Wondering whether there’s a schedule change today? Weather update? Upcoming holiday hours? New class? Fun event?
You can find all of that here!
Wellness Wednesday: Movement Moment
Active rest at its best!
Greetings WNYMMA community! And those visiting the post 🙂 How are we all feeling today? Comment below and let us know!
Funny question… are you sitting right now reading this?
Coach Hanna here to discuss the benefits of choosing other “resting” positions over the modern day habitual sitting!
Squatting and Kneeling
According to the research, squatting and kneeling (over sitting) are so much more beneficial for our overall well being 🙂
This conclusion was founded by researchers who studied how sedentary behavior has evolved over time. They studied a group of Tanzanian hunter-gatherers called the Hadza with old fashioned lifestyles compared to the Western world✨
They used specific tools to monitor physical activity and resting time which led to their discovery. The Hadza had activity levels 3 times higher than the USA’s federal health guideline yet also had pretty high levels of inactivity as well. Averaging 9-10 hours of sedentary time, why do the Hadza have drastically lower levels of chronic disease?
What makes it possible?
The answer to that seems to be their choice of resting position! They prefer to squat and kneel which involves more muscle activation rather than merely sitting 😎
Using equipment measuring muscle activity in the lower limbs, the researchers concluded more muscles were activated in a squatting and kneeling position versus sitting. Therefore, between the higher activity level and resting positions (that aren’t actually fully resting), this could explain the lower risk of disease😎
The alternative to sitting
“Even though there were long periods of inactivity, the Hadza are often resting in postures that require their muscles to maintain light levels of activity,” explains Professor and researcher David Raichlen, Ph.D. “Being a couch potato—or even sitting in an office chair—requires less muscle activity. Since light levels of muscle activity require fuel, which generally means burning fats, then squatting and kneeling postures may not be as harmful as sitting in chairs.”
Because of this, researchers are hoping sustained active rest postures will become more common. So let’s become a part of the movement y’all and get squatting!
Below is a super insightful video discussing the importance of moving our DNA 🙂
Witness and enjoy!
Thank you kindly for tuning in for another week dose of wellness goodness! I enjoy sharing knowledge with you that we can all benefit from 🙂
Til next week! May life hold you favorably in every way,
Coach Hanna
Life Coach & Pilates Instructor
Coach at WNYMMA
Wellness Wednesday: Movement Moment
Wellness Wednesday:
Hellooooo WNYMMA community! Coach Hanna here with your weekly dose of mindful goodness serving you a Movement Moment 🙂
First off… what classes have you been able to attend this week at the gym?! Comment below! We love to hear from you!
Secondly… speaking of gym life, how can we max out our work out?
Get the most out of your workout!
For those of us with an able body and like to exercise, we all have our own routines when it comes to how we go about our workouts 🙂
Many of us have our workouts focused and centered around maximizing the benefits while making it enjoyable!
Therefore, here are FOUR tips to keep in mind the next time you hit up a workout session 🙂
Four tips to max out your session!
1) Take advantage of tunes. Music is the driving force of a workout and dictates the speed at which you move. Regardless of the mood one may be in when starting the workout, music hits the reset button of time and space putting a smile on the face!
2) Get that quality rest. No amount of time spent exercising makes up for not-so-great habits outside of one’s workouts. When we aren’t getting that quality rest, it affects our whole body including hormone function. If our hormones are out of balance, our energy levels are lower. Rest up to get those quality energy and strength levels.
3) Honor recovery time. How one recovers is just as important as the workout. Quality recovery time increases the effects of a good workout. Recovery allows the body to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues which is super necessary!
4) Be gentle with the workout journey. Stay in tuned with your physical and emotional body’s needs. Take on your exercise routines intuitively day by day depending on where you’re at.
What does intuitively mean?
Intuitively is a synonym for instinctively. Our intuition is that “gut feeling” we experience when we make decisions, interact with others etc. This feeling helps us when it comes to navigating through life 🙂
Yoga for sore muscles!
Point number THREE discussed honoring recovery time. Attached below is my super favorite yoga sequence to flow with when my muscles are really feeling those aches! Gentle and works magic. I hope you enjoy it just as much.
Thanks so much for tuning in to this week’s serving of Wellness Wednesday! And if you got this far in the article … well done to learning something new! The learning in life never ceases and that’s what makes it so interesting 🙂
Coach Hanna
Life Coach & Pilates Instructor
WNYMMA Coach
Weather Policy
As we get into winter season, we get a lot of questions about when we close the gym. There are very few instances when we would close. Here is a quick outline of when we would close the gym.
NORTH BUFFALO: We will be OPEN unless there is a driving ban. In the event of extremely severe weather that cause a driving ban or serious accidents, we will post on Facebook and send notifications by email and messenger thread.
WILLIAMSVILLE: If the Eastern Hills Mall is closed, our Williamsville location will be closed. If there is a driving ban, our Williamsville location will also be closed. Otherwise, we will be open. If we do close, that information will be posted on Facebook, as well as sent out via email and messenger thread.
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION:
If you are not on the messenger threads and would like to be, let us know. Please make sure we have an updated email so that you receive the notifications.
WINTER SAFETY TIPS:
- Keep your training gear in the car so that you don’t have to rush home and back for evening classes.
- Leave a little earlier than usual to account for added traffic due to adverse road conditions.
- Keep an emergency kit in your car with non-perishable food, bottled water, a warm blanket, gloves, and some cheap hand warmers from the gas station.
- Make sure you have a snow brush. Don’t be like Kate and get stuck using a plastic coat hanger.
- Keep a phone charger in your car so that, in the event of an emergency, you won’t be stranded with a dead battery.
- Additional items that are good to have on hand: jumper cables, extra wiper fluid, a flashlight, fist aid kit, and flares.
- Try to keep your tank more than half full so that condensation doesn’t form in your gas tank and then freeze in your fuel lines.