Hi friends! I hope you’re all enjoying Memorial Day weekend, and thank you will never be enough to our brave military who lost their lives fighting for our freedom and our Gold Star families.
I’m popping in this morning with an old-school style blog post, sharing some of our latest adventures. It was a busy and fun-filled weekend over here with a sleepover party, birthday party, BBQ, and pool night.
(You could catch these little cuties in some type of pool, all weekend long)
Friday morning, I had a ton of work to crank through – both the Summer Shape Up plans and June Fit Team plans went out that day- so the girls chilled while I finished everything, and Amy from Nox came over to set up for the kids’ slumber party. I found their company a couple of years ago via a friend, and couldn’t wait to book a party for the girls when things settled down a bit. I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to celebrate the end of school.
The girls picked the Wild and Free theme, and Amy set up the CUTEST tents with gold accents, twinkly fairy lights, crystals, and dreamcatchers.
How stinkin’ cute is this whole situation????? I can’t even handle it.
They each had one of their best friends over for the night, and I set out some snacks: clementines, popcorn, and candy.
The girls played for a while and then we got ready to head to the pool, where we had dinner.
After pool time, we came back home for a karaoke party + a movie. (For the karaoke party, we turned the lights out and used this super cool flashing light from Amazon and this microphone, and we played YouTube songs with the lyrics on the TV screen – they had a BLAST.) They watched a movie and crashed out!
The next morning, I made animal-shaped buttermilk waffles, berries, bacon, and eggs, and they played a bit before heading home. I’m so happy that the girls have made such wonderful friends here. P’s best friend is moving across the country in a couple of months, so we’re determined to make the most of the time we have before they leave.
(My nail looks weird because I got self tanner under my fingernail lol. It also looks horrible around my splint on my pinky. 10/10 application job.)
Another highlight of the weekend was a BBQ at my dad’s house! They planned a party with both my mom and dad’s side family to celebrate being able to get everyone together again. So much of my family was in one place at the same time, and it made my heart happy. <3 We’ve only seen August and Everly a handful of times over the past year, so I love any chance that the kids can play together.
(Just some of the beautiful desserts that were there! We also had funfetti cake and nana’s famous Jello)
Sitting with my love watching the girls go down the water slide 100 times:
The kids swam for hours and we all chatted and ate amazing food.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Sunday that his country will impose stricter measures in the face of a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases that indicate the virus is "surging again" in Africa's worst-affected nation.
A southern Manitoba hospital physician says staff are exhausted by a recent crush of admissions, but they're also up against something else that's draining energy and morale.
Ontario pharmacists who expected to spend the weekend racing to administer 45,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine set to expire have been given a reprieve from Health Canada.
Some experts say Canada should shift to prioritizing second doses of COVID-19 vaccines now due to an increase in supply, a drop in COVID-19 levels and the growing threat of more contagious coronavirus variants that threaten to jeopardize the progress we’ve made.
New restrictions will be taking effect in Manitoba on Saturday to curb the spread of COVID-19, a day after federal health officials said the third wave of the pandemic is subsiding across Canada.
Hi friends! Happy Friday and I hope you have a lovely Memorial Day weekend. I’ll definitely be taking time this weekend to think of our service members who made the ultimate sacrifice and their families. <3
What do you have going on? The girls are PUMPED for an end-of-the year sleepover with friends, we have a birthday party, a BBQ at my dad’s, and lots of time at the pool. I’m definitely looking forward to it! I hope you have a fun and wonderful weekend ahead.
It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I love hearing about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.
Fitness + good eats:
Summer Shape Up plans went out today! We start the party on Tuesday and it’s not too late to join in. If you want your 14-day fitness plan and meal ideas, enter your email address here. We’re going to spend the weekend getting ready to go and hit the ground running on Tuesday. I love hosting these challenges each year as a way to find new motivation, consistency in our routine, and be surrounded by a community working together. This year, I feel like we need it more than ever! So many of us spent the last year scrambling and were unable to find a true routine. This is the perfect opportunity to stack up some fitness wins and build consistency as we head into the summer months.
We finally got an air fryer! I’ve been wanting one for a couple of years now, and every time I’d press “buy now” I’d chicken out and abandon cart. I FINALLY went for it and I have no clue why I waited this long. It was super easy to use and the salmon was SO SO good. (I used the pre-marinated salmon teriyaki from Costco.) I can’t wait to cook ALL THE THINGS in it!
We had an awesome date night at Hacienda del Sol. We always forget to use it as a date night option, which is ridiculous because the view is magical, they have great food and service, and on the patio, they often have some type of live music. We shared a cheese board and the buffalo cauliflower (this is what inspired the air fryer purchase) and for my entree, I had the market salad with tuna.
AMAZING sale on my fave CBD – 25% off sitewide plus you can stack it with my code FITNESSISTA for an extra 15% off. This is for new and existing customers! I LOVE their bath bombs, mineral bath soak, and mint flavored drops. Check it out here!
Beautycounter gift with purchase this weekend! FREE mini Overnight Peel or Countertime Supreme Cream with any order over $125 US. I highly recommend the All Bright C serum, the brow gel, the Daily sunscreen, and the lip gloss.
Jicama (Hi-ku-mah) – root vegetable that is juicy and crunchy, with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Tastes like a cross between a potato and a pear… And it’s an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C!
Why I love it: Jicama is super versatile and found at most grocery stores. Can be eaten raw as a snack, in salads, or cooked in stir fry. This jicama slaw has the fresh taste of summer with cilantro and a crisp mix of veggies.
Ingredients
Yields: 6-8 servings
2 medium jicama (about the size of a potato), peeled and julienned
1 cup red cabbage, julienned
2-3 small radishes, peel ON and julienned
1 large carrot, ribbon cut with a vegetable peeler
1/3 cup cilantro (more if you love it), chopped
2 Tablespoons each avocado oil, rice vinegar, red wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Combine all vegetables in a bowl.
Mix in oil, vinegars, and salt.
Set in fridge for 30 minutes to combine flavors.
Serve as a side dish or top on your favorite grilled protein.
Premier Doug Ford is scheduled to hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. ET. Ford's office says he will be joined by the Minister of Health Christine Elliott and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.
A German research team has put forward a potential solution to prevent the rare, serious blood clots caused by the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, but other scientists warn it's too early to draw conclusions about the mechanism behind the potentially deadly condition.
Top officials in Nova Scotia are set to unveil the province's reopening plan later Friday, a day after Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick presented multi-step plans to lift COVID-19 restrictions.
Surgery delays and a steep drop off in ER visits, contributed to a spike in excess deaths during the pandemic beyond COVID-19 deaths. Yet for some common conditions, the drop in ER visits had no impact on patient outcomes.
Quebecers who have received a shot of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine will be able to get their second dose sooner than expected, as the province is now shrinking that interval from 12 weeks to eight.
Currently, there are over two million podcasts available for you to listen to. With that incredibly wide selection, it can be difficult to select podcasts that add to your health, nutrition, and wellness knowledge or provide insight into effective coaching strategies and entrepreneurial trends.
Manitoba students who are currently studying from home will learn later Thursday whether they are headed back to class, just days after students across most of Alberta shifted back to in-school learning.
Sharing a review of my latest Trunk Club shipment + what I kept and what I sent back. This post isn’t sponsored, but you can use my referral link for $50 off if you decide to give it a try. I’ve been using it for years now and absolutely love it.
Hi friends! How’s the week going? I hope you’re enjoying the day so far. It’s been a good week over here. It’s P’s last day of school – HOW is she heading to kindergarten next year?!- and we’ve been starting to enjoy some summer fun. Livi and I are getting our nails done today and we’ll spend the rest of the afternoon swimming until it’s time for their gymnastics classes.
For today’s post, I wanted to share my latest Trunk Club shipment! It’s been a little while since I’ve received a trunk because the last one was a giant flop. (They sent a bunch of wintery stuff and black leather boots and it’s 90+ degrees here.) I figured it was an outlier and decided to get another one since we’re out in the world a bit more and I feel like my wardrobe needs an update after wearing athleisure most of the time for the past year and a half.
This one ended up being a home run and I’m excited to share the goods with you!
I’m a huge fan of anything Rails and I’ve noticed that while I’ll pay a bit more for their clothing, it always lasts and continues to look good. I also like that it’s a little trendy but mostly classic, so I can wear my Rails stuff for years. (I have a couple of dresses that I’ve had for at least 4 years.) I loved the breezy fit of this dress and feel like it will be cute with wedges and fun jewelry or a messy bun and sandals. It is a little shapeless though so I’m wondering if I should rock the baggy look or send it back. Verdict: leaning towards keeper.
I had a feeling I was going to like this top because it’s also Rails. The fabric is super soft and even though it’s a little boxy, I like the stripes. It feels a little pricey for what it is, but last time I paid a lot for a Rails top, it was worth it and I still wear it today. Verdit: leaning towards keeper.
I was super skeptical about getting swimwear in the Trunk Club, but also thankful they sent one because it’s so hard to buy swimsuits right now. Dressing rooms are still closed here, and when I order online, I have to expect that most of it will go back. (WHY OH WHY do they all show my butt cheeks? lol) I like Becca swimsuits and own a couple, so I was hopeful for this one. I feel like it was tasteful and I love the pink color, so I think I’m keeping this one. Verdict: probably keeping.
This brand always runs a bit big, so my normal size was too big on me. I wasn’t crazy about the cut, so decided to send them back and keep trying. I definitely need a new pair of jean shorts, though. Verdict: sending back.
I’m on the fence about this one. I love the color and the fit but is tie dye sticking around for a while or is it on the way out?? Halpppp me. Verdict; no clue!
I loved these jeans shorts but honestly, but the waistband cuts into my soul and they’re too similar to the ones I bought at Target for like $20. Verdict: sending back.
I think this stylist knows I like pink? I thought I was going to love it the most but it’s too big and I don’t like that it doesn’t have a liner. The eyelet parts are totally see-through. Verdict: byeeeee.
Madewell tees are my go-tos. They’re awesome quality, a great price, and they’re classic everyday pieces. I don’t have any shirts in this color and thought the cut was a bit different, so I’m keeping this one. Verdict: keeper.
I started wearing these sandals when Liv was a baby, and I ended up going through a pair a year. I’ll wear the heck out of them and then get a new pair, usually in black or nude. My current nude ones are trashed, so I was excited to replace them. (Also I’ve found that the shiny leather lasts much better than the matte.) Verdict: keeper!
You can check out my full Trunk Club review here and if you have any questions, please hit me up in the comments! This is my current favorite styling service. All of he products are from Nordstrom and I love that you can decline pieces in the app to be replaced, plus add items from certain categories that you’d like (like beauty products, everyday staples, athletic wear, accessories, etc.).
If you’d like to try Trunk Club, use my link to get $50 off your first box. I hope you love it as much as I do!
The Public Health Agency of Canada was not adequately prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic because it ignored internal audits that found serious gaps in the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS), Canada's auditor general reported today.
If you’ve reached this article, it’s likely due to one of two reasons.
You have shoulder pain and want to do something about it.
Your shouldersdon’thurt, and you want to keep it that way.
Either way, you’ve come to the right place if you want to end your shoulder discomfort and be able to move freely and perform exercises without pain.
I’ve spent my life working with a mix of rehab patients and strength athletes, which means my job requires me to become an expert in pain management and prevention.
Because let’s be honest: no one likes shoulder pain, and — even worse — no one likes doing a bunch of exercises that don’t seem to solve the problem.
Shoulder pain has two different variations: you might experience acute pain (“Ouch! I did something and now my shoulder hurts.”), which makes it feel like your shoulder is only an issue when you perform certain moves. Or, you could have chronic pain, which is a constant discomfort or an achy soreness.
Many people who perform a bunch of rotator cuff exercises to protect their shoulders are misusing their time.
In either situation, there are many commonalities that lead to both types of shoulder pain. There are manyshoulder movements thatcan have a massive impact on whether you’re able to perform an exercise without causing damage or irritation.
The mechanics of your shoulder are complex, which means exercise technique matters a lot. But as you’ll soon see, there’s one factor that’s most important to healing and keeping your shoulders healthy.
Exercise or Execution: Why Your Shoulders Really Hurt
Let’s begin with a simple disclaimer. I’ve spent my life helping people rehab and live pain-free, and no matter who I work with, it’s clear that no Internet article can diagnose and fix your problems.
If you’re here for a little achiness or prevention, then this will help. But, if you’re experiencing severe pain that hurts all day — or you’re recovering from a major injury or surgery — then you should get checked by a medical professional to see what’s going on and first consult with your doctor or physical therapist.
With that out of the way, let’s make sense of your shoulder pain.
Shoulder pain is common among people who lift weights. It’s not just amateurs or weekend warriors getting hurt. It also applies toPowerlifters,CrossFitters, Bodybuilders, and even theHighland Games guys.And studies ofhighly-trained Olympic lifters show that they also struggle with shoulder pain.
The exercises that tend to cause the most trouble are pressing movements like thebench pressor standing overhead press (also known as the military press).
Here’s the thing about those exercises: the movement itself usually isn’t the problem. In fact, the movement is quite simple—you just push the weight in a straight line. It’s pretty hard to mess that up.
So, if the movement isn’t the issue, then what is? It’s thepositionyou’re in when you go to perform the exercise.Let’s take the overhead press and start with a simple example of why this causes problems.
The Shoulder Question You Didn’t Consider
An easy way to understand your shoulder pain is to think about running. If you rarely (or never) run and then are asked to sprint multiple times, what is likely to happen? Maybe you pull a muscle, feel a strain, or suffer some other injury that occurs from going from one extreme (no use) to another (high-intensity reps).
The same is true for overhead movements. Most people go through their days without bringing their arms over their heads at all. Instead, they spend the day in various hunched positions: looking at phones, staring at laptops, slouching in desk chairs.
Over time, you lose the ability to extend your mid and upper back (this is known as your thoracic spine). To “extend” your upper back here would look like a “head up, shoulders back” position. Its opposite is the shoulders-rounded-forward hunchback that is your existence.
The thoracic spine directly impacts what your shoulders can (and can’t) do. If you’re unable to extend your thoracic spine, that in turn limits how your shoulder blades can move. The more your upper back starts to look like Quasimodo, the more difficult it is to get your shoulders into the proper position to press a weight overhead.
In other words: you struggle with the movement because your shoulder blades don’t know how to move correctly.I’m going to get technical for a moment to explainexactlywhy this is such a pain in the ass…or in your case, your shoulders.
Just know this: if you can’t move your shoulder overhead correctly, all the other small structures around your shoulder blade are working overtime, and like most things in life that get overworked, they quickly become pissed off and that’s why you have shoulder pain or get injured.
Why Your Shoulders Lack Mobility
Nerd alert:If you want to skip the detailed reason why your shoulders are not moving correctly, simply skip the next 4 paragraphs.
In order to lift your arm 180 degrees overhead, thescapula, or the triangular bone on the backside of your shoulder that kinda looks like a wing, must rotate about 60 degrees.
source: bestperformancegroup.com
You get into trouble when you can’t get this movement to occur. If your thoracic spine is rolled forward, it limits your ability to move your scapula (AKA the shoulder blade).
As a result, in order to get your arm overhead, you’d have to move the entire shoulder joint—which requires a lot of its structures to move through a bigger range of motion than they can manage properly.
This also limits the ability of the upper arm bone (humerus)to make solid contact with the socket of the shoulder (glenoid fossa) to help bear the load of the weight being moved. As a result, the soft tissues of your rotator cuff and joint capsule have to pull double duty.
[Nerd alert over]
Think of your shoulder blade rotation like hip mobility on a deadlift. If you can’t move your hips back far enough so you can grab the weight, something else has to move in order for you to get down and grab the bar. This is why so many people hurt their back on deadlifts.
That “something else” usually winds up being your lower back. And, if your back is doing the work of your hips, you’re going to get hurt.
The same goes for shoulder movement. If soft tissues and joint capsules are doing the work that the bigger muscles like your deltoids were intended to do, you may get away with it for a while. But, you’re eventually going to have a problem.
Why Rotator Cuff Exercises Are Misused (The Fire Hydrant Rule)
Using the explanation above, this is why many people who perform rotator cuff exercises to protect their shoulders are misusing their time.
No amount ofband rotations(those exercises where you bend your elbow 90 degrees, grab a resistance tube, and then rotate the forearm to pull the tube away from the body) will improve your thoracic spine mobility.
Sure, doing those moves will help your rotator cuff be strong and powerful. But, it’s the equivalent of grabbing a bigger bucket to catch water from a fire hydrant instead of just turning off the hydrant itself.
If you address the things that are really causing poor shoulder mechanics, you can stop the problems at their source.
Why Bench Press Causes Shoulder Pain
The bench press can cause similar issues for the shoulder, but for a slightly different reason.
In order to set up properly for the bench press, you have to pull your shoulder blades together and down in order to create a strong and stable base of support.
Here’s what youshoulddo before every bench press set. (The first 15 seconds of this video are the most important):
There are just two problems:
Not everyone realizes that pulling the shoulders together and back is part of the setup. (And if that’s you, now you know. Go forth and conquer.)
Some do know this but don’t have enough thoracic mobility to pull their shoulder blades back and tight.
In either case, without the proper setup, the front of your shoulders wind up paying the price.
If your shoulders aren’t pulled back and locked in, when you lower the weight toward your chest, your upper arm bone has to move around within the shoulder capsule to allow the bar to get down.
This can result in the arm moving forward—a motion calledanterior glide.And anterior glide puts a lot of pressure on the tissues meant to keep the joint together, like the biceps tendon and rotator cuff muscles, causing them to be irritated or even damaged.
How to Fix Your Shoulder Pain
Here’s the good news: Many of the problems with the overhead press and the bench press are rooted in issues with your thoracic mobility and shoulder blade movement. This means fixing those issues will help you feel better during both of those exercises (and plenty of others, too).
Instead of loading up on 15 different variations of rotator cuff exercises, let’s address both of these common movement problems—thoracic and scapula issues—at their source. Then, you can set the stage for more appropriate shoulder pressing movements with less discomfort.
Shoulder Pain Solution #1: Breathe (But, do it correctly)
The first thing you should do to correct your thoracic positioning is to spend just a few minutes doing a little breathing drill, which my friend Tony Gentilcore is going to demonstrate for you here:
https://youtu.be/EtpB8dM4cEM
You’re probably thinking, “Breathing? What?”But stay with me.
Your breathing holds a big influence over the position of your torso. Not breathing correctly tends to limit thoracic motion, which as we discussed earlier has a direct effect on shoulder motion. So, when you perform these drills:
Breathe deep, with long slow inhales and forceful exhales.
Go slow and focus on getting more movement versus just doing the reps. Quality should always come before quantity.
Shoulder Pain Solution #2: Foam Roll Like a Pro
Next up you’re going to bring in the foam roller to work on the tissues in your thoracic spine directly. Pay close attention to how we’re going to use it.
Those are called T-Spine Extensions. Let’s talk about what the movement isnot:
It isnotyou rolling around a whole bunch. In fact, watch that video again. Notice that the roller doesn’t move at all.
It isnotyou trying to get a bunch of movement by flaring your ribcage out. You want to keep your abs engaged throughout this drill so that the movement is coming entirely from your upper back.
It isnotyour goal to touch the ground with the back of your head. You’re not trying to be Gumby here.
What you are trying to do is get a little more up-and-back movement out of your thoracic spine. That’s all. The motion will be subtle and may be difficult to feel at first.
But work at it, and you’ll soon feel a little more freedom in your upper back and shoulders. That’s what you’re going for here.
Advance Exercises To Relieve Shoulder Pain
You’d go a long way toward having better shoulder mechanics just by adding the moves shown in those two videos to your warm-up. But, if you want to go further, you can jump into the deep end of the pool with this clip fromThe Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint:
In this video, you’ll find more awesomely impactful breathing drills—including one that works the smaller muscles in the thoracic spine, so much that a guy actually starts shaking.
The clip starts out with those. And, if you’re the type of person who secretly loves band rotator cuff exercises, be pumped: Later in the clip, you will find band exercises, except these will have a lot more impact on improving your shoulder movement and position overall:
Beginning at 7:08, you’ll find the “Band W,” which activates the muscles around your shoulder blade and the lower part of your trapezius.
At 8:56 you’ll see Tony demonstrate two more band exercises—the Windshield Wiper and the Wall Walk—that will light up the muscles in and around your back, especially yourserratus, or the muscles on the sides of your ribs up by your armpits. Bonus: A strong serratus helps give you a “V” shaped torso.
Lastly, when you reach the 12:12 mark you’ll get a move that lets you correct some of these issues in one shoulder at a time—a helpful way to correct imbalances.
These movements can act as a warm-up for your workout, fillers between sets of presses to help keep the motion gliding along nicely, or as the workout itself if you’ve been experiencing pain and want to improve your mechanics.
But again, if your shouldersalwayshurt, you should speak with a qualified therapist. There may be something more specific you could be doing, and you’ll want to make sure these aren’t going to do any harm. (The moves are very safe, but it’s worth checking.)
Here’s one more thing to keep in mind whenever you perform a shoulder exercise: Use your abs.
If you have limited movement from your thoracic spine, a common mistake is to just lean back with your lower back and avoid doing anything with your upper back.
This is both risky and counterproductive since you’re simultaneously putting extra pressure on your lumbar spine while also decreasing tension on the muscles you’re trying to work in the first place. By bracing your abs, you can help limit this and be sure that you’re getting movement in the places you actually want to move.
Dean Somersetis a kinesiologist, strength coach, author and public speaker who specializes in injury and medical dysfunction management through exercise program design. The seriously in-depth “The Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint,” which Somerset and Gentilcore teamed up to create, is available online. Born Fitness is not an affiliate and has no financial stake or interest in the product, other than our general want for Dean and Tony to succeed in life since they’re good guys who offer great info.
Hi friends! Happy humpday! The Summer Shape Up plan goes out on Friday, so if you’re not on the list, add yourself here! It’s going to be so much fun and the party starts on Tuesday. I can’t wait to get started!
For today’s podcast episode, I’m sharing 5 fun things. Some of them have to do with health and fitness and others are just things I’ve found that are bringing me joy.
I’ll be posting more short podcast episodes in the mix with the longer beefy interviews, so please let me know what you think and also if you have any topic requests!
I saw someone on Instagram recommend these and since they’re only $21.99, I decided to give it a whirl. I was blown away by the super soft fabric and quality; they remind me so much of the lululemon Align material. I’ve bought two more and am obsessed. They have a bit of padding, they have good coverage, and I love wearing these to barre or yoga classes. For the price, it’s a total steal, and they have 33,000 4 1/2-star reviews.
This is a weird thing, but since I’ve used and loved it for about 4 years now, I figured it deserved a proper shout out. I think it’s easy to forget bathroom mechanics because what we do here in the US is pretty unnatural to how our bodies were designed. Our positioning on a regular toilet causes extra pressure on our pelvic floor, and ya’ll know how passionate I am about small actions to protect our pelvic floor over time. This is such an easy swap and it ended up being such a helpful tool that both of our upstairs bathrooms have one. (It’s also one of those things that I’ve bought that the Pilot has asked zero questions about. I still don’t know if he knows what it is lol.) Highly recommend! (Plus the kids’ version is adorable.)
I’ve raved about this on the blog quite a few times but I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it on the podcast yet. I purchased this as an X-mas gift and have used it at least 2-3 times a week since then. I’m usually cold, so it feels amazing to get toasty, toasty, and sweat, particularly an hour or so before bed each night. This is a portable infrared sauna, so you have the same benefits of using a sauna, without the need to take up a ton of space. There are 9 settings (I alternate between 7 and 8) and you can roll it out and enjoy an audiobook or show while getting in an awesome sweat. Saunas can provide a variety of benefits, from reducing inflammation, promoting a healthy immune system, helping with muscle soreness, stabilizing blood sugar, and so much more. I feel amazing when I use it, it makes a huge difference in my skin tone and texture, and I sleep like a baby with super vivid dreams when I use my sauna blanket. I have a discount code for this one, too! If you use FITNESSISTA75 at checkout, you’ll get $75 off!
We’ve been fans of Thrive Market for years, and they keep adding more and more offerings to the website. I find that the prices are way better than Whole Foods and they carry a lot of the brands we know and love. (Some of my very favorite products are in this post!) Lately, we started adding clean wines to our shipments and LOVE them. If you’ve been wanting to try it ou, my link gets you 25% off your first purchase.
Ok, so this is one of my favorite skincare products. It smells like a watermelon jolly rancher and makes your skin smell SO soft and smooth. The brand is Glow Recipe, and I’m usually impressed with their ingredients. I mix this in with some of my other favorite skincare products, but it always feels like a treat when I use this one.
So, tell me friends: what’s something that is brining you joy or making your life easier right now? Spread the word in the comments section – I always love to hear about your recommendations, too!
Happy Wednesday 🙂
xo
Gina
PS congrats to the winner of the 300k downloads giveaway, Kathy! (Winner has been emailed. Stay tuned for more giveaways soon!)
You know the feeling all-too-well. The soreness, the aches, and (sometimes) pains that can result from starting a new workout routine or pushing yourself harder than before.
On one hand, it can feel like a badge of honor and “proof” that you made the most of your workout. On the other hand, it can make it harder for you to go back for your next planned session, see progress, or stay on track with your routine.
While soreness isnotthe only indicator of a great workout (you can have incredible results without feeling sore), it’s something that you’ll inevitably encounter if you’re active.
And, if you want to see results, one killer workout alone won’t get the job done. That means you need a way to recover quickly so that soreness doesn’t shut you down.
The Two Foundations of Recovery
It might be hard to completely prevent tired muscles, but there’s a lot you can do to speed recovery, help your body rejuvenate, and make it very unlikely that you’ll get hurt or be as sore.
But, before we go into some of the best recovery routines you can do before or after your workouts — or even on your off days — it’s important to remember two of the most effective techniques: sleep and walking
Sleep is a necessity for every human being, but for someone who exercises regularly, getting a good night’s rest is non-negotiable.
And walking, despite not feeling like much, is an incredible way to add movement and increase blood flow in a way that will make your joints and muscles feel better. When in doubt, low-intensity movement is a very good way to help reduce soreness.
Need something a little bit stronger than rest and relaxation?
Put down the Gatorade because these recovery routines are exactly what your body really needs to bounce back faster, so you can go into your next workout feeling amazing.
Best for Weight Lifting Recovery (The Mobility Tonic)
There are certain muscles in your body that tend to tighten when they get tired. PhysicianVladimir Janda, MD,classified these tissues—which include your upper trapezius, pectorals, biceps, psoas, piriformis, hamstrings, and calf muscles—as “tonic.”
If that list looks a lot like the usual suspects that cause your aches and pains, you’re not alone—they’re common trouble spots for a lot of active people.
John, a respected strength coach and author of several books, addresses these tight spots with a short workout that combines light weightlifting with static stretching.
The general pattern is to perform the following:
25 kettlebell swings (a dumbbell will work in a pinch).
A single goblet squat where you hold the weight at the bottom.
10 high-knee marches in place.
After the march, you hold a static stretch.
Then you do the entire circuit again until you’ve finished it 10 times total.
At the end, you’ll feel a lot more elasticity in those tight trouble spots—and you’ll have knocked out 250 reps of kettlebell swings, which is no small feat. You’ll feel stronger and more mobile as a result.
“It’s one of the best programs I know,” John says. (Watch him demonstrate the routinein this video.)
The Best Relaxing Recovery Workout
If you: Yearn for yoga
Try: A relaxed, restorative routine
When most people think of yoga, they picture lithe, bendy men and women contorting themselves into seemingly impossible positions. So, it may come as a surprise that in restorative yoga, you might never even get off of the floor.
In restorative sequences, you perform gentle poses for long periods of time, often employing props to make the moves more comfortable.
You’ll quickly find that something doesn’t need to be intense to have a serious impact—for proof, just try holding the “legs up the wall” pose for five minutes and notice how your lower limbs feel before and after.
Sage Rountree, author ofThe Athlete’s Guide to Recovery, says that it’s especially important for hard-chargers who get after it during their “on” days to ramp down the intensity during these sessions of recovery exercises.
“A few long-held, mellow, low-to-the-ground poses complement your workout with a work-in: paying attention to your body and breath, inducing the relaxation response, and jump-starting your recovery,” says Rountree.
Try herfive-move floor-based routine,which makes use of blocks and bolsters. (Household pillows can work in a pinch.) Here’s an overview of what it looks like:
Squirmy Cat-Cow Pose
Supported Child’s Pose
Supported Fish Pose with Cobbler Legs
Supported Bridge Pose
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
A Better Way to Foam Roam
If you:Feel a little bound up everywhere
Try:Foam rolling like you mean it
Foam rolling has caught on with the general public in recent years—a good thing—but as with most things in fitness, the more that people do an activity, the more they do it incorrectly.
For example, plenty of people roll back-and-forth against the roller too quickly to get any benefit, according toDean Somerset, a certified exercise physiologist and author.
“The key to foam rolling effectively is to go fairly slow, and when an area feels very tense it should be even slower,”explainsSomerset. “I’m talking glacial migration patterns slow, like a foot-a-year kind of thing.”
Another common mistake? Using one of the crazy-dense, crazy-intense rollers that have been growing in popularity.
The issue with them is that, unless you’re conditioned to foam rolling, the additional pressure they inflict causes your muscles to tense up, which is pretty much the opposite of what you’re trying to do when you foam roll.
For most beginners, Somerset says the typical low-density foam roller works just fine. Check out his lower body release routine inthis two-minute video, and then try it yourself.
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