CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Discover Your Fountain of Youth

Getting older sucks!  With each year, you notice more aches, have less energy and feel weaker. Will you concede to old age or will you do something about it?

Recent studies have shown that loss of muscle may be the one of the most significant contributors to your decrease in quality of living and life expectancy. By incorporating strength training into your fitness routine, you can maintain or even increase muscle mass as you age and combat Father Time.

Here are 3 reasons why strength training will help you feel younger and prolong the effects of old age.

Live Longer

Sarcopenia, the aging related decline of muscle mass, does not only greatly reduce performance in daily living activities but is also linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study from the University of Sydney suggests that strength exercises are just as important as aerobics and may reduce your risk of all-cause and cancer-related death.

This study found that individuals who engaged in strength exercises had a 23 percent lower risk of death by all causes, and a 31 percent lower risk of cancer-related death.

Live Better

Not all strength training is created equal.  Functional strength training emphasizes exercises that will improve your overall quality of living and performance (rather than pure aesthetics).  Not only will these exercises help you to move like you are younger, but they will also reduce your risk of injury.

To maximize results, most of your strength training should consist of the following movements:

  1. Hip Hinge (Deadlifts, Sumo Deadlifts, KB Swings.)
  2. Squat (Back squat, goblet squats, Front Squats)
  3. Push (Bench press and variations)
  4. Pull (Pull Ups, row variations)
  5. Single Leg (Split squats, reverse lunges.)
  6. Carries (Farmer’s walks, suitcase carries)

Live Happier

Strength training elevates your level of endorphins (natural opiates produced by the brain), which increases energy levels and improves your mood.  While it is true that all exercise boosts mood because it increases endorphins, there is additional research that’s looked at neurochemical and neuromuscular responses and suggests strength training has a positive effect on the brain that not all exercise has.

As if that isn’t enough to convince you, there’s evidence that strength training may help you sleep better, too.

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

How to Create Lifelong Fitness Goals

by Mackennon Klink, CSCS, PN1

It’s one thing to know what to eat, which exercises to do, and how to do the exercises, it’s a completely another thing to actually do all that – consistency.  If you have tried and failed to establish a long term, healthful habits, then you know all too well what I’m talking about.  Changes, whether they come in the form of a job, responsibilities, new home, or healthful habits can feel stressful.   

Without question, your habits are more powerful than desire or motivation.  Motivation is an excellent tool to kick your butt into gear and get started, however it will be your habits that will power you throughout to the end.  You see, in order to successful change, you must prepare for that change and understand that it isn’t a linear path. 

1. Set goals – TODAY 

You know you need to make improvements, so it’s time to create some goals. . Goal setting is both a science and an artform.  The majority of individuals think goal setting is simply choosing something they don’t have (i.e. lose 20 pounds) there’s more to it than that.  Saying you want to lose 20 pounds isn’t a goal, rather it’s a statement.  In order to set your goal, you’ll need make it specific, realistic, with short and long term components, and focus on our behaviors rather than outcomes. 

 2.  Set goals that are specific and measurable: 

“I want to lose 20 pounds” isn’t much of a goal because it doesn’t really give you anything measurable or specific to work on.  Simply depending on a scale number isn’t too reliable for our daily weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds throughout the day depending on what we are eating.  However, changing your goal to  “I want to lose 20 pounds of body fat” is specific since it is refers to losing one thing – body fat – and it’s measurable, since it specifies a number – 20 pounds.  

 3. Set goals that are challenging, yet realistic: 

 Goals must be big enough to inspire you into action, yet not so big that you get frustrated with the impossibility of accomplishing them.  A goal like “I will lose 80 pounds and be on the cover of GQ magazine” is a bit too lofty for most people (#sorrynotsorry).  Instead, a better goal for someone who weighs 160 pounds and has 25 percent body fat, challenging, yet realistic goal is something like “I will be 130 pounds and 12 percent body fat after a full year of training.”   

 4. Frame your goals around behavior, rather than outcomes: 

 To be clear, a behavioral goal is based on something you can directly control and do yourself whereas an outcome goal is based on the end product of a series of behaviors.  The sad truth is too many individuals only set outcome based goals such as: 

  • I want to lose 20 pounds 
  • I want to make $100,000/year 
  • I want to squat 315 pounds 

While these goals are specific, measurable as well as challenging and realistic, they are focused only on the outcome.  Outcomes are beyond your control.  You cannot control your rate of fat metabolism, or force your boss to pay you 100K.  You can, however, focus on your behaviors. So, how do you pick behavior based goals?  Try these: 

  • I will exercise 5 times a week 
  • I will eat protein with every meal 
  • I will have either fruit or veggies with each meal 
  • I will drink 150oz of water daily 

In the end, if you make goals out of your behavior and things you can control, your outcome goals (i.e. lose 20 pounds) will fall right in line – without you having to worry about them (Sorry, but I cannot help you with getting 100K job; still working on that one myself) 

5. Set goals with short term and long term components: 

In order to achieve your challenging, yet realistic goals, you must break them down into smaller behavioral-based goals.  Make the behavioral-based goals applicable for today, the bigger goals applicable for next week and so on.  Save the biggest goals of all for later.  In this way, you’ll create mile markers on your road to metabolism-boosting success.   

 6. Tell someone your goals: 

 Once you set your specific goals that you are committed to achieving,  tell someone your goals right away.  If you keep your goals a secret, it’s easier to blow them off to either ignore or completely forget them.  By telling someone your goals, they will help keep you more accountable.  If you have someone holding you accountable to a higher standard, you’ll be more likely to get it done. 

7. Actively Pursue your Goals 

It’s one thing to know what to eat, and how to exercise, it’s a completely different thing to actively pursue your goals by actually doing the things you said you are going to do.  If you have tried to establish a long term, healthful habit many times overs, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  Change can feel stressful, however, focus on the thing you can control – your actions, mindset, and behavior.   Remember, what gets managed, gets measured.  Focus on creating small behavioral changes, and you’ll be in a prime position to succeed.   

CategoriesBlog Move.

Harnessing the Power of Frequency

“A small daily task, if it be repeated daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.”   – Anthony Trollope 

Do you find fitness goals daunting?  More often than not, we set goals based on the desired end result such as losing 30 pounds or being able to bench press 225 pounds.  When we focus on such an ambitious goal, most lose motivation quickly as those goals start to seem unattainable and we eventually give up.

To succeed over the long run, harvest the power of frequency and you’ll see the productivity and efficiency needed to crush your goals.  Here’s why:

  1. Frequency Makes Starting Easier

Getting started always seems like an overwhelming task.  “What do I do?” and “How do I even do it?” are the questions we consistently ask ourselves.  While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is simply start on one or two things that you can easily accomplish and consistently repeat.  These goals can be as easy as making it to the gym once a week, walking 30 minutes every day or skipping desserts.  It doesn’t matter how small it seems, by simply starting to work towards your goals, you remove that mental boulder and start to gain momentum.  Once you establish your confidence and gain momentum, you will be ready to take on more ambitious goals.

  1. Frequency Relieves Pressure

Anytime we begin a new endeavor, we feel the pressure to succeed and fear failure.  Relieve your pressure to succeed by focusing on the process, not the results.  By creating and focusing on daily goals that you can accomplish, you will experience success more frequently and will find achieving success to be easier each day.  With a mountain of success, you’ll no longer feel the pressure to succeed and be well on your way towards reaching your goals.

  1. Frequency Nurtures Frequency

Once you have learned how to develop a habit, building more habits becomes easier to do. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you might start with avoiding certain foods like french fries, deserts, etc.  Once you have mastered that, you may move to making your own lunches every day.    Once you have mastered that, you can then move to doing meal prep for the entire week.  Pretty soon you’ll notice the fat to start to melt as you’re eating healthy the majority of your meals.

To key to achieving your goals lies in creating repeatable success.  Focus on succeeding in the daily tasks you set, rather than your long-term goals, and you’ll gain the confidence and discipline you need to reach your goals.

CategoriesEvent

Cycle Instructor Auditions

Interested in teaching Cycle?

Flow Fitness is hosting open auditions for anyone interested in joining our team!

We are hiring for Cycle instructors and Cycle + Strength instructors. 

Date: Sunday, September 8th

Time: 11:20 AM – 3:00 PM (if needed we will open more time-slots in the afternoon)

Location: Flow Fitness Fremont – 710 N 34th Street, Seattle, WA 98103

Registration:

To register follow the link below to sign-up for a 20-30 minute time slot. 

CYCLE ONLY: 20 minute timeslot

CYCLE + STRENGTH: 30 minute timeslot

Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508044DABAA2FABFF2-flow

What We’re Looking For:

Individuals who are passionate about cycling, love music, have a great ear for the beat of the music, are energized and motivating, and willing to get sweaty on the bike!

Haven’t taught cycle before? That’s okay! 

We train all of our instructors in our beat-based style of cycling!

Upon acceptance into training, you will be required to attend multiple ~ 2 hour trainings, teach partial classes with another instructor, and teach full practice classes. Training is unpaid and does not guarantee a permanent class on our schedule. We are hiring for both sub instructors and permanent instructors; all positions are part-time.

We do require that upon hire you become CPR certified if you aren’t already.

What to Bring for CYCLE ONLY Audition:

  • 2-3 Cycle Songs with prepared drills
  • Device for playing music (we have an audio jack cable and bluetooth)
  • Fitness Resume (if you don’t have a fitness background, bring a regular resume)
  • Availability for teaching schedule – include preferences for certain days/times
  • A positive attitude and open heart!

*All Cycle only classes are taught at our Fremont location*

What to Bring for CYCLE + STRENGTH Audition:

All of the above PLUS…

  • 2 Strength songs with prepared exercises
  • A full class plan to discuss after demo of strength exercises

Note:
– Strength exercises can be structured by timed intervals (bring a timer), beat-based, reps/sets, etc. 

– The formats we have are 50 mins Cycle + Strength or 50 mins Cycle + Core – choose which suits you best for your exercises in the audition.

– *All Cycle + Strength classes are taught at our South Lake Union location*

Can’t make the audition? Questions?      Email jessie@flowfitnessseattle.com

We can’t wait to see you there!

CategoriesBlog Move.

Jumpstart Your Training with Medball Exercises

Christian Garcia, CSCS

Flow Fitness Seattle

Do you find yourself doing/using the same old workouts, exercises, machine, and or equipment? Have you considered implementing more power and force into your workouts? Do you want to improve your overall everyday motor skills?

Mass x Acceleration=Force. Over the years, the primary focus to gain strength has been to lift more weight (mass) in order to get stronger (force), however acceleration is too often overlooked. We can increase force production by increasing their speed at which we move an object. Cue the Medicine Ball.

Many dynamic medicine ball exercises that replicate sport movements are not necessarily found in other strength training movements. You can project power through a ball in the Frontal Plane (side to side), Sagittal Plane (up and down), and transverse plane (rotation). Foundational movements like the squat, deadlift, and benchpress are great for building strength but are limited by their single plane movement and ability to transfer power throughout the entire body.

Medicine ball training is very versatile and can be trained for pure power by using an appropriate weight for a particular amount of sets and reps or used for longer durations for conditioning.

Medicine ball exercises that we use at Flow Fitness:

1) Medball Slams

2) Wall Balls

3) Rotational Throws

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Three Super Top Secret Reasons Why You Need to Add Yoga to Your Fitness Regime

You’ve likely heard of the health benefits of yoga: reduces stress, improves posture, increases flexibility, and much, much more. You may have even heard some things that may be questionable…however, regardless of your age or fitness level , or what you may or may not be training for, yoga is one of the best things you can do for your body.

Here are three stellar reasons to add some yoga to your fitness routine:

1.) Balance. Take a moment and stand on one leg. Then shift, and stand on the other. If you can, kick your free leg out in front of you and then behind you, very, very slowly. How hard does your standing foot/ankle work to keep you stable and steady? This is a good indicator of your ability to balance. In every day life, walking or running requires balancing on one leg. As we age, this balance becomes more and more critical. Yoga gives you the opportunity to practice balance. You may suck – and some days are better than others, but yoga provides a practice to strengthen your balance and the muscles in your feet (your future self will thank you later!).

2.) Identifies tightness/weakness. In practicing yoga you will inevitably discover (if you didn’t know already) where you are tight, and/or weak. Your balance on one side might be off – that ankle might be weaker. Your left hip might be tighter than your right. In practicing (which requires you to go to more than just one class) you begin to notice your body’s imbalances, how you compensate, and how you might favor one side vs. the other. Through this awareness, you can begin to make changes and strengthen those areas that may be weak.

3.) Practice with discomfort. Yoga gives you the opportunity to practice holding discomfort. In exercise (and in life), your mind will stop you waaaaaay before your body is ready to give in. The practice of Yoga gives you the opportunity to hold discomfort and breathe through it. This is immensely helpful in that third set of deadlifts, at mile 23…or while staring down your three year old in a battle of wills.

In the end, yoga has many, many benefits and applications to most any athletic discipline. This practice can only make you better, in more ways than one. Give yoga a try today – and know that it may take more than one class to decide if it’s for you. Find a teacher you resonate with, and a class in which you feel comfortable – again, your future self will thank you later!

CategoriesUncategorized

Three Super Top Secret Reasons Why You Need to Add Yoga to Your Fitness Regime

You’ve likely heard of the health benefits of yoga: reduces stress, improves posture, increases flexibility, and much, much more. You may have even heard some things that may be questionable…however, regardless of your age or fitness level , or what you may or may not be training for, yoga is one of the best things you can do for your body.

Here are three stellar reasons to add some yoga to your fitness routine:

1.) Balance. Take a moment and stand on one leg. Then shift, and stand on the other. If you can, kick your free leg out in front of you and then behind you, very, very slowly. How hard does your standing foot/ankle work to keep you stable and steady? This is a good indicator of your ability to balance. In every day life, walking or running requires balancing on one leg. As we age, this balance becomes more and more critical. Yoga gives you the opportunity to practice balance. You may suck – and some days are better than others, but yoga provides a practice to strengthen your balance and the muscles in your feet (your future self will thank you later!).

2.) Identifies tightness/weakness. In practicing yoga you will inevitably discover (if you didn’t know already) where you are tight, and/or weak. Your balance on one side might be off – that ankle might be weaker. Your left hip might be tighter than your right. In practicing (which requires you to go to more than just one class) you begin to notice your body’s imbalances, how you compensate, and how you might favor one side vs. the other. Through this awareness, you can begin to make changes and strengthen those areas that may be weak.

3.). Practice with discomfort. Yoga gives you the opportunity to practice holding discomfort. In exercise (and in life), your mind will stop you waaaaaay before your body is ready to give in. The practice of Yoga gives you the opportunity to hold discomfort and breathe through it. This is immensely helpful in that third set of deadlifts, at mile 23…or while staring down your three year old in a battle of wills.

In the end, yoga has many, many benefits and applications to most any athletic discipline. This practice can only make you better, in more ways than one. Give yoga a try today – and know that it may take more than one class to decide if it’s for you. Find a teacher you resonate with, and a class in which you feel comfortable – again, your future self will thank you later!

 

By Beth Cline

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Five Fitness Principles for Long Term Success

The health and fitness industry is full of myths and misconceptions. Everyday we are bombarded with ads, instagram videos, and articles claiming they have discovered the new diet or exercise.  There’s so much conflicting information on what we should and shouldn’t do. 

That is why I wrote this article.  I wanted to cut through the noise and simplify fitness for you.  When it comes to fitness,having a solid foundation of principles are essential to achieving your goals.  

Why does this matter? 

 Principles are your bullshit detector.  By adhering to principles, you’ll be able to sniff out all the crap information out there.  This will help you eliminate information overload, simplify your decision making, and guide you to achieving lifelong results you deserve. 

 1) Focus on the basics 

The principles for losing fat, building muscle, and having Energizer Bunny levels of energy have remained unchanged throughout the years.  

 In the gym, 80% of your exercises should be big, compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats, bench press, overhead press, and rows. You must also adhere to progressive overload, the oldest and most research strength principle.   

For nutrition, have protein with every meal, plenty of veggies, eat foods that once had a face or came directly from the earth instead laced with numerous chemicals or created in a lab.  

Drink plenty of water (half your bodyweight in ounces of water.) 

Manage stress levels and get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. 

If you are unsure what to do, follow the listed advice above and make sure you’re nailing these daily.  The majority of individuals don’t.  They waste their precious time searching for the “Holy Grail” of hacks.  This is a mistake and we’ll get you nowhere.  Focus on fundamentals first and foremost. 

 

2) The 6 Month Principle 

The honest truth is the majority of individuals already know what they need to do in order to see the necessary changes they desire.  Instead of being consistent with their approach, they are embarking upon the never-ending search of that perfect training plan, the next best thing, and that one “secret”. 

The “true secret” to losing fat, building muscle and looking your best isn’t one program, nutritional approach, or method.  It’s a plan based on the principles engulf in what you can consistently for months and years, not for weeks and 30 day challenges.  

 I call this the 6 Month Principle and it’s about creating what is sustainable for you.  In order to lose that weight once and for all, you need to focus on being consistent, patient, and staying the course.  Ask yourself this one question: “can I do this for 6 months?”  If not, it’s time to reassess. 

3) Focus on behavior, not the outcome 

Harsh truth coming in hot! 

The uncomfortable truth isn’t your training program nor your nutritional approach; it’s your inconsistent and lackluster commitment that is the problem.  If you want to make dramatic changes to your physique you need to modify your behavior. 

Without question, it’s a difficult process to alter our behaviors without seeing the immediate gratification of doing so.  Sometimes in life, it makes sense to suck it up and make that tough decision (i.e. getting out of a trouble relationship/friendship).  However, when it comes to training and nutrition, you need to delay immediate gratification in favor of greater rewards down the road. 

By focusing on your behaviors, you’ll be better to consistently adhere to your goals.  This is why you need to find a program that you can stick to when life is crazy, not one designed when the stars aline and everything is perfect. 

 

4) Do the things you enjoy 

If you are not having fun in the gym, then it’s going to be damn near impossible to stick with it.  Thankfully, there are many different ways to get into shape.   

Find what exercises you enjoy and challenge yourself with that exercise.  If it’s weightlifting, then aim to add five more pounds every week.  If it’s running, aim for a faster pace or do one more mile.  Whatever your preferred endeavor is, challenge yourself and work harder than you did last time.   

You’ll stay engaged.  You’ll stay committed.  You’ll stay consistently.  I promise you that.   At the end of the day, consistency is far and away the most crucial factor in achieving long term health and becoming a better version of yourself.   

 

5) Track, Assess, Adjust 

When you are tracking your spending, it becomes easier to budget your expenses, pay your bills, save for that summer vacation, or car you always wanted.  When you aren’t tracking?  You are walking in the dark without a light and have no idea what’s happening. 

This same principle applies to fitness.   

To lose fat, you must be in a caloric deficit. 

To gain muscle, you must be in a caloric surplus.   

To get stronger, you need to challenge yourself with the weights.   

You with me on that right? 

Good 🙂 

When it comes to tracking your metrics (bodyweight and macros), you need to adhere to your budget.  If you don’t track these metrics, you’re essentially trying to set a budget without knowing what your income, expenses, or where they’re going.  Except it’s your health, not your money. 

With nutrition, track your macros.  It may be tedious at first, but I promise you’ll gain the necessary knowledge to reclaim control over your health. 

In the gym, track your workouts.  Write down your entire workouts (exercises, sets, reps, and weights), and improve your weights.   

The first step in making better decisions and improving your overall well being is awareness. 

 

By Mackennon Klink, CSCS, PN1

CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move.

Create Success in Fitness

It’s one thing to know what to eat, which exercises to do and how to do them — but it’s another thing altogether to do all this consistently.  If you have tried and failed to establish long-term, healthful habits, then you know all too well what I’m talking about.

Any kind of change, even toward healthful habits, can feel stressful. Without question, your habits are more powerful than your desires or motivations; while motivation can kick-start you, it’s your habits that will power you through to the end.

The key to making successful changes is understanding that the path isn’t linear. Follow these steps to create healthy habits that will last your whole life.

1. Set some goals — TODAY!

The first step toward making improvements is to create some goals. Most people think goal-setting simply means choosing something to work for that they don’t have (e.g., losing 20 pounds) — but there’s more to it than that.

Saying you want to lose 20 pounds isn’t a goal; it’s a statement. Successful goal-setting is both a science and an art form. Your goal should be specific and realistic; involve both short- and long-term components; and focused on your behavior, rather than on the outcome.

2. Make them specific and measurable

Going back to our example, “losing 20 pounds” isn’t a solid goal because it doesn’t give you anything measurable or specific to work on. What’s more, scale numbers are unreliable, as your weight can fluctuate up to five pounds throughout the day based on what you’re eating.  However, simply changing your goal to “losing 20 pounds of body fat” is specific, since it refers to losing one thing — body fat — and it’s measurable, since it targets a number: 20 pounds.

3. Challenge yourself, but be realistic

A good goal is big enough to inspire you to action — but not so big that you can’t accomplish it, leaving you feeling frustrated. A goal such as, “I will work out 5 times a week” is a bit too lofty for someone who hasn’t been working out.  Instead, pick a goal such as “I will work out 3 times a week”. That’s challenging, yet realistic.

4. Frame your goals around behavior, not outcomes

Make sure to set behavioral goals — those based on things you can directly control — rather than outcome goals: the end product of a series of behaviors. The sad truth? Too many people only set outcome-based goals, such as:

  • I want to lose 20 pounds.
  • I want to make $100,000 a year.
  • I want to squat 315 pounds.

While these goals are specific and measurable as well as challenging and realistic, there’s one problem: They’re focused on the outcome, which is beyond your control. You can’t control your rate of fat metabolism, or force your boss to pay you more.  You can, however, focus on your behaviors.

Try these types of behavior-based goals:

  • I will exercise five times a week.
  • I will eat protein with every meal.
  • I will have either fruit or veggies with each meal.
  • I will drink 150 ounces of water daily.

In the end, if you set goals based on your behavior and things you can control, your outcome goals — such as losing that 20 pounds — will fall right in line,  without you having to worry about them. (Well, except for that $100,000 salary; I’m still working on that one, myself!)

4. Have both a short- and long-term vision

In order to achieve your challenging yet realistic goals, you must break them down into even smaller behavior-based goals. Set the smallest goals just for today, the bigger goals for next week and so on. Save your very biggest goals for later. In this way, you’ll create mile markers on the road to success.

5. Share your goals with someone else

Once you set specific goals that you’re committed to achieving, tell someone else your goals right away. If you keep your goals a secret, it’s easier to either ignore or completely forget them.  But sharing with another person helps keep you accountable; they can hold you to a higher standard, so you’re more likely to get things done.  If you’re up to the challenge, share them on social media and create your peronal online support group.

Remember, what gets measured gets managed. Set goals you can achieve, focus on small behavioral changes, share your plan with someone else — and you’ll be primed to succeed.

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Acupuncture and the Athlete

Enhance Your Workouts, Decrease Recovery Time and Stay Healthier, Longer.

You may have heard rumors or come across videos or photos online of elite athletes using
acupuncture (and cupping) to enhance their performance and speed up recovery. It is very
exciting that the effectiveness of acupuncture is starting to become more recognized in the
athletic community. Acupuncture fits in really well with newer models of sustainable health and
wellness because in the last decade, culturally, we have started to move away from the idea
that being healthy revolves around fixing things once injuries or ailments have already
occurred, and instead, approaching health from an overall sustainable and preventative
standpoint. We are embracing the idea that to be healthy requires a continuous commitment
and intention. Athletes tend to already have a dedication to being healthier so acupuncture is
an easy addition to that wellness model.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture works on the energetic level of the body (the Qi – pronounced “chi”), or energy
channels called meridians. There are many meridians in the body- such as the Liver or Lung
meridian and each one has a specific function and location. During a treatment an
acupuncturist looks for key signs and symptoms of any imbalances with how your energy is
moving through the body and then chooses key acupuncture points on different meridians to
fix the issue. The needles used are very thin and typically don’t cause any pain. Patients rest on
the table for about 15 minutes and most people feel incredibly relaxed afterwards. Additionally,
at my practice, I add cupping or fascial release massage before the needles are inserted to
amplify the effectiveness of the acupuncture treatment.

How does acupuncture enhance performance?

Acupuncture is very effective for a few key things:
1) reducing body pain and inflammation
2) increasing circulation, which speeds up healing
3) loosening muscles
4) feeling more grounded and balanced in the body
5) soothing the nervous system for things like stress, anxiety, or an overactive mind.

Athletes who use acupuncture in conjunction with workouts or sports report an overall feeling
of better physical balance since areas of pain and tension, which are usually held on only one
side of the body have been loosened up and resolved. They also notice more range of motion
due to looser muscles and a reduction of any inflammation that may have been present. Finally,
they tend to have a feeling of more groundedness and focus, enhancing their performance with
each work out.

How does acupuncture speed up recovery time?

Acupuncture is so effective when it comes to reducing pain and inflammation and enhancing
blood flow, and as a result the body heals and feels better faster. Many people come into my
practice before starting or after completing a half or full marathon, after intense workouts, or if
they feel restricted in movements or in pain. Across the board, patients report feeling less sore,
being in less pain, sleeping better, feeling less tight and overall feeling looser in their bodies.
Beyond this, patients who receive acupuncture tend to carry less stress due to their nervous
systems being turned down and therefore sleep much deeper which allows the body to truly
heal. Further, since Chinese medicine is a holistic form of medicine, we take into account the
entire person not just specific injuries, goals or restrictions. This leads to having bigger
conversations about lifestyle, emotional well-being, sustainable health and strategies to
consider in order to optimize the full person. This ultimately leads to better habits that allow
someone to heal quickly day to day with the added amplification of acupuncture treatments.

Did you know acupuncture is covered by insurance?

Many people don’t realize it but if you have good health insurance there is a high likelihood
that you have acupuncture benefits. What is nice about acupuncture versus physical therapy or
massage is that you don’t need a referral to be able to use your acupuncture benefits. You can
just book an appointment and as long as you have benefits, you can use them.

Acupuncture is a wonderful modality that not only enhances people’s workouts and fitness
goals but also their lives. Although the process of acupuncture may be intimidating at first,
since it’s a foreign type of body work and involves needles, patients are usually pleasantly
surprised by the ease of the acupuncture process. Beyond that, people tend to be very
impressed by the effectiveness and positive impact that acupuncture can have on your physical
and emotional body. If you are trying to optimize your health, don’t wait any longer, try
acupuncture today!

You can book a FREE 30-minute consultation to learn more about how acupuncture can benefit
you at www.seattleacupunctureandcoaching.com or you can find me on Instagram
@seattleacupunctureandcoaching

To your health,

Ben Dorfman, LAc, PCC

Owner/Practitioner of Seattle Acupuncture and Coaching