The Unconventional Way...

If you've been to Fitness Evolved at least once (or even just read our weekly newsletter!) you've probably realized that we're not your typical gym.  We do things differently here.  In fact, that's probably what attracted most of you to FE in the first place, and the reason you keep coming around. 

We don't do things the same way other places do it.... We use vision exercises to correct posture and increase strength, we have you move your elbow to alleviate knee pain, we place objects in your hand and have you guess what it is to alleviate foot pain, we tell you to drink orange juice to alleviate shoulder pain, we may even give you a Coke after a bee sting to let the sugar and carbon dioxide help your body defend itself against the histamine allergic response and prevent it from swelling and getting painful so you don't miss your workout. ;)

The point is, we have a different view of exercise, health, fitness, and function than the mainstream.  Science is changing rapidly- there are 100,000 new studies being published right now per year in neuroscience alone!  Our goal has been to stay on top of the latest and newest information, apply and test it, and then bring it to you in hopes of finding the fastest acting and most effective techniques possible.  

Our goal, also, is to be an educational facility- not only to learn for ourselves and teach other trainers, but to also give you as much information and tools as you need to learn how to take care of yourself and work towards the healthiest, happiest life possible.  If you see us doing something weird with you or another client and wonder what the heck is going on, ask!  Chances are you're not the only person with that question.  There is a method to our madness, and curiosity and questioning is the best way for you to learn and grow your tool box!  We'd like to be a "Community of Practice" where we're all working together to learn, do, and make ourselves the best we possibly can be!

 

The Power of Words...

Last week Carmela attended a Z-Health course in Phoenix called "Sustenance and Spirit" and when she came back, realized just how important communication is not only in our day-to-day lives and personal relationships, but also with how we talk to ourselves (i.e. the thoughts in our head, our self-confidence or lack thereof, and most importantly, how we use food to dictate how "good" or "healthy" we really feel. The latter will be explained in another newsletter). 

This particular course was geared towards 4 days of motivational interviewing/coaching techniques that is especially helpful when working with family, friends and clients such as you! It was also nutrition based (hence the "Sustenance" in the title), but was surprisingly not as loaded with nutrition as most other courses are. The nutritional info she received will be coming to you all very soon,  and we're excited to continue to help you all, ourselves included, in becoming our own "food scientists". Because every body is so completely unique, it makes it extremely hard for us to prescribe any sort of meal plan, nor the same meal plan for 2 different people. The techniques we will be showing you in the next few weeks will help you figure out which foods are actually good for you and which ones aren't giving you any sort of benefit. 

The biggest and most profound piece of info Carmela received last week was about the "power of words" and how we can make someone's day better just by choosing the right words. This very short video below literally brought her and a few other people to tears after watching it. We'd love for you to check it out and let us know what you think:

The Power of Words

The video states "Change your words, change your world", and we believe that 100%. Communication is a skill that is obviously important and we all do it but what is often overlooked is the fact that we can all make such a huge impact on someone's life just by choosing different words. 

What Are You Doing That For?

If you've been a part of our gym for any amount of time, you've seen that we approach things a little differently.  We have all kinds of "weird" mobility exercises designed to free up joints and improve mobility and strength....

And, we also do a bunch of exercises both with and without weights, fast and slow.  Exercises for balance.  Exercises for vision.  

Two questions:

1.  Why do we choose these exercises?  Good question!  We do all of the joint mobility exercises because having good control of freely moving joints is paramount to safety, performance, and injury prevention.  How well and safely your bigger, more complex movements are performed are determined by how well each individual piece (joint) of that movement performs.  

The bigger, more complex movements include a lot of basic movement patterns that we do everyday, whether we know it or not.  "Practice makes Perfect," so doing these movement patterns repeatedly with varying challenges help you perform those tasks more safely and efficiently throughout the day.  Vision and Balance exercises are incredibly important to help us move well and feel good throughout the day.  How well we move through the world is largely determined by how well we see it.  Our balance reflexes are incredibly important to help us move well and stay vertical!  If or brain doesn't "trust" those reflexes or what we're seeing, it will put the brakes on and not allow you to move as quickly and fluidly as you'd like.

2.  Why do You Do these Exercises?  This is an important question to ask.  Are you doing these exercises because we're telling you to do them?  Or do you see all of these movements and challenges as a "skill" that you're trying to get better at?  Multiple studies show that focusing on doing things with the intention of getting better at them accelerate adaptation and results. This is referred to as the "Deliberate Practice"- essentially a shortcut to the 10,000 hour rule of becoming a "master."  (Click Here)  If you (and your brain) are engaged on what you're doing, quality goes up, form improves, you gain a new "skill", and you learn how to move your body with more control, strength, and grace.  The point of exercise is not that it is always hard and making you work hard.  It's not just "work" that we're trying to get done.  Exercise should becomeeasier when you do it because you're body is adapting to it.  If you've noticed, we've hung some quotes on the wall in the gym.  One says "The only purpose of exercise is to feel your body."  If you're focusing on feeling your body and moving it well and purposefully when you exercise, adaptation happens much faster!

So, the next time you come to a trainining session or class ask yourself "Why am I doing this?" and "Am I getting better at it?"  If you don't know the answer to either of these questions, ask!  Fitness training has evolved... You get better faster when you slow down and focus on getting better!

The Quick Headache Fix(es)...

Headaches are a common problem that tend to pop up frequently.  They can be pesky and a huge distraction in your work day.  As we've

been learning over these past few years, pain is an action signal created by your nervous system to tell us that "something is not right..."  Headaches are no exception.   Most of the time, headaches are a response either to chronic tension pattern or a chronic or intense stressor that our brain/body doesn't have enough fuel to get through. 

Yes, that's right- a headache can very well be, and most often is a fuel problem, and addressing that fuel problem is often the highest payoff.

Here are 2 easy ways to address the issue quickly, with the understanding that our brain's 2 sources of fuel are oxygen and glucose (sugar).

Fuel Fix #1- Oxygen:  Very often, especially during stressful times, we aren't low on oxygen.  Actually one response to stress is increased respiration, or hyperventilation.  What typically becomes problematic is the shift in the ratio of Oxygen to Carbon Dioxide (CO2).  Too much oxygen= too little CO2 and energy production suffers.  An age old remedy to hyperventilation is usually a very effective remedy for headaches:  Paper Bag Breathing- take a small bag (paper or plastic) and cover your nose and mouth.  Slowly inhale and exhale into the bag until the headache resolves or you start to feel uncomfortable.  Rest and repeat until the headache resolves.

Fuel Fix #2- Glucose:  Yes, as much as we've demonized sugar in the media lately, glucose is still our body's #1 source of energy.  A good, natural source and quick burst of sugar can help very quickly (one of the main symptoms of low blood sugar is Headache!).  A glass of orange juice and some cheese would be a great snack and remedy.  At that point, even 1 soda, made with real cane sugar, and including caffeine is a great option- See Coca Cola, Mexican.  ;)

(The carbonation helps restore the Oxygen:CO2 balance.  Caffeine stimulates insulin release so will somewhat limit the blood-sugar spike).  Yes, we are OK'ing Mexican Coca Cola, or something similar, on occasion, to be used as a supplement and quick effective fix to help you get through a difficult situation.  

We also mentioned tension patterns being causes of headaches.  Here are 2 high payoff exercises to relieve those tension patterns. 

Tension Fix #1- Raise Your Eyebrows:  Like you're surprised!  The muscle on your forehead that raises your eyebrows has tissue connections across the entire skull, around to the back.  Activating it lightly will help relieve some of the tension.  Raise your eyebrows like you're surprised and hold it there very lightly (think 10% of fully contracted!) for 10-20 seconds and relax.  Repeat 3-4 times or until the headache resolves. You may need to repeat this throughout the day.

Tension Fix #2- The Jaw:  If you think about it, you, like most of us, tend to clinch your jaw under stressful times.  Reversing that tension can go a long way to relieving the tension in your head.  Make fists with both hands, and place them under your chin.  Open your jaw about halfway, and put light pressure into your chin with your hands.  Slowly slide your jaw side to side for 6-8 reps, then relax.  This should relieve a lot of tension in the neck and head.  Repeat as often as necessary, but make sure you use light pressure!

Bringing down pain, especially headache pain, is usually best done by bringing down overall stress/threat levels to the body.  These 4 suggestions are high payoffs that could do wonders for you.  Give them a try- and if you do, tell us your story!