UM Personal Training

by Adam Toffan, M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS, CSEP-CEP Assistant Fitness Testing & Assessment Coordinator Recreation Services,  University of Manitoba Many of us have careers or are pursuing a career of some sort. We hope to be an expert in a given field so we can help people and provide a service that people can’t do themselves. Some people have a variety of learned skills. I am not a mechanic, however, I can change a flat tire.   Our bodies, like a car, are very complex machines. There is much more going on than anyone without directed study can understand fully. Both of these things are so complex that you can’t even do it justice with a photo because there are layers upon layers of interconnected parts. Why do we think we can maintain our bodies without the help of a professional when we would never dare to maintain our own vehicles? One issue is people see car maintenance as an investment for long term function but they see spending on their health as an expense. How...

by Adam Toffan, M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS, CSEP-CEP Assistant Fitness Testing and Assessment Coordinator Recreation Services University of Manitoba What is Static/Dynamic stretching? For years static stretching was all anyone did. Recently, many have said you should only do dynamic stretches. Should you do one over the other? Should you do both? Static stretching is holding a position for a prolonged period of time. The goal is to relax the muscle while stretching it. Research found that holding static stretches for ~30s was sufficient to elongate the muscle and improve flexibility. This helps you improve mobility for daily activities such as putting on your socks. It can also help prevent injury by increasing the range a joint can move through before muscle damage occurs. This type of stretching is most beneficial after a workout to help cooldown and prevent muscle tightening that occurs after activity. If flexibility is an issue you may need to add more stretching into your day, str...