Video is at the bottom of the page Figure 4 Stretch Lie on your back with both feet on the floor and heels touching your glutesCross your left ankle over your right knee creating a “4” shapeReach your left hand through the “4” and your join right hand below the right kneePull your knee towards your chestKeep your back, shoulders, and head on floorStop immediately if you experience any sharp pain in your knee area or anywhere elseHold in this position for 20-60 secondsRepeat on other side Figure Four with Foot on Floor This stretch is the same as above,…

Band Shoulder Routine Pull Aparts Pass ThroughBig CirclePull Aparts High to low Benefits Shoulder mobility especially shoulder external rotationPosture correction (helps prevent or address the forward slouch)Upper back muscle imbalances Notes Can be done dailyThis is not a “breakdown” movementSlow and focused repetitions are critical to this movementThe video shows between 3-5 repetitions; you should aim for 15-25 slow repetitions with constant tension on the band.   https://youtu.be/I_cOils9q-s Pull Aparts Hold band palms down with hands shoulder width apartKeep arms straight throughout (don’t bend your elbows ever)Slowly spread your arms apart until the band is across your chestPause for 2 counts…

Also known as the Grok Squat (in Primal circles) or Malasana (in Yoga). Knees a little wider than shoulder-widthLower your torso straight down between your kneesTry not to bend over, keep a tall chestLower until your butt is as close to the ground as it can getHold anywhere from :30 to 5:00Use a weight or a bench to help keep balance during the beginning stagesThis can take up to a year to achieve, be patient and squat like this every dayThis squat stretch benefits your: feet, calves, Achilles, hamstrings, quadriceps, buttocks, lower and upper back, and shoulders. The post at…

Regular, brief, intense, strength training sessions and occasional all-out sprints  promote optimal gene expression and broad athletic competency. Enjoy more benefits in a fraction of the time spent doing the chronic exercise advocated by Conventional Wisdom.   Scale your effort to your experience with sprinting. If this is your first attempt, try a no- or low-impact exercise and make your hard efforts about 80 percent of maximum. If you have a decent level of comfort and experience, sprint at 90 percent of maximum effort. Be sure to warm up and cool down effectively, and keep the emphasis on quality instead of…

CHRONIC CARDIO ALERT: Chronic cardio (too high intensity, too often): elevates cortisol levels so you're locked in fight-or-flight responsemaxes out your adrenal glandsimpairs immune functionsuppresses testosteroneencourages chronic/systemic inflammationdestroys white blood cells Chronic cardio teaches your body to prefer burning glucose to fat, increases sugar cravings, and traps you in fat-storing mode. Using the Maffetone Formula and moving often within your optimal fat burning zone, you will (over time) switch from a glucose burner to a fat burner.  A very easy way to determine your fat burning vs. carb burning aerobic level is to subtract your age from 180 (ex. For a 45-year-old, this…

Heart Rate Recovery: A Matter of Life or Death? WHAT IS HRR: Heart rate recovery (HRR) is how quickly your heart rate normalizes following exertion. WHY IS HRR IMPORTANT: According to an article published by the peer-reviewed New England Journal of Medicine, “A delayed decrease in the heart rate during the first minute after graded exercise… is a powerful and independent predictor of the risk of death.” 1 HOW DO I CHECK MY HRR?: Equipment: Chest straps are the gold standard as they measure the electrical activity of your heart (ECG) whereas watches, rings, and arm bands use optical sensors. …

A Better Way to Measure Yourself for Health and Wellness Current Obesity Crises According to the Center of National Health Statistics (NCHS) more than 70% of American Adults are overweight or obese (Hales, et. al., 2017) For middle aged Americans it is worse, with almost one out of every two Americans in the 40-59 being overweight or obese (Ogden, 2017). According to the Center for Disease Control and the National Cancer Institute, people who have obesity, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following: All-causes…