The Christmas Ache

Well, the season is upon us to forget all the we have worked on from the past year. Now is the time to become irresponsible, forget your diet, stop exercising, don't stretch... just fall off the wagon. A little known fact is that during the holiday season the risk of heart attacks and strokes roughly triples. The reason this occurs is that people forget to take their medications, eat foods that they don't normally eat. This causes a cascade effect of increasing blood pressure and changes in body composition, coupled with the stress of the holiday season. An unfortunate fact is that the rate of suicides also increases exponentially during the holidays. So the best advice I can give during the stressful season is that the best path to take is to continue on the path you're on. keep exercising, manage your diet carefully, avoid stressful situations, and just have a good time. If you have not begun a regular habit of diet and exercise now is absolutely the best time to start. Staying true exercise and diet program this time a year will make it much much easier to continue a healthy habit good lifestyle changes with the upcoming new year. And as I'm always fond of saying Summers comming!

Holiday INSANITY

Well, judging by the high amount of sick out calls from our clients the past few weeks the holidays must be upon us. Stress, s*&%#ty food, poor sleep, exposure to germs, strange weather (80 here yesterday while the rest of the country is frozen). This all takes a toll on the body. For some reason most folks just stop.......exercising, supplements, water, sleep etc. during the holidays. Is there a law I missed that says it's OK to fall off the proverbial wagon. And of course these are the same people that drag their butts back in after new years and wonder why they feel and look do bad. Year after year the same pattern, but expecting a different result. That sounds like insanity, doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Do your body and immune system a favor, walk the line! Keep stretching, walking, exercising. Keep taking your supplements to give your poor overworked immune system a boost ( I am referring to JUICE PLUS, vitamin C, and fish oil. Remember that just 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise in the morning will do wonders to keep you in line and to allow a little splurge here and there. Also, do not forget the benefit of a good nap.

Painfully Responsible

As adults, we are supposed to be intelligent enough to understand that if we have pain, or an injury, and we have been taught how to manage that pain than deal with it. To just sit around in pain and ignore what you need to do to lessen the pain just baffles me. Now, I understand pain, it makes you forget things, it makes you angry, it changes you! but that does not absolve you from a few simple stretches, ice, massage etc. to help deal with the symptoms. To have a client come in and say that it is just getting worse never ceases to amaze me. The pain will not just go away by it's self, it is your bodies way of telling you that something is wrong, take the time to listen.

Core Fitness

Core training, core fitness, core strength, core, core, core. Do you know what the 'core' of your body really is or where it is. Does your trainer or therapist know. 'Core' fitness is the current catch phrase in the fitness industry. Hundreds of gimmicks, machines and programs have been marketed to an uneducated population all with the belief of building strong ab's.
The sad fact is that most people do not realize that the core is your entire torso, so if you have no arms or legs all that is left is your core. With that being said does it make sense to just train a single 'core' muscle? NO. To effectively and efficiently train the core (ab's, back, spine) one must engage ALL of the muscles at the same time. This is not that hard to do, simply buy My book (shameless plug) and learn all about it.

www.backtofeelinggreat.com

Eat Like a Bird

Just a few quick thoughts for the upcoming holiday. The average American will eat soooooo much food that they can actually re-set their metabolism LOWER. That's right, from now until past new years most people will consume so many calories (food, alcohol, sweets) that they send a signal to their bodies telling it to burn fewer calories, the net result is that you can actually re-set your caloric furnace lower. If this happens every year over a lifetime, do the math!.
The trick is simple, eat smaller portions. Eat what you want just eat less. Take a walk before you eat, play with the kids, throw the ball around. Become or remain active over the holiday, eat smaller portions-graze instead of binge. To end on a sobering thought, alcohol calories have the same weight and effect as fat calories, roughly double that of protein. make good choices!

Big Belly, Big Bench, Bad Shoulders

Sorry for the lack of posting this week, new employee to train and start of the holiday rush. While I was in the gym this past week I noticed a lot of new faces getting a start on the new years resolutions, good for them. There was a 'guy', you know the one, big belly and obviously out of shape. He walked in and went strait to the bench, which he lay on to exercise. One of my favorite questions to ask anyone who is dead set on bench pressing is....... "IF YOU LAYING ON YOUR BACK ON THE PLAYING FIELD OF LIFE, YOU LOST!". There is no reason to bench press-ever. The damage it does to your shoulders alone is just sick. Try to do a chest press standing, it is much better for you and much more functional.

Massage anyone?

Do you get massage?, if you are among the many that do get a regular massage than good for you! If you do not or have only had a 'spa' massage than let me tell ya' something. Missing out, left behind, too little too late....get the idea. massage is an integral modality for anyone to get on a regular basis. A good therapeutic massage (neuromuscular, deep tissue, Myofascial, ART etc) are absolutely phenomenal for relieving stress, increasing flexibility, decreasing pain and increasing blood flow. Athletes should receive a massage at least every other to every week, while others benefit from massage on a monthly basis. Massage is a great way to prevent stress and worsening of postural syndromes and it feels good. Treat your self to something that feels good and is good for you.

Simple Nutrition Substitutions

BAD GOOD

Meat Pizza -Vegetable Pizza
Plain ‘white’ bagel -Whole Wheat bagel
White bread -Whole wheat
Mayonnaise -Mustard
Cookies- Fruit
Soda -Water
Fried foods -Baked-broiled-grilled
Burger -GRILLED chicken sand.
Fries -Salad / fruit
Baked potato -Sweet potato / yam
White rice -Brown rice
Creamy salad dressing -Oil based salad dressing
Roast beef -Turkey or lean ham
Ice cream -Frozen yogurt
Cheese- No cheese
Bacon or Sausage -Turkey Bacon or Sausage
Milk -Skim or soy milk
Chips -Pretzels
Candy Bar -Protein or energy bar or
Raisins

Enough said!

Responsibility

It NEVER ceases to amaze me that people do not take responsibility for their pain. You are a smart person, educated and have been active most of your life. Along the way you have learned a lot of things. But, as soon as PAIN sets in all of that intelligence is gone. i can not tell you how many times I have educated patients and clients on managing their symptoms. if your shoulder is sore ice and stretch it, maybe use an anti-inflammatory, get a massage. Pain will change how you think, and the second you experience pain the psyche changes and you do all the incorrect stuff. Heat generally makes it worse, no one remembers to stretch or self massage. But we all immediately run to the doctor or just sit there miserable.
Take responsibility for your pain, be proactive. ICE before you heat, stretch, use a tennis ball to self massage or go see a massage therapist.......be responsible.

The Day After (all hallows eve)

SOOOO, it's the day after. The kids are crazed on sugar and the adults have stashed away their favorite treats. Make today a special day, take all the leftovers (adults!) and get rid of but a few pieces. Treat your self to one piece a day for one week, the calories saved will amaze you. As I sat in my yard last PM contributing the the problem I began to read the ingredient list of the candies. Excuse me by saying @#$%^&*()-+, I do not eat that stuff, so I do not know what is in it, and trust me it is not good stuff. The sad fact is that most of the ingredients are also found in common foods you eat each day, the sugars and colors and stabilizers.....scary!

Are you making it worse?

Anyone I meet who exercises and is striving to live a healthy lifestyle is OK in my book. But, and there is always a but, there is a chance that some of the exercises that you are doing may be hurting you. Case in point, yesterday a very nice person came in for a biomechanmical evaluation, he has a severe forward head posture accompanied with pronounced rounding of the shoulders. This gentleman travels a lot and has been doing a lot of push ups and crunches. The unfortunate fact is that both of those exercises actually make his postural distortions worse and actually encourages the faulty patterns in his body. So, the catch 22 is that he is exercising but in doing so he is placing a sick amount of strain on his neck and taking years off his shoulders, specifically his Rotator Cuff. As I always say, please know what you don't know, and when in doubt let a QUALIFIED fitness professional get you started.

You are what you eat

Seems like a simple statement!, but the fact is that our foods are loaded with bad stuff. hidden sugars, fats, preservatives, stabilizers etc. few of which are good for you. It make sense to most that if you put sand into your gas tank the car will not run so good. Why is your body any different? We constantly overeat, intaking unbalanced foods deficient in nutrients, but as long as you take your processed vitamin you're OK. Did you ever stop and wonder why the incidence of cancers and other diseases is so high yet medical technology is the best ever? Mom was right, eat your fruits and veggies, but you definitely do not need to clean your plate.

Open your Mind to Access your Body

Yesterday, while I was working my weekly shift as a Paramedic (saving stupid people from themselves) my partner who is a very smart person was continuously shocked at what I brought to eat. She mocked my protein muffin and meal replacement bar and could not even comprehend the superfood drink I purchased. As my partner sat and contently ate her honey bun followed by her salty high fat chips it once again dawned on me that if you can not open your mind to different things or even try them you have already failed. Eating something different from the norm is so different that you will not even open your mind the concept that it can taste good. Is this any different from the person who has pain and refuses to do anything different to lessen their pain?. Oh, that's the definition of insanity.

Thought for the Day

Did you know that research has shown that people who fidget a lot actually burn more calories than people who just sit still. Now we are not talking about the 'A's who just can not sit still, we are referring to those folks who just move around alot. See, it's really not that hard to burn calories.

Thought For the Week

While riding around town this past weekend I noted just how many people are obese. When you are overweight / obese it creates an amazing amount of strain on your joints. You are forced to move differently because of girth, your joints take an incredible amount of force and compression that they were never designed to take. Over time this all wears down to the point of failure. Couple the metabolic effects (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney issues) and you don't have a chance. The rate of lost days from the above factors spirals upward and the obese person quickly becomes a burden on society (medical, insurance, employer). An interesting fact is that the majority of the obese are obese because of lifestyle and personal choices, most have no metabolic issues that make them obese. If you were to drop them in the middle of nowhere with only water they would be able to survive off their stored fat for weeks with little or no problems......just goes to show you what a little portion control will do!.

The Second Best Back Exercise Ever

Oh my gosh, it's time to let the secret out!. The worlds best second best back exercise. only it's not really a back exercise. This fantastic exercise actually works the abdominal wall or more specifically the obliques and a muscle called the transverse abdominius. These two muscles are directly responsible for giving your spine it's rigid stability and it's ability to move under control. They basically function like a corset around the lower torso. so with out further delay.........the Lateral plank aka the side bridge.

There are no Handrails in the game of Life!

Last time that I checked, there are no handrails in life. At no time is there any guarantee of balance, stability or control. You and your body must be able to provide the control necessary to avoid injury, this could be from falling, stumbling, poor muscle contraction etc.. So one would assume that exercising while SITTING on a stable surface is not such a good thing, it does not allow you to fire the muscles necessary to stimulate balance or stability, but that's what people still do. Last time I looked working twice as hard as you have to is not a good thing, but that's what people do, work more to get less. There is a way to do less, get more and decrease the chances of injury....what a concept!. Functional training is just that and it allows you to exercise like your body was meant to and actually achieve the results you want, all while limiting or reducing back pain.

Couch Potatoes unite

It's football season again, and for most that means hours sinking deeper and deeper into the couch. Has anyone ever equated how they feel monday morning to their activities ( or lack their of) over the weekend. Would a walk in the A.M. and some light stretching during the game be so bad (yes you must put down your beer to stretch). If you have bought the book you have realized that TV time is perfect for the foam roller, pain anyone?. Sarcasm asside, we all complain about how we feel monday but who is to blame. Simple exercises done randomly at home are easy to do and continue your advancement on the path toward freedom from back pain. Now get up and go for a walk.

Walk to ease the Pain

Did you know that the simple act of getting off your behind and going for a walk will significantly reduce back pain. Just walking at a comfortable pace while letting the arms swing normally will actually 'lubricate' the spine which decreases the friction between the disk-vertebrae-nerve. Walking also forces the muscles in your glutes, back and ab's to do their job and if they are doing their job they can not spasm and cause as much pain...what a concept, and so simple.!

Stop the Insanity

Please excuse my rant. It never ceases to amaze me, no matter how many times I go the gym or interview 'trainers' for a job, the amazing lack of understanding in the fitness industry. Almost constantly I see 'trainers' destroying their clients who have entrusted their bodies to them. These trainers, who mean well, just do not have the understanding of how the human body actually works. As I explained to a trainer yesterday, it is easy to provide someone with exercises, it is much harder to provide them with the appropriate exercises that that person actually needs, and for that matter exercises that will not hurt that person. PLEASE make sure that your trainer is Certified nationally( NSCA, NASM,) and take the time to be self informed enough to know if your trainer does not know. The information is out there, it is almost all online, just take the time to learn some of it, please. If not just buy my book and at least learn the basic exercises to strengthen the spine and pelvis....(shameless plug.)

You may be hurting your back trying to help it!

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Is it possible that performing the same old exercises is actually making you weaker or reinforcing your injury. have you ever stoped to think that if the exercises you have done for years, the ones you never saw any results with, may not be achieving their goals. With the advent of the computer, specifically computer EMG's (electro myelogram) we now have the ability to see and read how the muscles contract. Guess what we learned? many of the exercises we performed in the past were not the best for us. There is a better way and better exercises, we now have the ability to work less and get more out of it while not causing any injury to ourselves....muscular efficiency.

Just Move

While I was working on the ambulance this weekend (in between calls) I was catching up on my journals, you know, an idle mind..... I came across a study on back pain sufferers and their recovery from their injury, none had any surgical intervention. Of all the people surveyed, and it was a good amount of participants over a longer period of time, they all had one thing in common. They all continued to exercise, stretch and eat well. The study clearly showed that those that just stayed active (yard work, house work, walking etc.) all had almost no recurrence from their pain. I guess you can say they took responsibility for their pain.

Back Pain does not have to change you

It is unfortunate, but for the majority of chronic (greater than 3 months) back pain sufferers the pain alters them. Anyone that has been in severe unrelenting pain for long periods knows that it will change you. Anger, fatigue, depression, inactivity, inattention, presentteism.....are all symptoms brought on by the pain. why does this occur? the simple answer is chemicals. Pain causes the release of chemicals in the brain that make you feel bad, what is the answer?, GET MOVING. The research is clear, inactivity leads to depression, fatigue, weight gain and weakness. Pain causes you to not want to move which perpetuates the problem. As I said before, take responsibility for your pain, do not wear it as a badge. Of the thousands of people who beat back problems the all came to terms with their pain and took it on.

What is the BEST Spine Exercise

Ah, my favorite question. Unfortunately there is no one single best exercise for anything. If I had to choose just one exercise that is safest and most effective for the spine while engaging the abdominal wall and the obliques it would be 'the dog'. Please keep in mind that this is a 7 level progression and what I am talking about is just the first level.

A bowling ball on your shoulders

Many people that enter our facilities have at some time or currently are experiencing neck pain and or headaches. Today’s sedentary lifestyle, computers, phones, travel all force the head and shoulders forward of the bodies center of gravity. The average weight of the head is 10-12 pounds, for each inch that the head leans forward double the weight of the head, that’s right, 20-24 pounds. That’s a lot of extra strain that the posterior stabilizers of the neck and back must deal with.

Add to the equation car accidents, falls, and sporting injuries and there can be some major damage to the muscles of the neck. One thing that many people do not take into account is that many of the shoulder blade muscles have direct attachments into the cervical and upper thoracic spine. If these muscles are weak, the shoulders slump further and the cycle of poor posture and weak shoulder muscles continues.

For every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. As the body rounds forward the anterior musculature becomes very tight and overactive. This means the chest, frontal neck and upper abdominal muscles get very tight and will not relax. As a result the shoulder blade muscles we discussed get weak and lengthen from the unrelenting pull of the frontal muscles. We must stretch the frontal muscles and strengthen the posterior muscles to have any chance of success. This means no chest presses, bicep curls or crunches for the first few weeks of exercise. Often the Trigger Points that develop need to be addressed through soft tissue techniques to ‘shut down’ some of the overactive muscles and painful movement patterns that can develop. So your mom was correct, sit up and do not slouch.

When exercising try to never shrug your shoulders, keep your head up and chin slightly retracted/tucked. Perform pulling exercises more than you push and as always never be afraid to seek the advice of an exercise professional.

Do you know that you don't know

When was the last time that you were in the gym and just stopped and looked around?. How many people looked lost, how many kept their body still, did not use momentum to perform their exercises. When was the last time that you saw a big guy using ‘little’ weights while standing on one leg. Most people join a health club with excellent intentions and lots of motivation, we happily sign contracts for years and fork over our cash whether we go regularly or not.But there is a sad fact at work here, the vast majority have no clue how to exercise properly. ‘Gym science’ has survived for years and years with absolutely no scientific base at all. We happily go the club and perform exercises that we have done for years and see others doing yet very few know that they do not know how and or why some exercises are better than others.If you are sick we see a Doctor, car is broken we see a mechanic. But for some reason when it comes to fitness the vast majority of us just assume that the machines in the gym will do the trick. The doctor and mechanic both perform diagnostic tests, but most people just jump in to exercise with no realization of the consequences of improperly applied exercise. There is a reason that lower back pain and joint injuries plague society, but we continue to perform the same dangerous exercises over and over?. But hey, the doctors are happy.The few people that know they do not know usually hire a personal trainer, but what if your trainer doesn’t know that he doesn’t know what he is doing. We all know the kind of education a doctor or mechanic must have, sadly there are few standards that trainers are held to. At last check there are only 3 organizations that require a 4 year degree in health science prior to taking their certification exam. It never ceases to amaze me how many trainers actually believe they are at the top of their profession yet they consistently recommend absolutely the most dangerous exercises with no scientific base from which to justify performing that exercise. There are actually three or four home study certifications that have gone bankrupt but those trainers are still out there with no checks and balances.Some of those ‘gym science’ exercises have been proven to cause permanent damage, yet I see them performed daily and encouraged by most trainers. If you contract with a personal trainer please realize that if they do not perform a fitness assessment then they are guessing. This assessment should include health history, posture, flexibility (not a sit and reach test!), balance, and movement analysis. If those tests are not administered than that trainer does not know!. You do not go to your doctor expecting free services and a reputable and well educated fitness professional will not be giving away their services either.

(by the way, the exercise shown above is USELESS)

Lower back Pain Myths

Many people will suffer from Lower BackPain (LBP) some time in their lives. Most will recover fully within a few weeks. Many use exercise machines to attempt to strengthen the abdominals and lower back, this however is one of the most common fitness myths. One of the most dangerous machines in the gym is the back extension. The spine has very little ability to move on it’s own, it is influenced strongly by the hips and abs. The spine musculature consists of stabilizers that serve to protect the disks, and the extensors of the lower torso. Just like the abdominal machines performing a hyperextension on a machine or bench can cause up to 1000lbs of compressive force on the spine, there are better and safer exercises.

Take Responsibility for your pain

For those that suffer from back pain, and there are many that do, there has grown a disconnect between the pain sufferer and the medical community. Throwing pills at the pain rarely works, traditional treatments work marginally at best. We need to take responsibility for our own pain, no one will fix you if you are not willing to confront your pain and become personally responsible for fixing it. Pain is there because you have an injury, the injury causes pain and this cycle re-enforces its self over and over. To break this pain spasm cycle you need to meet the generator of the pain and shut it down. This means that YOU need to ICE, STRETCH, and perform the proper EXERCISES. This needs to be done every day without fail.
Of the thousands of patients and clients I have helped over the years the one thing that has made the difference where they had failed before is becoming responsible for treating your own pain by addressing the root of the problem and not just the symptoms.
Stay tuned for the how's and why's.