OCTOBER 2020 | ISSUE 23

#QUOTEOFTHEMONTH

A message from Founder and Owner, Coach Tristan Mitchell:

The fall has officially arrived, summer is (sadly) behind us and as we move towards winter I want to focus on some low hanging fruit when it comes to our overall wellness for the rest of the year. This month lets talk about feet. If you’ve worked out at Lions Den then you know this is a big one for us and we do our best to get everyone either out of their shoes and/or into minimalist shoes. We’ve got a great podcast linked up below to provide more detail but there are a couple things I want to touch on here. 

Humans have been running for more than 2 million years. Just think about that, 2 million years of our ancestors running. Truly a fundamental aspect of who the human animal is and while we may not be the fastest animal on the planet we are the one best built for endurance. When it comes to running, did we evolve to run in shoes? Well considering the fact that we’ve been running for 2 million years I’d say likely not. 

Now we can dive down a deep rabbit hole here and I am not saying to throw away your shoes and do everything barefoot from here on out. Rather I think the big takeaway is that we should be considering when we look to purchase new footwear. How a shoe functions, or more importantly allows your foot to function, should be a bigger priority than how it looks. A good rule of thumb here is - wide, flat, and flexible - if you have a shoe that meets this criteria than you’re likely in a shoe that allows your foot to function well. 

Functional footwear takes us to the next aspect to consider - does your foot function well? Why does it matter if you are functioning well? If your feet aren’t functioning well that can translate up to the knee, the hip, low back, upper back, and even the neck. We see this all play out in various movement patterns that might end up contributing to injury or chronic pain. So where do we start to build stronger, more robust feet? Our recommendation isn’t to jump into minimalist footwear and go for a long run but instead start working minimalist footwear into less demanding environments - for example, making minimalist shoes your day-to-day shoe so you’re wearing them at home, while at work, and generally being out and about. Then start working your way into going for walks in them and progress the distance or time that you are walking in them, this will give you the time to adapt and strengthen your foot and ankle structure. Walking becomes that low demand training environment for your feet, once you’ve done this for a period of time you can begin to scale this up to activities like running if you so decide.

If you’re currently in orthotics consider something they talk about in the podcast - does it make sense to permanently brace the foot? That’s what an orthotic is, a brace. We don’t permanently brace any other part of the body so why would we for the foot? We should instead start to put together a strategy of how we can create the intrinsic strength to no longer need that brace.

Our experience at Lions Den has taught us that the better your connection to your feet the better body awareness and movement skills you develop. If you’d like to learn more about this topic and put together your own strategy to develop stronger feet and better mechanics contact us today!

WELCOME COACH COOPE

#COMMUNITY EVENTS

WHY IS CORE TRAINING IMPORTANT?
with Coach Justin

If you have ever taken a group training class at Lions Den SMP then you know how seriously we take our warm-ups. We generally start with a few minutes of cardio, move on to some dynamic stretches, and we finish our warm-up with breath work coupled with core exercises.

The reason we save our breathing and core exercises for the last portion of the warm-up is because every exercise we perform beyond that point prioritizes core stability and spinal mechanics. Without a strong and coordinated core, the integrity of the spine can be compromised by external loads.

Let’s use the examples of the deadlift and the overhead press. Maintaining a neutral spine and pelvis is paramount during both of these exercises. The common mistake we tend to see during the deadlift is hyperflexion (excessive rounding) of the lumbar spine at the bottom of the lift and while the lift is in progress. At the top of the lift we see hyperextension (excessive arching) of the lumbar spine. When this happens, the muscles surrounding the spine are working hard to help us lift a weight that the glutes and hamstrings are more equipped to handle, therefore putting us at risk of a spinal injury.

The common fault we see with the overhead press is hyperextension of the lumbar spine when the weight reaches over head. The likely reason for hyperextension of the lower back during the overhead press is arching the back to compensate for a lack of shoulder mobility. Hyperextending the lower back with weight overhead can wreak havoc on the health of the spine, specifically the intervertebral discs.

Putting an emphasis on breathing and bracing prior to your lift helps us practice better awareness of the core and its role in good movement. Meaning strengthening and priming the core prior to lifting weights is paramount to protecting your spine. The muscles surrounding the spine (the core) are involved in every movement of the body. Ensuring that those muscles are functioning properly can improve your form and prevent injury.

NUTRITION #FitTip

My purpose isn’t to discourage you from ordering your favorite drink at Starbucks or any of your other favorite coffee shops. It’s just to be mindful of what’s in them. Especially if you get them frequently!

So what’s in the Pumpkin Spice Latte? 

Let’s look at a Grande (16oz) - It has about 380 calories.

• 14g of Fat

• 52g of Carbs

• 14g of Protein

• Sugar - 50g! (Might as well drink coke..)

Now let’s just take a glance at the ingredients:

• Milk,

• Pumpkin Spice Sauce [Sugar, Condensed Skim Milk, Pumpkin Puree, Contains 2 Or Less Of Fruit And Vegetable Juice For Color, Natural Flavors, Annatto, Salt, Potassium Sorbate], Brewed Espresso, Whipped Cream [Cream (Cream, Mono And Diglycerides, Carageenan), Vanilla Syrup (Sugar, Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid)], Pumpkin Spice Topping [Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Clove, Sulfiting Agents]

You can honestly just look at this list without reading a single ingredient and guess it’s probably not going to give you much nutritional value. Why? Because the longer and more complicated the label, the further away it is from real, whole food.

Since it’s Pumpkin Spice season, I thought it’d be fun to share with you a healthier alternative to this drink so you can make it at home with confidence you’re not taking in a bunch of hard-to-pronounce ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces brewed coffee (or 1–2 shots of espresso)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree

• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey

• sprinkle of cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

With a handheld frother or blender: In a cup or sauce pan, mix together almond milk and pumpkin. Cook on medium heat on the stove top or microwave for 30-45 seconds. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, spices and sweetener, place in a cup and use a frother to foam the milk. You can also use a blender — just process for 30 seconds or until foamy. Pour coffee into a large mug, add the foamy milk mixture on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

If you’re not a Pumpkin Spice fan, you probably didn’t read this far but if you did.. figure out ways to make your favorite warm beverages from home, regardless of what it is. Not only will it be better for you but you’ll save money in the process!

*Tip, add collagen to your coffee or tea in the morning for added health benefits without effecting the flavor of your drink! :)

#MOVEMENT CHECKLISTS

Next on our Checklist series is the lunge with Coach Joel. Our checklists break down big movements into bite sized pieces. Each checklist will come with a full video describing the movement. Click the video below to learn how to properly lunge!

#PODCAST OF THE MONTH

The Peter Attia Drive | #128 – Irene Davis, Ph.D.: Evolution of the foot, running injuries, and minimalist shoes