Dedham Health

Do The Twist!

By Julie Messinger
DHAC Exercise Physiologist

The medicine ball Russian twist is a great exercise for developing the abs. This twisting exercise will help work your lower abs, oblique’s (located on the side of your torso) and lower back. Strengthening these muscles can help provide stability in your core which can help prevent lower back pain and improve everyday activities.

The Russian twist is performed by rotating the body from side to side, seated in a V position while holding a medicine ball. This exercise requires different movements such as balance, core strength and stability.

To do this exercise, find a mat and sit with a medicine ball in hands. Find your center of balance, then raise your feet off the ground. You can keep them down for modification. You will be balancing on your tailbone, while leaving back about 45 degrees, keeping chin up. Hold the medicine ball out in front of your body then twist to one side and tap the medicine ball on the floor lightly before switching to the opposite side. Perform 12-15 reps on each side.

Looking for more of a challenge? Try gently lifting one leg up off the ground. When this becomes too easy, try lifting both legs off the ground. Now you have to balance more on your tailbone, which will force you to really work those abs.

This is a great exercise to add some spice to your current abdominal routine! Have fun!!!

Give TRX A Try

By Sarah Caracciolo
DHAC Assistant Fitness Director 

There have been a lot of people walking by our two TRX Suspension trainers in the fitness center and well, a lot of you keep on walking! I’m encouraging you to try it out! Yes, it may look intimidating. More than once I’ve had someone say to me “I’m going to get all kinds of tangled in that thing!” But the fact of the matter is that it’s VERY easy to use!

The available exercises are endless, but you don’t need to do them all. Start with a few basics moves and take it from there! The best part of the TRX Suspension trainer is that it really is “All core all the time.” Because it is bodyweight training, you can decide at what intensity level you want to work.

You can use the TRX Suspension trainer for almost anything including sports specific training, general fitness, improved strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability. Whether you are training as an athlete, rehabbing an injury, training for pure aesthetics, or just want to try something new, the TRX Suspension Trainer is for you!

Before we get started on exercises, let’s talk about the components of the TRX.

You’ll notice the TRX hanging from a yellow strap. This yellow strap is called the suspension anchor. The TRX attaches to the anchor by its main carabiner.

Just below the main carabiner you will see a small piece of material that is connecting both sides of the suspension trainer. This is called your equalizer loop. The two yellow tabs you see on each arm of the TRX are called adjustment tabs (you’ll frequently be using these).

Lower on the suspension trainer you’ll see a small metal square called your cam buckle. Please note that there are two different designs; one you depress with your thumb while the other you simply angle down with your thumb to change the length of the trainer. Moving down you will see the handles, and below the handles are your foot cradles.

Phew….that’s it for now! Next week, we get into some specific exercises. And as always, feel free to ask one of the exercise physiologists for help if you want to give it a go!

Consider a 5K

By Robbie Goldman, MS
DHAC Exercise Physiologist

After all your hard work in the gym this winter take advantage of the warm weather and try a 5k walk or run. It’s a great way to stay fit and spend time with family and friends. Many 5K races around the Boston area are sponsored by a great cause or charity.

Ask anyone of Dedham Health’s exercise physiologists for advice on helping you complete your first 5K!!

To find out more on Boston area 5K’s and other races check out www.coolrunning.com

Super Set Your Workout

By Jeremie Hurd
DHAC Exercise Physiologist

Ok I get it, life is often too busy to have time to go to the gym. However, if you can free up 30-45 minutes, that is plenty of time to get a good work out in. Both for cardio or strength training.

For now let’s focus on strength training. The most effective way to get through your strength training routine fast is what we call super-setting. Most people do an exercise, then wait for 30 seconds or so to recover before doing the next set of the same exercise.

It is quicker and more efficient to do one set then go straight to a different exercise, working a different muscle, which is what super setting means. For example let us say you do a set of bench presses, then as soon as you finish you do a set of bicep curls. This lets you quickly go back and forth between the two exercises which shortens the time because you don’t have to wait for the 30 seconds in between sets to recover. One muscle is able to recover while you work the other one.

Doing this will cut your workout in half and also double the efficiency! Try it and see how quickly your strength training workouts go by.

Picture Planks for Abs and Core

By Jason Laporte
DHAC Exercise Physioligist 

The plank is a great exercise for building endurance in the abdominals and back, as well as the stabilizer muscles around the spine and pelvic girdle.

Lie face down on a mat. Push off the floor, rise up onto your toes and elbows located directly below your shoulders. The objective now is to keep your spine neutral against the force of gravity. Keep your back flat and pelvic girdle tilted such that you’re butt is not way up in the air, nor is your back sagging in the middle. Look down and forward and imagine maintaining a straight line down your body from head to feet. Hold position for 20-60 seconds or whatever you can do.

Not quite strong enough to pull off this move yet? Try a modified plank resting on your elbows and bent knees on the ground. Or you can lean forward against a wall, resting on your elbows with your feet positioned behind the hips and shoulders. Rise on your toes and try keeping your spine neutral against the force of gravity. Progress by walking your feet further and further behind your over time.

Let us know how you do!

New Exercise Alert: Squat To Overhead Press

By Julie Messinger
DHAC Exercise Physiologist 

It’s getting closer and closer to summer. Now that you eliminated the winter blues, this could be a chance to get yourself back into the gym and get some good work outs in before you hit the beach!

If you’ve been doing the same routine all winter, this is a perfect time to switch things up and add some new and fun exercises. Try adding the medicine ball to your training.

These weighted spheres help improve your muscular power which can improve sports performance. They can be thrown, caught and can improve overall athletic ability! Whether you’re an athlete looking to improve strength, or just want to improve your general fitness, these exercises will be a challenge and will improve your strength.

Before you start, make sure you chose a weight that’s heavy enough to slow down the motion, but at the same time not so heavy that you limit your R.O.M. (Range of motion) For general health benefits, do 15 reps 3-5 sets. If you would like to focus on power and speed, try using a heavier weight doing 3-5 reps 3-5 sets.

Here is an example of a full body exercise with the medicine ball. In this one move, you will be working your quads,  glutes, hamstrings, core and shoulders!

Squat to Overhead Press: Stand with feet hip width apart. Hold medicine ball right in front of chest. Sit back in heels with butt back and chest up. This is your squat. Push through the heels and exhale out of your mouth back to standing position and push medicine ball over head with arms lined up with ears. Bring ball back down to start. Do 15 reps 3-5 sets.

Run / Walk for a Cause

By Meghan Hurley
DHAC Cycling Instructor

Do you like to run or walk? How about running and/or walking knowing that you are doing it for a good cause??? Well then mark your calendars for the first Saturday in June and put in bold, cap letters: FAD road race!!!

Foxboro Against Diabetes (FAD) is a 5k Road Race that has been held for the past 12 years in memory of my husband’s sister, Shannon, who passed away 18 years ago from complications with diabetes. All of the race proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). For the past twelve years, the race has attracted over 9,500 participants and has raised over $250,000 for Diabetes research.

The race is a flat, 3.1 mile course that you can run, jog or walk. No hills, jumps, sprints if you are wondering. :-)  If you are an avid runner or someone who is just starting to get back into running, this is the race for you!! Trust me on this!!

Thinking about doing it but not sure how to train for it?? DHAC is obviously the place where your training can start! DHAC has plenty of treadmills to assist you with your training program as well as an indoor track! If you need to be motivated, DHAC offers classes such as Trail Mix and Track Intervals to help both runners and walkers acclimate to this type of cardiovascular exercise!!

How am I training? I have been running outside each week outside and supplementing my workouts with runs on the treadmill! My focus each run varies on distance and time. While teaching cycling classes is A LOT easier for me, running definitely challenges my overall fitness level! Running offers me the ability to cross train so that I am not tiring the same muscle groups with the same cardiovascular exercises each time I workout.

Thinking about doing the FAD road race? Join me on Saturday, June 1st, 2013 in Foxboro for the 13th annual FAD road race! The race begins at 10:00 am rain or shine! Come and run/walk and know that you too are raising money for a great cause!

For more info about the race and/or to register, check out the website: www. Foxboroagainstdiabetes.com or feel free to come and ask me!

I hope to see you there with your sneakers laced and ready to go!

Excuses, Excuses

By Brittanie McDonald, B.S.
DHAC Exercise Physiologist

“I haven’t been to the gym in 6 months because...”

Or “I can’t go to the gym today because…”

And “I’m too tired to…”

We all hear them on day to day basis, whether it be from our friends, siblings, children or co-workers. It seems that everyone (including myself) has an excuse for something these days! And yet as much as we hate hearing them, we still have no problem making some of our own when it’s convenient.

Your excuses are the only things holding you back from becoming who you want to be and achieving your goals. Working in the fitness field in particular, I have heard every excuse in the book. But, more often than not, people are just afraid to be honest with themselves.

Here are just a few of the many excuses my co-workers and I have heard over the years.

1. TIME: I understand that life is not always predictable. Sometimes, there are situations that are genuinely out of our control, and need immediate attention. But what about the time you can control? I'm talking about that small window of time we have available for ourselves during the week.

Whether you go out for a walk, hike or a bike ride on these beautiful spring days, or wake up an hour earlier than usual and hit the gym before work, only a small window of time is needed. If you have some extra time on your lunch break, take a walk or go up and down the stairs in your building. Make exercise part of your daily routine, it should be just as important as your doctor appointments and business meetings.

2. MONEY We often hear that people don’t exercise because they can’t afford a gym membership. Yet there is always money for that daily $4.00 latte from Starbucks, that $100 dollar monthly iphone or cable bill, and $50 for going out to eat once a week. Shouldn’t your health be your main priority? Taking control of your health may cost you some money but in the end, our health is all we have!

3.RESULTS Did you gain that weight over night? No? Then why do we expect to lose it over night? It may take some time to get the results you are looking for, but you will start to feel the difference in just a few days and see the results in just a few weeks! Stop expecting a miracle and be realistic! A healthy amount of weight loss is 1-2lbs a week.

Don’t make excuses, make changes! Be the change you wish to see in yourself!

Remember to Breathe

By Julie Messinger
DHAC Exercise Physiologist

Many people ask me when it is appropriate to breathe while exercising . I always tell my group fitness classes to remember to breathe. People sometimes look at me like “obviously” But there is actually a proper way to breathe while exercising, especially during weight lifting.

While exercising, your brain automatically recognizes the increased carbon dioxide and lactic acid levels which causes you to start breathing heavily in order to increase oxygen levels. In order to control the heavy breathing, try taking slower inhales and exhales. By doing this you will actually be able to sustain the intensity of your work out.

When weight lifting, if you are not breathing (which many people do) all the blood rushes to your head causing you to become dizzy, lightheaded or you may even get a headache.

Here’s how simple it is…

Exhale on the release of your contraction, for example if doing a chest press when pushing the weight out you want to breathe in.

Inhale on release of the movement, so on that chest press you want to breathe in while pushing the weight back in. Once you practice this a couple times, you won’t even have to think about it.

Just remember to BREATHE.

Zombies! Run!

By Jason Laporte
DHAC Exercise Physiologist

You lace up your shoes, put in your earbuds, and hit the ground running. Maybe you’ll cover three miles today. You turn the corner feeling confident as you stride. Nothing’s gonna stop you today… or so you think. All of a sudden, you hear something behind you – long, rasping breaths and low, guttural moans... Worse, it sounds like they’re getting closer… and now right behind you… ZOMBIES! RUN!!!!

By far, my favorite new fitness app is “Zombies, Run!” by Six To Start. I downloaded the app for my Android device for a minimal fee, and it has changed my workouts for the better. The app provides an immersive running game which pits you against hordes of the Undead. Your mission is to collect imaginary items from a few shivering survivors of humanity to rebuild your home base and basically save the world.

Essentially the app gives you fun goals. As you run, you can hear yourself being chased by unrelenting, flesh-starved Zombies. How do you avoid them? Simple. Run faster! The app is super fun, and it definitely adds some pretty intense intervals to my workouts. The app is available for almost any smart device running iOS or Android.

If you’re looking for a little running motivation and don’t mind a fun scare, I recommend you check it out. Good luck. Oh, and don’t look back.