Blog

• Yoga...Just say Om!

  12.27.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  ^{AP Photo}

  Becky Johnson, Certified Personal Trainer (ACE); IBNFC Certified Nutrition Coach

  Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, so one would assume it must provide some great benefits, right? Over the last decade as the interest and demand for mind-body programming has continued to increase, so has the number of research studies conducted to examine the specific benefits that yoga has to offer.

  Yoga does a body good.

  Studies have shown that regular yoga practice can improve muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and balance, which are often overlooked aspects of fitness. Yoga has also been shown to decrease ... Read More …

• Commonwealth Orthopaedics: LCL Sprain

  12.19.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  Redskins QB Robert Griffin III, suffered a Grade I LCL sprain during the Redskins-Ravens game on December 9th. The experts at Commonwealth Orthopaedics explain what a LCL Sprain is, break down three different grades of sprains and tells us how to treat them.

  A lateral collateral ligament (LCL) sprain is an injury to the ligament on the outer surface of the knee joint.

  The LCL connects the femur (thighbone) and the tibia, the outer bone of the two shinbones. It is a strong narrow rope of fibers that supports the outside of the knee, limiting sideways movement and keeping the ... Read More …

• When Life Gives You Lemons (or Oranges, Grapefruit, etc.)

  12.17.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  Jane Jakubczak MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN; Washington Redskins Team Dietitian

  The smell of a freshly cut grapefruit immediately takes me back to cold winter mornings growing up. My parents shared a grapefruit every morning with their breakfast. I realize now why “winter” is the season of this memory; winter is when citrus fruit is at its peak season.

  Citrus as a winter fruit is another example of Mother Nature’s perfect timing! 

  Citrus fruit provides us many of the nutrients needed to fend off colds, flu and other germs we are susceptible to at this time of year.

  When it ... Read More …

• Commonwealth Orthopaedics: ACL Injuries in Females

  12.15.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  Jordan Bernstine, Brandon Meriweather, and Chris Neild have all been recovering from season-ending ACL injuries. But, did you know that women are at a greater risk for ACL injuries compared to men? Check out the article below from Commonwealth Orthopaedics to learn more.

  ACL injuries are approximately 4-6 times greater in females compared to males. The female soccer player has the highest risk for ACL injury. With the increase in the understanding as to why the female athlete is at greater risk, prevention programs have been developed to help prevent ACL injury in the female athlete.

  Assessment of jump mechanics ... Read More …

• 2012 Lunge Challenge

  12.11.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  Becky Johnson, Certified Personal Trainer (ACE); IBNFC Certified Nutrition Coach

  We’ve all heard the statistics about holiday weight gain.  Americans can gain between 5-7 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Years.  During this time of year, I tell my clients to try to maintain their weight and fitness level.  No extreme dieting or marathon workouts.  As the saying goes,  “You can’t out exercise a bad diet”.  As our schedules get busy and our family obligations take over our lives, I thought I’d offer you an option to squeeze in some exercise.  It’s called the 2012 LUNGE CHALLENGE ... Read More …

• Commonwealth Orthopaedics: Pectoralis Muscle

  12.06.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  To the dismay of many, Brian Orakpo has been recovering from a torn pectoral muscle for much of the 2012 season. The Redskins star outside linebacker tore his left pectoral during a game against the St. Louis Rams in Week 2 of the regular season. Orakpo's 2011 season was cut short with a similar injury as well. 

  Pectoralis Muscles
  The pectoralis (pec) muscles are large, highly visible muscles located on each side of the chest. The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest (anterior) of the human body. It makes up the bulk of the ... Read More …

• How to Navigate the Season of Sweets!

  12.04.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  Jane Jakubczak MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN; Washington Redskins Team Dietitian

  I met with an athlete this week who leans heavily on sugar for boosts of energy throughout the day. It made me think about how in this season of sweet treats, many of us experience the same roller coaster highs and lows due to the abundance of confectioneries we are exposed to with holiday parties, baked good gifts, cookie baking marathons and candy canes at every turn.

  If you go through the next 6 weeks unconsciously picking up every cookie, candy and piece of pie that lands in your path ... Read More …

• The Little Black Dress Workout

  11.28.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  Becky Johnson, Certified Personal Trainer (ACE); IBNFC Certified Nutrition Coach

  Don't just wear your favorite dress at your next holiday party - Rock it! That's right, the little black dress (LBD). It’s one fashion staple that never seems to go out of style. I know you have a party dress in the back of your closet just waiting to come out! Lose fat and develop lean muscle with a total body workout you can do at home when you have a few minutes to spare. 

  For each exercise, start out with one set of 12 repetitions and work ... Read More …

• Commonwealth Orthopaedics: Hip Injuries

  11.23.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  Jammal Brown has spent all of the preseason and regular season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Brown attempted to practice earlier this month so that coaches could evaluate his performance since suffering from a hip injury, a torn ligamentum teres, that occurred during Training Camp. The right tackle underwent a hip arthroscopic procedure called arthroscopic debridement surgery at the beginning of the season, read more on the procedure below from Commonwealth Orthopaedics.

  Hip Arthroscopy: Minimally Invasive Alternative for Hip Problems

  Hip Arthroscopy will repair and restore the normal anatomy of the hip joint in a minimally invasive ... Read More …

• Powering Up for Black Friday!

  11.21.2012 / Blog Posts Health and Wellness

  

  Jane Jakubczak MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN; Washington Redskins Team Dietitian 

  This week we celebrate the super bowl of all shopping days “Black Friday”! Learn more about the history of Black Friday here.

  As I began to think about the nutrition strategies I’d offer WOW members for this event, I realized the strategies were the very same ones I encouraged the Redskins Players to follow this week in preparation to beat the Dallas Cowboys.  Our players prepare to maximize their strength, endurance and focus through proper nutrition; we can do the same to get us through our bargain hunting marathon ... Read More …