Fitness Tips

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When it comes to fitness tips, everyone seems to have an opinion. Best friends, next door neighbors, coworkersask any of them what you need to do to get in shape and stay in shape, and youíll likely get any number of responses. Eat less meat, eat more spinach , run every day, purchase the latest fitness product on the market, or do whatever the latest fitness magazine tells youand thatís just to name a few. You know my great uncle Leroy once told me that all I had to do to get in shape was to carry around a weed eater and push a garden tiller around all summer. Thinking back, Iím not quite sure that worked out as well as I had hoped it would; however, it did help improve my cultivating and lawn maintenance skills.

Anyway, with all of the opinions out there, where does one turn for good fitness information? Well, Iím a big fan of checking the literature, the empirical studies, yes the good oleí scientific research. While I donít think itís necessarily the best idea to form an opinion based off of the results of one single study (after all not all research is good research, and one can usually find holes in just about any study ever done), analyzing research is ultimately the most effective way to separate the good information/advice from the bad. Or in this case, the good fitness tips vs. the bad fitness myths.

With that said, I browsed through some of the literature in the fitness field to see if I could find anything that sounded somewhat appealing. You can do it too. Simply google exercise research or something like that and scan through the results. Or, if you have a few minutes, browse through a research search engine such as pub med . Journals like the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise are great sources as well.

Here are just a few links to studies that address certain ìfitness tips.î

1. Is it possible to lose weight by lifting weights? Check out this study published by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. (link)

2. Always take the elevator at work? This study may have you thinking again about the benefits of the infamous stairwell. (link)

3. Canít remember what your spouse told you to buy from the grocery store? Maybe taking a walk will help you to remember. (link)

4. Having trouble achieving the fitness results that you desire? Sometimes all you need is a little extra motivation from someone special. (link)

Jamie Ives MA, CSCS, Master Trainer

Jamie has several years of experience in the fitness industry, working with clients of various ages, ability levels, and health conditions. He enjoys using his knowledge as well as his experience in exercise prescription and program design to help each of his clients reach their individual wellness goals and improve their quality of life. For more information about Empower Personal Training, please call (919) 401-8024.

Men, Stress and Massage

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I have asked some of my male clients why they get a massage. All of them said stress, pressure of life, and work. Stress can cause headaches, migraines, chronic muscular tension, and lowered immunity, as well as play a large role in the quality of sleep. Acute and long term stress can also lead to unhealthy coping behaviors such as over-eating and inactivity. Letís face it, stress is a normal and necessary function in life, and we are not getting away from it! However, how we manage our stress can make a big difference in how it shows up in our bodies and minds. Experts say a relaxing massage is an excellent stress elixir.

Massage is on of the best ways to relieve tension. The benefits of massage therapy are numerous, ranging from promoting relaxation to loosening tight muscles and increasing blood flow. It can help you manage stress by relieving anxiety and tension, promoting relaxation, increasing your energy, improving sleep, reducing muscle soreness, and decreasing pain.

Therapeutic massage, such as the Swedish method, is one of the most popular techniques in relieving stress. The Swedish technique, that are often referred to as a full body massage, involve gentle kneading pressure and long strokes applied to the surface to relieve tension in the muscles and connective tissues. Other techniques that can help relieve stress include deep-tissue massage to release tension from the deeper muscles and connective tissues, and trigger point therapy to release muscle spasms from specific areas.

SPECIAL OFFER: June is for Gents!

Gentlemen, in order to break the stress cycle, the month of June you will receive $10 off your massage in order to de-stress and celebrate all your hard work!

Call Empower at 919.401.8024 and schedule your massage TODAY!

Or book online here.

Men, Stress and Massage

• Articles,
• massage
• No Comments

I have asked some of my male clients why they get a massage. All of them said stress, pressure of life, and work. Stress can cause headaches, migraines, chronic muscular tension, and lowered immunity, as well as play a large role in the quality of sleep. Acute and long term stress can also lead to unhealthy coping behaviors such as over-eating and inactivity. Letís face it, stress is a normal and necessary function in life, and we are not getting away from it! However, how we manage our stress can make a big difference in how it shows up in our bodies and minds. Experts say a relaxing massage is an excellent stress elixir.

Massage is on of the best ways to relieve tension. The benefits of massage therapy are numerous, ranging from promoting relaxation to loosening tight muscles and increasing blood flow. It can help you manage stress by relieving anxiety and tension, promoting relaxation, increasing your energy, improving sleep, reducing muscle soreness, and decreasing pain.

Therapeutic massage, such as the Swedish method, is one of the most popular techniques in relieving stress. The Swedish technique, that are often referred to as a full body massage, involve gentle kneading pressure and long strokes applied to the surface to relieve tension in the muscles and connective tissues. Other techniques that can help relieve stress include deep-tissue massage to release tension from the deeper muscles and connective tissues, and trigger point therapy to release muscle spasms from specific areas.

SPECIAL OFFER: June is for Gents!

Gentlemen, in order to break the stress cycle, the month of June you will receive $10 off your massage in order to de-stress and celebrate all your hard work!

Call Empower at 919.401.8024 and schedule your massage TODAY!

Or book online here.