Ten Reasons To Strengthen Your Core

What does the core do? Why is it so important?
A strong core stabilizes, and protects your spine. Professional, and recreational athletes with weak core muscles don’t perform optimally, and are more susceptible to injury.

People with physically demanding jobs that require lifting, moving, pushing or pulling, depend on a strong core to stabilize and protect their spine from eventual dysfunction, and subsequent injury, or chronic back pain.  Over 80 percent of all Americans have had, or will have, at least one episode of low back pain during their lifetime.

Where is the core located?
The human torso is where the core muscles and bones are found, right between your shoulders and hips.

The Core Region Covers Half Your Body 
The core region contains muscles and bones.  If you map it out, you’ll find your core muscles, on your abdomen, low back, pelvis and hips.  Core bones consist of your spinal column, pelvis and hip joints.

Ten Good Reasons To Strengthen Your Core

  1. To save a trip to the emergency room.
  2. To save time, and money on doctor’s fees, rehab, or surgery.
  3. To avoid chronic low back pain.
  4. To prevent, or rehabilitate an injury.
  5. To improve your ability to generate force and movement during sports.
  6. To avoid on-the-job injury.
  7. To acquire more efficient movement, spinal flexibility and strength.
  8. To improve balance.
  9. To improve physical fitness.
  10. To prevent an overuse injury.

Copyright 2014 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core Personal Training

Prenatal Pilates for Low Back Pain

Your spine is shaped like the letter S, forming  four normal curves.  The low back portion curves inward.  As your uterus grows bigger, the inward curve becomes more pronounced, causing more strain on your low back.

One of the most common complaints during pregnancy is low back pain.

Classical Pilates exercises are performed while lying on your back, abdomen, or side. Prone positions are uncomfortable for pregnant women, and back lying shouldn’t be done after the fourth month. Side and standing Pilates are safer alternatives.

THE STANDING PELVIC TILT

The Standing Pelvic Tilt is an excellent Pilates exercise to help relieve low back pain.  It’s easy and safe, for most pregnant women.

  1. Stand with your back, shoulders and head against a wall.
  2. Bend knees slightly, arms at your sides.
  3. Slowly press lower back against the wall.  Hold for 10 to 20 seconds.  Do 8 to 10 rounds.

The Standing Pelvic Tilt can be done throughout the day to stretch low back muscles.

Copyright 2013 Irene Pastore, and Blue Moon Personal Training

Fox News Producer In Fatal Hiking Accident

Martin Burns, a Fox KTTV investigative producer and writer, died on August 25 in a hiking accident in the foothills above Altadena, California.  He was 56 years old.

Hiking alone in the Los Angeles National Forest, his body was discovered by another hiker, at the bottom of a steep ravine, below the trail that leads to Inspiration Point.

Copyright 2013 Irene Pastore, and Blue Moon Personal Training  

Disappearing On The Hiking Trail

CARDINAL RULE: DON’T GO IT ALONE

When you set out on a hike, one of the most important rules, is not to go alone. If you bring a child, at least one other adult should also go along. 

Here are two recent stories about disappearing hikers. One has a happy ending, while the other doesn’t look too good.

FATHER AND SON DISAPPEAR WHILE HIKING

Hiking without cell phones, or flashlights, a 51 year-old man, and his 11 year-old son went missing in Maui, Hawaii.

Starting out on the afternoon of Friday, August 9, they were reported missing 5 hours later by a family member.

A helicopter and fire personnel searched the area hit by heavy rains. The man and his son were airlifted to safety on August 10. They were very lucky to be found.

66 YEAR-OLD HIKER MISSING IN MAINE

As of August 5, the search for 66 year-old hiker, Geraldine Largay was called off. Starting out in April, alone on the Appalachian Trail in West Virginia, she covered 950 miles, and disappeared near Mount Katahdin in Maine.

Largay was reported missing on July 24, by her husband. Among the 115 search and rescue volunteers, were dog teams, wardens, and searchers on foot and horseback.

Copyright 2013 Irene Pastore and Blue Moon Personal Training

Yoga Improves Senior Balance

THE TREE POSE

There are many types of Yoga poses: standing, seated, twists, balancing, lying on your back, abdomen or side.

Balancing poses may be done while standing, seated, or on your hands.

Yoga can strengthen overall, and deep core muscles that are important for maintaining good balance.

If you’re over 55 and would like to learn a beginner level standing balancing pose, consider the Tree Pose a good choice.  The pose can be modified to suit individual ability.

HOW TO DO TREE POSE

Set up the pose as shown in the photograph above.

Stand on your right foot for 10 to 30 seconds.  Repeat on your left foot.

If you’ve never balanced on one foot, it might be difficult at first.  Just keep practicing, and don’t overdo it.

It’s traditional to do Yoga barefoot.  However, if you feel more comfortable wearing shoes, that’s fine, as long as the soles are non-skid.

Practice the Tree Pose on a non-slippery floor.  If you want to invest in equipment, purchase a sticky mat.  Go barefoot while using a mat. Socks can bunch up on a sticky mat, and cause you to trip.

HOW TO MODIFY TREE POSE

Use A Wall For Support

Stand facing a wall.  Place both hands on the wall for support, instead of having your hands in front of you. Hands are shoulder width apart.

Use A Lower Foot Position

Place your foot on the lower part of your leg, instead of higher up.

Copyright 2013 Irene Pastore and Blue Moon Personal Training