Chris Alfaro

2 weeks ago | experiencelife.lifetime.life | Chris Alfaro |Emily Ewen

Optimizing your workout performance involves more than the exercises you do, the weights you choose, and the intensity you move at: It often starts with an effective warm-up and concludes with a proper cool-down. By focusing your warm-up on recruiting and engaging the muscles you’re going to be working, you can improve your ability to perform for and endure the length of the workout.

2 months ago | experiencelife.lifetime.life | Emily Ewen |Chris Alfaro

It doesn’t matter if you’re a pro athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or someone who is simply looking to stay active: Taking the time to recover is just as important as the time you put into your workouts. And one often-overlooked way of cooling down your body is stretching. “I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘I stretch too much,’” says Danny King, Master Trainer and director of performance and recovery for Life Time.

Oct 29, 2024 | experiencelife.lifetime.life | Katie Wahowske |Emily Ewen |Chris Alfaro

As assisted stretching becomes more popular, more people of all ages and fitness levels are experiencing its benefits: increased flexibility, better mobility, pain relief, and enhanced performance in exercise and everyday activities. “Dynamic Stretch — Life Time’s unique approach to assisted stretching — is designed to be adaptable for clients of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities,” says John Oliver, Dynamic Stretch Specialist at Life Time in St. Louis Park, Minn.

Apr 3, 2024 | experiencelife.lifetime.life | Chris Alfaro |Andrew Heffernan |Molly Kopischke |Emily Ewen

Stretching is a common recommendation for managing and relieving stress in the body — whether that tension stems from exercise or other causes. It requires a different mindset than strength or endurance training, yet it’s essential to proper recovery from those endeavors. Settling into the parts of your body that are frequently under heavy tension can help you experience the release of those hard-worked muscles and prevent injury. Most fitness injuries aren’t sudden events that come out of nowhere.