The gluteus maximus gets a lot of attention, not only because it’s a prime mover for exercises like squatting, hip hinging and running, but because of its derriere-shaping effects. There is, however, another often-overlooked gluteal muscle deserving of your attention.
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Wednesday, April 25 2018
Sometimes the biggest pressure at work isn't a looming deadline, a demanding client or an upcoming performance review. It's the pressure to stick to your health and fitness goals in the face of pizza lunches, birthday cake celebrations and Friday happy hours. While being a part of the office fun is important and builds a team atmosphere, it can also derail health and fitness goals. Saturday, April 14 2018
The nation’s population is “intoxicated” due to sleep loss. Sadly, poor sleep is more the rule than the exception. According to the Institute of Medicine, 50-70 million adults in the United States have sleep or wakefulness disorders. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider poor sleep a “public health problem.” Ultimately, this means more Americans are at an increased risk for developing other health concerns if they are getting insufficient sleep. March is National Sleep Month, which is an ideal time to learn more about how sleep impacts the pursuit and achievement of health and fitness goals. Thursday, April 05 2018
Contrary to popular belief, having shapely glutes isn’t all about appearance or vanity. Having a strong rear-end not only helps improve posture and athletic performance, and reduce knee and back pain, it can significantly enhance injury prevention as well. Here’s what you need to know about strengthening this essential group, along with eight super-effective exercises that will both strengthen and tone the glutes. The posterior musculature of the hip is comprised of three gluteal muscles, commonly known as the glutes, and each one has specific roles so it’s important to target each one. The primary function of the gluteus maximus is hip extension and it controls the movement for cycling, hopping, jumping, squatting and climbing stairs. The gluteus medius and minimus work together and separately as hip abductors, which means they control the movement of lifting the leg to the side and partial control of hip rotation. These muscles are important to strengthen for walking, ice skating, plyometrics and running. Thursday, March 29 2018
It’s easier to continue doing what you’ve been doing most consistently. If you have been successful with health behaviors, it easier to keep eating healthfully and integrating enjoyable physical activity and exercise into your life. You’ve got momentum. Likewise, if you have been in a pattern of moving less, skipping workouts, and eating poorly, it is also easier to keep doing that. You’ve got no-mentum—an increased likelihood of continuing to not follow health behaviors. Blame it on inertia—expressed as resistance to change—which means a body at rest tends to stay that way while a moving body tends to keep moving. It’s Newton’s first law of motion, and it’s just as applicable to a ball rolling downhill as it is to your life. Further, the law says the body will continue in its present state until it is acted on by an outside force. An outside force is like an external motivator, and could anything from bad results from a blood test, a spouse or partner who wants you to lose weight, or someone making fun of you for being out of shape. These external factors might get you started, but they almost never keep you going over the long-term. To do that, you need to use your internal force. It’s your inner motivation and strength. Monday, March 12 2018
If you're like many people, you have spent a considerable amount of time trying to tame your sweet tooth. It’s worth noting that research has uncovered some of the reasons why some people are drawn more to sweets, while others prefer salty flavors. Importantly, here are some tips for managing your sweet tooth. Thursday, February 22 2018
Wednesday, February 07 2018
The glutes are important muscles of the hips. They set the foundation for proper pelvic alignment and they promote the key movements of hip extension and external rotation. To get the most out of your glute workouts, be sure to include double-leg, single-leg and power movements to your routine. Repeat this circuit two to three times to fully challenge the glutes.
Friday, January 19 2018
The New Year is upon us and with it comes the desire to improve and start anew. For many, this manifests as resolutions to “eat better,” “exercise more” or “lose weight.” Despite the best of intentions, many people struggle to maintain these resolutions yearlong, and by February gym floors are empty and new fitness gear has been left forgotten in the backs of closets. While it may seem that sticking to a resolution is impossible, positive change in health and fitness is achievable. To increase your likelihood for success, shift your focus this year from what you resolve to do to how you’ll do it. Here are four proven strategies for ensuring that your 2018 New Year’s Resolution is one that sticks. Sunday, January 07 2018
How many times have you thought to yourself, “I can’t lose weight because my metabolism is slow.” Over the past two decades as nutritionists, we’ve heard that time and again from our clients. How do you know if your metabolism is actually slow? Can it be fixed? And is the problem really your metabolism? Simply put, metabolism is the way your body converts the food and drink you consume for energy, and is usually measured in calories. We can determine how many calories your body burns each day by plugging information into a variety of formulas that have been designed to measure this. Click here to access the formulas and see what you get. As there is no single calculation that is considered the best, we recommend that you do all of the formulas, which will give you a range in which your metabolism may fall. A more accurate way is to have your metabolism measured through indirect calorimetry, which uses a machine to measure oxygen consumption. In less than 10 minutes you can know your resting metabolic rate (RMR). Friday, December 29 2017
As a female in the exercise science field for the past 12 years, I have learned a thing or two about the importance of weight training. When the end goal is weight loss (or pretty much any end goal), a weight-training program is a must.
Let’s get real. Sure, you can cut your calories in half, or spend your morning or evenings doing cardio to lose some pounds, but I can promise you both will not last nor will they give you a healthy looking and functioning body. |
