Spinal anatomy

Ever wonder what the heck your yoga, Pilates, Group Exercise instructor, etc... is talking about when he/she says to lay back one section of your back at a time? Check out a view of the spine above and you'll discover what they're talking about. The 3 major divisions of the back (spine) most often talked about are the upper (cervical), middle (thoracic), and lower (lumbar). The area of discomfort in most is the lumbar region. Surprise your instructor next class and ask them if they know the major divisions of the spine and let me know how many of them get it right!

Medicine Ball Training

Medicine ball exercises are typically implemented to improve one's power, or explosiveness. Here's a great example of how medicine ball throws should be performed:

Lifting Too Little

I was going over some of my favorite articles I've archived over the years and came across this one:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6391058/

Those who deal with me on a regular basis know I have plenty of pet peeves in the gym, but people lifting too little is easily still in my top 3. Put down the pink dumbbells and challenge yourself. Ladies, the heavier weights will NOT make you big! If anything, they'll help you reach that "sculpted," "toned," etc... appearance so many of you are after.

The "Secret" Behind Positive Thinking

Rhonda Byrne's book & movie, "The Secret," has been used to increase the power of positive thinking. Several philosophies are discussed in the book. A few of my favorites are the following:

• When you surround yourself with positive people, you become buoyed by their positive energy.


• Your current thoughts are creating your future life- what you think about or focus on the most will appear as your life- like a self-fulfilling prophecy.


• Gratitude is a powerful process for shifting your energy and drawing more of what you want into your life.

Time to ditch the heels

Women, and cross-dressers for that matter, have been told for years about the negative effects of wearing heels. The problems it causes to one's back, legs, etc... are plentiful. Check out a great article I recently came across:

http://www.dirttime.org/2007/06/04/you-cant-run-in-these-girl/

Diet quote

Nutritionist Chris Mohr had this to say recently when the topic of dieting came up:

"If diets were successful, there wouldn't be so many. It's about simple changes, not drastic overhauls causing you to turn your life upside down."

So true!

New Latino nutrition campaign towards healthier eating

The Latino Nutrition Coalition, a nonprofit organization, displays the following statement on their web site: "The traditional Latin-American diet offers an incredible array of delicious, healthy foods. Yet Hispanic Americans suffer disproportionately from many food-related health problems, including obesity and diabetes."

After reviewing their campaign, I found it quite useful. Shopping lists and healthier versions of traditional Latino foods are offered. Check out their web site at the following for more information:

http://latinonutrition.org/pdf/CaminoMagico.pdf