CLF TV Workout Previews
Enjoy these previews of my latest workouts!
Access the full routines with your CLF TV subscription today!
SLOW SEATED STRETCH
Do you experience persistent fatigue, making even simple movements feel like a struggle? Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and long COVID can significantly impact your energy levels and motivation, I get it. As a certified trainer with personal experience managing CFS for over 14 years, I understand the challenges you're facing. But the good news is, gentle stretching done the right way can be a powerful tool in managing these conditions.
Here's why incorporating a regular stretching routine can be incredibly beneficial for helping to improve your symptoms:
Improved Flexibility: Tight muscles can contribute to fatigue and discomfort. Stretching helps increase flexibility, making everyday activities easier and less taxing on your body.
Enhanced Blood Flow: Gentle stretches improve circulation, bringing oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, which can help combat fatigue.
Stress Reduction: Stress can exacerbate CFS and long COVID symptoms. Stretching is a calming practice that promotes relaxation and reduces stress hormones, leading to increased energy levels.
Better Sleep: Stretching can improve sleep quality, which is crucial for managing fatigue. Loosening tight muscles prepares your body for deep, restorative sleep.
Increased Motivation: As you feel your body becoming more flexible and mobile, you'll likely experience a boost in motivation to move your body further, promoting a positive cycle of improvement.
This gentle, all-seated stretching routine is perfect for those with moderate chronic fatigue or long COVID. No strenuous movements are included and all you will need is an exercise mat or bed, so you should be able to perform this one even on those more difficult days. Remember to start slow, listen to your body, and gradually increase the duration as you feel stronger. Please try to celebrate each small improvement – every little step forward is helping you regain your energy and well-being!
I am so confident that this gentle stretching routine will be such a valuable tool in helping you to feel better and reclaim back some of your life. So why not give it a try with me, I know you will love how you feel. I am happy to answer any questions you may have personally as well about this so don’t hesitate to email me if you need. Take care and enjoy this wonderful stretch.
Slow Seated Strength
I’ve created for you this all-seated, slow-strength routine specifically designed for those dealing with MILD ME/CFS or post-viral fatigue.
This workout provides many benefits including:
Helping you to improve your overall strength and muscle tone
Helping you to boost your energy levels (gradually)
Helping to promote in you a sense of well-being and recovery
With just a couple of light free weights and a mat you can still have a way to keep your fitness on track despite limitations. Isn’t that wonderful!
Just remember to start slow, listen to your body, and take a moment to be proud of every little step you are able to take forward. Even small improvements in your fitness level can make a significant difference in your overall well-being.
Try it out, and if you would like to see more like this one please email me to let me know. I will always respond to you personally. Enjoy.
Finally! The next ISOTONE workout is here! If you are short on time, yet want to fit in cardio, toning and stretching, this 30 minute, full body, 10-10-10 routine is for you and a great place to start out if you have never done one of my workouts in this series before. I created the ISOTONE exercise method to be both challenging and equally achievable to do, even if you are dealing with pain or energy limitations. The key is the combination of bodyweight isometric moves with isotonic moves performed in a specific sequence that is very effective. This routine will help you burn loads of calories by raising your heart rate and will improve your muscle tone and increase your metabolism via resistance exercises. Remember to listen to your body and only do moves that feel right for you. Enjoy!
Somatic stretching can have several benefits for helping to lessen chronic pain and fatigue when done consistently over time which include:
Improved Flexibility
Reduced Muscle Tension
Stress Reduction
Improved Circulation
Enhanced Sleep Quality
Mind-Body Connection
Just a reminder, these do take some time to work so please be patient with it and yourself- if you feel more pain, don’t worry, thats normal for the first few weeks - anytime you do deep, intense stretching like these to help release trauma and stress, your body may initially resist. Just try to stay persistent with it and you’ll experience the benefits! Enjoy.
This all seated, 15 minute stretch is designed to help reduce pain caused from fibromyalgia. The moves are easy to perform, yet can cause temporary pain to increase initially. These stretches, however, can help to relieve long term, ongoing pain and muscle spasms the more consistently you do them. So this means that you may not feel immediate relief the day you complete this, but you should feel the improvement the day after. For best results do this one several days a week for at least 2-6 weeks. Enjoy.
✸Note: This is different than trigger point therapy where pressure is directly applied to the sore areas.
This all standing 10 minute full body toning routine is perfect if you are short on time, low on motivation, or just a bit higher in pain. You will work all of your muscles while not overdoing it in this one, and I am positive it will make you feel so much better for your entire day. Remember always to listen to your body and go slow, and do what you can. Enjoy.
This all seated 10 minute full body toning routine is perfect if you are short on time and low on energy and motivation. You will gently work all of your muscles while not overdoing it in this one, and I am positive it will make you feel so much better for your entire day. Remember always to listen to your body and go slow, and do what you can. Enjoy.
COGA #5 - 30 Min.
Coga #5 will help to strengthen and tone your muscles fast while moving at a slow, calm, continual pace to reduce cortisol spikes and keep your stress levels low. This routine will challenge your flexibility in new ways that will increase your mobility over time and reduce tightness and pain in your body. So if you are new to exercise, or you are less flexible, then start with COGA #1 and work your way up to COGA #5, as these routines progress in difficulty. This is a great one do in the mornings or evenings or or just after a long day. Do what you can and remember to always listen to your body. Enjoy.
All Seated Upper Body Stretch 10 Min.
This is a perfect stretch if you find your upper body is often stiff and tight or if you have a lot of headaches and jaw pain. These feel-good moves help to lengthen your muscles and reduce pain in your upper back, chest, shoulder joints, and forearms. If you can’t do certain stretches in the beginning just keep slowly working at it and after a few times through you will feel more flexible and quickly see your mobility increase significantly. Enjoy.
All Seated Lower Body Stretch 10 Min.
This is a perfect stretch if you find your lower body is often stiff and tight and you have pain in your hips or knee joints. It helps to lengthen your muscles and reduce pain in your glutes, thighs, hips, calves and shins. If you can’t do certain stretches in the beginning just keep slowly working at it and after a few times through you will feel more flexible and quickly see your mobility increase significantly. Enjoy.
Full Body Body Build Up 45 Min.
This 45 minute routine is part of the "Body Build Up" series designed to help you take your fitness to the next level and get the body you have always wanted without placing too much stress on your joints, or your nervous system. If you are looking to get into lifting heavy weights but find that most routines make you feel terrible after a few weeks and force you to stop, this whole series is for you! Just remember to only do this routine when you start to feel a bit better consistently and are ready to handle a more challenging workout. Note, it is normal to feel sore during and after a workout like this where we lift heavier weights, so don't let that alarm you if it happens. If after a few days, however, you are are feeling worse from this one then you might want to lower your weights or try a different routine for the time being. I really want you to be able to work out the way you want without fear of crashing so listen to your body, enjoy, and have fun.
Type of workout: strength
Features: strengthens your body - burns calories - safe for most knee and neck issues
Workout position: standing + seated (all standing option included)
Energy level required: moderate - high
Intensity level: moderate - high
Equipment needed: exercise mat - heavy, medium & light free weights - chair
Duration: 45 minutes
Special Recommendations: Great for days you have more energy and a bit more time
4-7-8 BREATH WORK
This 10 minute breath work routine is perfect to use before, during or after a stressful event or known trigger that causes you more pain or fatigue symptoms. We will be using the 4-7-8 breathing method to help calm down your sympathetic nervous system and get your body into a more relaxed state. During the guided version of this routine I will also be adding in a simple brain retraining exercise to help calm down some of your body's reactions to trigger and stress. If you haven't tried this before you are going to love how it makes you feel and the changes you will see if you are consistent with it. I recommend making this a daily habit if possible and feel free to do the breathing exercises seated or standing, however, make sure that wherever you choose, it is a nice quiet place with little to no distractions. Pop this one onto the beginning or end of any of my workouts if you notice that exercise in general makes you flare. Enjoy.
Type of workout: breathing exercises
Features: Helps to lessen stress- anxiety - pain & fatigue
Workout position: lying - seated option
Energy level required: low
Intensity level: low
Equipment needed: exercise mat or bed
Duration: 10 minutes
Special Recommendations: great to use after a trigger or stressor that causes more symptoms - great to use before a stressful even that you know might cause symptoms
JAW PAIN SEATED STRETCH
If you deal with chronic jaw pain caused from TMJ disorder or fibromyalgia you need to try this stretch. The exercises chosen are specifically designed to help lessen pain in the jaw and upper neck areas so you should find relief if you do this routine often. Just remember if a particular stretch feels too painful for you, make sure that your form is correct and/or stop and take a break from that particular stretch. Note, the first few times you do this you might feel more pain afterwards, but this is normal, just try it a few times before you decide if it is good for your condition. Enjoy.
Type of workout: stretch
Features: Helps to lessen jaw pain caused from TMJ disorder or Fibromyalgia
Workout position: seated - can also be done standing if needed
Energy level required: low
Intensity level: low
Equipment needed: exercise mat or bed
Duration: 10 minutes
Special Recommendations: great also to lessen headaches and neck aches as well as stress.
FEEL GOOD STRETCH
This 10 minute, all seated, full body stretch is perfect to start your day and is a fantastic go-to stretch if you are short on time. The exercises used will help to lessen tightness in your body, improve your energy and calm your nervous system. If you like this one then don't forget to check out all of the other workouts in the ‘10 Minute Mornings’ series. Enjoy!
Features:
Great for fatigue
Great for fibromyalgia
Great for mobility issues
Great to reduce stress
Relaxing calm music
10 minutes or less