Rachel Larson

Exercise for brain health

Rachel Larson · August 3, 2023 ·

Everyone knows that exercise is good for humans. But, did you know that exercise is one of the most effective ways to maintain brain health?

Why is improving brain health important?

5.8M people in the United States over the age of 65 have dementia. 80% are 75 or older. Two thirds of them are women (Alzheimer’s Association, 2020).
By 2050, a projected 13.8M people aged 75 and older will have dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2020)

Incorporating exercise into daily routines is a foundational strategy to maintain brain health and improve quality of life with higher levels of energy, strength and brain function. The best results happen when we combine cardiovascular, strength and mind-body exercise (cognitively challenging) exercise into our weekly routines. This is good news for Flostate members – we are already doing this! You just have to show up for class (or planfully use the on-demand library).

Here are some benefits to each form of exercise:

Why do Cardio?

According to the work of John Ratey, in Spark, increasing heart rate to 60-70% of maximum heart rate for even 10 minutes positively changes the brain. 35 minutes increases cognitive flexibility and executive function. This means faster thinking and better decisions!

Strength Training Perks:

Strength training builds not only muscles, but bones. A stronger and more active body means healthier mitochondria and faster metabolism. The boost in circulation and healthy cells enhances your brain health.

Yoga/Pilates and MindBody Fitness:

Practicing balance, connecting with one’s abilities, and challenging the mind and body to move in multiple patterns while learning new skills is critical to brain health. Increasing body awareness, strength, focus, and balance all lead to a great sense of confidence, increase neuroplasticity (flexibility and growth of the brain). It also reduces the incidence of falls and fear of falling.

Your weekly exercise recommendation:

Strength Train: 2 times per Week.

Join Alice’s live Dumbbell Essentials class or grab other strength training classes from our on-demand library.

Cardio: 2-5 Sessions per Week.

Need a jolt of higher level thinking? Do some cardio before your next important presentation. Even 8-15 minutes makes a difference. Challenge yourself to 25 minutes at least 2 days a week. Try our live Cardio Core with Arm Tone Blast or sample other cardiio classes from our ono-demand library.

Yoga/Mindbody: 2 Sessions per Week.

Try our signature Yoga Restore Flo or Balanced Body Method class live or on-demand. Any class that requires you to be breathing, and thinking carefully about your body movement while challenging your balance and concentration is key.

Questions? Reach out to Rachel at info@theflostate.com. See you in class!

Glute exercises to relieve low back pain

Rachel Larson · August 3, 2023 ·

The Link Between Low Back Pain and Your Glutes

Why low back pain?

Low back pain plagues 80% of Americans at some point in their lives and can originate from a variety of factors and conditions. Today’s focus is on glute activation to help relieve low back pain.

How your glutes play a role in low back pain

Your gluteal muscles are meant to work synergistically with other muscles to stabilize your femurs when you stand, extend and externally rotate your hips. Sometimes these “other muscles” can take over and lead to weakened and/or shortened glutes. This imbalance of strength and muscle activation can lead to low back pain. This pain happens when the low back becomes overly mobile as a result of the glutes not properly stabilizing the femur. For instance, when you are walking or running, the femur can internally rotate, causing a drop in the pelvis (Trendelenburg gait) which pulls on the lumbar spine.

3 Quick Ways to Assess Your Glute Function

How do you know if your glutes are firing adequately? Try these three assessments for clues. Grab a friend or family member to watch you move and help you see subtle clues more clearly. Better yet, sign up for your full Virtual Assessment with Curated Class Prescription. See the end of the article for details.*

Posture alignment test: Take off your shoes. Stand sideways with your feet together. Bend your arms and put your wrist on the side of your high hip bone (Iliac crest). Lay your hand flat and fingers straight down the side of your thigh. Note where your longest finger lines up. It should be at the level of your greater trochanter- the bump on the side of your upper thigh. Now look to see where that bone is lining up with your outer ankle bone- your lateral malleolus. With optimal posture, those bony landmarks should line up. If your greater trochanter is in front of your lateral malleolus (your lateral ankle bone) you may have weaker or shortened glutes.

Do some squats and see what happens to your knees: With shoes off, widen your feet to hip width apart. Reach your hands directly in front of your shoulders with elbows straight. Sit back into a squat and watch what your knees do. Did they rotate out or inward? This can be subtle, so watch carefully. And, try to not overly control your movement to make your knees stay straight. We are trying to understand what your body does when you are not thinking about your movement. If your knees move inward, you may have weaker or shorter glutes.
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Try a single leg squat: With shoes off, place your hands on your hips and lift one foot off the ground and bring the knee to hip height. Watching the knee of the leg you are standing on carefully, try to squat down a little. This is going to be a small range of motion compared to your regular squats and that is okay.

Again, watch what your knee does. Did it rotate out or inward? This can be subtle, so watch carefully. And, try to not overly control your movement to make your knees stay straight. If your knees move inward, you may have weaker or shorter glutes.

My glutes may be weak or shortened, now what?

Weaker or shortened glutes are not the end of the world, but if you sometimes experience low back pain or want to avoid low back pain, improving your glute strength and function will help. Try to incorporate more lower body strengthening exercises such as squats, lunges or hip thrusts into your routine. Try 2 sets of 12 reps, 3x per week.

Release Muscle Tension with Myofascial Stretching

Rachel Larson · August 3, 2023 ·

Myofascial stretching helps release tension in the body which in turn helps reduce pain and helps you move better. In this article you’ll learn about: 1) What fascia is and why it is important, 2) What can happen when it gets too tight in certain areas, 3) How fascial stretches differ from standard stretches. 4) How myo stretches help release constricted areas.

What is fascia and why is it important?

You can think of fascia as a webbing and support structure for every part of your body and cells including muscles, joints, bones and nerves. It provides shape and structure to the body – it literally holds us together!

Fascia is a key element of every kind of physical training we do:

• Strength training

• Agility and speed work

• Flexibility

• Coordination

• Recovery

It surrounds and penetrates all of the structures of the body to:

• Create structure

• Transfer force

• Allow fluidity between structures

But what happens when fascia gets too tight or unhealthy?

Fascia can get constricted, shortened or tight due to injury, trauma, inflammation or chronically poor posture. These constricted areas can put extra tension on muscles, nerves,bones and joints – altering function and movement. This often leads to pain, movement limitations, and malalignment of joints and imbalances in muscles.

How are myofascial stretches different from standard stretches?

Myofascial stretches are three dimensional. The body is positioned using all three planes of motion (sagittal, transverse, frontal planes).
Myofascial stretches require strength. Every stretch has a muscle contraction component. For example, if we are trying to stretch out hamstrings, we contract the quadriceps.
These stretches require concentration. These are active stretches that require thought and focus. You can think of them as a form of mediation!
Finally, true myofascial stretches are held 90-120 seconds. Much longer than your typical 20-30 second hold.

How we incorporate stretching into Flostate classes:

We have myo stretches included into the Yoga Restore Flo, Foam Roll and Lengthen, and Intensive Stretching classes. The stretches are woven into class and blended with more traditional yoga poses and stretches, creating a unique blend of movements designed to improve your range of motion, decrease aches and pains and leave you feeling more physically ready for anything. Try out one of our Flostate yoga restore classes and feel the difference!

Contact Rachel at Flostate to learn more about how you can increase your joint health, improve your mobility, strength, balance and reduce pain at info@theflostate.com.

Which foam roller is right for me?

Rachel Larson · August 3, 2023 ·

When it comes to foam rollers, there are lots of choices to pick from. When choosing you must consider size, diameter, length, density, color and brand. In this article we break these options down to help you to select the best foam roller for you.

What size foam roller is best?

Online you will find dozens of foam roller shapes and sizes. The most common and “original” size is the 9” diameter and 36” length. This allows you to lay length-wise on the foam roller for some unique core strengthening and posture enhancing movements. Anything shorter will not work. We recommend this 9”/36” foam roller as our top pick for Flostate classes.

How firm should my foam roller be?

Not all rollers are the same density or firmness. To the body, this means that some foam rollers will feel very hard and others softer.

Softer rollers:
Softer foam rollers are much more comfortable to use and allow a person to relax more while using it. This is because myofascial release of hardened or “locked” tissues can cause some discomfort. A softer foam roller will not press as deeply into the muscle/tissues and will be a more gentle solution. It can prepare tissues for a firmer foam roller as your body starts to unwind.

Firmer rollers:
Firmer rollers will help you “get right to it”. You may be more uncomfortable at first using a firm roller versus a softer option, but you will eventually adjust. The trick is to use the foam roller on a frequent basis- weekly for example. Your body will begin to unwind, and as it does, the pressure will become more comfortable. This is a sign that your fascia is responding and “unlocking” or improving.

Which foam roller is right for me?

Here’s one way to decide. Do you prefer a deep tissue massage? Or would you rather have a gentle soft to medium pressure massage?

If you you are a soft to medium massage pressure person, we recommend the pink OPTP foam roller.

If you are the deep tissue massage sort of person, we recommend the black Power Systems foam roller.

Still not sure? You could try them both?

6 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism Today

Rachel Larson · May 30, 2023 ·

Have you ever thought, “If only I had a faster metabolism?” You are not alone! One out of every three Americans struggles to maintain a healthy weight. One weight maintenance strategy is to use up more energy each day or increase our metabolism. By using more baseline calories each day, those few extra calories that slip through are less likely to be stored as fat. Interested? Read on.

What is Metabolism?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, metabolism is defined as “the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.” When most of us think of metabolism we think, “how many calories do I use in a day and how much can I eat without gaining weight!” One thing to keep in mind is 60-75% of our needed calories each day are just to keep us alive. The remainder are activity, exercise and thermogenic effects of food. We could unpack all sorts of things about the mechanics of metabolism, but we will cut to the chase today and tell you what you can do to speed it up!

What can I do to burn more calories?

Get stronger

Increase lean mass by 2-4% pounds of muscle and boost your RMR (resting metabolic rate) by 7-8%.

Eat foods that require more energy to consume

Pick fruits and vegetables that take more time and effort to eat. Add in protein as it requires more energy to digest and break down.

Don’t starve yourself

Dramatic reductions in calories and crash diets slows metabolism by over 22%. Don’t do it! Odds are you will gain back everything you “lost” and more.

Control your appetite but respect your hunger!

Be aware that hunger and appetite are different and that appetite is linked with stress.
Hunger is when our bodies need food on a cellular and metabolic level. Don’t ignore hunger! Eat when your body needs nourishment.
Appetite is getting a second slice of pie on Thanksgiving after 3 plates of food. Or when we keep eating after a stressful day. Be aware of the difference.

Sleep more than 6 hours per night

Lack of sleep is linked with cravings for more energy-dense and unhealthy foods.
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

Control stress

Stress increases cortisol, which drives us to choose unhealthy foods and can sabotage our good intentions.

Rachel Larson

What is Metabolism?

What can I do to burn more calories?

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