Category: Exercise

HELLO SUMMER!

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, strength training, Uncategorized

And, hello muscles! In this post, I continue the discussion I began last month on the benefits of strength training as we grow older.

Exercise, and particularly strength training, is critical to maintaining bone health. We achieve peak bone mass during the first three decades of life, which then begins to decline over the rest of our lifespan. For women, the losses accelerate after the onset of menopause (O’Flaherty, 2000). Contributing factors to bone loss are a sedentary lifestyle, low calcium and vitamin D levels, and hormonal changes. As we age bone remodeling decreases in both sexes leading to a negative bone balance at specific critical sites (Rosen et al. 1994). A large part of the solution is weight training, which has been shown to effectively increase bone mineral density in the spine and hips of post-menopausal women (Zehnacker & Bemis-Dougherty, 2007). [More research is needed on the effects of resistance training on bone density in older men.]

To reverse bone loss combine resistance training (exercises such as squats, leg press, leg extension, hamstring curl, hip extension, back extension, bench press, shoulder press, biceps curl and triceps extension) with high impact activities (jumping, skipping, hopping, jogging). If you already have osteoporosis, or other joint issues, then choose walking, hiking, or low impact aerobic classes.

How much resistance training is needed to affect change? Try doing 2-3 sessions per week, of 5-6 different exercises for both upper and lower body, 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions (70-90% of 1 repetition maximum), which can be done in as little as 20 minutes. 

There’s no down side to adding in a few sessions per week. 😃  Increasing muscle mass equals better metabolism, better body composition, and better bones! 

👙🩳🩱🦴

In closing, I offer you two new videos. The first video is the second in my 5 Essential Exercises series – The Push. I cover four of my favorite upper body exercises that just about anyone can do. The second video is a vinyasa yoga practice where I talk a bit about the fifth limb in Patanjali’s yoga system – Pratayahara (turning in).

May this summer find you thriving and well!

that fresh spring feeling…

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, newsletter, Yoga
“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
–Rainer Maria Rilke

A refreshing spring rain is falling as I write this, full of the promise of growth and new things. My Easter Sunday was spent wandering through fields of stunning tulips, watching the cloud studded sky, and feeling the cool breeze under colorful flying kites.

The first quarter of 2024 had me stepping back from some tasks on my proverbial “to-do” list. Writing has always been full of angst for me, and producing a monthly newsletter – for as long as I have been – is more of a push than a pull. I decided to take a couple of months off from it, and then to only do them bi-monthly. And so, here we are!

This newsletter is the first in a series. The focus–what I consider to be the 5 Essential Strength Exercises for good health and wellness. Building and maintaining essential muscle mass is critical to enhancing our metabolism as adults, particularly as we age. For every decade of life, we lose 3-8% of muscle mass, or 5-10 lbs of lean muscle. That loss of lean muscle has a direct negative effect on metabolism (it becomes harder to lose weight, and easier to gain it), and strength (opening a jar of pickles becomes more and more difficult, standing up from sitting gets harder, and climbing stairs feels like climbing a mountain). 

The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way! All it takes is 20 minutes, two to three times per week, of some kind of strength training to improve our functional fitness, health, and wellness.  The 5 Essential Strength Exercises cover the critical areas of leg strength, pushing, pulling, and core. Choosing 5 different exercises, performing 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions, done on 2-3 non-consecutive days a week is enough for measurable improvements in overall strength.

The first essential exercise is the squat–basically what you do every time you sit down and stand up. There are many, many ways to perform a squat. At its most basic, using zero gym equipment, is a wall squat. All you need is a wall! The second most basic, sit-to-stand. Using a chair, a bench, a stability ball (that is bracketed so it doesn’t roll), your sofa, your bed, sit and then stand up. Repeat. The third, weighted squats using dumbbells, kettle bells, weighted balls, etc. I cover these, and a fourth option, in my latest exercise video (find it HERE).

Future newsletters will cover the next four essential strength exercises, so stay tuned! In closing, I hope you find the information useful, and that it inspires you to consider adding strength training to your health and wellness efforts.

🙏🏿🙏🏾🙏🏽🙏🙏🏻🙏🏼
Claudia

P.S. Also, find a new YIN YOGA – FOR ANXIETY video HERE. PLUS, 🌸 I have some fresh spring lovelies on sale for 25% off 🌸 in my Etsy shop: MADEWITHMANTRASHOP

Hello 2024!

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, newsletter, Yoga

Pause for just a moment. Take a long, slow inhale. Now exhale. Notice how you feel right now. No need to describe it, simply notice. Maybe try taking one or two more long slow breaths. Notice and feel. 

Such a simple thing–to pause, breath, and feel. 

That’s my one simple goal for 2024. To pause, slow down, breath, and notice what I am feeling–before responding to anything. Before I start a new task. Before I enter a conversation. During a conversation (this one is essential). It’s applicable to anything I am doing, even while writing this newsletter. The pause for me is key to responding in a thoughtful way, versus from a triggered pattern. 

May this be an invitation for you to practice pausing in the new year. 

Moving into the new year, I have a new vinyasa yoga class available for you on Vimeo. The theme: new year, new possibilities. Find it HERE.

I am adding a brand NEW class to my virtual teaching schedule: Strength & Conditioning (Small Group).The focus: Improving basic fitness with strength training, balance work, coordination, and flexibility training. Every Wednesday, from 8:00-9:00am. This offering begins January 31st.

I hope to see you soon!

Summer Ready

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, newsletter, Recipes, Yoga

Hello my friends!

I blinked, and it’s June already. The iris and lilacs are blooming, the sun is shining, and I’m ready for some summer fun! Visiting with family last month was the perfect inspiration for me to connect with my roots, and to refresh my personal goals. So, here we go!

Personally, I am adding more activities into my daily routine that are beyond my regular fitness program. Activities such as those listed below help boost non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). In a recent study (Ostendorf et al. 2018), researchers emphasized a major finding from their research on weight loss maintainers. These folks spent significantly less time in sedentary behavior. NEAT boosting activities are relatively low in physical demand, and can be sustained for long periods of time.

Here are some suggested ways to add more movement:

  1. Get up and walk around your house upon awakening each day.
  2. Take a walk after dinner.
  3. Take a brief walk every time you refill your water glass.
  4. Walk around the grocery store before you start shopping.
  5. Bring your groceries into your house one bag at a time.
  6. Wash the car by hand.
  7. Walk to a co-workers desk instead of emailing or calling.
  8. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator when possible.
  9. Walk in place or do alternating knees lifts during TV commercials.
  10. Every 30 minutes get up and move briskly for 1-3 minutes.

There are many, many more ways to add just a little more movement into the day. 😃

This month I’ve added two new video offerings to my Vimeo platform. (Opportunities to move! 😉)

  • Exercise Video of the Month: Walking Knee To Chest (find it HERE)
  • Glow Flow Vinyasa – Upward Facing Bow. This is a flowing vinyasa class with the opportunity to practice upward facing bow. Bridge pose is offered as an alternative.

Start your day–or finish a virtual class with me (please find my teaching schedule, and link for booking classes  HERE)–with a delicious high anti-oxidant fruit smoothie.  (🍊🥬 recipe👇🏼)

In closing, may the start of your summer be filled with fun activities, delicious food, and family and friends.

Claudia

SPINACH – ORANGE SMOOTHIE

Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrition, including vitamins K and C, and lutein–a potent antioxidant. According to JAMA and The Journal of Nutrition, higher intakes of lutein are linked to healthier cholesterol levels and improved eye health. Adding spinach to your blender helps spinach retain the highest amounts of lutein. Cooking methods such as boiling or frying cause spinach to lose lutein, particularly the longer you cook it. Liquified greens provide the biggest anti-oxidant punch, and adding dairy fats increases solubility. This delicious spinach and orange smoothie is a perfect quick breakfast, or post workout refresher.

  • 3/4 C milk, or non-dairy alternative
  • 1/2 C baby spinach
  • 2 T hemp seeds (hemp hearts), chia seeds, or ground flaxseed
  • 1 t honey
  • 1 t lime zest
  • 1 medium orange, peeled
  • 1 C ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Hello Spring!

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, Recipes

Keeping it simple this month. The warmer temps and fresh spring breezes, are inviting me to push away from my desk and spend more time outside. The first tulip greens are pushing through, and last year’s old growth is begging to be pruned, and cleared out. (Pssst. Gardening can improve dexterity, strength, endurance, and flexibility!)

In this month’s newsletter you will find my current virtual yoga teaching schedule, my new favorite core/arm/leg combination strengthening exercise, and a delicious recipe for a sweet potato yogurt bowl. (Research reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that adults with a higher total dairy intake had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.)

After the freeze
and the long slow thaw
the seeds we buried
reach again for the sun.
–Tyler Knott Gregson

May this new Spring season bring you fresh opportunities. 🌸🌼🌺

In Health & Wellness,
Claudia

Sweet-Potato Yogurt Bowl

  • 2 C sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed, cooked
  • 1 C milk or unsweetened dairy-free milk of choice 
  • 2 T maple syrup 
  • 1 t cinnamon 
  • 1 t ginger powder 
  • 1/8 t salt 
  • 4 C plain Greek yogurt 
  • Granola, nuts, seeds and/or berries (for topping) 

Place sweet potatoes, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a blender container and blend until smooth. (Blend in additional milk if needed for a smoother texture.) For each serving, place 1 cup yogurt in a serving bowl and swirl in the desired amount of sweet potato sauce. Add toppings. Makes four servings. 

(Source: IDEA Fitness Journal – Winter 2023)

a little March madness…

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, newsletter

“They do not tell you of this space,
this half-emptiness that comes when you
cartwheel over what you said
you could not do,”

Winter is holding firm here in the Pacific Northwest. Snow days call for clipping into boots and skis, and carving some turns. I love how the light on days like these has a certain glimmer and shine to it. The air so fresh crisp it almost snaps. For me winter is two parts staying snug inside, and one part getting outside to walk in snow that scrunches with each step. The key is to dress for it. 😉

“they do not tell you
it sounds like drumbeats,
that you will love the rhythm
of the new song it plays.”

If it’s raining, put on a slicker and boots, and dance through the raindrops. If falling snow drapes the world in the sound of silence–listen to its depths.

“This is the why,
of why we go,
this is the point to all of this,
the silencing of the doubters
that live loudest in our own chests,
the deaf ear we turn to fear
when we know we must go,
that wild calls,
and we must answer.”
–Tyler Knott Gregson

Behind every storm cloud the sun still shines. Be kind to yourself, and move your body. Challenge yourself, and keep setting goals. No matter how old (learning new things can make older adults’ brains 30 years younger in just 6 weeks), or young you are. And finally, be brave. Face everything and rise (aka FEAR).

In closing, this month in class, we are contemplating Svadhyaya — actively studying, meditating, and moving toward Self. What is the nature of reality (aka the sky behind the clouds)? What stories (stormy weather) does the mind create? Join me every Tuesday and Wednesday (schedule & links) for a little exploration.

And finally, please find my latest Exercise Video of the Month–Tricep Extension (aka strengthening for your upper arms) here.

In peace,
Claudia

The Giving Season

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, Holiday Sale, newsletter

Opening with words from the incomparable Tyler Knott Gregson:

“This is a time of harvest, show me what it is to give thanks,
to call people in and not out,
to echo truth into the night sky painted with spark
and drum, warm breath on cold air. Tell me
what you know of survival, quiet endurance
in the face of injustice and ignorance.

Teach me your stories, of hawk flight and the changing
of leaves on river bank, of first snowfall
and the silence that follows it.

You of all that was taken, you who have lost more
than we have will ever have. You of endless space
and star-filled skies, of thanksgiving as it was meant
to be, constantly with palms open in awe to all 
we are given. Teach me your stories, of the words
you leave behind, safely kept in bird song, in stream,
in late Summer thunder that haunts
as it rolls.”


The final quarter of 2022 rolled up on me faster than I can inhale. Tonight tiny ghosts and goblins will coming calling. I will light the Jack O’ Lanterns to ward off harm, and place a lit candle in a West facing window for lost loved ones. Family will gather around the table with me in a few weeks, to share in the bounty and give thanks for all we have. And, then before we know it Christmas and the New Year will be here. 

Fall is preparation for the quiet, still season to come. Shed old beliefs and habits like the dropping leaves. Share what you have with those who have less, so that we may all come through into the new light when it arrives again in the spring. We may be heading into the dark season, but there is light everywhere–in the joy of a smile, the glint of laughter, and the spark in someone’s eyes.

In closing, my latest exercise video (Upper Back Tension Release) has been released, find my teaching schedule and links to book virtual classes (perfect for releasing stress) here; and finally, the Giving Sale (20% off storewide) has started in my labor of love–MADE WITH MANTRA SHOP on Etsy–one-of-kind gifts for the special people in your life.

🤲🏻🤲🏾🤲🏽🤲🏿🤲🏼🤲

LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU
May All Beings Be Happy
OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI
May All Be In Peace

Summer is just around the corner….

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, Uncategorized, Yoga

Can you feel it?

As the possibilities for getting outside begin to truly open up, I hope you take the time to go out and wander. Take a day trip to the beach, a stroll under some ancient redwoods, or explore the shoreline of a lake (could be in hiking boots, or a kayak!). What speaks to you? What in nature plugs into your soul? Maybe it’s as simple as sitting in your backyard, or tending to a garden. For me, it’s equal parts walking on a beach, or hiking under a forest canopy. What’s most important is getting -o  u  t  s  i  d  e- for a good dose of sunshine vitamin D, fresh oxygen, and movement medicine (exercise!). Pack sunscreen, water, fresh fruit, and some energy fueling trail mix (find a yummy recipe below!).

This month I have some changes to my teaching schedule.  I am taking a hiatus from teaching live meditation classes.  As always, you can access my collection of guided meditation videos on Vimeo–I have a NEW one up! 

My Tuesday and Wednesday yoga classes continue. They can be found on the Moxie.xyz platform. Moxie is best accessed via your laptop/PC. If you are looking for a lower, slower, a bit more introspective class, try YIN YOGA. If you are interested in more creative, flowing vinyasa classes, try  GLOW FLOW VINYASA.

And, I am excited to be adding back into my teaching schedule two 30 Min Cardio Dance classes! These classes go back to my early roots of health and fitness. You can count on thirty minutes of low-impact, old-school, dance aerobics and jams guaranteed to bring on the sweat! No equipment needed. Just clear a little floor space. The Monday (9:00-9:30am PST) class is hosted on Moxie.  The Thursday (9:00-9:30am PST) class is hosted on Salut–this platform is for tablets/smartphones (iOS & android) only. Find me listed: Claudia Fountain.  

The best news–if you can’t make the LIVE classes, you can subscribe on Moxie, UNLIMITED VOD, and take the classes at a time that fits your schedule.  The subscription includes all video collections:  yoga, meditation, cardio dance, and bonus content.

Truly, my goal this month is to share my love of movement–whether it’s doing something out in nature, taking a yoga class, or getting my cardio on. It’s good for body, mind, and soul. One of the best ways I know of lifting a heavy mood (be it in mind, body, or emotions) is to MOVE it–literally. It’s all energy–and instead of letting it simmer and sink, I shift it through movement.

In closing, may June bring you much sunshine, many opportunities to connect with nature, and movement medicine.  🙏

Trail Mix Recipe

  • 3/4 cup raw pecans (Option: toast in the oven for 10 mins at 350 degrees F)
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews (Option: toast in the oven for 10 mins at 350 degrees F)
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened, unsulfured cherries
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened, unsulfured raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped 82% dark chocolate
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in a ziploc bag or mason jar. Will keep for up to 1 month.  Yields: 4-5 cups

[Recipe by: Davida Lederle – The Healthy Maven]

Self-Care Tools

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, Flexibility, Mantra, Meditation, newsletter, Online Offerings, Yoga, Yoga Nidra

“When the storms of life come, if they come to me personally, to my family, or to the world, I want to be strong enough to stand and be a strength to somebody else, be shelter for somebody else.”
–Anne Graham Lotz

Self-care in these turbulent times are essential, not just for ourselves, but also for our loved-ones, our neighbors, our fellow human beings sharing this beautiful planet we call Earth.

I have had many moments over the last three weeks where thoughts, fears, and feelings have overcome me.  I know I am not alone in this.  If you are feeling overwhelmed by emotions, reach out and talk to someone, write it out, dance it out, get some sunshine, pet your beloved dog or cat, do yoga, do any positive activity that helps to balance/level out the intensity of the energy you are feeling.

Some of my self-care go to’s are:

  • Limiting my daily news exposure to once, maybe twice, a day–like a status check-in.
  • Keeping a daily routine of showering and dressing like I would if it were a normal day (e.g., no pajamas, wearing my AppleWatch–the activity tracker is a great motivator, putting on mascara–yep!).
  • Making a healthy, yummy smoothie every morning.
  • Getting out for a walk, or a bicycle ride, in the neighborhood every single day.
  • Meditation.  Every morning, first thing when I wake up.

Other resources:

And finally, I have been slowly (and quietly) creating a Vimeo video channel for a while now.  There you will find my past videos, and new ones.  Some are guided meditations that are useful for reducing stress (Yoga Nidra, Leaf Meditation, and 4-7-8 Breath).  The newest videos are active sequences designed to get the body open and moving.  Find the videos here:   Claudia on Vimeo

Stay well my friends.  Stay well.

Online Offerings

by Claudia Fountain, posted in Exercise, Fitness, Flexibility, Mantra, Meditation, Online Offerings, Uncategorized, Yoga, Yoga Nidra

As we continue to navigate the waters of these strange times we are in, I am slowly working on adding more online video offerings.  Some are guided meditations that help you to ground and find peace.  Others are short sessions on improving active ROM.  My newest one is 20 minutes of standing leg strengthening and stretching.  My hope is that they are useful and helpful!

Please find the videos here:  Claudia Fountain on Vimeo

Stay well my friends!