Effect of Exercise on the Brain

Research has suggested that exercise has an impact in increasing grey and white matter in the hypothalamus. In other words, exercise has an positive impact on cognitive brain function which will improve productivity, memory, and the thought process. Engage in 30-45 minutes of exercise daily to reap the cognitive benefits that exercise provides!

Written by Chris Croley, Personal Trainer, Motivation Fitness

3 Ways to Log a Better Run

Strengthen Core

According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, a stronger core can help your speed. Run with a slight lean forward so that you are using the pull of gravity for your propulsion instead of your legs. The trick is in your core strength. Building a strong core increases agility, efficiency and your ability to balance yourself in a gentle forward fall while running. A strong core allows you to relax your legs and can improve coordination on technical terrain.

Incline Training

Runners who trained on inclines improved their maximum running speed by 4.3 percent. In hill running, the athlete is using their body weight as a resistance to push against, so the driving muscles from which their leg power is derived have to work harder. The technique to aim for is a "bouncy" style where the athlete has a good knee lift and maximum range of movement in the ankle. They should aim to drive hard, pushing upwards with their toes, flexing their ankle as much as possible, landing on the front part of the foot and then letting the heel come down below the level of the toes as the weight is taken. This stretches the calf muscles upwards and downwards as much as possible and applies resistance which overtime will improve their power and elasticity. The athlete should look straight ahead, as they run (not at their feet) and ensure their neck, shoulders and arms are free of tension. Many experts believe that the "bouncy" action is more important than the speed at which the athlete runs up the hills.

Stride Stretch

Stretch your hamstring muscles to increase your running stride. The hamstring muscles include the semimembranosus, the semitendinosus, and the biceps femoris. These muscles bend (flex) the leg at the knee and also straighten (extend) the leg at the hip joint. They are especially important for effective sprinting in terms of power and stride length. To properly stretch your hamstrings, after every run lie down and raise your right leg toward your chest. Hold for atleast 10 seconds, lower, and repeat twice; repeat on left leg. This hamstring stretch has been proven to boost stride length by 7 percent.

Post Written by Kyla Viviani, Personal Trainer

How Goal Setting Can Improve Your Results

Are you working out just to workout, or do you have a specific reason?  Have you been doing the same workout for years?  You know it’s good for you, but do you wonder what exactly exercise can do for you?

Goal setting is possibly the most important part of exercise.  Without stating what you’d like to accomplish, there’s no way to achieve it.  So what can exercise do for you?  With proper direction and motivation, exercise can affect many positive changes, including

· Improvement in a specific sport

· Decrease the risk for diseases (arthritis, Alzheimer’s, various forms of cancer)

· Increase flexibility

· Better balance and coordination

· Avoid or get rid of joint pain

Setting goals takes several steps, but is easy.  You must begin by questioning yourself. “What do I want to accomplish?” “What is my current health status?” “Is this goal a credible goal?” “What are the steps I need to take in order to get to my goal?”  You must follow these questions by establishing a way to measure the movement towards your goal; for example, a valid fitness assessment.  Track your workouts. Write  down your activities and their difficulty levels.  Lastly, you must be prepared to do a full re-assessment after three months and make any modifications to keep you on course.

Some examples of valid goals are; “Improve my tennis game” “Get rid of my knee pain” “Walk down the street and not be afraid of falling” “Be able to bend over and touch my toes” “Climb stairs without getting winded.”

 

Goal setting gives your workouts a focus.  Rather than just going through the motions, pick a direction and work hard to achieve what you want!

Written by Micah Josephson, Personal Trainer