Personal Trainer Newsletters
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HealthFX America
Vol. 39 Newsletter April 2006 - for [Column #2] [Column #3]
by Mandy Sosnowski
(If you no longer wish to receive this newsetter please opt-out here REMOVE)
In this issue:
* Stretching
* Featured HealthMax Pro Exercise - Plie'*
* Featured Recipe
***Stretching ***
Any well-rounded fitness program has three main components. Physical activity, like treadmill walking or
cycling, is the first component. Strength training is the second component. Stretching is the third
component. All three are very important and are listed in no particular order.
As we age and become increasingly inactive, we not only lose muscle mass, but we also lose flexibility.
Our muscles, tendons, and ligaments become less stretchy, and this decreased flexibility can lead to pain
and stiffness. This pain can be very debilitating and can eventually turn into a full-blown injury.
Tight muscles pulling on other joints or muscles cause increased pain and stiffness. Low back pain is one
example. Another example is knee pain experienced by some women. Women with tight inner thigh
muscles may experience pain due to tension being caused by the inner thigh muscles twisting the femur
bone towards your midline. The tibia stays straight and the femur is twisted inward and this causes pain
and tension in the knee. Stretching the inner thigh muscles and loosening the tension that is causing the
twist can alleviate this pain.
Inflexibility can also increase your risk for injuries. Suppose you slip on some ice on your front stoop.
You reach for the railing to catch yourself, and as you do that your arm is pulled back behind you as you
continue to slide forward. The more flexible that shoulder is, the less likely you will be to tear something
during that fall. The arm can be stretched farther behind you before an injury occurs.
Okay… so you want to add stretching to your routine. The best time to stretch is when your muscles are
warm and more pliable from being used. Think of gum or silly putty. When they are cold, if you try to
stretch them they will break into two pieces. When they are nice and warm, you can stretch them MUCH
farther without any breaking. Keeping this in mind, it is probably not a good idea to stretch right when you
get out of bed. Research has shown that MORE injuries occur when stretching is performed before an
activity then if no stretching is performed. If you are going to be doing something drastic to your muscles
like sprinting or power lifting it is important to warm up and stretch prior to completing your activity, but if
you are going for a walk or a nice jog, save the stretching for after.
It is important to stretch all your major muscle groups. These are the muscles that are exercised if you do
all of the “Basic Exercises.” But, stretching can be performed after any activity that uses most of your
body. If you have walked and it isn’t your scheduled day to strength train, you should stretch after your
walk. Always stretch at the very end of your workout. With this is mind, you should be stretching three to
five days per week, but stretching can be performed every day. Each stretch should be held for 15 to 30
seconds without bouncing.
Flexibility is the first place you will see results when you start your exercise program. Stretching is
immediate gratification, unlike strength training which needs recovery time. It is also the first place you will
feel the effects of discontinuing your workouts.
If you haven’t already done it, consider adding stretching to your routine. It doesn’t take long and you will
feel great because of it!
***Featured HealthMax Pro Exercise***
Plie'*
The muscles being used in this exercise are the adductors (inner thigh), hamstrings (back of upper leg),
quads (front of upper leg), and gluts (butt). This is a great compound exercise. A compound exercise is
an exercise that works more than one muscle group at a time. You are hitting almost your entire leg with
this one exercise. When the plie’ is combined with other leg exercises, you will get a great lower body
workout.
To do this exercise you need to remove the bench from the machine, adjust the bottom cylinder to 1, and
adjust the top cylinder to the desired intensity level.
Begin the exercise standing facing the HEALTHMAX PRO pad. Your hands should be gripping the outer
handles on the Y bar, at shoulder level, with your palms facing forward. Your feet should be spread very
wide with your toes pointing out and your torso should be straight up. Lower your butt towards the ground
until it nears to level of your knees, pulling the handles down with you, as your hands stay at shoulder
level, then return to the starting position. The concentric part, or more difficult part of this exercise is on
the way up. So you should have the resistance set so that you feel it when you are bring the handle up.
The resistance is making it even harder for you to come back to the starting position. If you were doing
this exercise without the machine, gravity and your body weight would be the resistance.
It is important not to let your knee bend to the point where your knee is past your foot. In other words,
you don’t want your knee bending past 90 degrees. You can increase your risk for knee injury if you
allow your knee to be put in that position. If it is bending past that point, spread you legs out farther. It is
also important to keep your torso upright. Dropping your chest forward can put your back at increased
risk for injury.
You’ll notice that this exercise has an “*”. This means it is an advanced exercise and should not be
performed by beginners. Beginners, you can just look forward to this exercise in the future.
Exercise Quick-Reminders
Most adults have tight hamstrings. For an easy hamstring stretch, lay on your back with both knees bent
and your feet flat on the floor. Grab one leg just above the knee (on the back of your thigh), partially
straighten that leg and pull it in towards your chest. If you don’t feel this stretch, straighten the leg a bit
more and pull form your upper calf area instead.
***Featured Recipe***
Spaghetti Squash with Vegetables and Mozzarella
1 spaghetti squash, cooked by your favorite method and separated into strands
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cheese together, set aside.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and add onion, pepper and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes, basil, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer uncovered for about 15
minutes. Mix squash well with cooked vegetables and put half in the bottom of a large (13x9 inch) baking
dish. Top with half the cheese mixture, followed by the other half of the squash mixture, then the rest of
the cheese. Back for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let cool 10 to 15
minutes before serving.
Recipe found at www.fabulousfoods.com
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