EXERCISE OF THE MONTH

Each month I will be featuring an exercise/ new move.  It maybe Pilates based, a plyometric move, a balance and stability exercise etc. You get the idea.

Bird Dog Plank  Start in the plank position, feet hip width apart. Your head and spine should be in a straight line, while you raise your right arm out in front of you, and your left leg a few inches off the floor. Hold for 3-5 seconds, keeping body level and stable. Repeat on the opposite side. 8 reps each side. Remember to breathe and keep you abs engaged. Let me know what you think.

 

Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. Nathaniel Hawthorne

ZSWEET REVIEW

Have you heard of ZSweet? This is a sugar substitute made of erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol found in many fruits and fermented foods like soy sauce, cheese, and wine and other fruit extracts.  It has zero calories and it definitely does not leave an aftertaste.   Many of the sugar substitutes tend to leave an aftertaste,  so I was pleasantly surprised that it did not. I also used it to bake with and you really would not know a sugar substitute was used,  my banana bread and muffins were quite delicious.  Oh, and it does not leave you bloated or gassy like  many artificial sweeteners.

Taken from the  the website : We are dedicated to offering healthy and delicious sweeteners with all natural starting materials, ingredients, and all natural processing. Therefore, all of the ingredients in ZSweet® are non-GMO, as well as gluten free and contain no known allergens.

• All Natural
• Zero Calories
• Zero Glycemic Impact
• Zero Net Carbs
• Sugar Free
• Gluten Free
• Kosher
• Vegan

This product is also very good for Diabetics because it does not increase blood glucose levels.   The website has a FAQ section as well as a recipe page and you can even down load a recipe book.  Let me know if you try it. Have you used sugar substitutes in baked products before?  Or do you prefer to use sugar?

What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a great weekend.

OUR HAMSTRINGS

Our hamstrings  consists of 3 muscles the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris.  The hamstrings cross 2 joints, the hip and the knees, and they are involved in hip extension as well as knee flexion.   (Picture source) Runners tend to neglect their hamstrings in their strength training and flexibility routines and resulting at times in strains, tears and pulls.  Many times this injury occurs because of a muscular imbalance, the quadriceps being more dominant or stronger than the hamstrings. This type of injury is very difficult to heal, sidelining runners for weeks. So I will be sharing some exercises you can introduce into your training.

Perform 2-3 sets 12-15 reps, where required choose an appropriate weight.

Exercise Ball Curls

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Prone leg curl

Good morning

Upcoming Posts: Product review Exercises using the Pilates Ring   Plyometric exercises to improve your speed Let me know what you think.

A BOOK REVIEW AND JOLERS BOX

Ageless Pilates Book Review

A few weeks ago Christine Binnendyk sent me her book Ageless Pilates to review.   This book is beneficial to everyone, no matter your age. We can all benefit from having this book in our “library”. Christine has laid out the book in such a away that we can make the exercises work for us individually. The book is very descriptive and easy to understand. She has included modifications in each chapter.  There are 8 chapters in the book, she has also dedicated a chapter to different ailments, and for example a section in the last chapter is on Arthritis in which she has laid out a 15 minute workout routine that will help in easing arthritis pain. I highly recommend this book not only to Pilates teachers but clients as well. Visit her Website. So you are probably wondering ” What is Jolers Box?”. Well, it is an online  store started by my friend  where she shops the local markets and brings back accessories and clothing from her travels. The pieces are unique, and original.

I bought the Super Spiky Stretch Cuff Bracelet,  and I can’t tell you the amount of compliments I have gotten. You should check it out.