S T R E T C H I N G the Truth

Stretching is one of the key components to preserving your mobility, improving your joint health, and developing ultimate body balance; but it is an exercise tip that is most often disregarded. Over the years I have heard many different opinions on stretching from when to stretch and how often to stretch, to the different types of stretching. And, with so many opinions out there, I want to clear things up and give you the absolute truth about stretching.

When is the Best Time to Stretch; Before, During, or After Exercise? 

I suggest that before every exercise session you do a brief 3-5 minute low impact warm up and then stretch each muscle group for 20-30 seconds. Stretching during exercise can be done if you are feeling tightness in a certain muscle or group of muscles but it is not completely necessary. What about after exercise? This is the most important time to stretch because your muscles have been flexing and working and need to be taken back to their original range of motion before exercising again. This is where muscle and body imbalances can either start or be corrected, so make sure you allow time to stretch after your workout, too.

How Often Should You Stretch?

In an ideal world, stretching would reach its full potential if we did it every day. But, stretching every day is probably impractical and unrealistic for most of us because of our schedules and our lifestyles. A more realistic approach to stretching would be to do a full body stretch at least 3-4 days a week for 10-15 minutes and stretch specific muscles on the same day that you exercise them. Stretching can be monotonous and tedious, but it is absolutely necessary for our mobility now and in the future.

Which Type of Stretching is Best; Static or Dynamic Stretching?

When it comes to stretching there are two main types; static and dynamic. Static stretching means getting to the point where you feel a stretch in a particular muscle and holding that stretch without movement. Dynamic stretching would be getting to the point where you feel a stretch and then immediately return to the starting point, repeating this several times. Basically, dynamic stretching is stretching with movement. I recommend static stretching most of the time especially after exercise but it’s OK to do some dynamic stretching before exercise as a warm up. Just be sure to go slow with your movements to avoid over extending a cold body part or joint.

There are many opinions on stretching but it is absolutely vital that it is included in your fitness routine, even if your routine does not involve resistance training. The best way to look at stretching at the end of each of your workouts is that it gives you a great head start and a great beginning to your next workout. And, that’s no lie.

 

The It’s All Heart Class Has a New Day and Time!

My very first It’s All Heart Class was a huge hit! My trainers and I showed a series of full body workouts including resistance, cardiovascular and flexibility moves fit for anyone and everyone. For just $10, everyone that came out was able to learn some kickboxing, functional movement and core building techniques. Most importantly, they gained new confidence that they can successfully complete It’s All Heart and add more time and quality to their lives! No more joint pain! No more mobility issues!

I hope to see the same energetic faces and some new ones at my next It’s All Heart Class Fridays at 6:30 pm. To complete the same type of exercises conveniently from your home, click here for the complete kit.

 

The Next It’s All Heart Classes:

• Every Friday; next class on May 16th at 6:30pm
• Location – Studio 3 Dance, 2220 Coit Rd, Plano, TX 75075
• $10 per person/per class
• What to bring: Comfortable clothing that allows for optimum movement, a water bottle, and a towel
• To register or inquire about Bobby’s It’s All Heart classes, email Bobby@BobbyWhisnand.com or call 214.926.2639

 

Join My It’s All Heart Fitness Class, May 7th at 8 pm!

 

It’s All Heart 

A Total Body Fitness Class Offered by Bobby Whisnand

 

 What makes this program different? 

Regardless of your abilities, health issues, or exercise experience 

ANYONE & EVERYONE CAN DO IT

What You’ll Get:

• A class specifically designed for those with mobility, balance, energy and joint pain issues
• NO GYM MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED
• Full body workout including resistance, cardiovascular and flexibility
• Options for exercising for 30 minutes or for one hour
• Learn kickboxing, functional movement, and core building moves
• Increase your mobility and reduce joint pain
• One-on-one time with Bobby Whisnand and his trainers
• The classes compliment the It’s All Heart fitness program by Bobby Whisnand

The Next It’s All Heart Class:

• Class starts Wednesday, May 7th at 8:00pm
• Location – Performant Fitness, 4112 Legacy Drive, Frisco TX 75034
• $10 per person/per class
• What to bring: Comfortable clothing that allows for optimum movement, a water bottle, and a towel
• To register or inquire about Bobby’s It’s All Heart classes, email Bobby@BobbyWhisnand.com or call 214.926.2639

 

Can’t attend this class or would like for me to hold a fitness class near you? Call or shoot me an email. Or, try the full It’s All Heart video series here. 

 

Back Pain: A Pain in the…..

Back Pain! This is arguably the most common and nagging type of pain people deal with on a daily basis. Now, there may well be a thousand different reasons why one has back pain, but the reasons I am about to convey to you are the ones that can be avoided. As I always say, the first thing you have to do is understand the injury or pain which should be done with your doctor. And, if surgery or physical therapy is not prescribed, then it’s up to you to right the ship.

Here are my top three causes of back pain and the solutions to stop it:

1. Inflexibility – In my opinion, inflexibility–especially in the posterior (back) part of the body–is the number one reason many people have back pain. I’m talking about the hamstrings, calves, piriformis, glutes, and other muscles in the back of the body. When one or more of these muscles are too tight or when one side is tighter than the other (imbalance), the body compensates by adjusting with abnormal movement. And, the back–especially the low back or lumbar region–is the perfect place to be disrupted. When this disruption is severe enough, the disc between the vertebrae can shift, bulge, or rupture.

• Solution – STRETCH, STRETCH, and STRETCH again. I suggest everyone do a total body stretch at least 4 days a week and stretch specific body parts on the days you use resistance training to work those particular muscles. And, I suggest a brief 3-5 minute warm up by riding a bike, walking, or other type of low impact activity before you stretch.

2. Body Imbalance – Much like inflexibility, muscular and skeletal imbalance causes the body to compensate with abnormal movement which creates unnatural torque and stress in muscle and vertebral disc in the back. Some imbalances can be caused by accidents, injury, and genetic issues but many are self imposed by the way people exercise or their lifestyle. I’m talking about one side of the body being stronger than the other or having a bigger range of motion than the other side. This can also be an imbalance deep within underlying muscle, tendons, ligaments, or cartilage.

• Solution – Treat every part of the body the same which means two things: exercise every part of your body equally and mirror image what you do with one side of your body with what you do for the other side. Exercise the front of your body as much as the back side of your body, and pay close attention to the range of motion within all areas of your body and make it a priority to make them all the same.

3. Incorrect Exercise – There you go, you knew I was going to say it. As I have said before, the gym is a waiting room for orthopedic surgery, physical therapy, and pain management doctors because of what people are doing to their bodies. I see it every day, people slamming, jerking, twisting, and destroying their joints and their backs.

• Solution – You can’t see what’s wrong until you know what’s right. I suggest you take a look at any of the video clips from my It’s All Heart fitness program either on www.bobbywhisnand.com or on Youtube and you will immediately see how to exercise exactly as you should no matter what exercise you do. The three most important things to remember when performing resistance exercises is to GO SLOW counting 4-5 seconds for every single repetition, control your body, and control the motion of the exercise.Back pain, chronic or not, is telling you your body is not right.

 

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Whether it is from an accident, injury, or self imposed, your body is asking for correction within. You have to stretch often, reinstall balance throughout your body, and learn to exercise correctly so you can kick that back pain to the curb; literally.If you’ve found this blog post helpful, take a look at my YouTube videos: The Top Three Causes of Back Pain and How to Find Your Ultimate Body Balance to see my back pain advice in action.

Fitness Advice: How much of it is good?

The most common thing I see every single day in the gym is people exercising incorrectly. And, the reason for this is, people are learning by watching others and by what others are telling them to do. With so many opinions about fitness and the thousands of overnight “trainers” giving their advice, it’s no wonder why so many people are exercising toward injury and away from progress. For this very reason, I have listed my three points to help you determine whether your fitness advice is good or bad.

1.) Explanation – when someone gives you advice, trainer or not, ask them to explain to you in detail the advice they just gave you. And, don’t take answers like “I read it somewhere”, “my friend is a personal trainer and they showed me” or “it just works, try it.” All of these answers should be red flags to you and are more than likely a great indicator that you should forget their advice.

2.) Don’t judge a book by its cover – the decision to take someone’s fitness advice should not be measured by how good they look physically. Believe me, there are all kinds of ways for someone to look good on the outside: growth hormones, hormone therapy, and many other drugs that are all readily available to enhance the physiques of both men and women. So, be very careful not to associate good advice with good looks. The person giving you advice may well have become physically fit from hard work but we all have different genetics; what works for one person may not work for another.

3.) Educate yourself – this is exactly where it began for me. I was given advice from many people over my younger years, of which most I took blindly, and most was bad advice. After reading, learning, and many trial and errors, I learned the correct ways to exercise, eat, and recuperate my body. Learn about the body and most certainly how to exercise the right way using correct form and technique. Then, you will know what’s right and what’s wrong in terms of advice.

Remember, as with everything in life, “You can’t see what’s wrong until you know what’s right.”