BENEFITS OF RESISTANCE BANDS
In every Silver Sneakers Classic class, we utilize resistance bands, or elastic tubing with handles. Because bands are not a gravity-resisted tool, we can create movement opportunities that are difficult to implement with gravity-resisted tools, such as weights. You'll notice in my classes we perform both focused and compound exercises using the bands. Band can help with strength, balance, coordination, and fall prevention.
And bands aren't just for older adults. I like to use resistance bands during my personal workouts. There are certain muscles that are just easier to work with bands than with weights.
For instance, by wrapping the band behind my back, grabbing the handles, and choking up, I can work my pectoral (chest) muscles without having to get on the ground or lie down on a bench. For those with vertigo, this is a huge benefit! I also love using loop bands for glute exercises, especially clamshells.
WHAT DO THE COLORS MEAN?
When you walk into a Silver Sneakers class, you'll see four different colors of bands (five at VRTX, if you count the orange bands). This variety creates a unique opportunity for each participant to individualize his or her workout by increasing or decreasing the intensity level of the strength segment without increasing the risk.
What does each color mean, and how does that translate to weight?
Check out this nifty chart from Silver Sneakers:
And if you come to any Silver Sneakers class at VRTX Fitness, you'll also notice the orange bands right in the center of the display. Those are about 8 lbs and are appropriate for moderately fit members.
During each Classic class we perform two band songs—usually one that focuses on the upper body (usually arms and chest) and one that focuses on the lower body (legs, back, abs). So you may find that you need two sets of bands to adequately challenge yourself during different workouts.
What are your favorite band exercises?
New to resistance bands? Learn more at the Silver Sneakers website here.
AminoWise is my favorite supplement for recovery after workouts. Think of this as a natural Gatorade (that tastes MUCH better)! It is a wolfberry lemonade-flavored drink mix that contains branched-chain amino acids, antioxidants, and minerals to provide the nutrients you need to optimize your workout recovery.
AMINOWISE AT A GLANCE
- Helps support muscles, lessens fatigue, and enhances muscle recovery during and after exercise
- Reduces lactic acid induced by exercise through a complex blend of antioxidants and minerals
- Helps support the production of nitric oxide, which can improve blood flow
- Contains branched-chain amino acids, which have been shown to aid in preventing muscle catabolism from exercise
- Supports hydration by replenishing important minerals lost during exercise
- Good source of vitamin E and zinc
- No preservatives, synthetic colors, artificial flavors, added sugar or artificial sweeteners
I love AminoWise because it tastes amazing and contains all the good stuff and none of the bad. It's formulated with branch chain amino acids and contains three key blends that combine to support your muscles during and after exercise, help fight fatigue, and enhance your recovery!
BACKGROUND
AminoWise enhances muscle performance, reduces fatigue, and supports muscles during and after exercise using a triple-targeted formula that features branched-chain amino acids, premium essential oils, antioxidants, and minerals. MUCH more nutrient-dense than your average electrolyte replacement drinks!
IMPORTANCE OF AMINO ACIDS
Amino acids are classified as non-essential amino acids (you produce them on your own), conditionally essential amino acids (can usually be produced by your body), and essential amino acids (EAAs, cannot be made by the body so you must get them through diet or supplementation) Of the EAAs, three are superstars -- the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs make up about 35% of your muscle tissue.
Your ability to maintain, or build lean body mass, or muscle, is based on the levels of protein synthesis and protein breakdown throughout the day. As you age, protein breakdown tends to accelerate. To slow the protein breakdown you can eat more high quality protein and supplement with EAAs.
Because your level of muscle mass plays a significant role in longevity, anything that increases protein synthesis or decreases protein breakdown can support your quality of life throughout your lifespan. Since amino acids play such an essential role in building and maintaining lean body mass, they must be a consistent part of a healthy diet!
KEY INGREDIENTS
- Muscle Performance blend: includes branched-chain amino acids that helps build and repair muscles, improve muscle endurance, and promote overall muscle health
- Recovery blend: includes Ningxia wolfberry powder and Lemon and Lime essential oils that help reduce the lactic acid and provide antioxidants to repair and prevent oxidative damage; also contains polyphenols and zinc to provide nutrients and minerals for muscle recovery
- Hydration blend: features electrolytes such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium that replace vital minerals lost during exercise to allow muscles to repair themselves and build strength
FULL INGREDIENT LIST
- AminoWise Muscle Performance Blend: Branched-chain amino acids (2:1:1 Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine), L-citrulline, Beta-Alanine, L-Glutamine, L-arginine, L-taurine
- AminoWise Recovery Blend: Ningxia wolfberry fruit powder, Antioxidant blend Red wine polyphenols, Vitamin E (D-alpha tocopherol), Zinc (Zinc gluconate), Persian lime juice powder, Lemon peel oil, Lime peel oil
- AminoWise Hydration Mineral Blend: Sodium (Sodium citrate), Potassium (Potassium citrate), Calcium (Calcium citrate), Magnesium (Magnesium citrate)
HOW TO USE AMINOWISE
- Mix 1 scoop with 8 oz. of water and consume during or after exercise or as desired as part of your daily wellness routine.
- Pair AminoWise post-workout with other great muscle supporting supplements like AgilEase or BLM, NingXia Red and SulfurZyme.
- Try this NingXia Red Electrolyte Drink:
- 1 cup water or coconut water
- 2-4 oz Ningxia Red
- 1 scoop AminoWise
- 1-2 drops Young Living Vitality oil of choice: Tangerine, Orange, Lime, Citrus Fresh, or Grapefruit
- Mix all ingredients in a blender with some ice (or just mix in a blender bottle or mason jar!!) for one of the most refreshing drinks EVER!
- If you want to kick it up a notch, here are some BONUS ingredients you can add to the recipe above that make this drink even more packed with good things:
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 drop Young Living Peppermint Vitality Oil
AgilEase is a must if you are an athlete, an active individual or have joints that need some TLC! This supplement is wonderful for mobility and flexibility and helps reduce inflammation so you can feel great!
AGILEASE AT A GLANCE
- Supports and protects healthy cartilage and joints
- Supports the body's natural inflammatory response associated with exercise
- Helps support healthy joint flexibility and mobility
- Contains highly absorbable, undenatured collagen, turmeric and frankincense powder which are full of inflammation-fighting antioxidants
- Formula is specifically designed for optimal availability & absorption
- Helps with joint discomfort to improve quality of life
- Beneficial for athletes and active individuals of all ages who want to support and protect their joints and cartilage
You can use AgilEase to support acute joint health needs or as a preventative measure to protect joint and cartilage health. With collagen, glucosamine, turmeric, and more, this is a great supplement for just about everyone! It is a wonderful addition to a supplement routine to help with recovery after running, yoga, weightlifting or even just those long days of parenting (parenting a toddler should be an Olympic sport!).
BACKGROUND
Think of AgilEase as a much better, more powerful version of glucosamine/chondroitin that you often see at pharmacies or health food stores. Young Living doesn't add anything to their supplements that doesn't need to be there, and they don't use excessive fillers, colors or dyes, so you know that what you're taking is the best possible
This supplement is especially beneficial for those with an active lifestyle, for athletes, and for aging individuals who may experience a natural, acute inflammation response in their joints after exercise. Whether it is running, Crossfit, working on your feet all day, weightlifting or any other physical activity, AgilEase can provide your body with the support it needs to recover.
COLLAGEN & INFLAMMATION
So many things cause inflammation in our bodies - our diet, our environment, our activities - so anything we can do to support our bodies through that will pack a big punch. AgilEase is full of ingredients that can combat inflammation, especially the inflammation present in joints!
According to the late Dr. Mike Buch, previous head of Research & Development at Young Living, “all these ingredients provide individual contributions to the overall efficacy of AgilEase, but the unique UC-II collagen used in AgilEase is really special. Collagen is a protein. In fact, it's the most abundant protein in your body. It's found in connective tissue like tendons and ligaments, as well as skin and cartilage.
Collagen, like all proteins, is a very large molecule. Collagen is so large that it tends to fold over on itself producing a very distinctively-shaped molecule. This distinctive shape is called the “tertiary structure” of the molecule. This tertiary structure is critical to how the collagen is absorbed and used in the body.
When collagen is extracted from natural tissue (in our case it's chicken sternum), the tertiary structure of the molecule is usually destroyed. (Many extraction methods involve boiling and that makes these long molecules “unfold”). The UC-II collagen in AgilEase is produced using a proprietary extraction process so that the molecule does not lose its native tertiary structure. Retaining this molecular structure makes UC-II the most bioavailable form of collagen for supplementation, and numerous clinical studies show that it can help your body fight inflammation and improve joint flexibility and mobility.”
KEY INGREDIENTS
This powerful blend of ingredients can help you protect your joint and cartilage health and gain greater mobility and flexibility. Who doesn't want that?!
- Frankincense resin powder: a strong antioxidant that helps repair oxidative damage at a cellular level
- UC-II undenatured collagen: supports collagen production and provides cushion in the joints
- Hyaluronic acid: helps in the growth and development of joint's cartilage and bone by promoting the growth of new cells and tissues.
- Piperine: from black pepper, known to dramatically increase the absorption and supportive effects of turmeric
- Glucosamine: studies show it helps form cartilage and reduce pain from inflammation and joint issues
- Turmeric: a super powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herb
- Wintergreen: commonly known as methyl salicylate; supports the body's response to pain and inflammation, soothes discomfort and helps the body promote healing
- Copaiba: is especially helpful for the body in the presence of inflammation and works much like a fire extinguisher to help put out the fires
- Clove: a powerful antioxidant that supports the body's response to inflammation, soothes discomfort and helps the body repair oxidative damage.
- Northern Lights Black Spruce essential oils: supports the body's response to pain and injury and helps to calm the natural inflammation process
FULL INGREDIENT LIST
- AgilEase Blend: Frankincense (Boswellia serrata) resin powder, Calcium fructoborate (from plant minerals), Curcuminoids complex Turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome extract, Piperine (from Black pepper (Piper nigrum)) whole fruit extract, Collagen (with undenatured type II collagen), Glucosamine sulfate, Hyaluronic acid (as Sodium hyaluronate)], Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) leaf oil, Copaiba (oleoresin) (Copaifera officinalis) wood oil, Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) flower bud oil, Black spruce (Picea mariana) whole tree oil (Northern Lights)
- Other Ingredients: Rice flour, Hypromellose, Silicon dioxide
HOW TO USE
- Take two capsules daily to support joint health or as a preventative measure to protect joint and cartilage health.
Remember that with supplements like collagen and glucosamine, you will see benefits after a 2-3 weeks of use as our bodies start increasing production of cartilage and collagen. When you stop taking a supplement like this, you will stop seeing the results!
How many times have you started a brand new fitness routine, or tried to take your current fitness routine to the next level...only to end up with stiff, sore muscles for the next several days? Talk about a momentum killer! But take heart—there are things you can do to minimize the effect of sore muscles.
Young Living provides all-natural, powerful tools in three major categories to help with muscle soreness: hydration, supplementation, and soothing.
HYDRATION
Most of us know how important it is to stay hydrated while exercising, especially if you find yourself sweating a lot (which is a really healthy thing to do!). But did you know that replenishing minerals and electrolytes is just as important as hydrating with water? Electrolyte depletion greatly increases muscle soreness. So it's best to start off your exercise session fully hydrated and continue to hydrate as you work. And no, please don't run out and get a sugar-laden energy drink from your local gas station. Those are terrible for you!
Instead, swear off sugary drinks and add Mineral Essence or Vitality Drops to your water.
This unique supplement combines the benefits of ionic minerals with Lemon, Cinnamon, and Peppermint essential oils to create a formulation that is quickly and fully absorbed by the body. You get all the great benefits of minerals in a convenient daily dose!
Combining the great taste of Lavender Vitality and Lemon Vitality or Grapefruit Vitality and Bergamot Vitality with nutritional minerals, these drops encourage you to drink up and stay active. Especially during winter months, I do a much better job staying hydrated when my water is infused with these yummy drops.
SUPPLEMENTATION
My two favorite supplements for healthy muscles, joints, and exercise recovery are AminoWise and AgilEase. Here's why:
AminoWise is a wolfberry lemonade-flavored drink mix that contains branched-chain amino acids, antioxidants, and minerals to provide the nutrients you need to optimize your workout recovery. Enjoy it at the end of your workout to promote muscle recovery. You can learn more about AminoWise here.
AGILEASEMUSCLE SOOTHING
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to prevent it, a hard workout will result in sore muscles. So what can you do to relieve the soreness? These are my two favorite tools.
At the first sign of soreness, I always reach for my Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream. With the methyl salicylate from Wintergreen essential oil and natural menthol found in Peppermint, Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream alleviates pain and provides temporary relief from minor muscle and joint aches, arthritis, strains, bruises, and sprains and full-strength cooling relief on contact. Made from Young Living's Cool Azul Essential Oil Blend, it is a must-have for relieving pain and soreness. It's also great for headaches.
CBD MUSCLE RUBTopical CBD diffuses across your skin and reaches local targets, like muscles, inflammatory cells, and pain-perceiving nerves, and using essential oil infused CBD in a muscle rub can help ease the discomfort associated with sore muscles, aches and pain.
Young Living's CBD Muscle Rub takes the hot-and-cold sensation of menthol and gives it a boost by infusing it with some powerhouse Young Living oils. Popular over the counter pain relief creams, simply make your skin tingle so you forget about the pain underneath. Young Living’s CBD Muscle Rub actually penetrates to the muscles to help relieve and repair what is happening!
AND YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A BATH SOAK...
FAVORITE ESSENTIAL OILS FOR ALL THINGS MUSCLES
It's a snap to create your own soothing products by mixing your favorite essential oils into coconut oil or your favorite carrier oil for a refreshing rub.
These are some of my go-to oils:
- Peppermint, Wintergreen, Copaiba, Cypress, and Frankincense essential oils
- PanAway, M-Grain, Deep Relief essential oil blends
QUICK TIPS:
- Stay hydrated by adding Mineral Essence or Vitality Drops to your water and using AminoWise post-workout.
- Roll Deep Relief Roll-On over areas that are tense or sore.
- Consider CBD Muscle Rub for pre- or post-workout needs.
- Add AgilEase to your supplement routine for joint support!
- Make a simple DIY massage oil to use before bed at the end of a long day or whenever your muscles need soothing.
- Keep Cool Azul Pain Relief Cream in your bag for those times when you need some extra pain relief. Use as you would topical pain creams!
If you have any questions or need help setting up an account with Young Living, feel free to reach out to me anytime!
In a blog post titled "The Power of Adding," the author challenges common weight loss advice by suggesting that adding nutrient-dense foods to our diet can be more effective than focusing on restrictions. The author emphasizes the importance of fueling our bodies to have the energy for exercise and encourages readers to listen to their bodies and recognize the difference between how they feel when they nourish it with good foods versus unhealthy options. Rather than creating a "no-no" list, the author recommends starting by adding one nutrient-dense food to our daily routine, such as a green smoothie with Young Living's NingXia Red and NingXia Greens for easily absorbable nutrients. The post ends with an invitation to reach out for a free sample of NingXia Red and experience the benefits firsthand.
Read more...
