At Urban Fitness, it is not just about working your muscles, it is also HOW you work your muscles.   Whether it be through formal education or your own self-education about exercise, many of us think that muscles must contract and shorten in order to create movement and become stronger. However, several types of contractions […]

Injury prevention is a necessary part of any functional workout! Injury prevention is important because, at best, injuries are no fun. They disrupt our lives and leave us in miserable pain; and one injury often leads to more injuries. Besides the physical pain, injuries can increase or cause depression or other mental health issues. Therefore, […]

Portions of the abdomen are often under utilized. Strengthening the upper abs, those tucked right underneath the bottom ribs, can reduce mid-back pain and improve overall posture. The essence of this exercise is to continually engage the high abs which stabilize the rib cage in spite of the movement of your arms. Rib cage placement […]

Improve shoulder mobility in all directions with this great scapula, or shoulder blade, mobility exercise! Should blade mobility is important for more and easier movement of the arms and shoulders. Immobile shoulder blades can cause clicking or sticking shoulders and they can cause pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. This exercise helps create […]

Improve shoulder mobility to help reduce neck and shoulder pain with this great scapula, or shoulder blade, mobility exercise! Shoulder blade mobility is important for more and easier movement of the arms and shoulders. Immobile shoulder blades can cause clicking or sticking shoulders and they can cause pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. […]

Decrease shoulder pain through increased shoulder mobility! Immobility can create a great deal of pain, especially in the shoulder. This exercise helps improve your shoulder blade mobility, which can help decrease neck and shoulder pain. It can also help with upper back pain through the stretching of the back muscles between the shoulder blades. The […]

The essence of this exercise is about maintaining low ab engagement and contact of your low back on the mat even as your arms and legs move. Prior to picking your feet up off of the floor, engage your transverse abdominus by drawing the belly button down toward your spine. In order to bring your […]

Pilates is a full-body workout meant to strengthen the whole body, small and large muscles alike, as well as improve flexibility and mobility throughout the body. Typically a low impact workout, pilates can be done using props, machines or just your own body weight.   History of Pilates: Created by Joseph Pilates in the early-to-mid twentieth […]

Mobility and Flexibility: Equally important. Not the same thing. While in some ways, these two things are compatible, they are not exactly the same thing. An individual can be flexible but immobile or can be very mobile but not very flexible. What are they? Flexibility refers to the elasticity of your muscles. Mobility, however, refers […]