Here are my pointers:

Make sure you are aligned (no matter the exercise).

Make sure you are pulling your abdominal wall in from the deepest part of your core to secure your back.  (Your back muscles will be working because you are extending your leg from the hip but you need to make sure that the low back is not the mover.  You must stabilize the low back and allow the leg to move inside the pelvis).

And make sure that you are feeling the right muscles working.  Begin to think about the muscles you are trying to activate to make sure nothing is amiss!

Look for many more videos on form as I want to help you get the most out of your workouts!!  XX S

This is a perfect way to start doing the Pretzel.  This basic workout is a foundational explanation of the exercise and is KEY for getting the right results. Often people let their knee drift forward so that they can “move the leg” and this, my friends, is cheating and is often what you find in watered down barre classes. I wish nothing more than to teach this to you in person so that I could correct your positioning but just listen for my cues, set your positions up and follow the workout.  Once you have the foundations, then and only then should you add the advanced lifts and beyond. You have to get the foundations to do it right!  Remember: form first!

1/ Your lower back is tight and when you are in your supine (that means face up) ab work, no matter the exercise, your lower back tightness inhibits the flexion of your spine which creates tension in your neck.

2/ Your abs are weak and when you get tired (which could be from the very first rep!) you feel your neck because you are recruiting the neck muscles to do the work.

3/ You have a combination of a tight back and weak abs.

Focus on the C-Curve Abdominal Exercise which is actually an orthopedic back stretch as shown in the below video. When you stretch out your back by strengthening your front, you will become both stronger and better in all supine ab work.

Always remember to listen to your body.  As you lower down with correct posture, lift your abdominal muscles from the pelvic floor.  Imagine your abs going up and elevator.  Or zip up a tight pair of jeans.  Lower down with control and purpose.  As soon as you start to feel like you are going to “lose” it or roll back, stop, press feet to floor (don’t let your toes dance around) and zip more.  Then you will be in the correct position for your level.  As you work at the level that is doable yet challenging, you will progress.  And little by little, you will inch your way down into more advanced abdominal work all the while being able to have a relaxed neck and aligned cervical spine.  (Cervical spine is the part of the spine in the neck that is often misaligned with improper form).

But also note.  Don’t overdo your abdominal training.  Always think about how to work your core in all directions.

Would you like to know how to get better, faster results when you work your upper body with planks and pushups?  Rather than thinking about how many you do or how long you do them or how advanced your positions can be, you need to pay attention to your form.  Here are three reasons to watch your form.

1. When you keep good form you will be keeping your joints and other parts of your body safe.  This allows the muscles which are supposed to be firing to fire in the right way.  This will mean you be getting stronger in the right places.  (Not putting pressure on the shoulder joints or lumbar spine which could insure you).

2. You will work at the level you can perform well all while challenging yourself in the ultimate position for your own body (not your neighbors).  If you only ever feel your lower back in a plank then something is very wrong.  Drop your knees to the floor and lift your core.  Press the floor away through your forearms and lift up out of that sagging back.  What you have done is support you position on the knees.  You will now get strong enough at this level to then (and only then) move on to more challenging plank positions.  And maybe you need to drop out of your pushups or planks before someone else does.  When you feel yourself losing your form, rest and recommit to restart the exercise.

3. You will connect the mind to the body by keeping good form.  This means that you will become more aware of your body and form during the exercise and this will in the end keep you more aware of your body and posture post workout.  (Don’t you know you look thinner and stronger when you sit and stand up straight!?!).  Become aware.  And see how good form in exercise increases your being present in your body throughout the day!

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut into 2-inch thick pieces

1 (15 oz.) can of Eden Foods cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed

¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

2 tbsp olive oil

Grapeseed (or high quality olive) oil for drizzling

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp dried basil

1/3 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

Tools

Cutting board

Knife

Shallow roasting pan

Food processor or blender

Directions

Preheat oven to 395F and add cut eggplant and unpeeled garlic to roasting pan, drizzling lightly with grapeseed oil. Roast for approximately 40 minutes until eggplant is brown and soft.

Remove from oven, peel garlic and add to food processor, blending until smooth.

Add white beans, olive oil, lemon juice, white pepper, paprika, basil, and parsley and blend until smooth.

Transfer mixture to a separate container and chill for at least one hour. Garnish with parsley and serve with raw vegetables, olives, crackers, or pita bread, or add to a salad or wrap. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

Tips

Tip: Eggplant easily soaks up liquid and oil so drizzle lightly.

Tip: Select an eggplant that is firm and heavy for its size. Test ripeness by gently pressing the skin – if it bounces back, it is ripe. Check the bottom of the eggplant and choose one with a more rounded indentation (a “male”) rather than one with a longer slit-like indentation (“female”).

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Level of difficulty: easy

Ingredients

1 medium acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed

2  or 3 medium organic sweet potatoes, washed well and cut in half lengthwise

3 ¾ cup of organic low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

3 tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tbsp of dried)

1 tsp sage

1 tsp thyme

Grapeseed oil

Tools

Cutting board

Knife

Silicone basting pastry brush

Measuring cup

Fork

Spoon

Shallow roasting pan

Large saucepan

Food processor or blender (Vitamix is great for this!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Brush cut sides of squash and sweet potatoes with grapeseed oil and place cut side down on roasting pan with unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast for 40 minutes until tender.

When cool, remove skins from sweet potatoes and scoop flesh from squash using a spoon or melon baller. Remove skins from garlic and add insides of garlic, potatoes and squash a large saucepan.

Add broth and basil to saucepan and season mixture as desired with thyme and sage.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until very tender.

Let cool slightly, then add mixture to food processor or blender and blend until smooth. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your food processor or blender.

Garnish with basil or thyme and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen in smaller batches.

Tips

Tip: Use a fork to pin down the potatoes and squash to make it easier to scoop out.

Tip: Select a squash heavy for its size (approximately 2 lbs) that has a smooth, but dull skin, with small amounts of orange spots.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 70 minutes

Level of difficulty: easy

What struck me on a on a recent trip to LA was how active that city expects you to be.  There I was, in a park, pictured on this hydraulic back machine which simultaneously worked my abs.  I cannot say it did much for me as I am more of a body weight girl. But I thought, this city is so conditioned to movement and activity that they provide exercise equipment in city parks!  I would never see this type of outdoor fitness machine in Tennessee.  In fact, would you believe that there aren’t even many sidewalks here?  That drives me crazy as we like to walk everywhere!

But it isn’t realistic for Levi and me to pack our bags and move our family to San Diego. And my love for NYC and the northeast would never let me move out west permanently.  So what do those of us do who live in these sometimes dreadful climates?   Seriously.  Who looks outside to the dreary weather in the middle of January and feels like getting bundled up (and worse, getting your kids bundled up) to travel to the health club or walk through your hilly (or flat) neighborhood?  But for your longevity, waistline and mental health, you must bundle up or find something that works with your time, desires, and budget.

For those of us in cities that don’t support active lifestyles (like Nashville) we have to be more proactive. If you’re not into health clubs or unmotivated to walk in your neighborhood, then fine.  Find something you like.  And DO IT!  Let’s say you are more of a home exerciser.  Then make a library for rotating DVD workouts (remember, you have to shake up your program for continued results) and get moving!  You can join me on here with the 30 Minute Slim Down (which comes with an assortment of streaming workouts and a dietitian approved diet plan).  You can join health clubs ranging from $15-100/month based on amenities or you can join a dance or martial arts class. (My husband is now taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is loving it!).  You can follow a book or you can commit to a refined studio class such as BarreAmped where you get personal corrections in a group atmosphere.   If you have the budget, you could even hire a personal trainer who would keep you accountable.   The point is that you can spend as little or as much as you want.

But you cannot keep making excuses for not feeling inspired to get off the couch or off of Facebook to physically work your body.  Once you get into that habit of movement, you will love how you feel, at least when it is over, and you will have changed your mind.   And you will have helped yourself beat the Winter Blahs (or summer heat waves…).  ;)

I would love to hear how you are staying in shape right now.  What is your fitness plan?  Do you need help?  Join me on Facebook or on this blog where I personally reply to all posts. It is my passion to help people MOVE and be in the best shape they can be!  Remember, Shake to Change!

Thai massage lends well to the fitness guru.  You are not going to be relaxed to sleep.  You are going to be worked, stretched and walked on.  You will feel tension release that you didn’t even know you had!  It is the most therapeutic massage because it’s both completely “full on” and, at times, somewhat (but perfectly) relaxing.  In fact, I am on a quest to learn it!

Here in America, massage is a luxury. It’s usually pretty expensive.  At least $1 a minute, I have to budget in my favorite pastime.  So I am not going to lie.  When I first saw the sign for $40 Thai massage in LA I was skeptical.  But there it was. The sign.  $40 for an hour of Thai Massage ($35 if you got there before noon). Not as cheap as Thailand but certainly tempting by American standards, Lamai on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach promised tension releasing therapies for a steal.  And we stole.  (Or well, paid up).

I wondered, “how good it could be?” Could it be translated to American soil?  Could it be as good as the nicest spas I have experienced?  Could it be as good as the $5 massages on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world?

When we first walked in the door, I was hit with the smell of my beloved Tiger Balm.  And then I started to get how they could charge so little when I saw how many mats with sheets for walls were lining the floors. There was nothing spa like about this place. You would have to wrap your head around this.  My love of third world countries and Southeast Asia made this place seem like a palace, so I was fine!

We were quickly ushered to our stations, given our clean uniform (boat pants and some sort of apron- thank God it was dark) and the stretching and releasing began.  My sweet, gently speaking masseuse suddenly started walking on my back, legs, shoulders.  She used her toes to expertly release my rhomboids, her heals to press on different points of my piriformis and stretched my leg in a direction I didn’t think it was supposed to go.  There were times when I thought, “just breathe.”  But the whole time I was loving every minute of it.  I was praying that Levi was liking it just as much. He’s not as “bendy” as I.  At the end of our first massage at Lamai, Levi was hooked.  And so was I.

The next time we went back on another trip to LA, we signed up for two hours.  Two hours of intense (sometimes torturous) muscle work.  And we felt amazing when we left. Just look at my face!

Hopefully I will learn some of the techniques myself very soon.  I am somewhat obsessed…  :)  Thank you, Lamai!  We will be back!