Blog - Fluid Movement + Massage

Foam Rollers: The Perfect Workout Support

May 25, 2017May 25, 2017anne

What is a foam roller?

A closed cell foam tube that measures 36 inches long.

What can I do with my foam roller?

Foam Rollers are available from Anne McCraine Lots of things! I love these so much I use them every day, in fact when my Pilates ladies arrive for class the first thing they do is grab their foam roller and lay on it.

Here are a few suggestions:

Release work
Stabilization exercises
Spine mobility exercises
Flexibility exercises
Core strength exercises (like the Pilates toe dip series)
Balance training (Lunges, Pushups, Roll ups)
Upper body strength training (like my favorite series of Chest press, Flye and Tricep extension)

Why do I need a foam roller?

I recommend foam rollers to everyone, from the casual exerciser to the elite athlete. If all you do is spend five minutes laying lengthwise on your roller at night you are off to a great start.

Benefits of using a roller:

Foam Rollers available from Fluid Portland

Release muscular tension
Increase body awareness
Build functional strength
Improve your balance
Increase your flexibility

Has someone you love just started working out? This is the perfect gift! Contact me about picking up one of these for yourself or you loved one. Better yet, schedule a session with me and learn my “top ten” foam roller exercises, including a handy spreadsheet to use as a reference guide.

The May Five

May 5, 2017July 3, 2025anne

1) Baby Bear:

This is release work – your goal is to use the least amount of effort possible.

Start lying on your back.
Hug your knees and relax your back, hips chest and neck. No really, let everything relax, this may take a minute to figure out.
Start to roll side to side, eventually rolling all the way onto your right side then onto your left side. If you notice tension anywhere in your body stop, and start again making smaller movements.
Back, neck, hip and shoulder release.

2) Roll Up:

Start on your back with knees bent.
Reach towards your knees and as easily as possible start to roll your head and shoulders off the mat.
Slowly roll back down with control.
You may make it all the way up to seated. If this strains your neck, come back down and do a smaller version with one hand behind your head.
Core strength, spine mobility.

3) Plank/ Twist:

From hands and knees, step back into a plank.
Make a straight line through your ear, shoulder, hip and knee (drop to your knees if you need to).
Slowly lower one hip towards the floor, come back to center, lower the other hip, back to center.
One minute.
Core strength, shoulder and back strength, spine mobility.

4) Chair/ Twist:

Stand with feet parallel, hip distance apart (or big toes touching).
Sit low into your Chair pose (parallel squat).
Twist to the right, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee. Switch sides.
Our fitness model, Sara, is super strong and is showing the advanced version. If you feel any pain while doing this move, don’t sit as deep into your squat, or do a smaller twist.
One minute.
Strengthens back, legs, arms, shoulders.

5) Burpies:

Believe it or not, one of my ladies requested Burpies this month! You basically cycle through a squat, to a plank or push up, back to a squat (or jump), moving as fast as you can comfortably and without pain.

Stand at the front of your mat.
Squat down (keeping hips lower than your shoulders – do not round your back) and step or jump back to a plank.
One push up.
Step or jump back to the front of your mat (again keep hips low).
Stand up (or jump up).
Repeat for one minute.
Cardio interval. Leg, back, hip, shoulder, chest and arm strength.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She suggests you shoot for one minute a day of these moves, to compliment your cardio, strength, and flexibility work. The above photos are meant to jog your memory about the work you and Anne have done together. Please see your medical professional before beginning a new exercise program.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

May 2, 2017July 3, 2025Anne

Looking for a healthy breakfast idea? Try this baked oatmeal recipe and let me know what you think. While it does contain a small amount of sugar (from maple syrup, raisins, and carrots) it is also rich in vitamins, whole grains, fiber, and a little protein from the eggs, nuts, and and dairy.

These can me made a head and packed to go, and they freeze beautifully.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 cups oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup carrot, grated
1/3 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease an 8X8 pan with one Tbsp of coconut oil.
In a large bowl, combine oats, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream cheese, milk, maple syrup, the remaining oil, and vanilla (small lumps are OK).
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.
Fold in carrots and raisins.
Pour mixture into pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until set.
Let cool for ten minutes, then slice and serve.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Creative, Low Tech Workout Journal

April 30, 2017July 3, 2025anne

What system do you use to track your workouts?

One of my ladies has been struggling with keeping a consistent self care schedule. She is very smart, organized, driven, and runs her own business, so she can set her own schedule. Over the past year she has been coming in to see me about once a month for a movement + massage session. Her goal was general relaxation, and to reduce the chronic tightness and pain in her neck. While she was going to weekly yoga and Nia classes, and walking, she was doing no specific strength work or release work for her neck.

Together we went through a few gentle, easy, neck release moves, and the Five. During her massage we worked on general relaxation with a focus on her neck. She agreed to do her exercises at home, for five minutes twice a week. I emailed her exercises and sent her on her way. When she came back the next month she was disappointed that despite coming up with a plan, she was not about to find the time to do her exercises.

In October she decided to put a reminder on her phone, and when the bell went off she would do her exercises. She did do her exercises a few times that month, then she would just start ignoring the alarm when it went off. She then picked two days (Sundays and Wednesdays), but when I checked in with her she was still struggling with consistency. She felt frustrated that she could be so organized at work, yet fail what seemed like a simple task – take care of herself by doing just a few easy exercises twice a week (does this sound familiar ladies?).

Last month I emailed her to check in, and she was so excited to tell me about her new system. She came in last week with this beauty:

Y’all know how I love a paper calendar right? Oh man did this bring joy to my heart! She gives herself a green sticker for her classes, a yellow sticker for walking – half sticker for short walks, full sticker for walks over 10,000 steps – and a red sticker for her strength work on her own. She is on a roll for April!

Her calendar is simple and easy to use, and is a colorful visual reminder of her success. With a quick glance she can see what she heeds to do to round out her program for that week.

What I love about her story is she was motivated to learn new exercises, she saw the value in adding strength work to her current cardio and flexibility routine, she was motivated to do the work (reduced neck pain and tightness), but still faced roadblocks. Rather than getting frustrated and giving up, she found a solution that works for her!

What do you use (phone apps, paper journal, organizer) to track your workouts? Leave me a comment below about what has helped you be successful…

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She works with her clients one on one, and in small groups to build strength and mobility, and alleviate chronic pain.

Contact her today for your complimentary consultation (503) 705-4762.

Correct Toes®: An Easy Solution to Foot Issues

April 25, 2017April 25, 2017anne

What are Correct Toes®?

Soft, flexible toe separators that encourage your toes to move back into their natural alignment. With progressive and consistent use while active and weight bearing, toes align and feet strengthen, restoring your foot’s original position and function. You can wear these during yoga, a hike, or while strength training.

Why Do I Need Correct Toes®?

Buy Correct Toes® from Anne McCraine Do you suffer from hammer toes, bunions or plantar fasciitis? Correct Toes® help the foot rehabilitate from the negative effects of conventionally shaped footwear.

Correct Toes benefits include:

Correct many common foot & leg problems
Increase athletic performance, decrease injuries
Improve strength & flexibility of toes & feet
Enhance balance and stability

What Makes Correct Toes® Unique:

Created by Portland sports podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan
Made of durable and flexible medical-grade silicone
Promotes balance and optimal foot and toe circulation
Can be used on bare feet, over toe socks, or in healthy footwear
Is a reasonably-priced alternative to orthotics or surgery
Designed to prevent or address many foot and toe problems

Would you like to try a simple, low tech solution for your foot issues? Let’s set up a fitting to see if these are right for you!