Your Fitness Your Religion

For traditional Judeo-Christians, this week is the holiest of weeks which kicks off with what was a Seder (the last supper)on March 29 and ends with Easter (the resurrection of Jesus). There are many reasons why we have religion in our lives, but most of those reasons all stem from creating some sort of order in our lives and maintaining the discipline to reach a higher realm, be it during life or after death. Religion often parallels fitness in that if we are to attain a higher state of being, be it on earth or through some other realm, we must sustain the discipline needed to continue to grow. There are times when everyone believes they are too busy to stay in shape, but one must stop and think, if maintaining a healthy lifestyle is going to improve functionality throughout the world, then why do we spin our wheels doing everything but? Take a page from our ancestors (minus the sacrificial lambs) and dedicate yourself to making your life better. There is nobody on this earth that can make you a better you, but you. Do not complicate your life by adding more than is necessary. By simply maintaining the dedication to you, you will easily achieve a greater focus to solidify your place in fitness heaven. Happy Holy week everyone!

Yoga...Its History and Practice

We will be starting our spring yoga series soon so I asked our yoga instructor, Ashleigh to give us a little info about what she does. Here is a little history about yoga and what the practice is really all about. Thanks Ashleigh! Yoga has been part of Eastern societies for thousands of years. The word literally means to “yoke” or “bind,” and is often interpreted further as meaning “union.” Some scholars believe yoga grew out of Stone Age Shamanism at the onset of human civilization. Dating back to as early as 3000 BC, drawings of yoga postures can be found on artifacts from the Indus Valley, but the exact history yoga remains uncertain. As a practice, yoga is a combination of breathing exercises, mediation, and physical postures that encourage not only alignment of the body, but also stillness of the mind. The benefits of yoga are far-reaching, including greater physical strength and flexibility, resilience to illness and injury, and a sense of contentment and well-being. Although in the West we mainly practice the physical postures (“asanas”) of yoga, yoga is actually a broad philosophy of living that has many tenets. The purpose of the physical practice of yoga is to achieve balance, lightness, and stability. When practiced consistently, this bodywork reflects positively throughout every aspect of a person’s life. We are looking forward to seeing you in the spring! Ashleigh

What is boot camp??

I was having brunch with an associate of mine the other day and we were sitting around talking about other people’s perceptions of the various boot camps we run, and of boot camps in general. We talked for awhile and came to the conclusion that most people really have no idea what a boot camp really is. Boot camps have become so convoluted with props, toys and gimmicks that the average fitness fanatic has no idea what to expect from a typical boot camp.

Let’s start with what it’s not. Boot camps are not sports or athletic teams. Too many specialized exercises Boot camps are also not one on one training. Not enough people. Finally, boot camps are not exercise routines like the aerobic classes at your local gym or recreation center. There, Everyone is expected to do virtually the same exercise with really no attention paid to injuries or limitations which is dangerous when working with groups of over 10 people.

So what is boot camp?

Simply put, the essence of a boot camp is group training. And creating a motivation to succeed within a group atmosphere is its staple. Everyone is given a specific exercise with modifications available for injuries and limitations and virtually Every exercise is done with a specific cadence or rhythm. That cadence helps to maintain congruence within a workout and also ensures that boot campers are accountable for the completion of any given exercise. That last one is the most important, because I have seen quite a few of these so called boot camps where everyone is doing an exercise given to them by an instructor with a stop watch timing each individual exercise as he walks around trying to encourage his troops to go harder or move faster.

So that in a nutshell is a Fitness boot camp. They are fun and exciting and can give you great results, not to mention you share a common bond with some awesome people. I hope this gives you a little bit of insight into Valley Forge Fitness and maybe boot camps as a whole. Have a healthy day everyone! Forge On!

Nature versus gym equipment 3.

A great way to work your legs is to do leg extensions. By kicking upward from either a sitting or standing position, you can work the four headed muscle group known as the quadriceps. Resistance is increased simply by increasing the weight that you are kicking upward. Many say that this is the exercise they opt for when low on time and want to work out the legs. This exercise is good for keeping the muscles strong and stable for the push phase of any lift and also helps to lengthen the stride while running. From a seated position, a leg extension isolates the quadriceps. From a standing position, the extension turns into an isometric exercise an it mainly focuses on the upper quad and hips while, the opposing foot it left to maintain balance for the rest of the body. When outdoors you can also isolate the quadriceps with a variety of movements. The one we use most often in our boot camps is called a hand squat. This is performed by placing your hands on the ground approximately 24 inches from the front of your feet. Then you while keeping the weight in your fingers, (or palms if you are flexible) you proceed to bend your knees so your heels touch your butt and then straighten your legs so your heels go into the floor while your hips raise into the air. This movement is very similar to the first movement a track athlete makes while coming out of his/her starting blocks. I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t feel a little burn after doing 25 of these. You can even increase the intensity by putting one foot on higher ground than the other. When comparing the leg extension with the hand squat, they both have their benefits, but a standing leg extension slightly edges the hand squat for effectiveness in working the quads for its ability to help with balance while strengthening the quads and hip flexors. The hand squat works on the endurance of the leg, but even while done with one leg, the hands provide extra support so balancing is not an issue. The leg extension comes in a distant third because of its lack of any focus on balance and its high rate of knee injury due to cartilage erosion. A brighter day looms over the horizon for outdoor exercise. We’ll continue next time with another focus on the lower body. Remember, there is always a great workout hiding in plain view. See you Outdoors!