I just had a conversation with a guy at one of the gyms where I work.  The topic was: Activities that keep the body in balance.

Recently recovered from a back injury, he told me that he’d now GIVEN UP all sports activity that traditionally emphasize “1-sidedness”!

For him, that meant activities such as snowboarding, golfing and tennis – a sport that he said he was pretty darn good at. What he’s replaced those “1-sided” activities with has been skiing, rock climbing, weight-lifting and yoga. Not unhealthy alternatives by any means.

Certainly there is merit in what this guy is discovering for himself… that symmetrical movement patterns within muscle groups is extremely important to body balance, joint health, posture, proper body composition and injury prevention.

However, there was really no need for him to totally give up his other favourite pursuits – what this guy could have done is assess which specific muscle groups were performing during an activity (e.g. his racquet arm, shoulder, upper back), and which muscle groups were non-performing (the other arm and shoulder), then design a gym training program accordingly.

That would mean a few more repetitions of some exercises on the lesser used muscles along with a few more stretching sequences on the over used muscles.

Such a strength and conditioning prescription would facilitate a body in balance, without having to give up activities such as racquet sports and (my fav) snowboarding to achieve it.

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Maintaining your youthful vigour over the years takes only 3 things:

Exercise – done hard, almost every day.

Nutrition – quit eating things that you already know are bad for you.

Commitment – you have to care enough about yourself to do it.

Doug

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

Hey, if you are a relatively healthy person today (even if you’re not very active), you can be athletic, vigorous and alert well into your 80s, maybe even older, by adhering to 3 basics that cost no more than regular living…

Can you guess what they are?

Doug

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

The Value of Exercise to Knee Health

Action and Reaction. Cause:and Affect. Demand and Response.

Rules of physics tell us that our body responds to any stress that we introduce to it – like exercise. This is true for both cardiovascular and strength-building exercise and is referred to as the SAID principle – Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. Thinking about your knees (crucial elements of the body’s structure), your body responds to stresses placed on the knee joint by strengthening the muscles and connective tissues that stabilize it, thus keeping it healthy, stable and functioning well.

If I ran the Seawall each and every day, I’d likely end up with painful knee inflammation. In contrast, if I just sat around, I’d get “weak-kneed” and sore from having my legs in a bent position all the time. Readers who experience knee pain have learned that it takes an optimum balance of activity, intensity, frequency and rest time to ensure that the knees serve their purpose pain-free.

Have a look at the short video below – it provides a great, non-medical explanation of knee anatomy. (from Sports-Injury-Info.com)

Knee dysfunction is very common today – and has many root causes.   Most however start with the ankles and hips – mobility joints at each end of the leg.

I have much more information on this topic. Meanwhile, here are 4 primary recommendations if you are having knee issues:

1. Check your shoes. Remember that good fitting shoes are your best defence against knee problems.
2. Check your squat. Learn it well and do it. Really, it does make a difference. Knees are designed to bend fully.
3. Check your muscle balance. The strength of your quads, your glutes, your hamstrings and your calf muscles needs to be balanced for the knee joint to align properly and to move through its full range of motion.
4. Check your mobility /flexibility. Knee stability depends on hip mobility which can be improved with flexible hip flexor and hamstring muscles.

Drop me a note for more information, or for a referral to some knee specialists who can help you out. If you already work with a Trainer, show them this article and be sure that you are getting an exercise routine that promotes knee health.

If you are fortunate enough to participate in regular exercise without any knee problems, make sure that you stay vigilant with a balanced program of leg strengthening and flexibility.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

It’s more important to wake up at the same time every day than it is to go to sleep at the same time each night. It takes you farther towards good health and helps establish a good sleep pattern.

As promised, here are 10 ways to improve your posture:

1. Learn what “neutral” spine feels like.

Recognize what neutral spine alignment looks and feels like (it’s that natural “S” curve of the spine that you’re familiar with seeing in pictures). When people first reform into a neutral spine position, most describe it as feeling “unnatural” – only because our muscles have become so trained to hold the spine in mis-alignment. And remember, your neck is a very important part of your spine to hold in alignment.

2. Keep reminding yourself.

When you catch a glimpse of yourself in a window reflection, or in the bathroom mirror, or even in your shadow on the sidewalk, remind yourself to become posture-conscious. Postural muscles that are responsible for holding their contraction will soon do so more easily and naturally.

3. Shift position frequently.

Science is identifying more and more negative health effects of too much sitting. Counter the damage as much as possible by standing whenever you can.  Standing with proper spine alignment is far easier than sitting with proper spine alignment.

4. Strengthen your hips.

Weak hip muscles that attach to your pelvis can affect posture. Particularly if you sit a lot, make sure you’re following an exercise program that includes flexibility and strength training for the hip flexors, extensors, abductors, adductors and rotators.

5. Do appropriate core exercises.

Learn exercises that train the abdominals to hold the pelvis in neutral alignment. Active core stabilization training (like stability ball roll-outs and planks) is really effective for postural correction. Remember to keep your scapulae retracted.

6. Extend your spine to increase its range of motion.

Learn how to correctly perform back extension exercises. On the floor, using a machine or while standing, back extension exercises can significantly reduce or eliminate back pain.

7. Remember to work front AND back sides of your upper body.

Work muscles that you can’t see in a mirror as frequently as you work those that you can. Look around the gym, you’ll easily see what I mean. You need balanced upper body strength front and back to exhibit good posture. Rear deltoids, infraspinatus, rhomboids, latissimus, lower trapezius.

8. Shift exercise style.

Don’t dismiss the occasional yoga or Pilate’s class from your overall fitness program. After all, you’re going to be working out for the rest of your life, so vary it up a bit to keep from getting bored. Full range of joint motion is a key element of good posture.

9. Visualize good posture.

Imagine a hook placed just under your sternum lifting you gently. Notice how your thoracic spine responds to that. Or a puppet string gently attached to the crown of your scalp lifting you straight up. When you walk, concentrate on your posture and imagine yourself moving with a coordinated, symmetrical alignment. Imagine Royalty. Practice your wave.

10. Get checked out.

Besides muscular weakness and muscular imbalance, postural problems can arise from other factors and conditions. Yes, I can help with muscle training. I can also put you in touch with other specialists who can help diagnose and treat any skeletal issues that may be impacting your posture.

Stay strong and upright well into your future.

Doug

MyTrainerSays.com

“Stand up straight!”  ”Quit slouching!” “Get your hair out of your face!” During my long-haired teens, I certainly remember my mother repeating those phrases quite frequently.

But now that we’re adults – how can you tell for yourself if your posture needs some improvement?

Here are tell-tale signs:

• collapsed arches in your feet
• an elevated hip or shoulder
• one side of the body rotated forward or back
• pelvis and hips tilted to the front, back or side
• rounded back
• drooping chest and shoulders
• head jutting forward

These subtle deformations indicate that your body has got locked into poor movement patterns over the years – and for any number of reasons:

• muscle imbalance
• compensation for injuries
• ergonomic problems at work and home
• poor alignment during fitness and sports activities.

It is possible to change bad postural habits.

By learning the proper postural exercises specific to your situation, you will develop postural habits that build a fit body that functions effectively.

In an upcoming post I will teach you 10 simple, easy to implement, tips to immediately improve your posture.

Doug

MyTrainerSays.com

It’s a popular mindset that “as we age we acquire a slower metabolism than we had when we were younger“. But this is only partially true.

Yes, your metabolism does slow as you get older – but it’s not just because you get older, it’s because you stop moving as much!

Body metabolism is largely influenced by two factors:

a) Genetics

If your parents were either lethargic by nature or athletic by nature, you will be more genetically disposed to lead a similar kind of life. This association has been well documented, and is certainly easy to observe in modern society.

b) Muscle Mass

Lean muscle requires more fuel (calories) to sustain than does fat. Thus, even at rest a lean and toned body needs to burn more calories than does a fat, out of shape body. Substantially more.

The Link to Exercise

Since a younger person tends to be more active than an older person, one can assume that lean body mass in an individual will steadily decrease as he or she ages unless they begin to exercise regularly or continue to exercise regularly at an appropriate level of intensity.

To those who are starting to notice worrisome changes in body composition and proportion as they age: my strong recommendation is to keep moving, stay in shape and maintain a high proportion of lean muscle tissue on your body. That way, you’ll keep the motor humming and the metabolism firing on all cylinders long into the future.

Doug
MyTrainerSays.com