CoreFit » corefit challenge

Apps Are So Out

Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:44:19 +0000

I know, I know… Apps are the next “It” thing if you are in business. But I am proposing that you NOT carry your cell phone everywhere you go. And hey, especially when you are exercising. Because, if anything, exercise is your hour to yourself everyday. And it should be peaceful and quiet and you shouldn’t have emails buzzing and text messages being sent and you shouldn’t be looking at yet another florescent screen just to follow an exercise routine. No, I’m thinking all you need is your eyes, your ears, your heart, your arms and legs to carry out the most physical part of your day. Forget technology, get in touch with something even more intelligent and complex–your body.

So I’m developing a CoreFit Deck that you can take with you. Get the first of these workouts here and print out so you can just grab them and go to the gym. In fact, why not just take a few in your gym back so all you have to do is follow the pictures and do the routine. Simple. And it won’t even show up on your data usage.

Lady Gaga’s Hip

Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:05:27 +0000

Yes, even superstars get injured.

Doctors discovered that she suffered a labral tear in her right hip. Actually this is not an uncommon injury in athletes. Read on for preventative exercises and a lesson in hip anatomy!

What’s A Labral Tear

Symptoms include hip pain or a “catching” sensation in your hip joint. Initial treatment may include pain relievers and physical therapy (see below for exercises). Using arthroscopic techniques, surgeons can remove loose fragments from within the joint and trim or repair the hip labral tear. Surgery should only be for a worse case scenario injury as complications like scar tissue, range of motion and infection can result.

Hip Anatomy

The labrum is a strong fibrocartilage which forms a gasket around the socket of the head of the femur. It secures the femur to the pelvis. Here’s a breakdown of the anatomy:

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. The socket is formed by the acetabulum, which is part of the large pelvis bone. The ball is the femoral head, which is the upper end of the femur (thighbone).
A slippery tissue called articular cartilage covers the surface of the ball and the socket. It creates a smooth, frictionless surface that helps the bones glide easily across each other.
The acetabulum is ringed by strong fibrocartilage called the labrum. The labrum forms a gasket around the socket.
The joint is surrounded by bands of tissue called ligaments. They form a capsule that holds the joint together. The undersurface of the capsule is lined by a thin membrane called the synovium. It produces synovial fluid that lubricates the hip joint.

The Exercises

Part of Lady Gaga’s issue lies in her workout routine. Obviously during performance, she is used broad range of motion, dynamic movements. To prepare for these quick broad movements, an athlete must strengthen the muscles that support the joint–specifically your pelvic girdle. These muscles prevent your pelvis from rotating forward or back, maintaining a neutral position. When your pelvis has laxity (or flexibility) this often means you may be prone to pain in your hips, back, and legs due to the incorrect position. Do these exercises to prepare for dynamic movement and stabilize the pelvis. I recommend 2x per day, 10 reps each.

Runners Yoga

Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:53:43 +0000

LEyogaflow-runnersyoga

Challenge #17: Tempo Run

Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:34:05 +0000

Want to beat the masses at your next 5k, 10k or half? If you are a competitive runner, you know you get your edge from making incremental improvements in your training. TEMPO RUNS are the solution to a lot of training plateaus because they teach the body how to efficiently metabolize oxygen.

Try this TEMPO RUN and see where you stand:

1. WARM UP for 1 MILE with a JOG pace (40-50% max speed)

2. SPRINT 1 MIN

CORE Check: Day 4

Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:21:03 +0000

Grrrrr. Getting frustrated my abs are no better. And I am 4 days in. Maybe I will have to drag this puppy out to 7 days instead of 5. Boo.

Challenge #16: Standing Half Splits

Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:13:41 +0000

Now a few of you (okay, maybe all of you) will look at the thumbnail STANDING HALF SPLITS image and say to yourself, “Shayna must be on drugs if she thinks I can do that.” While I don’t expect you to fully extend your leg to the sky (like the crazy lady in the picture), you can certainly begin with a HALF MOON POSE.

Try working with a stability ball. Place one or both hands on ball and slowly lift leg up, while bringing upper body down towards ball. When you have your weight and balance figured out, start rotating your outer hip high towards the ceiling for HALF MOON. If you are ready to move on to standing half splits and have the flexibility in your hamstrings, SLOWLY rotate your hip back down towards the floor to square your hip off. Then as you engage your hamstring on the up leg, pull your abdominal wall in and slowly bring your upper body down. This is the full STANDING HALF SPLITS.

CORE Check: Day 3

Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:00:51 +0000

Not seeing any huge difference before and after exercise today, but I cannot wait to post Monday’s (after beer, burgers) image next to Friday’s!

-Shay

Challenge #15: Power Up

Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:23:46 +0000

Alright, let’s face it, I know you guys are all a sucker for a pretty face. And while this intro picture might be a clever ruse to draw you in to checking out this POWER UP workout challenge, I’m willing to bet you either want to look like this guy, or be with this guy. To do either, you have to have a body to match. Try CoreFit Challenge #14 to power up through plyometrics, and full body core work. If you want to really push yourself, add a 50m sprint in between each exercise without resting.