Designing Warm Ups to Prevent Injury

Today we’re talking warm-ups and why they matter.

Believe it or not, we don’t just toss a bunch of movements together and call them a warm-up.

We look at the training and identify the best drills that will get your body ready to move.Over the years we have discovered the most effective warm-up drills that keep our clients training safe.

 We don’t reinvent the wheel, because it works! The training injury rate has been at an all time low for years. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!

Dynamic? Mobility? Rolling? Where does it all fit in and why…

**One small thing I wish I had mentioned...

We do more dynamic warm up exercises on Monday and Friday metabolic training to activate the central nervous system prior to going into movements that require speed and power. We do more mobility warm up exercises on Tuesday and Thursday where the training is more strength based. 

Soft Tissue Tools

Lacrosse ball, dowel rod, and foam roller…oh my!

We use all three at Get Fit NH for soft tissue work and they all have their place!

  • A Lacrosse ball is great for deeper and targeted soft tissue work
  • Dowel Rod allows for angles and pressure
  • The foam roller is great for getting the blood flowing, working through tight muscles and just getting the muscles ready to go.

Check out the video below to learn more about when we might use different tools and why! 

Keep up with all the excellent questions. Remember, if you have a question, someone else definitely does too!

Does your plate look like this?

It’s not just full, it’s overflowing

You can’t find your rhythm, because every time you take two steps forward you have a fire to put out leaving you 5 steps back?

Yes, I’m familiar with that frustration. It feels like a vicious cycle. Like how is EVERYONE else doing life gracefully, while I’m being dragged through the mud?

It’s not like that. Many people have a plate that looks like this. The difference between grace and dumpster fire is strategy!

Stop demanding to do everything yourself! When I became a single mom to three kids 6 and under and became their sole financial provider I knew I needed to delegate some of the things on my plate.

  • Things that took away from my time with the kids- GONE
  • Things that gave me anxiety if they weren’t done- GONE
  • Things that took time away from making money- GONE
  • Boundaries- Fully implemented

So what do I mean? Because everything written on this plate needs to get done, right?

Did you know there are people in this world who earn a living doing things for you! Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. You can pull from areas in your budget where you’re wasting money.

Things I hired out that used to add up to many hours each week:

  • Deep cleaning (you know, vacuum, mop, bathrooms, kitchen, etc)
  • Yard work - no, thanks
  • Coach- yep, I have one who writes my training. Otherwise I’d never do a split squat for the rest of my life
  • Started having groceries delivered. Shop weekly on the Hannaford App
    • Using a meal plan
    • Which turns into solid meal prep

The hours saved turned into focused hours on myself, my business and my sanity which has lead to growth and confidence.

It doesn’t happen overnight and maybe you start in baby steps, but no steps = no change, no results, no sanity.

Let me know if you need help getting organized, it is my specialty!

Coach Meagan

Set Backs, Excuses, Reality Checks, OH MY

Set backs, excuses and reality checks…oooh my!

Woof, what a topic, but hey I’m on a roll with tackling topics no one wants to talk about so here we go…

Do you ever feel like your the queen (or king) of stupid set backs?

Me too

  • Shoulder dislocation x2 and the compensation aches that come along with it
  • Pinched nerve
  • Hernia surgery
  • Divorce....leading to a massive schedule change and becoming a single mom to 3 kids

Goshhh, like gurlllll, what’s your problem?! It’s always something!

It’d be easy to fall into the “Woe is me” mindset, right? Like everything just happens TO me. But in reality, life happens to everyone. Every single person faces challenges and obstacles that impact their day to day.

How we navigate through those obstacles is the difference between results and excuses.

  • Need more time?

Start managing it better. Make to do lists, use white boards, use your calendar, stop wasting time!

  • Need more money?

Start managing it better and get paid what your time is worth. Get creative on your revenue streams.

  • Want to feel better and more confident?

Start managing your movement, your eating habits, your sleep habits and your stress management

  • Stuck on any of those things?

Hire a coach or a mentor who can help you with the tools required to manage yourself.

Stop giving yourself a no. Stop deciding that you’re not worth making time for. Life is going to continue to happen around you, not TO you. You get to decide how you navigate through and you ARE strong enough do hard things and change.

Get out of your dang way <3

Little Educationy, Little Ranty

As a professional, I feel like it is a social obligation to share things many people are not saying out loud. I have worked in the health and fitness industry for almost 12 years. I have personally struggled with body image challenges in my lifetime up until only a couple of years ago. As a person who has recovered from those challenges and as a professional who helps others work through those challenges,  I am breaking the silence. 

The video with my story is below, I encourage you to watch it! It is a video I posted on my social media that had my inbox full of similar stories and feelings. Below the video I am going to share 3 things you may be saying to people as a compliment, but is actually making them very uncomfortable and then I will share 5 ways you can say what you mean without potentially triggering them.

Keep in mind, that we don't always know the internal battles others are facing, even if you know them very well! I had someone mention how "easily offended" people are now and how this information makes them question complimenting anyone anymore. It is not about being offended. It is about unintentionally triggering another person.

Let's normalize not complimenting or dissing people based on their body shape, can I get an amen?

3 things you might be saying to a friend, family member or complete stranger...

  • "You look great, have you lost weight?"

While this does feel good for some people to hear, it is very uncomfortable for others. Especially if they didn't lose any weight. Maybe their body is changing for a reason that you know nothing about.Or maybe that person was not trying to lose weight or didn't lose weight and then you say that and they wonder if they should lose weight. Also, can we normalize that you don't have to be skinny or a certain size to look great???

  • "What have you been doing different, you look awesome!"

Can you see how that statement would be uncomfortable to someone who has been doing nothing different? Again, this may feel good to some people, but to others they may wonder what the heck you thought they looked like before especially if they didn't change a thing. 

  • "OMG, you're so skinny"

Yikes. Imagine if the person you are trying to compliment is actually struggling and you just reinforced a habit. Or maybe they're actually sick. Or maybe they are struggling with some obsessive behaviors. Maybe they start overthinking and wonder if you used to think they were fat. 

You can see how commenting on the shape or size of a person's body can be taken the wrong way. Most people probably won't voice it. They will just say thank you or deflect the comment or make something up. Some people might love that compliment, but we have to normalize not  commenting on  other people's body. 

Here are 5 examples of  safe compliments

  • You are looking strong!
  • Your hard work in the gym is really showing! You lifted that like it was nothing!
  • You look so confident
  • You are seriously glowing
  •  You are rocking that outfit

These are all genuine compliments that get your point across. It feels good to give compliments and it feels good to receive them. I challenge you to give compliments that don't have a body image root. Our bodies change a lot and as a person who has overcome a lot of body image and body dysmorphia challenges, it is already hard enough  not to self identify as your body shape so when that is reinforced by the general population it makes recovery a lot harder.

I hope that helps, 

Coach Meagan


Making Sense of GFNH Coaching Cues

What does it mean to, “push the ground up and away”

A client asked me this recently and I realized how this cue could easily make NO sense! I even had a hard time explaining it, so I figured it was a great opportunity for visual demonstration! Common cues when it comes to lower body exercises

  • “Push the ground up and away”
  • ”Push through your feet”
  • “Push through the mats”
  • ”Feel your whole foot on the floor”

What does it all mean?

You generate SO much power from your feet so initiating the movement with a strong base is key to pushing against gravity. Check out what I mean in these examples:

Negative Self Talk

Let’s talk negative self talk.

Ever looked in the mirror and felt totally disgusted with what you saw? 

Me too. 

You proceed to:

+Pick yourself apart

+Threaten yourself with endless exercise 

+Change your outfit 500 times 

+Search quick fix and crash diets for immediate results 

Or even worse 

+Avoid social gatherings 

+Avoid all pictures 

+Bash yourself and your body in front of your kids and others who love you 

Let’s think about this…would you EVER say to a friend the crap you say to yourself? Or how about to your son or your daughter? 

Gosh, I hope not. 

  • Self sabotage
  • Self pity 
  • Negative self talk 

These are NOT action steps or solutions to the result you’re seeking. 

*YOU deserve memories and stories with your friends and family 

*YOU should be in all the pictures, because you just never know 

*It is YOUR job to take responsibility for your health 

*It is YOUR obligation to set the example for the little eyes looking up to you 

Exercise is not punishment

Food is fuel 

Don’t use those as threats or punishment to the person you see in the mirror or the number you see on the scale. 

New Hips, No Problem

Both of these clients have had their hip replaced less than a year ago! One of these clients has had two hip replacements AND a knee replacement!

This is what strong looks like. Such incredible progress. These two were back to training within 4 weeks of their major surgeries Hip and knee replacements aren’t unique surgeries around these parts! Neither are those clients who are pending those surgeries.

 Often times surgeons want to see their patients either lose weight or get stronger before getting it done. If that’s you, then know we are well-versed in modifications and post rehab. 

Best Share Dish For BBQs

If you have never tried the angel food cake fruit dip then you are missing out! 

Ingredients 

  • Angel Food Cake Ultimate Muscle Protein Powder
  • Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Directions

Whisk a scoop of protein powder into 3/4 Cup greek yogurt. Dip with strawberries for ultimate WOW factor. 

Check out the video below to see how easy it really is! This protein packed snack is 210 calories and low in the fat department.

I originally made this video for clients who participated in the most recent transformation contest so cut some of the video out as it didn't apply the recipe.

Ski Erg Technique

Let’s talk about ski erg technique!

The ski erg is a power pull and there is a technique to get the most out of it and not make your neck and shoulders cranky!

The little things matter!

-Get those shoulders down out of the ears

-Stop bending at the elbows to generate speed! You’ll fatigue a whole lot faster!

-Use those lats to gain power, speed and endurance.

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