Athletic Trainer? Personal Trainer?

Often I find the terms athletic trainer and personal trainer used interchangeably. Or, people will ask me, “What is the difference between a personal trainer and an athletic trainer?” Personal trainers and athletic trainers both bring their own set of skills to the table. Here is a run down of the ways to differentiate between the two.

Usually the largest and most immediate difference between Athletic Trainers and Personal Trainers is their job description. Personal trainers work in fitness and exercise to help people get in shape and lose weight. Athletic Trainers work with orthopedic injuries - treating people who are injured and returning them safely to activity in the fastest time possible. And, unlike Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers specialize in athletic populations on and off the field, including on-field emergency response. If you’ve watched a football or baseball game and have seen someone run out onto the field after an injury, most likely, it was an Athletic Trainer. Athletic Trainers are responsible for the prevention, assessment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. (Physical Therapists typically treat off the field and post-injury.) Personal Trainers may have a wide variety of backgrounds and certifications. They do not, however, treat or assess injuries.

Another large difference between Athletic Trainers and Personal Trainers is their level of education and certification process. Personal Trainers must demonstrate a level of competency for their certifications ranging from an examination to an internship and degree. Unlike Personal Trainers, all BOC Certified Athletic Trainers must hold a bachelor’s degree, complete an accredited athletic training program, receive approval from that program’s director and then pass a board of certification exam. Personal Trainers, depending on the type of certification, may or may not have an educational background of the same caliber. But, then again, comparing personal trainers to athletic trainers is like comparing apples to oranges.

[A tip: Always check into the level and type of certification a personal trainer has. The American College of Sport’s Medicine (ASCM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) are among the most rigid although they are not the only well qualified certifications.]

At The Body Defined, I blend both disciplines to provide you with the best care possible. If you would like to learn more about Athletic Trainers, please visit www.nata.org.

Incontinence and the Pelvic Floor

One of my clients complimented me the other day about her progress in the most unusual way and it brought me back to the importance of the pelvic floor. Although I’d been working on a fitness program with her emphasizing back care, cardiovascular endurance and balance, she reported to me that the exercises we have been doing have completely reversed her issues with incontinence.

If you have bouts of incontinence, you are not alone. According the the National Association for Continence, “one-third of men and women ages 30 - 70 have experienced loss of bladder control at some point in their adult lives and may still be living with the symptoms”.

Most of you are familiar with Kegel exercises especially if you have children. Stopping the stream of urine is impractical and uncomfortable at times. It does, however, help you find the muscles of your pelvic floor.

The good news is that there are other ways to activate your pelvic floor. Any exercise you perform that emphasizes balance and stability of the spine will encourage your body to utilize your pelvic floor for stability. Balance exercises like those performed in yoga, working on unstable surfaces such as discs and stability balls and core exercises such as bridges contribute to the strength and endurance of the pelvic floor. These exercises also contribute to stabilizing your body in the movements your perform every day - getting out of bed in the morning, picking up the groceries or even putting on your pants.

In order to stabilize your spine and, thus, your entire body you must stabilize from the ground up... Stabilization starts at the base of your spine, your pelvic floor. Then your body must coordinate the contraction of your abdominal muscles and back extensors to create a dynamically rigid center or core. All movement must either be initiate, stabilized and/or transferred through your core. The more that you activate your pelvic floor the more stabile, or dynamically rigid, your spine will be.

If you continue to stay active, perform functional exercises and attend a yoga class or two, you are more likely to have a stronger back, better balance AND suffer from less incidences of incontinence, as my client duly noted. So get out there and move. It’ll keep you healthy and dry.

* Get a balance disc of your own here http://www.nefitco.com/balance_disc_2.html. Image courtesy of www.netfitco.com.

Level 1-2 at True Yoga

I am so excited to be team teaching a Level 1-2 yoga practice with one of my favorite instructors Ericka Hansen at True Yoga. After my mom passed away, True Yoga was a place I went for a moment of reflection, silence and peace. More than anything else, this studio became my place to heal. Now, I am so honored to be teaching at "True". Please come join me and Ericka Saturday mornings at 9 AM. It will make your weekend.

Need more information? Check out True Yoga's website - www.trueyoga.com.

Namaste! t

Prosperity

I received this great reminder on our perception of abundance this morning from the Daily OM.

Security is a state of mind we achieve when we believe that we are capable of caring for ourselves no matter what our circumstances. We understand that the definition of plenty can change rapidly and that it is our personal power that allows us to achieve our goals rather than an arbitrary factor such as luck. Consequently, we feel comfortable pursuing a wider variety of goals—including those that could potentially expose us to situations in which our livelihood or confidence is threatened. We can face these bravely because we know that our inner light will remain intact no matter what. We recognize that the source of our prosperity lies buried in our minds, hearts, and souls, and no force on earth can convince us otherwise. You will discover the true nature of abundance today when you accept that your existence truly is defined by plenty.

If you would like a little inspiration each day, sign up for your Daily OM at www.dailyom.com.

Exploring the Chakras, a 8 week series at Soul Body Yoga

Please come join me Sunday evenings beginning January 30th from 4 to 5:30 PM for Exploring the Chakras, an 8 week series at Soul Body Yoga in Moorpark. This series is open to all levels of practice and is $150.00 for the complete series or $25.00 per drop-in. To register, please call 805-517-1330.

Chakras, the 7 wheels of energy comprising the core of your energy field, are our spiritual and energetic bodies link to our physical bodies. Our emotions, thoughts and actions determine the balance and well-being of these energetic centers within the body. Imbalance can lead to physical ailments and disease. Explore how your chakras can influence your health and wellbeing. Each class will cover a specific chakra, poses that support that particular chakra, the attributes associated with it, ways that imbalances in the chakra surface and methods to clear and balance each chakra.

Week 1 - review of all chakra’s

Week 2 - muladhara (root) chakra

Week 3 - svadisthana (sacral)

Week 4 - manipura (solar plexus)

Week 5 - anahata (heart) chakra

Week 6 - vishuddha (throat) chakra

Week 7 - ajna (third eye) chakra

Week 8 - sahasara (crown) chakra

Find out more at www.soulbodyyoga.com.

Chipotle Chicken Soup from Season's Catering

This recipe is from my friend Gabrielle Moes at Season’s Catering. She’s an amazing chef and teacher. Learn more tricks and tips from her at www.seasonscateringca.com or, better yet, hire her to cater your next event.

Enjoy!

2 Tablespoons pure olive oil1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups canned (in glass) diced tomatoes with their juice

4 cups chicken or turkey stock

2 chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups diced cooked turkey (about 1/2 pound)

1 cup corn

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1 large avocado, diced, for serving

Lime wedges, sour cream and tortilla chips, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, stock, chipotles and oregano and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down and the soup is flavorful, about 10 minutes.

Add the turkey, corn and cilantro and cook just until the turkey is heated through. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the avocado. Serve lime wedges, sour cream and tortilla chips on the side.

Simple truths from Carolyn Myss.

As a way to refocus my energies for 2011, I have been re-reading Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Carolyn Myss, PhD. Carolyn's down-to-earth, insightful prose takes the reader through a journey of self-examination, reviewing the steps to balance, health, healing and, ultimately, happiness. A central theme within the book is our relationship to power. Negative thought patterns based in jealousy, fear and anger relinquish our personal power. Here are some golden nuggets from her book on simplifying your spirituality:

- All circumstances can be changed in a moment, and all illness can be healed. The Divine is not limited by human time, space or physical concerns.

- Be consistent: live what you believe.

- Change is constant. Every life goes through phases of difficult change as well as peace. Learn to go with the flow of change rather than try to stop change from occurring.

- Never look to another person to make you happy--happiness is an internal, personal attitude and responsibility.

- Life is essentially a learning experience. Every situation, challenge, and relationship contains some message worth learning or teaching to others.

- Live in the present moment, and practice forgiveness of others.

Reclaiming your personal power is a direct result of mindful living and essential for creating health and well-being. I highly recommend picking up her book and going on a journey of your own this year.

Wishing you the best of love, life and happiness this year and always, t