It sure is cold outside but that hasn't stopped many of you from hitting the pavement. With the kick-off to running season around the corner and the CrossFit Open well underway, it's time to make sure your body is ready to take on whatever your sport is.
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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Keeping Fit inChicagoland
It sure is cold outside but that hasn't stopped many of you from hitting the pavement. With the kick-off to running season around the corner and the CrossFit Open well underway, it's time to make sure your body is ready to take on whatever your sport is.
INSIDE: - Start Your Outdoor Training Routine off on the Right Foot - It's CrossFit Open Season! - Body Gears News - Exercise of The Month - Patient Success Spotlight
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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
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START YOUR OUTDOOR TRAINING ROUTINE OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
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The 8K Shamrock Shuffle on March 24th, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day the week before, is often regarded as the kick-off to the running season in Chicago. The event also includes a 2-mile walk and a 1-mile run. If you're just getting back into a regular outdoor running routine, be sure to follow our tips below for a smooth transition. 1. Get warm where it's warm. Jogging in place for 30 seconds before starting your run does NOT count as a warmup. Also, with temperatures hovering around freezing, the chances of you actually warming up your muscles without prolonged vigorous movement is slim. Instead, do your jogging in place BEFORE you head out the door until you've reached at least 70% of your max heart rate - this should feel like you're working slightly beyond comfortable exertion and you should start sweating but still be able to speak a whole sentence. Pro Tip: For the best success and injury prevention, perform a dynamic warmup that actively (rather than passively or ballistically)
stretches your hamstring, adductor, quad, calf, and glute muscles. 2. It's called "hitting" the pavement for a reason. Biomechanists call it ground reaction force and it's basically how hard a surface pushes back at you when you make contact with it. Concrete and pavement push back much harder than a treadmill or grass, which means, find yourself a grassy park and your joints will thank you. Pro Tip: When transitioning from treadmill to outdoor running gradually move 10-20% of your runs outside per week over the course of a month or two. If you're on a time crunch to get outside (or the sun is calling you) and there aren't any nice grassy parks nearby, then cut your weekly mileage down by a half to a third, adding back 10% per week. Doing this will prevent injury and preserve your (hopefully) great running technique.
3. Read your lips. Chapped lips (and bright yellow urine) are a sign of dehydration and dehydration means suboptimal muscle function and recovery. Cold weather can make you sweat less but remember that you're still losing water on every exhale (it's what allows you to see your breath when it's cold!). The drop in humidity also means you're losing more water through your skin even when you're not sweating. Pro Tip: If you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Stay ahead of the game with your water intake (3L/day) and switch to hot water if you're craving warmth and a little circulation boost. If you're in need of a solid dynamic stretching routine, email social@ bodygears.com to receive a copy of our Body Gears Warm-Up. If you'd like a professional look at your running technique or you're experiencing a bumpy transition, head to our website and request a FREE running screen.
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It's CrossFit Open Season!
FOAM ROLLING IS NOT A WARM-UP If you’re about to max out your glutes, you need to be waking them up and getting them to fire efficiently before you load them. Squishing muscles down with a foam roller might feel nice but it won't boost your performance like a solid dynamic warm-up will. AtBodyGears,we’ll teachyousomethingcalled a GIG, which stands for “Get in Gear.” Instead of foam rollingyour tighthip,we’ll teachyouaself- mobilization technique to restore mobility for more efficient muscle activation. Your unique set of GIGs might also include a core activation series and a rib rotation technique for you to perform before your dynamic warm-up so you get the most out of your WODs. Take Note of Your Neck Here's a simple test to do with a friend: Sit with the slouchiest posture you can and stick your neck all the way forward. Make the okay sign with one hand and have your friend try to pry your finger and thumb apart - it should be pretty easy. Now sit with good posture, including at your neck (if you're not sure if you're doing it right, go up against a wall), and try the test again - you should have doubled your strength without doing a single exercise!
The CrossFit Open is a global event encompassing five workouts over five weeks (the first workout in 2019 is labeled 19.1). CrossFitters submit their best scores online to see how they rank across the world and whether they qualify regionally on the road to the CrossFit Games. Whether you're a seasoned CrossFitter or a regular gym-junky, below are tips that will serve lifters well. All Rotation Is Important There'softenabig focusonexternal rotation -at the hips, it gets the glutes activating and keeps your joints in a more mobile position, while at the shoulders, it can prevent impingement with overhead motions and puts your lower trap and serratus anterior muscles in positions of strength. However, it'scertainlypossible tohave toomuch of a good thing and a lack of internal rotation at the hips and shoulders can contribute to dysfunctionalmovement. Ifyouwant togo from efficient dumbbell squats to chest-to-bar pull- ups, you better not be neglecting your internal rotation mobility and strength.
® To get the official Body Gears Dynamic Warm- Up, email social@bodygears.com. To get a customized GIG program, request a FREE screen on our website and we’ll determine what’s causing your pain or performance plateau. Your neck has a huge impact on the efficiency of your upper limbs (and the rest of your spine) since that'swherenervesoriginateand itshould be the solid base from which you move your arms - ie. inefficient neck posture WILL lead to inefficient shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand movement. Dysfunctional movement may or may not lead to injury but it certainly won't lead to leaderboard scores at the Open.
Exercise of theMonth Try this shoulder GIG before overhead lifts
Staff Spotlight
Dr. Elizabeth Racioppi, PT, DPT, ElizabethearnedherDoctorofPhysicalTherapyand Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degrees from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. Elizabeth is a Women’s Health Specialist able to help women with a variety of pelvic health issues as well as pre- and postpartum needs. She is also a
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and a passionate CrossFitter herself. Certifications and Training: • Doctor of Physical Therapy • Licensed Physical Therapist by the State of Illinois • APTA/IPTA Member • Women’s Health Therapist • CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Education: Institute of Physical Art: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation I • CoreFirst® Strategies • Functional Mobilization I Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute: Pelvic Floor Level 1 CrossFit: Level 1 Training KinetaCore: Functional Dry Needling Level I
Wall Angels
With your head and shoulder blades against a wall, bring your arms up to 90 degrees at the shoulders and elbows. Actively flattening your wrists against the wall and use a towel (or even a pillow) to fill any gaps from your wrist to your elbow. Slowly move your shoulders up and down keeping the bend in the elbows and maintaining contact with the wall. Do a set of 10 and then see if you can remove any supports while maintaining good form for another set of 10. Watch for your chest lifting too much as well!
Patient Success Spotlight
Body Gears News
"Best of all, their guidance and help made me into a better runner." "I had a true 5 experience at Body Gears and highly recommend. My story: I was training for a marathon and experienced unusual lower leg pain that my podiatrist and another physical therapist struggled to understand. During my first session with Body Gears, they diagnosed it rather quickly after a full assessment of my feet, legs, walking style, running stride, etc. Not only did it effectively reduce the immediate pain, but also prescribed permanent changes to my running form that have eliminated recurrence of the injury (it had been a repeat offender for me). Best of all, their guidance and help made me into a better runner. They prescribed other exercises and posture changes that improved my physical abilities across the board. The changes were so rapid and so effective that I was able to take 14 full minutes off my marathon PR. Coming to Body Gears has been the best thing to help my running after many years of trying to improve and meet higher goals." - Kevin (Body Gears Graduate)
The Last Marathon: Coach Brendan has run 92 marathons including 2 in 15-degree Antartica! Listen to him and Body Gears Founder April Oury talk about his past experiences, the 4 critical elements of marathon training, run/walk marathoning, and so much more. Find the full podcast on our SoundCloud Channel @BodyGearsPT.
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Request AComplimentary Screening
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Schedule Your FreeDiscovery Session www.BodyGears.com | 877-709-1090 VISITOURWEBSITEORGIVEUS ACALL: Whether you’re recovering from an injury, training for a competition, or you’re striving for better health, wellness and freedom of movement, Body Gears can help you achieve your optimum self. This 20-minute appointment will allow you to meet a physical therapist, share your story, and complete a mini-assessment. The purpose of this screening is to answer two questions: 1. Which techniques will help you change your story? 2. How can Body Gears help you achieve your functional goals? Our physical therapists will be able to quickly provide you the information you need to take the next step. We hope it's with us! ®
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“COOLING DOWN” DURING THE CROSSFIT OPEN Written by: Dr. Elizabeth Racioppi, PT, DPT, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
You all know the anticipation of Open season – excitement, curiosity and a bit of anxiety. Plus, you’re out there living your best life outside of CrossFit; relationships, family obligations, work. All of this daily stress can take a toll on your health and performance. Here are some easy ways during the Open to help reduce stress and improve recovery to maximize your athletic “Heating” inversions like handstand push- ups are great to build strength and increase blood flow for energy. However, “cooling” inversions can be really helpful to activate our parasympathetic nervous system and relax and unwind. An inversion technique such as legs up the wall, shoulder stands, or even a basic forward fold, can help after workouts and at the end of your day to reduce your stress and improve circulation. potential. Inversion
Get Enough Sleep! Recent studies recommend 7-8 hours a night for adults, however, most of us only get 6. Sleep hygiene is important! Read up on further tips on our Body Gears blog here. https://bodygears.com/body-gears-blog/ Deep Breathing Everyone knows breathing is extremely important during your workouts, but specific breathing techniques after and throughout the day can be extremely beneficial. Try this technique after your workout or first thing when you get home at the end of the day to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and assist with relaxation: Inhale for 3 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat for at least 1 minute but as long as you want to increase feelings of well-being and relaxation.
Magnesium While the verdict is still out on the effectiveness of Epsom salt baths (we aren’t really sure if magnesium gets absorbed through the skin), baths can be an excellent way to relax at the end of the day or to soothe sore and tight muscles. If you’re experiencing joint pain or an injury, a cool bath can help reduce inflammation. At the very least, baths – and Epsom salts – feel good and help you chill out! Magnesium deficiency is more common than you think. Supplementing with a powder magnesium (ie magnesium citrate) can help reduce muscle tension, assist your digestive system, and help you feel calm and relaxed. While using some or all of these techniques will help to improve your performance, remember to listen to your body! Rest and nutrition are as important as your training and workouts!
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