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The best exercise is …. the Turkish Get Up

The old answer to the best exercise used to be the squat or deadlift; however the new answer most people will say is the Turkish Get Up (TGU).  The TGU is an exercise that is over 200 years old.  Strongmen of that era would not teach you complex lifts until you could do a 100 pound get up.  This exercise is simply the most effective way to go from lying to standing up and back to lying down again.

The TGU promotes the use of whole-body movement and reveals your weaknesses and asymmetries.  I use this exercise a lot in my own daily practice and in the rehabilitation of my patients.  There are 6 steps to a good TGU.  Each step almost acts as its own exercise and the transition between each step promotes good movement patterns.  There are many nuances to this exercise that make it great.

It has taken me months to learn to do this exercise well.  Currently I’m still working on my form and challenging myself with appropriate weight.  Also, I have used portions of the get up for my own shoulder rehab.  If you decide to learn this exercise I would advise you to learn from someone who knows how to do it well.  If you have any questions please send me an email (poh@formfunctionclinic.com), call (905-604-9355) or drop by.

By Administrator 0 Comments Uncategorised

The best exercise is …. the Turkish Get Up

The old answer to the best exercise used to be the squat or deadlift; however the new answer most people will say is the Turkish Get Up (TGU).  The TGU is an exercise that is over 200 years old.  Strongmen of that era would not teach you complex lifts until you could do a 100 pound get up.  This exercise is simply the most effective way to go from lying to standing up and back to lying down again.

The TGU promotes the use of whole-body movement and reveals your weaknesses and asymmetries.  I use this exercise a lot in my own daily practice and in the rehabilitation of my patients.  There are 6 steps to a good TGU.  Each step almost acts as its own exercise and the transition between each step promotes good movement patterns.  There are many nuances to this exercise that make it great.

It has taken me months to learn to do this exercise well.  Currently I’m still working on my form and challenging myself with appropriate weight.  Also, I have used portions of the get up for my own shoulder rehab.  If you decide to learn this exercise I would advise you to learn from someone who knows how to do it well.  If you have any questions please send me an email (poh@formfunctionclinic.com), call (905-604-9355) or drop by.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Tips for High Heel Wearers

High heels make the girls look taller, slimmer as well as look good with any outfit they wear.  However, the newest trend of heels are creating more compression and pain to the sides and the balls of the feet.   As you increase the number of hours you wear heels, you are increasing the risk of getting hammer toes and bunions to your feet.  The bunions don’t just occur to the inside of the feet but also to the outside of the feet.  Although bunions are mostly hereditary, they are usually exacerbated by tight-fitting shoes.

If you are spending most of your time standing on your feet and wearing high heels that day, it would be better to have a pair of flat shoes or walking shoes so that you can change into when you are off your feet.  Even wearing flat shoes the next day would help to relieve pressure to the toes.

Of course, wedge heels are always better than stilletto heels as they provide more stability to the feet and are able to distribute pressure evenly at the front of the foot.

For further information, regarding the health of your feet, please book an appointment with the Chiropodist, Jennifer Lam at the Form and Function Clinic.

 

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Safety Tips When Doing a Pedicure

A pedicure is always a great way to pamper and groom your feet.  Be aware as you can walk out of the salon with an infection due to improperly sterilized tools and contaminated footbaths.

The American Academy of Dermatology is warning consumers about the health risks associated with pedicures.  These health risks include athlete’s foot, nail fungus, bacterial infections such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) which is a potentially serious antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection.

Before you decide to indulge in a pedicure, take note of the following tips:

1) book your appointment in the morning as the instruments and footbaths are typically the cleanest at the beginning of the day.

2) pedicure disinfectants usually take at least 10 minutes to work so ask the person booking your appointments the gap they have in between appointments.  If the footbath is being used on one person after the other, you may be vulnerable to infections.

3) don’t shave your legs right before your pedicure as slight nicks and cuts may leave your skin at risk for bacterial and fungal infections.

4) don’t let them cut your cuticles as they are a protective barrier that prevents bacteria and fungus from entering into the body.

5) bring your own nail polish as the brushes are rarely sterilized.  You may be putting yourself at risk for getting fungal toenails.

Finally, salons may not be able to properly smooth down calluses (the dead skin on your feet) and corns.  They may create open wounds/sores that are prone to infection.  Especially if you are diabetic, it may be best to be treated by a Chiropodist/Foot Specialist.  For more information, book an appointment with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist at Form and Function Clinic.

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Where is the source of my Knee Pain?

Many times the source of your knee pain is not the painful knee.  The knee is often a reflection of the mobility and stability you have in your ankle and hip.  Weakness, tightness and the inability to effectively control the muscles in your ankle and hip can lead to an overload of the structures surrounding the knee.  In addition, inability to stabilize your pelvis and core can also add more stress.  There are many parts of the body that must work together so that one area doesn’t overload.

At Form & Function we take a comprehensive approach to not only examine the painful site, but to look for other contributing factors that will lead to the overload of the structure in question.  If you would like more info about your injury please contact us.  Mention that you read the health tip on our blog and we will provide you with a free 15 min consult with our Chiropractor, Dr. Paul Oh.

(905) 604-9355  |  reception@formfunctionclinic.com

 

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Spring into the Season with Healthy Feet

The best time to remove dead skin around the feet (AKA calluses) is after a shower or bath.  Use a pumice stone or a foot filer to remove all of your calluses.  Do not use a nail clipper to take down your calluses as the calluses will grow thicker!  Use an exfoliating scrub around the soles and sides of your feet to eliminate all the dry, flaky skin from the winter season.  Make sure to apply an emollient-rich skin cream around the top and bottom surface of your feet to hydrate the skin and to increase circulation.  Do not apply any moisturizer in between the toes as this can increase your risk of bacterial infections in between the toes.

Most importantly, practice good foot hygiene by washing your feet with soap and drying them adequately, especially in between the toes.  If you suspect any nail and/or skin conditions on your feet, an assessment with a Chiropodist is recommended.  For further information, please book an assessment with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist at Form and Function Clinic.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Spring into the Season with Healthy Feet

The best time to remove dead skin around the feet (AKA calluses) is after a shower or bath.  Use a pumice stone or a foot filer to remove all of your calluses.  Do not use a nail clipper to take down your calluses as the calluses will grow thicker!  Use an exfoliating scrub around the soles and sides of your feet to eliminate all the dry, flaky skin from the winter season.  Make sure to apply an emollient-rich skin cream around the top and bottom surface of your feet to hydrate the skin and to increase circulation.  Do not apply any moisturizer in between the toes as this can increase your risk of bacterial infections in between the toes.

Most importantly, practice good foot hygiene by washing your feet with soap and drying them adequately, especially in between the toes.  If you suspect any nail and/or skin conditions on your feet, an assessment with a Chiropodist is recommended.  For further information, please book an assessment with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist at Form and Function Clinic.

By Administrator 0 Comments Health Tips

Don’t be a prisoner to your chair

Sitting for extended periods of time can be hazardous for your health.  Simply getting out of your chair every 45 minutes and changing sitting postures every 10 minutes can go a long way.  The ideal sitting posture is to sit your hips and glutes back into the chair, with shoulder blades touching the back rest and chin tucked back.  However sitting in this posture for too long is not good as well.  With any posture you load tissues and sitting in one static posture may overload those tissues which may lead to pain or stiffness.  Change posture by changing the angulation of your chair, position of your feet, or simply get up.  This will break the loading cycle to those tissue.  You should listen to your mom when she tells you to sit up but you don’t have to sit still for too long.
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How to Deal with Blisters on Your Feet

Blisters are caused by skin friction. Don’t pop them. Apply moleskin or an adhesive bandage over a blister, and leave it on until it falls off naturally in the bath or shower. Keep your feet dry and always wear socks as a cushion between your feet and shoes.  If a blister breaks on its own, wash the area, apply an antiseptic or antibiotic cream, and cover with a sterile bandage.

Self-treatment of a blister by popping them may leave the area vulnerable to infection.  The presence of an infection will impede the rate at which the blister will heal on its own.  If you are a sufferer of sweaty feet, this will further delay the healing process.  Just remember that bacteria and fungus thrive in moist environments!!

If you have particular concerns about your feet, book a consultation with Jennifer Lam, the Chiropodist at the Form and Function Clinic.