BY JAMIE DUVNJAK, CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH & NASM PERSONAL TRAINER

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, approximately 4.5 million patients come in with shoulder pain each year.  That’s just the number who actually seek medical attention.  I train many clients who complain about aches in that area, but have never gone in to see what’s actually going on.  I’ve spent time researching safe exercises they can practice with me which help to strengthen, stretch and tone the muscles.  

Here is a safe workout for you or anyone you may know who suffers from shoulder pain, impingement or injury: 
 
1) Warm up with 5-10 minutes of cardio to work up a little sweat.  

2) Throughout the workout, ALWAYS keep your stomach in tight, tuck your pelvis under, don’t lock your knees, keep a slight bend in your elbows and don’t shrug your shoulders.  They should be down and retracted.  Imagine them in your back pockets. 

3) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart 

4) Gently take one arm and make a wide circle- back for 10 and forward for 10.  Switch arms and repeat on that side.

5) Go online and do a video search for the following exercises to make sure you're doing them correctly!

6) Shoulder External Rotation using either cables, bands or free weights.  Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.  

7) Shoulder Scaption using free weights.  Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.  

8) Reverse Flyes on an incline bench using free weights.  When you raise your arms to shoulder level, hold them for a few seconds before going back to starting position.  Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.  
 
9) Cool down by rolling your shoulders up and back for 10.  Breathe in nice and deep.

10) Look up effective shoulder stretches on YouTube and you'll see some great ones.  Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds on each side.  

11) After the session, I tell my clients to ice the shoulder area for 20 minutes or so.  Foam rolling, chiropractic care and massage are other self-care tips I recommend.

I hope you found this workout helpful!  Let me know what you think!  

Happy Holidays,

Jamie  

By Jamie Duvnjak, NASM Certified Personal Trainer & Health Coach

Since 2011, I’ve helped clients transform their bodies.  They’ve managed to shed fat, firm up and get their diets in check.  The lifestyle I’ve seen to be most effective is a low-sugar one.  Once my clients reduce sugary foods and artificial sweeteners, the numbers on their scales drop.   

I have clients go without alcohol for 30 days.  After that period, they come back to me and it’s noticeable they’ve shed pounds.  Their pants feel looser and they have more energy.  Other clients refrain from diet soda and they look leaner within just a few days.  One lady on Weight Watchers was completely discouraged.  She said each week she’d weigh in and the number on the scale wouldn’t budge.  I asked her what she’d been eating throughout the day.  She said raisins, oatmeal, pineapple and watermelon. This was just for breakfast.  Sugar, sugar and more sugar!  I told her to stick to berries in the morning, consume more protein and healthy fats.  Three weeks later, I trained her.  She lost those last stubborn pounds and felt so much healthier by changing her diet.

If you eat a diet high in sugar and don’t burn it off right away, it’s going to get stored as fat.  In addition, too much sugar in the diet can lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and many other dis-eases.  Artificial sugar is no better.  It triggers the body to release insulin, because it senses it needs to break down sugar.  When there is no sugar to break down, it still has insulin circulating through the body.  Too much insulin can cause weight gain and fat storage if it’s not burned off with exercise.  Check out this article for more information:  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/261179.php

I’m not saying to eliminate all carbohydrates.  Just be sensible and eat everything in moderation.  Berries are your best choice when it comes to fruit.  They are light on the stomach and will give you the energy you need to get through a work out.  Complex carbohydrates in the form of sweet potatoes at lunchtime are a good choice.  For dinner, I recommend just protein, a variety of veggies and healthy fat such as avocado or extra virgin olive oil.  

What can you do to boost your metabolism, burn off excess sugars/carbohydrates and get lean?  Strength train!  During an initial consultation, clients come to me, grab their stomachs and ask what they can do to get a flat belly again.  I ask them what they eat and what they do in terms of exercise.  The pattern has been the same.  Lots of fruit, wine and walking.  A little bit of fruit and wine is healthy, but too much is not.  Walking is always beneficial, but it needs to be coupled with strength training at least 2-3 times a week.  This can be in the form of TRX suspension training, kettlebells, free weights, machines, your own body weight, stability balls and much more!  When clients work with me, we train each body part and it’s always filled with variety.  When they are consistently training, eating less sugar and more protein, their body fat drops and their muscle percentage goes up.  Just for proof, I track these numbers using my gym’s comprehensive InBody testing machine. 
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If you’re interested in looking and feeling your best, I’m offering one free consultation to new clients.  Let me know if you need training, nutrition advice and food planning.  Get in shape and STAY in shape all year around!

I look forward to connecting with you,

Jamie 

WRITTEN BY JAMIE DUVNJAK, NASM CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER & HEALTH COACH

Do you know what your Dosha type is?  If not, that's okay.  Prior to my health coaching schooling, back in 2011, I wasn't aware what mine was either.  In Ayurvedic medicine, each one of us can have either a dominant or unique mix of mind and body principles/doshas.  These doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) determine our specific physical and mental characteristics. 

If you’re interested in learning more, take this short quiz to determine what your dosha is: https://lifespa.com/ayurvedic-health-quizzes/body-type-quiz/

Once you figure it out, you can read which exercises and foods are beneficial for your body.  For example, I'm a Pitta type.  I have a medium frame, dislike extreme heat, do well with moderate forms of exercise and need to choose cooling foods over spicy and salty flavors. 
 
Here are exercise suggestions based on your results:

Vata:  Walking, strength training which focuses on balancing exercises
Pitta:  Swimming, skiing, yoga and pilates
Kapha: Jogging, aerobics, HIIT classes (high intensity interval training), Zumba and plyometrics

Nutrition suggestions to maintain balance in the body:

Vata:  Naturally sweet foods such as root vegetables, in-season fruits, organic eggs, ghee, olive oil, nuts, seeds and lean meats    
Pitta: Cooling foods such as salads, steamed vegetables, in-season fruits and coconut oil
Kapha: Lighter fruits such as apples and pears, beans, steamed vegetables and lots of nourishing spices that help with digestion/metabolism.  Think pungent, bitter and astringent foods.  Sweet, sour and salty should be reduced or avoided.  

If you’re a combination body type, you’re lucky!  You’ll have more variety of exercises and foods to enjoy.  Search online to gather a complete list of everything according to your type.  I’m interested to learn what you discovered.  

If you're in need of personal training/healthy coaching, feel free to contact me.  I'm happy to work with you in person, phone or Skype!

​Have a great week,

Jamie