Find Body 360 Wednesdays at 11:45am at FFC East Lakeview; noon and 5:45pm at FFC Gold Coast; and Fridays at 11am at FFC West Loop. More offerings will be scheduled in June.

Read the article here.

East Lakeview
Halsted Street
Gold Coast
Lincoln Park
Old Town
South Loop
West Loop
Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27 – normal hours
Monday, May 28 – 7:00am – 7:00pm

Oak Park
Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27 – normal hours
Monday, May 28 – 7:00am – 5:00pm

Union Station
Saturday, May 26 – Monday, May 28
8:00am – 2:00pm

Remember to also check the group fitness schedule for holiday class times.

You know you should. But with your busy schedule maybe stretching takes a backseat after a killer workout. Here’s what you need to know about stretching and why it’s just as important as your calorie torching workouts.

#1 There’s More Than One Way To Stretch

You don’t always have to do light stretching on the mat. Taking a Vinyasa yoga takes you through a series of movements that open, lengthen and strengthen your body limb-to-limb. Or, try a foam roller to work out stubborn muscle tissue knots. And, you can always use a yoga strap to stretch overly tight hamstrings and a ProStretch for tight calves!

#2 Stretch Your WHOLE Body

Like the tune, “Your thigh bone is connected to your hip bone…” your muscles are also all connected. The connective tissue fascia links muscle groups together. So, even though your low back may be tight, stretch your hip flexors, hamstrings, obliques, chest and back. Your low back could be tight for a number of reasons. One example might be that you sit at your desk with rounded shoulders and an anterior pelvic tilt. This can shorten chest and hip flexor muscles and tighten your low back. Stay on the safe side and stretch all of your moving parts!

#3 Stretching in Your Class’s Cool-Down is Not Enough

There’s a cool-down and stretch in class so that must be all you need, right? Class stretches are developed for the general population and only stretch the muscles momentarily. If you workout often, you need to stretch every day-even on your off days! Take ten minutes out of your day to hit the mat. Doing an extended stretch will lessen your risk of injury, allow lactic acid to leave the body and keep your body stay balanced.

Season One opens with the New Belgium brewing company’s Tour de Fat parade in Austin, Texas. Other episodes journey through Sedona, AZ; Napa Valley, CA; Savannah, GA, and Chicago, among others.

With WTTW National Productions as the presenting station and distributed by American Public Television, the series will reach at least 70% of Public Television’s total U.S. household reach when it debuts. “It’s a strong beginning,” says Ira, “but what really impresses me are the letters we are already receiving. I’m getting letters from recreational riders who are hearing or sight-impaired, and people with other disabilities, who still like to get out and ride.” The Pedal America broadcast will have both closed captioning and video description. “It’s all about making cycling as an all-inclusive activity,” says Ira, “and inspiring people to live healthier, happier lives.”

To learn more, visit www.pedalamerica.tv.

While you are running, your core is at your feet. It’s the first part of your body that hits the ground and what happens there determines what happens to the rest of the body. There are 26 bones and 19 muscles at the foot and those structures have to work hard as you continually pound the ground. If one or more of these muscles are not functioning as it should, it could lead to compensation, changing your “normal” running gait. By the time you feel pain in the foot, knee, or hip – you probably have been compensating a long time.

How do you help identify if these muscles are not functioning well? Here are a few good beginning self tests to see if there may be a potential problem.

TEST 1
While sitting on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor and shoulder width apart, slowly rotate your right foot inward at the ankle while keeping your toes in contact with the floor and without moving your upper leg inward as well. Now do the same with your left. Do they both look symmetrical? Did your foot or toes cramp? Now rotate your foot out using the same method. Look and feel for symmetry.

TEST 2
With your legs straight, slowly rotate your foot inward and back toward you. Do the same with the other foot. Does it look symmetrical? Does it feel the same or as easy as the other foot? Now rotate your foot out and back toward you. Look and feel and look for symmetry.

TEST 3
With your legs straight, rotate your foot inward and flex your foot and toes forward and down, repeat with the other foot. Now rotate your foot out and flex your foot and toes forward and down. Look and feel for symmetry.

If in any one of these tests showed that one foot did not look or feel the same as the other, it does not mean you are going to fall apart the next mile you run! It just means that potentially you may be compensating your run gait. To help improve symmetry, just perform these tests as exercises. Do each for six sets with six second isometric holds for each foot. Try doing it twice to three times a day or at least before and after you run or exercise.

If problems or pain arise, consult a MAT specialist or health care provider.

Here’s to a healthy running season, and a few PRs!

To set up a MAT consultation at FFC Gold Coast, contact Liz Callham at lcallham@ffc.com.

Read more here.

7:00am – 3:00pm
East Lakeview
Halsted Street
Gold Coast
Lincoln Park
Oak Park
South Loop
West Loop

8:00am – 2:00pm
Union Station

Closed
Old Town

Remember to also check the group fitness schedule for holiday class times.

Shrimp is a low-fat protein that is perfectly good for you. It contains fish oils that are good for your heart! Enjoy this healthy recipe for Spice-Rubbed Shrimp Tacos with Red Salsa.

Love veggies? Choose the ones that are brightest or deepest in color, since these contain the most nutritional value. Here is a delightful recipe for Latin-Spiced Oven Roasted Vegetables.

It continues to amaze me when I reflect on my journey over the past 3+ years. What journey is that, you ask? I went from being 320 pounds and barely running a few laps around the FFC track, to losing about 160 pounds and becoming an Olympic Distance Triathlete. It was not an easy road – to say the least! However, one of the most important realizations I had along the way was that I am not special or any more inclined to such success than anyone else who has a goal they want to achieve. 

No matter how “big” or “small” the end line may be, human beings are capable of amazing feats if we:

Believe in ourselves 
Do not limit our capabilities
Put in the work week in and week out

The first step is to decide you want something for yourself, decide you are worth it, and decide to commit. After that, you will find a way to achieve anything you deem possible. I know that I cannot wait to tackle the challenges that lay ahead of me this year, including the Steelhead Half Ironman in August.

Whether it is to get stronger, leaner, faster, lose weight, or complete a race, make a goal and instead of saying “Why me…why would I be able to do this”, say “Why not me? Of course I can do this!” We Can ALL Do It!

There are hundreds of thousands of exercises you can do per muscle group. But there are five extra important exercises that should most definitely make your weekly list of to-dos!

#1) The Push-Up:
If you think you can get out of doing push-ups, you’re wrong! Push-ups strengthen your anterior deltoids (front side of your shoulders), biceps, chest, abs and even your back. See how many you can do in a minute at least once a week!

#2) Rear Deltoid Machine:
After push-ups, make sure you hit the opposing muscle groups. The rear deltoid machine targets your rear deltoid (back side of your shoulders), rhomboids, triceps and mid-trapezius. These are great for anyone with slightly rounded shoulders or who need to work on their posture.

#3) Inner Thigh Machine:
Your inner thigh muscles are responsible for keeping your legs pulled in toward the midline of your body and for stabilizing your hip and knee joints. Start by doing three sets of sixteen reps on the inner thigh machine. The rule of thumb for deciding how much weigth to use is that after ten or so reps you should feel challenged to complete the last six.

#4) Outer Thigh Leg Raise:
Your abductors, or outer thigh muscles, help you move laterally and transversely. They also help stabilize your hip and knee joints. Lay on your side with your toes pointed forward and slightly turned down. Raise each leg up fifty times once or twice a week and enjoy the burn!

#5) Reverse Crunch:
Your abdominals hold your body upright, keep your body moving and protect your organs. So, keep a reverse crunch on file for better posture and lower back support. Start on your back with your knees bent in toward your chest. Tuck your knees in by pulling your navel to your spine twenty-five to fifty times.

Read more here.

FFC East Lakeview
FFC Gold Coast
FFC Halsted Street
FFC Lincoln Park
FFC Oak Park
FFC Old Town
FFC South Loop
FFC Union Station
FFC West Loop