The holidays are upon us once again with every falling leaf and cool, brisk breeze. Thanksgiving means plenty of time spent with family, and tons of turkey and stuffing being stuffed into our stomachs. The next day is followed by lethargy and feelings of “Eater’s Remorse.” Questions enter your head like, “Why did I eat everything?” And you thus declare, “I need to find a treadmill, fast!” When in reality, the only exercise you partake in is walking the corridors of Southpark mall! Before you know it, December is upon us and, "Tis’ the season of giving," as they say. Well, a good way to overcome the Thanksgiving food guilt is by using December’s holiday season to purchase gifts that are fitness-related. Here are four fantastic fitness gift ideas that fitness columnist Dr. Ryan Shum and I have conjured up for your wish lists.
Foam rollers are no strangers to elite-level participants of both contact and non-contact sports. During the pre-game warm-up for the most recent SuperBowl, one could observe the Green Bay Packers reaping the benefits of foam rolling as a team. However, you do not need to be a pro-athlete to enjoy the benefits of foam rolling. Used as a therapeutic tool by physical therapists, osteopaths and chiropractors, the foam roller serves as a method to perform “self-myofascial release,” or SMR. SMR aims to inhibit overactive muscles and allows for safe and effective stretching. It improves muscle extensibility and can aid in both training and competitive performance, pre- or post-event! Most notably, this technique and tool is great for muscles at the spine, pelvis/hip and down the leg. There are different densities and lengths. If you are an avid fitness or sports enthusiast, find one with a more rigid density for longer durability. “Using a foam roller aids in my overall muscle health which enables me to maintain a high level of training and racing. I hate it but my muscles love it,” said Charlotte-native Ashley Naelon, five-time World Championship triathlete competitor.
If you are a novice to the foam roller, try a softer roll first to learn the movements and build up your routine. As a bonus, rollers can be used as a platform for core strength or balance stability exercises! There are many free resources online to help demonstrate. What you will need: a foam roller, floor space, patience to tolerate some achy sore spots as you roll. The more you roll the more results you should eventually observe.
One great gift idea is the ever-popular medicine ball. Seen in just about every workout facility, the medicine ball is a smaller version of the body ball and is designed mainly for rehabilitation and is great to develop your abdominal strength and endurance. Though they are smaller, these balls are weighted for muscle training purposes, and usually range from two to 25 pounds. What I find so great about the medicine ball is its simplicity. Basic exercises like sit-ups or leg raises become a challenge when done with a medicine mall in hand. That to me, is worth it! There are also many variations of the medicine balls. Some are filled with steel while others are filled with sand, and some have handles attached, while others do not.
Resistance bands are another personal favorite of mine. I tend to opt for simplicity, and with these bands, I find that the most basic movements become far more difficult due to how resistance training works. The goal of resistance training, according to the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), is to "gradually and progressively overload the musculoskeletal system so it gets stronger." So while you are focusing on a body part, the bands create a “resistance” by attempting to get you to move against the force. Leg lifts are suddenly more difficult and bicep curls pose quite the challenge. Another plus of resistance bands is that they are flexible and lightweight in nature, thus making them easy to pack on your travels. Throw your bands in your luggage as you pack your bags to visit your family for the holidays!
Some of you may ask, “How can you elevate your training to the likes of NFL pros and former Navy Seals?” Perhaps you could try suspension training, recently popularized by TRX Suspension Trainer. Suspension training is bodyweight exercising with an emphasis on multi-directional, complex functional movements. Simultaneous stimulation of strength, stability, mobility/flexibility and balance control are all tested! The sky is truly the limit with TRX Suspension training and there are always new exercises being authored. Many of them are free to learn and observe online. If you are a novice exerciser, make sure you try TRX with some guidance at first as some moves can be demanding on core stability. Get ready to boost your training as TRX can help stimulate you to exercise your weak links! What you will need: TRX suspension trainer, door frame or overhead space to hang straps supporting body weight, floor space.
Now that you have a few options to start your fitness gifts search, go out and shop on your own! Charlotte has many sports-related stores that can help you find what you need. There are also community staples like Wal-Mart that house a plethora of options at affordable prices.
Til next time…
By: Fitness Editor, Monique Douglas and Fitness Columnist, Dr. Ryan Shum
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