The Fit Institute_Improve Your Health and Fitness

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STRENGTH TRAINING IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS WITH

you feel a definite, but not painful, stretch at the back of the forward knee. For a greater stretch, elevate your heel on a step. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times on both legs. 2. Iliopsoas Stretch – Assume a wide and long lunge position, with your hands on your hips. Tuck your buttocks under you while you shift your weight to the forward leg. Make sure to keep your posture straight. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times on both legs. 3. Shoulder Flexion Stretch – Stand in a corner of the room with one foot in front of the other. Place your hands on the wall and make sure to keep your back flat. Reach your arms up overhead. Move your chest towards the wall to feel a stretch in the chest. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times. 4. Piriformis Stretch – Lie on your back with knees bent and your feet flat on floor. Cross one leg over top of the other. Lock your hands around your knee and pull it to your chest. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times on both legs. Strength training can help you reach the physical goals that you’ve always wanted. It can aid you in your health and fitness journey so you can become the more active version of yourself that you envision. Interested in improving your health and fitness through strength training? Don’t hesitate to contact The Fit Institute today to find out how our services can benefit you! Call 773.799.2795 or visit our website at thefitinstitutechicago.com.

Health is a relative term. It means that your body is operating at a high normal range in all the different systems from circulation, breathing, digestion, and more. Anything you can do to help your body achieve more of an ideal state is a step towards a healthier you. Everyone desires to be healthier, stronger, and more active. This may sometimes feel difficult to accomplish, due to pain, injuries, or poor diets. Pain increases undesirable chemicals in your body that cause stress, creating a challenge when it comes to exercise. All of this also affects your endocrine system, which regulates your hormones and controls almost everything happening in your body. Fortunately, strength training exercises can effectivelyeaseyourpainwhilesimultaneously strengthening theaffectedpart(s)ofyourbody. Our highly trained physical therapists can create a personalized strength training plan for your needs and goals. They have the right knowledge and the time to listen, evaluate, and guide you toward a pain-free, stronger, and healthier lifestyle. Why Is Strength Training So Important? There are approximately 642 skeletal muscles in the body. This means that your strength and flexibility play an important role in your health. Your muscles not only help you move, but they support your circulatory and breathing systems. A stronger and more flexible you means a healthier you. Relieving joint or muscle pain and guiding you on proper strength training exercises are integral parts ofourspecializedphysical therapy treatments.

Strength training helps in building muscle mass, and it is typically the final step in a rehabilitation treatment process. Whether you are recovering from an injury or underlying condition that is causing you pain, strength trainingwillhelpyougetback toyouroptimum physical performance. At The Fit Institute, our strength training programs will get you back on track to living a happy and healthy lifestyle. Our physical therapists will design a treatment plan with the best exercises for an effective and speedy recovery. These exercises will be dependent upon which part(s) of your body are in need of strengthening. This may include body weight exercises (such as squats, push-ups, or planks) or exercises using additional tools (such as barbells, resistance bands, exercise balls, or hand weights). 4 Exercises for a Healthier You There are some simple exercises you can do on your own, in order to complement your strength training plan to improve mobility and flexibility after your sessions are over. These include: 1. Hamstring Stretch - Stand facing a wall or counter. Use it to steady yourself if needed. Take a large step forward with one leg, making sure the knee of the forward leg is straight and your body weight is shifted to the bent back leg. Place your hands on your forward knee. Hinge forward from the hips, keeping your back straight. Push your hips back until

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