Angie's Corner

Exercises for a Healthy Back

by Angie Miller

Does back pain hold you back from fitness activities that you enjoy? If so, you’re not alone. Americans spend more than 86 billion dollars each year treating back pain symptoms, according to current research. Occasional back discomfort isn’t foreign to most of us, but chronic back pain can cause severe limitations in daily living activities as well as physical exercise. Certain risk factors, such as muscle imbalances, poor posture, obesity, stress, and excessive sitting can increase our risk for lower back pain. Whether we have jobs that require us to work at a computer all day, or be on our feet, more than likely all of us could benefit from exercises that build a strong, healthy back.

 The four exercises below are designed to stretch and strengthen the back, as well the surrounding muscles, such as the abdominals, muscles of the pelvis, and gluteal muscles. The exercises are easy to perform, but very effective, whether you’re a novice or an advanced exerciser.

 Recommended Repetitions: Approximately 8-12 repetitions per exercise. Hold each repetition for approximately 10 to 30 seconds.

When you’ve mastered that, you can increase your repetitions, and/or your hold time.

Safety Tip: If you've injured your back, have chronic back pain, or other health conditions such as osteoporosis consult your doctor before doing these exercises.

Exercise #1: Cat Stretch-

How to Do It: Start in a quadruped position with your hands below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Back should be flat and head in line with your spine. Breathe in through your nose, and as you exhale drop your head and look back toward your knees while rounding your upper back toward the ceiling.

Tip: Hold each repetition for 10 to 30 seconds.

Muscles Targeted: Erector Spinae, Trapezius

Exercise #2: Opposite Arm/Leg Extensions-

How to Do It: Start in a quadruped position with your hands below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Back should be flat and head in line with your spine. Extend your right arm out in front of you, then your left leg out behind you. Keep your arm and leg in a straight line with your spine.

Tip: Avoid lifting your arm and/or leg too high. This can cause your lower back to sway.

Tip: Your gaze should be down, but avoid lifting or dropping your head.

Tip: Create an invisible belt around your waist, so you co-contract your abdominals and lower back for a strong, stable center.

Tip: Hold on the extension for 10 to 30 seconds.

Muscles Targeted: Erector Spinae, Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Rectus Abdominis

Exercise #3: Pelvic Tilt-

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Bend at your elbows with your hands behind your head, letting your fingertips rest gently behind your ears. Breath in, letting the natural curve of your spine bring your lower back off the mat. As you exhale, tilt the bottom of your pelvis toward the ceiling, pulling our abdominals in and pressing your lower back against the floor.

Tip: Hold the tilt for about 10 to 30 seconds.

Muscles Targeted: Erector Spinae, Rectus Abdominis, Hip & Pelvic Stabilizers

Exercise #4: Bridge-

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Arm rest gently at your sides. Inhale through your nose. As you exhale lift your hips off the ground, pressing your pelvis up toward the ceiling. Stop when your thighs and back are in a straight line.

Tip: Avoid hyperextending through the hips. This can cause your lower back to arch.

Tip: Keep your gaze up toward the ceiling and your neck neutral. Avoid tucking your chin into your chest.

Tip: Hold the bridge for 10 to 30 seconds.

Muscles Targeted: Erector Spinae, Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings

 Wishing you a healthy back and a Happy Holiday.

- Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

Arm Yourself for the Holidays Workout

by Angie Miller

Whether it’s summer time fun or holiday festivities, we all want to bare arms that are strong and sculpted. This upper body workout gives you three exercises to strengthen and tone your biceps and triceps, along with interesting variations that challenge your balance and work your core.

Tip: Remember that exercise bands offer variable resistance, which means that the resistance changes throughout the range of motion. This keeps the movement dynamic and allows you to create the amount resistance you need. If you need the work to be harder, step further away from the anchored band so the pull is greater.

Tip: Make sure that your band doesn’t have any “rebound,” when you return to your start position. This means that you don't want there to be any slack in the band no matter where you are in the movement.

Equipment Needed: Resistance Band, (as well as a Sliding Glass Door or an Anchor for a Doorway). Wishing you lots of joy and good health during the holidays.

- Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

Freaking Out Over Fifty... NOT

by Angie Miller

Okay, so maybe I’m freaking out a little. But I’ve practiced being fifty for about a year now, so I should be well prepared. Last year on my 49th birthday I kept repeating, “I’m going to be fifty,” as if I needed to hear the words spoken aloud. I was probably trying to brace myself for whatever emotions I thought I would experience. In reality, I think that when 50 came, I just wanted to “be ready.”

Fast forward a year, and today, December 1st, I officially turn fifty years old/young. I still don’t know if I’m ready, after all society puts a lot of pressure on women to stay vibrant and young, and age comes with a lot of stereotypes. But I will say that turning fifty has inspired me to look ahead, and seek answers to some pivotal questions. It’s helped me to discover what I need to let go of, and what I have yet to accomplish. Most importantly, it’s reinforced the value of time. It started with a moment of clarity, the realization that the years ahead of me are (more than likely) not numerically equivalent to the years behind me.

While some may find that depressing, I find it empowering. It’s all about perspective, and age can be a great motivator. Sometimes we need that wake up call. The courage to ask ourselves a few key questions that have potential to impact our lives in ways we never imagined. There are so many questions we could ask, but here are a few I came up with:

What do we really want?

What have we always wanted to do, and who is stopping us from doing that other than ourselves?

How do we get out of our own way?

And finally…What are we waiting for?

While I am still in the process of discovering the answers to these questions, I couldn't be more excited for what lies ahead. Questions pave the way to possibility for all of us who are brave enough to ask. I am personally inspired to see what 50 holds for me, and how I can use time (and age) to my advantage. I hope that you’re inspired too, and I hope that age will forever propel you forward rather than hold you back. Most of all, I hope that for all of us, today is the start of something wonderful…

- Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

Injuries happen: What you can learn from getting hurt?

by Angie Miller

Injuries Can Be Unexpected Blessings

While I can’t say that I’m an adrenaline junkie, for whatever reason, being on vacation makes me want to experience adventure that I wouldn’t otherwise consider. Maybe that’s why on a trip to Costa Rica I couldn’t resist the brochures promising breathtaking views and beautiful waterfalls, just an ATV ride away. Along with that ATV ride was a life-changing experience – I had an accident and sustained a serious injury.

One bad turn led to a lengthy recovery

My injury occurred a couple hours into the ATV experience. One bad turn and I remember hitting the dirt with such velocity that if the searing pain weren’t enough, the bone protruding from my arm convinced me this wouldn’t be speedy recovery. As a fitness professional, and a driven individual who loves a challenge, I wasn’t prepared for it to come in the form of a long-term recovery. But I’m happy to report that injuries can be an unexpected blessing.  If you don’t believe me, read on. 

Lessons learned from getting hurt

Humility

One day you’re doing plank work and developing a chiseled core to die for, and two months later you’re having serious doubts you’ll ever be capable of that position again. It’s humbling, but here’s the upside: As you make your way back to your pre-injury state, you appreciate how hard your body works to achieve the simplest movements. Every ounce of strength you gain and increase in ROM is a success you can celebrate. Yesterday you may have bragged about your 10 one-armed push-ups; now, suddenly, being able to lift your arm above your head is enough to make you cry tears of joy.

Patience

Every day I want to go out and push it, as we all do when we get injured. But the chance of getting re-injured and starting over again has stood as a deterrent.  If that’s not true for you, talk to a physical therapist about some of the things they’ve experienced in their line of work — you’ll realize that your recovery is relative compared to the lady who fell off the elephant in Africa. Working through the process one day at a time may be more than you bargained for. But recognizing how far you’ve come should convince you that patience really is a virtue. 

Perspective

Post-injury, I have greater empathy for the frustration my clients feel when they can’t overcome a plateau or execute a movement properly.  But even if you don’t do downward dog for a living, you learn that the recovery process comes with fringe benefits. When supervised by a professional, body awareness increases, form improves and proper techniques are learned. Once you understand your body and your injury more clearly, you’re no longer a victim, but a person who is in control of her recovery.

Bottom line: Sometimes we take our bodies for granted, and an injury gives us an unexpected wake-up call. The good news is that it can be a blessing as we learn to appreciate the power of humility, the glory of patience and the advantage of new perspective.

- Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

What’s the Best Way To Refuel After Exercise?

by Angie Miller

After a grueling boot camp, muscle conditioning, or cardio workout our muscles are depleted and in need of nutrition. The question is, how soon after we sweat should we be refueling? Post exercise hydration and nutrition needs are important considerations, and they play a key role in our ability to maximize the benefits we gain from our workout. Check out the questions and answers below for some important tips.

Is water the best choice or should we be reaching for sports drinks?

Proper fluid balance is essential for athletes as well as recreational exercisers. Dehydration can negatively impact performance, and when you don’t get enough fluids it can interfere with your body’s ability to maintain normal temperature. During most activities water is adequate in order to prevent dehydration. However, during endurance events or activities greater than 60 minutes, a sports drink may be necessary to enhance performance. The drink should contain carbohydrates to properly fuel the nervous and muscular systems.

How soon after exercise should we be eating a post-workout meal?

There is a window of opportunity, or “metabolic window,” that lasts approximately 60 to 90 minutes immediately following exercise, especially intense training. During this time, the body is most receptive to nutrient uptake and you have the best chance of reducing muscle damage. This window also allows you to maximize the muscle and strength gains from your workout.

Should the post-exercise meal be solid foods or a liquid meal replacement?

The moment you cease exercise the window of opportunity opens and from that time on the benefits begin to decrease. Because solid food can take approximately 2 to 3 hours to digest, it is not generally a recommended option as the window is closed by the time it’s digested. Although nutrition bars can be effective before and after exercise, liquid is generally recommended because of how quickly it is absorbed and nutrients are delivered to the muscles.

How important is post-exercise nutrition?

For most recreational exercisers post-workout feedings and snacks are not critical, but they can increase the potential benefits you receive from your workout, help you to prevent injury, fight fatigue, and avoid the stress of overtraining.

What is the bottom line answer when it comes to post-exercise meals?

While post recovery snacks and meals are important, they are not as significant to recreational exercisers as they are to endurance athletes. I always encourage my clients to remember that there’s research, there’s “ideal,” and then there’s real life. If you don’t fuel according the latest research that’s not to say that you won’t experience positive results. It is suggesting that you can improve your performance and get even better results when you fuel properly. My advice is to do the best you can in terms of health-conscious choices, not just post-recovery, but all the time, because you deserve to look and feel your best.

Best in Health,

Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

Weightless Workout~ The Power of Bodyweight Training

by Angie Miller

As bodyweight workouts rise in popularity, I often get asked about their effectiveness and their ability to deliver results. Personally, I think bodyweight training is the foundation of all training. Not only do I love the freedom and flexibility of weightless workouts, no equipment, no fuss, I love what they teach us about our body. When it’s just us against gravity we learn how to create resistance, and how to target every muscle group effectively simply by changing our body position. Bodyweight training teaches us how to manage and distribute our body weight, how to stabilize and strengthen our core, and how to use our gluteals for power and support. This gives us better body intuition that carries over into everything we do, in the gym and at home. Most importantly, without the added dimension of dumbbells, weighted bars, and other training tools, we can focus on proper form and technique, and just like dancers we can learn to move with grace and precision.

Here are of three of my favorite bodyweight exercises: All three exercises build upper body strength in your arms and shoulders, help you to stabilize and strengthen your core, improve your flexibility, and teach you to use your gluteals and legs for power and support.

1. Downward Facing Dog:

How to Do: Start in plank position with your body fully extended, hands directly below your shoulders, hips stable, and shoulders down and back. Engage your torso and lift your hips in the air, keeping your hands and feet in place so you stay long and extended.

Tip: Think about distributing your bodyweight so that your shoulders and wrists don’t feel any extra pressure. Engage through your center as if you’re wearing a belt. Lift your energy up through your spine and down the back of your legs, rooting into your heels.

Tip: Be sure to keep your neck long to avoid your shoulders sinking into your neck.

2. Side Plank:

How to Do: Start from front plank, then open up into a side plank, extending one arm up toward the ceiling.

Tip: Make sure that your support arm is directly below your shoulder. Be sure to keep your neck long and look up toward your extended arm. Stack your hips and shoulders, placing your body against an invisible wall behind you.

Tip: You can modify this exercise by bending your bottom leg and placing your knee on the floor. This helps take pressure off of your shoulders and wrists.

3. Tabletop:

How to Do: Start with your buttocks, feet, and hands on the floor, with fingertips facing your hips, feet are hip distance apart. Gently lift your hips and try to flatten your torso, engaging your center, pulling your chest open, and drawing your shoulder blades together.

Tip: Keep your head in line with your spine and don’t forget to breath. Really engage your gluteals here, using them for strength and support.

Tip: Tabletop opens your chest and strengthens your back, gluteals, and hamstrings, all three areas that are often overlooked and undertrained. This is great for your posture!

I hope you enjoy bodyweight training as much as I do. Here’s to good health, strong muscles, and amazing posture!

Sincerely,

Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

Building a Healthy Relationship with Your Body

by Angie Miller

I tell my clients that we should think of our body as our house. The outside of our house, that part that everyone sees, is like the foundation and the walls of our real house. It shelters and protects what’s inside, and is often a reflection of how we feel and how well we care for ourselves. Our skin, posture, physique, and even our expressions mirror how healthy we are on the inside, but they don’t tell the whole story. Those things that we cannot see, all the functions that make us unique and are essential to our health and well being, often suffer from our neglect. We depend on our personal house to protect us from illness and disease, but we don’t always care for it properly.

The reality is, we take pride in the home in which we live. No matter what it’s size, or whether it’s an apartment, duplex, or condo, it is personal to us. It’s our safe haven, and within those four walls are our memories from the past and our hopes for the future. But are we equally invested in caring for the home that represents our body? Do we take as much pride in our personal health? Do we exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, sleep well, and get regular check ups? Would the house in which we live hold any meaning or value if we weren’t around to appreciate it?

I have come to the conclusion after more than 25 years of working in the fitness, education, and counseling professions, that we, especially women, would invest more in our personal house if we would spend less time focusing on what we don’t like and more time embracing it for all the wonder that it is. If we could see the big picture and realize what our body has done for us over the years: How many steps our feet have taken. How our legs have kept us standing despite the obstacles we have faced. How our hips, thighs, and abdominals give us our unique shape, and how they may be the bane of our existence, but in another person’s eyes signify the beauty and grace that makes us women. How our arms have embraced our children and the people we love, and lifted everything from the heavy load of life’s burdens to the powerful kettlebell we swing at the gym. How our neck and face may show our age, but thanks to good health we’ve made it to an age where those fine lines are a badge of honor, a sign of wisdom and experience.

What I’m trying to say is that personal acceptance is where it all begins. I am a living testament to this, and the fact that age has helped me make peace with my body. I am less judgmental and critical of its flaws because it’s those flaws that keep me humble and challenge me to work harder. I’m also more amazed by what my body is capable of and what it has done for me over the years. In the end, personal acceptance translates to us feeling worthy of the time and energy it takes to care for ourselves properly, and to make our physical, emotional, and intellectual health a priority. It allows us to come to terms with the fact that our body may have its flaws, but it’s a pretty amazing place to live. Most importantly, we realize that if we invest as much love and dedication into our personal house as we do the house in which we live we’ll be around longer to enjoy it. We’ll also be around longer to enjoy our kids, family, friends, significant other, and everything else that holds meaning and value in our lives.

- Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

10-Minute Toner for the Legs and Gluteal Muscles

by Angie Miller

This exercise video shows you how to do a short lunge series with an exercise band. Lunges are great for toning and strengthening the legs and the gluteal muscles, and with the added resistance of a band you’ll get great results. If you don’t have an exercise band you can do bodyweight lunges, or hold hand weights instead.

Here are a few safety tips:

1. Try to bend your front knee 90 degrees, and be sure to keep your knee behind your toes.

2. My general rule of thumb is that less is more. If lunges hurt your knees, or you’re trying to get mobility back after an injury, just lower and lift a few inches. The main goal is to keep the joints mobile and the muscles strong and active.

3. Be sure to perform the same number of reps on each side, and try to look in a mirror to make sure that you are maintaining good form throughout the exercise.

Lunges are multi-muscle, multi-joint exercises that keep the heart pumping. They strengthen and tone everything from the torso down. If you are looking for time-efficient exercises, they are some of the best.

Sneak in this short workout while you’re on break at work, or right before dinner. Remember that exercise is movement, and you don’t have to set aside a full hour, or even a half hour at a time. You can get in a few segments throughout the day, five or ten minutes each, and everything adds up to give you the results you’re looking for.

Best in Health,

Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

Short, Effective Workout For Your Glutes and Hamstrings

by Angie Miller

This week I decided to share a short video clip of a few exercises I love to do for the glutes and the hamstrings. I actually did these three exercises in my Core & Strength Fusion workout, and I still do them quite frequently in my fitness classes. I think they’re very effective, they require little set-up, and they really help develop strong, stable posterior muscles. All you need is an exercise band with a handle, and a mat.

I love working with exercise bands for three reasons:

1. They offer variable resistance, which means that the resistance varies throughout the range of motion, making them more dynamic than dumbbells or barbells. This is good, because resistance bands offer your muscles a different type of challenge.
2. They travel well. They fit easily into a suitcase with very little weight or bulk, so you can take them anywhere, anytime.
3. With resistance bands you create the resistance you want, so you can make the exercise as easy or difficult as you wish.

A few tips to keep in mind when you perform these exercises:

1. Be sure to do the spinal check that I recommend at the beginning of the video. You want to inhale and sway, then exhale and arch your back until you find neutral. Make sure that your back is “flat enough to play a board game” on it, and keep your head in line with your spine. 
2. Ensure that the resistance band stays taught throughout the movement so there is no slack in the band. Remember that you create resistance you want with an exercise band, and the less slack you allow the more effort you put in to the exercise. 
3. I recommend 16 repetitions of all three exercises on each leg.

Let me know what you think of these exercises, and feel free to offer suggestions for future exercises including body parts you’re especially concerned about. Questions are always welcome.

- Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com

Exercise and Weight Loss…. 5 Simple Steps to Success

by Angie Miller

Sometimes in life things really are simpler than they seem. Exercise and weight loss might be one of those things. You don’t need the hottest diet on the market or even a degree in exercise science to figure it all out. If you want to establish a new exercise routine and lose those last 10 pounds, consider these simple steps…

1. Realize there’s one formula for weight loss… calories in vs. calories out! The quality of foods you eat and where your calories come from is important when it comes to body composition, energy level, and overall health and wellness, but ultimately when it comes to weight loss it boils down to one thing. You need to burn more calories than you consume.

2. Accept that there is no quick fix! You’ve heard this one time and time again, and sometimes you might wish it weren’t true. There’s no gadget, tool, machine, ball, or otherwise that can give you the body of your dreams without a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance on your part. The good news… I’ve never met a person who couldn’t do it once they set their mind to it.

3. Find activities that you enjoy. Just because your best friend claims to have lost 10 pounds taking her favorite indoor cycling class doesn’t mean it’s the answer for you. If you try the class several times and it doesn’t make your heart sing, move on. Investing time and energy into activities that you don’t enjoy is a surefire recipe for disaster. It won’t be long before doing laundry and picking the lint out of the dryer will seem like a better alternative. Find something that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning.

4. Be realistic and don’t overdo it. If you’ve never exercised in your life, or you haven’t exercised for an extended period of time, be realistic about the amount of time you are willing to invest in this new endeavor. Start gradually and work your way up. Diving into something head first is never a good idea, but diving into exercise too quickly can be downright dangerous. Sore muscles aside, you could risk burnout and possible injury.

5. Establish a routine…ASAP! Routines are good. They’re predictable, they give us a sense of control over our lives, and they allow us to manage our time more efficiently. Write out your exercise routine, post it on the fridge, and share it with family and friends. Make sure everyone knows that your exercise time is not something you’re willing to compromise. Encourage them to keep you accountable. Kids love doing this! You get to ask them if they did their homework, they get to ask you if you did your exercise.

In the end, it would be great if the pounds would melt off as easy as a chocolate bar melts in your mouth. But exercise and weight loss are like any skill or talent you have cultivated. You have to work hard and stay committed to experience success. That, and a positive, realistic approach, can be the perfect recipe for long-term health and happiness.

- Angie

Angie Miller is the star and creator of the Bedroom Body™ Workout and other top selling exercise DVD’s. Passionate about fitness and education, Angie teaches at Northern Illinois University and is a Certification Specialist for the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is a freelance writer, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and proud mom. Learn more about Angie at: http://www.angiemillerfitness.com