Happy Tuesday readers.

Today’s trainer tips is BREATH! while going through your exercises. Believe it or not, I find myself constantly reminding my clients to breath; knowing when to breath and how to breath properly will help with your lifting & not to mention, any runners out there? breathing is especially important when you are doing aerobic exercise as well.

So next time while working out, remember to breath!

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment, share and follow!

Shay-lon

Hello, This is Shay-lon Moss. I am back for another post, today we are going to talk mobility in the shoulders! Something most of us have heard of, is the term: Mobility. Pay attention to today’s post because mobility is very important, and not just for athletes, but for everyone. Let’s talk about what the term “mobility” actually means — we can assume it has something to do with being “mobile” which in other words means movement. When talking about the shoulder in particular, I am talking about the ability and/or potential of being able to move the shoulder freely and efficiently.

Lately we have been hearing many professionals speak on mobility & while it might seem like a new fad, it has been around forever — many physical therapist have patients do mobility exercises for rehab. Personal trainers like myself, need to pay attention to our clients mobility in order to help them move more efficiently & prevent injury to the joint. Now let’s dig in!

We went over what mobility is, and now we know we are going to talk specifically on the shoulder joint.

The shoulder itself is capable of moving through different movement patterns: Adduction, Abduction, Flexion, Extension, Internal Rotation, and External Rotation. We will go over these movement patterns for the shoulder in depth on a different post; for now, know that the shoulder has many opportunities for movement.

Shoulder Mobility Issues that can arise ..

1. Impingement. Which can be from a poorly positioned humerus bone in the shoulder socket impinges on the tendons and bursa in the shoulder
2. Torn rotator cuff – we will discuss this more in depth in a separate post
3. “Frozen” shoulder; which quite honestly was something I recently learned about (primary in individuals who are recovering from an injury or surgery, causing stiffness & pain from non-use of the shoulder.

All three of the above issues that can arise from poor mobility in the shoulder are not good & because of that, you want to prevent these things from happening OR if you have one of issues listed above, find methods to strengthen your shoulder(s) and and increase the ROM (gradually).

Now let’s talk about Common Causes of Poor Shoulder Mobility

1. “Force Coupling” a new term that again was brought to my attention recently from the ISSAonline.com (if you have heard of this, please let me know in the comments). Basically what this is, is when two equal and opposite forces act upon one another to produce rotational movement. Something that I am sure is more common than we know, but something new for those of us who have never heard of it before.
2. Inactivity — this is a no brainer, the more sedentary the lifestyle, the more negatives that follow when it comes to overall health and well-being & because we aren’t using the muscles it can create poor mobility in our joints.
3. Poor posture. Growing up, many of us were always told to keep our back straights while seated & to look forward while walking, to name a few. Well guess what? If you listened to your parents ques growing up, GOOD! because it saved you from a potential shoulder issue and because alignment is important.
4. Lack of stability . We will talk about shoulder stability more in depth at a later time BUT basically if the shoulder is unstable or weakened, then it will be harder once we add load to it for it to work through full ROM and in turn could cause future injuries. You definitely want both your shoulders to be stable.

A lot of us professionals have had clients/patients who have shoulder immobility and lack of stability. and so with that being said, we need to research ways to counteract it and to strengthen the shoulder so that our clients/.patients have a healthier joint & can move their joint pain-free. I did some of the research for you, I will name a few corrective exercises one can use. None of these exercises are a ONE AND DONE magical pill you take and everything goes perfect — you have to put time into the movement, take your time, pay attention to your body, be sure to do proper form, and add it to your workouts. Both athletes and those of you who aren’t in sports can benefit from great shoulder mobility and these corrective exercises

I am going to list some of the ones I have used for my clients, feel free to add more in the comments below!

• Wall slides
• Prone IYT’s or Prone T’s & Prone Y’s
• Pec stretch with the TRX or by pushing the wall with both hands
• Theraband Rows
• Theraband Internal & external rotation (rotator cuff) you can also opt in to use the cable if you can manage heavier loads BUT do not overload the joint for this exercise — these are smaller muscles so you don’t need a huge amount of weight to get the job done.

For those of you in the profession of physical therapy or personal trainers, please share your recommends in the comments! For those of you who need exercises to add to your shoulders for mobility, steal the ones I listed or feel free to watch some YouTube videos!

If you don’t know where to start or need help getting started, contact me for personal training packages & nutrition packages! Feel free to follow me on social media, and my blog!

Thank you

My powerlifting meet that was July 31st, I landed a THIRD PLACE MEDAL!!

It felt so good to place, although definitely not my best numbers — I did PR in my squat. I haven’t yet looked at my total, it just makes me anxious but I plan on it at some point before the new year. Competition was tough this meet & I was cutting down weight in hopes I would be able to manage a record, but missed the weight by 2 lbs. I was still able to compete in my weight class (75kg/165lb) Raw.

This prep for the meet wasn’t as fatiguing on my body compared to my previous meet in April, which made me really happy but still felt really drained the week afterwards & while there a few more meets I could do before next year arrives, I decided two was good enough for me for 2021. I have a chance to go to Nationals, and compete but I am sitting this one out to train for next year instead and then go to Nationals — I would rather train and strengthen my weaknesses and work on my technique and focus on other goals so that when I do compete against other athletes in the world, I can have a better chance at winning or at least feeling good about my efforts. I always tell people they should go to as many meets as possible to get a chance to meet people, be around the atmosphere and get a good idea of the expectations from the judges, etc, BUT for me, I have been to enough meets where I feel comfortable now, so my meets will be focused on purpose and I won’t waste time peaking for something I don’t want to do, so this is another reason why I would rather wait till next year before competing again. I have a few meets in mind, and possibly might join another federation as well!

I would love to share pictures & videos from my meet, please click here & remember to follow for more updates on fitness/health/wellness/mental health & everything performance based.

If you are someone interested in personal training or nutrition services, contact me! I do virtual and in person training!

Shay-lon

Arthritis – categorized as joint pain or joint disease.

• over 100 different types – we will be discussing only four
• symptoms – swelling, pain, stiffness, decreased ROM (range of motion)
• current leading cause of disability within the U.S

Due to it being a leading cause of disability, this is important to know as personal trainers because chances are high, we will have a client that has been diagnosed with arthritis and I want us to be efficient & be current on how to properly train clients with arthritis, and to recognize the signs to NOT diagnose our clients, but know when we should refer them to see a specialist.

First lets go over the four common disorders of arthritis:

1. Osteoarthritis – a degenerative disease.

• Usually due to wear and tear
• commonly effects spine, hips, knees, and hands
• morning stiffness is likely to occur — and stiffness after sitting for a long period of time
• loss of articular cartilage
• 2020. was said to have affected around 31 million Americans

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis – An autoimmune disease.

• The immune system attacks the lining of the joint
• inflammation (swelling, warmth, stiffness)
• usually found in small joints (hands, and feet) but not limited to
• symmetrical
• swollen inflamed synvial membrane
• 2020, said to have affected 1.3 million Americans

3. Psoriatic Arthritis – An autoimmune disease.

• Immune system attacks healthy cells, causing inflammation and over production of skin cells
• small depressions in the nails and/or detachment of nails
• pain, swelling, redness
• commonly seen in the knees, spine, toes, ankles, wrist and fingers.
• can cause blurred vision, one to see black spots, targeting the third layer of the eye
• 2020, was said to have affected 1.5 million Americans with skin psoriasis

4. Gout – Inflammatory arthritis.

• High levels of uric acid in the blood
• Affects the big toe, ankles, knees, elbows, wrist and fingers
• Recommended: limit red meat consumption and sugary beverages
• 2020, said to have affected 8.3 million Americans

Ways to Manage Arthritis

The #1 way to manage arthritis is to UNDERSTAND the symptoms and knowing when to seek a doctor & as personal trainers knowing when to refer our clients to see a doctor.

• Identifying warning signs: pain (is it constant or comes and goes), swelling, stiffness (morning? after sitting? long lasting?), difficulty moving a joint (limited ROM?) <– pay attention to these signs and be aware of how your client is feeling at all times

other forms of managing arthritis will be on an individual basis such as:

• Hot/ cold compresses
• physical therapy
• medication/supplements
• pain/emotional support
• shots/injections
• holistic approaches
• support devices
• nutrition/weight loss
• exercise ** – very important for people with arthritis
• surgery

Ask your clients questions, do your research, and educate yourself so you can educate your clients. For those of you diagnosed with arthritis speak with a professional about your options.

Very important trainers — > we CANNOT .. diagnose, prescribe or manipulate .. stay within your scope of practice & utilize your network system doctors. I, myself have had clients in the past diagnosed with arthritis and if in doubt I will always refer them to a doctor or have them get a doctors release so I am better able to help them.

Exercise Testing For Arthritis

1. The initial interview should be a health history, list of medications, and their diagnosis from a doctor.
2. learn about their past and present limitations, if any. (History & commitment w/ exercise)
3. Get an understanding of their condition(s), and belief system
4. physicians release and referral if needed
5. Actual testing will depend on their goals but some to consider: muscular strength, muscular endurance, aerobic endurance, flexibility, balance, gait, activities of daily living and pain

Prevention & Wellness for OA and RA

• Maintain appropriate bodyweight
• sustaining good postural alignment **
• Developing muscular strength, power and flexibility
• correct movements during functional activities
• performing functional task and optimizing cardiovascular fitness

Resistance Training:

• Moderate or greater intensity 2 more days a week
• low resistance, high reps without joint irritation
• Keep in mind that individuals will respond different to different exercises
• ROM & load are primary
• power training can be safe and effective — doesn’t mean we need clients to do snatches (choose appropriate exercises)

Cardiovascular Training:

• major part of training with OA clients
• should minimize joint stress
• low or NO impact is recommended (avoid high impact)
• Aquatic therapy is helpful due to the fact that it will allow movement that may not be possible for them on land.

** Adults with chronic conditions or disabilities, who are able, should do aerobic activity spread throughout the week.

My goal as a trainer is to make exercise comfortable for my clients with arthritis, strengthen them and educate them on the importance of movement.

Do you know anyone diagnosed with arthritis? Share this post!

Interested in training with me & be apart of WonderWomanFitness Contact me for information. I also offer nutrition coaching as well.

Be sure to follow me on social media!

Shay-lon Moss

ACSM Personal Trainer

TheFitnessWonderWoman