Putting Your Core to Work

Continuing to build on the lessons of the previous videos, let's starting to get into some practical uses for "staying aware of your muscles and your core". As I've mentioned, a stable core and good posture are vital for keeping your back strong and your movements healthy and this 3 1/2 minute video explains how to find and activate the key core muscle, the Transverse Abdominal, and how to put it to work to help achieve your best posture.

This lesson is the foundation of moving smarter and living stronger....and will be the launching point for the next several lessons in the series.

As always, if you have any questions or comments don't hesitate to let me know down below or via email or FB.

Until next time...

Getting out of Your Physical Comfort Zone

We've all learned that getting out of your emotional, social or professional comfort zone is vital for personal growth. Talking to someone even though you're shy, asking for a raise when you think you deserve one or just standing up for yourself can all be uncomfortable. But what about getting out of your physical comfort zone? 

Just like achieving personal growth, we also need to work on physical growth; strength, balance, diet or just an improved sense of personal wellness. And none of that can happen without getting out of your physical comfort zone.

Down below you'll see a three and a half minute video exploring this idea further. I hope you find it useful.

And don't forget to pick up a copy of The Low-Back Repair Manual for your loved one...the cover has valentines colors on it :)

As always, if you have any questions or comments don't hesitate to let me know via email or FB.

Keep on MOVING SMARTER and LIVING STRONGER!

Taking care of that nagging Tech neck

I’m sure there’s plenty of people out there, besides me, noticing how much time we’re all spending looking down at our phones or tablets while emailing, texting and game playing? All this technical activity is proving destructive to our posture...and I’m not even talking about the eight or more hours per day many of us spend at a computer.   Keep reading and watch this 2 ½ minute video for some quick tips on how to overcome this new-age phenomenon known as “tech neck”.

It’s been often discussed that sitting at a computer for consistently long hours can cause our shoulders to roll forward, shortening/tightening our chest muscles and lengthening/weakening our upper back muscles.  Our modern day technical needs force us into a very hunched over posture and now the added burden of working on our phones is exacerbating the issue. 

When we hold our devices low in front of us, somewhere between waist and chest, we complicate this postural issue by extending our necks further, and for longer periods of time, than they’re designed for.  We force our necks to hold their weight against gravity (much like our backs as I discussed here, which brings us to the inevitable pain, strain and overall discomfort of “tech neck”.

As shown in the video, a good way to temporarily relieve this pain is to stretch.  To do this, simply isolate the spot of discomfort on your neck and elongate that muscle very slowly and gently.  You can place a hand on your head but do not apply pressure or force.  Just let the weight of your head and hand do the work.  Hold the stretch until you feel the release of tension (usually 20-30 seconds) and then slowly raise your head to an upright position keeping your cervical spine elongated.  Throughout this move please make sure your spine is straight, tall and supported through your core (i.e. good posture).

Speaking of good posture, another great way to minimize “tech neck” is to hold the device up and in front of your face.  You may feel a bit of fatigue in the arm muscles but as long as your posture is good, with neck level and shoulders down & back, that’s ok.  This technique has the added benefit of keeping your eyes forward, which may result in fewer pedestrian near misses.

So keep on sending those messages, even while walking if you must.  And as long as you’re holding your body and phone in the right position you’ll be one step closer to MOVING SMARTER and LIVING STRONGER.

Before you stand up, make sure you straighten up.

We've all been told how to bend or lift safely but when have we ever been shown how to get up correctly from the floor, bed or chair?  These simple instructions can be the difference between triggering a back strain or staying strong and stable.

Many of us lean forward as we begin to stand from the floor, bed or chair. This is often done to gather momentum to help us get up and makes the movement feel easier.  The reality is, however, that this motion makes your back muscles work much harder than they should (and, in most cases, harder than they can) because they're working against gravity to support more than 65% of your weight. Instead of risking those muscles as you stand, straighten your back straight above your waist with your core activated BEFORE you get up.  You will then be ready to use the strength of your legs (push through heels and mid-foot) to raise your body off the chair, bed or floor.  It may feel like more effort - and it will be for your legs - but if you follow this simple rule you'll greatly minimize the risk of back strain and be on your way to MOVING SMARTER and LIVING STRONGER.