Books on Injuries, Prevention of Injuries

 

View this post on Instagram

The body has an amazing ability to heal…if/when we let it. Ultimately, the responsibility rests in our own hands. There is an abundance of information out there dedicated to improving health. Much of it is free. I like books. I own many. These are a few that I own that have helped my own movement and body work. Knowledge is key. I was told a long time ago: ask better questions and you’ll find better answers. When it comes to health and quality of life, being lazy should never be an option. Seek help when needed. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 5, 2019 at 7:30am PDT

Part 2: Injuries, Pain, Soreness

View this post on Instagram

PART 2 : INJURIES-PAIN-SORENESS. Just because a medical professional “cleared” you does not mean all problems are over. At some point, all medical/therapy roads come to an end. When they do, then what? Ask a lot of questions. Anything you can think of. Most importantly, find out what things you should probably limit, avoid or NOT DO in the future. But after that, most likely, you’ll be on your own. Discomfort, pain and things-in-general “not feeling the same” might be a reality. Do everything you can not to take pain killers unless you really need them or your doctor has had a long conversation with you about the option. The most important thing now is to get back to as normal of a life as possible. With regards to movement and exercise, you will need to start VERY slow and experiment with everything. You may be surprised at what you CAN do but also what you CAN’T do, at least not yet. Remember, first make sure there aren’t things you shouldn’t be doing. Besides that, always listen to your body. Start LIGHT, SIMPLE AND SLOW. Learn to move well using only your bodyweight. If using some form of external/manual resistance, start with very light weights, simple movements (that you understand), and can perform near-perfect form. Lastly, make sure to start by moving SLOW. If something hurts, see if you can safely modify or maybe try doing something different. There might very well be some things that you won’t be able to do. It’s ok. Learn to work around them. There are many options. Research. Explore. Don’t be too cautious but also don’t be reckless. Use that beautiful brain! #blueskystrongbox #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 2, 2019 at 8:46am PDT

Part 1: Injuries, Pain, Soreness

View this post on Instagram

PART 1 : INJURIES-PAIN-SORENESS. I’ve recently had some questions about these. It should go without saying that that I can only say so much in a 1 minute video. I plan to do more videos on this topic in the weeks to come. First & Foremost, always use your brain and learn to listen to your body. There is a difference between Pain & Uncomfortableness. Uncomfortableness with exercise is normal and should be expected, within reason. Pain is typically something to be avoided. NOTHING SHOULD EVER HURT. If you suspect something serious, go get it checked out by a medical professional. It may be nothing but it’s best to find out exactly what you’re dealing with. It may be an easy fix. It may be something that requires learning how to work around. Not knowing is a bad option. With that said, some pain and suffering is unavoidable. This is life. Expect delays. Expect hurdles. Expect random injuries at some point. Think about this: If you don’t move much, you’re more likely to get hurt. If you move often, you’re also more likely to get hurt. Just do something about it if or when it happens. Use the opportunity to learn more about your body and the healing process. Appreciate the process. PREVENTION: Always warm-up before activity by moving your entire body carefully through various ranges of motion. Go as slow as needed to wake up the body and get the blood moving. Make sure to breathe deeply throughout all activities. Be especially careful if exercising first thing after waking and in cold environments. Avoid going too heavy or too hard on any exercise until you really know what you’re doing. Then, even then, exercise caution. Rest and recover sufficiently before exercising again. Use caution when exercising in hot environments. Make sure you are adequately hydrated. If you do have an old injury, pay close attention to how it feels and how it responds to whatever it is you’re doing. #sportsinjuries #musclesoreness #recoveryworkouts #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 26, 2019 at 9:24am PDT

Inspiration from Centenarians

View this post on Instagram

This inspires. 100+ years young. Look at them go. #seniorsprinters #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 22, 2019 at 7:59am PDT

…more thoughts on Resting Heart Rate & Heart Rate Zone training

View this post on Instagram

You don’t need to own a heart rate monitor to exercise effectively. That is a myth. With that said, I do think monitoring heart rate has value. Just know that you can absolutely gauge most any exercise of any type by the way you feel while doing it. This is often referred as the Talk Test. If you can easily talk, the exercise is considered lower-intensity. If you can’t, it’s more intense. Obviously, there is plenty of room in between. Don’t make the mistake of thinking all exercise need be intense to be effective. It’s not just about burning as many calories in one session as possible, it’s also about sustainability. In other words, can you repeat this for a long time to come without quitting? The average person quits exercise within the first six months. I would argue that the average American needs more lower-intensity exercise… done more often. I’m talking about something like dedicated Walking most days of the week. It’s great if someone does some form of really intense exercise once or twice a week (if they are healthy enough to to so) but not if the other 5 days are all rest days. Move more often, even if it’s low-intensity. Adequate DAILY movement is always the correct choice. Our bodies were made to move. Walking is the best choice, that is why we have legs. Aim for a goal of lowering your resting heart rate by the end of the year. (For healthy heart rate zones, Google: “karvonen formula calculator”). If you really want to do higher-intensity (HIIT) exercise, try getting your resting heart rate UNDER 60 before doing so if possible. Consult with a medical professional if you have any specific concerns or conditions. #bssbbooks #restingheartrate #walkingasexercise #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 8, 2019 at 7:34am PDT

Standards & Limitations

View this post on Instagram

STANDARDS & LIMITATIONS. We need both. In fact, I believe we need to include both Minimum AND Maximum standard limitations to help keep us in the “sweet-spot” of success. We see it all our lives. We either do too much or we do too little. The magic, the “good”stuff, lies somewhere in the pocket of the vast middle. We each have to find a perfect balance and vigilantly work to keep it there. This could apply to anything. The main idea is to make it easy. Make it repeatable. Keep it simple. That’s why I prefer both a High & Low threshold. Most of us are more familiar with what too little looks like. Too much might not be as common but it’s just as disastrous. Remember to be reasonable. Burn-out is very high when the flames burn too hot. My best advice is to seek balance and consistency. Find your greatness. Don’t wait forever. Tomorrow was never promised. What real reason could you have to not start today? #bssbbooks #motivation #healthandfitness #healthylifestyle #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jul 22, 2019 at 10:51am PDT

Simple Fat Loss Ideas

View this post on Instagram

SIMPLE FAT-LOSS IDEAS. Fat loss seems impossible for some, difficult for many. Often I meet people that tell me they’d like to lose some weight but then a year goes by and nothing happens and no changes are made to diet, activity or lifestyle. I understand things come up. They always will. If this resonates with you, listen up. The simplest thing you could do to begin losing some unwanted body fat is by controlling the portion size of every meal starting today. I’m not even telling you to change what you eat right now, just make each meal smaller in size. Eat less. Think ~25%. (By the way, this is not a quick method, in fact, the opposite. But it’s better than doing nothing. It may even work well for some.) The next thing I would recommend is to start walking more each day, in the form of more actual steps, more movement. You can do this anywhere. If you have a job, the best time is while at work getting paid. Do each of these every day for a year. Trust me, a year is not that long. Just by cutting back on portions and walking more, your health could most certainly be better with very little investment of time or energy. At the very least, things should not be worse. Something is typically always better than nothing. Why would you not start today? #bssbbooks #eatlessmovemore #portioncontrol #healthylifestyle #healthyfood #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jul 15, 2019 at 2:38pm PDT