Origins

I thought you might be interested in learning how I got to where I am. Here is a little excerpt from a post I wrote on the history of The Body Defined:

After working in sport's medicine, physical therapy and doctor's offices for years, I became disillusioned with the state of the medical field. I saw people treated for symptoms, not for underlying conditions; I saw people who didn't get the access to care that they needed. It frustrated me because I really wanted to help people. At the same time, I watched my mother's battle with breast cancer. Her fight reaffirmed my belief that we, as the patient, are the strongest healers and we create our health. By establishing The Body Defined in 2006, I hoped to offer people a more comprehensive approach to their health - mental, physical and spiritual - and allow them to take over the driver's seat on their road to health. I hold true to this ideal today.

dive for dreams by ee cummings

I came across this poem via the book Charlie St. Cloud and I love it. Thought I would share.

dive for dreams

or a slogan may topple you

(trees are there roots

and wind is wind)

trust your heart

if the seas catch fire

(and live by love

though the stars walk backward)

honour the past

but welcome the future

(and dance your death

away at the wedding)

never mind a world

with its villains or heroes

(for good likes girls

and tomorrow and the earth)

in spite of everything

which breathes and moves, since Doom

(with white longest hands

neating each crease)

will smooth entirely our minds

-before leaving my room

i turn, and (stooping

through the morning) kiss

this pillow, dear

where our heads lived and were.

silently if, out of not knowable

silently if, out of not knowable

night's utmost nothing, wanders a little guess

(only which is this world) more my life does

not leap than with the mystery your smile

sings or if (spiraling as luminous

they climb oblivion) voices who are dreams,

less into heaven certainly earth swims

than each my deeper death becomes your kiss

losing through you what seemed myself, i find

selves unimaginably mine;beyond

sorrow's own joys and hoping's very fears

yours is the light by which my spirit's born:

yours is the darkness of my soul's return

-you are my sun,my moon,and all my stars

Be Safe. Be Effective.

Here are my Top 10 Workout Tips for the day:

1. 1.Know your body. Do you have an injury, weakness or imbalance? Address each issue with care every time you work out. Address problems. Don’t avoid. them.
   

2. 2.Know when to say when. No pain, no gain is not a great mantra. If you have pain, stop. Check your form. Adjust. If you still have pain, STOP!
   

3. 3.Make your time count. Maximize your time by working antagonist(opposite) muscle groups during your usual rest periods. You can also do exercises that target more than one muscle group.
   

4. 4.Add a cardiovascular component. To keep your heart rate up, do exercises between sets like skipping rope, jumping jacks or stairs.
   

5. 5.Mix it up. Your body knows routine. It will not adapt. Constantly change things up to continue to see changes in your physique.
   

6. 6.Work big to small. Use large muscle groups first like quadriceps and chest, before working on the smaller supporting muscles. If you fatigue your shoulders before you hit your max bench press, you are likely to injure your shoulder and be out for weeks.
   

7. 7.Use a mirror. It isn’t narcassitic to check your form in the mirror. Mirrors give you feedback allowing you to see your movement and check that you are using correct form.
   

8. 8.Knees and toes. The most common source of pain that I see is knee pain during exercise due to a simple misalignment of the knees. Make sure your knees are always in the same direction as your toes and that your knees do not drift over your toes.
   

9. 9.Be kind to your shoulders. The most common injury I see due to workouts gone awry is shoulder injuries. never let your elbows drift below your shoulders on a press. Learn exercises to support your rotator cuff. And, maybe, go a little lighter than you think you need to ensure you are using the best form.
   

10. 10. Ask for help. If you are not sure what you should be doing, if you are not certain that your are doing exercises correctly or if you have an injury, consult a qualified professional.

20 Minute Workouts

In my last post, I talked about finding time to workout... You can still get something in even if you only have 20 minutes. Today, I thought I’d continue on that theme. So what exactly can you do in 20 minutes?

If we divide an hour workout into 3 sections - upper body, lower body (legs) and core - we can mix and match our workouts creating 20, 40 and 60 minute workouts based on our available time. So you found twenty minutes in your day, what now? Here are two examples of 20 minute workouts:

Beginning

1 (legs): plie or sumo squats, step back lunges and heel lifts

2 (upper-body): chest press, bent-over row and biceps to overhead press to triceps to side raise combo

3 (core): ball crunches, ball bridges, planks and side planks

Intermediate

1 (leg emphasis with core and upper body): 2 sets hack squats, 2 sets squat with overhead press, 3 sets step-back lunges with biceps curls

2 (core emphasis with upper body): chest press on the ball, planks with shoulder rotation, 4 direction diagonals on the ball or bosu

3 (upper body with core): ball push-ups to knees to chest planks, standing cable rows with a 1 leg squat , TYI’s on the ball alternating with back extensions, planks with alternate arm and leg extensions

As always, ensure that you are getting enough recovery time. You should have 48 hours rest between working the same muscle groups. Generally you should not work upper body on Monday and then repeat it on Tuesday. Instead take 20 minutes to do cardiovascular exercise on Tuesday. Do things such as swimming, running, yoga, hiking, biking.

As you progress, increase your intensity by combining exercises. You can also piggy-back exercises by working the antagonist (opposite) muscle groups during your rest period between sets. Both ways you cover more ground in a limited amount of time and burn more calories.

Now that you’ve seen that you can get a workout in 20 minutes, you have no excuses. Get out there!

No time? Break it up!

So many times we think, “ I have to get in an hour of exercise for it to count.” Obviously, an hour of exercise each day is great but it isn't always practical when you are on the go. In fact, research has shown that small bouts of exercise throughout the day increase your metabolism. Simply put, something is always better than nothing. You aren't always missing out.

One easy way to break up your workout is to divide it into thirds - upper-body, lower body and core. I prefer to break up workouts this way as opposed to back and bi's, chest and tri's and legs because my focus is to come back to function. How do each of these exercises translate into your daily life? Often times exercises can overlap each designation. As you increase the intensity of your workout you can combine exercises to hit two areas or more at once and amp it up.

So, if I have a limited time, I can break up my workout into 20 minute increments: 20 min for my legs, 20 min for my core and 20 for my arms. Lets say I am tight on time Mon, Tues and Wed but I have Friday off. I can complete a full body workout in 20 minutes a day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, take Thursday off for recovery and am set for an hour full-body workout on Friday. Worse, I am booked tight all week I can fit in 20 min Mon, Tues, Wed, take Thursday off and get in another full body over Fri, Sat and Sun. You can really mix and match for whatever serves you. I can find 40 min Tuesday and Thursday and can fit in 20 Sat and Sun. Get the picture?

Further, by changing up my training schedule, I continue to add variety to my workouts. Wollf's law is simple, the body will adapt to imposed demands. Keep changing the demands and the body will continue to adapt. Simple techniques such as changing up your workout schedule may get you out of difficult plateaus when you body just doesn't seem to progress.

So no matter how hectic my schedule appears, I usually can find twenty minutes in my day and I always feel better when I do. You can too, can’t you?

Yoga meets Hike Wildwood.

Check out the new classes I will be offering through the Conejo Recreation and Park District this Fall.

Hike Wildwood. Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9:30 AM. 1 hr

This moderate 1 hour hike winds through different trails in beautiful Wildwood Park - past waterfalls, over the mesa, through the chaparral and creekside. Well mannered, leased dogs are welcome to join. 8 weeks - $60

Hike & Yoga in the Park. Saturday mornings 8:30 AM. 2 hrs

Start your weekend finding balance, increase your felxibility and calm your mind as you hike and practice yoga in Wildwood Park. Please bring your own mat, strap and any other props you would like. All levels welcome. 8 weeks - $90.00

Stay posted here or at www.thebodydefined.com for updates on registration and class dates. I'll be seeing you on the trails!

Finding Peace through Yoga

The practice of yoga began centuries ago as a system to prepare the body for meditation. Today in Western culture, the practice of asanas, or postures, has dominated the practice of yoga. While the practice of asanas is vital to any yoga practice, yoga encompasses much more.

Yoga, as an exercise practice, does much the same things as a traditional cardiovascular and resistance training workouts would - toning muscles, increasing cardiovascular capacity and reducing stress - with all the associated benefits over time - lower blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, ect. However, because the primary goal of a physical yoga practice is to link or yolk the breath to movement it does much more. By harnessing the breath several things are achieved. The mind is brought to a single point of focus, calming and quieting our overactive brain. Breath is directed through the body - healing tissues, improving flexibility, increasing mental clarity, soothing the body and bringing it back to homeostasis. The constant stresses of our day, the perceived dangers that put our body into the sympathetic nervous system of fight or flight are reversed. Throughout a practice, the body gradually returns to the parasympathetic system allowing digestion and rest. Once the parasympathetic system takes over, the body can return to a healthier, clearer, more focused and efficient state.

Most yoga classes incorporate a short meditation period at the beginning and end of the practice. Through the practice of meditation, you begin to direct your thought and actions more effectively, reducing your stress and your reactions to others. The practice of meditation slows down your “monkey-mind” and brings you moments of inner peace. So, each time you go to the mat you can do more for yourself than merely follow a physical practice. Form an intent or direction for your practice. Watch your breath and bring your mind into focus. You will begin to find moments of peace within your practice. As you continue to practice yoga these moments grow and stay with you as you go back out into the world.

The light in me salutes the light in you. Namaste.

Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes

Here's a quick note on knee safety:

Whenever you are doing lower body exercises such as squats or lunges, make sure that your knees and toes are pointed in the same direction.

Often our knees fall in toward the center of our body.

Sometimes they toward the outside.

Regardless of the direction your knees go, if your knee cap does not line up with your second toe, you are putting undue stress on your knee joint. Over time this stress can wear down the meniscus, inflame tendons and stretch ligaments in and around the joint.

One other thing to watch is that your knee does not pass your toe. When you are doing a squat or a lunge, you should be able to see your big toe.

When you can see your big toe, it is a good bet that your knee is stacked up over your ankle. This position decreases the amount of compression behind your knee cap (patella), an especially important factor if you have arthritis.

So remember, knees follow the toes wherever they go and your knees never should pass your toes.