Barb, CEO of Market Research Firm

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If we needed yet another reason to try to relax, these studies indicate that stress can seriously damage your body. So next time you feel stress building take a moment to focus inward and concentrate on your breathing. A simple form of meditation to combat stress is to inhale and exhale to a steady five counts. As you feel more relaxed, increase the length of the exhale. This simple exercise relaxes your body and mind while lowering the heart rate.

Check back for part two of this post on STRESS AND NUTRITION.

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Yoga and Strength Training are two great ways to prepare your body for pregnancy and birth.

Benefits of Prenatal Yoga:

1) Learn proper breathing techniques to ease stress and labour pains

2) Increase you flexibility in the joints that need to be open for labour while decreasing lower back and neck pain.

3) Sleep better.  Yoga can have a relaxation effect on the body, easing you into a better night’s sleep

4) Educate yourself.  Join a prenatal yoga class run by a doula and get advice on the realities of pregancy and labour while sharing your experiences with other expectant moms.

FOR A GREAT PRENATAL YOGA CLASS RUN BY A EXPERIENCED DOULA TRY http://www.sasmitayoga.com

Benefits of strength training during pregnancy:

1) Develop more core strength and strengthen your pelvic girdle to help make labour easier

2) Raise you metabolism so that you gain weight at a healthy pace.   While performing cardio exercises raises your metabolism in the short term, strength training raises your overall metabolism so that your body works more efficiently 24 hours a day.

3) Decrease your chance of injury and discomfort during pregnancy.  As the hormone relaxin kicks in your joints become looser.   Strength training helps to keep a balance between strength and flexibility in the body and makes it less likely that you will injure yourself.

4) Increase your self image.  As you belly expands, you can feel stronger and more confident knowing that you are do an activity that is making your body healthier.

5) Get back in shape quicker post baby.  Women who exercise pre and during pregnancy reach their pre-pregnancy weight quicker because their bodies are healthier.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PRIVATE PRENATAL STRENGTH TRAINING call Lauren at 647-294-5155 or email me at lauren@torontopersonaltrainer.net

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SYNDROME

What is it?

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve which runs from the forearm into the hand becomes pressed or squeezed.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms include; pain through the wrist and hand, and numbness through the fingers.

How to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome:

Try to keep the wrist in a neutral position. What this means is keeping a straight arm from the fingertips to the elbow maintaining relaxed fingers and shoulders. You can place a small rolled up towel under your wrist so that the wrist can relax and does not bend. There are also ergonomically designed keyboards and wrist rests that reduce the computer users’ risk of injury

Stretches for preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

Whenever you stop typing, stretch the finger tips towards the under side of the wrist and then release to neutral. Another good stretch is to spread the fingers as far apart as they go and then relax the fingers together. Repeat each stretch ten times.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at Lauren@torontopersonaltrainer.net.

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1) BMI (Body Mass Index) is

a. an estimate of body composition that compares weight and height

b. a calculation of the percentage of body fat within an individual

c. an individual’s percentage of muscle tissue

2) Which is not a primary benefit of Resistance (weight) training?

a. an increase in bone density

b. an increase in muscle fibre size

c. increased blood delivery

3) Our primary source of fuel when we exercise is…

a. carbohydrates

b. fat

c. vitamins

4) A healthy resting heart rate is…

a. 70-75 bpm

b. 90-100 bpm

c. 110-120 bpm

5) Flexibility training is important because…

a. it helps reduce stress in the exercising muscles and release tension developed in the workout

b. it decreases your chance of developing osteoporosis

c. it develops cardiovascular strength

6) Which statement is false

a. Women in their third trimester should avoid exercises where they are on their backs for a prolonged period of time.

b. Women who exercise while pregnant have higher rates of miscarriages.

c. Exercising while pregnant can help prevent gestational diabetes

7) Which statement is false: Individuals with osteoporosis should …

a. perform strength training 2-3 times a week and balance training once a week

b. do 30 minutes of physical activity each day

c. avoid all resistance training

Which statement is true?

a. genetics accounts for 80% of how fat you are.

b. Women should avoid weights because they may bulk up

c. Cardiovascular training lowers blood pressure

9) To determine maximum heart rate, calculate

a. Resting heart rate plus 50

b. 220-age

c. Resting heart rate times 2

10) When exercising for a cardiovascular benefit, your heart rate should be…

a. 60-85% of your maximum

b. 45% of maximum

c. 20% of maximum

answers: 1.a, 2.c, 3.a, 4.a, 5.a, 6.b, 7.c, 8.c, 9.b, 10.a

Got a question? Email me at lauren@torontopersonaltrainer.net

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A 135-degree body-to-thigh sitting posture was demonstrated to be the best biomechanical sitting position, as opposed to a 90-degree posture most people consider normal (Dr. Waseem Amir Bashir, researcher from University of Alberta Hospital)

85% of us will experience back pain during our lifetime.  Office workers are especially prone to back pain and work related injury considering they work seated in front of a computer for the majority of the work day.  Traditional thought says individuals should sit upright at their desk to prevent joint and back pain.   However, recent studies show that the erect sitting posture is NOT a relaxed or sustainable way of sitting while reclined sitting is.  Sitting completely upright creates vertical strain on the spine and forces the spinal material to shift out of line over time.  In contrast, when a worker reclines at approximately 135 degrees maintaining lumbar curvature, there is the least strain on the spinal discs and surrounding muscles and joints.  Erect posture is only sustainable for two minutes without discomfort.  When you consider most office workers are seated for eight hours a day, the less stressful, reclined posture seem an optimal alternative.

So lean back and relax while at your desk and you are on your way to creating a healthy spine and preventing injury.

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Stretching is a great way to prepare for your workout, increase flexibility, prevent injury and relax post-workout. Stretching can be practiced everyday. Try to hold each stretch for a minute or longer.

1. DRESS COMFORTABLY - Wear clothes that you can move in easily and do not limit your range of motion. Breathable cotton is preferable to synthetic cloth.

2. STRETCH SLOWLY - Move slowly in and out of stretches. Do not bounce in the stretch because this can actually signal the muscle to contract and defeat the purpose of the relaxation element to stretching. Focus on relaxing the body part you are stretching. Close your eyes if you like and remember to breathe evenly and slowly.

3. PRACTICE ABDOMINAL BREATHING - Learn to breathe from your diaphragm, so that your stomach expands with the breath instead of your rib cage and shoulders. Try to keep the length of the inhale and exhale even. Use the inhale to lengthen the muscle being stretched and the exhale to further relax it. Abdominal breathing encourages relaxation, lessens muscle tension and helps lower blood pressure.

4. LEARN YOUR “STRETCHING ZONE” - Work within your own stretching limitations. Stretch gradually to the point that you feel a resistance in the muscle but never to the point that you feel sharp pain.

5. EMPTY STOMACHS MAKE STRETCHING EASIER - Stretching will be easier and more pleasant if it is done on an empty stomach.

6. PRE- AND POST-WORKOUT STRETCHES - Never start right into a static stretch at the beginning of your workout without having warmed up the body through light movement (ie. Walking, jogging, range of motion activity). Dynamic stretching (light moving stretches) are best pre-workout when the muscles are not yet fully warmed up. Stretching post-workout is very important. Muscles tend to tighten up post-exertion and stretching after a workout promotes circulation and minimizes muscle stiffness from lactic acid build-up. If you don’t have time to stretch all your muscles post workout, make sure you stretch those you work during your workout.

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