Stretch Positive Changes Through Not So Positive Times

You may have heard the term Positive Lifestyle Change and wondered what that means. The simple definition of Lifestyle is “the way in which a person or group lives.”

Most people get into certain behaviors and patterns that can be unhealthy and before you know it can become a habit. These habits can feel very hard to change, and for some, can feel impossible. When you start to turn these habits around and start making healthier ones, Positive Lifestyle Change occurs. The key is to start slowly and pick one shift to make in your bahavior for 7 days and go from there. Understanding Behavior Change is the key to losing weight and regaining motivation, much more than even diet and exercise!

Being in the fitness industry for over 20 years, I feel like I use my background in Behavior Change on a daily basis more than anything else. I own a personal training studio in Charlotte, NC, and for the last six weeks due to COVID-19, I have been training my clients virtually instead of in person. One of the interesting things I have seen with many of my clients during this time, is a…

Desire to push themselves more than usual.

During a time that you cannot control what is happening outside yourself, you have to decide to put a lot more energy into what you can control. It is amazing to watch my clients grow through adversity and even flourish! They feel more confident and happier and in turn are losing weight, feeling empowered and getting healthier. Like the mission of Modern Acupuncture to make lives better, my greatest joy is seeing how people's lives change during this hard time.

One thing that everyone can do to change their lifestyle is to stretch, which is a big part of my training routine personally and with clients. I recommend people stretch most days of the week, but the minimum is 2-3 times per week. Here are some easy lower body stretching you can do with a towel, yoga strap, or Pilates ring. I sped up the stretches for the video, so please do them slowly and hold each stretch for 4-8 breaths.

Chris CastaOwner of ChrisFIT Personal TrainingBS Exercise Sport Science UNC CharlotteACE CertifiedSpecializing in clients with injuries and limitations using Apparatus Pilates, Yoga and Weight Training