have any trouble finding an exercise that works for you, reach out to me through the comments and I’ll help you find the right one for you!

2. Take the right Vitamins & Minerals

You can find all the vitamins and minerals you need in simple every day foods, but you may need to supplement with a capsule or powder for any nutrients you may be lacking.

Some beneficial foods for your eyes:
- All colorful veggies and fruits, such as carrots, strawberries, red peppers, spinach, sweet potato, citrus, and broccoli
- Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, like high-quality salmon and flaxseeds. Keep in mind, some of these will be higher in Omega-6 and Omega-9, which we don’t need too much of in our diet. Usually, the lower the Omega-3 content, the cheaper the food/product.
Supplements:

You want to aim for Vitamins A, C, E, and Minerals like Zinc, which contain antioxidants that can help lower your chances of macular degeneration. Carotenoids are super important too!

There are two supplements I take that I’d like to highlight here. I was already a huge fan of Fish oil for the mental health and anti-inflammation benefits, but then I also added Optify Eye Health to my daily regimen for the Carotenoid benefits.

Carotenoids include lutein and zeaxanthin, and these are found in your retina. If you can’t get a sufficient amount from food, I highly recommend supplementing with something like Optify to make sure you’re giving your macula all the protection it needs by improving the pigment density in that part of your eye, and in order to properly absorb ultraviolet and blue light with minimal damage.

Optify is a premium eye health blend which includes lutein, zeaxanthin, and virtually everything you need for vision care and optimal eye health.

NutraChamps’ Omega 3 Fish Oil is a staple of daily nutrition sourced from wild caught fish in Peruvian waters. It’s one of the most beneficial supplements available for heart & brain health, joint comfort, eyes & more! DHA supports the brain, eyes and central nervous system.

3. Use eye protection

This is a pretty new one for me. Growing up having 20/20 vision, I didn’t do anything to care for my eyes. I never had to wear glasses or contact lenses, and I never felt the need to wear sunglasses.

Not only can I feel the discomfort in my eyes while sitting in front of a computer screen for long periods of time, but I also feel discomfort when outside, whether it’s sunny or not! Because I never wore sunglasses, I squinted a lot when I was outside playing sports, going for a walk, or just sitting on a patio. I get fatigued (physically and mentally) almost immediately if I’m not wearing sunglasses outdoors now.

To make matters worse, I wasn’t used to wearing any kind of eyewear, so getting used to glasses to protect me from my technology took a while! I purchased a pair of blue light glasses 2 years ago when I knew I’d be working a desk job full-time. I consulted this list, and purchased an affordable pair (without a prescription).

Shades are super helpful! The RIGHT pair can help you stay safe from cataracts, macular degeneration and pinuecula by blocing out the sun’s harmful UV rays. Look for a pair that provides 99-100% UV protection – you can get this in contacts as well!

Keep in mind: The amount of light coming from a computer has never been demonstrated to cause any eye disease. Studies show that the actual light from computer screens isn’t damaging our eyes, but instead, it could simply be that we are not taking enough breaks from our screens – we go from tablet to phone to laptop to TV throughout the day.

4. Take a break

This leads me to this point: take a break! We should be taking breaks throughout our day from all screens. I even try to avoid being around the microwave and oven, since they display the time in super bright LED lights.

I know it isn’t always possible to take a break when you want to. Maybe your boss is breathing down your neck and you need to get something done in a time crunch! In that case, here are some things to keep your eyes safe:
- Sit further away from the screen (about 25 inches or an arm’s length). You’ll want to adjust the screen so you’re looking slightly down, rather than up, to avoid straining your neck.
- Don’t be afraid to make use of eye drops if you have them around. Don’t work through the discomfort of dry eyes. It will make you strain even more.
- This could also mean taking a break from contact lenses. Many of us use them on the daily, to the point where our friends don’t even know that we need glasses! Switch them out for your glasses every once in a while to avoid touching your eyes.
Conclusion

It’s important for me to mention that if you are having issues with your eyes or are simply curious about how your eyes are operating, visit or consult an Eye Doctor! This can be a regular appointment in your calendar!

I understand this isn’t an option for many who are not covered by health insurance, but it could be worth the investment. An Eye Doctor will check up on some, if not all, of the following:
- Perform a vision test to determine farsightedness/nearsightedness, presbyopia (changes in vision due to age), astigmatism (blurred vision)
- Perform a test to determine coordination between both eyes
- Optic nerve and eye pressure tests (for glaucoma)
- Microscopic & external eye exam before and after dilation
If you can get into an Eye Doctor at least once a month to check up on your eye health and maybe get a new prescription for your glasses, you’re showing your eyes the love they’ve been desperately looking for!

Do you see an Eye specialist or Optometrist? How do you care for your eyes? If you haven’t thought of this before, what can you take from this post and start doing beginning today? Let me know below!

Resources:
- https://irisvision.com/20-tips-for-optimal-eye-health/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eye-floaters/symptoms-causes/syc-20372346
- https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/are-computer-glasses-worth-it
- https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-improve-eyesight#bottom-line
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eye-vitamins#TOC_TITLE_HDR_11
September 15, 2021
German Volume Training – What is it?
High volume = High results!

Started in the 1970s, the coach of the German national weightlifting team came up with a plan to bulk up his lifters. You can imagine then, that this kind of workout plan may not be for the everyday person. You may be right about that. But you’d be surprised how many lifters this could benefit!

The first time I was introduced to German Volume Training (GVT), I was lucky enough to train with a trainer, who happened to be a good friend of mine. He understood my goals: I wanted to be faster and stronger as a long-distance runner. Although these goals eventually changed, he was aware of something that hadn’t even yet crossed my mind. Even if I quit running, GVT would make me a stronger athlete, period!

This is not everyone’s favorite training style, but because I was an endurance athlete, I quite enjoyed it. It was fun to push myself and see how long I could perform an exercise without breaking in form.

Today, I’ll coach you in the basics of German Volume Training, how to do it, how often you should try this method of training, and let you know who should be doing it in the gym!

What is GVT?

Although this style of training started in the 1970s, Charles Poliquin (Canadian Strength Coach) adopted the program and popularized it as German Volume Training in the 90s.

This training style is not for beginners. GVT is defined by its distinctive set-and-rep scheme of 10 sets of 10 reps.

That’s right. You’ll be performing 100 reps of your chosen exercise(s). That isn’t even including a warm-up or any accessory work you choose to do after your 10 sets of 10. GVT works by targeting a group of motor units, exposing them to an extensive volume of repeated efforts, specifically 10 sets of a single exercise. The body adapts to this extraordinary stress by hypertrophying the targeted fibers, leading to muscle gains and fat loss! In fact, some men can even gain 5 pounds of muscle in 3 weeks!

I’m performing so many reps, so I must get a long rest, right?

Nope. You have 60 seconds of rest between sets if you’re doing ONE main lift (ex. Squat or Bench Press) OR 90-120 seconds between sets if you’re alternating between TWO lifts. I think this is what makes this type of training so difficult. Many veteran weightlifters who train in the Strength phase for a living will hate this program because they are used to low rep counts, high sets (although not usually 10 sets of the same exercise(s)), and at least 2 minutes of rest.

Let’s talk about Tempo, as well!

Most exercises when done at a lighter weight than you know is possible are going to feel way too easy. It couldn’t possibly be that easy – and it’s not.

For all big range-of-motion compound exercises, such as bench press, squats, deadlifts, you’re going to aim for a 4-0-2-0 tempo. That’s 4 seconds down for the eccentric portion, a 0-second pause at the bottom, 2 seconds up for the concentric portion, and then 0 seconds at the top. Since you’re trying our best to keeping the reps and sets consistent (10×10), you’ll want to keep the tempo consistent as well – that way you take the guesswork out of it.

Because you’re lifting for many sets and a fairly high number of reps, you need to gauge how much you can lift for twice that amount for your first set. It might feel too easy at first. You may not want to take your full rest. You may wonder why you need to take 60 seconds if you don’t need it.

How often should I perform GVT?

Depending on who you ask, the answer may vary.

While in a GVT phase, make sure that each body part has time to recover from the training session. Each body part should be trained only once every 4 to 5 days. I’d suggest doing 2-3 workouts a week, maybe one day for Chest and Back, one day for Legs and Abs, and the last day for Arms and Shoulders. This phase can last anywhere between 4-6 weeks, at which point you should switch phases to avoid a plateau or burn-out.

I personally wouldn’t have any trouble performing this 4-6x a year, but Charles Poliquin would disagree. Many competitive bodybuilders or weightlifters use it temporarily to build endurance (strength), increase muscle size, and develop lean body weight. However, for these types of competitive athletes, the goal is usually mass and not so much weight loss, so 1x a year is usually enough. I put many of my clients who are in a Maintenance phase through a GVT workout one time a year and it’s always consistent, so they know when it’s coming.

But how do I make my program?!

It’s simple! Choose one exercise (select exercises that recruit a lot of muscle mass!) or alternate sets of paired exercises (which you can mark A & B). You’ll do one set of A, rest for 90-120 seconds, then one set of B, and rest again for 90-120 seconds. That’s one set complete. Only 9 to go! :’]

Your program could look like this:
Exercise: Squat (85lbs = 60% of my max) –> I can do 20 reps at this weight, so this is what I will use for all 10 sets of 10 reps.
- Set 1: 10 reps (feels too easy)
- Set 2: 10 reps (feels too easy – am I doing this right? I thought it was supposed to be torture?)
- Set 3: 10 reps (feels like an appropriate weight)
- Set 4: 10 reps (feeling strong here!)
- Set 5: 10 reps (this isn’t so hard…)
- Set 6: 10 reps (I take that back… are we there yet? Accumulative fatigue is kicking in.)
- Set 7: 10 reps (60s rest is not long enough! This is when you may really need a cheerleader to pump you up.)
- Set 8: 10 reps (much more difficult – you may only perform 9 squats to depth and with good form)
- Set 9: 10 reps (much more difficult – likely only performing 8 squats to depth and with good form)
- Set 10: 10 reps (extremely fatigued – only performing 8 squats and losing form)
Interestingly enough, you might find the opposite is true, and you get stronger again during the eighth and ninth sets. This is because of a short-term neural adaptation. Because of the importance of the rest intervals, you should use a stopwatch to keep the rest intervals constant because this is a tough one to do without a coach or partner. Trust me, it will be tempting to lengthen the rest time as you fatigue, but keep it consistent!

For supplementary work for individual body parts (like triceps and biceps), you can do 3 sets of 10-20 reps after your GVT is complete.

How can I progress this?

Most people find GVT too difficult to even fathom making it harder, but at some point, you do need to increase the difficulty! Over time, work to get all 10 reps for each set, and then increase the load by 5 percent.

Otherwise, if you are looking for more strength gains, you can try Advanced GVT, where you perform 6 reps for 10 sets. This means you can go way heavier (80% load)! This is usually for those with 5+ years of training experience.

Who is this program good for?
- Intermediate lifters: Anyone who has gone through all the training phases (General Preparation, Build, Burn, Strength) and has been training for at least a year.
- Any person: Woman, Man, and everyone in between OR beyond that. I like to share workout routines that are inclusive and that almost every person can try!
- Those who want to lose weight: Great for those trying to lose weight – and no, you won’t get bulky if you don’t have enough muscle to bulk up! Building muscle can help you burn fat, and this is a safe and foolproof way to do this. If you’re not up for the 10×10, you can look up Vince Gironda’s 8×8 program which may yield more fat loss.
- Those who want to build mass: You can gain up to 5 pounds of muscle in 3 weeks if you stick to a heavy, difficult program like GVT. Muscle hypertrophy and strength are the main benefits!
- Those with limited equipment: If you are in a condo gym or only have access to kettlebells or certain machines, feel free to try GVT with those!
- Those who have a partner: If you have a partner/coach/friend to train with, even better – you’ll need some cheering on! And much safer.
Conclusion

If your training program has plateaued or you haven’t been working out at all and are looking to get back into the gym, GVT is a great program that could encourage you to get back to it. You certainly shouldn’t start back at the gym with a program like this one. Ensure you’ve gone through the necessary phases before trying a workout like this – in fact, many of my clients didn’t see their first GVT workout until a year or two into training with me. It’s pretty intense.

Find a buddy and try this workout at the gym for 4-6 weeks and report back! Let me know how it went. Try to keep it consistent – weight, reps, sets, and always bring that same buddy so that you don’t change things up too much. I want to hear how it went for you. My biggest gains (in confidence, strength, endurance, and weight loss) were through GVT and I can’t wait to get back into the gym to test it out again!

Resources:
- https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/advanced-german-volume-training
- https://www.poliquinstore.com/articles/frequently-asked-questions-about-german-volume-training/
- https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/german-volume-training-programs.html
- https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/german-volume-training#exercise-plan
Chelsea Pineiro

Chelsea has been active most of her life, which led her to become a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor for the past 7 years. Health and Fitness are not solely dependent on movement, though, and with that understanding, she addresses her client’s other needs, such as diet, mindfulness, and stress management.

When she is not training clients or teaching Yoga, she is finding new activities that keep her mind and body active, such as hiking, photography, listening to podcasts, or playing video games. She is constantly working toward finding natural solutions to live a balanced lifestyle, inclusive Yoga for all body types, and aiming to find mindfulness in everything she does.
July 15, 2021
How to change up your movement patterns!

I’m pretty set in my ways when it comes to working out.

“If you want to see long-term, lasting results and you want to workout in the safest, most efficient way, Compound Movements are the way to go! These include Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead or Bench Press, and plank variations.”

However, I won’t lie and say this doesn’t get boring. You will eventually want to play around with other movements so that you aren’t only working in one plane of motion – most of these compound movements take place in the Sagittal Plane. This is probably the most familiar plane of motion for most people because many of our typical day-to-day activities happen within arms reach in front of us.

But, this does not mean we should veer away from the other planes of motion, like the Frontal Plane and Transverse Plane.

This woman is dancing in the Transverse Plane

I’m going to give you some ideas for how you can move in all planes of motion in order to make sure you are keeping your whole body mobile. These exercises are not meant to build muscle, rather they make you more resilient in a larger variety of planes of motion and ranges of motion. This is a great way to prevent injury, build up stamina, and experiment with something new without too much fatigue.

These 3 planes of movement also prepare your body for daily life, for sports, and they add variety so they are super versatile! Don’t forget: you don’t even need a lot of equipment to get started.

Here are some exercises I think are overrated or underrated, but if executed properly, can burn calories, increase range of motion, and lead to a healthier and happier life!

Burpees – Sagittal Plane

We’re going right in with the one people hate most! But for those who hate them, I’d like to ask why?!

Burpees tend to be a ballistic movement that requires coordination, speed, and mobility, but it can be so much more than that. Most of the time, people are simply performing this exercise as a finisher to their workout, which means they’re already performing this exercise pre-fatigued.

Play around with how you perform this exercise in order to get the most out of this compound movement.

This leads me to a video made by one of my fitness idols, Jordan Syatt. He made a video about how to properly perform a burpee. Although there is no right or wrong way, there certainly is a way to get injured more easily AND a way to perform this efficiently.

Burpees Are Overrated
If this offends you, watch the whole video. If it still offends you, hit the unfollow button. #burpees #burpee #crossfit #crossfitwod #crossfitgirls #workout #workoutoftheday #hiit #cardio #calorieburn #fitness
Posted by Syatt Fitness on Sunday, December 27, 2020

To sum up, try to perform the burpee in broken up movements: a really good Squat + a really good Push-up.

Sure, you can add a jump if you want, but it isn’t really necessary.

Plank Sliders – Sagittal, Frontal, Transverse

As if the plank wasn’t hard enough, now we’re adding an extra “twist”.

Planks can be performed through all three planes of motion.

The plank is typically performed as an Isometric exercise, meaning you hold it for a certain amount of time. In these three examples demonstrated by John Stolz, you’ll see that planks can be dynamic and don’t need to be held to be difficult. This means you get a bit more bang for your buck due to the increased muscle activation, making this a great warm-up for a workout!

John performing the Transverse Plane Plank

Here are the examples if you’d like to go take a look and find out how John incorporated the Sagittal, Frontal, and Transverse Plane in his planks.

Keep in mind that wearing the band between his forearms is completely voluntary. It can help increase resistance in order to activate the rotator cuff, lats, serratus anterior, and pecs, but it is in no way necessary if you’re starting to test out dynamic planks!

I personally like to play with twists, especially from a side plank. Play around with switching from side to side, moving the top leg forward and back to test your balance, or sweeping the top arm under your body for some trunk twisting!

Finally, my favorite is placing a slider under your foot to slide your feet out as far as possible to the sides, into a mountain climber, or to sweep the foot across to the opposite corner. Below I’ve demonstrated all 3 in my small space by using socks on my wood floors! A small towel would work as well, and cleans your floors in no time!

Lunges – Sagittal, Frontal, Transverse

This is another exercise that I hear complaints about often, especially when it comes to knees.

I get it! If you’re experiencing knee pain, this one does tend to be exponentially harder.

Lunges can be performed in all 3 planes of motion, however, I don’t often see much variety from gym-goers.

There are so many different variations that can be gentle on the knees but also challenge your balance, increase range of motion, and create more play in your workout!

Forward and reverse lunges travel through the Sagittal plane.

Side lunges or Cossack squats travel through the Frontal plane.

But these are my favorite: Transverse/Curtsey Lunges! They work your Glutes and Hips and require no equipment. They introduce more rotational force in the knee, so if you have knee issues, do not attempt these until you feel comfortable. Remember, if you feel pain, this is not normal and needs to be addressed before moving forward.

I highly recommend following or checking out The Prehab Guys because they have tons of preventative rehab exercises available on their website, including a page that talks about all of the different lunge variations you could try!

Some of these are killer but in a good way!

Conclusion

I only mentioned 3 different movements in this article, but there are so many more! Think of the things that we do in everyday life that require all 3 planes of motion, including cleaning your house, playing with your kids, looking behind you to turn a doorknob, lifting a heavy grocery bag, walking away from your car, and more.

If you are moving from one place to the other or can turn your body using your spine (neck, too!), you are constantly using these 3 planes of motion throughout the day. Why wouldn’t you want to make your body stronger in order to avoid injury? The worst thing would be to pull a muscle from an unexpected sneeze or cough! So take some of these exercises and give them a go!

The best thing is that if you give these a try, you’re still doing a variation of a compound movement, so you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck, even if you aren’t using any weights.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comment section and I’ll be sure to reply. If you have tried any of these exercises or other movements I didn’t mention, let us know in the comment section so we can add those to the list!

Chelsea Pineiro

Chelsea has been active most of her life, which led her to become a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor for the past 7 years. Health and Fitness are not solely dependent on movement, though, and with that understanding, she addresses her client’s other needs, such as diet, mindfulness, and stress management.

When she is not training clients or teaching Yoga, she is finding new activities that keep her mind and body active, such as hiking, photography, listening to podcasts, or playing video games. She is constantly working toward finding natural solutions to live a balanced lifestyle, inclusive Yoga for all body types, and aiming to find mindfulness in everything she does.

June 22, 2021
Healthy Computer Habits

Hey NutraChamps fam! I’m Sam!

Today, I have the privilege to talk to you about healthy gaming, computer habits, and how they can affect your everyday life.

I’m a content creator and have created over 3000 videos in 2 years! With this job, it can be very stressful not knowing if you are going to get paid for a game, if viewers will like the game or what I say about it, dealing with timelines, unsatisfied viewers, negative comments, and having my face in the public eye. These factors are all extremely stressful and hard on the mind.

I’m going to cover healthy gaming and computer habits, healthy sitting, and how I work at a computer all day long.

A lot of gamers and people that work at a computer forget about posture, and why it’s so important.

According to the research I’ve done, to have healthy computer habits you need to remember the following:

1. Adjust the chair height so your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are in line (or slightly lower) with your hips.

2. Sit up straight and keep your hips far back in the chair.

3. The back of the chair should be somewhat reclined at a 100- to 110-degree angle.

4. Ensure the keyboard is close and directly in front of you.

5. To help your neck stay relaxed and in a neutral position, the monitor should be directly in front of you, a few inches above eye level.

6. Sit at least 20 inches (or an arm’s length) away from the computer screen.

7. Relax the shoulders and be aware of them rising toward your ears or rounding forward throughout the workday.

With these techniques, you can drastically help your life in many ways. This will also help your productivity in the work you are doing since you are not concentrating on the pain in your body but the work you need to get done.

The next subject I want to cover is proper equipment.

When I’m creating content, I have a sit/stand desk that I use that has an automatic timer on it to make me stand every 30-60 minutes depending on what I want to do that day. Getting a sit/stand desk has improved my computer habits and been a lifesaver for so many reasons. Sitting for long periods of time can be a killer; long-term sitting can have detrimental effects on your body that you’re probably not aware of, so let me list a couple things that can happen from sitting for too long:

1. Your cancer risk goes up.

2. It can lead to varicose veins.

3. Horrible for your back, even if you have the best chair in the world, your spine isn’t going to like it all the time.

4. Doesn’t help with anxiety, and in fact, it can increase anxiety.

5. You could gain weight.

6. You can develop DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) which are clots that can form in your legs which can lead to other complications.

7. It increases the likelihood of heart disease.

8. It can shorten your lifespan, even if you exercise every day; long extended periods of sitting will hurt you in the long run.

9. Sitting also raises your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

10. You can reverse the effects of working out all week just by sitting all day!

Here’s the good news…

You can be active while sitting and avoid all the detrimental side effects I listed above!

For example, I have used a number of things to help keep me active while at the desk. To keep your feet moving there is equipment out there to help you exercise while seated. One of the things I love to use is an under-the-desk bike. There are many different under-desk ellipticals and bikes that you can use while seated. I love to keep my feet moving while burning calories at my desk! Other tools that help keep you in check while sitting include the active sitting footrest. This helps you keep your lower joints mobile by extending and flexing at the ankle.

As they say: “if you don’t use it, you lose it”!

What I love about NutraChamps and their products is that they give back to the world. I quote from the NutraChamps website “Every NutraChamps purchase you make generates a donation of life-changing nutrients to a child or mother in need through Vitamin Angels, our non-profit partner.” I love this! They help out mothers and kids in need!

I love the product I’ve been using from NutraChamps called Ashwagandha. The reason I love this product is that it’s helped calm me down. Sometimes I’m high-strung, other times I’m low-energy, and overall, I’m pretty stressed due to my job as a content creator. It can be very stressful having people stare at your face as if you were on stage at all times and Ashwagandha has helped me overcome that stress in my life. I have noticed a definite change when I started using the product. My family was trying to bug me to get on ADHD meds to try to calm me down. Since using the product, they don’t bug me anymore! They notice the change and it is for the better.

If you want to test out a product, but don’t know if it’s right for you, feel free to use my 10% off code: NORKDORF. NutraChamps guarantees that if you don’t like it, you get your money back, so no harm in trying it out!

I hope this article about healthy sitting and computer habits has helped you! I am all over the place with content creating, I would love for you guys to check out my stuff when you have time!

You can check me out at the following link: https://linksb.io/NorkDorf

If you can drop a subscription on my YouTube channel that would be amazing and help me out tremendously!

Thanks NutraChamps for giving me this opportunity to share some thoughts on sitting at a computer!

May 13, 2021