Stretches for runners and other athletes!

Everyone needs to stretch!! Young, old, athletes, sedentary and everyone between!!
Our bodies conform to the movements we repeat. Our muscles tighten up in areas we over work or loosen to compensate for other tight areas. As we sit at a desk all day long, our hamstrings (back of the thigh) and our hip flexors (front of the hip) become tight. These are the areas that are contracted all day long as we sit. We need to stretch those areas to ensure that we are not over compensating with our backs. They will start to round and put pressure on your upper and lower back. These areas need to be strengthen.
Runners and cyclist are moving in a repetitive forward motion sometimes for over an hour to 2 hours at a time. Some even more. Our IT Band or Iliotibia band becomes tight and inflamed as the

Gracilis and Sartorius (inner thigh muscles) become lose. This Runner's or Cyclist Knee is caused by over use and not strengthening the opposing muscles.

As we age, our hips and glutes become tight as well. In this case, our bodies need to stretch them to prevent other injuries.
Other benefits of stretching:
Relieves pain
Increases  energy levels
Increases flexibility
Give you better range of motion of the joints
Increased circulation of blood to various parts of the body
Relieves stress and increases relaxation
Can enhance coordination
Improves structural and muscular posture
Makes you feel better!

Here are a few of the basic stretches you can start with.

IT Band and Back

Groin, Inner thigh, Glutes

Quads, Hip Flexors

Hamstrings, Lower Back

Glutes, Piriformis  Hip Flexors

Sweat Cardio offers Morning Stretch classes Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:15a. They are all stretches with out the yoga involved. It is for all levels and focuses on all body parts including the smaller joints and muscles such as wrists and ankles. If you do not live in Temecula, Ca search for your local Yoga studio. You can ask if they offer stretch classes or Yin Yoga as another form of stretching.

Written by Michelle Rotell
owner: Sweat Cardio and Yoga
Check out our full class schedule at www.sweatcardio.com

You Get What You Work For- Motivation

You want results?? You want to be lean and strong?  You want to be successful? You want a great job? You want to be the top of your class?

 

                                                           You have to work for it!!

We all have dreams, goals, aspirations. But are you willing to work for it? You can already be smart, or strong, or have talent, but if you do not use it to your full potential and work for what you want, you will only go as far as you put toward it.
Make small goals and take baby steps to your overall goals. It will help you see the light at the tunnel. One grand move is much harder to see the achievements, but for every A or every pound, celebrate!!
Give it your all. Give it your passion. Give it your full heart. Give it your 100% and it will pay off.
You can do this!!!

Written by:
Michelle Rotell
Trainer, Instructor, Motivator, Owner
Sweat Cardio and Yoga
www.sweatcardio.com
follow us on facebook www.facebook.com/sweatcardio
and Instagram  @sweatcardio

Appreciate Everyday-Daily Motivation

That proud feeling you get when you realize that you are getting stronger because of all the hard work you are putting in is the best feeling. Whether that means you can now run that whole mile or walk up 2 flights of stairs or do more weight on your dead lift! Work Hard and BE Proud of what you achieve! — at Sweat Cardio.
Written by Summer Gamboa

Stretching-Giving your body the attention it needs

Stretching is one of the most important components of your fitness regime. It is the attention your body needs. Everyone, no matter what your fitness routine is, Cardio, Weight training, Cycling, Running, MMA fighting, Walking, Rowing, you get the point, should incorporate a stretching phase.
Ideally everyone should stretch after your workouts, but even better would be to designate specific time to warm up and just stretch out all your muscles.
Stretching your muscles, even the ones that you may think are not sore or tight, need to be lengthened to help with recovery, prevent injury or increase range of motion to a muscle that is tight from a previous injury.
As we get older, and we all do, no matter how fit you may be, our muscles get tighter and tighter. With that happening we tend do compensate with other muscles, or our bodies reform due to over worked mucscle.
For example, you sit at a desk all day long. You arms are reached forward, your back is slightly slouched at your desk, your shoulders are rounded forward and your knees are bent in your chair. As your arms are reached forward,your chest in clinched in. You back muscles as they are slouched take all the pressure, but your chest muscles become very tight and shortened. As your shoulders are rounded forward it puts stress on our neck and trapezius muscles (very top of the back). As your knees are bent in your chair, your hamstrings (the back of the thigh) tighten and shorten.
This is why the number one reason for low back pain is sitting at a desk or being sedentary. Those muscles need to be lengthened and stress needs to be release from your body.
Stretching your chest, upper and lower back, shoulders, neck, hips, abdominals, hamstrings, quadriceps (front of the thigh), and calvesis crucial to a long healthy life.
The key to a good stretch is to make sure your muscles are warm. You do not want to stretch with cold muscles. Roll out your joints and do active stretches prior to holding a stretch.
Each stretch should be help for at least 10-20 seconds to reap the benefits. Taking deep breathes as you are stretching will help release any tension and allow your body to relax into your stretch a little deeper.
Never stretch to where it hurts. A stretch should feel tension and resistance but should not hurt.
Using tools such as bands, a towel, a strap or even blocks to help you get into a stretch without discomfort is a good way to ease into a stretch or help you get the proper positioning.
Listen to your body. Ease out of each stretch slowly.

Think of your muscles as rubber bands. If you stretch it too much it will snap. If you pull it too hard it will snap. If you slowly work at it daily the rubber band will become loser but won't break. You want to take care of your rubber bands. Treat them with love and attention and they will love you back.
Look for a Gentle Yoga class or  a Stretch class near you.
To check out our class schedule go to www.sweatcardio.com
or call 951-302-0088 for more information.
Stay fit, Be well,
Sweat Cardio and Yoga
 Michelle Rotell, owner

Candlelight Yoga at Sweat Cardio and Yoga

Candlelight Yoga is a Gentle Flow Yoga class in a dimmed room with tea lights set around the room. We use candles to help relax the mind and body. The ambiance is very welcoming and not intimidating. It is very relaxing and comforting and helps each individual get into their Zen. The slower paced, mind body experience is a great way to release stress, toxins, tight muscles, and give you a full body workout. Candlelight Yoga is for all yoga levels, first timers, pre or post injury (cleared by your doctor), beginners, advanced yogis, pre or post natal and any age. We welcome and encourage anyone age 12 years and up to join us for Candlelight Yoga.
Sweat Cardio offers Candlelight Yoga every Wednesday 7:30p with Cherry Santos, and every Friday at 6:30p with Joyce Bianchi. We offer a calming tea after the Friday evening class during the colder months to keep your body warm and clear after class.
Join us for a special Candlelight Yoga class this Halloween Thursday October 31, 2013 at 6:30p with Jean Oshima.

We welcome new clients, friends and family to try this very special class as it is like no other yoga class.
For more information please go to www.sweatcardio.com about our class schedule, pricing, classes and more.
Memberships and drop in rates available.
Please feel free to call us at 951-302-0088.
Michelle Rotell
Sweat Cardio and Yoga

Calories-Your best Friend or your worst enemy

Calories can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It is all in how you use them.
I'll first start off by telling you that 3500 calories =one pound of fat gained or lost depending on whether it is consumed or burned.  So if you burn 3500 calories, either by exercise or cutting calories and burning calories you will lose 1 pound. If you were to cut 200 calories from your diet and burn 300 calories a day exercising you will lose about 1 pound per week.  On the other side, if you were to eat an extra 500 calories a day, you would gain a pound a week.
This should make sense. But it also matters how, when and what calories you are eating.
All so confusing??
Your body is a machine. It runs off calories like a car runs off gasoline. What you feed it and when matters too.
Feed it healthy nutritious energizing fuel and it will perform better. Feed it empty waistful non-nutritious calories and it will run slow and sluggish and other reprocussions may occur to your body, like putting the wrong fuel into your car.
Don't be afraid of calories. If you eat the right foods, such as fruits, vegetables, low glycemic carbohydrates, meats, nuts and legumes you will probably be eating the proper amount of calories. These foods eaten in moderation will be low calorie, fill you up properly and feed your brain so that you won't need the unnessasary calories that jack up your calorie count and make you feel unsatisfied and hungry.
Eat small meals throughout the day, preferably about 5-6x per day and your body will be a machine. Burning fat instead of muscle and you will have the energy to not just exercise more efficiently but you will be able to take on your daily tasks more efficiently. You will probably have more energy and get more done.
So in conclusion, your calories are important. Do NOT cut too many out, but Do NOT eat too many either. Get your calories from the right kind of foods and you will be a fat burning, energy driven machine. 
If you have further questions about this matter please feel free to comment or send me an email at michelle@sweatcardio.com
Stay fit, Be well
Michelle Rotell
www.sweatcardio.com

When the Going Gets Tough...Never Give UP!

When the Going Gets Tough......

 

The Tough keep fighting

The Tough keep their heads up

The Tough keep working hard

The Tough Keep pushing through

The Tough find a better way

The Tough brush it off

The Tough use their resources

The Tough resolve

The Tough make it work

The Tough remember whats important

The Tough keep smiling

The Tough stay Tough!

The Tough Never Give UP!



 

Michelle Rotell

Sweat Cardio and Yoga

www.sweatcardio.com

 

Effort Equals Results Daily Motivation

Work hard and you will see results. Stick to your plan, make small goals to reach big ones and you will see results. Be strong, remember why you are doing what you are doing and you will see results. Tell yourself you can do it, do it, and you will see results.  Believe in yourself and the process in which you choose to succeed and you will see results.

Give 100% off YOUR Efforts and you will SEE RESULTS!

Now go get those RESULTS!!!

www.sweatcardio.com

Spongebob DREAMS- Daily Motivation

Think like Spongebob a little bit everyday and your dreams may come true!
Work hard everyday and your dreams will become reality!! Michelle Rotell
www.sweatcardio.com

Be...Daily Motivation

Be that person!! Be the person you want to meet. The person that you hope your mom or dad would want to meet. The person that wants people to introduce you to others. Be yourself!! And people will love you!! Be someone someone else wants you to be...and it just doesn't feel right!
Go BE!!!
Michelle Rotell
Sweat Cardio and Yoga
www.sweatcardio.com