In December of 2011, CNN reported some of the top fitness trends that we can look forward to in 2012.  We are proud to say that we are ahead of the trends.  

Educated, Certified, and Experienced Fitness Professionals

An educated and experienced staff can adequately meet the needs of a very diverse fitness population.   At All-Access we have one of the most knowledgeable and experienced staff available to work with you!  Our collective staff has a wide range of experience in working with the young to older populations as well as experiences training athletes for improved performances, clients for weight loss, and patients for quick recovery from injury. In addition to an experienced staff, the AAFA personal trainers are Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  The trainers will design a comprehensive program that will assist in reaching your fitness goals, help you see results faster, and you will be instructed in a safe manner to prevent any injury in your exercise program!  

An Emphasis on Strength Training

All-Access is a firm believer in strength training as gaining lean muscle mass will help burn fat and raise your resting metabolic rate so that you will burn more calories at rest.  Strength training also aides in injury prevention by addressing possible muscular imbalances.  Classes such as Boot Camps and Morning Madness offer a full body strength workout that is challenging and fun.  Our personal training services that provide a direction for your strength training program, track your progress, and make modifications as needed to make sure you don’t plateau.  Our personal trainers are great motivators and keep you on track!

Fitness Programs for Children and Older adults.

Inactivity and obesity amongst the US youth has become a growing epidemic. That is why we offer a variety of programs for children including our Fit Kids and Junior Elite classes.  These classes provide a variety of strength training and cardiovascular activity that is appropriate for the age level, provides proper instruction for exercise technique, and includes fun games and competitions that keep the children entertained. It is important to be active at EVERY age and older adults can take advantage of our customized six week programs.  Our Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists will design a program that will address previous injuries, build strength and endurance, and assist in improving the quality of life! 

Tennis Elbow, an overuse injury of the extensor muscles of the forearm, causes pain at the outside of the elbow due to excessive repetitive motions involved in gripping, twisting, and carrying activities.  It can occur in adults, children, athletes and non-athletes; anyone who repeatedly uses their forearm for their job, recrational activities, or hobbies.

Common symptoms of Tennis Elbow include:

• Pain that radiates into your forearm and wrist
• Tenderness to touch at your elbow and the muscles of your foearm
• Pain with daily activities such as turning a door knob, opening a jar, shaking hands, carrying objects, holding a coffee cup
• Dropping objects
• Weakness in your arm

Treatment for Tennis Elbow may include:

• Resting your arm and avoiding painful activities and motions
• icing your elbow and forearm to decrease pain and inflammation
• Use of a compression brace
• Manual therapy techniques such as joint mobilization and massage
• Strengthening of weak muscles in your back, shoulder, and forearm
• Retraining your muscles so they work properly during motions using your elbow, forearm, and hand
•  Modification of your daily activities as needed to decrease pain and continued stress to the elbow

Strength training is critical at every age - from youths, to adults, to older adults there are numerous reasons to incorporate some form of strength training into your fitness regimen. 

Studies show that children as young at 8 can benefit from age appropriate strength programs.  These programs (such at AAFA Doctor of Fitness and Fit Kids) can enhance Musculoskeletal development and bone formation during the prepubescent years, improve muscular strength and endurance, enhance sports performance, improve body composition, improve motor skills, and increase resistance to injury.  Strength training for children focuses on body weight and low to moderate weights, controlled movements and an emphasis on safety and technique. 

Adult strength training has many of the same benefits as for youth training but can also result in decreased blood pressure, decreased risk of heart disease, relieve body aches and pain, weight loss and management, decreased occurrence of depression, and improved stress management.

Strength training for older adults has a few but very specific benefits in addition to all the health and wellness benefits listed above.  Building strength has shown to decrease fall risk and improves performance in daily tasks such as walking up and down stairs.  Strength training in the older adult can lead to maintaining independence for longer. 

Please speak with your All Access Physical Therapist or Fitness Professional to determine and strength program that is right for you.  We can design and program that is tailored to your individual needs and goals - At Every Age!!!

At All Access, assessing foot mechanics is an integral part of any lower body and spine evaluation.  Flat arches (known as ‘overpronation’) are common in many adults, and can contribute to many conditions including plantar fasciitis, shin splints, knee pain, sciatica, and low back pain. An excessive lowering of the inside arch of your foot during gait causes aberrant movement in the joints of your foot and leg, which results in abnormal stress on the tissue and muscles in the area. Over time, these repetitive mechanics can cause cumulative injuries through the affected joints. While stretching and strengthening exercises can improve the injury, an external arch support is an integral part of the treatment plan to correct the underlying arch problem. At All Access, we design Sole Supports custom orthotics (http://www.solesupports.com/PUBLICHOME/WhySoleSupports.aspx) . These are the highest level of custom orthotic that will not only provide your foot with the appropriate support, they will actually correct your gait and improve leg strength.  Schedule your free foot consultation today with an All Access physical therapist to see if Sole Supports custom orthotics can improve your posture! 

The gluteus maximus is the largest of a group of three gluteal muscles, including the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.  These three gluteal muscles act together to provide stability and to produce mobility of the trunk and the legs in order to enable functional movement of the body. 

One of the most common problems associated with deficits in the gluteal muscle structure is the development of low back, hip, and knee pain.  This can occur as a result of inactivity or weakness of the muscles which render them powerless to carry out their stabilizing function.  In some cases, people inadvertently utilize the thigh muscles to conduct the functions of the gluteal muscles.  In this situation it is a challenge for the person to recruit the horsepower that strong gluteals could provide them.  Working on building gluteal strength could assist them in gaining success in athletic activity as well as reducing pain. 

Strengthening the gluteals is important if you have experienced any type of pain or discomfort your low back, hips, or knees due to inactivity or because there is an imbalance between your gluteal muscles and the muscles of your thigh.  Building additional strength in the gluteals will enable them to stabilize the upper and lower body at ease while allowing other muscles to do their job.  A correct application of muscle structure and mechanics will help reduce and eliminate low back pain, hip pain, and some knee pain. 

If you would like to rebuild strength in your back and hips, we can aide you by creating an individualized exercise plan to strengthen your gluteals based on your specific activity needs.  We will assess the current status of your muscular strength and muscular balance and recommend and exercise plan.  Our support through the process will enable you to get back on track to meet your specific goals.   

It can be argued that preseason conditioning is the most important part of an athlete’s sport season.  A proper preseason conditioning program addresses general conditioning and sport specific movements.  It is vital in reducing the risk of injury and preparing the athlete to be both physically and mentally prepared for the start of the regular season.  The 3 primary components of a well rounded preseason conditioning program include general fitness conditioning/strength training, endurance training, and agility/sport specific training. 

A general fitness program will not only increase an athlete’s strength but address possible muscular imbalances that may lead to injury during the regular season.   Enhancing an athlete’s flexibility will also lead to injury prevention.  Increasing a joint’s movement capabilities can help to prevent common injuries such as ankle sprains.

A proper preseason conditioning program should also address an athlete’s endurance capabilities to prepare them for practices and competitions.  Interval training increases conditioning by including short bursts of high intensity cardiovascular training combined with short rest periods.  Interval training can train the body more specifically for the individual demands of many sports. 

The final aspect of preseason conditioning is sport specific movement and agility training.  The preseason is the perfect time to address any skill deficits that might hinder performance during the regular season.  Practicing agility drills not only helps an athlete learn to change direction faster and safer, but it improves reaction time to various visual and verbal cues. 

A complete preseason conditioning program will address the physical needs of the athlete.  With training and skill improvement, a sense of confidence is built for the challenges the athlete will face in the upcoming season.  A consistent training routine will will get athletes out of their comfort zone in order to improve themselves as well as their team.  A physically and mentally prepared athlete is a winning athlete! 

#1 - Decrease Your Carbohydrate Intake

Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients (fat and protein are the others) contained within food that our bodies use for energy.  There is nothing inherently wrong with carbohydrates as they are filled with nutrients.  Too many of them can hinder your weight loss because every gram of carbohydrate requires a significant amount of water to be stored in your body.  This means that when you reduce your carbohydrate intake your body will release some of the stored water.  Limit yourself to vegetables as your only source of carbohydrates with 1-2 servings of fruit per day.

#2 - Chill Out

Stress is a large part of our daily lives, and it also plays a role in making us look heavier than we really are. When stressed, we tend to get far less sleep than we need.  Under these conditions (increased stress, lack of sleep), certain hormones in our body begin to contribute to us holding onto excess water from the liquids and foods we ingest.  Make the commitment to get 7 hours of sleep per night and engage in activities that help you to de-stress.  Doing so will help you to wake up a few pounds lighter. 

#3 - Create a Caloric Deficit

Without creating a caloric deficit, any weight loss will be short term.  You need to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight.  Commit to daily physical activity and make sure that your nutrition plan meshes with you weight loss goals.

For more information on weight loss and nutrition, contact your All Access Fitness Academy professional. 

Most anyone who played high school sports, had a paper route, or engaged in playground snowball warfare has thrown their fair share of objects.  As is true with all athletic endeavors, proper form and technique ensure good performance and safety.  But what exactly constitutes good throwing mechanics? 

First and foremost, the body needs to be positioned correctly in order to take advantage of the powerful muscles of the legs and trunk, not solely the arm.  In order to engage the trunk and leg muscles into the throw, you must place your front shoulder and front leg toward the target.  While stepping toward the target with your front leg by pushing off the rear leg, the throwing arm needs to be properly positioned to deliver the throw.  In essence, the arm should follow a circular path. 

This path begins at the waist and then follows back overhead with the elbow bent halfway.  In this position, it is important that the muscles of the shoulder blade be engaged to set the shoulder blade down and back, in it's most powerful position.  At this time the trunk muscles activate to turn the throwing arm toward the target. 

 As the final link of the chain, the arm then follows through toward the target.  This follow through should carry at a slight diagonal off of the vertical.  All of these elements combine to carry the most energy to the ball through utilization of the entire body. 

 Overlooking these basic elements of throwing can lead to overuse injuries of the arm, most often the shoulder and elbow.  The important stabilizing muscles of the shoulder, known collectively as the rotator cuff, are often the site of injury.  Injuries can occur here due to underutilization of the leg, trunk, and scapular muscles, which places too much stress on the relatively small muscles of the rotator cuff.  A rotator cuff that has been overused will often develop strength and motion imbalances, further predisposing an individual to injury. 

If you have a throwing injury or want to know more about how to prevent a throwing injury, please free to contact your All Access Physical Therapist or Fitness Professional. 

It is well known that our balance changes and declines as we age.  Vision changes, declining strength, and changes in the way our brain receives, processes, and sends signals all contribute to this inevitable change.  It is possible to halt and delay balance changes that may lead to injuries and falls by incorporating balance training activities into your regular exercise regime.   

Try these easy activities to start improving your balance TODAY!

1. Stand on one foot – practice balancing on one foot and give yourself a time goal, try for 20 seconds and increase to 60 seconds as you improve
2. Stand in “tandem” stance – stand with one foot behind the other so that the toes of one foot line up with the heel of the other foot, again give yourself a time goal
3. Add a dynamic surface – perform your usual exercises such as bicep curls or squats on an unstable surface such as a BOSU, foam pads, or dyna discs.  You can also use this same technique at home while washing the dishes or folding laundry.
4. Agility ladder drills – fun and challenging, the agility ladder will improve your coordination, balance and cardiovascular endurance with endless activities
5. Take a class that focuses on balance, core strength and posture – NIA, yoga, and pilates are great options and all are offered at All Access!!!

For additional information on how to improve balance or to have a specific balance program designed to meet your needs, contact your All Access Physical Therapist or Fitness Professional.   

Increase Your Protein Intake - When you consider the fact that some pretty cool parts of our body are made up of protein (muscles, hair, nails, your heart), the importance of consuming enough protein within our diet becomes clear.  Did you know that you can decrease the blood sugar response from a meal by simply including a source of protein along with it?  Keeping your blood sugar levels from fluctuating wildly will help ensure that your energy levels are more stable throughout the day.  The best sources of protein are found within meats such as chicken, beef, seafood, and pork but can also be found in dairy products and beans.

Eat Your Fiber - Fiber can be found within all the good stuff in life - fruits and vegetables.  While fiber is great for your digestive health, it also plays an important role in keeping your energy levels in check.  When you eat a significant amount of fiber (10-15 grams) along with a meal, physical stretching of the stomach occurs, which goes a long way towards preventing you from overeating and experiencing that sleepy "Thanksgiving Dinner" effect.  Fiber also slows the rate at which food leaves your stomach, ensuring that you'll be satisfied for many hours to come.

Consider Intermittent Fasting - This sounds complicated but all it means is that you would fast (not eat any food, non-calorie containing liquids are fine) for a predetermined amount of time while then eating the rest of your food during a short eating window.  During the fasting period, certain hormonal processes within the body are expressed that help blunt hunger as well as increase your focus, concentration, and energy levels.

For additional information on these methods of boosting your energy levels or others, contact your All Access Fitness Academy professional.

Resistance bands are a fast, fun, and simple way to get a killer workout wherever you are.  You don't have to be in a gym, but can use them at home, work, or even the beach.  All  you need to get a kick ass resistance band workout are a few bands and a strong work ethic.  Using a little creativity, just about any movement can be executed using bands as resistance.  While free weights are a great way to increase strength and muscle mass, bands have just about as many benefits.  

Bands are convenient and safe.  You do not need a spotter.  Bands have the added component of increased tension throughout the entire range of motion.  As the band stretches, more resistance is generated.  This creates more tension during the stronger phase of the movement forcing more overall work to be performed.  Resistance bands utilize both the concentric (shortening) and eccentric (lengthening) part of the movement, allowing for increased muscle stimulation.

For the most effective workout, pick a place where you can attach one side of your band to a solid base like a tree, post, door, or hook in the wall.  This will increase the number of exercises to be performed.  For any standing movement place the band under your feet to create a base for the resistance.  From here you can perform squats, lunges, bicep curls, shoulder presses, lateral raises, or anything you can think of.  Lie on your back with the band under your back for bench press or tricep extensions.  Attach the band to a base and you can perform a face pull, trunk rotation, standing or seated row, hip extension and many other variations.  

For a fast effective workout, include a variety of bands with different resistance levels.  Perform 2-3 sets of 6-10 exercises with minimal rest between sets.  Make sure there is plenty of resistance during the movement and push yourself to the appropriate number of repetitions for a hard workout.

for more information about resistance band workouts or to get help in designing a resistance band program tailored for your needs, contact your All Access Fitness Academy trainer.

Sciatica refers to inflammation of the sciatic nerve, a nerve that exits the back and travels down the back of the leg even down to the foot.  When this nerve is inflamed the pain experienced can be described as sharp, shooting, burning, tingling, and even numb.  This nerve can become inflamed for many reasons, however, symptoms of sciatica stem from irritation at the level of the spine - usually from a disc herniation or due to tightness of a deep hip muscle known as the piriformis.  

Although this pain can be severe and disabling at first, there are many treatments you can try at home to manage the symptoms of sciatica.  The main treatment philosophy is to alleviate pressure on the nerve.  The best way to determine what exercises are right for you is to first recognize what make your sciatica worse. 

Acute Sciatic Flare Up

• Rest 1-2 days with only light activity such as stationary biking
• Ice low back with legs up on a chair for 15-20 minute intervals

Sciatica Symptoms Worse With Bending Forward or Prolonged Sitting

• Try to lie on your stomach - if this does not make your symptoms worse, try to press up onto your hands, keeping your hips on the bed/floor
• If your leg symptoms decrease try doing 10 slow repetitions, several times per day

Sciatica Symptoms Prominent in Hip/Buttock Region or Worse With Lying On Your Side

• Stretch your piriformis by lying on your back and bringing leg up and across your body - pull your foot towards you and push your knee away from you
• Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds, perform 3 times several times/day

Contact your All Access Physical Therapist if you have sciatica symptoms and your shoulders look "shifted" to one side.  

Contact your Physician immediately if you are experiencing a change in your bowel/bladder control.

If these self treatment strategies do not resolve your symptoms, contact your All Access Physical Therapist.  More specific treatment techniques may be indicated.  

During the aging process we lost about 1% of our bone and muscle mass each year.  Strength training not only helps to preserve your bone health but helps you to maintain muscle mass which can reduce your risk of bone fractures as you age.  Strength training also assists in disease prevention and management.  For those with Type II Diabetes, strength training combined with healthy lifestyle changes can improve glucose control.  Strength training may be effective as use of medication in decreasing arthritis pain.

Incorporating strength training into your exercise regimen can also enhance your mood and your energy levels, improve your sleep quality, and may work as a natural anti-depressant. Endorphin (a natural opiate produced by your brain) levels are increased after resistance training leaving you feeling rejuvenated. 

There are many ways in which to incorporate strength training into your exercise routine - exercise machines, resistance bands, free weights, and body weight activities.  The All Access Fitness Academy staff can help you develop a customized strength training program to meet your individual needs and concerns. 

Have you ever found yourself making a mental note of someone's posture, only later to find yourself face to face with your own slouching shoulders and hunched back as you walk past a mirror?  Unfortunately, poor posture is the norm, not the exception.  Here are 3 things you can do today to change your posture:

1.  Move More Often - Our lives require us to stay static for long periods of time.  Sitting in our cars for the daily commute.  Sitting at our desks in front of the computer.  In this instance the easiest and also the most effective things we can do is to get moving!  Stand up and move around every 15-20 minutes.  To help you remember set a timer on your computer, watch, or cell phone.

2.  Strengthen Your Upper Back - Weak upper back muscles are a leading cause of poor posture.  Starting a strengthening program will help your back to resist the bombardment of "bad posture opportunities" throughout the day.

3.  Improve Your Flexibility - Once you develop poor postural habits, your muscles and joints lose some of their usual mobility.  Investing 10 minutes a day in specific stretching and flexibility exercises will help to reverse these changes.

Speak with your All Access Physical Therapist or Personal Trainer for specific strengthening exercises to help improve your posture.

 Follow Our Simple Guidelines to Keep Your Child's Back Healthy This School Year...

1.  Your child should carry no more than 10-15% of their body weight

2.  Use a lightweight backpack

3.  Use both shoulder straps and make sure they are wide and padded

4.  Make sure your backpack has a padded back

5.  Use all the compartments to distribute the weight

6.  Use the waist strap

7.  Your child's backpack should cover no more than 3/4 the length of their back

If your child should develop neck, back, or shoulder pain during the school year, the team of expert Physical Therapists at All Access can help!

Follow Our Simple Guidelines to Keep Your Child’s Back Healthy This School Year!!!

 uld develop back or shoulder pain during the school year, our team of expert Physical Therapists can help!!! 

• hould carry no more than 10-15% of their body weight

Use a lightweight backpack

Use both shoulder straps and make sure they are wide and padded

r backpack has a padded back

Use all the compartments to distribute the weight

 the waist strap

Your child’s backpack should cover no more than ¾ the length of their back