Posted by terrepruitt on August 2, 2014
When I go to the grocery store I employ the “lift with your legs” practice. Do you know that one? The one where you lift heavy objects by using your biggest and more than likely strongest muscles of the body–the legs. So instead of bending over from the waist or even hips you lower your body down by bending your knees bringing your hips low, then you grab the object and push up with your legs. This allows you to lift the object by using the power of your legs and not your back and/or your arms. Many woman, do not have the upper body strength of men. That is a simple fact, it is not meant as a gender-derogative comment, it is just that by nature most women are weaker in the upper body than most men. But even the men should use their legs when lifting heavy objects. And while the things I am putting in my cart might not appear heavy, especially for a man with more upper body strength, lifting with the back is not the best way to be lifting things. I really think grocery stores should employ Occupational Therapists to teach their baggers how to best utilize their bodies and save their backs. Also it could encourage other people. I know that baggers get trained how to bag . . . at the store I frequent it is obvious some are better than others, but I am sure they get some training on the basics of how to put groceries in a bag. But when it comes to putting heavy objects on the cart they put the heavy objects IN the cart. This means that I am supposed to reach in, bending over the cart and object and lift it out with my arms and back. However, when it is in the BOTTOM of the cart, I can use my legs to lift. So I was thinking that if stores were to employ Occupational Therapists they could teach the baggers the proper way to lift.
I think that helping employees move their bodies would help them be better employees. Also, it would help allow them to be employees longer and not injure themselves on the job or off. I believe that it is not always ONE thing a person does to injure their back but the constant misuse and abuse of the back that results in injury. Often back injuries mean time off of work and time that one has to take out of their lives to heal.
I was kind of excited not too long ago when I went to the grocery store and I noticed they had a herd of new carts. “Oooooo! Pretty.” I thought. Until I went to use the bottom. The new cart even promotes more inefficient use of the body. The back portion where I used to be able to put a case of water (via the back) now has a BAR across it. So I can’t put something on that side via the back. I have to put it in the front then SLIDE it all the way to the back so I have room for the other heavy item I am going to purchase. Or basically, now I have to plan my shopping trips so that I am only buying ONE heavy item at a time. So . . . there went my enthusiasm for the new carts. They are pretty . . . pretty useless.
I often find myself wondering what people are thinking. Perhaps they are in league with Doctors or drug manufactures. That conspiracy theory would be something like: Hey if we make carts that don’t allow people to put heavy stuff in the bottom they will have to put it IN the cart and cause injury. They will end up at the doctor’s office, the doctor will write up a prescription — and voila. Yeah, I can see doctors and drug manufactures investing in shopping cart companies. Because if a personal trainer, a chiropractor, or an Occupational Therapist were to design shopping carts, the bottom rack would be easily accessible to that people could use it for heavy items. Additionally, the baggers would be training on how to load heavy items on a cart.
Do you practice lifting with your legs and not your back? Do you think about your back? Do you use the bottom rack of the grocery cart?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: a chiropractor, conspiracy theory, Grocery stores, lift with your legs, Lucky's, or an Occupational Therapist, Personal Trainer, proper way to lift, useless shopping cart | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 31, 2009
So here it is the end of the year. I have been blogging since March (2009). I have posted 130 times. This is 131. I thought I would end the year with a review of some of my favorites and according to the numbers some of your favorites too. Here they are, not in any order:
Lyrics Gone Wrong . . . I had entertained the idea of doing this once a month, but after the second month I ran out of songs to play with.
Interesting Picture – Marilyn Monroe Albert Einstein . . . I LOVE optical illusions and this one is a doosey.
Hummingbird Tongues . . . they still fascinate me and I am still surprising people with the fact that the birds have tongues and use them more than the beak is a straw. And usually they tongues dart in and out so fast it is a rare treat to catch it out for a picture. Yay!
A Poem Says A Lot . . . Fabulous! We Have Come To Be Danced . . .
Nia Belt System . . . Before you can move onto the next belt they say a year must pass. You do not have to get involved. It is a great workout without being involved with the belts. The belt system only comes into play if you care to get that involved in Nia. Nia’s belts mimic some Martial Arts; white, green, blue, brown, black. I am learning so much with my White Belt, I can see myself waiting at least another year before I move onto the next belt. There is so much to learn and enjoy in each belt, I am not in a hurry.
Say: “I Am Wonderful” . . . I like to say this, I like to hear this song. I like to remind people to go to iTunes each week to download the free song.
A Brief Look At Nia . . . still excited to share Nia with people. It is a great body-mind practice and a workout that can make you sweat yet not really feel like exercise. It is learning to follow the body’s way.
Wrapping Tips . . . WHAT? I was shocked that everyone did not read my blog. On Christmas Day and the day after the bags and bags and bags and bags of wrapping trash that I saw on the curbs just blew my mind. In this day and in these times, I was just utterly flabbergasted that people don’t re-use the wrappings. It amazed and saddened me.
My Favorite Mugs . . . so I found out that not everyone got my little joke. Ya know, back in the day (what day, I don’t know), they used to call faces mugs . . . get it now?
The Seven Cycles Of A Nia Workout . . . The workout has cycles, somewhat like Jazzercise. I like to share this aspect of Nia so people have an idea of what a workout class will be like. We set a focus and an intent, step in, warm up and move all the way through the cycles to the floor, and then we step out.
Well, thank you so much for joining me on my blog. I hope that you continue to read, I hope you enjoy and learn. I learn from your comments so keep them coming. Thank you for a great year. Here is to the NewYear.
But . . .before we jump into the New Year, share with me what your favorite post from my blog was? AND/OR give me ideas on what you would like to see posted in the New Year.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Albert Einstein, Bay Area Workout, Belt System, Black Belt, blonde sex symbol, Blue Belt, body's way, Body-mind, body-mind practice, Brown Belt, Carlos Rosas, cats dancing, Christmas, Christmas Day, coffee mugs, cool down, cycles, dance, dancing cats, Debbie Rosas, exercise, floorplay, Free download, Free iTunes, free iTunes download, free song, Gary Go, gift bags, green, Green Belt, Healing exercise, Healing workout, health, heaven dance, Humming bird, Hummingbird, hummingbird pictures, Hummingbird tongue, I am wonderful, iTunes, Jazzercise, Jazzercise San Jose, Jewel Mathieson, lefty, Lyrics, March 2009, Marilyn Monroe, martial arts, Martial Arts Belt System, mind body, Mugs, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia exercise class, Nia play, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia San Jose, Nia teachers, Nia Technique, Nia workout, Non-Impact Aerobics, Painted Glove, Personal Trainer, Poem, San Jose, San Jose exercise, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, San Jose Yoga, sanctuary, sex symbol, theory of relativity, tongue, warm-up, We Have Come To Be Danced, White Belt, Working Out, Workout cycles, workout routines, wrapping paper, Yoga | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 5, 2009
Like Jazzercise classes and Yoga classes, Nia (TM)has cycles to each routine. Nia has seven cycles. Here is a very brief description of each cycles. For more details on each cycle click here.
1. Setting your focus and intent
In the first cycle we set our focus and intent. Usually there is a class focus and intent, but you can set your own focus and intent and make the workout what you need for that moment.
2. Stepping In
This is when we, well, step in. We step into the moment. We step into the sensation of our bodies. We step in, leaving behind all the chaos of the rest of the world.
3. Warm up
This is a song or two that we use to warm up. We start our bodies moving. We get our joints and muscle loose and ready to move.
4. Get Moving
This is the portion of the workout routine where we really start to use all of our muscles. Often the music speeds up and participants can work up a sweat. This is also the time where you are charged with being your own conscious personal trainer.
5. Cool Down
This is the part of the routine were we slow down and prepare our bodies for the floor.
6. Floorplay
This is where you get to work some more muscles and or do some more stretching out of the ones your work. It is ok to have a towel or a mat for our floorplay.
7. Stepping out
This is usually the time in the routine where people start looking at the clock and then their watches and then they start looking around to see if anyone else is experiencing that the clock and their watch is broken because there is NO Way that it has been (about) 55 minutes.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: floorplay, Jazzercise, Nia, Personal Trainer, Workout cycles, workout routines, Yoga | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 10, 2009
In my introduction I made a comment about blaming my husband again, because a couple of years ago I made a comment and his response was “Why don’t you do something about it?” and so I have been working out ever since. I try to eat healthy. I don’t think I am a fanatic, I just try to exercise and eat well. I also wanted to help people like me so, at that time, I thought the best way to do that would be to become certified as a personal trainer. I, Terre Pruitt, am a certified personal trainer through the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF).
(Pause)
So, what image popped into your head when you read “personal trainer”? Doesn’t matter what it was I am pretty sure it was not me. Most people think of huge gyms, machines, heavy weights, big muscles and sweat when they think of personal trainers. When I became a personal trainer I was thinking more along the lines of “movement coach”. Just trying to help people realize that they need to move because there is truth in the old axiom “move it or lose it.” And I fear the day when my age group loses it. I think that the time will come sooner then it did with earlier generations who were accustom to movement in their everyday lives.
So I wanted to help people with functional fitness. Yes, there is such a thing. It is exercises and movement that actually help your body stay mobile so when you need to put your arms up to get a shirt on you will be able to. When you need to stretch and reach for something on a shelf you will be able to. At the same time you can be working on building your strength, stability, flexibility, and agility because all these things are what we use in our everyday lives. Things like that is what I am interested in.
I still believe that weight training is important, and you have to get your heart rate up to burn the calories to lose the fat, but I do not subscribe to “no pain, no gain”. Although, I might define pain differently than you . . . I don’t think you need to be in pain, per se, to gain. There are all types of “gain” so it really depends on what your goals are. I also think that a form of stretching is necessary to keep the body mobile. Some exercise forms combine these different elements, some forms keep them separate. It is best to find something you like so you can stick with it. Whatever works for you.
What form of exercise interests you?
Posted in Exercise and Working Out | Tagged: agility, certified personal trainer, coach, eat well, exercise, fanatic, flexibility, functional fitness, generations, gyms, healthy, interests, mobile, movement, Muscles, National Council on Strength and Fitness, NCSF, pain, Personal Trainer, stability, strength, stretching, Terre Pruitt, weight training, weights | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 4, 2009
Ok, so here again I can blame my husband. I am here blogging and it is all his fault. He has been telling me for a while that I should write a blog. I keep thinking, “What for? What do I have to say? Who would listen to me?” Then I start talking about something and my husband looks at me and says, “See? You could blog about that.”
But I still keep thinking “Who would read it? What do I write about? When do I write? I’m not an ‘expert’! Blogs are are for experts to talk. ” But then I find myself reading blogs and getting interested and going back for more. Some of the most interesting ones aren’t written by “experts”. They are just normal everyday people sharing information, talking out loud. I figure I can do that.
My name is Terre Pruitt. I am a Certified Nia White Belt and a Licensed Nia Teacher. I am also a certified Personal Trainer with the National Council on Strength and Fitness, and a Certified PiYo Instructor. I am interested in getting people to move their bodies and keeping them moving to ensure their present good quality of life or make it even better. I also have some strong opinions on other things related to that.
So . . . .I intend to keep my blogs somewhat in the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like. Although, since it is my blog, I get to make the rules as to the clarity of that realm. In other words, I might stray from that area a bit, from time to time. Also, since I have already blamed my husband for unleashing me on the world, and therefore somewhat introduced him, he might be chiming in from time to time. Say . . . one day when I run out of something to say, like that will ever happen.
Until next time, My Lovelies . . . . .
Posted in Legal and stuff | Tagged: blogging, Certified Nia White Belt, expert, fitness, health, husband, Licensed Nia Teacher, Nia, Personal Trainer, PiYo Instructor, realm, Terre Pruitt, wellness, Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | 4 Comments »
Terre Pruitt's Blog 