Feeling Energized - NW Personal Training

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Spring is almost here and that means we can look forward to longer days and warmer weather. We’ll often experience a surge of energy and many of us will start dusting off our golf clubs, tennis racquets, hiking boots and bikes.

If you’ve been dormant all winter, it’s important to spend some time making sure your body is ready for all the outdoor activities.

Here’s a list of areas you should focus on:

Core Stabilization

Spend some time doing some planks to assure your core muscles are ready to brace and stabilize your spine. Strive for a 1-minute plank.

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Torso Rotation

So many outdoor activities involve rotation of the spine including golf, baseball, tennis, and other racquet sports. Include some resisted rotation to prepare your body for that motion. Strive for 15 reps each side.

Agility

A lot of outdoor activities require that your body has the ability to move quickly forward, backwards and laterally. Set up some cones in a square and perform some drills travelling around the square running forward, sideways, and backwards. Go for 30-60 seconds one way, take a break, and then complete 30-60 seconds the other way.

Balance

It’s important for your body to inherently know where stable is. Perform some balance drills on one foot or on a BOSU trainer or other balance tool. Strive for the ability to balance on each leg for 1 minute.

Lower Body Strength

Most spring and summer activities require a strong lower body. Perform activities like squats, lunges and step ups. Start with gentle range of motion and get deeper and add more resistance as you get stronger.

Back Strength

To help avoid back injuries, be sure to perform back strengthening exercises like rows, pull-ups, reverse flies and prone opposite arm and leg extensions.

Along with the spring cleaning you may be tackling around the house, it’s important to get your body in tip-top shape if you want a fun-filled summer. Spend two to three days per week focusing on the above areas and spring training will be a homerun!

Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan