Fast Fitness - Stronger Arms and Chest, and Core, Hip, and Leg Stability With A Friend

Here is Friday Fast Fitness - strengthen inner legs, thighs, arms, and core, while practicing neutral spine with a friend. More exercise than putting hands up on a bench or exercise ball.

My students Johanna (1) and Diana (2) demonstrate the beginning of this move. Description of how to progress follows the photos:

1. Partner 1 lies face up with bent knees
2. Partner 2 does pushups on Partner 1's knees while holding neutral spine, not letting the lower back sag and arch downward. Partner 1 gets entry-level exercise hip and core exercise by holding legs stable and does not let knees wobble. Higher-level exercise is described below the photos.
   
3. Switch and repeat.

• To see a short movie of how to change overarched hyperlordotic sagging spine to neutral spine for pushups, click Fast Fitness - Strengthen by Changing Your Plank.
• For photos to learn to spot hyperlordotic overarched spine and straight neutral spine, see Spotting Back Pain During Running and Walking - What Do Abs Have To Do With It?

To increase core and hip stabilization training for both partners, Partner 1 tilts knees slightly to each side while Partner 2 continues pushups. Try both moving continuously side to side, and holding legs stable at an angle. Do not twist your spine.

Have fun moving and laughing with a partner.

Labels: abdominal muscles, balance, chest, elbow, exercise ball, fast fitness, hand, hip strength, leg strength, partner exercise, strength, wrist

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Fast Fitness - Plyometric Partner Bench Press for Valentine's Week

Here is Friday Fast Fitness - Have fun together as you strengthen arms, shoulders, chest, back, wrists, and core, while practicing neutral spine, speed, teamwork, and cooperation in a fun plyometric partner bench press.

1. Lie face up with both arms held upward to support partner (white karate uniform).
2. Partner rests shoulders on your hands and holds straight body position on toes (black uniform). Partner uses abdominal muscles to hold neutral spine without letting the lower back sag.
3. Push your partner up and down with your hands in a bench press motion. To add plyometric training, push partner strongly and quickly into the air (right). Catch them lightly, bending your elbows upon contact. Switch places and repeat.
   

Use common sense and springy light touch to reduce unhealthful impact in both partners. You can improve strength and speed without hurting joints and connective tissue. I will post more on plyometrics in articles to come.

Related Fitness Fixer:

• Exercising With A Friend - Partner Leg Press
• Fast Friday - Valentine's Day Partner Weightlifting

Labels: abdominal muscles, chest, elbow, fast fitness, hand, holiday, partner exercise, plyometrics, speed, strength, wrist

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Valentine Family Exercise

Valentines Day is for everyone, not just couples. It is healthy to have active fun with family and friends too.




Monday's post Valentine Partner Pushups gives a fun partner exercise idea. Here are more variations for active fun with children and friends of many ages.








Babies and children love to move. They can hold their body weight. Get them started early. Don't let them lose this strength by making them sit still and eat. Get up from the table and play. That is Valentines Day love.






























I will cover how to do this partner handstand in a future post. Send in your own photos of fun exercise with family and friends.

Labels: chest, children, elbow, hand, holiday, partner exercise, spirit, strength, wrist

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Valentine Partner Pushups

Exercising in social ways is healthy. Valentine's Day is this week. This week I will post several ideas for fun active partner exercise. Start with this version of partner pushups, then have fun making up your own.


Pushups give full body physical benefit when done with neutral spine. Here are two posts that explain how to tell neutral spine while holding a pushup position and how to correct an overarching lower back (hyperlordosis) to neutral spine:

• Change Common Exercises to Get Better Ab Exercise and Stop Back Pain
• Abdominal Muscle Exercise - Better, Different, Not What You Think

This post has instructions with an mpeg movie demonstrating the fix to neutral spine:

• Fast Fitness - Strengthen by Changing Your Plank

This post shows a technique to learn how to prevent compressing your wrists, and better use of hand and arm muscles:

• Fast Fitness - Prevent Wrist Pain During Pushups and Cooking

Here are links to last year's Valentines partner exercises:

• Stretching With a Friend - Partner Pectoral Stretch
• Each One Teach One
• Exercising With A Friend - Partner Leg Press

Why make Valentine's Day only one day? Stay active with good people through the year for the health that positive social interaction brings.

Labels: chest, elbow, holiday, partner exercise, spirit, strength, wrist

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Making Thai Massage Healthier Part II - Avoid Snapping Elbows or Knees Backward

The previous two posts told a little about Thai massage and some of the benefits and pitfalls.

Some massage practioners say that Thai massage is an "energy-based" system, not a physical one. However, there are direct physical moves that bring direct physical change, both good and bad.

Many of the stretches of Northern style Thai massage can be helpful to restore length to tight muscles so that you can restore healthy body positioning. For example, in the photo at left, the legs are lifted upward so that the front of the hip is gently stretched. The practitioner puts their foot on the back of the the person's hip to prevent the lower back from being overly-arched by the stretch and to concentrate the stretch more on the front hip muscles. This is a beneficial stretch because the front of the hip is often tight from long sitting and faulty standing positioning. This Thai massage stretch restores length to the front hip muscles.

There are a few moves that are usually better to skip. Some practitioners may straighten your elbow or knee too quickly and too much, sometimes adding a forceful snap. The elbow and knee joints are not shaped to hyper-extend. Hyperextension means to go more than a normally straight position. Hyperextending the knee or elbow can damage the joint and strain the cartilage. In the photo, the knees are bending normally.

It is not usually healthful to snap a joint, especially repeatedly over time, to reach the end of its range of motion. Although many of us learned to do this in massage school, and were taught that the snapping and hyperextending motion has benefits, it is better to skip joint snapping, and do other moves that have benefit without harm.

Next:
Keeping Thai Massage Healthy Part III - Should You Do "The Blood Stop?"

Previous Fitness Fixer Posts on Thai Massage:
Changing Thai Massage to Be Healthier Part I - Avoid Pressuring Lower Back Discs
What is Thai Massage?

Labels: elbow, hip, knee, massage, stretch

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