Posts tagged Weights
Nurturing Nature – Are Your Brain Cells Hungering for a Workout?
Dec 20th
Scientist believe there are over one-hundred billion neurons inside our head. Some scientists believe that neurons are not limited to the brain but are found in the heart as well. Where they are located is not so important as what they do. Bottom line, they transmit information within the brain. Information of all kinds and they can be enlarged and changed, that process is called neuroplasticity.
So what your say? Well, for those who are interested in doing better at whatever they do, here is a way to do just that. Grow your brain in the places you would like. Just as an example; London scientist have discovered that those London cab drivers that have such a wonderful memory of locations and directions have an unusually large Hippocampus, the portion of the brain that stores long-term memories. Why would the size be different?
The brain, like your muscles, responds to exercise. Just like your biceps, which get larger when you curl 40 lb. weights everyday, your Hippocampus, the organ responsible for long-term memory, will enlarge when it is asked to remember more and more locations everyday. The London cab drivers were not born with this ability to remember they developed it by daily workout.
Hundreds of thousands of neurons atrophy and die everyday for lack of use. They also die from alcohol consumption, blows to the head or just plain getting old. We now know that learning new things creates new neurons and revitalizes old and dying ones. So you are in control.
You own your brain and it is available for use, by you, 24/7, at no charge. Whether you are casually interested in “brain health’” or a “brain health” nut, here are 5 things you can do to promote a healthy, growing brain.
- Stay away from alcohol
- Read more
- Do daily thinking exercises, like the Crossword puzzle or Sod0ku
- Eat brain foods like broccoli and all those other veggies you never liked
- Learn new skills that require concentration.
These are, of course, a limited list of activities you can do to build powerful, healthy brain. For more information on Brain Health contact us.
Using Resistance Bands to Strengthen the Rotator Cuff Muscles
Sep 28th
Shoulder injuries are very common in people who lift weights and exercise regularly, and in an attempt to prevent shoulder problems, many physical therapists recommend rotator cuff strengthening. You can use resistance bands to strengthen the muscles of the rotator cuff.
There are 2 main motions to perform in order to strengthen the rotators of the shoulder, and those 2 motions are internal rotation and external rotation. Internal rotation refers to turning the shoulder inwards towards the center of the body, and external rotation refers to turning the shoulder outwards away from the center of the body.
In addition to 2 main motions, there are 2 main positions you can strengthen the rotator cuff in. You can perform internal and external rotation from a neutral position or from an abducted position. The neutral position is when the arm is right next to your side and the abducted position is when your arm is out to the side at 90 degrees. There is less pressure on the shoulder in the neutral position, but it is important to progress to the abducted position once you’ve mastered the neutral position.
With 2 directions and 2 positions you can use resistance bands to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles with 4 simple exercises. The first exercise is neutral position external rotation. With a resistance band secured around a stable service at waist level, simply rotate your arm out to the side away from your body. The second exercise is neutral position internal rotation. Perform 10-15 repetitions rotating your shoulder inwards toward the center of your body.
The third and fourth exercises are done from the abducted position and these can be tougher to master. For external rotation, you can stand on the resistance band, and start with your arm out to the side at 90 degrees. Then, from that position, rotate your arm up towards the ceiling. For internal rotation, you have to secure a resistance band over your head, and then you would rotate your arm down towards the floor.
If you want to strengthen your rotator cuff, you can use resistance bands. Work on both directions and try to exercise your shoulder in different positions also. These simple exercises can help to strengthen your shoulder and prevent injury.
