Plan your exercise each week using a Schedule!

 

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This week, plan for success. Action speaks louder than words. I’ve already told you that Strength Training and Walking are the two most important physical activities. Look at your schedule. Figure out what days, what times you will do these 2 things. Think about all the ins & outs. Don’t keep putting things off. You can do this! Plan for success. Keep it super simple. Surely, you have at least 10 minutes each day (Monday-Sunday) to either Walk or do a short Full-Body Strength Training workout. Put it all down on the schedule…now! #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox #fullbodyworkout #strengthtraining #strengthandconditioning #walking #healthylifestyle #noexcuses

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jan 21, 2019 at 7:09am PST

Book/Author recommendation: Katy Bowman. Plus Pee & Poop info-graphic reference charts.

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Today’s post is a mixed bag. The top two photos are of this week’s pick for my favorite Health & Fitness Author/Book recommendations: KATY BOWMAN. A career as Biomechanicist but now an author, blogger and podcaster. These last few years have seen Katy publish a slew of great books. My personal favorites are…all of them. ALIGNMENT MATTERS might be a great place to start. She has a great understanding of the body and many useful strategies to get rid of various pains while improving health with a careful eye on longevity. The health & fitness industry desperately needs more people like Katy. Her work is incredible. FAVORITE QUOTES/IDEAS: “Consider HOW you are moving and not just HOW MUCH.” The bottom two photos are from Precision Nutrition, my favorite and recommended Nutrition resource. Poop & Urine. Yep, they both have a lot to say about our health. Zoom in to better read any of the four photo squares above. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox #health #fitness #healthylifestyle #longevity

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jan 24, 2019 at 3:04pm PST

Walking is the BEST exercise.

 

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I love the idea of counting steps. I love the idea that people are paying more attention to daily activity and movement again. What I really love is… people actually walking. You know, gettin’ at it, doin’ it…moving. Besides, it’s easy, it’s free and you can do it almost anywhere. I walk a lot. I always feel better, healthier, stronger when i’m walking regularly. Personally, I think it’s the best exercise the human body can do (Strength Training would be a close 2nd). I also think it’s what our bodies were best built to do. So we should probably do plenty of it (like every day). The average person does not walk nearly enough. We all know this. It might even be you. You can change that today. In these modern times, we have more technology, more knowledge, more resources, more of EVERYTHING…much more than we’ve ever had before. However, we are quite possibly the most unhealthy and unhappy we’ve ever been. A simple solution could be to walk more. Walking improves the health of the mind and the body and can be done every day. It can help with fat-loss but only when combined with appropriate nutrition habits and other lifestyle choices. How many steps each day? There really is no magic number. However, I would recommend aiming for around 5,ooo-10,ooo each day if you’re counting. More is great. Less is ok too. Anything is better than nothing. There’s no need to overdo it. How do you count steps? Use a Pedometer. Some smart phones have them already built in. Most FitBit-type watches have this function. For a more affordable option, look on Amazon/Walmart for the $10-20 Pedometers that just hook onto your waistband. All Pedometers will vary in accuracy, even the expensive ones. That’s ok. All you need is to get a rough estimate to the nearest 1000 steps. Remember, it’s just a number, don’t obsess over it. You don’t even have to get sweaty or change clothes. The steps you take during a normal day will all count. Use those legs for what they were designed for. Move your body before you can’t. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jan 17, 2019 at 9:09am PST

Mike Boyle book(s) recommendation…

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This week’s book recommendation(s) is Mike Boyle’s NEW FUNCTIONAL TRAINING FOR SPORT. This is a must have for any trainer or coach that works with an athletic population. Mike has been a huge influence for me and I’m lucky enough to call him a friend. He has worked in the realm of Strength & Conditioning for almost 40 years and was in fact one of the first official Strength & Conditioning coaches (which was an unpaid position when he first started). His experience and insight is next to none. He has learned from some of the very best. A big reason I respect and value Mike’s positions on various subjects is because he never stops asking why, thrives to acquire the best knowledge and is never afraid to change his mind. He reads, watches and listens to everything. He’s worked with countless athletes of all ages, including Championship Seasons with both the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins as well as countless other Professional and Olympic athletes. I own most of his vast collection of work but I must say that NEW FUNCTIONAL TRAINING FOR SPORTS is my personal favorite. Although I don’t train many athletes, the knowledge can easily be translated across all populations in the hands of a competent, caring health & fitness professional. The “big rocks” as Mike says do not change. Thanks Mike for your contribution. FAVORITE QUOTES/IDEAS: “No one cares how much you know till they know how much you care”. “When in doubt, think Strength & Conditioning”. “Keep it simple stupid (KISS Rule)”. “Remember the big stones”. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jan 9, 2019 at 6:20am PST

How Many Days a Week Should Someone Exercise or Workout?

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HOW MANY DAYS A WEEK SHOULD SOMEONE EXERCISE OR WORKOUT? Well, understandably, it depends. More information is needed. For starters, what is the goal…what is it that we are hoping to accomplish by doing exercise? Secondly, how do we define exercise? There are many different forms of exercise, many of which are not created equal. It should go without saying that we need to move our bodies every single day but that is not the same thing as exercising every day. Moving each day refers more to walking around and performing normal tasks that require moving the body about. Exercise is something more strenuous and typically defaults a need for recovery before doing it again. Besides walking 30minutes each day, the most important (and potent) version of exercise has been proven to be (total-body) Strength Training. When it comes to exercising to improve health, Strength Training (via a total-body workout) is the best use of our time. 1 time a week would be the minimum recommendation, reserved only for those that are extremely limited on time. 2 times a week is what I recommend for most, especially if you dislike exercise. 3 times a week is the golden standard and best reserved for those that also enjoy exercise. 4 or more times a week typically means you already love exercise and/or you have a very specific goal in mind that requires more effort. Personally, I do strength training 3 days a week. On the other days, I do other things. Mostly, I just walk. (You should too.) But if I only had time to one thing, Strength Training would be the best choice and the one I recommend for everyone. Lastly, it has been said that no one improves with exercise alone. We only improve when we recover from the exercise. More on that later… #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox #strengthtraining #totalbodyworkout #healthandfitness #healthandwellness #longevity #healthylifestyle #austintexas

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jan 14, 2019 at 6:43am PST

Great book for leaning SELF-MASSAGE.

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Since it’s a brand new year, starting this month I plan to do regular posts of my favorite and most referenced books. Many of these books will be geared more toward Fitness Professionals but would be great editions to any health-fitness nerd’s library. THIS WEEK: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies. Not a day goes by working with clients professionally as a Personal Trainer do I not use this book. If I lost all my books tomorrow, this would be one of a few that I would replace immediately. It’s only about $15 on Amazon. It is basically a book about how us normal folk can decrease and/or eliminate most of our aches & pains by learning and using the basics of self-massage. In my experience, most of the pain that we all will experience throughout our lives will be due to overuse injuries to our soft-tissues. Soft-tissue is nothing more than all the stuff in the body that is NOT bone, organs or fluid. Think muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, etc. Because we are creatures of habit, many of us tend to repeat movement patterns and postures over and over again which tend to cause “issues with the tissues”. This book can help. I recommend finding the area of the body that has pain or discomfort and reading about that particular areas as needed rather than attempting to read the whole thing in one full sweep. Think of this book as a reference, an index. The author, Clair Davies, was a piano restoration specialist in his younger years and later went on to become a licensed Massage Therapist, not for the money but because he genuinely wanted to help others eliminate pain as he did years before. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jan 4, 2019 at 10:24am PST

2 Simple Home Workouts

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Everyone needs to do Strength Training. Seriously, it’s important and even more important as the years move forward. Strength Training will do more to improve health than just about anything under the sun. So DO SOMETHING. Keep in mind, to improve both Health & Appearance, good nutrition needs to be combined with Strength Training and ample Quality Rest (and plenty of “daily” movement such as walking). You don’t need a gym membership, fancy equipment or fancy exercises. You also don’t need to do long workouts. You just need to do it, consistently. Always. Today, for those more limited on time and maxed out on excuses, I have 2 simple workouts for you. Each workout has 4 exercises-Plank/Squat/Push/Pull, performed back to back in what is commonly known in the fitness world as a “Circuit”. (OverSIMPLIFIED EXPLANATION: The Plank is for the core. The Squat is for the hip & legs. The Push is for the chest, shoulders and the back of the arms. The Pull is for the back & biceps.) One is a BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT, the other uses a DUMBBELL or whatever you may have (don’t be afraid to go heavy here so long as your form is good!). Try starting out doing 2-3 rounds (aka “sets”) of all four exercises a couple of days each week. Watch the video for more details. Both routines can be done at home and completed in less than 10minutes. You have no excuse. Just so you know, anything above could be modified for a better fit, especially if anything is super uncomfortable or unfamiliar. If you’re more experienced, the modifications are endless. Listen to your body. DM with any questions. Start slow, build strong. I’m always here to help. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jan 7, 2019 at 10:17am PST

The best book for BACK PAIN

 

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If you have any serious issues with your neck, back or spine, I recommend that you get this book. It’s written by Dr Stuart McGill, Canadian back doctor for over 30 years and considered one of the world’s leading experts on all things spine related. He knows his stuff. The book is very easy to read and answers many common questions and concerns. It also outlines the do’s and dont’s for the long term health (and short term) of your spine. At least once a year, I typically manage to strain my back. This book has helped a lot in recent years. To put it mildly, back issues can be debilitating and scary. Knowing how to take better care of it is worth its weight in gold. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Dec 19, 2018 at 3:10pm PST

Near Year Goals? It’s all about improving one habit at a time. But which one first?

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Welcome to the start of a brand new year. If there are ANY areas in your life that you would like to improve, anything, start by clearly defining what it is you want. Then figure out ONE area to begin improving first. This should be the one area that clearly needs the most attention and requires the most work. Improve that before moving on to other things. If this ONE thing seems too much, break it down into smaller more manageable pieces. Whatever it is, make each ONE thing something that you feel with 💯 % confidence that you will be successful. Brick by brick, stone by stone. The power is within. Besides, no one else can do this for you. Ask for help if needed. The BIG 3 (tips about each below) SLEEP – Aim to get a minimum of 7 hours of quality rest each day. Avoid caffeine if it disrupts sleep. Keep room completely dark and ideally, aim to get to sleep and wake up within the same hour each day. Research also says that we literally do best to awake with the rising of the sun. DAILY MOVEMENT. We don’t necessarily need to “exercise” each day but we do need to move every day. Walking more (and as much as possible) is always the best choice. It’s not about a certain number of steps but more about avoiding sitting still, standing still and not moving for long periods of time. Stretch. Move about. This should not require a change of clothes or sweating. HEALTHY DIET. We all know what is sh🌽and what is not. Eat less sh🌽t. Still not sure? Here’s a hint: consume more vegetsbles & fruits. Drink more water. Google it. #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jan 2, 2019 at 7:15am PST