Health and Fitness

Author: Waqas Rafiq

What is health & fitness? A very difficult question to answer, and it's a great way to show that you are more than just your job! How to get more sleep when you sleep through the night, how to lose weight or look like a different girl. But what is going on in your mind, if anything at all...

Let me introduce you to this new fitness brand I am about to announce into existence in the United States of America. It will be called "Movement Therapy", and my mission is to provide physical education classes at every school that will create fun and motivation for youth who are looking to gain a better understanding of how to move, as well as make sure they are moving to attain their goals and dreams as well as develop healthy lives!

So with these tips, I hope to bring some added value to your life that you can use when looking to improve your fitness regimen. If there is one thing you can always rely on, it is the ability to motivate yourself and push past any type of resistance, but most importantly, to become the best version of yourself to become the people you want to be and the kids they want to have around them. Yes, this may seem easy to say out loud. Do you know why? Because it is. In order to obtain a lifelong relationship with yourself and improve your overall health and wellness, you need to be able to really trust your ability to be better than anyone else you come across with positive self-talk and affirmations. You cannot have confidence in yourself like that without being truly happy with and confident in yourself! The following steps include a few basic ones that should help you gain the drive to work harder to reach your personal and professional fitness goals and accomplish them! Combining your own inner energy source, can improve your overall stamina and endurance and ultimately, your general movement capability. Moving well is essential for not only moving well but also moving to attain your goals. This is all down to a strong foundation of self-awareness and having your body aligned correctly for optimal performance! My top tip for you all is to start by identifying your strengths and weaknesses. Identify your talents and areas where you need to work on your skills and improve your overall movement capabilities! Once that has been done, then, take the time to find ways to reduce this area, which will increase your movement capacity and strength for each skill! As long as your body has these abilities, you will always continue to progress. Your body needs to function properly in order to keep it functioning well. So now that you have identified your strengths and weaknesses, it means you need to focus on developing your movements. To move it further, you now need to find ways to utilize those strengths while moving it further. There are a lot of benefits to this type of movement - you can add more variety to your training; you can strengthen the core muscles as well as your back and shoulders. Plus, you can also learn your body's true movements. We will cover everything from jumping jacks to the quadriceps to the adductor muscles in our next class! Be on the lookout for this upcoming movement therapy series on YouTube and join me here on Vocal Media!

Here are my three favorite exercises right now!

1.) Jump Jacks

2.) Squats/Pistols

3.) Planks/Kneeling Pads

Squares and jumps are so much fun, I can guarantee you will soon hit a wall with a little bit of difficulty and frustration once you try to jump around at full speed. However, if you know how to bounce up and down a track and use a lightweight to lift it up, then you can do this trick of jumping off the ground, landing on a secure spot, and slowly lowering yourself onto a chair or step stool. Just sit there until your legs feel tired and you feel it and you are ready to jump again! Another great benefit that comes with jumping jacks is that you can go faster without worrying about making mistakes!

Squats give a different look and work, making sure you are using your core muscles to stabilize and help you move better. These are an effective way to help burn fat and build strength, which we will discuss below in another video! Planks are another exercise of choice to train the front of the body. They allow your arms to stay stable in your movements and have some extra mobility to help you perform the correct technique. You can also see your abs in a better light if you can do a solid plank in place then slowly lower yourself back into the starting position. For a great boost of power, try doing a split squat. Try getting comfortable with this form because it allows you to stand up straight and then lower your body back into your stance. Again, this also helps you to remain upright and not turn around as quickly as you would if you were to do a standard squat. Lastly, knees are extremely important for balance and stability. When you are standing, there is a small moment when you have both the left and right foot planted firmly, but then as you walk in a circle, your right foot gets stuck in something in your left hip! You have to make sure you don't forget to stand up straight and keep on your toes. Now try to think of your body as moving up like your feet are. It’s amazing what can happen when you let us control the motion without even realizing it! Think of someone putting their hands in their pockets for example. That person could easily run away and never feel the hands and feet still on the ground altogether. So the motion with knees is the feeling of holding the balance of your feet on the ground. Remember, your feet are the first point of contact after the knee strikes the ground. So think of all the things you do before that happens. Imagine your feet moving when you are sitting on the chair. Then imagine your feet being put down somewhere else. Keep moving forward like a normal walking motion. Think of the hand on your arm, holding it there! Do you feel the hands with your arms, your arms being raised up? Finally, remember to keep your shoulders up and your head up. Don't worry about your chest, back, head or shoulder! You just need to hold the back of your torso in place and keep trying to maintain the motion of your feet. Remember, your feet are the first points of contact in a successful motion. This is one of my favorites! And finally, remember, just do whatever works best for you! No matter how fast you jump, don’t worry about pushing yourself. Keep bouncing up and down, up and down, straight, and sideways. Keep going until your thighs are tight from having stretched them and then just relax and enjoy the process. Let go and allow flow!

What if your body was constantly telling you not to jump? Like maybe, if you tried to jump on a bed and it stopped, you'd stop too. Instead, jump over a pillow like your feet are doing. Or like a basketball dribble, you're just constantly thinking, “No, no, no. Not me. Nothing.” Instead, if you're really comfortable, let the ball fall to the floor. Or if you don't want to spend time and effort to avoid falling into it, take the chance to do it without falling down in the sand. It doesn't matter how fast you jump, or how far you move. You can't beat yourself when in this state. With proper movement, you can always return to your original stance. And the goal is to push yourself to even farther and even quicker with the push of a button or a movement!

One of the keys to success with a movement program is to get your body aligned correctly. Our bodies naturally need to be balanced out for longevity. The balance between your feet and your ankle isn't quite as stable as that of your body. Therefore, your ankles tend to pull down and it feels great when the feet are weak, having to support the ankles through your arms and push them back up. Likewise, your wrists, shoulders, upper back, and neck keep supporting each other from the upper body, making each side of the body have tension there. Each side can be worked on in order to loosen it in order to prevent them from pulling too much. Now, if the right side pulls more than the left side, it feels good because we're working on each side of the body. We've already talked about a big difference in movement patterns when we have a strong enough base. Your brain tells your body to do certain motions to help keep your body aligned. When you have enough tension in your body to push upward, you will do what it does! Whether you're hitting a wall and your feet are still stuck in the ground, in the air, or running around the room, you'll land and start moving until you land. This will vary depending on the movement. For instance, if a basketball player gets stuck on the court he might be given a moment to take off his shoes, grab some balls and hop around. Meanwhile, a runner getting stuck in snow would be given a minute to take off the heavy jackets and a ball. Either way, a person might be a bit slower than a ball player or a runner. Therefore, having that moment of space can really change directions when you get into it. And, ultimately, it's all about making it work! Make motion! Get moving! It takes practice, repetition, and practice! So keep moving! Move with all of those muscles, your mind, and your heart. Put the same effort into exercising, and you'll begin to notice a real difference. Especially if you move regularly every day! You will be amazed at how much better you actually feel inside after a week of consistent action!

With just three fundamental movements, the majority of everyone knows how to maintain health and fitness for a lifetime. thanks