4 core exercises done in a circuit. Each move is done for 30-60 seconds. Only rest between exercises is going from one station to the next.
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2-3 circuits with 30-60 second rest between circuits.

1. Face pulls with raise (optional) When you do face pulls make sure you’re not doing bicep curls. Bring your elbows out and try to pull your hands back as far as you can. Make sure to squeeze your shoulder blades. (Optional) Raise your hands holding the tension of the bands and bring them back down. Make sure all movements are controlled and that you’re focusing on your form and squeezing/flexing those back muscles. Remember this is to help your posture, so form is more important than volume.
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2. Pull Downs - Normally at the gym we do pull downs at a cable machine with a bar. What I like about using the bands or using individual handles is that one can pull straight through (parallel) to your torso, without having to pull in front or behind your head. Anyways, make sure to keep your elbows out, hands up aligned with your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades. You should feel a “stretch” between your shoulder blades going up and down your spine area.
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3. I don’t have a name for this movement, but when you start, point your thumbs up or in. As you stretch the band, turn your thumbs back. Remember to squeeze, focus on form, and control movements in both directions. . Please feel free to share. If there’s something specific you’d like me to post regarding health, fitness, and nutrition, let me know in the comments below.
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​#coachnilo #posture #workfromhome #stayhome #flattenthecurve #takeyourbreaks #facepulls #pulldowns #fitness #triathlontraining #triathlon #ironman #ironmantraining #swimbikerun #swimming #cycling #running #homeworkouts

1. Fire hydrants
10-15 circles to the front
10-15 circles to the back
10-15 straight out to the side
Switch Legs
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2. Low Lunge Pose with a back and forth rocking.
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You’ll feel a little stretch on your hamstrings and your inner thighs. Rock back and forth for about 10-15 seconds or longer if you feel like it. It’s a simple movement for anyone whose not too flexible. Feels good.
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3. High Lunge - Hip Flexor Stretch
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The trick to this stretch is to tighten the glutes (squeeze your butt) and reach for the sky. For extra stretch, you can turn your upper body towards the front leg and you can lean forward. Just keep squeezing the glutes and reaching.
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4. Lower back stretch
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Bend your knees so that you can grab the inside of your feet. Hold on tight. Push your feet as you hold on and intentionally focus on stretching your lower back. Try to relax your head, you’ll feel some tension on your upper back, but as your lower back stretches, you’ll notice some of the tension on your upper back will loosen up and you’ll be able to relax your head and neck a bit more.
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Let me know if you tried this and how you felt. If you’d like me to cover something specific in fitness, health, nutrition, or some related topic, please let me know and I’ll work on it as soon as possible.
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Please share this. I don’t mind. Stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll see you in the next video.
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#coachnilo #lowerbackstretch #fitness #socialdistancing #flattenthecurve #stayhome #triathlontraining #homeschooling

Yesterday, my mom and brother went to Costco to buy basic stuff, like toilet paper, and believe it or not, they were sold out. I had heard about people stocking up on toilet paper and in some cases people literally fighting over it; but it’s hard to believe until one actually sees it. By now you most likely know about this new virus making the world go crazy.  There is no cure, it is spreading quickly, and the media is scaring people. It honestly reminds me of the “non-logical” decisions the media and people make in the movies. You know when we ask during the movie, “why would they do that?” I’m not going to lie, it is very concerning knowing that there is a new virus infecting people and some people are dying from this. I am not superman, I can be infected just like anyone else and so can my children; but I’m not going crazy, stocking up on toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and causing mayhem. If we were quarantined, the water is not going to get shut down. We can still drink water out of the faucet. If you run out of toilet paper, there is always soap and water. There are people who have the virus, they are walking around us, and they have no idea that they have it. How will you prevent getting exposed if you make contact with someone like that? The experts are saying most of us are going to get exposed to this virus sooner or later. Let the scientists, the CDC and the Public Health Department focus on how we’re going to stop this virus.

We should be focusing on what we can control, like taking the preventative measures the CDC is telling us to do, doing things as a community and not hoarding stuff, and we can take it a step further and take care of our health and do what we can to strengthen our immune system. 

For those people who cannot strengthen their immune system because of some health issue, do your best. I would try to figure out a way to strengthen my immune system no matter what the doctors tell me. My mom went through chemo and radiation due to breast cancer and I've been helping her strengthen her immune system. I have always said I cannot guarantee that I will never get sick, but it has still been years without me getting sick and I am still doing what I can to stay as healthy as possible so that I can add on more years of being healthy.

Below are six things I have been doing for years--besides washing my hands and wiping my butt--to take care of my health and keep my immune system as strong as I possibly can.

1. Eat wholefoods and avoid processed food.  Wholefoods are eggs, meat, seafood, fruits and veggies. Eating wholefoods truly is the best way to strengthen our immune system.  I've mentioned this many times, I focus on eating high protein, (eggs, meat, fish, chicken), and the fruits and veggies I eat depending on how I feel or what I'm craving.

2. Drink plenty of water. The rule of thumb is to drink half your weight (measured in pounds) in ounces. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, then you would drink 80 ounces of water per day. There really is no exact amount, but I use it as a baseline for me. You can always add electrolytes to your water too.

Proper hydration will help your organs function properly, it helps flush out toxins, it helps your digestive system, it helps carry oxygen throughout your body, moderate body temperature and other things. All of these help your immune system.

3. Try to get plenty of sleep. This is a tough one for me, especially when my little ones keep us up at night. If we don’t sleep, we add stress to our body, our hormones get out of whack, and our bodies work over time. Our bodies repair when we sleep.

4. Stay active and sweat daily. We have a system in our bodies called the lymphatic system. This is our first line of defense against disease. It does this by filtering out the “bad” stuff in our blood and organs--it is a bit more complicated than this but I’ll keep it simple. This system does not have a heart, (pump), to move the lymphatic fluid up through our body. The only way this happens is through our movements. This is why I like to exercise in the morning; it gets my juices moving to help filter out and flush out the “bad” stuff.

I train a lot because I train for events like triathlons and marathons. You only need a        few minutes a day to get your heart pumping and break a sweat. The more consistent    you are, the more you’ll be able to do, and the more you’ll actually enjoy it. Again, if you do not know how to exercise, you can always research or ask a professional, like me.

5. I take high quality supplements that my body will truly absorb. Supplements can enhance a healthy diet. I take my digestive enzymes, probiotics, protease, greens, aminos, multi-vitamins and essential fatty acids daily. There are other specific supplements that I take for my sports, but the first ones mentioned I take them for my health and to help boost my immune system.

6. Listen to my body. There are times when I see people eat and eat and eat and eat. I hear them say, “I’m so stuffed,” yet, they keep eating. There are times when our body tells us it is time to shut down, but we stay up late, barely get any sleep, and the next day we’re tired and don’t feel very well. 

As an athlete, I have to pay attention to my body. I have to know when to push and when it is time to back off. Thanks to my training, I have learned to apply this concept to my everyday life. It is not that difficult and it doesn’t take time to pay attention to what your body is telling you at this very moment.

That is what I do. What will you do to better your health and strengthen your immune system? You can always copy what I do. There are no guarantees in life, except for death and taxes. I hope this virus is contained soon, but according to the experts, they believe most of us will be exposed. If my family and I do get exposed to this virus, I hope our immune system is strong enough to fight it off. The only thing we can do is focus on what we can control; and we can control what we put in our bodies, how we treat ourselves, and how we treat others. Is toilet paper going to protect someone from this virus? I highly doubt it. Hopefully the next time I go to the store there will be some toilet paper and I won’t feel weird thinking that people are looking at me like I’m crazy because I’m buying toilet paper.

If you’d like to see toilet paper on the store shelves again, please share this.

Blessings,
Jose Nilo