A Very Warm Winter

Meg White • January 6, 2017

For most people the New Year is a chance to finally take a breath and start fresh. The holiday hangover has finally worn off, we’ve thrown away our New Year’s party hats, and we’re all settling into 2015. After the New Year’s Resolution buzz dies down- many of us find ourselves falling into the same bad habits as last year. Whether you’ve fallen off track, or are doing what it takes to hang on, check out my tips for keeping your work-outs HOT all winter long.

1) Try something new – In 1785 Poet William Cowper wrote, “Variety is the spice of life, it gives it all its flavor.” He couldn’t have been more right, not only does your body break down from repetitive movements, so does your mind. Sacramento has a plethora of activities. From rock climbing to zumba, indoor spin to year around outdoor swimming, pole dancing to hot pilates, there’s no reason to get bored with your exercise routine around here.

2) Join a sports team – Whoever said, “Make your workouts fun, and they won’t feel like work” was lying – it still feels like work. But it’s a heck of a lot more enjoyable if you’re having fun while you’re doing it. Remember how much fun you had playing sports in high school? Your sports career doesn’t have to retire with your jersey. Bad at sports? Doesn’t matter. You can still have fun, get in shape, meet some great friends and enjoy some good old fashioned team work. Plenty of adult leagues are just for fun. Try ultimate Frisbee, soccer, foot golf, basketball, or softball.

3) Find an activity partner – Misery really does LOVE company. Working out with the right friend guarantees that you’ll work harder and stick to your program for longer. Ask a co-worker, friend, family member, or significant other to commit to being active with you one day a week- then make it happen. Or try registering together for an upcoming race. You’ll also be more likely to try new things if you have a partner in crime.

4) Gamble – There’s a reason gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry, which has gone on, and continues to go on EVERYWHERE. We like to bet. Bet a friend or family member you’ll stick to your work-out schedule, not eat out, or bring you lunch to work every day. Loser buys the winner a healthy lunch – or put some cold hard cash on it. Get a group together, or form small teams, for larger prize pots, and more fun. Try to make your bet based on performance not results. (Bet you’ll run a mile twice a week over who will lose more weight)

5) Get Outdoors – There is something borderline magical about fresh air. We have such mild weather; if you dress appropriately there is no reason not to be outside on a regular basis. Decreased stress, increased energy, more concentration, and a stronger immune system have all been linked to spending more time outdoors. Go for a walk at the park, kick or throw a ball around, camp, or hike as much as possible. Don’t let the cold weather put your fitness goals on ice. Catch your winter months of fire with my 5 tips for staying warm and fit all winter long – and reap the reward come summer time.

Yours in Health and Fitness,

MadDog Meg

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New Years Day: Sweat for a cause

By Meg White • December 28, 2019

A group of women are posing for a picture in a gym.

Happy New Year!

By MadDog Meg • January 10, 2019

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Refit Restorative Exercise with Miya Simpson

By MadDog Meg • January 30, 2018

One of the trivia questions I ask in my breathing workshops is: Which movement happens more often, breathing or blinking? The correct answer is breathing, because we don’t normally blink in our sleep. But why does breathing matter so much? The movements that we do most have the greatest impact on our functioning and performance.    Can you imagine doing jumping jacks while holding your breath? Breathing impacts our external movement, our digestive system, our sleep, and our nervous system’s communication. When breathing is inefficient, the brain perceives this as a threat to life, and normal functioning is disrupted. The “fight or flight” mechanism gets turned on, posture muscles get recruited (compensate) to do the job of the breathing muscles, and so begins the injury cycle. For these reasons, restorative breathing exercises are a foundational component of all our exercise programs.   Office, car, computer, and cell phone postures have played a huge role in the dysfunctional breathing epidemic in our culture. Whether you’re training for sports or everyday life, your training demands efficient breathing. My favorite strategy to improve this critical movement: balloon breathing. There are several techniques, but a great start is 90/90 balloon breathing. Balloon breathing trains the “core”, and by “core” I mean the diaphragm, which is the true core. The diaphragm is our primary breathing muscle. When we help the diaphragm do its job, we release tension in all the muscles of the torso that were compensating for the weak and poorly positioned diaphragm. Blow the balloon up with 4-6 breaths in a row, always inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth into the balloon. Then hold the breath at the end of the exhale for 3-5 seconds, empty the balloon and begin again.    Why does breathing matter so much? Well Neil Rampe the Head Athletic Trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers put it this way "It's like driving with your alignment off, you can compensate by over-steering, but if you don't correct it, your tires wear out after 30,000 miles instead of 60,000". Efficient breathing is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. Try balloon breathing 3-4 times a day to start reaping the benefits of efficient breathing.    For more techniques on how to build a strong foundation come to our next free workshop on Feb3rd from 12pm-1 pm at Action Fitness Community in East Sacramento.