Health & Wellness

Props to Lauren!

by Julia Chan on September 2, 2013

I am dedicating this blog post to one of my favorite students, Lauren Riess. Her dedication, drive, and love for fitness helped her lose 100 lbs and finally get the flat stomach she dreamed of since she was a teenager. Her story and achievements are what makes my job so rewarding and so proud to have students like her.

For as long as Lauren can remember, she has always struggled with her weight. From 13 years of age through her college years, she fluctuated between 230 lbs to 270 lbs. Working out with a trainer, bouncing from one fad diet to another, controlling her urge to binge, and the emotional roller coaster that would take her from the high of losing weight to the low of accepting that she may be obsese forever. Her family encouraged her to eat healthy and stay active but as much as she tried, it was always an uphill battle. Lauren recalls, “I thought it was too late for me and for most of my life. I just accepted what I believed was my fate. Even when I was motivated and did lose weight through diets, I never to stuck to them. I would see success, lose 20 lbs and then quit.” The thought of having to continue on that track and commit to several more months of dieting and exercising only sent her back to depression and to inevitably give up again.

This yo-yo routine is common for those trying to lose substantial weight in a short time frame or for those that don’t have enough information or direction on how to. They jump on the bandwagon of fad diets (Hollywood Diet, Zone, Atkins, Cabbage Soup diet, Master Cleanse) that help you temporarily take off the weight but don’t help to keep it off or teach how to eat properly for the long run. It’s a typical set-up-to fail situation.

Lauren and I met at Crunch Gym almost 5 years ago. She was back from college for the summer and was determined to try again. She weighed 230 lbs when we first started and and lost 30 lbs in two months with me. But once she returned to college, she gained the weight right back. Her struggle then was with what she considered “diet foods.” Choosing to have diet coke, 10 calorie Jello, SmartOnes, sugar/fat free options was her idea of eating healthy. Her portions were large and eating patterns were uncontrollable and inconsistent. She had seen nutritionists who planned meals for her but she never stuck to them. She continued to “relapse into her old eating habits, not being conscious of portions, and lacking any desire to control herself around food”. Losing weight and being healthy was an insurmountable task that she felt she will never achieve.

Lauren 2011

After college, she got back on track and lost 45 lbs bringing her to 206 lbs in 2012. Lauren states “I realized I had to see Julia again when I had lost that weight but although I was skinnier, I wasn’t healthier and was going down a path that would cause me to revert into the same mindset and habits that contributed to my failures so many times.” She was seeing a doctor who put her on a 6 week low calorie diet that consisted of shakes, protein bars, and soups – an unrealistic diet that would put the pounds back on. “After 3 years apart, I still always talked about Julia and how she changed my summer. Now that I was really ready to commit, I knew she was the only person who could help and continue to keep me motivated on this journey towards health.”

So here we are today! Lauren, 200%, committed herself to living a natural and healthy lifestyle – to not only lose the weight but to become mentally and physically stronger so to never go back down that dark, scary, and overwhelming state that she experienced for over 10 years. She worked out 5-6 days a week (seeing me 2-3x), stuck to a “clean” diet without compromising her cravings. Lauren has lost a total of 100 lbs since the end of 2011 and 50 lbs of that with me since May 2012. Due to the substantial weight loss, excess skin was left around her midsection which became problematic during her workouts and a potential health risk. In May 2013, she received a tummy tuck that has now given her a flat stomach that she has always wanted.

Lauren 2013

Now weighing 150 lbs (her lowest weight), she still trains with me 3x a week, sticks to a clean diet and cleanses with me 2-3x a year. We can now work on sculpting, toning, and defining her muscles. Students like Lauren are hard to come by. So many come to me with a goal, reach it and then stop their workouts, go back to their old ways only to come back to me after 6 months. Lauren has fully embraced the fit and healthy lifestyle that I teach and now lives it to this day. She spreads the word of how exercising and eating right is what got her to her goal. But mostly expresses her deep gratitude for the love and support from her family and friends and how she could have never done it without them. Her mother and father are absolutlely adorable and I will never forget that day when they came to visit me after a run in the park with Lauren. They greeted me with a beautiful orchid, a card, and a hug with tears in their eyes thanking me for changing their daughter’s life.

So although this post may seem like an ode to me and my ability to whip someone into shape…this is a feat that is rarely achieved and should be recognized. So my hats to Lauren for being such an incredible human being and for being an exemplary student. Keep up the great work!

*Thank you, Lauren for allowing me to write about your journey to health. Love you, girl!

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Got back or hip pain? Start with your feet first!

by Julia Chan on July 15, 2013

Two weeks ago, I had pushed my body to its limit. Long runs, heavy lifting, intense yoga practice and a stressful week at work, I felt a deep pain in my joints, especially in my hip which was healing a stress fracture and a strain in the attachment at my greater trochanter. These injuries began to radiate throughout my hip (specifically in my sacroiliac joint – located in the pelvis by the sacrum) into my lower back. My yoga teacher, Ariel Karass, informed me after our private session that I needed to take at least 3 weeks off from physical activity. I’ve had more than my share of doctors, bodywork therapists, and fellow trainers tell me the same but his confirmation made my decision final.

During my week of rest (more mentally and physically challenging than I had expected), I worked with two massage therapists, a guided meditation teacher, and received chiropractic adjustment and acupuncture – all to help me heal. After collecting data from these brilliant professionals, there was one profound piece of information that hit the bull’s eye!

This was nothing new to me and something I often educate my students on yet I neglected to see this in myself…a simple pronation of my left foot. Pronation of the foot is when the heel angles inward and the arch collapses. Those with arches in their feet all have some form of pronation. It depends how extreme the pronation that determines how the foot will strike the ground, how the body will absorb the shock and where the bones and muscles will align as the foot lands. Runner’s World wrote a great article on the different types of pronation.

Regine Rousseau, massage therapist and pre-med student studying Orthopedic Surgery in Sports Medicine, performed alignment assessments before she began bodywork on me.
Try these on yourself!
– Pelvic tilt: Place 1 finger on the front boney knobs on each side of your hip. CHECK! Are your fingers lined up to form a straight line? Is one higher than the other? The one lower means that your pelvis is anteriorly rotated and the higher is posteriorly rotated.
– Slow walk: Take your time and consciously step one foot in front of the other when walking across a room. CHECK! Do your arches roll in? Does one hip drop down more than the other? Does your pelvis move front and back or side to side?
– External rotation of the legs: Lay on your back, make sure your legs are set hip width apart, flex both feet so they point straight up, then relax them. CHECK! Does one leg roll out more than the other?

My results were YES to most of the above. But the problem was in the over-pronation of my left foot. It created a tightness in the entire foot that led to a chain reaction up the shin to the knee to the hip flexors and then finally to the lower back. Who would have thought that your feet would lead to hip pain. But when you think of it…it’s pretty obvious.

The foot is the foundation of our body’s structure and the first and last part of the body to touch the ground. Elasticity of the foot is crucial as every step demands a stretching of its muscles and attachments. As elasticity decreases, so do the biomechanics. Not only do the muscles need to be elastic but most importantly the fascia that encases these muscles. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds our muscles, groups of muscles, and nerves (think of pantyhose or the casing around sausage). Fascia binds groups of muscles together so that others can slide smoothly over each other. When there is tightness or adhesion in the fascia, limitations occur in movement creating a pulling effect on muscles and their insertions.

For example, in over-pronation of the foot, the arch is where the pulling stems from. Inside the structure of the arch is the insertion point of the tibia posterior (see image) which travels up the back of the shin bone and behind the tibialis anterior (the muscle right next to the shin bone). When the fascia of your feet (plantar fascia) become overworked or bounded, it can add more pressure and pulling of the tibia posterior which can affect the alignment of your knees into the hips and up the back.

Tibialis Posterior insertion in the foot

This is when rolling of the foot or better known as Myofascial Release is the cure. Myofascial Release has exploded in both the fitness and massage industry and now recognized as the most effective form of healthcare therapy and treatment of pain and dysfunction. There are 2 ways of MFR: passive (one is completely relaxed and work is done on them) or active (where resistance is applied such as foam rolling).

Let’s talk about active release. Grab a tennis ball or a massage ball (I love these!) (for more density, use a lacrosse ball) and begin by placing it on the arch of your foot. Slowly roll up and down the arch releasing the fascia. When you find a tender spot, stop and apply your body weight to release adhesions. Once tension releases, begin to roll up and down the foot (see anatomy). Make sure you get the outer blade, center, and the balls of the feet. This will release tension in your feet and help you find more elasticity and stability as you walk, run, and stand.

Anatomy of the Foot. Note Fascia.

Strengthening the feet is just as important. Toe raises, toe taps, and resistance band work will strengthen the muscles of the feet and the lower leg helping to stabilize your stance, making your feet accountable for every step!

So the next time you’re feeling hip or back pain, look down at your feet. Pay attention to tightness and range of motion. Start by rolling your feet and then work your way up the leg to the hip. You will be surprised how those 2 little extremities can play a huge part in living a pain free life!

* Thank you to those that helped me heal during my week of rest. I’m so thankful to have them as part of my Community.
Massage Therapists: Regine Rousseau + Amey Shue (Soho Sanctuary)
Chiropractor and Acupuncturist: Dr. Gabrielle Francis (The Herban Alchemist)
Guided Meditation: Alison Blake
Yoga Teacher: Ariel Karass (Ariel Karass)

Posted in Community, Health & Wellness

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A MUST on your list…Tulum!

by Julia Chan on May 15, 2013

Just returned from a fantastic vacation in Mexico visiting Tulum and Riviera Maya (for my brother’s wedding) and I have truly been transported. My favorite part of this vacation, other than my brother tying the knot, was going back to simplicity…in Tulum.

If you haven’t been already, please put it on your list and visit this one strip of jungle-meets-ocean lined with eco conscious lodging, boutiques, and restaurants. Where electricity and water is conserved and common hotel amenities are few, Tulum allows you to connect with the green of the earth and the sounds of the oceans.

Climbing the Coba Ruins and jumping into cenotes were some of the tourist activities we did but my favorite was visiting Yoga Shala and starting my day with yoga.

Road to Yoga Shala. Yoga Shala located on the right.

Downward Dog at Yoga Shala

In addition to class at Yoga Shala, I joined Sherry Sidoti’s retreat group with a morning yoga session that was held in a hut overlooking the ocean. I also had a chance to meditate on the beach, connecting my breath with each crash of a wave. What is better than that?

If you have a list of places to visit, definitely put Tulum on that list. Even if you’re not into yoga or enjoy the more pampering all-inclusive hotels, you will still appreciate how real and natural a tourist city can be kept.

* Sherry Sidoti and I did our teacher training program together at Sonic Yoga. I’m so proud to have Sherry as part of My Community. She is an amazing fitness and yoga teacher and has a studio in Martha’s Vineyard. Please check out her site at Fly Yoga.

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A Pursuit of Happiness

by Julia Chan on April 11, 2013

If I were to sum up this week, I’d say it in one word….GRATEFUL! My birthday was last week and on the actual day, I did the things that I loved and would make me happy (run in the park and a workout, hang with my dog, day at the spa, delicious meal, and time with my fiancee). The one thing that would have made it more perfect would be to spend time with my family and closest friends. The week was filled with gifts, dinners, messages of love and affection but most of all moments of retrospection and reflection. And it really got me to think about life and the race we run every day in the ultimate pursuit of attaining happiness.

This weekend, I attended a workshop hosted by Kayleigh Pleas. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Kayleigh a few years back as a fitness instructor. She has taken her fitness talents further and now is a nutrition and wellness coach. Her workshop is called the “How to Happiness” and basically breaks down the science of happiness and how your nervous and endocrine systems work together to produce an overall shift in your body. Kayleigh’s research to support her teaching was extensive studying work from neuroscientist, Rick Hansen to social psychologist, Barbara Frederickson. She started her workshop with a positivity ratio quiz that measures your moments of contentment, gratitude, negativity, boredom, confidence, disgust and so many more emotions on a daily basis. It’s amazing how many emotions we tap into daily. This workshop teaches you how to be mindful of these emotions (especially the negative ones) and to turn them into positive happy ones.

I can’t say that I experience unhappiness as I generally have a positive outlook in life and am a happy-go-lucky person but will admit that living in NYC can wear that down. There are times that I want to barrel through the crowds at the Times Square train station and see how many people I can knock over. Not good and from what I learned in Kayleigh’s workshop, this negative emotion sets off the wheels to create a turmoil of hormones (cortisol and dopamine) to whirl around my body creating stress and uneasiness. I now bring awareness to those emotions once they arise and try to calm myself down before I react. But it takes practice.

Here are some things that I have taught myself to practice daily to remain calm and achieve happiness every NY minute of my day.

#1 Let Go! You can’t possibly be in control of every second in your life. Some things you just have to leave up to faith and fate. If you find yourself on a stalled train and you’re already running behind or if everything has gone wrong since the moment you stepped out your door, then just take a deep breath in and let it all go. Once you start to stress or feel anxious, your hypothalamus (a small but very important part of your brain that links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland) gears up to work. Your system then starts to secrete hormones through your system, your heart begins to pump faster, your digestive system stops during this time, and this cycle continues over and over again. If you stress often and long enough, your physical and mental body will break. Know that every moment you stress or huff in frustration, the less control you have not only of the situation but for yourself as well.

#2 Work It Out! Now that Spring has finally arrived, take your workouts outside. I love to take my clients for a run to Central Park or Washington Square Park. I use the park benches for step ups, push ups, tricep dips, and ab work. Find a set of stairs and use that for cardio. Take a resistance band with you and the exercises are endless. The benefits of exercise are hard to ignore. Physical activity gets your blood flowing smoothly (to help combat cardiovascular disease), delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues (improve muscle strength and endurance), help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep (to increase mental alertness), stimulates various brain chemicals (improving your mood leaving you feeling happier and more relaxed) and so much more.

#3 Work on Meditating. I am a yogi but I am far from being a guru in meditation. It is one of the hardest things to do. But I make sure I find brief moments of mindful meditation. On my train commute, between sessions, walking to get my lunch are all moments that I take for meditation. Meditation doesn’t only have to be seated in lotus pose on a yoga mat with your eyes closed. It’s what you make of it but most important is to clear your mind of everything but one thing. Neuroscientists have found that meditation shifts brain activity to different areas of the cortex. This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety.

I’ve recently started a new meditation where I close my eyes and focus on the noises that surround me. I don’t force myself to hear them but allow the noises to travel in one ear and out the other. It’s surprisingly calming and helps me to focus on this one thing – other than having to sit and meditate. Try it!

#4 Express Gratitude! We all know what we want in life and may have an expectation where we should be in life. Since I just had a birthday, I started to think of these expectations (a baby, owning a home, my own business, a certain amount in my bank account, etc.) that I almost lost track of what I do have. When I start to count my blessings, I automatically feel at ease. Being grateful helps your well being. Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough point out the benefits of expressing gratitude as ranging from better physical health to improved mental alertness. We forget about how much we do have: our health, love from our family and friends, and to simply be alive. Take some time today and think of these simple things and be truly grateful for all that you do have.

#5 Stay Connected! In this day in age, when you think of staying connected, you think Facebook, Twitter, email or text to keep in touch with others. But I’m talking about a real connection. And that means to pick up the phone and call, meet with your friends, laugh with your family, and even as simple as making eye contact with a stranger. I love this article in the NY Times, Your Phone vs Your Heart. The more attuned you are with others, the healthier you become. Try smiling or saying good morning to a stranger. You will be surprised how this simple act will brighten that moment. And consider the impact you may have on this stranger.

These are nothing new but these small actions can make a huge impact in your days and your overall health. Attaining happiness is very possible…it just takes a little bit of awareness and lots of practice. Thanks Kayleigh for bringing this to my attention again!

*I’m happy to have Kayleigh Pleas a part of my Community. Visit her site for upcoming “How to Happiness” workshops.

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What What What…a Stress Fracture?

by Julia Chan on March 22, 2013

I’ve been living with a hip injury for the past 8+ years, dating all the way back to my San Francisco days. I recall finishing up my workout at Crunch in the stretch area, sitting in a wide angle stretch (legs are wide open with your chest leaning forward) when all of a sudden I hear a pop in my groin. Didn’t think anything of it until the next day when I was super sore and limping for about 3 days. Then I was back to norm doing my usual workouts – thinking nothing of it.

I was a trainer then but was only 2 years into the profession so wasn’t experienced enough to know the repercussions of this pop, what my body was going through to heal it and not understanding pain and how the body changes when it experiences an injury.

The body is an amazing machine. It will adapt to anything that it’s exposed to for a certain length of time. Adaption can occur even in just 5 days. Repetitive motion triggers your nervous system sending it messages that the action must be done so your musculoskeletal system responds by stabilizing, strengthening, and compensating. That one repetitive action becomes part of your physical being changing your body in ways that can’t be reversed unless you take the steps to do so. We all experience this every day in our lives.

This is exactly what happened to my hip. The injury has evolved and has now created weakness in my adductors (inner thighs) and instability in the hip causing the surrounding muscles (glute medius and maximus, psoas, tensor fascia latae, IT band(not a muscle)) to pull and compensate, overloading weaker muscles (rotators and abductors) and joints (hip socket and sacroilliac). All these years, I’ve visited chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists, Gyrotonic instructors, physical therapists galore – all had their hypothesis but all unsure of where the injury lay and how my body was responding to it. But the pain was second nature to me so I tried to fix it myself. Focus on strengthening weaker muscles, aligning and watching my gait when running and always being aware of my form when doing any exercises. Lots of analysis and investigating on the source of where the pain was coming from led me to believe that I had once torn a ligament or the attachment to my hamstring and my body changed due to it. That was my final answer and I was sticking to it.

Up until last week, when I finally visited an orthopedic surgeon. My visit was for other reasons but I figured I’d maximize my time there and have my whole body looked at. X-rays came back great however he recommended I get an MRI for my hip as he suspected a labral tear.

Your hip is a ball and socket joint. The labrum is a type of cartilage that surrounds the ball and socket and forms a ring around the bony structure and provides stability to the joint.

Repetitive use/activity or an acute injury such as a fall or accident can create a rip or tear to this cartilage leading to a labral tear. The MRI I had this morning actually showed the contrary. Doc informed me that instead I may have a stress fracture in the femoral neck of my hip.

$hip-stress-fracture$

Stress fractures are tiny cracks in a bone and are caused by the repetitive application of force, often by overuse such as repeatedly jumping up and down or running long distances. Both of these injuries are susceptible in athletes and those that are active in their lifestyle (runners, dancers, martial art-ists? ;)) and it all boils down to pin pointing the problem and taking those steps to recovery. My symptoms can lead to either the labral tear or the stress fracture. Doc said that because I was trying to heal it and worked on strengthening that prevented the injury from getting any worse. Great news is neither of these injuries result to surgery and both can be managed with rest.

Chronic pains are no fun but once established, take a break and rest from the activity that causes this pain. Allow your body to heal. Try another activity that allows your body to move differently. Take the time to stretch and recover. This will prevent you from more serious and permanent damage that can eventually take you off your feet for longer than you’d like. This Tuesday, I’ll have a better gauge of what the injury really is when the doctor reviews the MRI with me. My next steps of recovery await.

Tell me about some chronic pains you’ve been feeling and what you’ve been doing to relieve them.

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Welcome to JSC Fitness!

by Julia Chan on January 21, 2013

My main goal is to continually educate my students with fitness and nutrition tips, exercises that supplement their workouts with me, and to guide them to live every day in a healthy, strong, and fit body.

The fitness industry is constantly changing. New information is introduced daily on the latest how to’s, new discoveries of biomechanics, the fastest way to achieve results, and the latest trends in diets. One can never quite know what is real vs what is just another marketing gimmick. I hope to weed all that out for my clients and provide the true form of fitness.

My perfectionism in fitness goes beyond perfect form in exercise but more so in the proper alignment of movement. This blog will mirror my style in training and only provide you with the true elements in fitness.

So to my students, keep checking back in for your homework and to keep up to date. I invite you to share with your friends. Pass on and share the information so we can all feel learn how to feel GREAT in our bodies.

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