Exercise for Health, Not Appearance

Exercise motives that are based strictly on looking good or losing weight negatively affect our health. Everybody has a different idea about what they believe to be a healthy looking body, but if looks are the only reason for exercising, that can limit the potential for progress in other aspects of our health. Exercise is a great tool for physical strength, mental well-being, managing pain, improving our quality of life, and preventative healthcare.

When our only objective is to lose weight when we exercise this can lead us on a path of body destruction by doing whatever it takes to lose that last 5 pounds. This can lead to overtraining, poor form, building bad habits, and crash dieting. It really is true that “slow and steady” wins the race. We have to think of our health as something long term and not something that is going to be fixed overnight or maintained without continuous effort.

The quick fix is enticing for everyone because we want our efforts to pay off immediately. When all of our hard work doesn’t illicit results right away we start getting frustrated and turn to magic pills, not eating enough, and then eating too much, exercising so intensely that our form turns poor and our chance of injury increases, or we just get fed up and throw in the towel all together. Instead of eating a little less at each meal and exercising a little more at each workout and building habits that we can maintain, we sabotage our success by trying to change everything at once and then expecting that change to manifest into accomplishing our goals right then and there.

Instead of having goals based only on physical aspects of health, like trying to look like the fitness models in magazines. Create goals that enhance other aspects of your health. Start off small, like trading french fries for a salad, and do it for the benefit of adding more veggies to your diet instead of doing it because it’s less calories so you know you’ll lose weight. If your goals change from losing weight to eating more vegetables you’re more likely to choose meals that are lower in calories anyway, so you’re still likely to lose weight but that’s not your only focus and therefore not the only benefit. By eating more vegetables you can experience natural energy through the day instead of feeling run down, with the new energy you don’t have to wire yourself with caffeine, and so you don’t get dehydrated as often. So now instead of beating your body up to lose a few pounds, you’re building your body up by fueling it with good food and staying hydrated. Habits like these will inevitably lead to healthy weight loss, one of your goals, but not the only one.

If you prioritize other aspects of your health as your motivation for exercising then it’s more likely that you’ll accomplish your goals. From losing weight and getting stronger to managing anxiety and living a fit and healthy lifestyle. Life is short but if your health is compromised then the days drag on and quality of life starts to suffer. Exercising with the right intent will sustain your body and your health to enjoy everything life has to offer for years to come. Keep yourself in the game and take care of your body to promote longevity and function. The days of exercising to look good are fading and the era of exercising to look and feel HEALTHY is in demand!

 

Muscle Isolation vs. Integration

Exercises should connect muscles in the body the way muscles connect the body in the real world, in order to program proper movement. Primarily when we walk, run, and throw but also any type of athletic movement or daily function. If your body’s hurting, you can’t move as well as you used to, or your quality of life is limited then your body may be disconnected. Possibly from lack of exercise, prioritizing the wrong kinds of exercises, or old injuries that need to be rehabilitated with the correct kinds of exercises. Exercises that train your body for a specific purpose… not just to chase after that pump.

Muscles in our body connect and work together with other muscles to coordinate movement. If we only isolate muscles when we workout then we are “disconnecting” their coordination ability with other muscles. This sends the wrong signal to the brain, that it’s okay to use this muscle independently and then our body adapts to complete a movement with the wrong muscles. These adaptations throw off our alignment and we start to create imbalances that manifest as an ache, pain, or injury because are muscles no longer work in harmony with each other.

In the real world our body in connected from head to toe every time it moves. For example, we can’t use our glute to take a step without the hamstring and calf participating in the movement. Exercise should replicate as much of a real world scenario as it can, in order to be as effective as it can at improving ones ability to function. Specifically, creating muscle activation in multiple muscles at once in a way that the muscles are utilized in reality- back to the glute, hamstring, and calf example when we walk. We should concern ourselves with how the calf functions every time we take a step, rather than how big our calf looks, and how the calf synchronizes with the rest of the muscles to properly move our body. Therefore, true functional fitness isn’t as simple as using kettle bells instead of a machine when you workout, but how that workout is going to strategically make your body function better, in scenarios your body encounters in life outside of the gym.

If you want to move well, perform better, improve your posture, limit joint pain, and take control of your life then send us an email with any questions or concerns and find out how we’re here to help!

The Quick Fix

Nowadays it seems that everyone is looking for that magic pill to solve all of their problems, especially when it relates to their physical function. If they can’t walk without pain in their knee they use a knee brace, if they can’t get rid of their lower back pain they opt for surgery, if their muscles always feel tight they see a massage therapist every week. I’m not saying these choices don’t work, but at the end of the day they don’t fix the problem in the long run- they’re the “quick fix.” Instead of getting to the root of whats causing knee pain or lower back pain you’ll be stuck treating the symptoms rather than the culprit.

You can’t expect results over night, chances are the pain you feel has manifested from years and years of environmental influences and poor habits, whether you recognize them or not. That means it’s going to take some hard work on your part to really get the fix you are after, how quickly it happens depends on how much you work at it. There is no cookie cutter approach to fixing real problems, every body is different and it takes a constantly evolving approach to improve your quality of life.

If you’re serious about getting to the root cause of what is limiting your movement or causing you unnecessary pain then rest assured you don’t have to live with it! Together we can start making immediate changes every training session and start you on a better path to restoring your quality of living. We all have a short time on this world so we may as well do what we can to make sure our time here is quality. We don’t promise quick fixes but if you do want a fix, we do promise that we work hard to get to the bottom of how to make the fix a long term fix.

We aren’t your typical gym or personal trainer, we aren’t here to just count reps or make you work so hard that you puke. If that’s what you’re looking for then you’ll miss out on all the potential benefits of correcting your movement dysfunctions and diminishing your pain that we offer here. It’s like something you’ve never experienced before, it’s an entirely new way of looking at the body and how one should train it to function. The fitness industry is still so new and is constantly evolving so if you’re still prioritizing your training like Arnold Schwarzenegger did in the 70’s then that’s like you riding a horse to work when we have access to cars.

If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked the way you had anticipated then it’s time to check us out and see what we’re all about! Start by scheduling your free consultation with us to learn what we can do for you and what you want to get out of your life outside of the gym. We’re all about No Pain, Just Gain!

Posture and Pain

Functional Fitness attempts to adapt or develop exercises which allow individuals to perform the activities of daily life more easily and without injuries. One of the keys here is without injuries. As we evolve we are becoming a more and more stationary society. We go from sitting at our desk, sitting at lunch, back to the desk and finally home to sit on the couch and watch Netflix. Unfortunately this is what our day looks like 5 days a week! Then if we are being honest we spend Saturday scrambling to get our lives together so we can spend Sunday “recharging” aka binge watching Netflix.

This sedentary lifestyle is affecting our entire body but the most obvious effect is our posture. The issue is how our posture effects our day to day activities, workouts, and problems with pain. We are becoming hunched over and a lot of our muscles dormant due to lack of activity. “But I work out 4 days a week so this isn’t for me.” Do you have knee pain? Back pain? Neck or shoulder pain? Then your workouts may not be as effective as you think. You may be working out but are you respecting your bodies’ mechanics by integrating multiple muscles into an exercise the way we do in day to day life? Can you name one movement or daily function that only uses one muscle in your body? I can’t. Picking up a baby: biceps, core, hamstrings, back, glutes, to name a few. Taking a shower: biceps (washing your hair), core stabilizes you, hamstrings if you are bending over to shave. I mean you are always activating multiple muscle connections to do a daily task. The question is are your muscle connections functional or dysfunctional? Only doing isolated movement isn’t respecting your bodies mechanics. You could be feeding your dysfunctions instead of fixing them.

Fitness of the future won’t be concerned with how much weight you can lift or how big your arms are, true fitness will help improve people’s day to day living and allow their body to do whatever they need it to do without any restriction. The current fitness trend of “looking good” is not sustainable and can end up doing more harm than good on our bodies in the long run. At the rate we are going, heavy squats can lead to sitting in a wheel chair when you’ve reached your 50’s and 60’s, but if we respect our body mechanics then you’ll be walking well into your 80’s and 90’s. The tough question you have to ask yourself is, if your current fitness regimen is improving your life or hampering your day to day function?

FREE Consultation

If you’ve been on the fence about what Functional Fitness can do for your life then now is the best time to find out! For a limited time we are offering FREE consultations to first time clients.

All you have to do is contact us to set up your appointment. During your first appointment we’ll go over your health history, nutrition habits, goals, current lifestyle, any injuries, what you want to get out of exercising, and any other questions you may have. From there we’ll recommend a plan of action that meets your health needs and how to get started!

The best part about the FREE consultation is that there is zero obligation to sign up for anything. We are only inviting you to come and see what we’re all about and how we can help you improve your life!

Top Toxic Chemicals

As ambassadors of health it’s important to consider, not only the things you’re putting in your body through nutrition, but also what you’re putting on your body that influences your health. Chemicals that are in many household products, like cleaning supplies and cosmetics can contribute to toxin buildup in your body which will determine your state of health. Toxins easily enter the body when they are applied topically and absorbed through the skin or inhaled and absorbed through the mucous membranes.

Many of the items we use everyday contain amounts of toxic chemicals, from baby powder to artificial sweeteners. We’ll break down some of the most common chemicals you’ll likely encounter so you are aware of the potential health risks.

  1. Parabens top the list because over use of these can alter the bodies normal hormone function, leading to possible reproductive problems and cancers. Parabens are compounds that are used as a preservatives in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industry and can contain the names, methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl. Common products that contain parabens are mouisturizers, makeup, creams, and perfumes. Be sure to check the ingredients the next time you grab your favorite product, the same way you would check the quality of ingredients contained in your food.
  2. Talc comes in a close second because it is a common ingredient in baby powders to treat diaper rash and even reduce body odor. Some products may use talc that contains asbestos which is a known carcinogen, however most cosmetic talc powders are asbestos free. It’s better to play it safe and check the ingredients before you use it. The better option would be to steer clear of talc and choose versions of baby powder made with corn starch.
  3. Aluminum Zirconium is another chemical that’s found in most deodorants and serves as an antiperspirant which obstructs pores in the skin and prevents sweat from leaving the body. There is some evidence that links aluminum use with Alzheimers disease but other studies suggest that there is no correlation. At the end of the day you can choose to limit the amount of chemicals you put on your body by choosing aluminum free deodorants.
  4. Propylene Glycol is a chemical that is used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture in certain medications, cosmetics, or food products. It can be used as a less toxic anti-freeze in food processing centers or residential water pipes where accidental indigestion may be possible, it’s also used in common food products like ice cream and artificial sweeteners. The FDA has classified propylene glycol as an additive that is “generally recognized as safe” for use in food, however some studies show that it contributes to skin irritation, neurological symptoms, cardiovascular problems, respiratory issues, potentially toxic to liver and kidneys, probably not safe for infants and children, and may be a pathway for other harmful chemicals. Although it may be safe, the potential health complications are something to avoid by limiting your intake of this chemical.
  5. Oxybenzone is a common chemical used in sunscreen to absorb ultraviolet light, but some research shows that it can be absorbed through the skin. Experts believe oxybenzone is linked to hormone disruption and cell damage that may lead to skin cancer. Such contradictory information, we need sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, yet some of the sunscreens we use may also contribute to skin cancer… confusion overload. My suggestion is that you try using mineral sunscreens with ingredients like zinc oxide which create a physical barrier on the skin to protect it from the sun, instead of chemical sunscreens which contain potentially harmful ingredients. However, sun exposure is good for health and wellbeing so make sure you get outside to take advantage of the natural Vitamin D! I recommend trying to expose yourself during the times when the UV light is least intense like in the morning and evening and if you do go outside during the afternoon make sure you have access to shade, can cover yourself with clothing, or apply a mineral based sunscreen, and ideally only spending a few hours at a time in the sun as your tolerance to the UV light increases over time.

The purpose of this is to create toxic awareness, not toxic fear or avoidance, because it’s impossible to be completely toxin free. What you can do is pick and choose what you expose yourself to, for example if you can use natural sweeteners instead of artificial sweeteners then you’re able to limit the amount of toxins entering your body. By creating more awareness of what ingredients are in the products we use everyday we can begin to make substitutions that lead to a healthier lifestyle by choosing the natural choice instead of something artificial that contains chemicals that aren’t great for us. If we spend time making decisions about eating healthy food that is natural and doesn’t contain chemicals and preservatives then we should also prioritize the quality of the products we use everyday and limit the amount of toxins we expose ourselves to. Remember that your health and wellbeing is influenced through the quality of the food you eat, what you choose to drink, your physical activity, and also the quality of household and cosmetic products you use.

 

Functional Fitness

Recently, functional fitness is gaining more of a following because of the impact certain exercises have in everyday life. The word “functional” relates to the way something works or operates, so if certain exercises can help you operate better (improve your life) wouldn’t you do them? The purpose of functional fitness is to utilize special exercises that mimic real life scenarios to prepare your body for life outside of the gym (operate better). Traditional exercises train your body in the context of the gym environment so you’ll aways find yourself spending more and more time in the gym to make progress, because the exercises don’t reflect what you’d encounter in real life. If you want to use your time in the gym to improve your time outside of the gym then this is for you!

If you bust your butt in the gym and plow through an intense training session, only to spend 20 minutes icing your knees every morning then is your workout really benefiting your quality of life in the long run? Mentally, you may feel good about how hard your workout was but if you’re physically worn down after every workout and can barely climb up stairs without knee pain or your lower back always feels tight no matter how much you stretch, then I suspect that your workout isn’t benefiting your life the way you intended.

First, you should ask yourself what you want to accomplish with your workout. Do you want your workout to make you bigger, faster, and stronger? Help you lose weight? Build strength and endurance to raise your children or keep up with your grandkids? Help manage muscle or joint pain that limits your quality of life? Do you want your workout to sustain your health as you age? Once you establish why you’re working out then you have to take into consideration if you’re current workout habits are going to help you achieve what you want to accomplish.

Working out improves many aspects of your life, but mixed with the wrong intentions it may lead to other health complications. For example, if you workout so that you can lose weight and every time you exercise you do high impact moves that place wear and tear on your joints, then over time you may injure yourself and have to take a few weeks off from working out with the potential of gaining your weight back. If you workout because your doctor told you it would help decrease pain but the nagging discomfort or stabbing pain won’t go away, gets worse, or spreads, then you may be performing the wrong types of exercise for what you really want to accomplish. My point being, the way you workout should be taking you closer to your goal, not further from it.

The fitness industry does a great job advertising exercises that look cool, are hard, and make you sweat. That’s why you see most people exercising the way everybody else is, but not really knowing why they’re doing a particular exercise. Sometimes we just do an exercise for the sake of exercising, sometimes that exercise benefits your body in an applicable way and sometimes that exercise distorts your body and, if repeated enough, can lead to problems with posture and movement.

Personally, when I choose an exercise I make sure that it’s going to benefit my life outside of the gym in some way. If I constantly perform bicep curls because I think it’s going to help me pick up my dog easier then I am missing the applicable part. When I go to pick up my dog I am not just using my arms to lift her, I am engaging other muscles in my body all at once to help with the movement. If I want to function better in reality, then when I workout I should implement exercises that mimic my real life environment. If I want to pick up my dog without hurting my back, I would choose an exercise that involves me bending over and standing up while I integrate my hamstrings, glutes, core, and arms all at the same time, because that’s what my body is doing when I pick up my dog. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the way you workout is going to determine how you move in real life. Traditional exercises don’t take this into account and so what you do in the gym doesn’t improve your life the same way true functional fitness does.

If you like to go to the gym and lift weights for the sake of lifting weights then more power to you. In the same breath, if you’re looking for a workout that has a direct carry over into how well you function in real life then contact us to set up a consultation. You’ll learn how you can make the most of your workout and if your current exercise routine is really helping you or actually harming you. At SA Functional Fitness we teach exercises that get your body on the path to enjoy all life has to offer- we don’t live to workout, we workout to live.

End Laziness

Nowadays it’s easier to find healthy meals that are packaged and ready to heat and eat instead of ordering a pizza or going through a drive through. I’m not talking about frozen meals that claim to be healthy but when you read the ingredients there are all sorts of chemicals included- you don’t want to be fueling your body with fake food. I’m referring to meals that are pre packaged and ready to pop in the oven to cook. At my local grocery store I can buy a small dish that comes with raw chicken breast or steak, potatoes, and some type of vegetable like asparagus or broccoli. It does require some effort on my part to go to the store, pick what I want, stand in line, drive home, pre heat the oven, let it cook, and then I can eat it, but that is time well spent because I am taking action that optimizes my health.

I could spend the same amount of time getting in my car, driving to a drive through, sitting in line while I wait for my food, driving home, and then eating but the health outcome of what I eat is going to be different. If I routinely decide to pick up my food at a drive through then there’s very low nutrients (protein, vitamins, minerals, etc.) and very high calories, so at the end of that meal I am overfed and undernourished which leads to an unhealthy life. Sure you could argue that the drive through saves time and I can argue that if you can’t take the extra step to get out of your car and pre heat your oven then you’re just being lazy. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no stranger to a drive though, but they are far and few in between, and the rest of the time my food is coming from natural, whole foods that fuel me with nutrients and balance my caloric intake.

We always have power over what we chose to put in our mouth, so at the end of the day, if you’re feeding yourself from a drive though most of the time then your poor health is because of your decisions. On the other hand if you establish a firm foundation of health by feeding your body real foods the majority of the time you’re setting yourself up for optimal health. Then on those rare occasions when you treat yourself at a party or “get stuck” going through a drive through your body is going to be operating from its foundation of health so the food you eat won’t do as much damage.

Sometimes food is convenient but we can’t let convenience dictate the status of our health, sometimes we have to spend a little extra time making food at home, using ingredients that we know are good for us and contribute to a healthy life. Life is never convenient, if it was then we could all take a pill once a day that satisfied our cravings, filled us with just the right amount of calories, and most importantly supplied us with the nutrients we all need to survive, and then get on with our day. But that hasn’t happened yet, and until it does happen you have the other option, which is you’re going to have to put some effort into what you eat if you want to be a healthy human. That means you can’t be lazy and order take out or go through a drive through because you don’t feel like cooking, you have to wake up a little earlier to make your meals for the day ahead or skip an episode of your favorite Netflix show so you can cook some food for your lunch the next day. Get creative and cook in bulk so that what you have for dinner one night can become your lunch the next day, it could literally be the same meal or you can add a different profile of spices and side dishes to make it something totally different, yet still in line with your nutritional goals. It’s not about having time to be healthy, it’s about making time to be healthy. We all have the same 24 hours in the day so it comes down to how you’re spending your 24 hours and what you’re prioritizing.

Balancing Life

It shouldn’t come as a shock that our lives should be in balance with everything around us to stay healthy. Life get’s rough or busy, or both, and we tend to navigate to one extreme or the other. We’re either walking around the block every morning and eating our fruits and veggies or we’re sleeping in and rushing to work and going out to lunch every day and stopping at a drive through on the way home because we just can’t seem to make time for our health.

What if we tried to do a little bit of everything? Life is never going to lay out the magic carpet for us to walk down and live a perfectly healthy life so we shouldn’t treat our lives as perfectly healthy all of the time. There will be times when you see some of your old friends one weekend and you may choose to drink some alcohol, yes we know alcohol isn’t good for us, but socializing is part of life. I am not advocating that you go out every weekend with your friends and get drunk, but what I am saying is that you should make time to spend time with the people you love and if you choose to have a few drinks as you visit with old friends then enjoy that time spent together. You could balance out the alcohol with healthy eating choices throughout the day and making sure you drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. It’s important to not let the habits of one weekend turn into the habits of the next week, then we’ve lost our ability to stay balanced, and our health will begin to deteriorate.

Maybe drinking isn’t something you enjoy but you love to go out with family and friends and load up on appetizers or dessert because everyone is together and having a good time. A good time doesn’t have to entail eating until you can’t eat any more or sacrificing all of the hard work you’ve spent creating healthier eating habits. You can work to create balance and enjoy some of the foods you don’t normally eat, like nachos at a Mexican restaurant, but instead of eating half of the plate, share it with everyone around the table and enjoy one or two nachos. Most importantly, enjoy the people gathered around the table and take your mind off of the food, you should recognize that you’re at dinner to spend time with the people you care most about, the food may be delicious but it pales in comparison to the joy the people you’re with bring to your life.

Balance is a part of life, and it takes a great deal of effort to practice balance, in my experience you won’t sustain a balanced life over night. It will take some trial and error to start to establish balance and it’s a continuous work in progress because each day is going to be different from the one before it. That means what worked for you one day won’t always work for you the same way the next day, or one weekend to the next weekend. Balance is about being open to new experiences and incorporating your foundation of healthy habits into the adventure that life creates so that you can adapt to life while still living a healthy lifestyle.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle on Vacation (or Anytime)

People take vacations every year and most find it so hard to maintain healthy nutrition and exercise habits while they’re away from their normal routine. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not easy to eat as healthy as you normally would or to exercise as much as you do while you’re out of your day to day routine. However, it’s not impossible and just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you have a valid excuse to give up the healthy habits you’ve worked hard to establish. It is important to enjoy your time with family or friends while you’re on vacation and it’s even more important to continue making healthy choices while you’re traveling, or anytime. Below are some tips on how you can keep living a healthy lifestyle no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

Go for a walk. You can conveniently walk at any time you choose, it’s simple, all you need is your body, and you can get in some exercise for the day. You can wake up and go for a walk first thing in the morning, so you get it checked off the to-do list or you can schedule a walk in between downtime with friends and family, while everyone is taking a nap you can go for a walk on the beach. Better yet, get everyone involved in the walk, schedule a group hike or guided tour which makes walking even more fun, you get to spend time taking in sights with your friends and family and everyone is getting exercise!

Add more water. Staying hydrated is important because even the slightest dehydration can trick you into thinking your hungry when you really aren’t. Personally, when I’m dehydrated I start craving sweetened beverages, and that’s my sign to go and drink a big glass, or 2, of water. Once I’m properly hydrated I no longer have a craving for soda or something sweet to drink because the water has provided me with what my body actually needs.

Don’t overindulge. Sure when you’re traveling it’s fun to try the different cuisines around the world and you certainly can, just don’t let the fact that you aren’t eating your normal nutrient dense foods be an excuse to eat everything in sight. Don’t deprive yourself of having a good time with everyone but take a step back and recognize that they might not have the same goals as you do. It’s okay to try some pizza when you’re in Italy (or a restaurant), but that doesn’t mean you have to eat an entire pizza, try sharing with your group, so you can have a slice and taste the authentic Italian flavors without over eating. Then when you go back home after your vacation don’t let the vacation eating habits turn into everyday eating habits. Remember, once in a while is okay and if you’re disciplined with the once and while habit your body won’t store the excess weight long term.

Load up on fruits and veggies. Besides being low in calories, adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet is beneficial because it provides you with the energy you need to stay active while you’re away from your normal routine. The vitamins and minerals your body receives from the fruits and vegetables will help control cravings for sugary and fatty foods by making sure you aren’t deficient in any vitamins that may be responsible for causing the craving in the first place. A deficiency in magnesium can cause your body to crave chocolate and a calcium deficiency can cause you to crave salty snacks, so it’s important to make sure your fruit and vegetable intake stays high to prevent any cravings that may lead to overeating. If you do decide that you want to treat yourself to a sugary or salty snack, something you may not normally eat, then be sure to control the portions, try sharing with someone, or only eat half of the serving.

These tips, when used in conjunction with discipline, will help prevent you from sabotaging your health and fitness efforts while you’re enjoying yourself on vacation, or anytime. Look at them, not only as tips, but as principles that you can live your life by. Not only when you’re on vacation but when you get invited to a birthday party and someone offers you cake, or you go out to dinner on Friday night with your friends and everyone is ordering fried food. Life is never going to be perfect, and trying to have a perfect nutrition plan 24/7 in an imperfect life is creating unrealistic expectations. If your friends order an appetizer of fried pickles, and you like fried pickles, then have a serving of fried pickles, following the above principles- don’t overindulge, load up on fruits and vegetables, add more water, and go for a walk. After you had a taste of the appetizer (i.e.; didn’t overindulge) you could order a salad or a veggie dish for your meal, drink water and not a sugary beverage, and go for a walk around the block when you get home from dinner. Living your life with a little more balance, like the example above, will allow you to have fun with your loved ones while still taking action towards reaching your goals.