“Wait, stop. Can you hear that?” Standing at the end of the quarter-mile hike up to the peak of Westwood Hills in Napa, my friend instructed me to halt my steps and listen. A wide-eyed look of bewilderment formed on my face, “Hear what?” I replied. She looked at me with a smile of satisfaction, …
Category: Exercise is Medicine Napa
Jun 01
Healthy Choices on Business Trips
It’s my first time visiting Denver, Colorado, for a continuing education trip to enlighten a few of my fellow coaches and me to become smarter, more skillful, and better informed on the best practices in the cutting-edge research being presented at the ACSM fitness conference. Honing my skills as a fitness professional, mentor, and consultant …
May 26
Shrugging Off Shoulder Pain
“Back in ’82, I could throw a football a quarter mile. How much you wanna bet I can throw this football over them mountains?” Uncle Rico, a character in the movie Napolean Dynamite, stated this. Rico was in his mid-forties and hadn’t let go of his high school football dreams of being drafted into the …
May 10
Finding Time for Exercise
Doctor’s recommendations, news reports, and a multitude of research support the benefits of exercise. A healthy weight, decreased stress, and increased overall mood throughout the day are enticing factors to be attracted to. A plethora of reasons to exercise to support our overall quality of life can make a list of reasons to invest in …
May 04
Decreasing the Risk of Falling
Balance is a unique aspect of our physical activity affecting many interactions in our everyday lives. For example, the ability to get up from a seated position, get out of bed in the morning after a six to eight-hour slumber, or disembark from our car seats require an impressive combination of movements occurring simultaneously to …
Apr 30
Success in the Pull Up World
A success story occurred recently for one our Napa personal training clients. After many trials and hard work, this exercise participant was able to perform one complete pull up. Let’s call this exercise participant who works out at our fitness facility Arnold for confidentiality purposes. While making our way through a weekly training session, Arnold …
Apr 21
What to Eat, and When to Eat
Weight loss is one of the most common fitness goals. Whether shedding a few pounds to look for good for a summer cruise, managing body weight afflicted by metabolic diseases, or simply maintaining a healthy weight because it feels good, attention to how much one weighs is essential. Usually, a doctor’s recommendation for healthy body …
Apr 12
Want to play catch?
The sun is out in full force. The vivid blue sky and toasty weather gracing Napa Valley have finally appeared following a frosty and damp winter. As the birds begin their concert of raucous cackling and chirping, the cacophony of small children can be heard around our local schools and neighborhood parks. Grimy baseball mitts, …
Apr 08
Spring Time Dynamic Stretching
The rainy months of the year are subsiding. Now that we can venture outside, the hills are lush with green grass and tree foliage. Thanks to three months of steady rain, dust, and grime on the streets look like they have been pressure washed. Majestic songbirds flutter throughout the sky, enjoying the blossoming pink plum …
Mar 30
Staying Healthy Pays for Itself
Two of our full-time coaches called in sick a few weeks ago. With a slew of clients eager to achieve their weekly and bi-weekly training sessions, myself and the remaining coaches, unhindered by the season’s illnesses, put in some extra hours to accommodate our beloved personal training clients. The standard eight-hour day of coaching cascaded …