Avoid Dangerous Moves

 You probably know that I’m a big Bruce Lee fan.   Without question, Bruce Lee was the most famous martial artist of our time and had the physique that matched. It’s hard to believe Bruce was 5’8” and weighed only 128 pounds.  He  used a rigorous three days per week weight training program to sculpt his body.  However, he sustained a serious back injury after performing the good morning exercise which left him in a bed for over a year (where he wrote his book - Tao of Jeet Kune Do).  At the time doctors said he would never walk again.  

This taught Bruce an important lesson - to avoid dangerous moves that aren’t necessary.  Due to Bruce’s will and perseverance he not only proved the Doctors wrong, but started his movie career.

There is no denying that you need to maintain muscle, as muscle loss contributes to chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalance.   You don’t need to spend endless hours in the gym, just working out properly, along with eating real food, rest, and sleep for recovery.

If you want to maintain strength, be healthy, with a great quality of life, joining my fitness classes is a good way to start.  I can show you proper technique to help get the most out of your workout while avoiding those dangerous moves.

One Small Step into something new

It’s been a while since I’ve sent added to the blog.  I hope your summer has been great. I can’t believe we are already at the Labor Day Long Weekend!  Have you tried something new this summer?  I started learning the Harmonica.  Although I am nowhere near to jamming Whammer Jammer on stage like Magic Dick could but, hey, I’ve enjoyed the process.

Like anything in life it may be uncomfortable to make a change and get out of your comfort zone. But life is a journey and you need to keep moving forward.  As stated by one of my fitness and martial arts heroes - Bruce Lee, “Be Water My Friend.  Keep moving, like water,  not stagnant, you must flow to grow…”

So, if you feel stagnant, unmotivated, lost, or doubt your own ability to change, start by taking one small step into something new - in a positive way..

• Incorporate movement into your daily routine.

• Try to do 10 pushups or go for a 10 minute run if you want to get into better shape

• Engage in meditation and self-reflection, adopting a growth mindset.

• Challenge yourself to refrain from processed food and alcohol for a week.

• Expand your social network - join a club, take up painting, pickleball - you name it.

Making positive changes is possible.  Realize that YOU deserve a wonderful life - but only YOU can make it happen.

If you want to improve your strength, stamina, coordination and energy levels join a Dynabody Fitness class! We start October 1st and October 3rd. With the emphasis on proper technique and coaching - there is no better way to refresh your body, restore your energy and beat stress.

Join the Fall Fitness Classes;

10 Tuesdays:  October 1 - December 3,2024   Location:   Bannatyne School, 

10 Thursdays: October 3 - December 5, 2024   Location:   Strathmillan School,

Classes run 6:30 - 7:30 pm

To Register, phone the St. James-Assiniboia School Division Continuing Education office 204-832-9637, or,  email me for further information.

Chance of Dying in a Fall!

 Did you know that if a woman who is 65 years of age has a fall and breaks her hip, there is a 29% chance she will die within the first year - and that is if they get surgery.  If they do not get surgery the chance of dying is 79%!  And, if she does survive, the rest of her life is subject to chronic disability.

This is some shocking findings I learned from listening to a Mel Robbins podcast about the latest research about menopause with Dr. Mary Claire Haver.   

(Here’s a link to the podcast  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReFZ__ZeSEQ)

This is why exercise is so important.  As Dr. Haver explained, we all need to move our bodies. 

You MUST do resistance (weight) training. 

For women, muscle is more important than being skinny.  This is no different for men.  And you are Never 2 Old to start!

Build strength, improve balance and coordination.  

There’s still time to register for the Spring Fitness Classes.  

10 Tuesdays:  April 9 - June 11,2024   Location:   Bannatyne School, 

10 Thursdays: April 18 - June 20, 2024   Location:   Strathmillan School,

Classes run 6:30 - 7:30 pm

To Register, phone the St. James-Assiniboia School Division Continuing Education office 204-832-9637, or, simply email me.

Fitness Classes start - Tuesday April 9th and Thursday April 18th!

 Don't forget to sign up for Dynabody Fitness Classes - they start next week!

Tuesday - Bannatyne School - April 9th.

NOTE however that Thursday's classes at Strathmillan School will not start until the following week on April 18th. 

Classes run 6:30 - 7:30 pm

To Register, contact Wanda or Signy at the St. James-Assiniboia School Division Continuing Education office 204-832-9637.

And hey, about science.  It's a proven fact that strength training and maintaining muscle is a precursor to longevity.

So let's have the best quality of life we can!

See you in class!

Doug

Muscle Soreness - combat Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Having sore muscles after a good work out session is a common experience. This is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and can happen anywhere from 24 to 72 hours after engaging in intense or unfamiliar exercises.

Usually this occurs when you’re starting a new workout program, increase the intensity, or workout for a long period of time. Basically it means that your muscles are doing something they aren’t used to. DOMS is a result of micro trauma to the muscle fibers and leads to an inflammatory response causing muscle discomfort.

There's a couple ways to help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness. 

• Dynamic stretching before exercising and doing static stretching during cool down helps to reduce soreness and improve recovery time. 

• Foam rolling and massage therapy are two other ways to help increase blood flow into the muscles and reduce tension.

• Antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E help to mitigate the inflammatory response associated with DOMS. Although caution with over supplementing in vitamin E as it can be toxic.

So if you want to reduce muscle soreness after a great workout and enhance your recovery, try to incorporate some of these strategies.  And keep using it!

Benefits of a Cold Shower

 Some of you may know that I’m a big fan of the Wim Hof Method and part of my regular morning routine is starting the day off with a cold shower. There are a number of benefits besides the rush of “waking you up” in the morning with that dopamine kick.

• Cold showers improve your metabolism.   Getting your mitochondria to burn extra fuel to produce energy and keep you warm helps your body become more efficient.

• Cold showers are a healthy way to burn fat and lose weight.

• Cold showers help to convert white flabby fat cells to brown fat (Brown Adipose Tissue) which translate to higher insulin sensitivity for clearing glucose into your bloodstream.

• Cold showers help with blood circulation..

• Cold showers help improve your immune system by keeping inflammation in check.

• Cold showers help reduce stress.

Taking a cold shower is best done in the morning to help get you energized.  Start out with your normal shower and then turn the tap to cold for around a minute.  Make sure you’ve checked with your health professional first before you try it.  Once you start doing this morning ritual you’ll wonder why you didn’t start doing it sooner.  It feels great!

To learn more about Cold Showers and the Wim Hof methods, check out the following link;

https://www.wimhofmethod.com/benefits-of-col -showers

Happy Holidays!

 

Wishing Dynabods everywhere a Fantastic Holiday Season!