What's for dinner?

I spent the afternoon at the farmer's market in Union Square to find the perfect eggplant and zucchini for my dinner tonight.  I plan to cook those up with some diced tomatoes and onions (along with some home grown garlic from my sicilian Aunt Tita) over a bed of pasta for dinner tonight. Sounds delicious, right?! You bet -- but these powerful vegetables are not only delicious, they are nutritious!

Eggplant and Zucchini:

• contain antioxidants to help fight cancer and support antiviral activity
• contains deitary fiber to help lower cholesterol and decrease blood sugar levels
• contains many anti-inflamatory vitamins which help decrease effects of inflamatory diseases like arthritis
• contains magnesium and potassium which helps to reduce blood pressure

So why not stop by your local farmer's market and cook up a pot of life saving goodness tonight. 
From my kitchen to yours..... bon appetit!

Be on the look out....

I was doing my normal workout routine the other day (pre Hurricane Irene!) when I noticed two young guys working out next to me. They had strong, lean bodies (not bulky or thick as some men hope to acquire) so I began to check out the wild abdominal routine they were engrossed in.  They were doing some interesting things that I've never seen before.  I decided to add a few of them to my next workout.....

Don't be afraid to use others as a resource - there is nothing sneaky or strange about it! If you like the shape and strength of their body, perhaps what they are doing may work for you.  Most people are comfortable in repetitive patterning so we get locked into our workout routines - doing the same things day after day - and this is not the best.  When challenging your body with different range of motion patterns we are forcing muscles to work in conjunction - in perhaps brand new ways!  Startling our body with new techniques in abdominal work or with weight training can help to alert new muscles which we may naturally under use.  And when we don't use it, we lose it. 

So keep your eyes open, and steal away!!!!!

Push-up Thursday!

Happy "Push-up Thursday" everybody -- my own day to celebrate the amazing benefits of a push-up!! 

I was at my gym this morning, the New York Sports Club, and while doing the tenth push-up of my series my friend and a trainer at the gym, Will, walked by and said jokingly, "99... 100...."  I started to laugh and found a nice moment to take a break for a quick chat.  I looked up at him to share my LOVE for push-ups and how I don't think that enough women are doing push-ups in their workout.  Most women feel insecure about their (often) limited upper body strength, and the only way to improve it -- is to use it.

Push-ups have so many benefits as a total body workout -- they work your:

• chest
• upper back
• shoulders
• glutes
• core
• biceps and triceps
• legs

Women CAN do push-ups and I encourage everyone to join me in adding a few to your workout... you will see the change in your body definition and in your strength capacity.  If you can only do ONE perfect push-up, that is an excellent place to begin.  It's better to do ONE amazing push-up than to waste time and energy doing many that do not count.  Your body will build the strength quickly and I guarantee you'll be surprised to see how many consecutive push-ups you can do in a couple of weeks. 

Add them into your workout at anytime and anywhere -- you could do them in your kitchen if you had to!  No machines, weights, or mats needed - just you!  Keep your entire body in one straight line parallel to the floor with your core engaged to keep the lower back supported safely.  Do not drop the pelvis while lowering the body -- this will only stress the back.  Peek in a mirror from the side to see your entire body, head to heels, in one strong line of energy. 

So, all my women especially, join me in celebrating my new holiday "Push-up Thursday" and enjoy the many benefits!! 

 

Continuing on in NYC

After a few days hiatus from posting I am happy to be back in NYC after a rewarding summer at NYSSSA sharing health and wellness with young aspiring dancers.  I will be continuing on with my blog, sharing information that I think is current, relevant, interesting, or in response to questions/comments from students/clients.  Ask me at grabyoursneaks@gmail.com and I'll do my best to get the answers for you. 

Today I would like to share some thoughts from a conversation I had with my sister....  We just returned to the city after several days of celebrating my brother's wedding weekend.  It was filled with LOTS of delicious foods and desserts and toasting to the bride and groom.  Today was our first day back to our regular schedule of healthy eating and a trip to the gym.  It made us think about the often felt GUILT we have that comes with splurging. 

Why do we have GUILT when we indulge in eating or while taking a vacation from a healthy lifestyle? 

Feeling guilty about treating ourselves once in a while does nothing to help the situation -- we cannot even enjoy it while we are doing it.  If your body is craving something that you don't typically have, allow yourself to not only eat the treat but to ENJOY it.  This is the most important part - or else why have it? It's about finding a balance.  Once in a while it's OKAY to celebrate - it's when every day turns into a celebration that it is not only no longer safe for our bodies, but it loses its special feeling.  Think of splurge eating like a vacation: if you spent each day of your year on a beach chair in the Bahamas it too would eventually feel normal.... and how productive can you be while sitting in a beach chair??  

So happy splurging today -- and get back to reality tomorrow!   

Reflections from students

A lot can happen in four weeks..... there was so much growth and change for the students at the NYSSSA School of Dance program.  We finished our dance conditioning program by creating three day conditioning plans combining elements of cardiorespiratory, plyometrics, physioball, weight training, stretching and relaxation and injury prevention -- each student looked at the exercises/tactics we learned and what their bodies need to create one especially for them. 

Here's a photo of our entire group during our last class:

We also ended with a conversation on some of the body work we had completed the day before -- when we work with a partner to go through a range of motion of our muscle groups (flexing and extending, abducting and adducting, and rotation of our joints) without using our own muscular strength... our partner did the heavy lifting for us.  We found some easy relaxation -- I think it was some of the students favorite days! 

I asked the students to complete a final write-up, for me mostly, to see how our summer had gone:

I asked several questions and I was truly moved by what the students had to share with me, feedback on the summer and what they learned from our class.  Here's a few samples of what the students had to say:

This summer I learned...

• About the body and how to keep my body healthy while doing a lot of intense work.  
• I learned not to beat myself up about my body type.  There's a reason I find my cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance to be so poor and it's not something that I've done wrong.  I now know what I can do to get myself stronger.  
• I learned not to be intimidated when I walk into a gym and see guys benching 150 lbs. or more. I have my own specialized workout for me to focus on improving a "dancer's" body.  
• This summer I learned... so much!  All the information about fueling my body/about my body, how to present myself in front of an audience, how to push my body/mind farther...
• I learned a lot about injury prevention and nutrition.  It was interesting to learn how crucial carbs are to a dancer's body when they're training.  
• This summer I learned that working out is not dreadful, it makes me feel really good about myself.  
• I learned that I can accomplish anything if I set my mind to it and am willing to take risks.

And when the final question asked the students if there was anything else they'd like me to know, some wrote....

• You are amazing. This class taught me so much. I hope we stay in contact. I notice from what we have done in class my energy has improved and stamina for dance pieces has been much better. 
• I loved spending these 4 weeks with you! 
• This class was amazingly helpful and so inspirational.  Your methods (teaching) and attitude make everything enjoyable. 
• Your class has been beyond helpful and I would like you to know you have impacted my life in a positive way. The things learned here will be carried along for the rest of my life!
• I loved this class! It was a nice pick me up when I had a difficult day.  
• You were a really wonderful, supportive teacher. Always smiling and engaging, you encouraged everyone to do their best.  I felt comfortable with you and feel like I learned a great deal about body conditioning.  

I was so moved by these comments and it helps to reassure my desire to share this information with the dance community -- young and old!  I have to thank the students for their openness and trust in me -- it shaped the success of our summer.  We supported one another while investigating new information about ourselves and health and wellness related to dancers. 

WAY TO GO STUDENTS!! WE DID IT! 

And this blog will continue on as we continue on..... keep in touch!

Final Day of Dance Conditioning at NYSSSA

Our final day together at NYSSSA -- with photos to come and a full write up tomorrow.  I'm headed home to Buffalo (jumping in the car for the 5.5 hour drive right now -- with a rolled up t-shirt to support my low spine of course!) for my brother's wedding and will sadly be missing the student concert on Friday. But don't worry students.... I'll be posting all week with recommendations on how to prepare for the big day! 

More to come tomorrow :)

Stretching Perspectives

As mentioned in Thursday's post (sorry for the two days away from writing -- last night was our NYSSSA faculty concert and we've been in rehearsal til all hours of the night!!) we explored stretching this week, and how it will relate to our individual conditioning programs.

Several types of stretching:

1. Static stretching - holding a stretch while the body is not moving
2. PNF (propiroceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching - holding a stretch then creating an isometric contraction then relaxing into a deeper stretch to be done with a qualified partner
3. Dynamic stretching - bringing blood and oxygen to muscles by using momentum of movement to increase range of motion 

The students were sent home with some work to do this weekend -- to create their own 10 minute warm-up to be used before technique class in the morning while here in our program, or whenever they need it in the future - for performance, before a workout, etc. They will combine warm-up elements of stretching with a focus on increasing heart rate, increasing body temperature, and preparing large muscle groups for movement. 

As stated in Flexible perspectives on stretching experts may have various viewpoints on when stretching should occur (before, during or after physical activity), but ALL agree that stretching has many benefits and should be done to increase range of motion, improve flexibility and performance, and prevent injuries.  

Stretching!!

It's so important to stretch!

We spent the day discussing static and dynamic stretching as well as PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) -- how and why we should incorporate stretching into our warm-up before class, as well as post a workout or dance class.

The point of a "warm-up" is to get your body warm.... try some dynamic stretching like leg swings to get your blood flowing and heart rate elevated.  Post your workout try holding static stretches when the body is at rest for 30 seconds to 2 minutes for a long stretch to increase range of motion and improve flexibility. 

Keep up with it and see results -- prevent injury and increase expression through movement!

More perspectives on stretching to come.....

Physioball and Plyometrics continued...

Plyometrics are used to produce fast, powerful movements to increase speed of muscle contractions.  This can lead to faster movements and higher jumps.  A muscle is first loaded in a lengthening (eccentric) contraction with a brief pause, then in a concentric (shortening) contraction through an explosive action.

It's important when doing plyometrics to be warm (jogging or doing the boxer shuffle for 5 minutes to get the heart rate elevated) and to maintain alignment of knees over the toes.  Several students experience pronation (rolling in) of their ankles, so they'll be on the look out for this in particluar!

Check out Meredith performing a standard squat jump...

She'll do a quick explosive spring into the air and land with knees over the toes during the landing.  Here's what the landing looks like from the front. 

The students worked in circuit style today exploring a blend of burst of cardiorespiratory activites, physioball exercises and plyometrics.  Here's Tareake doing a squat with the physioball.  

Working with the physioball to increase our proprioception (body orientation) skills and balance ability while strengthening our core -- and plyometrics for a quick burst of energy and fast muscle contractions to increase our speed --- a dynamite combination week 3!

Physioball and Plyometrics -- Week 3

Layering onto our focus of strength training in week 2 at NYSSSA, this week we are maintaining core stability with physioball exercises and increasing speed through quick strength plyometrics. 

Working with a physioball has many benefits:

• strengthens core 
• increases balance 
• develops proprioception skills (related to motion and orientation of the body in space)
• connect upper and lower limbs through the core

See Lauren rolling out to a reverse plank on the physioball; she'll perform a jack knife, then a pike, and finish with a push-up.  

 This is very advanced so we began a few steps before this with simple rolling out and in, testing our balance and strength while maintaining good alignment in a plank and reverse plank.  We practiced other strengthening exercises using the ball, and we found that some of students may not be at this level of strength yet -- you might not be either -- and that's OK! Remember to work within your capacity and to increase own personal ability, not your neighbor's.   

With this series, it's important to keep arms pressing away from the floor so the shoulders don't collapse and to keep the abdominal muscles engaged to support the low spine -- the body should be in a straight line parallel to the floor during the reverse plank, head in line with the spine (make sure to keep that alignment during the push-up Lauren!)  Each of these exercises can be done in isolation, or combined for a powerful workout as Lauren showed us.   

We'll talk plyometrics tomorrow!

How many vitamins should I take?

The students have been asking some fabulous questions this summer -- they've given ME lots to think about and investigate:

Check out the Harvard School of Public Health's perspective on Vitamins and how many we should be taking.  ***Eat a healthy diet and avoid "super" supplements because too much of a good thing can simply be too much.

And keep hydrated!



 

A day at the pool for me!

I spent some of my day off at the Victoria Pool in the beautiful Saratoga State Park near SPAC.  

 Yes, it's as relaxing as it looks! 

I decided this weekend I would try to practice what I've been preaching to my students -- that a little R&R goes a long way.  In order to perform at our best, we need to get plenty of rest to allow time for our muscles to repair themselves. 

I took a day and a half off (!) with no physical activity (other than carrying my laundry to the washer and sitting by the pool) since yesterday around 2pm.  It's been wonderful.  Over the past few days I've had some major pain creep up in my hip and my back where I have a long standing injury.  While I desired to head to the gym to walk it off, or grab some weights to work on my core, I pretended that I was one of my own students and gave my body what it really needed - a day off!!

Read what Dance Magazine has to say about the importance of rest in Your Body: The Rest Test.  The physical therapists interviewed for this article emphasize the need for "intentional rest" (not rest following an injury) and to look at the athletic model of periodization - planning your conditioning/performing schedule over time.

So let's try to remember the final statement in this fantastic article: "The performing body is blood and guts.  It needs its rest to do its best." 

Nutrition questions answered

Here are a few additional resources regarding nutrition.  I had some wonderful discussions with the students this week and some expressed interested in a few specific topics. 

As promised to them... here we go with some information!

For Maria -- Check out page 7 on this document from the University of Illinois for information on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. ***Remember to keep a good amount of healthy fats in our diet, like yummy avocado and nuts. 

For Lauren -- Check out this information about iron from the National Institutes of Health.  ***Without enough iron we can easily feel fatigued; eating red meats, fish, beans and lentils will help us get the iron our bodies need.   

For Debbie and Bella -- Read the article titled Two Is Better Than One from Best Health Magazine.  *** Eating healthy fats with your salad (like avocado - as we talked about in class), pairing caffeine with carbohydrates post workout, or simply mixing banana with yogurt, will help to increase the amount of nutrients the body is able to absorb and we can maximize the health in our foods.  

Bon appetit! 

Let's Hit the Gym!

Check out two of our NYSSSA dancers as they strength train in the gym during class today.

 Here is Lauren beginning a triceps extension exercise.  She is stabilizing her lower body while in a supine position laying down on the mat; she extends her arms while holding weights in each hand.

 Then she bends her elbows into flexion at a 90 degree angle as she works on strengthening her triceps muscles.  She is stabilizing her humerus bone (upper arm) as she does this.  Check it out in motion.

Check out Sasha completing medicine ball rotation for her obliques (abdominal muscles).  She must keep her lower body still while stabilizing her pelvis and engaging her entire core; only rotating her torso from side to side.

Try these two exercises at home and let us know what you think!

Nutrition for dancers

Check out Fueling the Dancer from the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science -- a great resource I'm using with the students in class today.  Explains the type of specific nutrition that dancers need and how to sustain energy through a long day of rehearsals and performance.  

The Centre for Dance Nutrition, affiliated with the Atlanta Ballet, has sample meal plans for both female and male dancers who are in pre-professional and professional conditioning programs.

Let me know what you think of these resources... feel free to post a comment!

Week 2!

Yesterday started week #2 at NYSSSA and the students spent the day auditioning for repertory.  They spent hours learning movement phrases and then showing them in short groups.  Many students were feeling fatigued in their quadriceps and I quickly reminded them of the foam roller and the need to de-stress the muscle fibers.

Today's class was complete with cardiorespiratory work in the cardio room, and then a trip to the gym for some strength training and weight lifting.  It's important for dancers to have this as a part of their conditioning program -- and this article, though it's from 2005, is incredibly relevant to the work we are doing here this summer.  Titled The significance of muscular strength in dance  from the Journal of Dance Science and Medicine, the authors clearly demonstrate the benefit for dancers hitting the gym!  

Some key points made by the authors:

1.  Fitness related to dance incorporates body composition, joint mobility and cardiorespiratory capacity
2. Fast twitch muscle fibers (for sprinting) are 30%-40% larger than slow twitch muscle fibers (long distance marathon running) and if a dancer has more of these, their body can look more "muscular"
3. Modern dance blends muscular strength with agility, balance and flexibility 
4. Ballet dancers have more slow twitch muscle fibers, and modern dancers often come from an interdisciplinary background (e.g., former gymnasts) so they could have a certain amount of "athleticism" 
5. Lower back is most common site for dance injury 
6. Strength training can help to lessen osteoporosis and weight bearing activity increases bone density 
7. One must put muscles through a full range of motion or you could risk shortening a muscle 

A bit of the conclusion for a quick summary:

Dancers remain subject to the same unyielding physical laws as athletes. However, although muscular strength has been part of the athlete's life since classical times, this physical fitness component has not been considered as a necessary ingredient for success in dance. We presented published data demonstrating that supplementary exercise training can increase muscular strength without interfering with artistic and dance performance requirements. There is little indication that an appropriate strength training regimen would diminish body aesthetics and muscle flexibility.

So.... hitting the gym will not damage a dancer's artistry -- if anything, it will increase bone density, make dancers less prone to injury, and help a dancer to sustain an even longer career.