Check-In
Coach's Corner
Peace! Check me in at a 4.92. This past weekend, I got an opportunity to hang out with my fraternity brothers and it was exactly what I needed after a long week. For one, it's always good to be around friends. I spend a lot of time with a metaphorical "mask" on at work, so it's nice to spend quality time with people that I can be my natural self around. The other part that I loved was getting to be active outside! Along with wearing that mask, I also spend a good amount of time indoors because of work so I loved that we were outside hanging out.
This year, I caught the "take a walk outside" bug and I've been loving it. I think taking a walk became popular because it's more accessible than running. Even as a person who could be considered "fit", the idea of going for a run scares me. Shin splints don't feel good and my chest burning from running isn't appealing. But, walking is a great place to start. Instead of running a mile, just walk a mile. If you want some sort of challenge, you can time your walk and see if you can do it faster whenever you walk. Whatever you decide to do, remember this: you can start at a place that works for you.
Everyday Goals
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Free Game
Do I Need to Stretch or Foam Roll?
Like most questions, the answer is "it depends". To help you make a decision, it's important for you to understand the purpose and benefits of performing both of these exercises.
Muscles contract and lengthen when they are being used for exercise. To ensure that your muscles are prepared to lengthen and contract, we "warm up" before exercise by stretching. After exercise, we stretch to help our "tight" muscles to lengthen and return to their normal state. Sometimes, muscles get chronically tight and we need to stretch them repeatedly to help them return to their natural state.
Muscles that are chronically tight can develop "knots" that can be released through massage. Sometimes these knots are visible but usually, it's more of a feeling of soreness. This is where foam rolling comes into play. We foam roll to release those muscle knots, but also to increase blood flow to a place in our body which brings a sense of warmth and helps muscles return to their normal state. After we've foam rolled, we stretch the muscles to prepare them for movement.
So let's apply what we've learned. Tiffany goes to the gym and she's about to warm up for exercise. Her quads (front side of her thighs) are chronically tight and today, they are feeling particularly sore and stiff. Should Tiffany:
A) Stretch her quads
B) Foam roll her quads
C) Foam roll her quads then stretch
Hint: por que no los dos? 😉
Everyday Tunes
Music has always been an important part of my life. Whether it's to get me hyped up or to calm my nerves, I lean on music to help regulate my thoughts and emotions. Every week I'll share some of my favorite tunes that I listen to; let me know what you think of my playlist and share some of your own favorites!
Hard Fete - Bunji Garlin
Ain't much to say here. This one for all my Soca lovers! Grab your flag and wave it in the air!!
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Remember: We Are What We Do Everyday.