Gravity Fx Fitness

This weekend I had the pleasure of learning to use Indian clubs from physical educator Dr. Ed Thomas.  This ancient art is highly useful for re-teaching or restoring proper posture, as well as expanding the ribcage and positively influencing your breathing patterns.

I had been using Indian clubs for a little while with my clients and myself as part of a dynamic warmup, but I must confess that the patterns used were very “primitive” at best, nothing close to the precise patterns that Dr. Thomas is capable of.

So first thing Monday, all my clients spent a couple minutes learning how to “properly” go through some of the patterns and could really feel their shoulderblades moving and their ribcages opening up to allow for better breathing.

I have to confess, after a weekend of using the clubs for several hours, along with a basic yoga class and I am standing taller and breathing much more relaxed.  I also feel less tension in my neck.

It might interest you to know that it wasn’t just personal trainers or physical educators that were expressing the health benefits of diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing, but physical therapists like Gray Cook, also.

Here is a link to an article that Ed Thomas wrote on breathing.

This is a simple video that can be used for 2-5 minutes daily to work on proper breathing.  With the majority of our society being seated throughout most of their day, high stress levels and a lack of proper exercise, this is a simple way to help combat these issues.

Soon I will post an article on the clubs with some simple ways to increase mobility in your shoulders and increase your coordination and posture.  Interestingly, Dr. Thomas learned to use the clubs in Davenport, Iowa as an 8 year old in the Fifties at the German Turner hall.  I think its time to bring back some of these lost arts that have been around for hundreds or thousands of years in various cultures throughout the world.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Finding healthy ways to reduce stress is vital to preventing illness! One of my clients came in on a Monday and was all stressed out.

She told me to really push her through the workout, to help get rid of some frustrations.  She had some unexpected events that increased her stress levels and needed to release it, big time.

This client is a hard worker so my task wasn’t too difficult.  About 35 minutes of work (plus warmup and cooldown) was just what the doctor ordered, or at least that’s what more doctors should prescribe!

We went from one exercise to the next with little rest in between, training all the body’s large muscle groups in a single session.  Monday is cardio day (total body conditioning) and gets the heart rate elevated.

Most people would eat, drink or smoke (or all of the above) to deal with the stress.  Besides not adding to your health, this method doesn’t do anything to actually reduce your frustrations and can cause them to build in the long term.

Can you say heart attack or high blood pressure?  I don’t mean to joke about such a serious matter, but if not released, too much stress can do some serious damage to your health.

Some form of exercise or movement is definitely needed.  Some people may do some yoga to unwind while others will opt for high intensity activity.  Cardio strength training seems to work for my clients and me – different strokes for different folks.

Two or three times a week of higher intensity work and some moderate activity/recreation on the other days gets the job done.  Walking, biking, hiking, jogging or some yoga or tai chi movements will all fit the bill.

If you’re not training for some type of competition, mixing things up will keep your body AND mind fresh.  Keeping your body guessing is a good way to avoid the plateaus that hit the typical gym member.

Another benefit to our workouts is the variety – no two workouts are exactly the same!  The time efficient session also left her with plenty of daylight, so she could enjoy some fishing at the lake with her brother.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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A just-published study suggests the practice of meditation may bring cardiovascular and mental-health benefits.

The research, followed close to 300 students, half of whom practiced transcendental meditation for 20 minutes once or twice daily over three months. A subgroup of subjects in the meditation group who were at increased risk for hypertension significantly lowered their blood pressure and psychological distress, and also bolstered their coping ability.

The average reduction in blood pressure in this group — a 6.3-mm Hg decrease in the top (systolic) number of a blood pressure reading and a 4-mm Hg decrease in the lower (diastolic) number — was associated with a 52 percent reduction in the risk of developing hypertension in the future. Meditators who were not at increased risk for hypertension saw a reduction in psychological distress, depression, and anxiety as well as increased coping ability.

As the new year begins and you resolve to make healthier lifestyle choices, I strongly encourage you to add a few minutes of meditation to your daily routine.

Just 20 minutes a day can begin to make a big difference in how you feel mentally, physically and emotionally.

When your mind is calm and your emotions are within your control, you’re in a much better position to tackle all your normal responsibilities plus the goals you’ve set for yourself.

Feelings of stress and overwhelm that keep you stuck in unhealthy behaviors can be greatly relieved by a regular practice of meditation. As the clouds in your head clear and your anxiety is minimized, you’ll be amazed at how energized and capable you feel.

Set the Stage for a New Beginning

All the changes you make in your life begin in your head.

Meditation has the power to actually alter the way your mind works by strengthening the areas of your brain that regulate attention and memory.

When you’re better able to focus and concentrate, you can perform routine tasks quickly and efficiently, leaving yourself with the time and energy you need to take on new goals and challenges.

Rather than doing the same things the same way, with the same mindset and the same disappointing results, meditation allows you to set the stage for the changes you want to make in your life.

Managing Your Stress = Managing Your Life

Every human illness is stress-related on some level.

Since meditation works so well to relieve stress, it can also prevent and help heal illness. Not only can meditation reduce blood pressure and hypertension risks, it has also been shown to help relieve:

• Chronic pain, including headaches
• Respiratory problems such as emphysema and asthma
• Sleep disturbances and fatigue
• Gastrointestinal distress and irritable bowel syndrome
• Skin disorders
• Mild depression and premenstrual syndrome
• RA (rheumatoid arthritis) symptoms

Conditions like these can rob you of your ability to live a full, satisfying life. When you’re weighed down with stress and the physical complaints that go with it, just getting through each day becomes a chore. Your stress is in control – you aren’t.

What could be better than a cure for feelings of stress and stress-related illness that is all natural and free except for a small investment of your time?

That’s what meditation offers you. It’s a foundation upon which to build. That’s why I recommend it as a place to start before you attempt to make other positive changes in your life.

Three-Legged Stool

Imagine meditation and other stress management tools as the third leg of a three-legged stool of good health.

One leg of the stool is proper nutrition. Another is exercise.

Without all three legs, the stool can’t stand up. That’s how important meditation can be to your overall health. Your ability to handle life’s stressors is just as important for your survival as the food you eat and the condition of your body.

Getting Started

To test your meditation wings, give this a try. Sit quietly, perhaps put on some soothing music, and close your eyes.

Breathe rhythmically and focus — on your breathing, a flower, an image, a candle, a mantra or even just being in the moment. If you find that your mind starts to wander, direct it back to your focus point and continue from there.

Ideally, set aside 15-20 minutes a day to practice meditation. You can also try it in shorter segments, but ultimately try to work your way up to 20 minutes.

I’m also a major fan of brainwave entrainment technology. We offer the Insight CD System here on our site. The Insight CD is set up so you can do a 20-minute quick session or longer 40- or 60-minute sessions.

By listening to the CD you can literally train your brain to function at a high level of synchronization, opening up the way for a flood of positive effects. When the left and right sides of your brain begin to work in concert with each other, electrical activity and energy patterns become more widespread throughout the brain instead of remaining confined to certain areas.

Research has indicated this type of “whole brain synchronization” is present at times of intense creativity, clarity and inspiration.

Whether you use the Insight audio CD or meditate on your own in a quiet, undisturbed place, make sure you make the practice a priority of your daily life. It’s a simple step that can have a lasting and profound influence on your physical health and mental well-being.

Use this quiet time to focus on whatever you want to.  You can use it to pray if you wish.

I like to do joint mobility movements and really focus on what my body is feeling as I go through the various patterns – kind of like meditation in motion.  Works well for us ADD types.  Besides relieving stress it increases the quality of your movements, which is always a good thing.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Never heard of such a thing?  I use it to describe the ways in which I exercise.  I’m kinda ADD and much of my workouts are short and intense - Fire.

I like using circuits involving tools like sandbags, resistance bands, and bodyweight training.  I like to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time, instead of doing 90-120 minute exercise sessions.

If you want to burn some fat, turn up the flame – get your heart rate up while working your muscles against some type of resistance.  Use exercises that involve multiple muscles and joints, without resting very long between movements.

This type of training can elevate your metabolism for several hours afterwards, burning plenty of calories in the process.  There has been quite a bit of research in recent years to back this up, as well as the “in the trenches” results achieved by several fat loss gurus.

But this type of intense training may cause you to “burn out” if done all the time, without taking some time to do some less intense activity/training.  It might also lead to some joint inflammation and overuse injuries, if not done properly.

This is where the Ice training comes into play.  I like to mix up my intense days with easier days, where I may focus on joint mobility movements or take a walk or hike.  Something to give your mind a little break, as well as your body.

The joint mobility movements that I do are like a “Westernized” version of Tai Chi that can include isolated movements of the joints or whole body movements.  The main difference is that this can be done in as little as 10-15 minutes – longer, if you want.

This activity incorporates a mind-body connection where you really focus on how your body is feeling while moving.  This can help you deal with stress and anxiety, which I am prone to.

I’ve been doing this since 2003 and notice a big difference in my posture and an increased efficiency in my everyday movements.  It helps with coordination and can be useful in regaining mobility after an injury.

Being somewhat ADD, I also appreciate the fact that it can be done in a fairly short amount of time.  I frequently incorporate it into my warmup to lubricate my joints and get my body ready for further exercise.

So the Fire and Ice Training philosophy kinda mimics my own personality – intense and easy going at the same time.  Bottom line, many physical problems are movement related – not enough or too much (overuse injuries).

We all need some balance in our lives and this includes periods of intense activity and less intense.

Get moving!

Brian

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