The benefits of a TRX stretch
The end of the last City Skinny Fit Day brought us back to It’s Working Out with the lovely Kristen McAuliffe. Now if you follow my blog, you know that in the past I have highlighted Kristen’s many uses of the TRX bands. For Fit Day, as the final class at the end of an intense day, we agreed that a focus on stretching would be another unique way to show the benefits of TRX training.
If you read about health and fitness, you no doubt have heard all about the benefits of stretching. But outside of yoga classes and the last few minutes of most group fitness classes, stretching seldom gets little more than lip service, particularly from men. Kristen likes to tell how she has helped improve the back flexibility of many of her male clients, which has, in turn, added distance to their driving distances on the golf course. If you want guys to get serious about their stretching, sharing THIS knowledge should serve as the spark to make them become more engaged!
Throughout the 45-minute session, we were put through our paces and no body part was left untouched. True to suspension training, however, the benefits were not limited to a good stretch. We got a very good, low-impact strength workout, too! As Kristen has told us before, a TRX workout means “all core, all the time”. Certainly, plank variations and knee tuck movements are when the abdominals work is most concentrated, but maintaining one’s body at specific angles and tightness assures that the core will be engaged throughout the entire workout. And as I have always experienced with Kristen’s workouts, such was the case for the entirety of our session. It was the perfect end to a great day!
Afterward, we moved over to Kristen’s new space across the street where her new rowing studio has just opened. There, my husband Steve was waiting to treat us all with our healthier happy hour. Again, we focused on providing healthy options that would satisfy and replenish our bodies. And of course we also had some wine and our homemade spicy margarita (see recipe blow) to anesthetize any aches our bodies might have picked up over the day;-) There were a couple lucky raffle winners with gifts for their little ones from Ivivva, training sessions, and an awesome gift box from
with their new line of products and a gift card for a blowout. A perfect reward for a challenging day.
The moral of the story here, though? Don’t skimp on the stretching! This seemingly simple act can do wonders: make you less tired, help you sleep more soundly, allow you to exercise for longer durations, keep you from getting hurt during workouts, and even relieve PMS symptoms. With all that stretching can do for you, the question is: are you doing it? If you need someone to help get you over the hump, join Kristen for a class!
If you are new to TRX and rowing, or maybe nervous to jump right in, join It's Working Out in September for beginning TRX and rowing classes! The best way to do this would be to take advantage of the $69 Intro Month. See you there!
Fit Day Spicy Margarita
2 parts tequila blanco
1 part Cointreau or triple sec
1 part Weekly Juicery
Cucumber Crush
1 tsp homemade jalepeno jam
Juice of 1 lime
Shake ingredients together, serve over ice and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime!
What I love about training at IWO is that as I have gotten older, I want to focus on certain parts of my body that don’t look like they did in my 20’s.
Nicole - (Leisen) has created a plan to help tone and strengthen those areas. Additionally, I work out with my husband and it is a great way for us to do something together especially when life gets so busy and it’s hard to find time to connect and have fun.
-Sarah Brown, owner
BLOWN - blow dry studio
I am very grateful to Nicole and all the great rowing instructors at IWO. Nicole has a unique talent of pushing and praising at just the right time. My measurements were important to me. But other things were even more important to me. More than that, I’m a happier person, my mental focus has improved and best of all I “don’t feel like a chump.”
-David Brown