Empower Blog

Rest and Recover

I’ve been sniffling and sneezing, not really feeling like myself but also not sick. When I’m feeling “under the weather”, I always debate if I should exercise or not. Sometimes I feel better after a workout, then other times it makes it worse.

So you’re not feeling quite full of energy but when should you forego your workout? I’ve learned to listen to my body.

If you’re fatigued, then tone down the intensity of your regular workout. It’s true that there is a fine line where a light workout will energize you or further wear you down.

If you’re tired or not feeling well, you can become sloppy with your form or push yourself too hard and be susceptible to injury. When your body is fighting an allergy, virus, or illness it needs rest to recover.

The smart choice is to take it easy with your exercise regimen or even take a day off. Then you can turn up the intensity when you’re feeling like yourself again.

Work the core. A strong core is about more than a super 6 pack!

The stronger the core muscles, the stronger you will be in everything you do, from getting out of a chair or walking to sports. As an added benefit strengthening the muscles of the abdomen, hips and lower back helps to prevent back problems.

Core strengthening exercises and chronic low back pain were evaluated in a study conducted at the University of Technology in Perth, Australia. Group-A performed core strengthen exercises and after 10 weeks showed a significant reduction in the intensity of their back pain as well as their functional disability levels.

These improvements were still apparent at a 30-month follow-up. Group-B underwent other commonly prescribed conservative treatments. These participants demonstrated no significant change in back pain or functional disabilities after intervention.

There seems to be the belief that a total body routine is the best solution for a hectic schedule.

I used to feel that a total body workout would ensure l hit every muscle group even if I was only able to strength train twice that week. It’s true I was touching on every area but I wasn’t feeling like I worked each muscle well enough.

So I decided to try splitting my body parts. Yes, this does mean that during hectic weeks each area may only be trained once however, I find the training is more effective and more intense.

If you’re feeling like you simply aren’t achieving the intensity you want with your total body routine then try dividing the muscle groups into different days. You can break up the body parts in several ways. One option is legs and back one day, chest and shoulders the next, and biceps and triceps on the third. Or you can try legs on their own day, back and chest a second day, and shoulders and arms the third day. To boost the intensity and the results, try to divide and conquer when it comes to your strength training.

For me, being empowered is living the extraordinary story of triumph as it unfolds in real time. In a word, it is "winning", and I don't mean the first person in the race or the top dog in the tennis match--I simply mean triumph. Being empowered allows me to triumph over anything and everything that holds me back. It is a force to be reckoned with, and in that moment, I can feel the gathering storm of intention blowing past the laziness of mediocrity and leaving it in it's dust.

For me being empowered is the opportunity to do something extraordinary, and it resides in my heart. It is a precious and powerful gift that allows me to excel with INTENTION. Empower is my warrior sister with whom I hold the highest regard. She gives me the spiritual permission to dig deeper and climb higher triggering passion and shaming it into performance like no other expedition of the spirit.

When I am empowered, I can do anything, I am on top of the world, and so are the sisters with me.

"Let's shoot for the moon girls, let's shoot for the moon!"

Come with me,

Gin Miller

By: Karen Polcaro

At Empower, our goal is to help you become an ACTIVE, HEALTHY, and STRONG woman. To us, becoming active, healthy, and strong does not only refer to becoming physically fit, it also ties into every other aspect of your life, physical, mental, and emotional. To be ACTIVE, HEALTHY, and STRONG is to be EMPOWERED!!

Although as women we stand together, we recognize that each of us is very unique and have different needs. We are at various stages in our lives. We each face unique challenges, whether they are related to family, career, life in general, or a combination of everything! That is why we have carefully selected four amazing women; all seasoned fitness professionals who come from different backgrounds and are at different stages in their own lives. Gin Miller, Heather Hawk, Kathy Stevens, and Rachel Howe will be writing to provide answers to your questions, offer advice, and share their experiences.

However, we thought it was important that before they began sharing their experiences and ideas, that they each define what it means to them to be EMPOWERED.

Over the couple weeks, each of these women share with us what empowerment means to them. Also, check out some of the questions they will be answering (below). These questions came from women JUST LIKE YOU! If you have a question or a topic you would like to explore, please share! We can all learn and grow from the experiences of others! Your voice is important and you deserve to be heard!!!

1. How do I find the time to add exercise into my schedule and what type of exercise is best?
2. What are the best options for eating healthy meals with such a busy schedule?
3. How do I get rid of my meno-pot!... The dreaded 50+ potbelly.
4. What can I do to reduce the pain in my (back, legs, arms, etc) while exercising?
5. Can I ever get rid of the sagging skin on my (belly, back of the arms, neck or thighs)?
6. Which exercises are best for burning fat?
7. Which exercises will strengthen my back/core?
8. How do you get started if you have been inactive for many years?
9. How do you stay motivated about your exercise program?