About Me

I learned to love the journey, not the destination.I learned that this is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get.-Anna Quindlen Credit: SQNSport

I learned to love the journey, not the destination.I learned that this is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get.-Anna Quindlen
Credit: SQNSport

About Me

I have been coaching and helping people improve their fitness for over three decades. My passion is to help you become stronger for activities you love, and to guide you towards your specific goals. If you have recurring muscle and joint pain, I can help you identify musculoskeletal imbalances that are either causing or contributing to your pain, so you can enjoy life to the fullest.

I work with top-level athletes in the sports-oriented town of Sun Valley, and regular amazing folks. I also know from experience the challenges we face when rebounding from injuries, surgeries or chronic conditions.

In 2004 I was struck with spondylolisthesis, a painful slipped disc in my lower back. I was living with chronic pain. After undergoing surgery to fix my back I continued to focus and expand my education on the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, and how to manage and prevent back pain. Flash forward to the present, I am now a recognized Corrective Exercise Specialist in The BioMechanics Method ( TBMM-CES ).

Since 2000 I have also studied yoga with world-renowned yoga teachers, so if you train with me, you will surely do some yoga. Balance is huge for people over 40. So is the necessity of bringing together muscles and mind to move more efficiently, to relax when we need to relax, and to be powerful when power is needed. For example, have you ever noticed that a great skier’s upper body is always relaxed?

When you first begin working with me, you will undergo a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment. Results from this assessment then guides us to understand what muscles and other soft tissue are contributing to your condition. Each program is designed specifically for your needs and goals. We’ll look at any musculoskeletal imbalances and design a corrective exercise program to help you move better, if that’s what you are more interested in. If your goal is weight loss, we incorporate full body moves with high metabolic cost, as I want your time working out to be maximized.  Whether your goal is fat loss, feeling better, or returning to your favorite sport, I will bring abundant enthusiasm and the best programming to design your workout. ( If you train with me I can guarantee you that you will not be sore on the first day of ski season.)

As a former junior ski racer, my greatest passion skiing. I love to run, bike, practice yoga, and rock climb, taking me to the cliffs of the Greek Islands, Sardinia, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Thailand. Hiking with our Golden Retriever, Izzy, is also high on my list of things I love to do.

Here is a list of my credentials:

  • Corrective Exercise Specialist in The Biomechanics Method ( TBMM-CES ), the industry’s highest-rated CES credential.
  • American College of Sports Medicine ( ACSM ) Certified Exercise Physiologist 
  • American Council on Exercise (gold level)
  • Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research
  • Active Isolated Strengthening Therapist (a method of fascia release used to facilitate stretching)
  •  International Dance Exercise Association Elite Level Personal Trainer  ( the highest level of achievement in the personal fitness training industry)
  • TRX Suspension training coach.
  • Author of the Essential Core Poster ( click on link front page ! )
  • 30 year author of a popular monthly health and fitness column ” Fitness Guru ” for the Idaho Mountain Express
  • Yoga training with www.judithlasater.com, www.seanecorn.com, and www.erich schiffman.com
  • YMCA Group Exercise Leader

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Featured Post

Fitness Guru-How to find tight neck and shoulder relief

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4 stretches to stay ahead of aging

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Break old habits to fix an achy back

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Healing a sore back requires breaking some old habits and forming some new ones, says Dr. Stuart McGill. If you’re living with an achy back, getting your swagger back, as McGill, the most recognized spine researcher in the world, states, … Continue reading →

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Five everyday movements you need

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Add single -leg squats to your training

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Ankle flexibility for better balance and sports

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Try this new six-move fitness routine to break your pandemic rut Did you ever imagine living through a pan- demic? More than ever, we’re all chal- lenged to be resilient. For many of us, our routines are shot and the new … Continue reading →

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Recent Posts

Get flexible with the TRX deep squat

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Deep squats can improve hip mobility and leg strength.
Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

How easy is it for you to sit in a deep, bodyweight squat? Deep squats are a natural human movement. Knees fully bent, buttocks low to the ground and heels down, it’s a posture still used by people young and old, whether while eating, playing games, socializing or doing household chores. I’m not suggesting giving up chairs, but practicing deep squats on a regular basis is great for your hip mobility and leg strength.

Called the “primal” or “Asian” squat, the position requires hamstring, glute, ankle and hip mobility. Also, the front shin and spine need to be strong enough to hold you in position. For most people with healthy knees, a deep squat can improve the strength of the stabilizing ligaments and soft tissues. If you have problems with your squat depth and range of motion, specific calf and ankle stretches can also be helpful.

In a deep squat, you have to flex your ankles. The front shin needs to move forward over your toes. A limited range of motion in your ankles can affect not only good squatting form, but sports performance and balance. Two big muscles on the back of the leg, the gastrocnemius and soleus, provide movement, and are often tight or stiff. Both of these muscles attach to the heel via the Achilles tendon. These muscles play a big role when you flex your ankles.

The ankles have to bend. Dorsiflexion involves being able to bring the lower leg over the foot. It occurs any time your foot hits the ground. And, of course, in a squat. Using a TRX for assistance and stability, as shown, will help you experience a deeper stretch than you thought possible in both the ankles and hips in the deep squat. With daily practice, you’ll be able to get down on the floor and play with your kids or grandkids, impressing them with your youth!

TRX deep squat mobility warm-up

Hold onto a TRX, set a medium length and sink down into a low squat. Sink, sway and move side to side to open up your hips. Pull your hips both forward and back. Keep your heels down. Perform three to four reps of 20 to 30 seconds before standing up.

Once you are in a deep squat, sink, sway and move side to side to open up your hips & allow the shins to move forward

Best calf stretch (on a BOSU)

Stretching the calf muscle can help the ankle dorsiflex (so the shin comes over the foot)

Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

Place a BOSU ball against a wall for balance. Stand on the center of the dome with one leg behind you. Push the heel of the back foot down into the BOSU, leg straight, posture erect. Hold for 20 seconds. Move the heel outward 10 degrees and hold the stretch for 20 seconds, then move the heel inward 10 degrees and hold the stretch for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.

Connie Aronson is an exercise physiologist and corrective exercise specialist (TBBM-CES). Visit her at www.conniearonson.com and follow her on Instagram using @conniearon.

Vist link at https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/get-flexible-with-the-trx-deep-squat/article_9f9abbe6-6018-11ef-a047-b3262712cfd7.html

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