Get Ready To Lift

Hi, Claire Poulose here for Survival to Strength, a non-profit that offers free one-on-one strength training for anyone who's had a cancer diagnosis, and we're at Push Fitness in St. Paul, Minnesota. Thanks to Connie Sheehan for letting us use your studio. Hundreds of research studies show that one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy is to maintain your muscle mass. So how do you maintain your muscle mass? How do you get stronger? Veronica's going to help us demonstrate the first thing you need to learn so that you can lift. Get ready. Whether you're picking up a 40-pound bag of cat litter, carrying your groceries, or picking up some dumbbells, it's good to get ready before you lift. The first thing to do before you lift or before you do anything strenuous is to breathe, and there are many ways to breathe. Today we're going to breathe in a way to get ready to lift.

Thanks for helping, Veronica. Put your hands on your abdomen and make sure your knees are relaxed, your feet are in a nice comfortable position, and your pelvic tilt is neutral. Shoulders are down, and I want you to breathe out all of your air, getting your lungs as empty as possible. Then, breathe back in, filling your lungs but moving your ribs as little as possible. Repeat this a few times, breathing out all the air and then back in with minimal rib movement. This works your transverse muscle—your deep abdominal muscles—wakes them up, and supports your back. This is also great if you're feeling anxious, having trouble focusing, or experiencing pain. It's good to wake up those deep abdominal muscles. Now we're going to get ready to lift. First, your feet: push your feet down into the floor from your toes to your heels, using your whole foot. Keep your knees relaxed in a neutral position, add a little tension in your rear end and abdomen, shoulders down and back, and your head in a neutral position.

Maintain tension between your shoulder blades and keep everything a little tight while pushing down with your foot. Go ahead and pick up your weights. That’s good. Now we’ll turn to the side and go through it again. Start with a nice deep breath: all the air out, then back in. Push down with your feet, strong and planted from your toes to your heels. Keep your knees comfortable, add a little tension in your butt and abdomen, ensure your pelvic tilt is neutral, shoulders down and back, and your head neutral. Take another good breath, then lift. That looks good! Remember, you can reset anytime you need to. Thanks, Veronica, and thanks again, Connie, for letting us use Push Fitness. This is Claire with Survival to Strength, a non-profit offering free one-on-one strength training for anyone who's had a cancer diagnosis.