Exercise – not one size fits all!
As we know everybody is unique and we all respond to different things in different ways. The same is true with us and exercise. Even though we know that exercise is good for all of us it does not mean that all exercises will affect us in the same way. Everyone may have a different individual response to a particular type of exercise and may be why you are not achieving the goals you set for yourself even though you have put in the time and effort. The reason may be because of your individual response to the particular exercise. If you are used to doing endurance activities such as running try switching it up and try a different type of exercise, perhaps High Intensity Interval Training. Not happy with your power output from your High Intensity Interval Training program? Switch up your routine to include some Resistance Training.
Of course it takes time for your body to adapt to exercises so do not give up on an exercise right away. Every few months you can switch it up and see what type of exercise you and your body respond best to. If you need help creating a new exercise program that is challenging to you, you can seek help from one of our practitioners at Form and Function.
Lacing Technique – Heel Lock
Do you find your heels slipping out of your shoes when you’re walking or running? Using a different lacing technique can help solve this problem.
- Tie your laces in a normal criss-cross pattern up until the second to last hole
- Keeping your lace on the same side, weave it into the last hole leaving a loose loop
- Take the end of the lace and weave it into the opposite side’s loop
- Pull the laces tightly and tie a knot like normal
Sit with a lumbar lordosis!
Did I say lumbar lordosis again? Forgive me, but this is just as important in sitting as it is when lifting. The correlation between individuals who sit more than four hours per day and lower back pain has been proven. And one of the reasons is that these individuals are likely to slouch for the better part of the day. Those of us with healthy backs can tolerate a slouched posture for 30 or 40 minutes at a time, but not much longer.
Actively sitting with a lordosis means that your own muscles are doing the work. I cue my patients with my hand at the lower back, pushing them gently forward and up, and at the same time say “get your shoulders tall”. I then have them maintain this posture for several minutes. At the beginning, this can be quite tiring. This is why I often tell the patient who sits most of the day to acquire a “lumbar roll”. This product is basically a cylinder of spongy material with cloth enclosing it, and a strap that holds it to your chair. When not able to sit actively with a lordosis, one should rely on it.
Fix your seated posture!
If you spend a lot of time sitting at home or at work, you may be putting yourself more at risk for head, neck, and shoulder pain! Over time with prolonged sitting, your head and neck will shift forward, along with forward rounding of your shoulders. This increases the amount of stress on your neck and shoulders. A excellent way to combat this abnormal position is pull your shoulders ‘BACK’ and ‘DOWN’. Start with holding this position for 15 seconds at a time, progressing up to 45 seconds.
Free Gym
Many people are unable to find a consistent time to go to the gym or get the physical activity they need. This is not an excuse to not get any physical activity as there various ways to be physically active as we have access to “Free Gyms” on a daily occurrence. Instead of using an escalator or an elevator and use the stairs (also known as a “Free Gym”). Next time you buy groceries park farther away and carry a couple of the bags (the walk is a “Free Gym” and the groceries are “Free Weights”). If your dog is barking at you to go to the bathroom do not just open the back door and let him out, take him for a walk as he is really asking you to be his gym partner. There are dozens of daily choices we can make every day to make our lives a little more active and help fill in the times when life gets in our way of our regular exercise.
