MELT Matters
From Sue Hitzmann, the creator of the M.E.L.T. Method®
Sleeping In Late Is Not Recommended
As my internal clock acclimates to the 7 hour time difference here in Spain I have found myself sleeping in this morning until 11:30. This is not a good idea for someone who is a total creature of habit when it comes to my eating regimen. I am used to getting up, drinking a full glass of water, MELTing then eating some blueberries with yogurt and a topping of cereal, and a cup of coffee. That unfortunately did not happen here. I got as far as my glass of water and a foot MELT.
I picked a spot noted in one of my travel books about a half mile from my hotel that said they served eggs and such for breakfast though by the time I got there it was noon and breakfast was well over with. Frustrated I then managed to ask for "un cafe" which then came as a tiny shot of espresso. What's up with the tiny coffee cups in Europe? Even when I try to call it Un American Coffee it still doesn't work out. As tasty as it was, it was no breakfast.
I finally compromised by going into a grocery store and buying some Muesli and Kefir and heading back to my hotel room for a breakfast of champions. Now I will go upstairs where there is a wading pool and a nice deck to attempt a little workout before discovering Barcelona by bicycle. More soon~
Hola From Barcelona!
I have just arrived to Barcelona, Spain! Getting here was super easy and I was luck enough to somehow get upgraded to FIRST CLASS on my Delta flight. Thank you Delta! It's amazing how flying doesn't seem like a big deal when you have so much leg room you can't touch the seats in front of you and the seats recline back to a bed like state!
This city is SPECTACULAR!!! It is so beautiful, the gothic relic buildings, churches and the wide open roads and walk ways. It's truly a city to see. I have only been here one day and I can't wait to scope out El Raval, and Barri Gotic areas of this beautiful city!
Although I have yet to see a gym of any sort, I hope to find one tomorrow and try to talk about MELT to prepare myself for two full days of teaching different 90-minute lectures at the Planeta Barcelona Conference! Three unique events each day will set a tone and a MELT Immersion experience for all that attend.
It's a signature way for me to present at conferences is to have a series of sessions that build upon each other so people who stay for all of the events really grasp the techniques and leave with some education they can apply to their private practice.
I can't wait for the weekend but I am excited to scope out this fantastic city over the next two days. I will update each day with my experiences out here!
And if any of you have any advice on getting around the city, send me some info!
All the best~Running High Heels You Say?
In 2002 the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) introduced "The Heart Truth", a campaign to make women more aware of the danger of heart disease. The campaign is geared towards women ages 40-60, as this is the age when women's risk of heart disease increases.
I am all for this cause. I see women at the onset of this disease many times in my clinic and have seen many beat their odds of this growing disease. And how great it is to see my favorite celebrity host, Kelly Ripa teaming up with this cause for a second year in NYC.LIVE! With Regis and Kelly will host the "High Heel-a-thon in our very own Central Park, NYC to raise awareness and money for charity for this cause.
But of course I am sort of stumped with the idea here. You are reading it right,a bunch of ladies are going to get together to run in central park... in high heels. I just keep thinking, "Should I get Kelly on the phone and make sure they all MELT after this crazy event?!" With her feet in general, I hope she is going to MELT her own feet before she does it! Because I have to tell you, wearing high heels is bad enough but running in them... on purpose? I know it's for charity but it seems like MELT should be coming to the rescue to the runners by helping them out post their oh so fantastic run.
Although they are going to look fabulous before, I imagine what their feet will feel like after!
Hey MELTers! Let's get out there on September 22nd and MELT the runners!!!
Veggies, Babies, and Diabetes
In my never ending quest to bring vital information about longevity to my network of MELTers I found a recent study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden that found pregnant mommies that eat veggies everyday give birth to children who are less likely to develop type I Diabetes.
Through blood sample analysis from 6,000 5-year-old children they found children at risk of developing type I diabetes have antibodies that attack insulin-producing cells which is a risk marker that was up to twice as common in kids whose mother rarely ate veggies during pregnancy.
The study showed a direct link between veggie intake during pregnancy and the risk of children getting this disease... one more reason to eat your veggies!
And even for those of us who are not pregnant, summer is the best time to enjoy freshly harvested lettuces, peas, avocados, berries, and greens - all good sources of vitamin B and Foliate. And the other benefits of these types of veggies is helping to reduce heart attack and stroke - eat up!!!
Karin Singleton gets interviewed for MELT
Check out this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht3wsvMSsJc&feature=youtube_gdata
Karin Singleton, one of our MELT instructors in N. Carolina (www.meltnc.com) made an appearance on her local TV news about MELT!!!
IDEA World Convention Recap
I am in flight returning from my adventures in Los Angeles, California at the IDEA World Fitness Convention. Talk about world class events. This year was JAM PACKED with amazing presenters and I am happy to say some super bright, brilliant, enthusiastic participants! I had the pleasure of teaching 4 great events over the last 3 days. This was the very first year I only did workshops and no lectures. Last year and in previous years I did mostly lectures. But at the end people left wanting MORE application!!! So this year I only submitted workshops and voila! It was fantastic. People really "got it"... they got me, they got MELT, the feed back was amazing.
I was thrilled to see many of my favorite professionals from Lawrence Biscontini who presented some of his most innovative concepts. You can't beat him with his enthusiasm
and charisma. And then there were two of my all time favorites Petra Kolber my personal SUPER QUEEN of fitness and Jay Blahnik, the man with the Midas Touch in fitness. They really stand alone when it comes to being a presenter for the industry. They make you want to MOVE, hoot and holla!!!! And they are both stunning by the way along with being kind, decent people.
I also saw Fraser Quelch creative director for Fitness Anywhere and the TRX brand and Randy Hetrick, creator of the TRX. Both of these two are a dynamic duo. Amazing folks and programming. Fred Hoffman (2007 IDEA presenter of the year), Bill Sonnemaker both presented fantastic programs though I always seem to present when both are presenting so I never actually see them in action. And Bill always has a punch to give me about connective tissue. Not sure what that's about but, it is a boys club in the industry to say the least.
I think one of the highlights for me was seeing one of my mentors in the field as well a
s someone who inspired me to be a competitive cyclist, Johnny G. He still looks amazing and is just the nicest person, not to mention brilliant.
I am looking forward to the Ihttp://www.inneridea.com/conference/inner-idea-conference-2010 INNER IDEA event coming up this September, not to mention Planeta Barcelona! I am now an international fitness presenter! I am excited to see Jill Miller at the Inner IDEA event as we didn't get to s
ee each other but for a brief moment at the IDEA World convention. I hate to say we will miss each other at Inner but our sessions are on different days and we are both scooting out after the event. I can only hope!
More soon on some of these upcoming events!! A shout out to Aprile Peishel who makes this event happen in the first place. She is my favorite industry leader. And even though I seem to be a rule breaker (this year I took emails of participants, apparently a no-no) she still greets me with a smile and a hug every year. So to Aprile, I thank you as always for continually letting me bring new ideas and innovation to IDEA.
All the best to everyone who was there!
IDEA WORLD Convention Weekend Begins
I am currently flying on Delta Airlines to Los Angeles, CA for the IDEA World Convention. It's said to be a monumental year for the organization so I expect a great time. I can't wait to see some of my favorite presenters dazzle participants with their mad skills from workouts to lectures.
For me, I hope to create the MELT Immersion over the three days I will personally be presenting. Beginning with a two hour workshop on Adding Hands-Off Bodywork™ to Group Exercise Thursday morning. Friday I will be doing an early Morning MELT for an hour to have people experience the MELT Method first hand. Later that morning I am doing the MELT Core Treatment - a 4-hour extended workshop. This I am sure will be the most fun of all the sessions because i will have time to share some of the MELT techniques that participants will go back and hopefully apply in their one-on-one sessions.
Finally, on Friday morning we have a 2-hour MELT Hand and Foot Treatment session. Again, the hope is that people will spread the word of MELTing in the fitness realm where the techniques are sorely needed.
The injury rates have increased over the years I have been a part of it. In my nearly 25 year career in fitness, I have seen a significant increase in older adults at health clubs, many of which enter with orthopedic issues like hip and knee replacements or spinal surgeries. Most are on at least three prescription medications as well so the role of a "personal trainer' is slowly needing to take on a new title.
As I pioneer the ideas of manual therapy techniques that span a different body of philosophy and science than those used in general fitness modalities today I hope to affect participants in a way that creates the network of MELT Evangelists out west. Currently we have three full MELT instructors out in CA and about a dozen MELT Hand and Foot Instructors. So I know this year will bring more curious minds into this wonderful world of neurofascial science and application.
I hope to see many of you again and thank you to those of you who read my blog and have sent me messages about IDEA!! I will see you all tomorrow!
2009 IDEA WORLD
Even Young Dancers Have Pain
I had the pleasure of instructing a MELT for Young Dancers class this morning at Alvin Ailey. The youngest was 11, the oldest 16. I introduced myself and said, "Now you guys are young so the ratio of injured people in the room may be less than it is when I have adults but, is anyone in pain or do any of you have an injury?" 2/3rds of the room raised their hands and the kids said, "Neck, my neck! Shoulders, backs, knees, feet..." everywhere even young kids are in pain.
So we did the foot treatment and the young dancers were dazzled. "I can feel my leg is totally grounded" one young girl said. "Wow! I think my back feels looser already!" another young girl exclaimed. On we went to the floor to MELT with the rollers. So many of the dancers felt their misalignments that everyone's hand went up when we assessed for Autopilot Inefficiency. Staggering. But we did 3 simple techniques: 3-D breath, Neck Decompress, Low Back Decompress. At the end of the class many felt the changes of their masses and spaces on the floor more aligned, less tight...
And just like adults many rushed up to the front of the room to ask questions. "Where do we get those balls?!!" "Will this help my back? I've had surgery already..." (this was a 14-year-old girl).
So what can I say? Does being young make you exempt from pain? Nope. But they all got the idea, if you want to deter the negative effects of dancing and improve performance and longevity of your dance career, it's time to learn more about MELTing!
Summer Tips in the Heat Of It
It’s summer for real. In NYC we are in the midst of heat wave season as August is about to hit. As I head off to my brother’s home in the luxurious land of South Hampton I thought a great blog would be one on reminding people about the value of water.
Although I wonder how the ocean will be with the oil spill slowly traveling its way to shores everywhere I must say, there is nothing more healing or calming than saltwater air. If you live near the ocean, you know a walk on the beach in the morning can make the rest of the day less stressful and bring that zen-like mind back to your brain.
But even basic, H2O is vital in every which way from keeping your skin bright, hair shiny, to keeping your digestion regular and help you with weight loss. I think water is the world’s best health elixir. So before you hop in the pool or swim in the ocean, take a look at my top 4 reasons why water can help you stay healthy all summer long!
From the outside in:
- Your Hair: For me, the summer is the time I lose the blow dryer, flat iron, and heavy oils to keep my hair tame. Instead, I seek out great hair products and pull out my hair clips of various sizes and get creative with “up-dos” instead of trying to figure out how to keep my hair from frizzing out.
- My top summer hair care tip if you are going to be in the sun or swimming in pools, lakes, and oceans: wet your hair BEFORE you go for your swim. It seems to me that the hair follicles absorb their fill of the clean water so they don’t soak up as much of the salt or chlorinated water.
- Your Face: My face hasn’t been exposed to the sun in years – one reason people always say I look 10 years younger than I am. If I am in the sun for more than 20 minutes I always use 30-50 spf sunscreen AND wear a hat and sunglasses to cover those areas of my face I don’t want sun exposure to cause wrinkles like around my eyes and mouth.
- My top skin advice for summer skin – hot and cold plunges. When I am in the shower, after I am done with my conditioning, shaving, etc, I take a deep breath and turn the faucet all the way to COLD and try to deal with it for about 30 seconds then return the water back to warm. I repeat this 3-5 times over a course of about 2-3 minutes. If that sounds unbearable, fill a bowl with ice and cold water, soak a wash cloth in it and then set it on your face for about a minute. Splash your face with some warm water and repeat 3 times. It’s a great way to firm up the skin, brighten the tone, and keep your pores clean and sealed so you don’t get those summer pimples!
- Your Legs: So for me, this is my worst body part. The spots on my legs to me are just ugly. Too many years exposed to the sun left my skin not so pretty and last year when I decided to use self-tanner, the spots just stayed really dark. YUCK! But one thing I am glad not to have is cellulite! I know it might seem to mask the lumps on the backs of your thighs by getting a tan but exposing your legs to the sun actually can CAUSE cellulite to become worse over time. Instead, MELT! Each day before I head off to workout or even just sit by the pool I take out my MELT Roller lie on my back and place the roller under my thighs. It doesn’t take heavy pressure to stimulate the connective tissue cells but it does take some specific techniques to really make it help the texture of the backs of the thighs. Here’s how to MELT:
- Place the roller under your thighs and lie back. Gently press your thighs on the TOP of the roller. Your butt may lift from the ground a little. Next, try “jumping jack” motions with your legs to Shear the tissue for about 60 seconds. You can add a level by trying this move on one leg at a time and really rotate your thigh inward as you draw your leg to the midline of the roller. Then externally rotate your thigh to bring the leg to the outer area of the roller and repeat the move 8-10 times before trying it on the other leg.
- Your Digestion: First thing every morning I drink a full 12oz of water before I do anything else. Then I get myself ready for the day, check my emails, get my stuff together for the day and then eat breakfast. For me, that is usually blueberries and ½ banana mixed with some whey protein, water and 1% milk.
- Tips on drinking water: during the day, you should try to drink a MINIMUM of two liters throughout the day. Water is always best when you have it solo so your body digests your food adequately when you eat. I suggest tapering off the water about 30 minutes before you eat, keep your water intake during eating low (8-10oz) and after you eat, wait about 45 minutes to an hour before picking up your water bottle and continue drinking water frequently. Also, it’s always best to sip water frequently rather than guzzling a half-liter a few times a day.
So have a super summer of sun and fun but stay hydrated and keep your body healthy inside and out!
Get Up Off Of That Thing!
Yes ladies, James Brown said it to be sassy but I'm saying it and I am serious. The study is out. Sit on your ass too long and you will not only get a fat bootie you increase your chance of dying young by 37%. Doesn't matter if you spend an hour in a spin class or run on a treadmill a few times a week or lift weights to keep your body fat down. A recent study shows if you sit for more than 6 hours a day (less than the daily average for most American office workers today) you suppress the essential hormones that affect triglycerides and cholesterol which could trigger heart disease. And, for women this is a raising concern due to the increase of women with heart disease and the symptoms are less apparent and hard to diagnose compared to men.
On top of an increased risk of heart disease that sitting can do, as the http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-07-27-sitting-death_N.htmAmerican Cancer Society follows through on more studies they are finding that prolonged sitting also increases obesity and type II diabetes. As these studies increased in duration, the mortality averages that they found were staggering. For sedentary people, sitting is now shown to decrease life spans dramatically. Epidemiologist speculated that sitting was simply increasing body weight but with the recent studies showing altered chemical states, and hormone development getting "up off-a-dat-thang" isn't just a lyric in a kickin' song.
Although consistent exercise seems to help reduce some of the risk on deterring mortality rates, it's important that if you do sit for most of the day you actually get up and walk around every hour or so to stimulate your body... all the way down to your DNA.
Stay healthy, eat well, drink water and get off your bootie. Regardless that exercise didn't show significant changes in the studies, it's my personal belief that when you sit all day long it's the adaptations in your connective tissue that begin the catalytic affect that kills your cells and ages you faster.
It's time for more research to direct its attention to the tissue that surrounds and protects all systems of the body.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sitting_gets_you_an_early_grave_rqfNxVYUAUd1JmzkHtMsEP
