- Welcome to today's Quick Fit class.

I'm your host, Cassy Vieth.

I'm sure you've heard the term "It's all about balance."

Usually, that's used in reference to our lifestyle, but it also is very true when it comes to your muscles.

Join me now to learn how Quick Fit balances your muscles.

[gentle music] Having your shoes off during class allows your foot and ankle joints to have a full range of motion, as well as an opportunity to become stronger without the artificial support.

We'll start by rotating the leg right in the hip socket.

Nice and slow.

Your muscles are what move your bones around your joints.

Each muscle has an ideal length.

Switch it.

And when muscles on one side of the joint contract, the muscles on the opposite side of the joint must lengthen, sort of like a bicep curl, okay?

Shorten and lengthen.

Sit back into wider legs.

And we'll just start shifting your hips left and right.

Starting high and then getting a little lower.

As you know, muscles get tight and can stay that way.

Well, it's also true muscles get lengthened and can stay that way.

Both of these altered muscle lengths are weaker.

So if you imagine a joint with one muscle pulling too hard on one side, like your hip flexors when we sit too much, and the opposite muscle, your glutes, not pulling enough, this is what's called an imbalance.

So when you stand, now you've got low back stress.

All right, let's go back into that wider stance, and we'll do the tail tucks.

Tuck it under and arch, working on both sides of the pelvis.

These imbalances place unnatural stress on the joint, pulling it into an incorrect position, often causing pain, but it also results in dysfunctional movement that leads to injury.

A little wider.

Now work on circles, taking your time.

Imbalances occur whether you're active or inactive.

They can be present without you even knowing it, because other muscles try to pick up the slack.

But one day, bam, it just hits you with a spasm or some other injury caused by improper mechanics.

All right, now let's turn it to your left, okay.

We're going to press that heel back, stretching this hip flexor, the one that gets tight when we sit too much.

So daily classes like Quick Fit , where we stretch and strengthen muscles in the entire body, are not only necessary after you notice things aren't right, but they're necessary to prevent injury and repair imbalances you may not even be aware of.

Switch sides.

Okay, so we'll see squeeze your bottom, press that heel down.

And when you do experience an injury, accident, or other health event, you'll heal much quicker.

All right, let's grab the chair now.

And we're going to place your foot that's closer to the front edge up on top of the seat.

Okay, a big inhale now.

[inhales] And then exhale.

Stretching your inner thigh.

[exhales] Another big inhale [inhales] and exhale.

Let's put two hands up on the chair back.

Let your body sink down as gravity pulls it, and as your muscles relax.

Let's come out of it.

[inhales] All right.

Put your opposite hand down next to your foot, and let's reach up to the ceiling.

Fabulous, enjoy that.

[inhales] Big inhale, exhale.

[exhales] And then we'll walk around to the other side of your chair and do the other leg.

All right.

The foot, once again, that's closest to the front edge, a big inhale, and then we exhale, letting gravity naturally stretch the leg.

Another big inhale.

[inhales] Exhale.

[exhales] Taking your time, not rushing it, not forcing it.

We don't want you to grimace.

This is to be enjoyable.

Two hands up on the chair back, big inhale.

Twist through the spine and allow that shoulder to creep down lower.

[exhales] Partway up, inhale.

[inhales] And exhale.

[exhales] Very good.

All of these moves are helping to warm up your muscles and allow them to become actually more fluid, instead of viscous, which is kind of sticky.

All right.

Let's bring that leg down, and we'll switch legs.

So get your foot up on top of the chair, the foot that is closest to the chair back.

All right, and a couple of soft knees.

This allows your hips to be able to move a little better.

And sink down just a little bit and with a flat back, reach.

So you might have to stand up to have a flat back, but I'd prefer that you're not rounding, okay?

So reach, and reach, and reach.

Big inhale.

[inhales] And then you exhale during the stretch.

[exhales] Good, we don't want your brain to connect pain with any of these classes.

So now face forward and get your leg out to the side so that your inner foot is on the chair.

[inhales] Good.

[exhales] Now, if you have more range of motion and you can twist a little more, and it doesn't hurt anywhere, then go ahead.

[inhales] But just enjoy the stretch on that inner thigh.

Good, we'll rotate towards the seat again.

[inhales] Take your time, if you need to bring your foot down to readjust, do so.

I don't want you toppling over, okay.

Soft knees again.

[exhales] Arch and round, good.

Move that pelvis, we'll use the pelvis to stretch the low back.

[exhales and inhales] Good.

And exhale.

[exhales] Reaching for that imaginary rope, twist and reach.

Twist, sink, and reach.

[inhales] Twist.

[exhales] Very nice, all right, walk around your chair and we'll do the other leg.

All right, it's the leg that's closest to the chair back once again.

[inhales] A couple of soft knees, and reach.

Oh, that feels good.

And it might take you maybe a few months before you can say, "Well, that feels good today."

But keep up with it, because it really, really makes a difference in so many aspects, how you perform.

[inhales] You know, stiff muscles take a lot more work to move.

Loose muscles take less effort to move.

Isn't that interesting?

[inhales and exhales] All right, face forward, and let's get to that inner thigh.

Walk our fingers down.

[exhales] Can't go very far in this one.

And up.

[inhales] And if you have movement yet that you can do, go ahead and twist.

Turn and face the chair one more time.

Couple of soft knees.

[exhales] Pull the pelvis back and tuck.

And back.

And tuck.

[exhales] And reach.

I like the way this reach feels all the way down my ribs.

You know, you have muscles between your ribs and they get tight too, and they affect how you feel.

All right, bring that leg down, stretch it out, and grab that ankle.

Now, as you grab your ankle, squeeze your hind end, and then press that knee down.

[inhales] That's a very strong pull.

And then stir that knee.

It's probably getting right down to your tendons.

Those are the ends of your muscles that connect your muscles to your bones.

And they're not as flexible.

And they don't heal as quickly either when they get injured.

[inhales] All right.

They just don't have as much blood flowing to them.

All right, got your other leg, squeeze your bottom, press that knee down.

[inhales and exhales] Lots of breathing.

And a stir of the knee.

That feels so good.

I hope you've learned something today, and can now visualize what's going on around your joints, and why it's so important to take care of yourself in a consistent way, like a multivitamin or brushing your teeth.

So join me again right here at pbswisconsin.org/quickfit, where you can make that daily choice to take charge of your health, so you can live better, longer.

Because life is movement.

- Announcer: Funding for Quick Fit with Cassy is provided by Greg and Carol Griffin, founders of ElderSpan Management, Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.