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by TonyaTittle
August 29, 2020
Blog

Ditch RICE Method For Injuries-Recanted 5 years ago!

Many of you have heard of this acronym RICE which refers to four elements of treatment for soft tissue injuries: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. The mnemonic was introduced by Gabe Mirkin in 1978. He has since recanted his support for the regimen. FYI..He is a physician, author, professor, columnist, former guest lecturer, and a former marathon runner who hosted a radio show on health and fitness for more than 20 years and wrote several books on sports medicine, nutrition, and health.I found this on Wikipedia: He is commonly known for his recommendations on standard medicine as well as his non-standard recommendations on health concerns and his criticism for preliminary medical research findings without appropriate verified resources.

Recantment………In 2015 he wrote, “Coaches have used my ‘RICE’ guideline for decades, but now it appears that both ice and complete rest may delay healing, instead of helping. Here’s a link to a post by him:  Why Ice Delays Recovery. Gary Reinl (veteran sports medicine trainer) has written forcefully that Ice is also wrong, and delays healing and is on a mission to show us all why icing is an illusion and something that has been done for far too long and really for no good or evidence backed reason at all. We challenge you to listen and really challenge the ideas you’ve had when it comes to this argument on using ice or not. Reinl, for his part, believes the answer lies in a new acronym: ARITA—active recovery is the answer.Great video of him talking about it in a blog.I watched it and love the part speaking about lymphatic system (which is what massage therapists help stimulate during treatment and bodywork) and was eating up the science explained of why RICE doesn’t work.

What happened to big news of the recantment?

Have you heard it?  I only just saw it in print for the first time in a massage therapy trade magazine.

People including myself followed that RICE rule for over 37 years especially fitness professionals as to stay in guidelines and legal kickback. I have taken RockTape classes where they have shown research studies that movement and tape or other treatments are much more effective than ice and that ice can actually delay healing. Remember that the body can help repair itself if given the right opportunity.

3 Ways to Ice an Injured Ankle - wikiHow

Recently, a Toronto-based trainer and exercise physiologist, John Paul Catanzaro, coined a new acronym to deal with soft tissue injuries – METH.

METH refers to Movement, Elevation, Traction and Heat

Movement and traction are very similar in the METH approach. Both focus on the importance of moving the injured soft tissue area frequently but with caution. Avoid keeping the area still or resting for too long (I would say for over 30 minutes). Remember, movement will assist in preventing stiffness, pain, as well as swelling, however, do this with caution!

Ice is great at removing immediate pain and swelling following an injury, however, it will also constrict blood flow. This constriction in blood flow may limit the flushing of inflammation out of the injured region, thus, creating more pain and making healing time longer.  Applying moist heat (around 5-10 minutes at a time) can be found to do the opposite – it increases circulation and healing times.In terms of muscle strain. This moist heat can help warm up the muscle and fascia making movement easier and less painful. So hot tubs may not be a bad idea after all, just not for open wounds.

Certainly there are soft tissue or ligament injuries which will call for a little easier movement therapy and pain will be the guide.Some people’s intuitive meter is not calibrated so properly navigating pain and injury may be out of whack which might mean seeking multiple opinions and finding holistic solutions for what ailes you.

So when I constantly tell our personal training and nutrition coaching clients and our massage therapists tell their clients that YOU have to be your own health detective and do what’s best and intuitively right for your body that is the reason why, I mean really 37 years of RICE!!! I recall having a conservation over 20 years ago with my sister-in-law’s brother who is a physical therapist and broke his arm and opted to not be in a cast but healed with movement therapy thus resulting in better degree of motion after traditional “rest” cast treatment. I know when I have had injuries myself back in college and they stuck me in an ice bath for hamstring strain and calf cramping but they also did contrast treatment as well cold/heat/cold/heat then manual manipulation (massage) and taping to assist in proper mechanics to help heal but I think heat and massage would have aided in faster recovery.

The use of ice as a healing mechanism is a bad idea. That said, it still has its function. Reducing swelling is important for fractures before putting on a cast. The more a broken arm or leg is swollen when the cast goes on, the looser the cast will become as the healing continues. Ice helps with that.

The bottom line is to be open-minded in our approach to treating soft tissue injuries.  What works for one person, may not work well for someone else. Next time you think RICE, consider the METH method or ARITA for treating that acute soft tissue injury. Here’s the device they keep mentioning in the video mentioned above. Looks like an e-stem unit to me in which I have always wanted after getting treatments from professionals over the years (about $700) Marpro.

Seems like everyone wants to have an acronym so here’s another food for thought on this topic from a massage therapist post on fb:

New recommendations are to provide soft tissue injuries with the PEACE & LOVE protocol. This helps encourage optimal loading of the joint and tissue around the affected injury which can impact the amount swelling and lead to a faster recovery.
✌ PEACE makes up the first steps you would take after an injury. Immediately after the injury you would want to protect (P) the injured structure, followed by elevating (E) the limb higher than the heart, avoid anti-inflammatory (A) both over-the-counter or prescriptions and ice, as they slow down tissue healing. Compress (C) the injured area to decrease swelling. Ensure patient education (E) on the risks of overtreatment.
💘 LOVE makes up the progressive return to activities a few days after the injury. Gradual load (L) will facilitate healing, optimistic (O) influences the perception of pain and recovery speed. Loading and progressive return to activity will facilitate vascularization (V) of the injured tissues. The last step involves activity exercises (E) can help recover range of motion, strength and proprioception.
Reference. Dubois, B., & Esculier, J. F. (2020). Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE. British journal of sports medicine, 54(2), 72–73. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/2/72.long

Call, text or email us to get started Personal Training or utilize our Massage Therapy Services today!
901-466-6242 or energymemphis@gmail.com

You can get an onsite or virtual assessment so we can access the quality of your bodies movement and discuss your goals. We have streamlined our custom take out fitness programs in a way our clients really like and come back for more. How? We assess them, ask what equipment is available if any, write program for them, send via email or text along with a short 5-10 minute video demonstration of the 2 programs. Interested in this? Call or text to see how we can help you 901-466-6242.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT A VIRTUAL FREE FITNESS CONSULT OR IF YOU ARE READY TO MEET ONSITE FOR OUR PERSONAL TRAINING OR NUTRITION or GIVE US A TEXT OR CALL AT 901-466-6242

 

 

 

 

Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM
Owner/Dir. of Training, Energy Fitness (established 2002)
ACSM, TPI Level 1 Certified, Rock Tape, Rock Pods (cupping therapy), Rock Tape Blades & Blades Advanced
FMT Basic, Metagenics FLT

Massage services resumed June 1, 2020 and we have new guidelines that will be followed such as staff will be wearing face coverings as well as clients for massage. You will have to sign a Covid19 release form, wash your hands upon arrival, etc. All clients onsite must sign Covid form, successfully answer health Covid questions and socially distance.

Click  here for information on our Healing Arts Services

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by TonyaTittle
July 4, 2020
Blog

Consider Color Therapy for Weight Control

At Energy Fitness personal training and nutrition coaching studio downtown Memphis and virtually online training folks we want to give our clients every edge possible for success. Have you have read any of our posts where I mention chakra’s or color before for health?

This article aims to bring color therapy into your realm of awareness. Of course after this article you may be noticing all kinds of colors everywhere including magazine ads, billboards, tv ads to window banners and colors of restaurants. If you want to avoid hunger stimulating colors, don’t paint your kitchen to look like a fast food restaurant. There’s a reason burger joints use reds, yellows and oranges in their color schemes all the time. These colors are stimulating and may even stimulate appetite. I’d say this can even translate to the color of your dishes.

Think about it people choose cars and clothing by their color all the time.Some people just don’t want to think about it and have lots of grey, white and black in their closet then accessorize to match their mood with a pop of color for a tie, scarf, jewelry or purse. Who hasn’t pored over dozens of options when picking just the right shade to paint a room? Color makes an impact. Nobody has to tell you that if you walk into a room painted all white it’s much different than if it’s painted pitch black.Marketing experts know that color makes a big difference in how customers react. For example, on websites, a red “BUY NOW” button usually works better than a green one.

Multiple sources point out that in Egypt, Greece, China, India and other countries colors have been used in various ways to promote healing. Color therapy has been used to treat inflammation, muscle pain, nosebleeds, infertility (in animals), injuries, burns, sciatica, meningitis, nervous instability, headache, irritability, sunstroke and more.

So why not integrate color into your weight control success. I’ve known for many years that eating off of blue plates a user tends to eat smaller portions as well as if you eat on smaller plates.

Have you heard of Blue Light Therapy?

Typically this is a type of treatment used for SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which is a form of depression that some call the “winter blues.” Symptoms typically appear in the fall and continue during winter months.Some symptoms of SAD are depressed mood, lack of interest in activities, tiredness and fatigue, trouble concentrating, feelings guilt or low self-worth, thoughts of death and suicide, irritability, sleep issues, experience changes in appetite or weight.

Those who suffer from SAD have weight gain and a craving for foods high in carbohydrates. Scientists believe that the cause of SAD may have to do with serotonin and melatonin levels.

Light therapy boxes can be found online for less than $60 and some have timers. While we are on the subject of blue light recall that televisions and smart devices omit blue rays which stimulate your brain. This is why you might have trouble sleeping if you watch these right before bed. Blue light therapy might be best done in the morning to stimulate your wakening cycle. Some people (I’ve been guilty of this) try and override this by wearing yellow shades to block the blue light.

So what if we took this same principle of color therapy for weight control to our closet and our environments in which we control like kitchen, common room that you may feel compelled to snack or office space. Avoid Red, Yellow & Orange. Listed below are the colors listed backwards in order of most decreasing the appetite to most increasing it.

Colors That Decrease Appetite:

10) Grey  9) Black  8) Brown  7) Purple  6) Blue

Colors That May Increase Appetite:

5) Turquoise: (It’s the color of tropical waters and used a lot on dessert plates. Even if you think you are full after dinner, seeing a piece of cake on a turquoise colored plate is likely to make you want to eat the dessert anyway.)

4) Green: Many people are attracted to the color green and associated it with abundance.

3) Yellow: makes most people happy. When people are happy, they are more likely to eat than when they are feeling sad or overly calm.

2) Orange: stimulates the brain, which increases mental activity and often stirs up a sensation of hunger.

1) Red: raises a person’s blood pressure, heart rate, and causes hunger to be more prevalent.

Try adding more color in your life and look at what colors may not be present that might need to be to balance out your moods and life. I remember when Mae, LMT did massage on me when she first started at Energy Fitness. She also does energy work and could see lots of red in my energy field when she closed her eyes. That stands for fire so it made sense that I didn’t have a need very many clothing items that were red in which I did not. I have sense made a shift more in the past few years for more neutral colors. I think back to when my husband and I first bought our first house. We had lots of energy which is probably why we chose a red kitchen, yellow or green walls and an orange spare bedroom and then later changed to off white for all the walls.

There is a song by Expose that has the lyrics seasons change feelings change and the Bible says there is a season for reaping and a season for sowing. Life is flowing and so should be your diet and energy levels. Try not to get in a bad habit rut or just grab for whatever is convenient.

Plan your meals with love and color!

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT A VIRTUAL FREE FITNESS CONSULT OR IF YOU ARE READY TO MEET ONSITE FOR OUR PERSONAL TRAINING OR NUTRITION or GIVE US A TEXT OR CALL AT 901-466-6242

Call, text or email us to get started today!
901-466-6242 or energymemphis@gmail.com

Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM
Owner/Dir. of Training, Energy Fitness (established 2002)
ACSM, TPI Level 1 Certified, Rock Tape, Rock Pods (cupping therapy), Rock Tape Blades & Blades Advanced
FMT Basic, Metagenics FLT

The services below resumed June 1, 2020 and we have new guidelines that will be followed such as staff will be wearing face coverings as well as clients for massage. You will have to sign a Covid19 release form, wash your hands upon arrival, etc.

Click  here for information on our Healing Arts Services

 

CONTINUE READING
by TonyaTittle
November 30, 2019
Blog

3 Exercises for Pelvic Flexibility, Core & Posterior Leg Strength

One of the movements we started testing in our fitness assessments at Energy Fitness the past year for our personal training clients is how well an individual can perform a pelvic tilt. This means dumping water out of the bucket (anterior tilt) and filling the bucket with water (posterior tilt/tucking tailbone under). As easy as this may seem to many of you this can be quite challenging to lots of people. Not only the ability to do the motion is measured but the quality of movement is also analyzed. Is there a shake a bake vibration type movement or is it smooth. Why is this important?

This is definitely important in the golf swing as well as to counter hours of sitting that many of us do. It doesn’t matter that you ran for 5 miles before work if you sit for 8 hours or have poor pelvic flexibility or never stretch. Many try to compensate by shifting weight on one side or on the heels or toes.

Those wishing to have better posture should consider working on pelvic functional fitness and flexibility as it can shift to control better carriage of the upper body and reduce low back, upper back and neck pain as well as make the appearance of a smaller mid-section.

Try these exercises below. As you attempt to do them you will notice a stretch in your hip bones as they have to keep your bottom off the floor. This is of course also a strengthening exercise. If you start getting a cramp in your hamstrings this should be the cue to rotate your pelvis in a way for it not to cramp and teach you how to engage your glutes all whilst strengthening this area.

Attempt for 2-3 sets of 10-50 reps each leg for single leg exercises. Be sure to monitor breathing and not hold your breath. Don’t just rush through the reps to get it over with either. Variations can be do for slow on both movements or just slow on the negative range of motion or hold at top for 1-5 seconds. I usually like to do a quick hamstring stretch post each leg as to lengthen and prevent any future cramping.

2 Legs Ball Curl – notice my arms are down on floor as I am attempting to keep shoulders flat and shoulder blades pressed against ground as well as neck neutrally aligned.

1 Leg Bridge Up and Leg Curl

Legs Heel Push with Knee Pull Up

How did you do? Need work? Try incorporating into your fitness program a few times a week.

LIVE IN THE MEMPHIS AREA AND NEED TO BE INSPIRED TO GET INTO YOUR BEST SHAPE, EAT HEALTHIER, WORK AROUND INJURIES, NEED MASSAGE THERAPY, ROCK TAPE, CUPPING, OR DETOX BODY WRAPS & DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START OR NEED
TO GET OUT OF THE GYM RUT?

INTERESTED IN OUR
SERVICES AT  552 S. MAIN, MEMPHIS, TN

Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM, TPI Level 1 Certified, Rock Tape, Rock Pods (cupping therapy), FMT Basic, Metagenics FLT
Owner/Dir. of Training, Energy Fitness (established 2002)

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE CONSULT FOR OUR PERSONAL TRAINING OR NUTRITION COACHING SERVICES (VALUE $87) OR
GIVE US A CALL AT 901-466-6242

Click  here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage, Body Wraps, Reiki, Chakra Alignment, Crystal Therapy
We also have all natural spray tanning, facials & KT/Rock Tape taping, Rock Pods (myofacial release). 

 

 

CONTINUE READING
by TonyaTittle
October 20, 2019
Blog

3 Core Moves For Forced Hinging at Hip Without Momentum

Calling exercises Moves sounds so much better doesn’t it? We all just need to move better and sometimes it takes simple out of the box thinking to see if your body functions well and can recruit the right muscles for the task at hand. Our clients at Energy Fitness personal training studio downtown Memphis get lots of different exercises thrown at them so there is dimension in their programs as well as injury prevention or injury management.

I have included 3 Moves and depending on your body mechanics/if you have an anterior or posterior tilt in your pelvis it will be either easy or difficult for you. You should be “hinging at hip”. I watch myself back on the videos and I see that I need to be sitting up straighter for Q12 & Q13 because as you can see I am cheating a little by moving my upper body due to tight chest muscles and weak serratus anterior muscles (the muscles that help to hold your shoulder blades into their pockets for good posture). Not hard enough for you? Try to do with your back and butt touching a wall.

How many reps & sets? Try to 10-20 reps for each side for 1-3 sets (3 sets is king!). Be sure to be mindful of how you are breathing and that you are engaging/flexing your abs/core before initiating the movement. It’s also not always just about the reps. Mix it up and do an isometric hold at the top or the hardest range of the motion for you for say 3 seconds.

The movement Q12 was especially hard when I had to hold at the top in a yoga class for 1 full minute while doing fire breath….torture.

Now watch and slow down your movement on the below exercise(s). Use muscle, hip hinge and pelvic tilt to perform this movement well. Be aware of where your body is in space so you can get better and move better.

AC80 below aka Windshield wipers is a tough one for most people as the ability of separating your upper quarter from your lower quarter can prove difficult because of tight posture muscles from sitting or poor posture as well as in the modern age we aren’t throwing bails of hay for a twist or picking veggies and putting in the basket. You may find that you move well to one side and not to the other. This is very common and should be noted so you can work on it. If you find that you feel a pinch when going in one direction with the legs then you may have too much flexibility in that side and need to back off and do a one-legged wiper modification (aka: 1 leg IT band crossover). Regardless of if you do the 2-legged wiper or 1-legged try and focus on both keeping your shoulders down and bringing your legs (or knees if your hamstrings are super tight) to your armpits.

LIVE IN THE MEMPHIS AREA AND NEED TO BE INSPIRED TO GET INTO YOUR BEST SHAPE, EAT HEALTHIER, WORK AROUND INJURIES, NEED MASSAGE THERAPY, ROCK TAPE, CUPPING, OR DETOX BODY WRAPS & DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START OR NEED TO GET OUT OF THE GYM RUT?

INTERESTED IN OUR
SERVICES AT  552 S. MAIN, MEMPHIS, TN

Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM, TPI Level 1 Certified
Owner/Dir. of Training, Energy Fitness (established 2002)

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE CONSULT FOR OUR PERSONAL TRAINING OR NUTRITION COACHING SERVICES (VALUE $87) OR
GIVE US A CALL AT 901-466-6242

Click  here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage, Body Wraps, Reiki, Intuitive Healing, Astrological/Birth Charts).
We also have all natural spray tanning, facials & KT/Rock Tape taping. 

 

CONTINUE READING
by TonyaTittle
September 14, 2019
Blog

Raise your Dopamine with Massage by 30% or try these…

Increase Dopamine = More Productivity 

What’s dopamine? Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that our brain produces to help us get motivated to do more stuff such as necessary behaviors, like drinking water and eating food, but can also bring people to act on less healthy behaviors, like binge eating or other addictions like shopping, overworking, social media, excessive exercise or drug use. Having a spike in dopamine may increase motivation to do housework, complete a work or home project, go out with friends or be more physically active. Dopamine levels can be a factor or influence how we focus and achieve great things even if the payout isn’t immediate or obvious. It can also play a role in things like sleep, digestion, pain response, and other bodily functions.

In the book Brain Body Diet by Sara Gottfried she says many profound things and one of my recent favorites is a chapter called HOOKED. She is referring to shifting your mind-set as part of making appropriate lifestyle changes: “You will loosen your death grip on the thing you mistakenly believe you can’t live without. You’ll release some of those old resentments that are erosive and harmful, make you feel beleaguered, and block you from the sunshine of the spirit.”

 What do you think you can’t live without, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, ice-cream, shopping, checking your email every 15 minutes?

If research studies have shown that massage can boost dopamine by 30% what are some more ways you can train your brain to be more effective and efficient naturally?  I always get a burst of energy after getting a massage with our Energy Fitness therapist Mae Jensen, LMT. I shouldn’t have to convince you to schedule a massage with her but maybe you need a reminder to give yourself the gift of self-care (see end of post for contact info).

Benefits of raising Dopamine:

Aside from being the ultimate motivator, having a constant supply of dopamine in your system has a few other fringe benefits:

  • Helps you lose weight.
  • Makes you feel more alive.
  • Improves your memory.
  • Stops self-destructive behavior including certain addictions.
  • Counteracts depression.
  • Lets you resist impulsive behavior (shopping, work-alcoholism, food binging, social media & internet binging).
  • Helps you avoid Parkinson’s disease

If you want to be productive and get things done, here are
12 ways to boost your dopamine levels.

  1. Get a Massage
  2. Consume DHA which is used for treating dementia, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease and ADHD. It is also used
  3. to prevent and treat depression. It boosts dopamine levels as it supports the brain’s electrical signals and reduce the production of the enzyme that breaks down dopamine. Eat whole foods sources below or take a supplement. My favorite is Metagenics DHA/EPA 720.
  • Herring
  • Lake Trout
  • Mackerel (easy to pack for lunch as it comes in an easy open tin container)
  • Salmon 
  • Sardines (these are a little fishy for me but in a pinch I’ll have on a salad)
  • Seaweed (get the small snack packs)

3. Folate helps the body build cells and combat heart disease. It also releases serotonin which is involved in the regulation of several processes within the brain including memory, anxiety, depression, aggression, mood, appetite, sleep, emotions and perceptions. You can get this from whole foods or supplement form when you just can’t stand to squeeze all the foods below in your diet:

  • Dark green leafy vegetables, like kale and spinach
  • Fruits
  • Fruit juices
  • Meat
  • Nuts
  • Poultry

4. Take Dopamine Enhancing Supplements

These encourage your brain to produce more dopamine:

  • Curcumin, the active ingredient in our favorite curry spice turmeric, helps increase levels of dopamine.
  • Ginkgo B
  • iloba is a popular wonder drug and though it’s not proven, it might help increase dopamine levels by making it stay in your brain longer.
  • L-theanine increases neurotransmitter production in your brain, one of which is dopamine. Green tea has lots of this, though it can also be taken as a theanine supplement. I love the Metagenics Calm bars with this amino acid in them. They are chocolate and coconut flavored.
  • Acetyl-l-tyrosine is a production-ready version of tyrosine which will make it easier for your brain to create dopamine.

5. Sunlight, it both increases your number of dopamine receptors and gives you vitamin D, which in turn activates genes that help release dopamine. I use sunscreen a lot for my skin but blocking the vitamin D so I take Metagenics D3 (10,000 units- they have 5k units as well).

6. Remember that person who likes hugging a lot? Turns out, he/she was onto a good idea. Human contact triggers dopamine production not just for you, but for the other person as well. Actually to get the most it’s a 7 second hug. So get your dopamine fix whether you’re caressing your spouse, hugging the kids, cuddly pet or even shaking hands with colleagues. Some of you that really know me may giggle at this suggestion as I’m not known for being a huggy person. I often have to get out of my comfort zone when people come at me for an embrace and I have gotten better over the years lol.

7. Meditate – Sometimes the best way to do something is by doing nothing. Calm the monkey brain down.

 

8. Music -listen to music, make music

9. Make a to-d0 list and check off items when finished (I get a huge domapine hit from this one.)

10. Losing weight increases your dopamine. That’s because being overweight reduces the number of dopamine receptors that you have.

11. Exercise – activity is something your body craves (even if your conscious brain hates it sometimes). To make it fun for you, your brain actually releases fun chemicals like serotonin, endorphins and yes, dopamine.

12. Take in nature

What did you do to raise your dopamine today?

LIVE IN THE MEMPHIS AREA AND NEED TO BE INSPIRED TO GET INTO YOUR BEST SHAPE, EAT HEALTHIER, WORK AROUND INJURIES, NEED MASSAGE THERAPY OR ROCK TAPE & DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START OR NEED TO GET OUT OF THE GYM RUT?

INTERESTED IN OUR
SERVICES AT  552 S. MAIN, MEMPHIS, TN

Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM, TPI Level 1 Certified
Owner/Dir. of Training, Energy Fitness (established 2002)

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE CONSULT FOR OUR PERSONAL TRAINING OR NUTRITION COACHING SERVICES (VALUE $87) OR
GIVE US A CALL AT 901-466-6242

Click  here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage, Body Wraps, Reiki, Intuitive Healing, Astrological/Birth Charts).
We also have all natural spray tanning, facials & KT/Rock Tape taping. 

 

 

CONTINUE READING
by TonyaTittle
August 2, 2019
Blog

Strength equals moving furniture & making daily tasks easier

One of the joys of personal training clients at Energy Fitness in downtown Memphis includes hearing success stories in all the different areas of life that is impacted. We especially love the glow and excitement in our our female clients as they tell us of their feats of strength moving furniture or carrying something heavy that they would not have been able to do before they started lifting weights. Some occupations such as occupational therapists, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists and architects often spend time either moving patients or hunkering over with bad posture.

Fit people didn’t get there without lifting, grunting and doing exercises that maybe they didn’t always feel like doing. In the end there are real lifestyle advantages to strength/weight training.

I personally have been experiencing thankfulness for my strength training, flexibility and endurance over the past several months. I told my husband and a trainer the other day “I’m so exhausted I get why people don’t exercise but If I didn’t exercise then I can’t imagine how I would have the energy to do all that has been needed and still needs to be done.” We contracted renovations to be done adding 2 rooms above the garage (about 500 square feet) so the kids can have their own room and a bonus room.

It has been exhausting and it’s not over yet. Lots of going up and down stairs (including attic stairs) with boxes, moving existing furniture, trips to storage, water damage from rain to our hardwood floor downstairs when it wasn’t “in the dry” yet causing us to move in and out of 4 air-b-n-b’s, putting new beds & sleeper couch together, ladder skills and installing drapes and blinds, etc, etc. Oh and we had to put 2 twin beds in our master bedroom for a month so goodbye closet and privacy (bohoo, 1st world problem). Anyway, I digress!

 

Strength has different meaning for different people.
What’s your version or definition of strength?

Strength to me and as heard from clients over the years means the following: 

  • having to move something heavy by yourself either because no one is around or you wanted it done on your timeline…right now
  • putting something together by yourself from IKEA that shows in directions 2 people are really needed
  • moving furniture up stairs and not throwing your back or shoulder out
  • picking up your children or grandchildren
  • doing activities with your children or grandchildren such as biking, skating, trampoline park, water park, hiking or backyard sports practice
  • getting up and down off the floor easier
  • standing on 1 leg to put on your pants and not falling over (this is also balance)
  • carrying your kids heavy backpack
  • carrying luggage
  • putting luggage into overhead compartment without looking like it’s about to kill you
  • getting sometime off a top shelf overhead without hurting your shoulder or neck
  • carrying beach chairs or a cooler
  • being able to garden easier
  • raking leaves or sweeping without your back killing you the next day
  • skiing down a mountain with ease
  • hiking mountains
  • better golf
  • scuba diving with heavy equipment
  • putting together furniture and moving furniture (not just with your legs…women)

Injuries happen when muscle balance is not optimal or overuse has occurred and the body says I give.  Since we don’t all live on farms and do manual labor it may be more convenient to hire a personal trainer to meet your needs so you don’t have to add the additional mental fortitude to learn the most efficient and safe way to achieve optimal health.

LIVE IN THE MEMPHIS AREA AND NEED TO BE INSPIRED TO GET INTO YOUR BEST SHAPE, EAT HEALTHIER, WORK AROUND INJURIES AND DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START OR NEED TO GET OUT OF THE GYM RUT?

INTERESTED IN OUR
SERVICES AT  552 S. MAIN, MEMPHIS, TN

Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM, TPI Level 1 Certified
Owner/Dir. of Training, Energy Fitness (established 2002)

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE CONSULT FOR OUR PERSONAL TRAINING OR NUTRITION COACHING SERVICES (VALUE $87) OR
GIVE US A CALL AT 901-466-6242

Click  here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage, Body Wraps, Reiki, Intuitive Healing,
Astrological/Birth Charts & Sound Healing Therapy).
We also have all natural spray tanning, facials & KT taping. 

 

 

CONTINUE READING
by TonyaTittle
July 4, 2019
Blog

Facial Massage & DIY Rolling Tools For Healthier Skin

Energy Fitness personal training studio in Memphis is more than just a training and nutrition coaching studio. We are about helping clients feel and look their best. We asked our Massage Therapist Mae Jensen, LMT to do this post on facial rolling and massage so you can be in the know and put your best face forward. These little inexpensive tools can be a great addition to your body and skincare routine. In early May if you live in the Memphis area you are very aware of the Tennessee snow (cottonwood) in the air and undoubtedly feel or have felt the toll it takes on your sinuses.

Let’s take a minute to talk about facial massage and our lymphatic system

The lymph system is kind of like the trash collector of our body, gathering up toxins and taking them to removal sites, our kidneys/liver and urinary system. Unlike our cardiovascular system there aren’t any valves or pumps to move things along so sometimes things stay stagnant. Did you know that weight lifting naturally helps to stimulate the lymphatic system? Massage offers benefits by using light pressure and rolling motions thus helping flush out the pipes and get rid of the symptoms of a backed up lymph system such as:

  • fluid retention

  • puffy/red eyes

  • breakouts

Here are two tools that you might want in your facial care toolbox! Left is Jade roller. Right is Rose Quartz Acupoint Tool Set. (click on images to see on Amazon)

So how do we start?

1. Apply an oil or lotion to you face to help reduce friction, you can use an SPF lotion in the morning and a nice collagen or vitamin E oil in the evenings to help protect from sun damage and wrinkles.
2. Using your fingers or a Jade roller start at your inner cheeks, by your nose and stroke towards your ears. Most skin care professionals suggest doing each motion 10 times or for one minute
3. Move on to the forehead next, starting at your eyebrows and moving upwards to your hairline then sweep outwards at the top, repeating 10 times or for 1 minute. (I like to additionally roll the eyebrows because all those moments furrowing at the kids to do chores seem to tighten this muscle creating deeper forehead lines. Tonya) 
4. Next starting at the center of your chin move outwards and up along the jaw to help naturally lift the skin, repeating 10 times or for 1 minute. (I like to additionally roll the jaw muscle to alleviate any TMJ tension, Tonya)
5. Once you’ve finished the face its time to move all the drainage to your main lymph nodes. Locate the jawline, at the end of the jawbone use gentle downward strokes moving to the mid collarbones, taking care not to massage your carotid artery.
6. Finish off by gentling tapping all over your face, like you’re playing a piano to stimulate you skin and wake up the lymph system.Image result for facial rolling map

Take this time to really connect and thank your body for the protection it offers us.

Don’t forget we offer an amazing facial upgrade to any of our massage services with Mae using the all natural products from the M’lis skin care line.

The M’Lis face wash wakes your skin with natural caffeine from green tea, followed by an invigorating exfoliation with apricot seeds, we then tone and tighten with natural collagen and clay mask. Lastly we give your skin a deep moisture treatment using Apple stem cells and a cool jade stone roller to seal and protect your pores. Be on the lookout for some amazing new skin care products coming this summer. We’re all about natural products!

How do I find out more info on this and other services? Click Here 

Live in the Memphis area and need to be inspired to get into your best shape or eat healthier and don’t know where to start?


INTERESTED IN THE SERVICES AT ENERGY FITNESS? 552 S. MAIN, MEMPHIS, TN

Click here for a FREE consult for our personal training or nutrition coaching services (value $87) or give us a call at 901-466-6242

Click  here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage, Body Wraps, Reiki, Intuitive Healing, Astrological/Birth Charts & Sound Healing Therapy). We also have all natural spray tanning, facials & KT taping. 

 

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by TonyaTittle
September 16, 2018
Blog

Exercise mantras

If we can use mantras for our personal well-being and for sticking to our nutrition plan, then we can most certainly use them for staying on track with our fitness as well.

If you missed the other posts I wrote about personal mantras and food mantras, go check those out, too!

Food Mantras

Personal Mantras

Using mantras helps us to create new behaviors automatically. It helps us to not have to think about working out, it’s just what we would do (like taking a shower).

Watch the video above to get some examples I personally use to create my healthy lifestyle. It’s something ANYONE can do.

Here are some additional tips:  try to squeeze in some type of exercise throughout your daily routine. Skip the elevator and take the stairs up to your office. When you go to the grocery store, park far away from the entrance to get in some extra steps. When you’re sitting in traffic, think about pressing your lower back into the seat and engage your abs. Every little bit helps!

Not a client? Live in town and interested in our personal training or nutrition coaching? Click here for a FREE Consult (value $87) or give us a call at 901-466-6242

Interested in our Massage or Body Wraps? Click here.

Energy Fitness, 552 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103

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by TonyaTittle
September 2, 2018
Blog

Saboteurs

Have you ever had this happen? You’re doing all the right things–eating right, exercising, changing your mindset–and someone you care about says something negative about your transformation?

It happens a lot more often than you’d think. We call them saboteurs, or “crabs in the bucket.” So how do you handle it? Check out the video below to get my tips on how to handle these people. OR, if you are a “crab,” how can you change that?

Most importantly, know that you are not alone and that you can overcome these negative comments.

Keep your eyes on your own paper and forge ahead. You’ve got this!

Not a client? Live in town and interested in our personal training or nutrition coaching? Click here for a FREE Consult (value $87) or give us a call at 901-466-6242

Interested in our Massage or Body Wraps? Click here.

Energy Fitness, 552 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103

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by TonyaTittle
August 19, 2018
Blog

Could L-Glutamine help your belly get flatter?

What if you could shrink your belly with the addition of the tasteless amino acid called L-Glutamine?

As the owner of Energy Fitness, a boutique personal training, nutrition coaching and healing arts services studio in Memphis for over 16 years I’ve been asked countless times, “what’s the easiest and fastest way to lose belly fat or lose body fat?” After I take a breath and a long sigh, I begin to ask probing questions about an individuals nutrition and exercise habits. My motto I recently stole from The China Study Book “Nutrition is a Scientific Disipline”.

How do I know I have these symptoms?

Well… How do you know you don’t have them? Be your own self-care detective and hire professionals when necessary. Are you at an ideal body weight and body fat for your height? Do you sleep soundly and get enough quality sleep? Do you have at least 2 normal bowel movements EVERYDAY about the consistency of a ripe banana and shaped like a sausage? How’s your skin? Do you exercise and “eat healthy” and your weight just won’t budge?

L-Glutamine may help rid your body of these symptoms:

  • excess body fat
  • leaky gut
  • irritable bowel syndrome
  • acne or eczema
  • fatigue
  • other gut-related issues

L-Glutamine is pretty top-notch when it comes to gut health and there are many benefits that have been demonstrated in various studies showing it to drastically improve gut health in as little at 10 days without any nasty side effects.

Benefits of taking L-Glutamine (in preferred powdered form)

  • repair for your stomach lining so you can get a flatter stomach
  • stop cravings
  • reduce appetite
  • reduce cravings for sugar and carbs
  • reduce cravings for alcohol


Now don’t go thinking I’m giving you a miracle supplement suggestion so you can go off the rails and eat or drink whatever you want. However, it is truly a “hero” when it comes to helping keep your gut healthy and your body slim. We carry L-Glutamine onsite for our clients, but realize not everyone reading this blog post can stop by, so here’s our next best recommendation.

Energy Fitness loves Metagenics for their product quality.  The Glutagenics is combined with licorice root and aloe leaf so it can help restore the gut even faster. A properly functioning digestive system is critical to good health. A program such as the Metagenics 5R GI Restoration Program can support GI health through the following steps: Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Regenerate, and Retain. Glutagenics offers powerful support for the Regenerate step of the 5R GI Restoration Program.

They also have a product I took that originally helped me called UltraGI Replenish which is a medical food and FDA approved.

When I mention the phrase “leaky gut” or talk about how many people may have little microscopic holes in their stomach I am never surprised by the horrified facial expressions or comments of disbelief or the “I don’t have that” syndrome.

Causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome:

  • Gluten
  • Potatoes
  • Food Allergies
  • Infections
  • Medications
  • Agressive Exercise
  • Pesticides
  • Plastics
  • GMO Foods

I’ve known about L-Glutamine for several years and would take it off and on but mostly for helping to give my body fuel for endurance training and long races. I knew it helped soothe my stomach during long periods of training without solid food. I started noticing that my stomach issues were less of a problem when taking the supplement so I began to do more research and now it’s part of my daily regimen. I said goodbye to leaky gut and irritable bowel syndrome which now means less bloating and now I am absorbing all the nutrients of my food and want to help others get a healthy gut.

Bottom Line:

Consider consuming L-Glutamine in powder form twice a day for 4 weeks (in the morning and just before or after dinner) with a swallow of water or in your protein shake at breakfast (1 level teaspoon = 5 grams).

After the four weeks, consider taking 1 teaspoon a day with a protein shake for breakfast or with water in the morning.  If you happen to have sugar or alcohol consumption later in the day, then you may want to consume another teaspoon of L-Glutamine immediately afterwards.

One study on L-Glutamine showed that in less than a month, the women who took L-Glutamine had lost an average of over 6 pounds and 2 dress sizes. It helped people lose an extra 500 calories a day. If you are pregnant or nursing you should not take.

Interested in the services at Energy Fitness? 

Click here for a FREE consult (value $87)

Click here for information on our Healing Arts Services (Massage, Body Wraps, Reiki, Intuitive Healing)

We also have all natural spray tanning, hyponotherapy, past life regression, life between lives and energy work.

Here’s how you can reach us:

energymemphis@gmail.com

Voicemail or Text 901-466-6242

Energy Fitness, 552 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103

 

 

 

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