Core Fit 'N Motion

Well, I felt it was time to give an update on the members. I haven’t written much about them lately. Come to think of it, I haven’t been writing much at all lately. It’s been busy at the gym. Busy is a good thing. That means people are showing up, working hard and seeing results.

Bruce has been a superstar. He has been coming four days a week and has seen HUGE improvements. I spotted him doing a front squat with the 40 kg (88 pound) kettlebell earlier this week. He was doing a situp-getup with an eight kilo bell and commented that when he started he couldn’t do it with any weight. To show my admiration and congratulations, I have a free shirt waiting for him if he reads this and mentions it to me…

Tonight, we did an extra core routine at the end of the workout. Half way through, Tony mentioned that he has greatly improved his flexibility. Joe is another that is moving up in weight. He was swinging the 28 kg this week and looking good. The women, are all doing amazing. We did a little confidence builder and I saw a couple of them swinging the 24 kg bells 🙂 Keep up the great work!

I also need to give a special shout out to Todd and Lori. I can count on them like clockwork. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday they show up, rain, snow or shine for the 6:00 am class! Tony and Kelsey are my regulars on Friday nights. Lately Fridays have become their personal training sessions. I don’t think they mind, but if you’re looking for a smaller class, Friday’s are it.

Renee is going to Rhode Island next weekend to get her certification. Later in February we will be adding more classes. So far we have decided to add 8:30 am classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. To celebrate and show our commitment to the Delano area, we are offering reduced monthly rates for those that wish to commit to us:

• $79 per month for a 6 month commitment
• $69 per month for a 12 month commitment

Lately, I (Renee’) have had several people ask me why I always work out barefoot.  When I tried giving short answers such as “it improves my balance” or “I don’t get as sore” it always led to more questions and more explanations.  I decided this would be a good topic to post about and let you decide for yourself if you want to give it a try.

The foot has 28 bones, 38 muscles, 35 joints, 56 ligaments and 2 arches.  It is the very foundation of our body and affects every other part of our bodies from the ankle to the knee, the hip, the back and even the neck.  Most athletic shoes with their inflexible soles, structured sides and super-cushioned inserts keep the foot so restricted that they may actually be making your foot lazy, weak and more prone to injury.  These shoes do all the work for our feet and the foot muscles weaken from lack of use.  It is common for ankle, knee and back pain to occur from improper foot mechanics. 

Barefoot exercise allows a greater range of motion to the foot, which can increase its flexibility.  Barefoot exercise will help with balance, postural alignment, and injury prevention.  One of the first things you may notice when you first try barefoot squats, lunges and other strength training exercises is an initial lack of stabilization.  A person can become so conditioned to using shoes for support that they almost fall sideways when doing a barefoot lunge.  Balance is one aspect that will greatly improve when the strength and flexibility of the foot improves.  With improved balance comes improved posture and muscle alignment which leads to less aches and pains and a reduced risk of  balance injuries such as twisted ankles.

Try exercising barefoot for a couple weeks and see how it strengthens you from the neck down!