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.

Most Exercises are right...for someone

Many of us have heard or read that a particular exercise is not good for this or that reason.  The idea that certain exercises, or ways of doing them, can cause injury comes up in conversation consistently but, the truth is, almost all exercises are good for someone.

One of the most common debates I hear is the sit up vs. the crunch. Without a doubt, there are many people who should not do a full sit up and, instead, should stick with the crunch.  The difference is in the muscles used for either movement. 

Shown here by the America Council on Exercise, initiating the sit up works your abs and core (among other muscles that support the effort).  These muscles bring your chest towards your hips and, essentially, get “crunched” along the way.  Continuing all the way through the sit up engages the hip flexors, which are responsible for bringing your chest and thigh together. 

The hip flexors are often a problem because they weaken or shorten over time from too much sitting, running or cycling.  If not stretched and strengthened, these impaired muscles can lead you straight to a low back attack and are especially vulnerable during a sit-up.  For anyone with low back issues, sit-ups are extremely risky but if your back is strong and your core stable the sit up is an acceptable exercise.

Another debate that comes up regularly is whether running is bad for our bodies.  For anyone carrying an extra 100 pounds or dealing with "bone-on-bone” knee issues running is almost certainly off limits.  But for so many more of us, when done correctly, it’s a safe and effective exercise.  There are several muscular imbalances that can create knee, hip or back pain when running (or long after your run) but many of them can be managed effectively with targeted strength, flexibility and technique training.  Learning the best running mechanics, while keeping your body strong & stable, can keep you running for many years.

How about chest presses? When can you do them on a bench and when is it time for a seated or incline press?  Chest presses, like other “push” exercises, can be real trouble for someone with rotator cuff problems.  If your shoulders are in good shape, however, a chest or stability ball press is a great option.

With so many more examples out there you might see someone doing something you’ve heard was a bad idea. Perhaps it is...but maybe, just maybe, they’ve been shown how and why to do the exercise that’s right for them.

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.

Check the slant of your run and save your hips!

There was a point left out of my article from a month ago about choosing the right running surface.  I was planning on addressing it separately but, in hindsight, it deserved to be included.  It’s the simple rule to always make sure you’re running on the flattest part of whatever surface you’ve chosen…not doing so can result in significant hip, knee or ankle pain.

When I say “flat part” I don’t mean the least hilly.  I’m referring to the part of the road, trail or grass that is the least slanted.  As many of you may have noticed shoulders of roads, as well as many trails, are often slanted down to the outside.  This can wreak havoc on the entire musculoskeletal chain of your lower body because one foot will be falling lower than the other.  It’s this difference in muscle activity that is the primary cause of the problem.

As I mentioned in my running surface article, the harder the surface the more potential damage to your legs and hips (although more energy is returned for use in propulsion).  Regardless of the surface, however, whenever two sides of your body are not working in symmetry even more trouble can arise.  If one side of your pelvis is moving through a normal range of motion while running but the other side is moving a few degrees more or less than its counterpart then you’ll experience a shortening or tightening on the “higher side” and a possible lengthening or weakening on the lower side.  This will eventually create an uneven pull on the hips and lead you straight to painsville…which is probably not on your original route.

The hips are the most common place to feel this issue but if your feet aren’t landing on a level surface then your ankle and knees can also take quite a beating.  Which side of your body experiences this eventual pain is dependent on your current state of strength and flexibility but is most often the inside/higher side leg or hip.  Your level of conditioning also partially determines how quickly the issue hits you. 

So keep your eyes on the road ahead, as well as on the road below, and you’ll be another step closer to MOVING SMARTER and LIVING STRONGER.