Hello World! I hope everyone is recovering well from their holiday hangovers, well fed, well rested and ready to start the new year off right!
Thanks for sticking with me through this little lull, I am attempting to re-vamp the site for the new year, working out some minor bugs and such, please bare with me!
In the meantime, some food for thought:
How are you tackling new years resolutions this year? Are you one who always has the same resolution year after year, "I will floss daily" and falls out 2 weeks into it? How do you plan on avoiding this fall-out this year?
I do not do new years resolutions, for better or worse, I tend to stray away from the added pressure of what I MUST do this year to fulfill a specific desire. Instead, I make lists outlining things I want to do and how I will get there, this becomes an all year long process.
Here’s wishing you and your family a ton of holiday cheer.Sending wishes of love & laughter to all of you for this holiday season!!I am taking a couple days off to spend time with loved ones I only get to see twice a year, so please do join me back on Monday for a regular schedule here at 101 exercises!!
Please do check out these links for some holiday fun!
1.Lay flat on your back to begin this exercise.Pay special attention to the relationship of your spine with the floor beneath you.
2.Draw your attention to your low back curve.For optimal alignment of your spine, this curve should be arched so that a grape (red or white, your pick) would fit snugly between your back and the floor.Maintain this positioning so that during the exercise, your grape does not escape you or get turned into vino.
3.Draw one leg up towards your body, hook your hands behind your knees and send your foot up towards the ceiling.
4.Hold stretch for 20-30 seconds.Alternate Leg.Perform two repetitions on each side.
Variation:
-If you need a more intense stretch, use a towel and hook it over your foot and pull the ends of the towel towards your chest.
-For a less intense stretch, bend one leg up and keep the knee bent, foot on the floor while you send the other leg up towards the ceiling.
Today I declare a special apology to all fellow individuals who hopped the pond yesterday.You see, I was that person on the flight that everyone loves to hate.The airtime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever-- guaranteed not to let you rest passenger.
One of my OCD tendencies (we all have them so just confess) is the lack of cleanliness (seemingly) in airplanes.I always wonder who sat there before me, what they did or didn’t do and frankly, whether or not they practice the rules of general hygiene.With an overcrowded atmosphere and high turnover rates, you have to imagine that germs pile up fast.However, after some research I am pleased to discover that this is not necessarily so.Airplane air filtration systems are top notch and the air changes occur at about 12-15 per hour!The specialized filters are designed to remove mold, dust, vapors and bacteria.What’s more is that once airborne, the air is taken from the outside which, at high altitudes is sterile.
So it turns out the biggest predators for you on planes are your fellow passengers via contact and droplet contamination.Please take care of you and yours this holiday season, especially whilst traveling!
Anybody have any OCD tendencies they’d like to share?
The Roll Up is a classic pilates exercise whose purpose is spinal mobility and core control.The partial roll-up featured here focuses on targeting mobility in the mid-back and ribs as well as core stability in the upper trunk.
Mobility in the upper ribs is important for functional spine mechanics and proper length tension relationships in the upper trunk muscles.This simple exercise can be done to relieve the tension which builds into the upper mid-back region and can be beneficial for improving posture including rounded shoulders and a hypomobile mid-back region.
Please note the importance of this exercise to be performed correctly to avoid neck strain.
1.Lay flat on your back to begin this exercise.Pay special attention to the relationship of your spine with the floor beneath you.
2.Draw your attention to your low back curve.For optimal alignment of your spine, this curve should be arched so that a grape (red or white, your pick) would fit snugly between your back and the floor.Maintain this positioning so that during the exercise, your grape does not escape you or get turned into vino.
3.Bend your knees up so that your feet are hip width apart.
4.Draw your shoulder blades back and downwards so that your shoulders are square to the ceiling.
5.Place your hands on your head.Inhale in place and exhale as you scoop through your breastbone to lift your head and shoulders off the floor.Note: if done properly, your ribs should be connected into your trunk and abdominals and you should feel little to no strain on your neck, arms should not be lifting, rather just supporting the neck.
6.Inhale in place, exhale as you bring your arms around by your pelvis and draw up further.
7.Inhale and return to the floor.
8.Repeat for 3-5 repetitions.
Notes:
-As you exhale and lift your upper trunk, your ribs will roll down towards the ground, while your spine forms a nice C-curve (see picture above).
-Eye gaze should be between your knees.
-The abdominals should stay nice and connected into your spine rather than bulging up.
The plank is an exercise which can be used to improve endurance and strength in the back and abdominals, while promoting stability in the shoulders and elbows. While the Reverse Plank can work to open up the front line of the body, the traditional plank helps us focus on strength in key core muscles that work to keep us upright and out of a slouched posture.
1. Start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Extend one leg out behind you and rest on the toes, maintaining your back in a flat position; Extend opposite leg until your body is in the start position pictured above.
3. Maintain a flat pelvis and shoulders in this position, being certain that your bum is not sticking up in the air.
4. Inhale as you extend your right leg up towards the ceiling, press your toes and hands into the floor and reach your head out towards the wall in front of you. Exhale at the top, inhale and bring the leg back towards the ground.
5. Alternate with your left leg. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions on each leg.
*inhalation coordinated with the movement in this exercise allows for the expansion of the front line of the body, expansion of the ribs and lungs and coordinated stabilizing structures*
Easy please??
- Start on your hands and knees.
- Start on your elbows rather than hands.
Bring it on!
- Bring your body into a full plank position; your body should draw a straight line between your head and heels as pictured above.
- Make it dynamic: transition from your hands to your elbows and back up.
The reverse plank is a great exercise to promote shoulder stability, core strength and lengthening through the front of the body.Here we are allowing the body to be long through the front to allow for opening op at the hips and shoulders. Functionally, we use these muscle groups to help raise us out of a chair or boost us into a high car.
1.Sit with your legs straight out; hands positioned behind the body, under your shoulders.
2. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you lift your pelvis up, reaching the soles of your feet towards the floor until only your hands and heels are in contact with the floor.
3.Inhale in this position, exhale as you push all your weight through your right heel and hands, sending your left leg towards the ceiling.
4.Inhale in position, exhale as you lower your leg to the floor and repeat with right leg. Continue for 10-12 repetitions.
TIPS:
-Maintain connection through the trunk during this exercise to prevent collapsing through your arms and hanging on your ligaments.Your arms should not be straining to keep you up, rather, your trunk working hard to maintain your position.
-If needed, you can change the angle of your hands to accommodate any wrist problems
-Remember to keep your pelvis and shoulders flat as your leg comes up.
Make it easier:
-Start on your elbows and work your way up to your open palms
-Begin without lifting your leg, just staying static in the plank position
Your tootsies are good to you.Think about it, they don’t talk back, are reliable, trustworthy and provide you a nice platform for you to voice your opinions.Sometimes, when you reciprocate the love, they even present themselves worthy of display.But, given years of abuse and neglect, they can turn on you and be the source of problems higher up the line.
Did you know?
-On average, in our lifetime we walk a distance totaling 3 times the earth’s circumference.
-Over the course of a 1 mile run, we place several tons of weight on our feet!
-The feet contain ¼ of all the bones in our body totaling to 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Find out if you are at risk for debilitating foot pain and take action before you let them down.
Overweight? Our feet carry a load which is 120% of our body weight.Shedding those extra pounds can help to lighten the load on your feet, thus alleviating pressure on muscles and ligaments which support your stance.Obese individuals often suffer from hammertoes, bunions and plantar fasciitis.
Flat Footed? People with flat feet (often times is a case of your gene pool) lack the structural support of the arch which can lead to tendinitis and arthritis.Seek out shoe inserts to help support your arch and provide additional support.Walking on bare feet should be avoided, as it enhances the fallen arch.
High Arched?All good things in moderation is what my mom always told me.Having too high of an arch can be problematic; the rigidity of having a high arch causes a lack of shock absorption which can affect your ankles, knees and hips.If you are high arched, look for good quality, roomie shoes which will provide good shock absorption.Avoid heels! To further loosen your feet up and provide some daily relief, give yourself a foot massage, being sure to give special attention to the bottoms.Alternatively, roll a golf ball or spiky ball under your feet.
Have a love affair with high heels?Well STOP! Heels cause a whole myriad of foot problems, muscle imbalance problems, postural problems, etc. etc. etc!Plus, my gosh is it an expensive hobby!If you MUST wear heels to work (and by must, I mean just refuse to give it up no matter what anyone says) then wear tennies to walk to and from the car, bus or subway, slip on your heels at your desk and no one is the wiser.No way you’re going to risk looking silly in trainers with your fab new suit?Fine, then try to keep the heels under 2.5 inches high.
Are you somewhere in between these categories, or just plain suffering from foot pain and you have no idea why? Here are some general guidelines to follow:
-Diabetics need to be particularly Type A about foot care, as they are prone to loss of circulation and feeling.Feet checks daily are a must!
-Let your boys’ air out.Moist environments in your shoes and socks can foster fungal growth under your nails!
-Plantar fasciitis is a common ailment suffered by individuals with flat feet, pregnant, on their feet all day long or if you are poorly supported by your footwear.It is an extremely painful condition caused by inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the feet.Solution? Be diligent with stretching your calf muscles (2-3x daily) and strengthen the muscles in your feet with intrinsic exercises.
-Exercise keeps your feet healthy and happy, and then they can keep giving back to you!
I’m curious to know how many of you out there suffer from foot problems but continue to wear heels.What is the source of your foot pain?
Have you just been on the edge of your seat, in an almost-wet-your-pants kind of excitement to learn how to assess your posture?How about too-ecstatic-to-leave-the- computer in case you miss the tips on how to transform your fitness regime into a total body balancing act? Well the wait is over (…mom).
READY…SET...POSTURE!
Fine, maybe you’re not as crazy thrilled as I am, but here are reasons for why you should be:
Poor posture:
- is often times the culprit of back pain
-can lead to inhibition (turning off) of key muscles during functional tasks and while working out
-Inhibition leads to some muscles working in place of others (substitution) which causes repetitive stress and ultimately leads to injury
-causes back pain, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, hip pain, knee pain, ankle pain, plantar fasciitis…need I go on?
-lends to increase power through the arms and legs
-can help improve sports related skills
-improves breathing dynamics
-reduces compression on the joints in the spine, shoulders and hips
-protects against injury
-improves your balance and stability
-can make you all Muhammad Ali-esque, you know “…floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee”…and all that good stuff.
Equilibrium in an upright posture occurs when a joint is equally balanced by muscular forces or gravity; meaning that your muscles are active to counterbalance the effect of gravity on your body to keep you upright.
Ideally, we would use a plumb-bob (ha, say that with a straight face) as a vertical reference point, but since I can assume that most of you are not running around with one of those in your pocket…and if you are please keep it a secret… here is an alternative:
If your gym has those long floor-to-ceiling mirrors, there is usually a point where one ends and another begins…i.e. the place that you inevitably end up standing in a yoga class if you are running late and you wiggle about all hour to see if your arms and legs are in line while the instructor gives you the, “What the crazy is that?” look.
Stand with your side facing the dividing line (or just stand sideways in a mirror), allow the line to transect your ear and answer the following questions: (tip: this works best with a gym buddy to help)
1.Where are your shoulders located in relation to your head?
a. My shoulders and head are pretty much in alignment, I have a nice soft curve in my neck.
b. Whoa! My head is way in front of my shoulders! My neck curve is exaggerated!
c. My shoulders are slightly rounded; the curve in my neck seems a little flat.
d. My shoulders are back and erect, my ribs jut outwards.
2.What does your mid back look like?
a. Well it curves forward a little, doesn’t look that bad..
b. Dude, my mid back curves forward a lot!I kind of look like that hunchback guy!
c. Mid-back? It’s supposed to curve? Ya, there’s no curve there at all.
d. Can’t really see it, my big wo/manly shoulders are in the way.
3.Where are your butt-ocks and belly situated?
a. Belly sticks out a little, I just thought that was from the icing I eat off those cupcakes, but my booty, well that’s just waving to the world, it’s because of the huge curve in my low back.
b. Oh belly, ya I got one of those, but rear end is concave city.
c. Rear is flat as a board; belly is under control because I keep it under lock and key, not much of a curve in my low back!
d. Well, in order to keep my shoulders back & ribs forward, I have to stick my booty out and keep the tummy tight!
Were your answers mostly A?Do your curves correspond to bloke A pictured above?
Like Homer here, it is likely that your pelvis is tilted forward, forcing you into a slight bend at the hips and an exaggerated low back curve.
Culprit:long lasting faulty posture, pregnancy, obesity and weak abs.
Balance it out:
-stretch hip flexors
-stretch lumbar extensors
-Strengthen abdominals
B people?
Turns out, your posture most assimilates that of Charles Montgomery Burns.But fear not because aside from suffering from a forward head, a swayback and a generally slouched posture, his redeeming qualities include giving away free beer!...well, in place of employee dental plans, but free beer none-the-less!
Culprit:You guys really enjoy hanging on your ligaments instead of utilizing the muscles God gave you.The tendency in this posture is to ‘lock out’ on the joints, have an asymmetrical stance where you bear your weight through one leg or the other and often slouch for long periods of time.
Balance it out:
-Stretch your upper abdominals
-strengthen your lower abdominals
-Strengthen your hip flexors
-Strengthen your back extensors
C all the way?
Wiley Coyote says it all.His pelvis tends to tilt backwards a little, flattening out his low and mid back, making his bottom intersect right into his legs and back with little to no definition.
Culprit:Slouching while sitting or standing, sacral sitting which means you curl your bum in to sit on your sacrum rather than your ‘sits bones’; also caused by overworking the abdominals.
Balance it out:
-Stretch abdominals
-stretch hip extensors
-strengthen back extensors
-strengthen hip flexors
Are you a D?
Yosemite Sam can vouch that an upright military posture can be as detrimental to your joints as any of the above postures for the following reasons:it forces you to flatten out your neck and mid back, and you end up compensating for the lack of movement by jutting out the ribs.The shoulder dynamics here become faulty due to the forced depression of the collar bone and shoulder blades; what’s more, you end up tilting your pelvis forward and causing pressure and compression on your intervertebral discs.
-Learn to disassociate arm movement from trunk (i.e. move the arms while keeping the trunk quiet)
-stretch neck muscles
While this post has gone longer than anticipated, I hope you hung in there and learned something new, because having another tool under your belt only gives you added fighting power, Go-Go-Gadget Posture!
Each posture will be broken down with correction exercises in future posts so be prepared to be new, improved,and armed with a new fitness identity!
Source
Kisner Carolyn.Colby Lynn Allen.Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques 4th Edition.F. A. Davis Company.Pp. 595-603.
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