Use the 4/7/8 to win the war against Stress.

View this post on Instagram

LEARN TO BALANCE OUT STRESS WITH THE 4/7/8 BREATHING METHOD. This is borrowed from Dr. Andrew Weil MD. He recommended this as a way to relax both the mind and the body. If practiced regularly it may do much more. Modern living can be very stressful and busy. Add to that something like regular intense exercise (also a form of stress even though it’s considered good), the body may need focused relaxation to balance out everything. This is where breathing/relaxation techniques can be helpful. The 4/7/8 method is easy. Get into a relaxed position. Place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind the top front teeth. Keep it there the entire time. Next, inhale 4 seconds through the nose. It’s ok if this is challenged. Do what you can. After the inhale try to hold that breath for 7 seconds. Again, do what you can. Finally, exhale very slowly through pursed lips for 8 seconds. Repeat 4 times total. The main idea is exhale longer than you inhale and to relax while doing it. This is great to do upon waking or to help you relax before sleep. It could be done anytime. I prefer to do it after a workout or if I wake up restless during the night. For you science-minded individuals, this is said to help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and quiet down the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response). It takes less than 90 seconds. I I think it’s worth trying. I will also post a photo in my very next post from the book I first found this in. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #stressmanagement #drandrewweil #478breathing #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 30, 2019 at 11:44am PDT

A LEGIT CONCERN WITH AN “ALL or NOTHING” LIFESTYLE.

View this post on Instagram

A LEGIT CONCERN WITH AN “ALL or NOTHING” LIFESTYLE. This is especially true with regards to Fitness & Health. I also call this “Feast or Famine”. High Intensity exercise is very popular but not necessarily a great fit for the average American. The average fitness enthusiast in the USA exercises primarily to lose body fat. High Intensity would surely seem like the best choice since it burns the most calories right? Yes & No. A lesser talked about issue is this: The average American is EXTREMELY Sedentary. This may invite injury if not careful. Even if someone exercises 2 hours each day but sits most of the rest, they are still considered Sedentary. Contrast the all-day sitting with intense exercise and hopefully you’ll see where I’m going with all this. I love high intensity. I also love heavy weights. These things have their place when programmed appropriately. And Yes, some people do tolerate them well (however, I would argue that most do not). My key point is this: It is important to move and expand your body’s range of motion throughout the entire day, every day. Don’t just do nothing all day then go completely crazy if/when you exercise. Realize the body benefits from frequent movement and a wide variety of motion. Not all exercise needs to be High Intensity. Learn to move more OFTEN throughout each day and not just when or while exercising. Make sure to properly warm-up before exercise as well, especially High Intensity Exercise. Prevent injury by not inviting it. Injuries stall progress. So yes, we may burn a lot of calories with some intense exercise but it might all come to a screeching halt if we are forced to stop exercising altogether because of some avoidable injury. Use that beautiful brain! I highly recommend learning to create a personalized 5min daily “Yoga” Flow for yourself to help with body maintenance, overall health, flexibility and mental focus. More on that later… #blueskystrongbox #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #highintensityworkout #injuryprevention

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 9, 2019 at 11:27am PDT

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

…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

Resting Heart Rate is important…

 

View this post on Instagram

RESTING HEART RATE. This number can say quite a bit about health and fitness. Keep in mind, it doesn’t say everything. It is pretty easy to check. You can download a free app and check it using your phone. The best time to check it is obviously while RESTING. Lol. So first thing in the morning is best (before sitting up) or lie down for 2-5 minutes then check it. Check it for a few days, or even a week. Just get an average. Don’t overthink it. The goal is to get this number under 60. It’s ok if it’s not. The average person is in the 70’s. You could be higher. How do you get this number down? Get better rest. Exercise regularly but not too hard or too long. For most folks, I recommend daily walks for 30minutes. 1-2 weekly resistance training sessions (45min max). Get a minimum of 7 hours each night of quality rest. Avoid unnecessary stress whenever possible (this one may be the most challenging but worth the effort.) PS if you want to do intense HIIT exercise, i highly recommend getting that number down as quickly as possible by doing lower intensity work for a while. #bssbbooks #restingheartrate #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 5, 2019 at 7:25am 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