This week, can you look around your house or your neighborhood for a sturdy door frame, monkey bars, or other objects you could hang from?
Set a timer on your phone and see how long you can hang.
(these photos were taken in Sellwood park)
Studies have shown grip strength to be an indicator for longevity. Meaning those who have strong hands tend to live longer, have stronger bones, have better nutrition, fewer falls and fractures, and fewer mental health issues.
One way to improve your grip strength is by hanging.
In these photos I’m demonstrating a “dead hang”, where all your weight is supported by your arms.
If this is too much for your shoulders, start by reaching up and stretching your shoulders and back. Keep your feet on the ground so your legs can help support you.
Slowly over time you can build the mobility and strength to hang, and eventually to pull yourself up.
If you’d like help working your way up to a hang, please reach out to me this week. I have a safe and effective program to improve your shoulder mobility, upper back, and grip strength and you’ll be hanging in no time!
Anne McCranie is a Vancouver, Washington based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers these exercises as a suggestion and encouragement to get moving. This is not a prescription, or specific medical advice. Please see your medical professional prior to starting a new exercise program.
This time of year, I love making soups, curries and stews. They’re versatile, easy to make and easy to freeze. Keep your eyes peeled here for more winter recipes coming soon…
This Chicken Curry recipe is in our regular rotation because it’s quick and easy and I can throw everything in the crock pot and a few hours later dinner is served!
If you choose to do a stovetop method instead of using a crock pot, follow the recipe and just simmer the curry in a pot for an hour or so on low.
You’ll need a large bowl, large pot, crock pot, and rice cooker or small pot with a tight-fitting lid.
1 small head of broccoli florets, chopped (about 1-2 cups)
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
1.5 cups water
Directions:
Place chicken in large bowl and rub with spices (salt through cayenne).
In large pot, heat oil over medium/ high heat.
Cook onion for about 5 minutes, stirring it often to keep from burning. Add ginger and garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the chicken and sear it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots, potatoes, bell pepper, coconut milk and curry sauce and bring to a simmer.
At this point I put my curry in a crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Please use caution when transferring hot liquids from one pot to another. Once the potatoes are almost cooked (meaning, when I press then with a fork, the outsides give, but the insides are still a little hard) then I add broccoli. Cook for another half hour or so. If you like your veggies really mushy cook longer.
If you’re not using a crock pot, just keep simmering the curry on the stove until all the veggies are cooked.
Cook rice (click here if you need help with that).
Serve curry over rice, with fresh cilantro on top.
Super quick n easy version:
Dump the first 15 ingredients (everything from the chicken through the curry sauce) into your crock pot. Turn it on low for 6 hours, high for 4 hours. Poke the potatoes and when they’re nearly cooked, add the broccoli and cook for 30 minutes more.
Cook a pot of rice.
Ladle the curry over the rice and top with cilantro.
*The sauce used in this recipe (in the photo above) is from Costco. I’ve tried this curry sauce from Trader Joe’s, as well as this one from Safeway and they are both delicious. These are not affiliate links, meaning I make no money off you going to these sites, just wanted you to see what I meant by “1 jar of curry sauce” in the above recipe.
I use full fat coconut milk because it tastes better and has less additives than the reduced fat versions.
I’m Anne McCranie, a Vancouver, Washington based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. I love sharing good food and healthy recipes with you. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.
Are you struggling to get moving? Do you feel sluggish and heavy? Do you know what you “should” be doing as far as diet and exercise, but you just can’t seem to do it?
Join our Six Weeks to Summer accountability and support group!
Who: You! And your Fluid Fit Club friends.
What: Six-week support and accountability group.
When: May 9th to June 20th.
Where: Online.
Why: Look and feel your best!
How: Join Fluid’s Fit Club.
What’s so great about Fit Club? Once you’re a member you get the convenience of working out at home with an experienced trainer and a bunch of fun, like-minded exercise allies. You also get access to all our additional programs and events, including this Six Weeks to Summer accountability group.
How do you join? Commit to taking at least one class (via Zoom) per week, or train one on one with Anne weekly in your home.
Summer is right around the corner. What do you want to accomplish this year? How do you want to feel? What small changes could you make over the next six weeks to set you going in the right direction?
You decide on your specific goal. Do you want to eat more veggies, go for a daily walk, spend more time with your family, spend less time on your phone…? We help you get there!
Your commitment:
Share your goal with the group.
Start with one small, easily achievable goal.
Celebrate your success with the group or ask for help.
What you get from Anne:
Weekly goal setting and check ins.
A free weekly 30-minute strength session where you work out alongside me.
Support and encouragement from a private Facebook group.
It takes about 6 weeks to form a new habit. My hope for you is that you start a new habit that you can sustain.
What am I committing to?
Join a weekly class (or sign up for personal training with me). Set your personal goals and share them with the group. Check in with the group to ask for support, celebrate your success, and offer encouragement.
Is this a diet?
Nope. Unless by ‘diet” you mean the food you put in your mouth. You decide what (if anything) you want to change about your diet. Meal planning, add a serving of veggies, protein for breakfast. We help keep you accountable.
Why join a group?
You’re much more likely to stick to your plan if you have people rooting you on! We are here to support and encourage you and offer tips for when you feel stuck.
I’m out of shape, can I join this program?
Yes! This is the perfect way to get back into shape. Our Monday yoga or Thursday Energy flow classes are gentle and a great place to start.
I’m walking but not doing any strength training, where do I start?
Our Wednesday Pilates class offers a mix of dumbbell exercises to strengthen your arms, back and legs, as well as traditional Pilates core strength and spine mobility exercises.
I’m in good shape and looking for a class that will challenge me.
Saturday Barre class is our most challenging! Build leg strength and endurance, improve balance and coordination.
Do you suffer from foot pain, plantar fasciitis, bunions, or hammer toes?
Join us on Zoom Saturday March 16th at noon Pacific and learn an easy-to-follow foot strength and mobility program you can do at home with minimal equipment.
We will work from noon to 12:45. I guide you through a quick foot anatomy lesson, a foot massage program, foot and ankle exercises and stretches, and we’ll test our balance.
Your feet will feel fantastic, and you’ll have learned self-care techniques you can use anytime, anywhere!
You won’t need any special equipment, but if you have a couple of towels, a tennis ball, and a dining chair, please have these handy.
My focus for 2024 is BALANCE.
What do healthy feet have to do with balance? If you have strong, flexible feet and ankles, you are better able to balance, and less likely to fall.
Big toe mobility plays a role in a healthy walking gait. If your big toe is tight or you suffer from bunions, you may have a less efficient gait (walking pattern).
While you may think there’s nothing you can do, or that your bunions or hammer toes are hereditary, I’m here to tell you that you CAN make positive changes in your feet.
Join us for this interactive workshop and learn how to take care of your feet so they can take care of you!
Here are your top three daily tips to take good care of your oral microbiome.
Rinse your mouth with warm salt water.
Brush and floss daily, especially before bed.
Breathe thru your nose, not your mouth.
This week I caught the flu that’s been going around and was in bed for a solid two days. When I got a tickle in my throat, the first thing I thought of was my grandma who used to tell me to gargle with warm, salty water. Sometimes just doing this will keep me from getting sick. Unfortunately, this time I was too late.
I spent my sick days resting, meditating, and listening to podcasts. One was Andrew Huberman’s recent episode on oral health.
You may have heard about the connection between poor gum health and heart disease. Daily brushing and flossing can not only keep your teeth and gums healthy, but may improve the health of your whole body. At night we produce less saliva than during the day, so by prioritizing brushing right before bed, you’re giving yourself the best chance of reducing plaque buildup overnight.
Now on to mouth breathing. Notice your breath right now. Are you breathing through your nose or your mouth? Unless you are eating, talking, or sprinting you should be breathing through your nose. If you can train yourself to primarily breathe through your nose, your mouth will stay moist, and your nose will be better able to do its job of filtering and warming the air before it gets to your lungs. If you struggle with mouth breathing at night, watch this interview with James Nestor about sleep taping.
Similar to your gut, your mouth is filled with bacteria. For a balanced microbiome, we want to encourage the growth of healthy, or “good” bacteria. A quick, easy, and inexpensive tip Dr. Huberman recommends is rinsing your mouth with salt water. This encourages production of healthy mouth bacteria. Put a little warm water in a mug, add a spoonful of table salt, stir, swish the saltwater around your mouth, and spit it out.
You may be surprised to learn that traditional, commercial mouthwashes no not support oral health. Mouthwashes containing alcohol or chlorhexidine may cause “dysbiosis” or killing off the “good” bacteria, leaving the “bad” bacteria to take over.
Were any of these tips surprising to you?
Which of these can you incorporate into your daily habits?
