Are you ready to tap into your body's full potential and move with grace and efficiency? Look no further than "Built to Move," a groundbreaking guidebook that revolutionizes the way we approach physical fitness. This transformative resource takes a holistic approach, emphasizing the interconnectedness of mobility, strength, and flexibility. With practical exercises, helpful illustrations, and valuable insights, "Built to Move" equips readers with the knowledge to correct imbalances, prevent injuries, and unleash their true capabilities. From tailored training methods for all fitness levels to mindset and motivation strategies, this engaging guidebook is a must-have for anyone seeking to optimize their movement and embark on a lifelong journey of wellness. Say goodbye to limitations and hello to a body that's built to move!
Revamping Your Brisk Walking Routine: Unleash the powerful healing potential of walking
Are you ready to take your brisk walking to the next level? Don't just walk, strut with confidence! Mastering the art of perfect posture can make all the difference. So, let's dive into some essential cues that will revolutionize your walking game:
Lift your head high and feel the tension melt away. Straightening your spine not only boosts your poise but also relieves any neural tension, making it a lifesaver for sciatica sufferers.
Before you hit your stride, warm up like a champ. Picture yourself marching on the spot, but with a twist! Lift those knees a tad higher than your regular walking stance. It's a power-packed warm-up that sets the tone for an exhilarating walk.
Embrace the rhythm of freedom. Let your arms hang loose, and allow them to gracefully swing across your body from the shoulders. Feel the momentum as you sway to the beat of your brisk steps.
Start small, conquer big. Begin your journey with shorter steps and a brisker pace. Gradually, with each stride, let your legs stretch further, propelling you towards your walking goals. Progress is the name of the game!
Walk like you mean business. Picture yourself rushing to an important meeting. Emulate that pace as you stride forward. It's all about that sense of urgency that gets a sweat going.
Listen to what your body is saying. Begin with a solid foundation of 15-20 minutes of brisk walking on a flat surface. Use a stopwatch to time yourself. When discomfort creeps in, mark the time as your benchmark for a pain-free period. Let this guide your journey, gradually extending your walking time. For example, if pain sets in at 18 minutes, make that your endpoint for the week. Next week, push it to 25 minutes, building up to 45 minutes of discomfort-free walking.
Witness the transformation. Consistency is key. As you diligently follow this path, both your physical and mental well-being will undergo remarkable changes. Feel the energy surge through your body and the positive mindset take root.
Elevate your routine with a holistic approach. Pair your daily walking practice with regular checkups with your local chiropractor. Their expertise will be your secret weapon against acute and long-standing back pain. Embrace the power of movement and professional guidance to reach new heights.
In the words of the philosopher Solvitur Ambulando: “There is nothing a good walk can’t solve!”.
Think you’ve got a pinched nerve? Think again.
The concept of a “pinched nerve” has become synonymous with the experience of acute lower back pain to the point that most patients diagnose themselves with a “pinched nerve” before they have even walked into my office. In fact, real pinched nerves are a fairly rare phenomenon and acute lower back pain or a “pinching feeling” in the lower back is not related to nerves at all. Rather, lower back pain is most commonly caused by irritated muscles and joints and in most cases can be easily managed by manual or movement therapy (i.e. your local Chiropractor).
So what actually causes lower back pain or a pinching feeling in the lower back?
These kinds of complaints are usually caused by small movements that we repeat over and over in our day to day lives that are actually causing damage to our spinal structures. Over time, this damage accumulates and causes an injury which then leads to the pain which most people experience.
If you are experiencing lower back pain or want to reduce your risk of developing lower back pain, the most important thing to do is to stop damaging your spinal structures in your everyday movement patterns.
Forward bending (known as flexion) and twisting (known as rotation) can be damaging to the spine if not done using the correct form. If you bend forward or twist with a rounded or hunched lower back then you could be causing small amounts of damage to your spine every time you bend over to brush your teeth, load the dishwasher, pick your socks up off the floor or pick up your baby or puppy. If you do this often enough and for long enough, you will eventually develop a lower back injury. In addition, hunching over a desk or computer is also considered a form of flexion which is damaging to the back. If you spend your whole life hunching over your desk, this too can cause an injury in the lower back.
Once you have this injury, bending over becomes painful and even intolerable. This pain also sometimes extends into the glute or leg.
How do we prevent and treat these types of lower back injuries?
Most of us can’t limit the number of times we need to bend over in a day, especially if forward bending is part of your occupation, child caring, housekeeping or fitness routine. But you can make sure that when you do bend forward, you do it well and avoid damage to the spine over time.
The key to forward bending well is to maintain a neutral lower back (not arched or hunched) and to bend in the hips (known as a Hip Hinge). The Hip Hinge protects the spine from damage by activating your abdominal’s (which keep your spine strong) and allowing your large glute muscles to do all of the hard work, instead of your back. If we consistently make sure to forward bend using a neutral lower back, we can successfully prevent lower back pain in the future.
What if you already have a lower back injury or already experience pain when bending or rotating?
Your natural response to this pain might be to avoid the movements that cause the pain i.e. bending over or rotating. In fact, forward bending is part of life and forward bending using a Hip Hinge will not only help to prevent future damage to your spine but will also allow a damaged spine the time to heal. Instead of avoiding the movement altogether (which isn’t really possible), it is better to continue to bend and rotate but to make sure to do it using a neutral lower back so that you don’t continue to damage your back. This will also help to teach your brain that this type of movement is “safe” and that it doesn’t need to avoid bending in order to reduce pain. Over time, repeating movements that were once pain-provoking can help to train your brain to no longer see them as painful.
Below is a comprehensive series of videos covering how to perform the hip hinge as a anti-dote to a “pinched” lower back.
Opening conditions and guidelines for operating during COVID19
The conditions under which we are opening our doors again are based on the highest safety recommendations.
They include:
1) Limited numbers per day, so please bear with us if you aren't seen to immediately.
2). Staggered time slots so that the waiting room doesn't get overcrowded and we can ensure social distancing.
3). Hand sanitising when entering and leaving. We will have sanitiser available.
4). Facemasks to be used by both Doctor and patient during the consults.
5). Regular hand washing by the Doctors and front of house staff as well as disinfection of the treatment rooms between patients.
6). We will have disposable masks for those that don't have masks.
7). The waiting room will be set up so that the seating will be spaced 2.5m apart and will be sanitised regularly.
8). We need all patients to arrive on time for their appointments. This ensures that the office doesn't have too many people crowding the space.
9). All items such as towels and drinking glasses have been removed from the waiting rooms, bathrooms and treatment rooms.
10) Removal of shoes prior to entering the treatment rooms.
11). For patients who are tentative, we have a telehealth offering. This provides high-quality communication and care.
Prepping for the Cape Epic 2020
Outside of the endurance and riding specific workouts a big focus should be on prepping the muscle/fascia and joints for hours of corrugated roads, rocky downhills and unforgiving single track. The best way to do this is to spend some time under load. In more simple terms to lift some weights. Squats, deadlifts, lunges, pull-ups and bench press should be staples in your routine. Not only will they help in your power output on those short sharp climbs but they also enhance the shock-absorbing capabilities of your limbs and torso to take up all the pounding that the rough terrain throws at you. In addition some of that training can be incorporated into at least one HIIT (high-intensity interval training) a week to simulate the kind of intensity you might experience during the race. This is a great way to train as it is novel and takes out some of the monotony of riding up a hill multiple times and challenges the body in different ways. With all the hard training regular chiropractic maintenance is a great addition to a well-planned training regime. This will help keep the body balanced and aligned which helps the musculoskeletal system function efficiently.
Treat your spine like you would your teeth:
So you have just embarked on a fitness journey. Got all the kit and have joined the hottest fitness craze on the block. Three weeks down the line you are feeling great but there is something niggling in your back. The next morning you wake up to brush your teeth and your back locks! This is an all too familiar scenario I see in my practice.
If your routine includes lots of forwards bending (think loading a dishwasher or washing machine or lifting heavy boxes off the floor) or exercise such as crunches/situps/jackknives etc…. you might be setting yourself up for trouble.
These commonly performed exercises have been shown in studies by the foremost lower back expert Dr Stuart McGill to cause high shear loads through your spine and its soft parts (Disk, ligaments and cartilage surrounding the vertebra).
Dr Mcgill went on to develop 3 fundamental core exercises to help keep your spine stable, healthy and pain free. He describes the practice of these exercises like regular dental hygiene in that they should be done on a daily bases. It is important to note that these can be done in the absence of pain and will ensure a bulletproof lower back.
The 1st is the Mcgill situp and is designed to create a feeling of stability and safety in an achy spine.
The 2nd is the Mcgill side bridge. It helps connect the pelvis and the lower back and allows the lower back to move robustly in sideways movements.
The 3rd is the bird dog and it is a great way to get good core activation and fires up your Glutes. It also helps connect opposite sides of the body which is fundamental to human movement. Click here to see how they are performed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_e4I-brfqs)
Last but not least and probably the best “Magic Bullet” in combating lower back pain is a simple 20 minute flat walk at a brisk pace.
The three exercises above should be dosed appropriately and should be done in accordance with your pain threshold. This means that if 5 reps is the most you can do without the exercise hurting you then that is the baseline for the number of reps you start with and eventually build up to ten reps on each side. Ideally in people who are in pain these exercises can be repeated 3 times per day.