MAY 2021 | ISSUE 30

#QUOTEOFTHEMONTH

A message from Founder and Owner, Coach Tristan Mitchell:

I recently read the book Breath by James Nestor and it left me contemplating how something as fundamental to our survival and health as breathing isn’t more widely understood. Nestor paints a fantastic picture of how and why we have stopped breathing the way evolution intended. These changes can play a big role in a multitude of negative health issues. 

Rather than summarizing the entire book here I want to focus on one simple fix we can all make - that is breathing through our nose. Like many things when it comes to our bodies, nasal breathing really is a “use it or lose it” system. As we stop breathing through our nose we obviously shift to our mouth, which causes us to miss out on many of the advantages of breathing through our nose. Nasal breathing helps clean the air we inhale, it warms that air, and releases various chemicals that positively influence metabolic health by helping to lower blood pressure, regulate heart rate, and more.

These physiological reactions to our breathing can help our mental state too, better positioning us to handle stress and anxiety. When you tie the potential metabolic and mental benefits together it becomes a no-brainer to start working on your nasal breathing. Like many things with the body, nasal breathing can be improved with practice. Practice can be as simple as sitting down, closing your mouth and breathing in and out through your nose. We recommend starting with a tempo of 5 second inhales and 5 second exhales. Once you feel like you have become proficient at maintaining an even tempo, start practicing this while doing low level activities such as walking. In moments of stress and anxiety, implement this practice and see how you feel.

Consistency in a nasal breathing practice can serve as a fantastic foundation to improving your overall health and well-being. If you have questions or want to learn more about breathing contact us today, we are here to help.

JUSTIN’S #BarbellFundamentals

It’s no secret that I love olympic lifting. The satisfaction of a successful lift, the muscle and strength development, the primal instinct to slam a bar after hitting a PR- It’s just addicting. When I started olympic lifting four years ago I never thought I would be as dedicated to it as I am today. 

When I stop and think about why I have become so dedicated to this sport, there are a few reasons that stand out to me. First, olympic lifting is challenging! The mobility, strength, and coordination it requires makes it very difficult to master which means there is always room for improvements. Second, improvements are so satisfying. Tweaking your pull just a bit and feeling the improvement, hitting a PR by a couple of kilos, or finally making proper contact with the bar when you are a beginner can make you feel like you made it to the  podium at a tournament. The third and most important reason that I am so dedicated to olympic lifting is that all of my other lifts have improved because of it. My squat, overhead press, deadlift and even bench have gone up! I feel much more aware of my body and how I move through space. My shoulder and hips are more mobile, my lower back more stable, even my posture has improved! All of these improvements occurred because I focused on getting better at two lifts. If squatting, deadlifting and benching are important to you (which they should be) I highly advise you to become more efficient when it comes to olympic lifting.

If you are interested in becoming more efficient in olympic lifting then you are in luck! I will be rolling out another barbell program in time for the summer. We will be covering the basics of olympic weightlifting as well as developing the mobility and coordination to do so efficiently. The dates and time will be released in the near future, contact me to learn more!

LINDSEY’S #FitTip

Ah, Spring cleaning! I'm not going to lie.. I love a good deep clean. A good Spotify playlist, a sunny day - it's the perfect recipe for me to get a ton of cleaning and organizing done! Don't worry.. if that doesn't sound like a fun afternoon for you I don't blame you. In that case, you can skip the spring cleaning this year. Besides, I want to talk to you about a different kind of spring cleaning this month! Yep, you guessed it.. we're going to clean up our eating habits and I'm going to share with you some tips on just how you can do that if you've been struggling.

1. Make small shifts in your diet

When you make small shifts in your diet as opposed to radical changes, you will be far more likely to stick to those changes. Also, having the mindset of adding in healthier options rather than taking things away can help with the mental process of making these changes. Things you can add: more water, electrolytes (LMNT), more vegetables, grass-fed protein!



2. Get moving!

Yes, movement can increase your chances of making healthier choices in the kitchen. Lions Den has a variety of options to help you with this piece. We have group classes, small group training programs, personal training, even a YouTube channel filled with tons of workouts you can do at home! When you start to move more and have more energy, you'll want to keep the progress going with your food choices. These healthy choices will also spill over into other areas of your life, too!



3. Go green

If it's green, it's most likely healthy! Challenge yourself to have greens every day whether it's part of your lunchtime salad, a green smoothie, or as a side at dinner time! Greens are packed with nutrients and provide so many great health benefits.



4. Find hidden sugars lurking in your favorite foods

This one might be tough but coming to terms with how much sugar is hiding in some of your favorite foods can help you make better choices. I'm talking about foods such as your favorite salad dressings or even the store-bought green smoothies that advertise themselves as healthy. The best way to avoid unwanted sugar is to prioritize a whole food based diet and if it's coming from a bag or box, it's not real food.



5. Eat more fat!

This advice is finally starting to become more mainstream, however, many people still believe consuming fat will make them fat or unhealthy and it's so far from the truth. The right sources of fat will nourish your body, satiate your hunger longer, and can actually give you more energy in the day! Good sources of fat include: olive oils, grass-fed butter, nuts, avocados, coconut, grass-fed beef.

So there you have it - 5 tips to clean up your diet this spring! You get bonus points if you also do a deep clean on your house, too! 😉

#LIONSDENSMPRUNCLUB

Why Runners Can Benefit from LMNT by: Coach Tristan

Electrolytes are a vital aspect of our ability to perform at our best and we often underestimate their value and quantity that we really need. Unfortunately, most of the common sports drinks out there are packed with way too much sugar and nowhere near enough electrolytes. We recommend LMNT for exactly that reason – no sugar or added junk, just a healthy dose of sodium, potassium, and magnesium to make sure that you are ready to run at your best.

All of us benefit from getting enough electrolytes in our systems and they become particularly important when you are putting the miles in throughout the summer. We lose electrolytes in all forms of exercise, but endurance sports can uniquely empty the tank, especially under the summer sun. We replenish these electrolytes through food sources, salt, and more but for many of us it is hard to hit an optimal level without a little supplementation.

Processed foods are notoriously packed with sodium and, unfortunately, sodium much like fat has taken a bad rap when it comes to our health and is often thought of as something we need lower our intake of. For some people that may be true (for a period of time) but what we really need to be lowering our intake of is processed foods. Sodium and fat are not the enemy, the combination of these with refined carbs and sugar and an abundance of vegetable oils all together contribute to our collective health woes.

When we start cleaning up our food choices and getting into a “whole foods” dietary approach we need to make sure we are adding salt in, not taking it out. Meat, vegetables, and fruit do not come packed with sodium like a bag of potato chips do. Those whole foods do provide real nutritional value unlike the potato chips, but it is on us to make sure we are salting our meat and veg to ensure we are meeting our sodium needs. This can be challenging, especially when we want to put salt in around our workouts and this is where LMNT comes in – no added crap, no sugar, just pure electrolyte power – sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

LMNT has been an amazing addition to my routine and virtually everyone that I have introduced it to has benefited - we cannot recommend it enough. Pick up your salt of choice at LD today!

#MOBILITY

Trap Scrub by: Coach Joel

What’s up Lions? This month we’re back to shoulder health. If you’ve ever experienced pain and stiffness in the neck, thoracic spine and shoulder complex from exercise or long durations sitting, the following mobilization can help. The trap scrub is a favorite of mine especially for those who tend to carry stress in their neck, which can lead to stress headaches. Soreness and upper trap tweaks can also occur for those who do a lot of heavy and powerful pulling such as Olympic lifting. Grab a ball. My personal preference is a softer lacrosse sized ball, but a larger ball will work too, then get to the ground.

Remember the importance of your breathwork to get the most out of your mobility sessions. Any breathing technique can work here as long as it includes deep, manageable inhales and slow controlled exhales. Focused breath work simultaneously provides an assessment of intensity and captures control of your nervous system. If you can’t breathe deeply, ease back some with less pressure and/or use of a softer ball.

Test and retest your four shoulder positions to see how well it worked. The best time to do this is after workouts involving pulling motions, breaking up bouts in front of the computer to battle any neck stiffness and at night before bedtime to jump start the parasympathetic nervous system and help promote good sleep. If you have questions, other issues or would like to dive deeper into creating a more supple body, please feel free to reach out. Let's schedule a personalized private 30 minute session with your friendly neighborhood mobility nerd. Stay Mobile My Friends!

#PODCAST OF THE MONTH

Real Talks: PT School and Beyond | EP 1.19: How to Get Jacked w/ Justin Marini