It?s hard to believe that the end of the summer is almost upon us, and in just a few weeks we will all be falling back to our ?normal? schedules. I remember what this time was like when I was growing up. My grandmother would take me shopping for back-to-school clothes on our annual family vacation to Boston and Cape Cod. Then once we returned home to Charlotte, we would visit Office Depot with supply lists provided by our school to make sure we were optimally prepared for our first day back.
Have you been off your exercise routine for the summer? Or perhaps you found more time in your life to exercise since home and work were a little less demanding of your time? Whether you sweated more or less this summer, it is important to recognize that whenever we change our routine we have a fresh opportunity to set ourselves up for success.
As we head into fall, think about your fitness and health goals for the remainder of 2012.
What would you like to achieve as you make the transition into fall?
Do you want to maintain your current level of commitment to your health or is it time to step it up?
And what can you do at home to augment this commitment?
For my regular clients, regardless of whether they work with me in their homes or at the studio, I?m a strong advocate of taking action towards their fitness goals in their time away from me. Even if you aren?t going to do a full workout routine on your own, regular stretching, self-myofascial release, and cardio work all assist in maintaining forward momentum between Personal Training and Pilates sessions.
Here are the top 5 pieces of equipment I recommend that my clients have at home to supplement our work:
1) A good mat ? Useful for all stretching and Pilates exercises you might do at home. Since I?m both a Pilates Instructor and Personal Trainer, I recommend something with a little bit of padding. These are usually called Pilates Mats or Aeromats. Yoga mats are just too thin, making it hard to kneel on or do any exercises that require rolling through your spine. If the mat?s too thick, exercises like plank or kneeling on all fours become really hard on the wrists. Click here for my favorite mat. Try the 72? version if you do a lot of Pilates at home.
2) A foam roller ? This is a major tool for addressing imbalances in the body. By rolling out key muscle areas, you can help rebuild tissue and encourage your body to work in better balance while working out. I also teach some other fascial release techniques for which you lay on the roller. There are different varieties of foam rollers out there on the market. They range in price based on durability and how packed (soft/hard) the material is. The basic white is the least durable, but also the cheapest. I usually go for the grey roller which is more packed and very durable. If your fascia is very tight, or you are very sensitive, you could purchase the EVA Foam Roller which is softer. Regardless of softness and color, for the maximum variety of exercises, purchase a full round 6? roller.
3) A stretching strap ? This strap has multiple loops so you can adjust for different exercises and your own flexibility. It evens comes with an illustrated chart of different stretches. This is a prime tool for a stretching method called AIS (Active Isolated Stretching). In this method, you work the opposing muscle in order to facilitate stretching of the desired muscle. It works very effectively, particularly for those who are very tight and seem unresponsive to other stretching methods.
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4) A lacrosse ball or rubber ball?- These balls are another tool for self-myofascial release. Because they are small, they can get into areas of the body that are hard to reach with a foam roller (pectorals, gluts, shoulders, etc.) Rubber balls are less firm, so if you like a heavy hand, go with the lacrosse ball.
5) A ?magic? circle or Pilates ring ?- The magic circle (as it was originally named by Joseph Pilates), is both resistance and alignment tool that can be added to most mat exercises for additional challenge and biofeedback (so you have increased awareness about whether you are doing an exercise correctly or not). This?is the ring I use.
Not sure how to use these pieces of equipment? I offer a myriad of services including Custom Workout Design, in which I teach you workout techniques you can do at home. You can also get free bi-weekly?FitTips where I breakdown workout techniques and much more. (Subscribe on the top right of this page)
Have another piece of home fitness equipment you love? Leave a comment below to let me know what it is. I?m always looking to add new tools to my tool belt.
Also, feel free to share with me your intentions for fitness and health moving into the fall.
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