Health Tips 0311

Liz & Clary's Weekly Health Tips
March 2011

03/27/11
Health Tip: More On Office Workout Tips, From 3/21/11 Fox News Rising View Video

Can’t get away from the office? Find ways to improve your posture, work your core and keep yourself ache and pain-free at work with these tips:

- When sitting at your desk, keep your eyes level with the top of your computer monitor to prevent neck and back strain.

- Sit up straight with ears over shoulders and shoulders over hips (basic HSM alignment!)

- If your boss and space allow, purchase a large exercise ball to replace your office chair at your desk. This keeps your back and core muscles in proper alignment and even burns calories by stabilizing and working your core. Plus you can move around, bouncing or moving side to side. Keep your body moving as much as possible to not only burn calories but to keep the blood circulation in your whole body and brain. This will help you stay more alert and productive which in turn may help you get out of the office sooner!

- If you’re working continuously at your computer take stretch breaks:

For the neck: move your head slowly forward and backward, side to side, and in slow gentle rolls.
For the shoulders: roll shoulders forward 10 times and backwards 10 times.
For the chest: clasp hands behind you at your back, press hands together and lift arms up as high as you can to open up your chest.
For back: reach forward with arms, clasp hands ahead of you, tuck your tailbone under and pull your abs in so the spine makes a C curve. Feel your shoulder blades release.
Roll out wrists and ankles for improved circulation. (Maybe even take your shoes off!)

- To work your abdominal and gluteal muscles, take an inhale, exhale and contract both by gripping the seat, pulling in the abdominals and tucking your hips underneath you into a c-curve. Hold in for a few seconds. Release into a neutral spine with an inhale, repeat. You can choose to make these shorter busts in faster repetition for about 30 reps in sequence as well. These are also great to do on long plane or car rides.

-If the boss and office mates allow, try these workout moves:

Push ups at desk: hinge body toward edge of desk in a plank position. Turn fingers slights inward and bend and straighten arms for modified push ups. The farther out you walk you feet, the more challenging the pushup.
Dips for triceps at chair or on floor
Wall sits with one leg extended into the room
Pelvic tilts on the floor holding in abs
Plies, 2^nd position while talking on the phone. Do 30 to knee level
Fold over glute work at desk.

03/20/11
Health Tip: Nix the Bloats and Diet Soda
Need a pick-me-up? Reach for tea, coffee or Kombucha over diet soda.

Teas like green and black tea and black coffee contain a burst of caffeine along with powerful antioxidants, zero calories and are completely natural and easily digested by your body. Bottled kombucha tea is effervescent, contains probiotics, B vitamins, folic acid, and made from all-natural ingredients. With just 60 calories for a very large container of Synergy Kombucha tea, we don’t go a day without one!

Opt for these over diet soda and coffee drinks filled with milk products and no calorie sweeteners which not only leave you craving sweets but also make you bloated. No calorie sweeteners are difficult for your body to digest and many of us have a similar reaction to dairy.

For a cinch at the waistline and a lasting pep in your step, try switching to tea, coffee (in limited amounts) or kombucha (containing no caffeine) and let us know how much better you feel!

03/13/11
Health Tip: Proper Wrist Alignment During Plank
Avoid wrist strain by making sure wrists are in proper alignment when holding high plank. In proper alignment wrists should be directly under your shoulders with soft elbows. Align your wrists so the middle and index fingers point forward. You want to ground your fingers into the mat, particularly the index fingers, by putting pressure into them. By putting pressure into your fingers, you spread the weight from the wrist joint out over the entire hand. Thus, rather than the weight going into a small portion of the hands (high pressure), the weight is fanned out over a greater area (less pressure).

03/06/11
Health Tip: HSM Smoothie goes Tropical!
For a twist on the HSM Signature Smoothie, try this St. John-inspired flavor explosion:

¼ to ½ avocado
Juice of whole lime (but more might be even better)
½ cup organic frozen pineapple chunks
Dash of dried ground ginger
Dash of dried orange peel
1 scoop Caties Organic C powder
1 scoop Caties Organic Greens powder
1 scoop Vanilla Whey protein powder
1 tbs ground chia or flax seeds
Lots of ice
Coconut water to cover

Blend using smoothie or immersion blender
Add a straw and voila, you’re in St. John!

*Option to add ½ frozen banana for an even smoother consistency.

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*The nutritional information contained herein is based upon information Hilliard Studio Method reasonably believes to be accurate. We are not responsible for any adverse effects related to following this information.