Category: Exercise

Equipment of the Month: Rumble Roller

May 1, 2021

EQUIPMENT OF THE MONTH: Rumble Roller

CATEGORY: Flexibility and Myofacial Release

HOW TO USE IT: The Rumble Roller is a therapeutic device that restores flexibility, by providing relief from muscle pain and stiffness, caused by trigger points. Muscles are massaged, and relieved of discomfort,  by rolling over the firm, but flexible bumps on the surface of the Rumble Roller.  The rollers are sold in small size 12″ x 6″, and large size  31″x 6″.

PORTABILITY: The Rumble Roller is light, weighing about 3.5 to 5 pounds, depending on size.

BENEFITS: Increases flexibility.  Easy to use.  A must for your home gym.

TYPE OF WORKOUTS: Rumble Roller provides relief from tight muscle tissue, known as trigger points.  The roller isn’t used for a workout, but will increase your range of motion so that your workout, and sports activities are more productive.

Irene Pastore, Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.  For her complete bio, visit the About Page.  

National Bike Month – May 2021

May 1, 2021

Links To National Bike Month and Bicycle News

National Bike Month | League of American Bicyclists (bikeleague.org)

National Bike Month: May 2021 (census.gov)

Bicycle Advocacy – How To Encourage Cycling | Bicycle Universe

Bicycling News

Guide to Vintage and Antique Bicycles (thesprucecrafts.com)

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 25 years experience teaching exercise in New York City..  For her complete bio, visit the About Page

National Posture Month – May 2021

May 1, 2021

7 Tips to Celebrate National Posture Month 2019

May is National Posture Month, a health holiday that draws attention to the way you look when you sit or stand.

Good posture implies that your postural muscles support your spine, and that shoulders don’t round forward, or that your head juts out and down.

People who have healthy posture appear confident, experience less back pain, and do better in recreational activities and sports.

7 Easy Tips

  1. Buy an office chair that supports your back.
  2. Buy a low back pillow.
  3. Get your posture evaluated.  Release trigger points* with a foam roller.
  4. Get a massage to release trigger points.
  5. Purchase a trigger point release kit.  Amazon sells these.
  6. Hold your cell phone closer to eye level instead of looking down and forward.

*Trigger points are painful areas in muscle tissue that inhibit range of motion, and create poor posture.

Read more information about posture in these posts:

Train Your Core To Improve Your Posture,

Job Interviews and Good Posture,  

Good Posture vs. Bad Posture

Correcting Poor Posture With Pilates

Pilates Improves Your Posture

A Tight Pectoralis Minor May Affect Your Posture

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 25 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.  For her complete bio, visit the About Page.

Can My Muscles Turn Into Fat?

April 12, 2021

Fat and muscle are different types of body tissue. They each serve different functions. When you do strength training, your muscles get bigger and stronger. If you stop strength training, your muscles get smaller, and you’ll get weaker. Muscles don’t turn into fat.  The purpose of muscle is to move your body.

The function of fat tissue is to store reserve energy. If your body has too much fat, it means that you’re eating too much food, and not exercising enough, which results in weight gain.

 

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.  For her complete bio, visit the About Page.

What’s The Difference Between A Sprain And A Strain?

April 8, 2021

MUSCLE STRAIN OR SPRAIN?

A strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon. A tendon is a band of fibrous, connective tissue that connects muscle to bone.

Strains vary in intensity, from mild to moderate, to severe. Severe strains are very painful, and can be disabling.  

Returning to activity too soon, can delay the healing of a muscle strain.

MUSCLE STRAIN SYMPTOMS

♦ You can’t use the muscle

♦ You feel pain when you try to use the muscle

♦ The muscle feels weak

♦ You feel pain while you rest

♦ The muscle show signs of swelling, bruising, or redness

MUSCLE STRAIN PREVENTION

♦ Practice daily stretching after exercise

♦ Warm up before you exercise with light cardio work

♦ Avoid over-exercising

A SPRAIN HAPPENS TO LIGAMENTS

A sprain is a partial or complete tear of a ligament.  A ligament connects bone to bone.  One or more ligaments can be injured at the same time.

SYMPTOMS OF LIGAMENT SPRAIN

In the picture below, ligaments are shown in red.

♦ Pain

♦ Swelling

♦ Bruising

♦ You can’t move the affected joint

♦ A popping sound is heard when a ligament snaps

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City..  To read her complete bio, visit the About Page.