There is a common myth in the fitness industry that you cannot push your knees over your toes during lower body strengthening exercises. This is not the case and should be explained.
It is often said that you are at a higher chance of injuring your knees if you go knees-over-toes during your exercises. Now, I have often said that the knee is kind of a dumb joint because it will do whatever the hip and ankle tell it to. But, the knee is meant to have a degree of freedom to move and not be limited.
There is an increase in ankle dorsiflexion when pushing your knee forward. Keeping the heel down and pushing my knee forward gives a calf stretch and improves ankle range of motion.
There is a greater stretch of the quadriceps muscle group. The greater our ability to lengthen a muscle, the better we can shorten and contract the muscle.
Pushing the knee forward increases the ability of the patellar tendon to tolerate higher loads at the end of its range of motion.
When we squat, the main motion is lowering our center of mass, but pushing our knees forward. Same thing with a skater squat, a single leg exercise. This exercise works knee stability along with the hip and ankle. This allows us to properly be able to use the hip, knee, and ankle in unison.
Your knees are stronger than you think, train them in their full range of motion!
Is this news to you? Learn more by scheduling a free initial session with one of our knowledgable personal trainers. Click the link here to get started with a personal trainer.
Offset resistance exercises are strength based movements that asymmetrically load one side of the body. This type of training can help improve coordination, motor control, and overall movement posture. Here are some examples of exercises using this method:
▪️REVERSE LUNGES – Place the weight on the same side as your working leg. Turn hips forward and brace core. Your groin muscles will work harder to keep your hip and knee stable.
▪️SUITCASE DEADLIFT – This is great to help practice the hinge and to properly weight shift. While lifting the weight up, work on avoiding too much of a weight shift. Keep everything as linear as possible.
▪️SINGLE ARM SEAL ROW – This works by being an anti-rotation movement. Bracing your core and controlling the descend so there is no excessive rotation.
▪️SINGLE ARM CHEST PRESS – Same concept as before just working the opposite muscle group. Lift your feet off the ground to increase the difficulty.
▪️SUITCASE CARRY – This works on loading one side of the body while walking. Combining all the principles from the previous exercises with an increased challenge on motor control. This concept can be used with almost all exercise and can be done with other forms of resistance such as a barbells and resistance bands.
Summer is here and we are ready for all the good things that come along with these warmer months – like cook outs, beach/lake days and maybe a trip or two . . . AND, we think summer is a perfect time to refocus on your health and fitness! Here are a few things to consider if you would like to add GET FIT to your summer plans:
Set specific goals: Define your fitness goals for the summer, whether it’s building muscle, improving endurance, or simply increasing your daily movement. Setting only 1 -3 specific and realistic goals will help you stay motivated and focused.
Create a workout schedule: Take your workout goals and turn them into action by planning out when in your week you are going to complete each activity. I even highly recommend physically writing it down in your calendar. Make an appointment with yourself, for yourself care.
Stay consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to fitness. Aim to move your body everyday and at least 5 days a week try to get 30 – 60 minutes moderate-intensity aerobic or vigorous activity in.
Stay hydrated: It’s essential to drink plenty of water, especially in the summer heat. While we typically say you should aim to consume at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day stay properly hydrated, in hotter weather, especially if you are exercising in the heat, you will need to drink even more to replace the water that you are losing though sweat.
Take advantage of the outdoors: Summer provides ample opportunities to exercise outdoors. Explore activities like hiking, biking, beach volleyball, paddleboarding, or even outdoor yoga. These activities not only keep you active but also allow you to enjoy the beautiful weather. Also, there is something magical about being outside in nature.
Protect your skin: When exercising outdoors, remember to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Apply sunscreen with a high SPF, wear a hat, sunglasses, and breathable clothing to keep your body cool and shielded.
Stay motivated with a workout buddy: Find a workout buddy who shares similar fitness goals. Exercising with a friend or joining group classes can make workouts more enjoyable and help you stay motivated throughout the summer.
Eat a balanced diet: Summer is such wonderful time to eat fresh, health foods! Incorporate nutrient-dense foods into your diet, including lean proteins like fresh seafood, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. And, as always avoid excessive consumption of sugary drinks and processed snacks and maybe even harder – alcohol. You will feel much better if you are fueling your body with healthy food choices that support your fitness journey.
Stay cool and avoid heat-related issues: It can get REALLY hot and humid here in NC so you may need to exercise during cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening, to avoid the peak heat. If you’re exercising in hot conditions, wear light-colored, breathable clothing, and listen to your body’s signals to prevent overheating or dehydration.
Prioritize rest and recovery: Allow your body to rest and recover whether that is from a workout or stress at work, it is nice to have a little slower pace in the summer. Focus on getting enough sleep, as it plays a vital role in muscle repair and overall recovery. Incorporate rest days into your exercise routine as well to prevent overtraining and reduce the risk of injuries.
Here is a helpful tip from our partners in health, physical therapists – Dr. Chris Kosobucki and Dr. Daniela Ortiz-Kosobucki. We love that they share their expert knowledge and best advice for maintaining healthy, strong bodies and exercises to help common orthopedic injuries with our team and our clients!
One of the best clinical tests that physical therapists can do for a myriad of leg-related problems is to look at one’s single-leg squat capability. This test looks at how well each individual leg can both raise and lower one’s own body weight repeatedly.
Balance, check; coordination, check, strength, check, flexibility, check, endurance, check. It is all in there!
If you think about it, most locomotive things we do have the single-leg loading mechanism built right into it; walking, stairs, running, jumping, and cutting. If our single leg squat performance was like shocks on a car, these results can give us real-time feedback on how each individual leg can take the stress of us in this up and down manner.
And for the runner’s out there, did you know that statistically, each time your foot hits the ground, that is 2-3 times your body weight! Wow, now think about how important having a strong single leg needs to be! Go ahead and test yourself out in front of a mirror and see how you do!
I think you have likely heard the saying – “You are what you think,” but have you ever taken the time to decipher what this means? Our minds are powerful parts of our beings and much of what we think (especially what we think of ourselves) will manifest itself in our lives. There is a cyclical concept that explains one way in which this happens: our identity drives our habits and our habits shape our identity. The way we see ourselves, our values, beliefs, and goals can influence the habits we form and, in turn, the habits we form can reinforce and shape our sense of self.
For example, if we identify as someone who is health-conscious and values fitness, we are more likely to form habits such as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep. These habits can reinforce our identity as someone who values health and fitness, leading us to prioritize these habits in our daily lives. Similarly, if we identify as someone who is creative and values artistic expression, we are more likely to form habits such as practicing our art regularly, seeking out new sources of inspiration, and experimenting with new techniques. These habits can reinforce our identity as a creative person, leading us to see ourselves as someone who is constantly evolving and improving our skills.
Knowing that our habits can shape our identity by reinforcing the values and beliefs that are important to us, and our identity can drive our habits by influencing the actions we take and the choices we make in our daily lives – is part of why Empower’s health philosophy (ThinkFUN, Get Fit, Eat Well, Sleep Well) starts with the word “THINK.” We encourage all of you to take a moment to think about how you define YOU. Do you think of yourself as a fit, healthy, energetic person? If not, why? What would it take to change your mind?
Ultimately, the relationship between identity and habits is a dynamic and reciprocal one, where both are closely intertwined and can influence each other over time. If this is an area you think you need some help in please talk to your trainer about your mindset . . . and how becoming powerful starts with believing you already are!
As both men and women reach their 40s and beyond, they’re faced with changes that may require them to adjust their nutrition and fueling to ensure they’re best supporting their health as well as any performance goals they may have. This can be difficult for many men and women because their nutrition and diet choices have been cemented over decades as an adult, and making these adjustments requires some focus and intentionality. The great news, though, is that it doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ll talk about nutrition for changes in aging and adjustments older adults need to make to account for changes as a result of aging, and we’ll explore how to easily make those adjustments.
First, as people move through adulthood and cross over into older (aka late) adulthood (65 years and older), their metabolism slows down meaning they need less calories than when they were younger. However, older adults still have similar (or even higher) nutrient needs compared to younger adults. Effectively, this means we have fewer calories to get the same (or higher) level of vitamins and minerals. As a result, older adults need to focus more heavily on quality foods like lean proteins, whole grains and other high quality starches, as well as lots of fruits and vegetables. A good rule of thumb is the to use the Plate Method to help guide how you portion your food at meals. Using the Plate Method, ¼ of your plate should come from lean proteins, ¼ of your plate should come from carbs and starches, and ½ of your plate should come from fruits and/or vegetables. The individual portion sizes will vary based on your needs, but this gives us a good picture of how we should be balancing and prioritizing different food groups.
Muscle Mass
In addition to calorie needs decreasing, metabolic changes also mean that muscle mass tends to decrease into older adulthood. This isn’t just a matter of no longer looking “lean”, “ripped”, or muscular. Excessive declines in muscle mass also affect functionality and the ability to perform tasks like cooking, cleaning, bathing, and dressing that are essential to our independence. As a result, it’s important for older adults to ensure they’re eating enough protein to help support their lean mass and minimize the loss of muscle. This is especially important for active and athletic older adults, as that will place an additional strain on muscle and make it even more important to ensure they’re eating enough protein. Your activity level, body size, and goals may require a different level of protein intake, but I typically recommend a protein intake of at least 1.2-1.5g of protein per kilogram of body weight for older adults.
Bone Density
In addition to declining muscle mass, older adults are also facing a decline in bone mineral density. For most people, the peak of bone mass occurs between 25-30 years of age, and by the age of 40, we begin to slowly lose bone mass. Early on and if we’re slowly losing bone mass, this isn’t too much of a concern. However, if we lose bone mass too quickly, the risk for fractures increases. This could be stress fractures in very active individuals, but it could also be an increased risk of fractures if we trip and fall. While this is a normal part of the aging process, the goal is to slow the rate of decline as much as possible by ensuring that you’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D–both of which are very important for our bone health. Your specific needs may vary, but it’s a good idea for men in their 50s and 60s to aim for 1000 mg of calcium each day. On the other hand, peri- and post-menopausal women may want to increase their daily calcium intake to 1200mg to combat the rapid bone loss associated with hormonal changes during menopause. For both men and women in their 50s and 60s, it’s a good idea to aim for 1000 IU of Vitamin D each day. At age 70 and above, the recommendations for both men and women are to aim for 1200mg of Calcium each day and 800 IU of Vitamin D each day.
GI Function
A couple of other areas to consider relate to our gastrointestinal function. As adults age (and often by older adulthood), they begin to produce less stomach acid. Stomach acid is an important component for us to absorb Vitamin B12 from the foods we eat. As a result of these changes, older adults should consider asking their doctor to test their Vitamin B12 levels. If you find out that they’re low, you may want to consider supplementing Vitamin B12, but you may be able to get enough by ensuring you’re eating foods rich in Vitamin B12 (such as fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fortified breakfast cereals, and nutritional yeast). Another important nutrient related to our GI function that’s often overlooked is fiber. Decreased fiber intake can result from lack of appetite or just from not being sure to eat enough. Fiber plays an important role in GI regularity; in other words, it helps to keep things moving through our intestines and helps to maintain regular bowel movements. The general recommendation for older adults is for men to aim for at least 30 grams of fiber per day and for women to aim for at least 21 grams of fiber per day.
Hydration
Along with adequate (or even increased) fiber intake, it’s important to ensure you’re drinking enough water. Without enough water, increasing our fiber intake can stop us up and make us constipated. However, with adequate hydration, you’ll be supporting your health and all of the important roles of water in the body, but you’ll also be helping your intestines to function properly and keep things moving. This can be difficult for older adults, because for many people as they age, their thirst sensation (and desire to drink) decreases. However, by being aware of this and being intentional about drinking enough water, you can be sure you’re best supporting your health. A good general rule of thumb for hydration is to aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should aim to consume at least 80 ounces of water each day. An important note here is that some health conditions may necessitate a lower fluid intake. If your doctor or another healthcare provider has specifically told you that you need to consume a different or lower amount of fluid, you should defer to their guidance.
Menopause
One of the aging-related topics that I often get asked about is nutrition for menopause, how menopause changes your needs, or nutrition to help mitigate some of the symptoms of menopause. For women anywhere in the menopause process (pre-, intra-, or post- menopausal), the recommendations outlined throughout this blog hold true–these things are important to support your health and may help to mitigate some of the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. Some additional items that can also help with unpleasant menopause symptoms may be the inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids (such as from fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, cod, and sardines), limiting alcohol intake, limiting caffeine intake, and avoiding high-sodium and spicy foods.
Not sure how to put all of this into practice? Or have you tried to implement this and are struggling to put all of the pieces together? Schedule a free call here with our Registered Dietitian, Michael Raynor MS, RD, LDN, to learn about working with him to maximize your health and performance!
You may have heard of the macronutrients (or “macros” for short). Even if you don’t know what they are, you’ve likely seen them listed on the Nutrition Facts panel of all the packaged foods you buy–carbohydrates, protein, and fat. These macronutrients are the larger components of food and make up all the calories (also known as energy) that are found in our food. All three macros serve different and important roles in the body, which we’ll cover the basics of here and how to ensure you’re getting enough of each macro.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are long chains of sugars linked together. Once in the body, the carbohydrates are broken down to, and used as, those smaller sugar molecules. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source, especially for higher intensity exercise and activity, and they’re the brain’s preferred energy source all the time. It’s important to consume enough carbohydrates to ensure we have the energy we need throughout the day. Sources of carbohydrates include (but are not limited to) rice, pasta, breads, cereals, granola, fruit, beans, starchy vegetables (like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and peas), and dairy foods (such as yogurt and milk), and grains like quinoa and oats. A good general rule is that carbohydrates should make up 45-65% of our calories, but your specific needs may vary.
Protein
Protein is found in all the cells in our body, most notably, it’s the building block of our muscle tissue. Our body is constantly performing repair and remodeling to keep everything healthy, and we need to ensure we’re eating enough protein to make sure our body has the nutrients it needs to keep all our tissues healthy. Activity increases our body’s need for protein by increasing the breakdown of tissues (requiring more protein for proper recovery and repair). A general rule is that protein should make up 20-35% of our calories, but, again, your specific needs may vary.
Fat
Our final macronutrient of discussion is fat. Fat is a storage form of energy, insulates our body, helps to protect our organs, and fat is used by the body to make our hormones (which are our body’s signaling molecules). Interestingly, while carbohydrates and protein both contain 4 calories per gram, fat is much more energy dense at 9 calories per gram, so the total amount of it that we need to consume is quite a bit smaller than the other 2 macronutrients. A general guideline is that fat should make up 20-35% of our calories.
How can I use this information?
If numbers and logging food to determine your balance of macronutrients isn’t for you, another way you can make sure you’re getting a good balance of nutrients is through something called the Plate Method. This method of portioning foods is so useful because of its simplicity. All you have to do is portion the components of your meals as a proportion of your plate. With this, at each meal, aim to fill ¼ of your plate with lean protein, ¼ of your plate with carbs and starches, and ½ of your plate with vegetables and/or fruits. Here’s an example:
The size of your plate (and the size of each portion, as a result) should vary based on your individual needs. Additionally, depending on your goals, your proportion of each component of your meals may need to be adjusted. This is best discussed and determined in conjunction with your dietitian though!Need help putting this into practice? Reach out to our dietitian HERE.
If you follow food news or just look at new products in the grocery store, you’ve probably heard of various “superfoods” and the wide array of associated claims made about them. So, what’s the deal with these foods? Are they really “superior”? If so, what makes them super?
Superfoods get their name because they’re foods that are nutrient dense and, as a result, deemed to be “healthier”. Some examples of these sensationalized foods that you might have heard about include blueberries, açaí, chia seeds, flax, coconut oil, hemp, cacao nibs, avocado, kale, pomegranate, and salmon. Let’s look at the nutrients that these foods are rich in. Blueberries, açai, and pomegranate are high in antioxidants, and chia is high in fiber, antioxidants, omega-3’s, protein, and calcium. Flax is high in protein, fiber, omega-3’s, and rich in lignans (an antioxidant) which may reduce cancer risk. Coconut oil is a wonderful source of Medium-Chain Triglycerides (or MCTs), which the body metabolizes a little differently from other fats and it fuels the body and brain. Hemp is rich in healthy fats, and is high in protein, vitamin E, and several minerals. Cacao Nibs are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and they’re rich in minerals too. Avocados are rich in healthy fats and fiber. Kale is high in Vitamins A, K, and C, and rich in antioxidants. Finally, salmon is rich in omega-3s, protein, and vitamin B12. Obviously, this is quite the list of benefits and quite different foods spanning plant and animal sources.
These foods are nutritious options and are great to incorporate into a balanced diet, but the whole concept of “superfoods” and, often their touted benefits, highlights the importance of a key part of a healthy diet, which is variety. If you look at food and nutrition related news, the headlines often seem to tout a single food or just a few foods that you need to eat to achieve some health benefit. I feel that this is a flawed approach to nutrition. Slimming down the list of foods or trying to have less variety in the pursuit of health is not the answer. When we cut out foods, we’re cutting out nutrients and other compounds that are beneficial to us. All foods contain different mixtures of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and other compounds. It’s important to eat a variety of foods to ensure we’re getting all the nutrients that we need to support our health. There’s no one food that provides everything we need, so we need to eat a variety of different foods to make sure we’re getting all those different compounds.
So, while these superfoods are great to include in your diet, they shouldn’t be added, hoping to remove other things. Instead, I encourage you to give some of these foods a try as a way of including some variety into your normal routine and to mix things up.
Not sure how to incorporate superfoods or if you have enough variety in your diet? Sign up for a free Get-to-Know-You call with Michael here.
There are many considerations when working with developing youth athletes. All kids develop at different rates and have varying amounts of experience. Because of this, there is not a one-size-fits-all exercise program for all youth athletes. These children and adolescents require a detailed evaluation.
During our evaluation, we will measure your athletes:
Physical maturational age
Balance
Movement coordination
Strength
We will also collect vital information, such as:
Sports experience
Past medical history
Parent/athlete goals
Overall, the evaluation provides us an opportunity to get to know your athlete, set expectations, collect physical measurements, and develop goals. This helps athletes understand the “why” behind what we do and allows them to become more comfortable with our coaches and staff. Learn more about the program and sign up for the eval.
Youth Athlete Performance Development Program By Dr. Chris Bruscato in partnership with Empower Fitness
Empower is thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Chris Bruscato PT, DPT, LAT, ATC, XPS to bring this NEW and exciting program to the Empower community.
Chris is a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and performance coach with a special interest in sports medicine, performance, and the development of youth athletes. He has created this specialized program to help youth athletes (and those who would like to become more athletic):
Develop robust levels of athleticism
Reduce risk of injury
Enhance health & well-being
Based on the latest scientific research on long-term athletic development in youth athletes, this program is unique in that we perform a detailed evaluation to understand what stage of development your child is in. From there we provide the most appropriate exercises that have been proven to improve:
Strength
Coordination
Balance/stability
Fundamental movement skills (squatting, pushing, pulling)
Sports specific skills (speed, agility, jumping, landing, sprinting, cutting)
How Does It Work: The Process.
STEP ONE: Evaluation – $129 Comprehensive eval and consultation assessing maturational age, flexibility, balance, movement competency, strength. Email Chris to Schedule Eval.
STEP TWO: Assign to training group Based on the findings from evaluation, we will place your athlete into the correct training group.
STEP THREE: 8-Week Training Blocks – $209 / $389 Choose to train 1 or 2 times per week. This is an ongoing and progressive program that runs in 8-week blocks. First training block starts Jan. 23rd (limited spots)
STEP FOUR: Reevaluate Reevaluate every 16 weeks, and continue to monitor for changes in development and make advancements to exercise programming.
The Training Groups
Youth Academy (FUNdementals) The FUNdementals training group is our foundational training group. For younger athletes with a focus on improving a wide variety of fundamental movements and developing self-esteem. We work on coordination, balance, and light resistance training and create a fun environment through the utilization of games, structured play, competition, and positive encouragement.
Varsity Performance (Learn to Train) The Learn to Train group is our intermediate training group. Adolescent aged athletes we focus on improving both fundamental movements skills, sport specific movement skills, and developing self-worth and confidence. Specifically, working on balance, jumping/landing/running technique, and moderate resistance training with a focus on core strengthening.
D1 Performance (Train to Perform) The Learn to Perform group is our advanced training group, where we focus on improving both the movements and psychological skills required for success in sport. These teens will move through a systematic sport progression, encompassing mobility, stability, speed/agility, power, and strength.
The Schedule
Evaluation appointments available starting December 11th
Deadline to schedule your child’s eval is Jan. 9th
Spaces are limited in each group, scheduling your eval secures your spot