COACH CYNDEE

My Most Recent Race - I forgot several things! For a lot of people it’s been a while since you’ve raced.   During COVID in person races were cancelled so if you’re like me it’s been a few years since I’ve done a race.   As you prepare for your first in person race here are some things to keep in mind.   Nutrition: Make sure you practice with everything you plan on consuming during your race.   I would’t try anything new race day!   I know of someone who forgot the particular salt tablets he used during training.   He borrowed some from a friend and he had a horrible event with a lot of stomach issues which he thought was from the different salt tablets.   Something that simple can mess you up for your race.   Dial in your calorie consumption, water consumption, and make a checklist for your event so you don’t forget anything.   Also make sure weeks ahead of time you have enough product to get you through your event.   I’ve personally got...

Clients always ask me how often they should come for a massage.  I wish the answer was easy and I could give one answer to everyone but it really depends on the individual.    Here are some questions to ask yourself: How much can I afford financially and how much time can I afford?   Why do I get massages? Is it for relaxation and stress? Is it to reduce pain or improve performance?  How do you feel when you get a massage, after your massage or when you don't get one regularly? I have clients that get massages weekly, biweekly, and monthly.  I also have clients that come in only when they are in pain.  If you schedule sessions regularly you are less likely to have major problems.  It is much more difficult to work on someone who only gets massaged when they have a problem.  A lot of times if you have something that is causing a problem it might not be good to get a massage anyway.  If someone is in a lot of pain and wants a massage ...

I’ve been doing most of my running for the past 15 years with dogs.   I love running with dogs and most of them love running with me.   I’ve learned a lot over the years about the right things to do and wrong things to do when running with your pup.   I am not a vet, so this is just a runner giving some suggestions to make things go smoother when you want to start running with your dog.   It’s always good to talk to your vet before you begin a running program with your dog.   My all time best running buddy Daisy!  People often ask what is the best   breed to run with.   There are certainly some breeds that are better suited for running that others.   I’ve run with my dogs and 100’s of shelter dogs over the years.   I’ve found the best dogs for long distance running are medium sized, leaner with long legs.   Thats not to say some bulky pitbull type would never make a good distance runner because each dog is so different.   Good ...

For a very long time I was having pain in my heal after running and particularly I would have pain the day after running in the morning when I’d get up.   Sound familiar?  It was similar to plantar fasciitis but only painful in the heal mostly the outside of the heal.   I was also having tightness in my calf and being a massage therapist when I worked it I felt swelling in the posterior tibialis    and retinaculum tendon across the top of the ankle.   I had a lot if issues going on!  I would do a lot of things that would provide temporary relief but it always came back. It would get better if I stopped running but once I started running again I would have the pain.   I decided to go see Dr. Nick at Canyon Lake Neck and Back again. His Graston and ART provided some relief in the past.   This time he told me about a new laser they had and suggested that I give it a try it.   I was open to just about anything because I wanted to run pain fr...

In my last blog post I talked about question I get on a regular basis regarding personal training and weight loss.  I am also a Licensed Massage Therapist and I get lots of questions regarding massage so here are a few common questions I get:  What can I do for my lower back pain?  This is common because a lot people have nagging lower back pain that doesn't really go away. Often times people move a certain way and tweak their back and cause sever pain.  Some times clients have had diagnostic tests to determine if there is any serious problems.  In the case of bulging disks or degeneration of the disk, I can't fix that but I can provide relief from tight muscles around the area.  I typically tell people with this problem to make sure everything else around the area is strong and flexible.  If you work on strengthening your body and keeping it flexible it's likely to help the problem and help you manage your pain.  So you can do the strengtheni...

I get random questions about fitness and massage all the time.  I could write a blog post about each topic but I've provided just a little information about each question I get asked.  Here is a few of the most common questions that I get asked all the time.   Fitness/Weight Loss Related Questions: How can I lose fat around my belly/arms or any specific area?   This is not a simple question to answer and when people ask it they are typically looking for me to respond with a super quick answer.  You can't target one area to reduce weight because when someone loses weight it just comes off however the body decides it wants to lose it.  The arms are tricky because women in general always ask how to get rid of the flabby skin on the tricep area.  Unfortunately you can't get rid of this either and especially if you're older and have already lost some weight it's just extra skin so without surgery to cut it off its not going anywhere.  Y...

 As a trainer people always tell me how they are eating and they don't know why they aren't losing weight.  Once I dig a little deeper by asking more questions they quickly realize when they are answering my questions what their problem might be.  Many people don't realize how much they are really eating.  Once you take the time to log your food in a calorie counting app for a few days you'll quickly realize you might be eating too much.  You probably didn't even realize those few chips you had the other day were 200 calories!  Or the few handfuls of almonds you had were 500 calories!  Not to say almonds aren't healthy but they are high in calories.  Things that could be sabotaging  your health and fitness goals are:  Eating portions that are too large. Eating processed foods instead of fresh foods. Not being prepared - grabbing things at last minute because you haven't gone to the store or meal prepped.  Not eating enough f...