Archive for the ‘Preventative Health Solutions’ Category

Staying Injury-Free at the Gym

Injuries happen. When you least expect it, a devastating injury can leave you in pain and unable to do even the simplest of chores and activities. Injuries can even occur at your gym—where you go to stay healthy and strong! Awareness and education are key to preventing injuries so read on to help keep the unexpected from happening.

Start Slowly

As with any form of exercise or strenuous activity, an easy warm-up is one of the most important things you can do to help prevent injuries. We are not meant to get out of bed, sprint to the sink, and do 10 one-armed push-ups while brushing our teeth! You need to ease into your exercise routine with slow walking or another form of light cardiovascular exercise. Do this until your body starts to feel like it’s getting warm and loose. Once you feel warm, do a few gentle stretches to get limbered up.

Animals do this instinctively. My two lab mixes, Stella and Jessie, get up slowly and stretch for a minute before getting up for the day. Jessie does the “angry cat” stretch (arching the middle of her back to the ceiling) and Stella does the “downward dog” which I tell her SHE made famous—not Yoga. They do it every day—not because I tell them to, but because it’s important to them and helps get them ready to take on the day.

Treadmills

When walking or running on a treadmill, the most important thing you should do is note where the Emergency STOP button is located. It is usually on a pull cord that’s easy to grab a hold of. Last year I was in a gym in Lisbon when it sounded like an airplane was landed in the room. The woman had been walking on the treadmill and all of a sudden, the belt sped up to a very high speed, like a run-away train. Fortunately, she got off in time but it left her quite frightened.

Another important tip is to always look at the belt of the treadmill BEFORE you get on. Sometimes, the belt is still moving because it wasn’t turned off properly. I’ve seen people go flying through the air from stepping onto a moving belt! The good news is that it’s 100% avoidable if you’re paying attention. Basic common sense tells me that I shouldn’t have to mention this, but please wear comfortable walking shoes (no flip flops or sandals) when walking or running on a treadmill.

Exercise Bikes

The biggest mistake people make on exercise bikes is positioning the seat either too low or too high. During the rotation, your knees should come close to full extension—but not to the point where they lock out. Ask an instructor at your gym to help you find the right seat height.

Yoga

Believe it or not, you can get hurt doing Yoga. If you listen to your body, the benefits of doing Yoga far outweigh not doing it. Besides getting a really good instructor, do NOT compete with yourself or others in the class. My first Yoga class was painful—mentally and physically. I kept watching everyone else in the room and they were GOOD. I tried and tried to do the things they were doing until I realized it just wasn’t going to happen.

Also, pick a type of Yoga that suits your personality. Be gentle with yourself, do what you can and allow the improvements to come in their own time.

Strength Training

Strength training is one of the best things you can do to help yourself stay fit and healthy. However, if you are doing the exercises improperly, you may end up doing more harm than good. If you are new to strength training, it’s a good idea to get some initial instruction from a personal trainer at your gym. They can teach you proper form, speed of movement, and appropriate amounts of weight to use.

The most common mistakes made are: using too much weight; doing the exercise too fast; and exceeding the joint’s range of motion. With a little practice, you’ll learn what’s best for you. Remember, the stronger you are the less likely it is you’ll be injured!

Whatever form of exercise you choose, always listen to your body. Give it plenty of rest and when it is screaming NO at you, pay attention. When you ignore your own warning signs is when you succumb to injury.

Stay well!


Molly

“Originally published in GO, GlobalFit’s online healthy living newsletter.”  http://www.globalfit.com/gonewsletter/default.asp

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Just You, Only Better

Life is scary.  Some people live on fear.  They love the rush of excitement that comes with zooming down a double black diamond or being behind the camera in front of thousands of television viewers.

I’m not one of those people.  I’ve never been a big risk-taker so when I decided to host my first Just You, Only Better Workshop for Women, I have to admit that I was terrified.  What if no one signed up?  Would I feel like a complete failure?  What if we had another snow storm?  What if, what if, what if?

If you truly believe in something and have passion for what you do, you can put your fears aside and go for it.  My passion is helping women improve health, happiness and confidence by teaching them how to make small changes to their lives.  I felt a one day workshop, with expert speakers on a variety of topics, would be the perfect way to reach out to the women of Philadelphia–even if I had to be the front person.

I am thrilled to report that our day of meaningful fun was truly wonderful.  I’ve received so many emails talking about how special the day was to them.  The following are just a few of the many emails I received after the workshop:

“Thanks to your very motivating, worthwhile, fun, relaxing, & refreshing seminar yesterday.  Today, I am me, only much better!!   I’m making your session one of the 5 things I am grateful for; making you one of the people I want to send kind thoughts to; writing you is one of  the things I wanted to make sure I did today;  I’m taking my 5 deep breaths and telling myself 5 confident affirmations- what a fantastic day I’m having!  Thank you and your terrific group of friends.”

“Molly, I LOVED your workshop so much…I already miss everyone!! I feel honored to have met you and can’t wait to incorporate more of your philosophies into my life. “The BEST time!  I’m bringing so many people to the next workshop…total blast!”  Thank you ♥.”  

“Good morning!!!  When is the next workshop?  I have tons of ideas!!!  It’s rare that you think about a workshop days after you attended..most times, you get something out of it and move on.  But I really enjoyed your line-up of speakers and thought you did a fantastic job facilitating, etc.”

I was fortunate to have a great group of speakers and vendors at the event.  Vicki Lukert, who flew up from Florida to present, gave a funny yet important lecture about the importance of a strong pelvic floor.  Alice Dommert spoke about how 9-11 prompted her to slow down her hectic life as an architect and be in the present for herself and her family.  She now is the co-founder of Deliver Me Yoga, which takes yoga, meditation and massage into the work place. Sandy Weston not only got us moving, but taught us a simple daily routine which focuses on positivity and gratitude.

During lunch, Biana DeMarco, The Philly Fashionista, taught us how to shop in our own closets and update outfits–even from the 90′s.  Her sister Arina was a wonderful model for us!  Melinda Engel demonstrated how easy it is to squeeze healthy foods and vegetables into our diets–which is especially helpful if your children are picky eaters.  Janet Indorf, who has worked for Bobbi Brown for many years, showed us easy ways to enhance our appearance (and drop years from our faces) with a little make-up.  Jeffrey Moffett, The Makeover Guru from Pileggi on the Square, talked about the importance of changing your hairstyle every now and then and gave some great tips on hair products and services. Melinda, Janet and Jeffrey offered free consultations to all workshop attendees.

Celebrity Chef Brian Duffy was terrific!  His love for what he does oozes out of his pores. We learned all about knives and the best way to chop onions, avocados, pineapples, and tomatoes.  He whipped up the most amazing salsa with ingredients I would have never thought to include.  He shared his weight loss secrets, tips for healthy cooking, and his wonderful news about his position with Seafood American–he’s creating his very own special recipe (surprise) which will be sold all over the world!  (I’ll share all the details with you before they hit your local stores!).

We enjoyed free massages from Sarah Hill and the Deliver Me Yoga staff, and skin care advice from Milla Waldman at Studio M. And there was fabulous shopping from all LOCAL designers!  Jewelery by Holly Thomas at SpitFire Designs, AnyTime Scarves by Monika Suli, Nino Brand Shehu clothing line by Bela Shehu, and the famous Butler Bag  (as seen on QVC) by the ever-inspiring Jen Groover.  There was a lot of buying going on throughout the day!  And tons of local businesses donated coupons and promotions in our goody bags adding up to huge savings for everyone.

One lucky woman won a 3 month membership to Weston Fitness and another won a free Bobbie Brown Master Class with Janet.  She gets a super cool private make-up party for 14 of her closest friends!

The best part of the day was meeting so many incredible women. A ton of networking took place that day at the Just You, Only Better Workshop.  I’ve seen a flurry of people exchanging ideas and information- for new friends and future work collaboration.  As I’ve said many times, a great group of women all working together is sheer power.  And that’s what our day was all about.

We’re planning our next workshop for June so stay tuned and get ready to mark it on your calendar.

Smile,

Molly

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Take the “Just Walk” Pledge

While many of you know that I’m the Fitness Expert for a company called GlobalFit, you may not realize that my husband Frank is the CEO.

In today’s USA Today, you’ll see a full page letter from Frank urging people to take this simple “Just Walk” Pledge.  Please read his important message:

Just Walk!

Dear America,

Our country has the highest obesity rate in the world.

As the head of the nation’s largest network of fitness centers and gyms, that ranking makes me cringe. A sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are primarily to blame. If we’re serious about changing our ways and being healthier, we need to set realistic fitness goals.

So this year, I’m asking America to take a small but important step in fighting this issue. Just walk.

Walking Is Easy

Walking is widely known within the fitness community as having the lowest dropout rate of any form of exercise. Why? It’s convenient, costs nothing and can be done almost anywhere. And studies show that the simple act of walking can reduce your resting heart rate, lower blood pressure and help you lose weight.

Community is Key for Success

Walking with a friend, loved one or co-worker will help you sustain the routine. In fact, GlobalFit had a leading health insurance provider conduct a double-blind study to prove it! So when I say we’re all in this together, it’s true. Community and the support of a group are critical to your success.

Take the Just Walk Pledge™

As 2011 begins, make a New Year’s resolution you can actually keep. One that will produce healthy habits for a lifetime and set you down the path to a sustainable fitness routine. I’m inviting America to take the Just Walk Pledge™. It’s easy. Just go to www.justwalkpledge.com and sign up to participate.

Remember, it takes time to develop a healthy routine. So once you take the Pledge, we’ll send you weekly tips on ways to easily incorporate more walking in your day.

But even if you don’t enroll online – Just Walk.

Frank Napolitano

President and Chief Executive Officer

So please take a moment to sign up for the Just Walk Pledge and watch a short video from Frank.. Encourage your children, loved ones and co-workers to do something good for themselves and for the health of our country.

So please, Just Walk!

Molly and Frank

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