Full Body Warm Up

14 Minute Full Body opener and warm up for any activity.

Try it!  You may find some things that work for you and can add them to your toolbox.

Heritage Community

After 2.75 years of absence from the Fitness Community, I am excited to return by joining the team at the Heritage Community Fitness Centre!

Looking forward to sharing with this great Community!

The Importance of Dynamic Movement

The importance of dynamic movement and mobility is based on the Theory of Tensegrity.  This You Tube video from Thomas Myers gives an excellent explanation of what that means. 

Spend less time sitting and doing monostructural activities, and take some time to explore the movement capacity you were born with. Your physical health and quality of life will be much improved!

Power Circle

Some exploration with a variation of the “Power Circle” (FM Zero Forms) using different tempos and stances. The possibilities are limited only by imagination and are explored through improvisation. The benefits are … priceless!

FM Practice - 0

I love to go exploring, both in nature and in movement.

I have explored numerous systems of movement and have found this "Zero Forms" practice from Fighting Monkey to be beneficial in both assessing areas that are "cranky" and removing those restrictions responsible.

The practice starts with smaller movements, gradually expands over time, and opens the door for dynamic movement and improvisations.

A movement practice is meant to regain ranges of motion that our body is capable of but may have lost over time as a result of not using them.

 
Not only does it expand one's capacity for movement and assist in preventing injuries, but it is vital for healthy aging and physical longevity.

Many more movement patterns in the toolbox to explore, and I appreciate how amazing my body feels after a 30 minute session!

Level 1 Shoulder & Spine Mobility (Session 3)

3 Part Basic Shoulder & Spine Mobility Session

(3a) Preparation :

Tea Cup Rotation, Scap Pull, Quadruped Twist


(3b) Strength & Stability :

Side-Lying Twist/Rotation, Band Pull Apart, Side Arch Lift


(3c) Flexibility :

Seated Shoulder Extension, Static Cat

Level 1 Hip Mobility (Session 3)

3 Part Basic Hip Mobility Session

(3a) Preparation :

FFE Split Squat, Side-to-Side Squat, Cossack Squat


(3b) Strength & Stability :

Sumo Squat, RF Elevated Lunge, Prone Single Leg Extension


(3c) Flexibility :

Frog, Pancake

Level 1 Shoulder & Spine Mobility (Session 2)

3 Part Basic Shoulder & Spine Mobility Session

(2a) Preparation :

Dislocate, Seal Rock, Tail Wag

(2b) Strength & Stability :

Standing Shoulder Extension, Cuban Rotation, Arch Body Lift


(2c) Flexibility :

Prone Capsule, Tri-Lat

Level 1 Hip Mobility (Session 2)

3 Part Basic Hip Mobility Session

(2a) Preparation :

Kneeling Hip Ext., 90/90, Squat-to-Pike


(2b) Strength & Stability:

Curtsy Squat, Natural Leg Ext., 1-Leg Hip Thrust


(2c) Flexibility :

90/90, Hurdler

Level 1 Shoulder & Spine Mobility (Session 1)

3 Part Basic Shoulder & Spine Mobility Session

(1a) Preparation :

Arm Rotation, Table Rock, Cat-Cow


(1b) Strength & Stability :

Side Arm Raise, Wall Slide, Hollow Hold


(1c) Flexibility :

Prone Y, T-Spine Roller

Level 1 Hip Mobility (Session 1)

3 Part Basic Hip Mobility Session

(1a) Preparation ;

Hip Swivel (+Shin Box), Ostrich, Standing Hip Rotation


(1b) Strength & Stability :

Lunge Lock Out, 1-Leg End Range Flexion, 1-Leg RDL


(1c) Flexibility :

Couch, Figure 4

Basic Joint-to-Joint Warm Up

A 3 part session covering a basic joint-to-joint mobility warm up.


embed here

Protect Your Joints for Longevity

Fantastic interview with Peter Attia on training and longevity.

Health & Fitness Pyramid

How solid is your foundation? Making progress in your Health and Fitness goals will be thwarted if you are missing one (or more) of the building blocks.

No matter how hard you "work out", you cannot be truly "fit" without a healthy lifestyle and a mobile body!

Taking a step back and building a strong foundation will help you to reach the next level and increase your longevity in your sport or activities, as well as your physical and mental health.

The Importance of Sleep

Not getting the right amount and quality of sleep has many detrimental effects to health and longevity!

This podcast from Joe Rogan, interviewing Matthew Walker (Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of California) is a most interesting discussion on this topic.

Well worth your time to listen to in it's entirety.

You can listen to or download this podcast here.

7 Longevity Biomarkers

"Last year, I wrote about 10 of the most interesting predictors of longevity. Many of them were subjective, but, as we all know, the objective physiological processes that occur in the human body also predict how long we live. 

Luckily, we can measure most of them. Some are standard at doctor’s checkups. Some require more involved (and expensive) testing. Some you can complete yourself at home with simple household objects.

But if you care at all about how well you’re doing in the longevity game, it’s worth paying attention to some of them."

- Mark Sisson

Read the full article at Mark's Daily Apple.

Why Sleep is Important

Dr. Tara Swart,medical doctor, neuroscientist, and award-winning author,
explains why we NEED sleep.

Living the "Primal" Lifestyle

Over the last 10 years I have learned much about, and have been rewarded with, living a more "Primal" Lifestyle.

The concepts are basic and fundamental to good health and longevity.
Unfortunately, our modern lifestyle is contrary to what we really need.

Poor nutritional choices, inactivity, stress, and lack of sleep have become far too common. Even "fitness" training is commonly pursued with the wrong emphasis or goals.  "Working out" consists primarily of isolation exercises and "cardio" on machines.  The pursuit of "burning calories" or winning competitive (long distance) events is in opposition to long term health and anti-aging.

Humans no longer eat, move, or live as they were designed to.

The following "Rules" for a "Primal" Lifestyle come from Mark Sisson (Mark's Daily Apple).

1. Eat lots of animals, insects and plants.
2. Move around a lot at a slow pace.
3. Lift heavy things.
4. Run really fast every once in a while.
5. Get lots of sleep.
6. Play.
7. Get some sunlight every day.
8. Avoid trauma.
9. Avoid poisonous things.
10. Use your mind.

Get more detail from his post here.

Clean Bill of Health

"My advice to you?  Don't change a friggin' thing!"

This is what my Doctor said to me this morning after reviewing my standard medical physical tests.

I had not seen him in 3 years (see previous post), so had all the blood work, stool, urine, ECG, PSA tests required.  All clear!

Lungs, heart, and other organs all functioning perfectly.  Blood pressure and cholesterol levels are excellent. Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: N/A.

In celebration, I had my typical breakfast of "high fat and cholesterol" .... bacon, eggs, avocado and almond butter (on a slice of ancient grain toast), and chuckled thinking of his advice while sipping on my cup of black coffee.

It feels great to be approaching 57 years of age and know that the lifestyle changes I made at the age of 45 have continued to pay off!  It feels great to be healthy.

It is also gratifying knowing that some of those changes were contrary to mainstream medical, training, and nutritional advice.

Take a Nap!

"Napping Can Dramatically Increase Learning, Memory, Awareness, And More.

Studies have shown that short naps can improve awareness and productivity. You don’t need much; just 15 to 20 minutes can make a world of difference."

Read the full article here.