It's Time We Love Our Bodies

It's Time We Love Our Bodies

During my last yoga class I heard a great quote that is worth sharing.

"Did you ever realize how much your body loves you? I mean its always trying to keep you alive. That's all your body has to live for. Your body is making sure your breathe while you sleep, stopping cuts from bleeding, fixing broken bones, finding ways to beat the illnesses that might get you. Your body literally loves you so much. It't time you start loving your body back."

I fell in love with this quote the minute I heard it. Why, you may ask? Because I think it is super easy for all of us to forget how much our bodies do for us on a daily basis, not just in training and racing. Even if we don't forgot how much our bodies do for us do we truly love our bodies. This quote is such a different perspective from much of what I have heard or have experienced in my journey.

Especially around this time of year when we may be indulging a little bit more than we normally do it is easy to start judging our bodies.

Daily, we ask our bodies to engage in strength training, swimming, biking, running, or other activities so that we can accomplish our goals.

I know that recently I have been guilty of judging my body so I put it through a hard week of work when I should have been smarter. Now I am paying for it, bordering on the edge of injury and had to take a few days off to hopefully prevent the injury. Maybe I would not have ended up in this position if I had shown my body a little love instead of judgement.

Our bodies truly are gifts. I don't know about you, but I can't find any other creation that can take grapes, turkey, etc. and use the components to create bodily tissue like muscles, bones, or organs. And that is pretty cool. As the quote says our bodies fight for us to make sure we stay well. They fix bones so that we can move. We don't ask, they just do, because they love us.

So, especially during this time of year when things might a little hard, I am going to show my body a little love instead of judgement.

Please share below any ideas you have for showing your body a little extra love. We can all benefit from the collective wisdom.

Racing for Hope

Racing for Hope

"The next moment of recall came in our 20th week of pregnancy during what was supposed to be a routine check up to finally confirm that I was going to have two Daddy’s girls. The ultra sound technician didn’t say much and paged the doctor to come in immediately. The doctor came in and there were whispers. Next we were being sat down and told that we were being affected by TTTS (Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome). TTTS is a disease of the placenta that causes one twin to receive all the nutrition and blood and the other none or very little. The diagnosis was confirmed by the ultrasound that showed one of our babies with too much fluid and the other with none. She was literally “shrink wrapped” to the placental wall without any fluid to move around in. All our doctor could tell us was he had only gone through this once before and the outcome was not favorable. I remember him telling us that we just need to get them further along alive so we can deliver them and give them a chance to live. Our care was now being transferred to a high risk specialist."

This is only part of the story of one of the founders of the Fetal Health Foundation, Lonnie Somers. Their story has a happy ending. However, they are not the only parents who hears receive news of a fetal syndrome diagnosis. No parent wants to hear that their baby is at risk. As Lonnie described above they were going in for a routine check up to hear that their twins were doing fine and instead left with something a little different.

Because of Lonnie and Michelle's (Lonnie's wife) love for their twins they help found the Fetal Health Foundation to help other parents around the world. The mission of the Fetal Health Foundation is to:

Support families receiving a fetal syndrome diagnosis, fund life-saving research, increase syndrome awareness, and share leading medical information on fetal syndromes.

To honor the mission of the Fetal Health Foundation and to raise funds and awareness I will be dedicating my 2018 race session to the Foundation and would like to invite you to come along with me on the journey. I will be documenting my training throughout the season sharing the highs and the lows. And hopefully there will be a few other stories and events to share along the way. In addition to following along please consider supporting the mission of the Foundation with a donation. This will be Fundraising Link throughout the year. Together we all can work towards a world where every parent will be able to take home their healthy baby!

I encourage you to visit the  Fetal Health Foundation website to learn more about the wonderful work that the foundation does in the community.

So it begins....

Motivational Monday 11/27

The Annual Turkey Day FAMILY Running Race

The Annual Turkey Day FAMILY Running Race

We all have traditions for Thanksgiving morning. Some wake up early to start cooking and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. While others wake up early to race, run, or walk in a Thanksgiving Day Running Race. I grew up with the later tradition and I truly enjoyed watching the parade. However, as I have become more invested in the triathlon world I learned the joy of doing a Thanksgiving Day Running Race. Now I can't image a Thanksgiving Day without waking up and heading outdoors. The best part of doing the morning race is that this is the one day that my family comes with me to take part in the race rather then spectate.

I am probably the most active person in my family and like many people my family does't always understand my love for running, cycling, and swimming. While I can respect and understand that I still would love to share my joy and passion with them and Thanksgiving Day is the one day that I can. What better day then Thanksgiving? A day where family comes together. A day where we have every excuse understand the sun to let people know how thankful we are for them.

I count my blessings that today my family joins me in our tradition a Thanksgiving Day Running Race!

Value of Using a Mantra

Value of Using a Mantra

Before I really understood what a mantra was, I had naturally started using mantras as I prepared for my first triathlon.

Mantras can be words, phrases, or short sentences that are repeated to yourself for a purpose. The purpose depends on you and what you need to be strong mentally.

While we train our bodies for our passions we also are training our brains. We have an internal dialogue that plays during daily life and doesn't shut off while we are training or racing. That internal dialogue can be neutral which doesn't help or hurt. The dialogue can be helpful and encouraging which is ideal, but it can also be negative and discouraging. Then these are all on spectrum which means there are different degrees and mixes of all of these different flavors of internal dialogues. Where we develop these dialogues is a topic for another day.

The important piece to know for now though is that you control that dialogue and that you have the power to alter and change the dialogue. That is where mantra comes into play.

Before we dive in let's make a quick distinction about mantras.

According to an article written by Tris Thorp for the Chopra Center Website a Verdic Education and Lifestyle and Leadership Coach mantra can be broken down into two parts:

"man" means mind

"tra"means transport or vehicle

When the two are put together mantra is understood as an instrument of the mind or a powerful sound or vibration that can be utilized to enter meditation. To read her full article to learn more about mantra in the context of the yogic perspective click here.

In Westerner culture, however, manta has taken on a slightly different twist of instrument of the mind. Now we use mantras to not just help us reach a state of mediation but help shape our minds and thoughts.

In an article published by Runner's World they conducted an interview with Robert J. Bell, Ph.D., certified consultant for of the Association for Applied Sports Psychology talked about what an effective mantra encompasses.  He highlighted the importance of creating or picking a mantra that address what the athlete wants to feel instead of the focusing on the adversity of what she is trying to overcome. He goes on to say that embracing the pain is the worst thing an athlete can do. That is where a good mantra comes into play. It diverts the mind from thoughts that reinforce the pain to thoughts that helps the athlete transcend the pain. This is where neuroscience comes in to provide support. The brain can't focus on more then one task/thought at a time. The brain is just able to rapidly switch back and forth. So what we think of as multitasking is really not multitasking.  It is just the brain switching back and forth. So why is this important? Because we use it to our advantage with mantra. If our brain is focusing on a positive and encouraging mantra it can't be focusing on any negative or discouraging thoughts.! To read more about this topic and learn more about the science behind it  click here.

So then what does make a good mantra or mantras consist of? Dr. Bell has some thoughts on that topic as well.

Short, positive, instructive, and full of action words!

Have more then one mantra for different challenges!

Do you remember that I mentioned that I was using mantras for my first triathlon? Well I was and I am going to use them as examples based on what Dr. Bell shared. I had three. One for the swim. One for the bike. One for the run. Each was based on what I needed for each challenge of the triathlon.

Swim: Breathe. You are strong. You are safe.
Bike: Biking with my grandfather.
Run: Run with Sunshine.

Did I meet his suggestions? In some ways yes and in others I pulled on visuals and my own internal motivation for why I was doing the triathlon. Both using visuals and internal motivations are also great ideas for integrating into your own mantra. My motivation for finishing my first triathlon was my grandfather and it helped to think about him being with me and Sunshine had trained with me on my runs and was inspiration.

In the end though you need to pick a mantra or mantras that mean something to you. People can suggest different mantras and they may good one,s but if they don't resonate with you then the effect will not be the same. Below there are links to other articles that give examples of mantras and how athletes have used them.

Articles About Mantras and Athletes:

Psychology Today - 8 Great Motivating Messages That Guide Superstar Athletes
Shape - U.S. Olympians Share Their Motivating Morning Mantras
Women's Health - Olympians Share Their Personal Mantras
Adidas - Why You Need A Motivation Mantra

The Most Popular Road Racing Day

The Most Popular Road Racing Day

According to Running USA, Thanksgiving Day is the most popular holiday for road racing surpassing all other holiday including the 4th of July and Mother's Day. In 2016 alone Running USA reported that there were 961,882 finishers and 726 different races across the country with the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot in San Jose, CA being the largest race coming in at 12,996 finishers. Running USA also shared that 2016 revealed record numbers in both finishers and number of races.

As great as it is to hear that more people are enjoying the road on Thanksgiving, I was curious about the history of Thanksgiving Road Racing. Thanks to Runner's World I found out a little bit of the history. Below is a brief timeline with highlights from what I learned. If you would like to read the full article click here. It has some more details, some fun facts, and talks a little bit more about why people think that the Thanksgiving race has become so popular!

1896 - Inaugural Turkey Trot is held in Buffalo, NY hosted by the local YMCA. An 8k race that drew 6 participants with only 4 finishing. To this day it is the oldest continuous footrace in North America.

1990s - The idea of the Turkey Trot spread and races started popping up along the East Coast and then across the country.

• 1907 - New Orleans
• 1908 - Berwick, Pennsylvania
• 1909 - Cincinnati, Ohio
• 1916 - Troy, New York

1927 - Manchester Road Road began on Thanksgiving Day with a dozen runners. Now one of New England's oldest and most storied road races.

1967 - The Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot, one of the largest races in the country, began with 107 runners. Now this race boosts 20,000 runners.

1972 - A big milestone women were allowed to compete in the Buffalo Turkey Trot.

There is something important in knowing the the history of a sport that one is passionate about. This is just a small piece of a larger history of the sport of running but small pieces are a place to start.

There is still time to register for a Thanksgiving Day Running Race. Running the USA has a great search tool to help you find your local race. Click here to find yours!

Motivational Monday 11/20

Recipe of the Week 11/19

Recipe of the Week  11/19

It's Sunday so you know what that means. Time for recipe of the week week.

Healthy Turkey Chili

I love this recipe from Art from My Table because it allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of what you like in your chili and allows you to use tons of fresh vegetables. While the recipe already calls for fresh pepper additional vegetables can be added such as carrots which is what I added. Additionally, I substituted the canned peppers for fresh poblano peppers.

After doing the prep work, all that you need to do is let the crock pot do the work and you can get your workout in.

Make sure that you do let it cook for at least 5 hours so that the flavors full develop.

As athletes we are always looking for good food that will fuel our workouts. This is a great Winter recipe for those cold days. You can eat healthy and warm up from the inside.

Recommended Blog - My Life in Transition Blog

Recommended Blog - My Life in Transition

While we may race and train alone each of us is part of a bigger community within the sport that we are passionate about such as triathlon or running. But we are also apart of a larger community - athletes!. I love being apart of a community and sharing great resources, stories, and encouraging and supporting other athletes. In that spirit, I would like to share a different blog each month that will inspire, encourage, and motivate. Plus you have the opportunity to learn about other athletes and their stories.

The first blog that I would like to introduce you to is called My Life in Transition.

This blog is written by Mary Carey an amazing athlete as well as a great coach. She writes about her journey through her sports endeavors and family life. When reading Mary's blog it feels like you have been invited into authenticity. She is honest about her training journey and reminds us all that we are not perfect. In the age of social media it is so easy to just see the "best" moments. Many of us tend to not share the "not so great moments" and instead opt to share about the good things that are happening in our life. Mary does share the high points but also shares the trials as well. Mary share about her struggles with medical issues which have greatly impacted her life. That authenticity and honesty though reminds me that everything is not going "according to plan" and there are ways to preserve.

Thank you Mary!

Discerning A Valuable Resource

Discerning A Valuable Resource

These days we have access to incredible amounts of information with a click of button. The internet can pull thousands if not millions of pages, articles, and images about whatever topic we desire. But the question becomes: how do you discern what is good credible reliable information from what is opinion or bad info? It is hard to do with so much out there but so important.

Where as newspapers, television news broadcasts, and journal articles are largely evaluated for accuracy and objectivity, there is no regulation on the internet. Therefore, it is up to you to be a discerning reader and use your brain. So where do you start? Below are some criteria for evaluation.

Where is the story or article published? Who is the author?

After you do your Google search, multiple websites pull up from many different sources. Start there. Look at where the website is published. Is the article/story published on a university website or a website that you have never head of? Is it published by a department of the government? Generally universities and governmental departments have checks and balances in place before anything is published that is associated with their name. That is not to say that other websites don't have quality information as well. Take magazines like Triathlete, Runner's World, or Bicycling or organizations such as USAT or Ironman. We constantly see articles published on their websites and shared through social media. As organizations they have a responsibility to make sure that their content is accurate and provides quality information by publishing authors that have credentials and experience about the topic. That is one way to evaluate the author. Does the author have the education and training to be writing the article/story? What is their education and experience? The information should be listed somewhere on the page. For example, credentials after the author's name. But make sure the credentials match the topic. In other words, is a a certified tax account writing about training? They have credentials but not the right credentials.

Befriend the question 'why?' Why is the author qualified to write on this topic? We will come back to this question again as we look at more criteria.

Who is providing the funding?

Many organizations will fund studies or stories in hopes that it will prove that their medication or product is better then others which has the potential to introduce a bias into the study or story. Time to put on your critical thinking hat. Is there a bias because of the funding source? If so, is the information still reliable and can it be backed up with additional studies or stories? Making sure that you look beyond just one study or story is necessary. So much is out there that provides conflicting information and results. 

Again our friendly question why comes back. Why was this study or story funded? 

Purpose of the page's creation?

Every study or story is done with a purpose in mind. Some might be to inform, while others are done to persuade us to either buy something or align with their point of view. None of these are inherently bad or good - they just are, but you do need to know what the purpose is when reading so that you can be discerning. Additionally, stories or articles are created for different audiences. Some may be for scholars while others are for the general public. Both are important but you have know what you are reading before diving in. Do you care about the specific data sets or do you care about specific workouts? That will help determine if the story or article is for you.

Once again ask the question. Why was the page created?

Reliability, Credibility, Accuracy

Tough topics because these take a little bit more research and time. For example, if statements of facts are made are the sources listed to support the statement. Can what is being said be verified from other independent sources? Ultimately it is up to you to understand where the information is coming from.

One Last Piece - Correlation vs Causation

One last piece that you might want to keep in mind. Correlation implies that there is a connection but the how there is a connection is not certain. There may factors influencing that are not mention or that have not been discovered. Causation is literally A causes B but this much harder to prove. These two get mixed up frequently. Let's look at an example. A story is published about how product A can make you a better runner because of X factors. Great a product that will help me be better. Now we all know that there are many factors that go into making us better at our chosen sport. It isn't just one product that can make us better. Nor is accurate to say that the product A caused a person to be better because of X factors. Did the story include what else the athlete was doing in conjunction with taking this product? It is extremely hard to tease part everything and say that this specific product produced this result. That is not to say that the product didn't help. Just proceed with caution.

See you on the road!

Motivational Monday 11/13

Recipe of the Week 11/12

Recipe of the Week 11/12

Each week I would like to share with you a fun and fabulous recipe that I think is a good recipe for athletes. This week I am featuring a recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod.

Pumpkin Granola

Two Peas & Their Pod created a lovely Fall recipe that not only reminds the eater of Fall with its pumpkin and spice profiles but also allows for some flexibility within the recipe to make it your own. We each have our own unique needs and tastes so if a recipe can be tailored all the better.

Here are some suggestions on how to alter the recipe from my experiment time in the kitchen.

1. Add more spice if you love spice!
2. Substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar.
3. Add nuts or additional dried fruit.
4. Add chia seeds for the additional chia benefits.

Before you head out for a cold morning run or ride enjoy a cup of pumpkin granola to warm you up!

Racing Behind the Scenes

Racing Behind the Scenes

We show up on race day ready to race. We have done our training and have prepared to toe the starting line. The familiar sites of a race surround us. Registration where we retrieve our bib. The start and finish lines. The tents of the vendors that are there to display their services and products.

We are fortunate that we can we just show up and race. The luxury of not having to think about anything besides our race is great. But what if we did think about the work that goes into planning, producing, timing, and managing our races? Would we have a different appreciation for each race we do whether it is a running, cycling, swimming. or triathlon event?

Over the past months I have had the opportunity to explore of the behind the scenes of racing. I was not prepared for the lessons that I would learn along the way. But I am thankful for what I have learned because now when I show up to any race my perspective has shifted for the better.

What goes into planning a race or event? The simple answer - A LOT!

• Deciding what type of event, the location, and the date
• Setting the goals of the event, getting the permits, and planning the logistics
• Building a budget, finding sponsors, and promoting the event
• Everything that happens the day of the race
• Raping up post event

This list is even simplistic because there is so much within the overall topics. For example, think about the aspect of volunteer recruitment or the work that goes into prepping bibs for race day. All of this takes time, effort, and energy. None of it happens over night. There are people behind the scenes and day of making sure that race day is special for each and every participant.

It is easy to get lost in race day and forgot about the people behind the scenes. But what if we didn't forgot about them and stepped into their shoes and spent the time learning? Would we appreciate the event even more and the people who worked to make the event happen? In my opinion the answer is YES!

There is such a value in volunteering to help with tasks leading up to race as well as race day. They are very different experiences but both worth while in different ways. Take, for example, bib prep which is done before the race. That might involve assigning waves, printing out labels for bibs, attaching timing tags, affixing labels to the bibs, and alphabetizing the bibs. All of this work that might sound boring and tedious actually makes a big impact on race day. The efficiency of racers being able to pick up their bibs and be timed on race day is made possible because of this work. Now let's look at race day volunteers. They might help with setting up the event or handing out water. Because of these people racers have a course and water at the end handed to them. It helps make for a great race experience.

So next time you are out a race course make sure to say thank your to race volunteers and staff and consider volunteering to help with an event. I promise it is worth your time and will bring a deeper appreciation for each event that you do!

If you are interested in learning more about event planning click here. Active has a collection of articles that provides more detailed information and can help give everyone a better idea of the work that happens.

My Tri Team

My Tri Team

I'm proud to say that I am part of a tri team! It means a lot to me to say that I am part of something bigger. Part of a community! Part of helping to encourage my team mates! Part of knowing that someone is there to cheer me on as well!

Why should someone join a tri team? Is it worth the time, energy, and funds? Absolutely!

According to an article published by Active, there are direct benefits to you for joining a team:

• New friends and training partners
• Group workouts
• Learning from others
• You are never alone on race day
• Club resources

I agree with all of them. It is nice to meet new people and find others to train with especially on cold, snowy mornings or days that I don't feel like training. That not only holds me accountable to showing up, but I'm with others who might need the support and encouragement as well. I also have people to train with and have access to a lot of their wisdom. Everyone comes to a tri team with different experiences, knowledge, and goals, and we all have the opportunity to learn from each other. I enjoy learning from those that have been doing triathlon longer then myself, but I also enjoy learning from those that have not been in the sport as long because I do need reminders about approaching things with a beginners mind. Most tri teams also have deals with different companies for discounts and boy do those help. Triathlon can get expensive.

I Race Like A Girl is my tri team and I'm proud to say that I race like a girl. But why did I specifically want to be apart of this team?

I'm going to take you through what you might want to look for when deciding what tri team to join by walking through the description and mission of my tri team. I highly recommend I Race Like A Girl!

I Race Like A Girl is a women's endurance team and community created and support by professional triathlete Angela Naeth.

• Knowing who created and runs the tri team is important. If the person or people that created the team have experience and passion for the sport the team then has a solid foundation. When push comes to shove will the leader or leaders be there for the team?

The goal of the team is to provide opportunities for girls and women of all ages and abilities to support, encourage, and inspire one another in the sport of triathlon, cycling, running, and swimming!

• What are the goals of the team? Are the goals of the team congruent with your goals and beliefs? When goals align you will feel supported and reap the full benefit of being on the team.

Both new triathletes and seasoned veterans have the opportunity to be part of a team and community that brings out the best in themselves.

• Is the team welcoming to all? Does the team believe in creating connection between team members? Part of the benefit of being on a team is the connection between the team members which provides support and encouragement.

The mission of I Race Like A Girl is to...

• inspire, empower, and motivate other women in the sport of triathlon
• promote fitness, positive change, and triathlon
• participate in local and global events and give back to the community
• connect with women from across the globe
• write reviews, articles, and share your stories to others in the community

The mission of I Race Like A Girl is an awesome mission. Why? Because the mission doesn't have just one focus and aligns with my goals and beliefs. Sometimes having more then one focus can create a muddled mission, but if the different areas of focus connect and support each other then having more one focus can make for a stronger mission. In the case of I Race Like A Girl, the mission speaks to three big themes - giving back to the community; inspiring and empowering women; and creating connection between members. 

Once you make the decision to join a team you are still evaluating the team. You are responsible for making sure that you are getting out of what you need and checking to make sure that the team is congruent with their values.

What team will you join?

Motivational Monday 11/6

The Dreaded Bike Trainer - Maybe?

The Dreaded Bike Trainer!

Maybe?

As the weather starts to turn that means many of us head inside and say hello to our bike trainer. Ugh! No more beautiful views as we race down the road. No more flying downhills or grinding uphills. A receipt for tragedy.

That is usually what goes running through my mind when my bike hits my trainer for the first time during the off season. That happened this week. However, this season I am going to try and look at being indoors as something of a positive and chance to improve.

Kevin Mackinnon, a former pro triathlete and coach, once wrote -

"The consistent effort is one of the factors that makes indoor training more efficient. Like running on a track or riding in a velodrome, the conditions are also very consistent, allowing you the opportunity to do test sets and gauge your progress."

To read the full article that the quote came from click here. I appreciate what he said about consistency because how often do I come to a light and wish that I could keep going because I am in the middle of an interval or a really great ride. More then that I think it helps my mental state to see improvement. I think that is true of most people. Seeing improvement helps keep us motivated. If you disagree with me please post below and share your thoughts. I would love to hear.

There is one other key piece that I am keeping in mind this winter on my trainer and that is the chance to do drills to improve muscular endurance, pedaling efficiency, power output, and build my threshold pace. When I shift my perspective to look at my indoor riding as an opportunity rather then a drag not only does the ride get easier, but then I open myself up to learning something new which could be the difference during racing season.

If you would like to join me on the trainer Bicycling Magazine and Triathlete Magazine have a few suggested training rides to get you started.

Make the Most of Your Trainer Time with These Indoor Cycling Workouts 

Quick Cycling Workouts for Power and Endurance

10 One-Hour Trainer Sessions

Run Analysis

Running Analysis

When I first scheduled my running analysis I had no idea what to expect beyond the understanding that I would be videoed and my form dissected. Well I definitely experienced just that during my analysis, what I wasn't ready for was how I would feel seeing myself on the screen and listening to the laundry list of issues that I have to fix with my gait. Some of my weaknesses were not a surprise because I have seen images of myself running but others were a surprise. It can be hard to stand there and hear everything that is wrong with your form, but the saving grace was the fact that I knew the end point - To be able to run efficiently and run forever! Isn't that the point of many of the additional elements of training? We may not want to strength training, stretch, etc., but it is all of the pieces together that make us a stronger whole.

A running analysis or gait analysis looks from head to toe. Nothing is off limits but because of that I was also able to hear some of the positives of my running. Yes the positives of my run form! We all have them, and it is necessary to remember what we do well. In my case, my head position looks good and I have a good understanding of arm swing. But like many runners my glute muscles need some attention and my alignment while running has some weakness. The good news though is that through little tweaks to my training through some prescribed exercises I can improve my running form. Yay! There are a couple ways to look at this though. One, I can ignore everything I heard and not take anything seriously. Not an option for me. Two, I can do the exercises begrudgingly knowing that I have additional work to add to a busy schedule. Again not an option. Three, I can do the exercises with gratitude knowing that I will become a better runner. That is my choice! There is always something to work on. Even professionals have their work to do. From my perspective, having things to work on makes training more fun. It keeps my head in the game and keeps my training a mindfulness practice as well.

And because I am all about giving resources fomr well respected sources below are few good articles to learn more about gait analysis, proper running form, and the muscles involved in running.

Active.com published a good article explaining in more detail what happens during an analysis and little bit more of the why. To read it click here.  I would highly recommend having an analysis done by a good professional. It is money well spent.

Runner's World also published a good article about Proper Running From that breaks down the different form elements. A good read.

Finally, Training Peaks came out with a good articles called How to Train The Three Most Important Muscles in Running that I like because it also gives ideas on how to strengthen the muscles groups.

Happy reading!