Total Gym

Ask Dr. Salada – Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?

That’s a great question and one that is asked often. It really depends on which stage of pregnancy we are discussing. Many women find that in the early stages, one of the first physical “signs” of pregnancy is a lack of endurance. Your cardio routines may seem a little harder and the resistance exercises may seem a bit more difficult. That is because the first 6 weeks of pregnancy are a very “delicate” time developmentally for the baby, so your body is trying to protect itself from getting overheated or dehydrated. If you are healthy and have had no problems getting or staying pregnant, it’s important to keep your body temperature in a normal range. Light cardio should be OK as long as the climate is not too hot. If you have had problems with pregnancy in the past, ask your obstetrician before doing any exercise in this stage of pregnancy.

During the second trimester, you will feel a little more energetic. So if all is going well with your pregnancy, feel free to push yourself a little more. By the last trimester of pregnancy, most women find that they will need to modify their routines to accommodate their routines. As your womb grows, it will be harder to keep up your usual pace and cardiovascular performance and you may feel more easily winded due the rapid growth of your baby. Many women find swimming or lower impact activities as well as strength training to be more satisfying as the pregnancy winds down. Total Gym offers a safe environment for lower impact strength training. Click here to learn more about GRAVITY training for pregnant women and appropriate Total Gym exercises.

It’s important to be active during pregnancy as research has shown this makes for easier deliveries and healthier babies and moms. Always consult your doctor about the best exercise for your particular situation and phase of pregnancy. Until next time, keep moving!

Dr. Salada is board certified in Internal Medicine and has been in practice in San Diego since 1996. She attended medical school at Wake Forest University where she received high honors in Family Practice and Internal Medicine. Her final training was obtained from Pennsylvania State University where she completed her residency in Internal Medicine.

Visit Dr. Salada’s website for more information: http://elizabethsaladamd.com/.

Get Your Body Summer Ready: Biceps Exercises

Last Monday, we introduced our NEW 7-week exercise video series to help keep you motivated and fit this summer. Every week we’ll introduce a new muscle group and exercises to include in your Total Gym workouts.

Abs were last week … today, it’s all about the biceps! The cool thing about the Total Gym is the versatility it offers for doing bicep curls in multiple positions, from seated, to kneeling and lying supine (or face up) on the glideboard. GRAVITY Master Trainer Nicole Decker shows you how it’s done!

Click here to see the video on YouTube.

We're Back with The Biggest Loser's Tracey Yukich

Tracey with the Total Gym Marketing staff (from left) Brian, Cassie, Joy and Cara

Last week we introduced our first exclusive Total Gym Inside interview with “Biggest Loser” Season 8 contestant Tracey Yukich. Viewers may remember Tracey for her spunky, take-no-prisoners attitude that made her one of the show’s most memorable contestants.

What many viewers don’t know is that Tracey nearly died during her first Biggest Loser competition. She overheated during a race and was life flighted to an area hospital.

I had a chance to sit down with Tracey to learn more about that unforgettable day:

Click here to see the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRx_8hdyciQ

New Total Gym Inside Contributor!

To make Total Gym Inside your one-stop resource for everything health and fitness, we’ve added a new contributor to our line-up. Please welcome Jessie Carter, physical therapist and owner of High Pointe Rehab in Clarksville, TN. See what Jessie has to say about the importance of maintaining correct posture:

Jessie Carter, PT, owner of High Pointe Rehab

Are You a Donald Duck or a Pink Panther?

Posture affects most everything we do from performing our jobs without pain to exercising efficiently. But most Americans fall short of the optimal posture mom always wanted us to have. We more closely resemble cartoon characters than the upright model with a book on her head.

Pink Panthers are those individuals whose shoulders and heads are forward, upper backs are rounded, low backs are flat and rear ends are non-existent. Donald Ducks have other issues. Their heads may still be forward but the low back has too much curve inward. Pinks are always pulling their pants up while Ducks have ample tail feathers.

The problem with both of these postures is that they fall short of what is considered normal. Everyone’s normal is a little different but some general guidelines follow:

• When looking at the body from the side, the ear, shoulder and hip should all line up in a straight line when sitting or standing.
• The shoulders should be level and pulled back slightly, not slumped or rounded forward.
• The low back should have a slight curve inward at all times. If you sit as tall as possible with your chest up, this posture should happen automatically.

To correct your posture, start by trying to sit up straight as often as possible. Sit on your “sit bones” with your feet flat on the floor and your bottom as far back in the seat as possible. Pull your shoulders back and lift your chest up slightly to develop the curve in your low back, mentioned above.

At first, your muscles will not be strong enough to keep your posture in perfect form all day, but as you begin using proper posture more frequently, it will become easier and easier. Your Total Gym will help you to strengthen key back and core muscles to maintain the posture mom wanted you to have. Total Gym uniquely requires you to maintain straight spinal alignment while also recruiting core muscles to balance on the sliding glideboard while performing upper body cable exercises. Here are a few Total Gym exercises to help improve your posture:

1)     Reverse Fly (sitting or kneeling) – Emphasis on pulling shoulder blades back and down as opposed to shrugging.

2)     Surfer Lat Pull – Emphasis on full upright back extended position at end of contraction, again pulling shoulder blades back and down and avoiding shrugging.

3)     Plank position on SCRUNCH with Shoulder Protraction/Retraction – While maintaining the forearm plank position on the SCRUNCH board, pull shoulder blades back and down (pause). Then push up on forearms moving shoulder blades away from each other (pause).  Repeat for duration of plank hold (e.g., 30-60 seconds).

If you find it painful to correct your posture or you continue to have difficulty after 6-8 weeks of self-correction, a physical therapist can assist in identifying your specific deficits and design an exercise program to address your issues.

Whether you are a Pink Panther, Donald Duck or something in between, you have the ability to improve your health and posture with stretching, strengthening and corrective body positioning.  Despite popular belief, you can teach an old duck new tricks.

Jessie Carter is the owner of High Pointe Rehab in Clarksville, TN. Jessie is a 2001 graduate of the University of Evansville (UE) in Evansville, IN, where she earned both her BS and Master’s degrees in physical therapy. Prior to transferring to UE, she attended Murray State University in Murray, KY, where she majored in biology. Contact Jessie at jessie@highpointetn.com with your questions or with ideas for future topics.

Total Gym Weekly Workout: Get Your Body Summer Ready Series

It happens every year. Summer comes too soon and many of us aren’t ready to shed the winter wear and expose our summer parts.

We’ve created a 7-week video series to help you look summer-ready starting today! Total Gym inventor Tom Campanaro and our GRAVITY Trainers will take you through exercises designed to work the muscle groups that you or your clients will want to expose this summer -- thanks to your Total Gym!

We get started with the core -- the foundation for a stronger body! Tom demonstrates the SCRUNCH accessory to build a rock-hard core that will make beach or pool-goers drool!

Click here to see the video on YouTube. Find a SCRUNCH for Total Gym XLS at www.totalgymcatalog.com and Total Gym commercial models (GTS, PowerTower, Sport and 26000) at www.totalgym.com.

Total Gym Exclusive: Biggest Loser Tracey Yukich’s “Aha Moment”

Tracey poses with Pure Fitness GRAVITY Trainer Dejinira

Last week we told you about our very special visit from former “Biggest Loser” contestant and Total Gym user Tracey Yukich. Tracey visited the Total Gym headquarters in San Diego on May 26 and 27 to pay our staff a visit (with some avid fans among us) and to make special appearances at two local health clubs, The Training Club in Del Mar and Pure Fitness Carlsbad, both offering the Total Gym GRAVITY workout. While there, Tracey participated in a GRAVITY workout and talked to members about her Biggest Loser journey.

While she was here, we snuck in an unscripted video chat with Tracey to learn more about her Biggest Loser experience—from the “aha moment” that caused a once 250lb. Tracey to try out for the show, to her experience on the Ranch (sharing insider information only heard here) and finally, how she’s keeping the weight off today.

Tracey Yukich: