National Nutrition Month: Take Time to Evaluate Your Diet

National Nutrition Month is a time to reflect on your personal food habits, think about ways to improve your diet, think about what you are doing well and how you could make some adjustments towards healthier choices. Although the field of nutrition is a constantly changing science, some principles for healthy eating have remained the same for years: balance, variety and portion control. While these three concepts may seem too simple to guide your food choices, think about what your diet would look like if you ate a wide variety of foods, didn’t overdo on any one food group or food item, added in activity daily so that your body is in energy balance (ie. Calories in= calories out), and chose portions that made your body feel energized, not sluggish after a meal. Sometimes the most simple concepts can offer a powerful combination when put into action.

In addition to the general guidelines of balance, variety and portion control, try incorporating these three ideas into your meal planning for 2010:

Grow: Include more foods that grow in the ground in your everyday diet. This means fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Go to the produce section first at the grocery store; plan salads, soups, and stir-fry’s on your menu; pack a piece of fruit in your briefcase or purse; go to a local farmer’s market or start your own garden at home with a few simple edible items.

Know: Educate yourself about what you are putting into your body. Look at the food labels of packaged foods. How many ingredients are on the label that you have never heard of, or can’t pronounce? Does the bag of potato chips say: potatoes, salt and oil? Or are there many more ingredients listed? The more often we choose whole, simple foods, the more we can maximize the nutrients we consume each day and minimize the “other stuff.”

Slow: In our fast paced lives of instant messaging and instant information, we get accustomed to moving 60 miles a minute and tend to carry that speed over to how we approach food: order quickly, ready-in-a-minute foods, eat in the car, grab and go snacks. People who take the time to sit down, chew, and take a few slow, calm breaths before eating, tend to eat less and enjoy the eating experience more. Our bodies take about 15-20 minutes to send a message from the stomach to the brain that we are full. If you have ever had that over-stuffed feeling after a meal, you likely didn’t allow enough time for this signal to travel to your brain before eating more. Try having a family meal at least a couple times a week. Involve your whole household in the process; your children will not only feel like they have contributed to the family but will feel more invested in the meal, and thus, may be more inclined to enjoy the food. Sitting down with family and friends for a meal not only helps improve your diet, but also offers the important bonus of connecting and conversing with those you close to you.

Now is the right time to put these ideas into action! Changing habits takes time so try making one change each month instead of expecting yourself to implement all of these ideas at once. One change a month translates into 12 healthier habits over the year.

Written by Karen D Woo, MS, RD
Nutritionist, Seattle Athletic Club Northgate

Learning to Love Lap Swimming

When I was a child I went out for swim team, after about four laps the coach stopped me. “I don’t think you are going to be able to do this,” He said. (No cushy sensitive coaching techniques back then.)

Looking back I can understand why the coach had concern—after those four laps I was completely winded. Most of the other kids around me were calmly swimming length after length, back and forth, over and over again like a giant multiple player pong game. No heavy panting, no choking on water. I was nearly hyperventilating.

It hit me hard what my coach had said. I was always a stubborn child and I had two weeks before the season started, to prove him wrong. I showed up everyday to practice and boy did I practice. I practiced slowing down, and learning how to breathe, I asked for advice from some of the older swimmers and even a lifeguard. I built up my ability slowly and conditioned myself through proper breathing.

The trick was to slow down and begin with one-lap victories. Even as a kid I knew I would not be the fastest or strongest swimmer right away. First I just wanted to be able to swim laps with the team. Swimming laps well isn’t about fast kicks and strong arms and getting to the side as fast as you can. Swimming laps well is first about coordinating your breathing. (Try with kickboard if you need to) While your face is in slowly breathe out all your air (bubbles). Then lift your head or turn to side, whichever you are comfortable with and take a breath in. Put your face back in the water, hold your breath for a second and then repeat. Do your best to not stand up or stop kicking until you reach the next wall. It helps to remember to stay calm. When a runner goes for a jog he/she does things to regulate breathing. As a swimmer, remember to do the same thing.

Once you can coordinate your breathing, you will be able to build distance stamina. Speed and ability comes later. Be sure to pace yourself because your goal is to get to the end of the lap and not be winded. Not being winded has everything to do with how you are breathing and blowing—do both calmly and you will get enough air. Then your next goal will be to do two laps and not be winded. And then three laps and not be winded. Getting good at swimming laps is a slow building process. Now I am a swim coach and I tell others what they need to do to be able to swim. You have to start somewhere.

Written by Shawndelle Jones
Swimming Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Northgate

Sports Conditioning to Gain a Competitive Edge

Today all elite athletes are well aware of the importance of cross training to boost performance in their particular sport. As we saw and heard during the 2010 Olympic Games, just practicing your sport isn’t enough anymore. Athletes need to build a strong fitness base in the gym.

Enter the world of general sports conditioning. Increasingly sports training programs are becoming more generalized rather than highly specific because of the similarities found in all sports. An intense fitness base can be built in the gym following the same sequence of working on stability and mobility first, then strength and power. I will talk about each element here and the importance of a functional movement screen as a measuring tool.

It is important to begin with a functional movement screen which will test mobility and stability and give an idea of how strong an individuals functional foundation is. Many people build fitness on a poor foundation, hindering performance and thus increasing the chance of injury. Stability is the ability of a joint to remain static against an external force while mobility is the ability for that joint to move through a range of motion. Both are very important for sports. Gray Cook, a physical therapist and trainer, has designed five exercises to test functional movement. He also recommends learning and performing the turkish get-up with a kettlebell to test functional movement and build greater mobility and stability.

Strength is the ability to move a weight through a particular range of motion. Speed is not important here but will be when we come to power. Mike Boyle, a top expert in the sports conditioning arena, highly recommends training on one leg for sports. The reason being is that athletes perform almost every movement in a split stance, or by pushing off from one leg in a parallel stance. Applying this principle, athletes can reap huge rewards by learning a perfect full range single leg squat with their own body weight or even adding extra weight to build strength.

Power is the element that will be most individualized based on the particular sport. However power is also the phase that most people jump ahead to without working on the previous three phases. Using the afore mentioned example as a reference, once you have mastered the single leg squat you will want to add a jump on the top of it to add the component of speed. This type of combination is great for a sprinter since they are jumping off of one leg during a sprint, but a skier may want to jump off of two legs since that is more specific to his or her sport. Pavel Tsatsouline, a world renowned kettlebell expert, has stressed the importance of creating power in the hinging movement which occurs at the hips. Especially the ability to extend the hips powerfully from a flexed position. This movement transfers directly to sports requiring running, jumping and throwing. Nothing trains this better than the kettlebell swing.

These are just some examples from the experts that athletes are using in their training sessions at the gym. Building a general fitness base in these categories is key, along with practicing the particular sport, for top performance. Many of the exercises mentioned above are highly advanced and difficult to perform without proper conditioning. Be sure to contact a fitness professional to learn the proper way to start conditioning for your sport and learn these exercises.

Written by Paul Nelson
Personal Fitness Trainer, Seattle Athletic Club Northgate

Becoming a Good Squash Player

To become a good squash player, having some speed, agility, and coordination is certainly a great place to start. After that, developing a simple repeatable swing that is powerful enough, consistent enough, and accurate enough to get the ball into the back corners from any of the other corners is the most important aspect of the game. Like tennis, length is the most important shot.

The second most important shot is volleying (hitting the ball before it bounces). The serve return often requires a volley, and it is invaluable in controlling the “T” and keeping the ball from dying in the back corners.

Other shots to learn are the drop (to attack the front corners), the lob (to get out of trouble and buy time to recover position), and the boast (hitting the side or back wall first). The boast is used both to attack the front corners and to retrieve a ball dying in the back corner.

Another big part of becoming a good squash player is learning the movement, footwork, and positioning. Getting to the ball quickly and efficiently, arriving in position to execute an effective shot, and recovering to the “T” before your opponent reaches the ball are critical factors in playing winning squash.

Lastly, use your head. It is not just important to hit a good shot, but to select the right shot.

Your local Squash Professional should be able to help you learn these skills and put you on the path to becoming a good (if not great) squash player.

Written by Bruce Vinsonhaler
Squash Pro, Seattle Athletic Club Northgate

Why Should a Person Assess and Reassess Their Fitness Level?

Many new and experienced members at a gym want to get active and fit; but most of them don’t know where to start. A simple answer is to examine where your current fitness level is, in order to define a starting point. The three parts of fitness are strength/resistance training, cardiovascular fitness and nutrition. So it would make sense to do some testing of your current fitness level in those areas, as well as attaining baseline measurements of your body composition.

When looking at your weight training fitness level there are a couple exercises that are used to assess your strength level. Most strength assessments test your larger muscle groups; such as bench press, leg press, shoulder press, and core strength. Even if you can’t bench a car, you should get your baseline strength measurement in your larger muscle groups so that you know where you started at.

Your cardiovascular fitness level represents how well you function doing aerobic exercises. This can be measured by doing a couple easy tests such as a VO2 sub maximal test, allowing you to see how well your body transports and uses the oxygen during exercise. There are numerous ways to test your V02 max; the most accurate is to participate in a treadmill V02 max test which digitally calculates your oxygen exchange rate as well as calories burned during exercise, although very beneficial, this test must be performed by a fitness professional and requires extra equipment. One test that is simple enough to perform on your own is the 12 min walk/run test. The 12 min walk/run test is a field test designed to measure the distance traveled over 12 minutes of running/walking. After the distance is recorded, you can use this number as a baseline to compare to, or further, you can estimate your V02 max by using a simple mathematical formula to determine where your cardiovascular fitness compares to collected normative data of those within your age and gender bracket.

Having strength and good cardio fitness is great, but if your diet does not compliment your exercise, you will find yourself spinning your wheels and going nowhere. Nutrition is a large part in becoming more fit and seeing the results of that. The easiest way to assess your diet is to see a nutritionist and fill out a food journal. This way your nutritionist can assess what you might need to modify in your daily diet. Another helpful tool is to figure out what your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) is. When you know what your RMR is, you will know how many calories YOUR body needs to function throughout the day. Some people’s RMR may be under the recommended 2000 kcal/day; meaning that if they eat the recommended 2000 kcal, they would be taking in extra calories, causing them to gain weight. On the other hand, if your RMR is over the recommended 2000 kcal, you might find yourself malnourished, making it hard to get a good workout in and stay healthy.

Finally, when looking to assess one’s baseline physical fitness and body, it is important to get complete body composition measurements. This is a quick and painless procedure that involves taking girth, body weight, and skin fold measurements to determine where your body fat percentage lies. Lastly to conclude your baseline measurements, it is wise to take a “before” picture. Taking these measurements usually scare people away because they don’t like see where they are, but that’s the reason they are starting a workout routine, they want to get better. There is no better way to help your self-confidence or hold you accountable than to physically and numerically see where you are, or where you came from.

Once you have found your starting point in all of the three areas of fitness assessed, along with your baseline body measurements (with a picture) written down, you can now start your workout regimen, whether that is through ActivTrax, with a personal fitness trainer, or workout buddy. You should attempt to re-measure every 3 months to see any progress you have made. These new measurements are important, not only to see the improvements your have made but so that you can keep changing your routines and diet as well. As you lose weight your calorie intake will change in addition to changes in your body measurements and strength. It is common for people to plateau in weight loss, which at many times can be discouraging, it is imperative to not obsess over this number. Many times people find that when reassessed, they may not see the number on the scale change but when measurements are taken they have lost body fat and inches all over their body.

Written by Jacob Galloway
Fitness Director, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

A Guide to Choosing Swimwear for Competitive and Fitness Swimmers

The world of swimwear fashion advice and swimwear tips has largely left serious swimmers to their own devices when choosing a swim suit. While the appearance of a swimsuit may not be as compelling an issue in competitive swimwear as it is in fashion swimwear, its fit and functionality are the most important.

Swimwear Shopping - What to Look For
Competitive swimsuits can run upwards of several hundred dollars, based upon the brand name and model of the swimwear. While this figure may be out of the price range of some swimmers, it is still important for every serious swimmer to purchase a quality piece of swimwear. Competitive swimwear is designed for different reasons and purposes than fashion swimwear, and these differences should be evident in the design and fabric of the swimsuit. Here are some general tips for selecting the best quality swimsuit product for your money.

1) Swimwear Brand Names
Swimwear brand names may be more important than you think. The fact that brands such as Speedo and Jantzen have stayed on the market for several decades testifies to the quality of the swimwear they produce. However, newer brands like Tyr Swimwear have made a serious entry into the market. Before purchasing a swimsuit, be sure to do a little research on the brand you are leaning toward. Read some information about the company and see what past customers have had to say about the swimwear. A little consumer research can go a long way toward ensuring a quality, long-lasting swimsuit.

2) Swimwear Function
Keep in mind the reason you are buying the swimsuit when browsing through stores. If you are selecting swimwear for casual lap swimming, speed facilitation may be less of a factor for you than swimsuit longevity. You may be able to cut some costs by looking at brand-name swimwear designed without the latest innovations. If speed facilitation is your major requirement, be sure to compare brands and research product claims before purchasing. The advertising claims of the swimwear manufacturer may be more fancy words and big names than actual swimwear innovations.

3) Swimwear Sources
Do not assume that you need to buy brand-name swimsuits from a high-end sports store or directly from the manufacturer. Many second-run fashion stores carry brand-name swimwear that did not sell initially due to unpopular cut or color. If swimwear functionality and longevity are more important to you than appearance, these stores may provide better, more cost-effective swimsuit options for you.

4) Swimwear Materials
Pay attention to swimwear fabric. Purchasing an expensive, brand-name swimsuit and quickly losing it to chlorine degradation and fraying would be very unfortunate! Well-made competitive swimwear should contain high quality materials and competitive workout swimwear should be treated for chlorine resistance. While no treatment can result in complete chlorine resistance, some sort of chlorine treatment can greatly lengthen the swimwear's life. If you are unsure of the chlorine resistance of a particular swimsuit, feel free to ask the salesperson or call the manufacturer regarding this important concern.

Written by Elsie Chan
Swim Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

Is Your Conditioning Program Helping or Hurting Your Squash Game?

I have been in the fitness industry for over 14 years and witnessed people fall in love with squash everyday. Some people play squash strictly for the great workout while others to compete. No matter what your reasons are for playing, when beginning a conditioning program it is important to fully understand the demands. Squash requires the aerobic capacity to run and swing a racquet for 20-60 minutes, the flexibility to reach for deep rails and tight drop shots, and enough strength to forcefully start and stop while controlling a racquet. A good squash conditioning program should help strengthen your aerobic fitness, flexibility, strength, and mental focus.

One of the major misconceptions about improving your squash performance is that simply playing the game will get you in better shape. This thought will only keep you at a stationary level of ability and performance. To get better at an activity, your conditioning should closely resemble the movement patterns, ranges of motion, speed of movement, as well as the coordination in which you perform in the actual activity. When planning a conditioning program for beginners as well as professionals I have three major rules:

1. Stay off selectorized (sit-down) machines
2. Use integrated movements
3. Move in multiple planes

Stay off the sit down machines! In squash, you are moving in multiple planes of motion which requires balance, coordination, and activation of your core muscles. Using selectorized machines will prevent the activation of your core muscles and remove any balance or coordination. If your conditioning program consists of bouncing back-and-forth between seated machines you are training your body one way and asking it to perform in another (on the squash court).

Use integrated movements that get muscles to work together rather than isolated movements that focus on one muscle working independently. In squash, you are lunging in multiple directions while swinging a racquet. This is an integrated movement of your lower and upper body. Your conditioning program should be as similar to the demands of squash as they can be. Doing lunges with rotation using medicine balls or cables is an easy way to integrate the muscles in your upper and lower body.

Move in multiple planes such as forward and backward, side-to-side, and rotation. If your conditioning program consists of sitting on a stationary bike and seated machines pushing and pulling in one plane of motion then it is time to try something new. You do not need to get rid of all of your favorite exercises but try to add in some squash-specific movement patterns. Try lunges in multiple angles, cable chops from multiple angles, push-ups with one hand on a medicine ball. Get off the sit down bike and get up and try running some stairs or skip rope to increase your aerobic conditioning. Moving in these multi-planes will keep your stabilizer muscles running well and prevent pattern overuse all while making your conditioning program more “squash specific”.

Try to add a few of these exercises to your routine:



Stair Running


Starting Position: Start at the bottom of a set of stairs with multiple flights.

Action: Run up stairs touching every stair. Walk back down the stairs. Maintain proper form by leaning slightly forward and striking each stair with the balls of your feet.

Special Instructions: Progress to running every other stair.

Muscles Worked: Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves


Jump Rope


Starting Position: Begin with jump rope relaxed behind your legs touching the floor. Keep core tight and posture up straight.

Action:
Begin by rotating the jump rope up and around your body while timing your jump with both feet at the same time. Try to stay on the balls of your feet.

Special Instructions: Progress by changing your jumping action. Try alternating feet while you jump or even adding in two rope rotations per jump.

Muscles Worked: Shoulders, Arms, Legs


Step Ups



Starting Position: Begin by standing in front of the step or riser (8-12 inches tall) facing forward.

Action:
Place right foot in the middle of step and step up as you balance your body for 1-2 seconds on the right leg. Your left leg should be behind your body to help stabilize your weight as it is shifting. Step down with your left leg first and continue on down with your right. Try for 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions for each leg.

Special Instructions: If you don’t feel comfortable with a riser or step height between 8-12 inches, start out at a lower height.

Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes, Calves


Lunge with Medicine Ball Twist



Starting Position: Begin this exercise by standing upright while holding the medicine ball out in front of you just below chest level. Your elbows should not be locked.

Action:
Step forward with one leg and lower your body to 90 degrees at both knees. Don’t let your knees go past the plane of your toes. Your thigh should be parallel to the floor at this point in the exercise. As you step forward, rotate your torso to the same side you step to (right leg forward then twist to the right) with the ball, keeping arms straight out in front of you. Push back to an upright position with your forward leg and bring arms back to the center of your body. Try doing 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions for each leg.

Special Instructions: Progress with a heavier medicine ball.

Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes, Shoulders, Obliques


Push-up on Medicine Ball



Starting Position: Begin by kneeling on a mat (not pictured) with your legs together, hands about shoulder-width apart and directly beneath your shoulders, and one hand on top of a medicine ball. Extend one leg at a time until you are balanced on the balls of the feet in the start ("up") position of a pushup. Make sure your abs are engaged and your body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the hip, knee and ankles.

Action
INHALE: Bend the elbows as you slowly lower your entire body--not just the chest--toward the ground. EXHALE: Straighten the arms and push back up to the starting position to complete one rep. After one set, switch the medicine ball placement to the other side to perform another set.

Special Instructions: Keep your abs engaged and your spine neutral. Look at the floor about a foot in front of you to help maintain a neutral head and neck position. Make sure you are able to maintain a straight line with the body while lowering toward the floor. Don't lock out the elbows completely at the top. Only lower as far as you can in good form.

Muscles Worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps, abs


Wood Chop with Medicine Ball



Starting Position: Hold a medicine ball and stand tall with your legs straight, feet hip-width apart, hips centered and abs engaged. Keeping your lower body planted, twist from the waist toward the left and extend your arms overhead and toward the left side of your head (pictured).

Action:
EXHALE: Keep your arms straight and your Feet planted as you twist your torso toward the right and lower your straight arms on a diagonal across the body and down toward your right foot, slightly bending both knees and pivoting on your left foot. INHALE: Reverse the movement, twisting your torso toward the left, straightening your legs and lifting your arms back up toward the left side of your head to complete one rep. Perform all reps on this side and then switch sides to complete on set.

Special Instructions: Keep your arms as straight as possible at all times and relax your shoulders away from your ears. Pull your abs in tight to protect your back while you twist side to side.

Muscles Worked: Abs, Obliques, Shoulders


Hamstring Curls with Gymball



Starting Position: Lie on the mat, with your arms at your sides. Place your heels on the Stability Ball with your toes pointing upward. Raise your hips from the floor.

Action:
Bend your knees and pull the ball toward you. Keep your arms on your sides and your hips off the mat while flexing your knees. Roll the ball out to starting position then repeat 10 times.

Special Instructions: Tighten your glutes and core so you can keep your hips off the mat while doing this exercise. To make it more challenging, do this one leg at a time.


Abdominal Crunch on Stability Ball



Starting Position: Begin by sitting on top of the Swiss ball. Roll in the direction your head is pointed until your lower back is supported by the curve of the ball. You can either cross your arms over your chest or place your hands behind your ears. Do not put them behind the head or clasp them together behind your head.

Action:
EXHALE: Crunch forward, using your abdominals, until you are at approximately a 45 degree angle to the ball. Keep you neck in a neutral position.

INHALE: Lower yourself back to the starting position, where your head wraps back around the ball. Try doing 2 sets of 15 crunches.

Special Instructions: Keep space in-between your chin and chest, so your spine stays in a neutral position. Balance yourself on the ball with as much upper body weight off the ball as possible without falling over backwards.

Muscles Worked: Abs


Balance on ½ Foam Roll



Starting Position: Begin by standing on ½ foam roll with one foot in front of the other about 10-12 inches apart. Keep chest up and core tight to maintain upright posture.

Action:
Lower your body by bending both knees. Only go down as far as you have good control of your balance and posture.

Special Instructions: Keep your core tight and posture up straight.

Muscles Worked: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads, Calves



Written by Jason Anderson
Personal Fitness Trainer, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

Swimming is Fun for ALL Ages

Head down, back and forth, back and forth. Only the sound of your heart beating, only the black line to look at…swimming can be a lonely and grueling sport. Swimmers of all ages need to remember: FUN IS REQUIRED!

Whether you are a recreational lap swimmer, an adult training for a triathlon or a kid trying to improve your stokes for summer league make sure you incorporate some laughs and play time. Try these 5 tips to liven up a hard workout or bring back the inspiration in a worn out swimmer:

1) Swim with friends: The Seattle Athletic Club has some great programs to get you in the pool and keep you motivated with swimmers of all ages and abilities. For kids, try our Sunday pre-competition class or a set of swim lessons. For adults, we have many swim conditioning opportunities and triathlon training classes as well!
2) Change the scene: Seattle is a great place to swim outdoors in the summer. There are a few outdoor pools across the Puget Sound and of course there is always the lake! Don’t forget your wetsuit though!
3) Learn something new: Want to get a better workout but don’t know all 4 strokes? Struggle keeping up in swim classes because your flip-turns need work? Take a swim lesson. Lessons are available for adults, children and toddlers.
4) Play a game: If you are swimming with a friend and you want to get through a set of 15x100, play a game when you are on the wall resting. Name a professional baseball player who’s names start with A and go all the way to Z. Can you finish the game before all 15?
5) Take a break: Swimming should not be a chore. If you find yourself dreading coming to the pool to do your swim lesson or your workout and you’ve tried the other 4 suggestions you may want to take a break. Come back to it next week and try again!

Kudos to you for taking on swimming! Training in the pool is a great way to stay in shape and getting lessons for your kids is a great way to teach safety in a city on the water but make sure to HAVE FUN!

Written by Kim Harada
Swimming Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

Pilates “Power-Up” for Your Golf Game

Have you experienced the elusive “perfect shot” moment? Your intention is clear, your swing is fluid, and your body and mind are synchronized. Your swing tempo, your movements, and firing of the muscles are working together. As a golfer, I love it when everything comes together. Would you like to have those moments consistently?

Both Golf and Pilates are mind-body activities and share some of the same basic principles. Golf and Pilates principles include precision, centering, power, control, and concentration.

Pilates is a great tool for conditioning both sides of your body and preventing injuries that plague golfers. Golfers are repeatedly bending over the ball, twisting their body in one direction and exerting the same muscles over and over. Pilates restores balance and realigns the body to bring back the natural, normal movement pattern.

Specific Pilates exercises build balance, strength and flexibility, while teaching the body to move in an efficient way. These exercises shown below are designed to help golfers’ finesse their game, improve their swing and drive the ball further.

Written by Jocelyn Paoli
Pilates Instructor, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown

Plantar Fasciitis

Here are some easy tips to keep your plantar fasciitis under control.

STRETCH!
Not just your calves get your hamstrings involved into the lengthening as well! If the fascia of the hamstrings is tight or bound it can pull the fascia of the entire calf up, creating stress for the foot and further stressing the plantar area. Make sure to get your feet and toes as well. It is extra helpful to warm up the foot/toes first thing in the morning before you place weight on your feet.

FOAM ROLL!
It is your friend after all! Stand on it, roll on it, play with it, and just use it!! You can also implore the use of a tennis or squash ball to get into some specific sites. It’s a great thing to get into the habit of doing while watching a movie or hanging out on the couch. Self-massage is a wonderful tool.

ICE!
A bag of frozen peas or corn works great. One of my new favorite methods is tossing a plastic bottle of water into the freezer and then rolling it under the arch of the foot. Don’t be afraid to really put some weight into it, you will get good relief.

If your plantar fasciitis is not responding be sure to see your doctor. In some cases the use of orthotics can be a good aid or even a boot to sleep in.

Written by Jessie Jo Egersett
Massage Director, Seattle Athletic Club Downtown