BenchFit Workout and Tapas:The Hip!

BenchFit Workout Tapas*: The Hip!

Hips hurt a lot-in Physical Therapy I have to figure out WHY,  and as a Personal Trainer I have to make sure workouts are balanced, and painfree. We spend too much time with hips folded at a 90 degree bend; chairs, driving, couch potatoing.Spell check doesn’t like that last word but you KNOW what I mean.Often the side and back of the hip are weak: Glut Max and Medius, and the hip needs to be “balanced” by strengthening the Gluts. Here is a tip: This is a small motion but it tires rapidly.

Lie on your side, with your spine straight-don’t arch your back too much or pike your hips forward…hold the top hand to feel the bone in the front of the pelvis. As you raise and lower your knee, the pelvis should not sway. Lifting the top knee isolates and works the glut medius. 2 sets of 10 are a good baseline performance, 3-4x a week.Add this to other exercises to strengthen gluts, such as hip bridges, to counteract the “folded hip posture” and maintain hip balance.

*BenchFit Tapas are bite sized exercise tips to add to and expand on your current routine. The BenchFit Workout is a 20 minute routine that the “tapas” can add to.

BenchFit classes are available at: www.Comprehensivetherapy.com  and outdoors-locally in San Diego, send a contact form in at www.BenchFit.com for information.

Power On!

Maureen

Any ideas to share on this topic? Let us know how you are doing with the “tapas”,

and solutions you have found for hip discomfort.

(Pain that lasts should be medically checked-see you health care provider for information and screening.)

BenchFit Workout and Tapas:Abdominals

Tapas Tip*: Abdominals

We all need abdominal exercises, but who wants to look like a question mark after workouts? Traditional abdominal exercises can leave your back aching, and your head and neck hunched forward towards your knees. And don’t we get enough bending forward with sitting, computer work, driving, and daily living?

So for a new spin on abdominal exercise, try these “roll backs”, which will engage your abdominals along with your back, as you slowly lower back, and then presto! pull back up to starting! What is you “point of no return” where you can’t pull back up?Go to the edge, pull up, repeat, and if you do this every other day, soon you’ll have control of the motion from start to finish. Move in the comfort range of your spine and hips. Keep shoulders pulled down and abdominals engaged and breathe as you move.

*Tapas are small dishes served in spain as an “appetizer”, accompanying a beverage. Here the term is used for mini exercise offerings, that can be linked together to add to other movements to expand your exercise “menu”.The BenchFit Workout coaches a 20 minute, 6-position Home Exercise program for strengthening primarily, and is available in DVD and book format, Levels I and II.It is desirable to exercise in little bits, such as the Tapas, throughout the day, if you can’t fit in one 30 to 60 minute session.

Power On!

Let me know how you do with this!

Maureen

BenchFit Workout and Tapas

Have you sampled Tapas? Tapas are little bites of food you can enjoy with beverages, and my best recollection is an entire meal in Barcelona, Spain, which was served as an endless array of appetizer sized plates with sauteed mushrooms, shrimp and garlic, crostini, cheese, grilled squash-and many more dishes,the delight was in the variety. We seek variety to engage our senses, and become stale with repetition. And so it goes with exercises! The 20 minute BenchFit Workout airs on TV in San Diego, 9:30 am,ch 19 and 24, T and Thurs ams, starting August 11-and the truth is  I always “mix in” a few other elements-like Tapas-when leading classes to keep it fresh.

So I offer some BenchFit Tapas-Mini Exercises that you can sprinkle into your day with variety and spice. Here is a lengthening-postural stretch, that de-compresses

the front of the hip and lifts the rib cage. I chose the seaside shot to encourage outdoor exercise, and easy breathing, with great fresh air. You can perform this with a park bench, or if indoors, on an arm of a couch or bed. Try holding it 5-10+ seconds per side, and perform 2 reps on your tighter side. Check in for our summer Tapas tips.

Power On!

Maureen

Fitness Classes at www.comprehensivetherapy.com  and also outdoors, centrally located in San Diego.