Michelle Papa Fit

My 2024 ins & outs ✨

Pelvic floor health 101 🌸

The pelvic floor plays a vital role in various functions and it’s important to strengthen the area in order to maintain overall health and quality of life!

Responsibilities include:
1. Supporting organs (bladder, uterus, re**um)
2. Core stability
3. Sexual function
4. Pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum recovery
5. Pelvic stability
6. Functional movement support

💪 Remember, building strength takes time and consistency is key! Start slow, listen to your body and let’s say hello to a stronger pelvic floor!

Are you ready to take charge of your pelvic health? Discover how personalized training with tailored exercises for pelvic health can empower your overall well-being!

*Note: Always consult a medical professional before starting any exercise program.*

I hear this a lot. “My hip flexors are tight and stretching doesn’t seem to really help”. While stretching is important, strengthening those muscles is even more so!

For example, if you are someone who spends most of the time seated at a desk, or long periods sitting in a car, your hips are in a constant shortened position and therefore are more than likely weak. Tests such as the Thomas test are a good way to test for weakness in the hip flexors.

Our hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint made up of the femur and pelvis and is responsible for a wide range of motions with flexion at the hip joint being the primary movement. So check out the following slides for exercises to help strengthen the iliopsoas and re**us femoris. Video examples out soon!

**Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice. Please seek a professional medical consultation before engaging in a fitness program.**

First day of summer is here! ☀️Longest day of the year and also the day before my birthday 🍾

💧Make sure you stay hydrated, protect your skin from the sun, get your vitamin D and if you’re lucky to be by the water enjoy some time listening to the waves. It’s one of my favorite sounds, so soothing!

The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a breathing method that allows your mind and body to reach a state of relaxation, connect and regulate your breath and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.

As someone who suffers from anxiety and POTS (which is a disorder of the autonomic system) this breathing technique helps calm those fight-or-flight symtoms, especially rapid heart-rate. All you need to do is get into a comfortable position, close your eyes and do the following.

1. Breathe in for 4 seconds
2. Hold your breath for 7 seconds
3. Exhale for 8 seconds
4. Repeat 3x through

Happy relaxing 🧘🏼‍♀️

Every year I find a central quote and use it as the starting point for my vision board. A good reminder to put your mind towards your goals & dreams and make them come to fruition ✨

Mat Pilates workouts are great for improving posture stability, coordination, balance, flexibility, focus, body awareness and injury prevention! The workouts have a strong focus on the core muscles while also training the arms and legs. These exercises are done using a yoga mat and body weight. Like Barre workouts, Pilates and Pilates-inspired workouts can be modified for an age or fitness level!

5 steps to mental well-being! Take care of your mind and your body. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health ✨

1. Quiet your mind.
2. Move your body.
3. Limit screen time.
4. Get restful sleep.
5. Connect with people.

*Please seek professional help if you are experiencing severe symptoms. If you or a loved one have thoughts of harming yourself dial 911 or text/call the crisis lifeline at 988.

Bear plank - a fantastic move to strengthen and fire up your core 🔥 Try holding this position for 30 - 60 seconds.

What are the benefits?
Bear plank is a bodyweight exercise that is great at strengthening the core muscles responsible for stabilizing the spine. It activates the re**us abdominis aka the “six-pack” (which makes up the top layer of your abdominal muscles), the transverse abdominis (the deepest layer of abdominal muscles), the internal and external obliques (trunk flexion, side bends, and rotation of the spine) as well as the glutes, quads, and shoulders.

✨Overall this move will help improve your balance, posture, and core stabilization.

How do you do it?
1. Get into a quadruped (tabletop) position
2. Keep your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips
3. Engage your core
4. Create a neutral spine (avoid arching your lower back)
5. Lift knees to hover about an inch or two from the ground
6. Start by holding for 30 seconds and then progress up to 60 seconds. Eventually repeating this for 3 sets.
7. Don’t forget to breathe! 😄

Music is such a good motivator when working out and pushes you through fatigue! This song is one of my favorites that gets me through an exercise. I personally enjoy working out to the beat of the music and use it to keep my pace, motivate me and hype me up 🎶What is one of your go to workout songs?

A daily reminder for yourself

What are Barre workouts?

Barre is a low-impact strength and endurance workout inspired by ballet, yoga and Pilates. Think slow movements with high-intensity intervals. It focuses on the major muscle groups by fatiguing muscles though small isometricic targeted movements, high reps, and lightweight and/or resistance that is easy on the joints. The workouts are music-driven, require minimal to no equipment, and are suitable for all levels of fitness!

Happy Monday | Now is a good time to set your intentions & goals for the week ✔️

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