June Move-of-The-Month: Hip Opening Stretches

A key component to having proper walking mechanics, especially stride and preventing low back pain, is hip flexibility. Desk jobs, spending time at your computer, and driving in your car tighten your hip and pelvic girdle. Here are a couple of my favorite hip opening stretches. Remember to include a hamstring stretch too. Having proper flexibility in your hips will also help you sufficiently engage all you walking muscles, and prevent injury—especially low back.

When you stretch I recommend going to the point of feeling muscle tension, not pain.

Groin Stretch

1. Kneel with knees together on bath towel; hips stacked directly over knees, and shoulders directly over shoulders, looking directly at floor. 
   
2. Inhale then, exhale breathing rhythmically and comfortably while slowly sliding knees apart allowing groin to stretch comfortably. Remember to keep hips in line with knees. Hold for 20 seconds until you feel your muscles releasing naturally.
   
3. Repeat 2x.
   

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

1. Kneel on right knee reaching right arm overhead while reaching left arm downward to floor. 
   
2. Inhale then, exhale and activate a pelvic tilt. Press pelvis forward to stretch hip flexors. Keep right knee stacked directly over right foot. Hold stretch for 20 seconds until you feel your muscles releasing naturally.
   
3. Repeat on left side 1x each side.
   

To view these stretches visit my FREE digital emagazine, Make Healthy A Lifestyle, at http://www.LindaLaRue.com.

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Walking 4 Weightloss

I really do love to walk, because you can walk anytime, anywhere, and it’s FREE—my favorite four-letter word.  There is nothing that clears and works my mind and body more than an invigorating power walk at the beach in Santa Monica pumping my pink 2 pound dumbbells.  Did you know that walking is the #1 most popular exercise in America?  According to Prevention Magazine, 1 in 4 Americans use walking as their primary mode of exercise.  Here 7 simple steps to help you walk off your weight, and have fun too.  Plus, you’ll be stepping stronger, and connecting your mind, body, and spirit. 

 

1. Get Inspired!  Find one or a few awe inspiring walking routes, which will help motivate and inspire you.
2. Recruit a Walking Buddy.  Find a friend to walk with to give you support and motivation when you are feeling weak.
3. Calendar Your Walking Times.  Accountability is key to establishing any new behavior.  Make a plan.  Write your walking times on your monthly planner, www.google.com/calendar.
4. Add Upper Body Resistance.  Holding a pair of 2 pound dumbbells will create upper body resistance, and sculpt your chest, back, shoulders, and arms.  Plus, studies show power walking briskly with 2 pound dumbbells may increase your calorie burn by up to 40%!
5. Wear the Right Gear.  Wear sunscreen and sun protective clothing, especially a broad brimmed hat.  Excessive sun exposure causes cancer along with prematurely ageing your skin.  Check out Solumbra for great sun protective, active wear www.sunprecautions.com. Wear proper reflective clothing if you are walking early in the morning or evening when it dark outside.
6. Add Incline.  Find a set of stairs or climb a hill.  Incline ups your heart rate, which in turn ups your calorie burn—both during, and after you are walking.  It’s also a great way to tone your tush, and help you build a better butt.
7. Break Up Your Workout with Resistance Stations.  Resistance training builds lean tissue to create a sculpted physique, and helps your body burn more calories per day. Try 12 reps each of push-ups to side plank hold on a park bench, tricep dips on a park bench, lunges, and side lunges.  Carry a green SPRI resistance tube www.lindalarue.com/store_linda.html then, loop it around a tree for some standing rowing and horizontal core wood chops.  With a resistance tube, you’re your training move possibilities are infinite.

For a great green weight loss and workout plan, order my SOUPer Slim Diet ebook click here.

 

 

Monday Weekly Weigh-In: It's a 4-Legged Affair

A too cute photo of my cat Bernie, my favorite weight loss buddy-:)!

Energize Your Walk with a FREE Non-Stop Walking Mix!

If you haven’t heard, thousands of bodies are moving to a new workout music podcast called Motion Traxx. It features high-energy, non-stop dance mixes that are set at different Beats-per-Minute. The faster pace makes it great for cardio. Its producer, Deekron ‘The Fitness DJ’ recently created an episode that’s set at an ideal pace for your walks. It also happens to be FREE.

You’ll have fun on your walks with this non-stop, hour-long walking mix called “Walker’s Delight”. It is available free when you sign up for the Motion Traxx workout music podcast.

The mix is set at 120 – 130 Beats-per-Minute, which is a good pace for your walks. According to Deekron ‘The Fitness DJ’, producer of Motion Traxx, “The mix is very groovy and uplifting. It features House music tinged with Jazz, Gospel, and Disco flavors.”

Walker’s Delight Playlist
1. A New Day by Black Liquid – House Sound of LA (120)
2. Nico’s Trumpet by ARA – Para Disco (120)
3. Jazzy Hooligan by Thierry Thomas – Open Bar Music (121)
4. Sax Machine feat. Mad Sax (Smooth Mix) by ATM – Sunshine Records (122)
5. Breathe (Kiko Navarro Classice Re-Edit) by Blaze – Slip N Slide (123)
6. Sanctify (Vincent Kwok’s Lift Me Higher Mix) by Morrison & Vincent Kwok (124)
7. Summer City (Instrumental Dub) by Blackliquid – House Sound of LA (125)
8. Return to Flight (Benji Candelario Mix) by Vicent Kwok – Azucar (126)
9. Let the People (Original Mix) by Allane – Sunshine Records (127)
10. Luminance (Original Mix) by Dave Horne & Gravity – Progressive Grooves (127)
11. For Love (New Mondo’s Touch of Soul Mix) by New Mondo – Azucar (128)
12. What About You (VK’s Vocal Mix) by Nina Lares & Vincent Kwok – Azucar (129)
13. After My Love (Vincent Kwok’s Pumped Up Mix) by Morrison – Azucar (129)
14. 2 Deep In Love by Thierry Thomas – Open Bar Music (130)

To download your free walking mix, visit my Top 10 iTunes Workout Playlist at click here.

Time to Make it Happen NOW!

Mercury is officially out of retrograde today.  Time to plant positive seeds of thoughts then, take action to grow them into tall, strong, beautiful trees.  If your goal is weight loss then, begin by eating more healthfully.  To learn how click here.