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Category: Health and Wellness

The November Five

1) Half Roll Back w/ Twist:

  • Sit at the front of your mat with knees bent. Hold on behind your legs.
  • Exhale as you pull your belly button in and round your back (do not collapse your chest).
  • Inhale as you open right arm to the side and twist to the right. Exhale as you come back to center.
  • Now round your back and twist to the left.
  • Strengthens obliques, hip and shoulder stabilization, spine stretch, chest stretch.
Anne half roll back 1 11.14
Anne half roll back 11.14

2) Leg Pull Front:

  • From plank position (or hands and knees).
  • Exhale as you lift right leg, knee straight. Inhale to lower.
  • Switch sides keeping your hips level.
  • Strengthens chest, shoulders, abs, back and legs.
Anne leg pull 1 11.14
Anne leg pull 11.14

3) Digging Trenches:

  • Start on your tummy with arms and legs extended into a big “X”. Rest forearms on foam roller if you have one.
  • Inhale as you press forearms down into the mat, or roller, and lift upper back and chest up off the ground.
  • Exhale as you lower.
  • Strengthens back extensors, improves shoulder stabilization.

Here Anne demonstrates this move using the foam roller. This exercise should not hurt your back! If it does, come down, make sure your belly button is pulled in, then try a smaller back extension.

Anne Dig trench 1 11.14
Anne dig trench 2 11.14

 

4) Squat/ Side Kick:

  • Stand with right side near a wall.
  • Squat, and as you stand up stretch your right foot to touch the wall. Start slow, then pick up the pace as your fitness level allows.
  • One minute, then switch sides.
  • Strengthens back, legs, hips, improves balance.
Anne squat 11.15 (2)

 5) Eagle:

  • Stand near a wall for balance.
  • Sit into a low squat and stack right foot on top of left foot, or wrap you right foot behind your left knee if you can do this without pain.
  • Wrap right arm over left, or twist arms and touch palms together if our shoulders allow for this.
  • Hold one minute then switch sides.
  • Stretches and strengthens hips and shoulders, improves balance.
Alice Eagle front 10.14
Anne Eagle edit

Attitude Of Gratitude

Have you seen the gratitude tree here in Sellwood? Each time I walk by I say something I am grateful for, and I never have to think very hard.

gratitude-tree-10-16-1

 

gratitude-tree-10-16-3

Research shows that an attitude of gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Expressing gratitude helps us feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve our health, and build strong relationships.

This month I will be posting what I am grateful for here on Fluid’s facebook page and I encourage you to do the same. It could change your life!

Here’s a start – I am grateful for YOU for reading this post and being a part of my Fluid family. What are you grateful for?

 

Anne McCranie is a licensed massage therapist and personal trainer in Portland (Sellwood), Oregon. She offers movement + massage based pain relief solutions.

The October Five

Shoot for one minute of each of these moves every day this month.

1) Plank Rows:

Ned Plank Rows 10.14
Ned Plank Rows 2 10.14
  • Start in a plank position holding 5-8 lb weights, with legs as wide as your mat (wider legs makes this easier).
  • Exhale and pull right elbow towards the ceiling, lifting the weight off the ground. Inhale to slowly lower back down.
  • Switch arms, lift left and lower left arm (shoulders and hips do not move, back stays flat, hips low).
  • Back and shoulder stabilization and strength. Core strength.

2) King Arthur:

Michelle R King Arthur 10.14
Bridgget King Arthur modified 10.14
  • Make a low, parallel lunge with your right foot in front, right knee over your ankle.
  • Rest your left knee on the ground behind you.
  • Hold one minute, then switch sides.
  • Hip flexor, quad and psoas stretch.

Here’s another version more suitable for sensitive knees:

 

3) Tricep Dips:

  • Seated (on the floor, or on the edge of a bench if you have one available).
  • Hands behind you, fingers facing forward.
  • Bend your elbows straight back behind you. Straighten your arms, keeping shoulders down away from your ears.
  • Triceps strength. Arm, shoulder, hamstring, and core strength. Shoulder stabilization.
Tricep dips M M 2 10.15
Tricep dips M M 10.15

 

4) Burpies:

*This is a fairly complicated, multi joint exercise. If you suffer from hip, back, knee, or wrist issues please modify this move. You should not feel pain while doing this.

  • Stand at the top of your mat. Squat down and place your hands on the floor.
  • Step or jump back into a plank. Hold here, or throw in a push up if you are feeling saucy.
  • Step or jump feet back up to the top of your mat.
  • Keeping hips low, stand (or jump) up.
  • Cardio interval. Core, hip, leg, shoulder, arm, and chest strength.
Jenny burpies 2 10.15

Jenny burpies 3 10.15

Jenny burpies 2 10.15

Jenny burpies 1 10.15

 5) Yoga Dancer:

  • Standing balance. Hip and quad stretch.
  • Stand (near a wall if needed) on your left foot and extend your left arm.
  • Square your hips and shoulders to the front of the room.
  • Grab the inside of your right foot with your right hand. Gently press your foot straight back behind you.
  • Hold for one minute then switch sides.

  

Anne Dancer v1 8.14

 

Anne Dancer v2 8.14

 

 

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based Personal Trainer, Pilates and Yoga instructor and Licensed Massage Therapist. This post is meant to jog your memory about moves we have done together either in class or in a private training session. Please see your health care professional prior to beginning a new exercise program.

 

The October Five Exercises – Burpies!

The Five are up! Can you go through one minute of each of these moves every day this month? Let’s start with burpies.

This exercise is a complex, multi joint movement that increases upper body and lower body strength, improves hip mobility, and gets your heart rate up. Click here to see full descriptions of the October Five and click here to see beginner to advanced burpie options including videos.

Jenny burpies 1 10.15

Jenny burpies 2 10.15

Jenny burpies 3 10.15

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. Please see your medical professional before beginning a new exercise program.

 

The September Five

BACK

1) Mountain Climbers:

  • Start in a plank position.
  • Bring right knee in towards your chest, then step back to plank. Switch sides, bringing left knee in to chest and back to plank.
  • Move as fast as you can, comfortably and without pain for one minute. If your knees allow for this try jumping your legs in and out.
  • Cardio interval, core strength, chest strength.

2) Side Plank:

  • From hands and knees (or plank position), neutral spine.
  • Lift your left arm to the ceiling and rotate your shoulders and hips to face the left.
  • Hold here one minute, then switch sides.
  • Shoulder, back and abdominal strength.

3) Camel:

  • From kneeling (pad your knees if needed). Gently lift the top of your head and stack your shoulders over your hips over your knees. Bring hands to support your low back (as if you were putting them in your back pockets).
  • Reach your chest up to the ceiling as you extend up and back into a small back extension. Shoulders draw down your back, elbows gently draw together.
  • Back extension, chest stretch.

4) Corkscrew:

  • Lying on your back, legs together and extended towards the ceiling.
  • Exhale as you circle legs around in a clockwise direction.
  • Inhale, pause at 12 o’clock. Exhale and circle legs the other direction.
  • Hip stabilization, core strength, hamstring stretch.

5) Roll Up:

  • Lying on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor.
  • Exhale as you curl your chin towards your chest and slowly roll up to seated.
  • Inhale here, then exhale as you roll back down.
  • Spinal flexion, core strength.