Crossroads Fitness Blog

Yoga is all about learning to balance life with calmness and positive thinking. Yoga, which means to join the body and mind, dates back more than 5,000 years and combines breathing, exercise and meditation. 

Breathing techniques are taught on the concept breathing is the source of life in your body. Exercises apply pressure on glandular systems and promote health and well-being. By meditating, participants learn to quiet their minds and heal from the stresses of life.

There are more than 100 different schools of yoga. The most common type is Hatha yoga. This is an easy-to-learn form that combines physical movements and postures with breathing techniques. 

Bikram yoga focuses on muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular flexibility and weight loss. This type of yoga is performed in a 95-degree to 105-degree environment. This promotes flexibility, detoxification and prevention of injuries

Power yoga combines stretching, strength training and meditative breathing. Many of the poses resemble such basic calisthenics as pushups, handstands and side bends. The pace of this type of yoga is much faster. Each move flows into the next without pausing. 

Although there are many more forms of yoga, these examples give you an idea of what’s available. Many instructors incorporate different forms into one class.

Most adults can practice yoga. Some advanced classes aren’t suitable for pregnant women or people with physical limitations from injuries. Always Quick read more or view full article consult with your doctor before engaging in an exercise program.However, special classes incorporate yoga into workouts with modifications. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Always listen to your body.

When taking your first yoga class, expect to enter a dim room with soft music playing. Wear comfortable clothing. Most people are barefoot. You’ll have a mat and such props as bands, blocks and blankets. Your instructor will tell you how and when to use these.     

At the end of each yoga class, most teachers bring their hands together in front of the heart, bow their head and say “namaste.” Students bring their hands together and respond. Namaste means “I bow to you.”

Yoga offers numerous benefits, including improved breathing, flexibility and posture. Some people might believe they’re too old or unfit for yoga. In truth, you’re never too old to improve flexibility. Yoga stretches not only your muscles, but also the soft tissues of your body, including ligaments and tendons. Nearly all  poses build strength in the abdominal muscles. With improved core strength comes better posture. You’ll become more aware of your posture in daily activities.  

Most forms of yoga concentrate on breathing.  Deepening or lengthening your breath stimulates relaxation. In addition, yoga improves concentration and mood.

If you’re already a yogi, you understand. If you’re not, try yoga and see if you experience the amazing benefits you can attain from this form of exercise. Namaste.

Think of the movements you go through every day: getting into and out of your car, reaching for an item on the top shelf at the grocery store or bending down to pick up a child. 

Most of the time, we don’t think about these movements — until, that is, we can’t do them with ease. 

This is where functional fitness exercises help by training your muscles to handle everyday activities efficiently and safely. Functional fitness has become popular in training regimens. Personal trainers include this type of training in their client workouts. These types of exercises train your muscles to work together to simulate common movements. This is different from conventional strength training and working on isolated muscle groups.

Working a combination of muscle groups — your upper and lower body, for example — at the same time could duplicate the movement you make while lifting something off the floor. The exercise that might be performed for this movement would include a squat and then a bicep curl.

The body can perform seven basic movements: gait, hinge, lunge, pull, push, squat and rotate. All exercises constitute variations on these movements. In performing these movements, you exercise all the major muscle groups.

Functional fitness exercises concentrate not only on upper and lower muscle groups, but also the core muscles in your middle from your chest Quick read more or view full article to your pelvic bone. By strengthening core muscles, you gain flexibility and stability. As your core strengthens, your balance and posture improve. Strong core muscles reduce injuries, promote stability and improve overall health.

Functional fitness exercises are low impact and can be performed by almost everyone, from beginners to athletes. Step-ups and lunges focus on balance. Try a lunge where you step back instead of forward with hand weights. Develop core strength by performing sit-ups with a medicine ball you move from side to side. 

Use such props as weights, kettle bells, fitness balls and aerobic steps. Many exercises can be performed without equipment, using only the resistance of your body weight.

Athletes often use these multi-joint and multi-muscle exercises. Sports specific training can benefit from functional training as well.

Personal trainers often use a Bosu — both sides utilized — ball, which is rounded on one side and flat on the other. If you stand on the flat side, you must engage your core to retain balance. Moving a weighted medicine ball from one side of your body to the other while standing on the ball simulates the movement in a golf swing. This can be used for many other sports as well, including basketball and hockey.

Functional fitness training offers numerous benefits.  Think of it as life training that creates a balance among your muscles and prepares you for your daily real life activities.

We wait all year, it seems, for summer to arrive. Now it’s finally here. 

When most of us think of summer, we think about outdoor fun, vacations and a chance to kick back. Summer offers many opportunities to stay active. Beware, though: Changes in schedules present challenges in keeping your fitness routine on track.  

So what can you do to have the most active, productive and fun-filled summer ever?

Warm weather provides many opportunities for enjoying outdoor activities. Take the family camping, fishing or hiking. Work in your garden. Enjoy a baseball game. Part of summer fun and fulfillment is enjoying the outdoors and the people you’re with.    

Your normal schedule could be altered whether through work or having children at home. Those changes can affect daily routines, including exercise schedules.  Here are a few tips to avoid sabotaging yourself this summer:

Set a summer goal. It’s almost mid-year. Ask yourself how you’ve done so far this year on your New Year’s resolutions. You might have succeeded in some areas, but not others. You could need to re-evaluate your goals to make them more realistic and attainable. Maybe you didn’t set goals. This is a great time to start. Try setting a different goal. What will that goal look like?  It might be trying a new sport, learning to swim or visiting Quick read more or view full article a national park.

Stick to a schedule. Make sure your summer days include some structure, like getting up at the same time each day and eating meals at set times. Plan activities for specific times — exercising before breakfast, for example.

Stay busy. Without your appointment book filled, it could be easy to fall into a trap of becoming bored. Boredom goes hand in hand with low energy. Filling your days with stuff to do will give you a sense of accomplishment.
For many of us, summer still means going to work each day. But with more daylight hours, you don’t have to miss out. Whether you’re taking a vacation or just a weekend, include activities the family already enjoys as well as something new.   

Manage the heat. Warmer weather is appreciated, but hot days can seem unbearable. During these times, move your activities elsewhere. Exercise at the gym, splash in a pool or go bowling. When you find yourself outdoors during scorching temperatures, remember to stay safe. Wear sunscreen or a long-sleeve shirt to protect your skin from harmful rays. Don’t forget the sunglasses and hat, too. Clothing that wicks moisture away from your skin as you perspire keeps you cooler. One of the most important items to keep you safe is water. Stay hydrated.

Eat healthy. This seems like an easy thing to do with all the fresh vegetables and fruits available. Beware of some of the foods associated with summer events, though. Backyard barbecues, campfire s’mores and ice cream treats can ruin the best-laid plans of staying fit through the summer. You can still enjoy treats, just keep them occasional.

Make summer a time to enjoy. Write down your summer goal and work toward realizing that goal. Make the most of every day, and you’ll make this summer your best ever. 

While diet and exercise constitute key components of a healthy lifestyle, don’t underestimate the importance of sleep. You’re already a sleep expert. You have been since you were born. Yet, quality sleep could elude you in a fast-paced society that fills every moment of your day with work, activities and screen time.   

Quality sleep is vital for overall good health and well-being. Research shows people who don’t get enough sleep or good quality sleep are at a higher risk for health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke. That’s not to mention such mental health issues as anxiety and depression.  

The benefits of good quality rest are bountiful. Getting enough sleep strengthens your immune system and enables your body to fight illness. Sleep also has a direct link to maintaining a healthy weight and is good for your heart by lowering blood pressure while you sleep. Good sleep can eliminate fatigue, leaving you more productive, creative and happier. Sleep is a big deal.

How much sleep is enough? Most adults need between 7 hours and 9 hours of sleep. “Some people need less than seven hours, while others might need more,” said Eric Zhou with the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Instead of focusing exclusively on the number of hours we sleep per night, Quick read more or view full article we should also consider our sleep quality.” 

Sleep quality is how well you sleep, whether you slept through the night or woke up numerous times. The key is to wake up refreshed and have energy for the day.

Many factors lead to sleep difficulties. It might be such health issues as high blood pressure or sleep apnea. Another factor is the environment in which you sleep. Temperature, noise and light all affect sleep quality.

There are many things you can avoid to help you sleep better. Try the 10, three, two, one and zero rule for sleep. Avoid caffeine 10 hours before bed. Avoid large meals and alcohol at least 3 hours before bed. Stop working 2 hours before bed. Reduce screen time 1 hour before bed, and hit the snooze button zero times.

Now, here are some things to do to improve sleep:

Remain active and get some exercise during the day. Try not to exercise within 2 hours of going to bed. 

Create a sleep routine. This can include things such as putting on pajamas, washing your face, brushing and flossing your teeth, turning down the bed and lowering the lights. You’re telling your body rest is near. 

Maintain a consistent waking time, especially on weekends.

If you like to nap, only sleep for 20 minutes to 30 minutes and at least 6 hours before bed.

Relax and unwind? If you’re like me, your mind is the busiest when you lay down to sleep. There are techniques that might help quiet your mind, relax and fall asleep. If your to-do list keeps popping up in your head, keep a notepad by your bed to write down those items you don’t want to forget. That way, you can write it down and let it go. Try a visualization technique in which you imagine a chalkboard and erase everything on it.

Meditation is the best medicine when it comes to relaxing your body through controlled breathing. Try the four, seven, eight breathing technique. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. This regulates your breathing, reduces anxiety and helps you fall asleep. Try a meditation app on your phone in which you listen to guided meditation. Yet another technique is to tighten and release each body part starting with your toes and working your way to your head.

Focus on sleep quality. Expecting perfect sleep every night isn’t realistic. Keep a sleep diary to help you evaluate your sleep patterns and what works for your best night of sleep.