How Airbench Works

To address low back pain, we need to place the pelvis into a better position and coax the spine back into a better alignment.

With the Airbench exercise we are going to use your own body weight and the flat surfaces of the floor and a wall to return the pelvis and spine to a better position.

By doing the work to realign your body yourself you are going to learn how to get quick relief on your own without any specialized equipment.

How to Correctly Use Airbench

Follow these instructions closely, and focus on getting into the correct position. The correct position is more important than exerting effort or holding the exercise for a longer period of time. Always wear shoes or stand on an exercise mat for traction when doing Airbench.

• Place your right heel against the wall to start. Then place the heel of your left foot in contact with the toes of your right foot, then take one more step forward and place the heel of the right foot in contact with the toes of the left foot. Be sure to watch the video for a visual of how to do this.
• Now, place your feet side by side and measure the distance between your heels to be a fist and a half width apart.
• Next, point your feet straight ahead, so that your feet look slightly pigeon toed. Most of us are duck footed, meaning our feet turn out. In fact, we are so used to seeing our feet turned out, that when our feet are pointed straight ahead they will look pigeon toed. By pointing our feet straight ahead here, we are making sure that the right muscles are activating for the maximum benefit.
• Now that your feet are in the correct position, reach back to find the wall with your hands and sit your hips back against the wall.
• Your ankles should be just in front of your knees (you should be able to see your toes when you look down), and your hips should be just above your knees.
• Push through your heels, and push both halves of your pelvis and your low back flat into the wall. Imagine you are trying to bust a hole through the wall with your pelvis and low back.
• Relax your upper body and relax your stomach muscles. Breathe into your belly.
• Keep your knees one fist width distance apart for the duration of the exercise.
• The priority here is form, not time. You should aim for 15-60 seconds with perfect form, and then work up to the full 2 minutes.

For immediate relief, do this exercise any time you are experiencing discomfort in your low back.

You can also take a proactive approach and do Airbench first thing in the morning or before a workout to re-set your hips and spine even if you are not in pain.

You might also like The Best Back Workouts.

Please keep in mind that the information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad viewer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have seen in this article.

The post Use This One Exercise for Immediate Back Pain Relief appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

• To get started, place your belt around your ankle joints so that your ankles are 1 ½ fist-widths apart.
• Place your elbows on your chair and walk your knees back so that they are below your hips.
• Place one hand on each shoulder blade, then collapse your shoulders together and let your chest sink down towards the floor.
• Now kick your hips back to place an arch your lower back. Be sure to watch the video to see how I do this.
• Once you are in position, press your ankles out against the strap and release evenly. Focus on making each press smooth, slow, and even.
• Repeat for a total of three sets of 20.

You will feel a stretch in your triceps (the backs of your upper arms), your lats (along the sides of your torso), and muscles working in your hips. To get the maximum benefit, keep your belly relaxed and breathe.

I you enjoy this exercise as much as I do. Thank you for connecting with me here, and I hope to see you again soon!

The post Reset Your T-Spine With This Simple Stretch appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Typical symptoms of TMJ include pain in the face, jaw, neck, and around the ear, and locking, clicking, and grinding of the joint. Common forms of treatment include anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxers, cortisone injections, mouth and bite guards, reconstructive surgery of the jaw, or even joint replacement. Unfortunately, many of these forms of treatment offer only short-term relief, and in many cases, can be costly.

A Case Study in TMJ Treatment

When Aurena came to me over the summer of last year, she was suffering from a slew of maladies, the most severe being TMJ pain. When she showed me how bad her TMJ really was, she opened her mouth, and I was shocked when I saw that her jaw moved off to the side, not straight down like most normal jaws should.

When it comes to effectively treating TMJ, it is important to look beyond the jaw joint itself and take into account some of the underlying factors that caused the problem to occur in the first place.

When we sit and don’t move enough, the spine can get stuck in a rounded-forward position. This brings the head out of its natural, vertical alignment. Ideally, the head is supposed to be dynamically linked to and supported by the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. Function Freddie shows us how the human body is supposed to look, below.

When the body loses this vertical alignment, the muscles of the upper back, neck, and jaw become locked up from straining to hold the head as it comes forward. Lateral and rotational movement of the neck and head become limited, and the jaw loses its ability to smoothly open and close.

Due to the dysfunction in her jaw, Aurena was limited in her ability to chew food normally, and was confined to eating mostly liquids and soft foods that didn’t require chewing. She had been to a dentist and a chiropractor to treat her symptoms, but she still had the same persistent problem with her jaw. By the time she came to see me, she was fed up with all of this, and ready to make a permanent change.

Fix the Body to Relieve the Jaw

Upon assessing Aurena’s posture, it was no surprise that her head was about four inches forward of the plumb line from the side view. Correct anatomical alignment is where the ear lobe aligns directly above the shoulder joint from the side view, as shown by Function Freddie above.

We got right to work at correcting the position of Aurena’s head, along with her shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Yes, we took a full body approach to fix a problem that manifested in her jaw. Within one hour, we made this progress in the position of her head: 

Aurena went on to practice her posture exercises every day at home, with periodic checkups with me every two weeks in order to re-assess her posture and make adjustments to her exercise routine. Within three months, Aurena had made significant improvements to her posture, and the end result was she was able to open and close her jaw without the significant offset that was there before. She was ecstatic at the fact that she has made this progress all on her own, without having to rely on drugs or surgery! Today, Aurena keeps up with her exercises and maintains her results on her own.

Get Relief Now

If you are suffering from TMJ, you may have never considered posture as the culprit behind your problem. Now that posture is on your radar, consider the following options as next steps in finding a permanent solution to your problem:

• To learn more about how posture causes TMJ and to find simple exercises that you can begin practicing right away to get relief, check out Pete Egoscue’s Pain Free.
• Look up a posture alignment specialist in your area that can get you started on a customized program to help you heal your jaw.

I hope you found this information to be useful. If you do not suffer from TMJ, but you know of someone who does, please forward this article to them. 

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have seen in this article.

The post A Natural Solution for TMJ Pain appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

When I was 27 years old, I couldn’t walk because of excruciating pain in my left hip. I never had a fall or an accident. The hip pain just started one day when I was out for a run, and continued to get worse over time, until eventually the pain levels were a constant eight out of ten. I was diagnosed with femoral acetabular impingement (FAI) with labral tears in my hip. The worst part of it all was spending a short period of time in a wheelchair, and going through surgery to my hip.

Today, seven years later, I am fully recovered and my hip is pain-free. It took a great deal of work on my part to coax my shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles back to a better alignment. The biggest discovery for me as I went through the healing process was that my hip problem wasn’t just a hip problem, but rather a total-body misalignment problem.

Pain Does Not Occur in Isolation

What I want to offer you in this article is a possible shift in perspective; a shift from focusing on the symptom or the site of your pain, to paying attention to the overall alignment and function of your entire body. The exercises that I am presenting to you in this article have very little to do with the hip itself, and a lot to do with the position of the shoulders, spine, hips, knees, and ankles.

The human body is designed to work best when its eight major load bearing joints, the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles, are properly aligned and balanced. The exercises in this article will begin to address some of the underlying causes of hip pain by restoring balance to the body.

It was life-changing for me when I first tried these exercises and experienced immediate relief in my pain. I’m not saying that you will have the same experience. You might, but this is not a quick fix for most people. The purpose of this article is for you to give these exercises a try, and notice what changes within your body. You may experience an immediate decrease in pain, or you may experience something else, like an improvement in your balance, or maybe even a release in another part of your body that was tight.

What comes next in the healing process will be up to you, but for now, give these a try.

Counter Stretch

Most of our everyday movements, such as driving and computer work, keep our arms and legs in a bent position. This exercise promotes function by allowing the upper body to straighten, while stretching and lengthening the back of the hips and legs. The end result is the pelvis will be in a better, more balanced position.

Left: incorrect. Hips forward, back rounded. Right: correct. Low back is arched, hips are back, and spine is fully extended.

Stand facing a table or counter that is about waist- to chest-high. Place your hands on the table or counter top and walk your feet back so that your feet are under your hips. Look at your feet and make sure they are straight, or slightly pigeon-toed (this is really important!). Kick your hips back to place an arch in your lower back, and move your chest down towards the floor. Keep your elbows locked out and tighten your quads. Breathe and hold for one minute. Make sure to keep the weight distribution in your feet equal.

If done properly, this exercise will promote extension in the thoracic spine, which in many people can be hunched or rounded forward in flexion with kyphosis.

Mistakes to Avoid:

• Don’t do this exercise with you back in a rounded position. If you are having a hard time placing an arch in your low back, find a higher surface to place your hands on. The higher the surface, the easier it will be to place and keep the arch in the low back.
• Don’t hold your breath. Breathe deeply throughout the exercise.

Sitting Floor

This exercise activates posture muscles all the way from your feet to your neck. It allows the mid-to-upper back to lengthen, while stabilizing the hips and legs. After doing this exercise you will feel taller, lighter, and overall you will feel better. Your hips and pelvis will be able to function more optimally with the upper back and shoulders in a better position.

Top: incorrect. Shoulders are hunched, toes are falling out. Bottom: correct. Shoulders are down and back, toes pointed up.

Sit against a wall with your legs straight out in front of you, and your feet hip-width apart. Your buttocks and upper back should be against the wall. Your tailbone should feel snugly wedged up against the wall. Place your hands on your lap, with palms up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold. Don’t lift the shoulders; only squeeze them back and down. Tighten your thighs and flex your feet back toward you, and hold. The emphasis is keeping your shoulder blades pulled together, thighs tight and feet flexed back. Relax your stomach muscles, and breathe deeply through your belly. Hold for three minutes.

Mistakes to Avoid:

• Don’t let your feet turn out. A good way to know if your feet are straight is to first point your knee caps straight toward the ceiling.
• Don’t round your shoulders forward or hunch to try to get into this position. Be sure to pull your shoulders gently down and back.
• Don’t hold your breath, and don’t hold tension in your belly. Instead, breathe and relax your belly.
• Don’t force your head to the wall if it means you’re cocking your head back at an angle. It is okay for your head to be away from the wall to start, if this feels more natural for you. When the position of your upper back improves as a result of doing these exercises, your head will naturally come back to meet the wall.

Static Back

This exercise will allow the pelvis, spine, and shoulders to settle evenly into the floor. Although passive, this exercise allows gravity to work with us to balance the body. Gravity will act equally on the right and left halves of the body in this position, leaving your body more balanced overall, and with less pain.

Top: incorrect. Legs are not at 90° and knees are falling out. Bottom: correct.

Lie on your back with your legs up over a block or chair so your hips and knees are at 90 degrees. Place your arms out to the sides at 45 degrees from your body, with your palms up. Relax your upper back, and notice as your low back flattens to the floor evenly from left to right. Breathe into your belly. Hold this position for five minutes.

Mistakes to Avoid:

• If your knees are falling out to the sides, this means your surface is too low. Try stacking blankets or towels on your couch or chair to create a surface that is the correct height.
• Have someone snap a photo of you from the side, and look at the angle of your knee. If your femur (thigh bone) is slanted, this means you do not have a 90-degree angle at your knee and hip. Your femur should be straight up and down (vertical), as shown in the photo on the right.
• Do not hold your phone over your face and text your friends or read a book during Static Back. Your shoulders must be relaxed into the floor!

Create a Daily Alignment Practice

I recommend doing these exercises daily, first thing in the morning, for the best results. Be sure to always listen to your body, and if an exercise or position doesn’t feel right to you, skip it and come back to it when you’re ready.

I hope you have enjoyed these exercises, and that this shift in perspective to a total-body alignment overhaul versus focusing solely on the hips leads to a successful healing process for you.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad reader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The post 3 Ways to Align the Body for Pain-Free Hips appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

A One-Sided Problem

Generally speaking, martial arts favor using one side of the body to punch or kick repetitively. Several forms of martial arts, especially traditional boxing, also tend to pull the body forward into a hunched position. For these reasons, the two main posture alignment issues that you will contend with as someone who practices martial arts are rotation and forward flexion. These posture misalignments can eventually lead to back pain, knee pain, shoulder injuries, or pain in pretty much any other part of the body.

Below is an example of what rotation and forward flexion look like. This person practices Brazilian jiu jitsu, and initially came to me with symptoms of sciatica.

From the back view, you can see that the right side of his body is rotated in front of the left side. If you look closely at the feet, you will see that the right foot is in front of the left. The right shoulder is also lower than the left.

From the side view, the red line indicates where the ear lobe, shoulder, hip and knee are supposed to line up. The green line traces the actual position of the of these points. As you can see, his body is significantly shifted forward in front of the plumb line.

If you think you look like the person in these pictures, then check this out. In the video below, I will demonstrate two simple exercises that you can do before and after practicing martial arts to balance your body. You will feel a huge difference in your body after doing these exercises. They will make you feel taller, lighter, and like your shoulders are more broad.

A right-dominant, forward-flexed fighter.

Alignment Exercises for Martial Arts

Here is a breakdown of the instructions for the two exercises in the video:

Standing Windmill

In this exercise, the wall is being used as a reference point for your body. This allows your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles to properly align while also removing rotation from the body.Do 1 set of 5 repetitions in each of the following 4 positions:

Position 1:

1. Stand with feet hip-width and shoulders, hips, and heels touching the wall.
2. Place arms out to sides with elbows locked straight and palms facing out.
3. Maintain a 90° angle relative to your body with your arms throughout the exercise, and keep your fingers spread wide.
4. Bend your torso to one side then the other side for five reps in each direction. Be sure to keep shoulders and hips on the wall and feet flat on the floor as you bend.

Position 2:

Spread feet about 1.5ft apart, and do five reps in each direction.

Position 3:

Spread feet about 2.5 feet apart, and do five reps in each direction.

Position 4:

Return feet to Position 1 (hip-width), and do five reps in each direction.

Standing Elbow Curls

This exercise straightens out the upper back and shoulders.

1. Stand at a wall with your heels, hips, upper back, and head against the wall.
2. Your feet should be pointed straight and hip-width apart.
3. Curl your fingers in toward the palms of your hands by bending at the second knuckle. (See the video to see what this looks like).
4. Place your knuckles against your temples with your thumbs pointing down toward your shoulders.
5. Open and pull back your elbows so that they are against the wall, then close your elbows together in front of your face.
6. Keep your elbows up at shoulder level; do not let them drop down.
7. Repeat 25 times.

Investing a little bit of time in fixing your posture with these exercises every single day can keep you out of pain and in the ring for the long run!

Already hurt? There’s help for you, too:

Posture Intervention: Healing After a Knee Injury

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad reader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The post Bring Balance to Your Martial Arts Training appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Then suddenly it happens. You break away and sprint down the court. You are in the prefect position to get a pass from your teammate and score a three pointer. You plant on your right foot and cut hard to the left. Suddenly, your right knee gives way and your body collapses to the floor. Pain shoots through your knee. You are in shock and thoughts flood your brain: I can’t believe I missed that three point shot! How long will this take to heal? Am I going to have to miss next week’s game? This fictitious play-by-play may sound all too familiar if you have injured your knee while playing a sport in the recent past.

Sam’s Knee Injury Forecast

Enter Sam. I met Sam at the mall last night when I was out running some errands. Sam was working at a kiosk next to the food court, and I couldn’t help but notice that Sam’s leg was in a brace, resting on a chair in front of him. I struck up a conversation with Sam, and he told me the story of how he hurt his knee during a basketball game with his friends. He gave me a play-by-play much like the one at the beginning of this article.

Sam has had x-rays done on his knee, which came out negative, meaning there was nothing shown in the x-rays that indicated damage to his knee. He explained to me that the next step is to meet with an orthopedic doctor and possibly undergo and MRI. Since Sam has not yet had his MRI, we can speculate the following predictable chain of events:

Fast forward three months into the future. Sam has gone through the MRI, and no damage was shown to the knee. The ligaments are all intact. There is some minor damage to the meniscus, the doctor says, but nothing worth operating on. The prescription: rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and then get back to his regular activities when the knee is feeling better.

Fast forward another three months in our prediction of events. At six months since the injury, Sam has been good at following all of the doctor’s recommendations. He has not played a single game of basketball (this has been torturous), and he has gone to physical therapy once per week for eight weeks.

Sam is itching to get back on the court. He has gained some weight since the injury, and after being sedentary for six months, he is not feeling like his old self anymore. He is worried that if he hits the courts again, he will re-injure his knee. Paralysis sets in and Sam does nothing, for fear of the unknown.

If you have suffered a recent knee injury yourself, this scenario may ring a bell. The question is, what do you do at this point? You have exhausted the traditional forms of medical treatment that are available to you. You have done everything the doctor told you to do. You are dying to get out and play again, but you know deep down in your gut that you are just not ready yet. Your knee doesn’t feel normal. What is going on?

An Injured Knee From Sitting Too Much?

Let’s take a step back and revisit my conversation with Sam at the mall. After he shared his story of how he hurt his knee, I asked Sam if the thought ever crossed his mind that his posture could have anything to do with his knee injury. At first Sam looked at me like I was from Mars. I proceeded to ask Sam if he would allow me to show him what I mean by posture. Sam agreed to let me take a picture of him, which I have included here:

Don’t forget the bigger picture—your posture matters. [Photo credit: Maryann Berry]

When I showed Sam his photo, I asked him what he saw and the first thing he pointed out was the curve of his back. He immediately knew that his back was not supposed to be excessively curved like this, and without hesitation he asked me why this happens. I explained to Sam that we all have compromised posture because we don’t move enough.

At first he got a little bit defensive in response to my statement and explained that he used to work out three times per week. My rebuttal was to have Sam calculate how many hours per day he has spent sitting on average since he was six years old. After thinking about this for a few moments, a smile crept onto his face and I immediately knew he understood. He said that when he was a kid he sat in school for about five hours per day. Now he is in school full time to get his MBA, and he is sitting in class or sitting to study nearly all day long. When he commutes from home to school, or from home to work, he is sitting in his car driving. I didn’t have to explain any further, as it was obvious to Sam that the majority of his day to day life involved little to no movement.

I proceeded to explain that when we spend a lot of time sitting, our bodies lose balance and strength and our posture suffers. When we go out to play a fun game of basketball with our friends, our muscles and joints are not in a good position and we are prone to injuries such as the knee injury that he was suffering from.

Time for the posture intervention.

Load Bearing Joints as a System

Let’s talk anatomy and the basic design of the human body. The human body is comprised of eight major load bearing joints: shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles. These joints work in unison with one another when they are properly aligned, as shown in the image below of Function Freddie.

Everything is connected. [Photo credit: Egoscue University]

The hip, knee, and ankle joint are designed to stack one on top of the other in a straight line with the feet pointed straight ahead. Now let’s take a closer look at the mechanics of the hip, knee, and ankle:

• The knee joint is a hinge. Just like the hinge on a door, this joint is designed to open and close, thus moving the knee through flexion and extension.
• The hip joint is a ball and socket joint, and is able to move through a full circle.
• The main ankle joint is a hinge, much like the knee, and is able to move the foot up and down. This main joint of the ankle, combined with the subtalar joint, work together to form a system that can move in a full circle, similar to a ball and socket joint.

What happens when a person spends a lot of time sitting (which we all do)? The pelvis loses its ability to move through a full range of motion due to muscle tightness and weakness. Over time, the hips become unbalanced, usually with one side that is stronger or more dominant than the other. Lack of movement, sitting, and shoes can all lead to reduced range of motion in the ankle joint as well.

When the ankle and the hip lose function and mobility, the knee joint, which is trapped in the middle, then gets asked to move like a ball and socket, which we know is not its intended function. This extra demand on the knee can lead to soft tissue damage or an injury like the one that Sam suffered.

It is important to see the bigger picture and to recognize that a knee injury is rarely a knee problem, but rather a hip, knee, ankle problem. Check out the following photos of people who started out with misaligned knees. In all three of the after photos, you will see the misalignments have been corrected or greatly improved.

When the joints don’t work in unison, imbalance is the result. [Before and after photos credit: Maryann Berry]

If you have recently injured your knee, and the connection between your knee injury and your posture makes sense to you, the next step is to go see a practitioner that specializes in posture for an assessment. This practitioner can guide you in the direction of the exercises that you need to do in order to correct your specific muscular imbalances. This customized approach is the best way to eliminate the guesswork, and ensure your long term success.

Exercises for Better Knee Alignment

For some generalized guidance on exercises to balance and strengthen the hips and knees, check out the following program. I personally have overcome knee pain after undergoing an ACL replacement and dealing with chronic knee pain for 10 years. Today, my knee is pain-free, and the following exercises have all been a part of my routine at one point or another.

I recommend starting out by doing the entire series of exercises at least once. Then choose the exercise(s) that you feel target the areas where you need to strengthen or stabilize, and incorporate those exercises into your regular routine.

Now let’s get started!

Inner and Outer Thighs

Sets/Reps:

1 set of 20 reps (on both inner and outer thighs on each leg)

Purpose:

To activate and strengthen adductor and abductor muscle groups.

Instructions:

1. Lie on your side.
2. Rest your head on your hand and brace yourself with the other arm, placing your palm flat on the floor.
3. Bend the top leg and place your foot flat on the floor in front of your thigh.
4. Raise and lower the bottom leg up 3-4 inches off the floor then back to the floor and repeat 20 times to work the inner thigh. You should feel this in the inner thigh.
5. Keep the thigh of the bottom leg tight and your toes flexed back.
6. Switch sides by stacking the legs, then bend the knee of the bottom leg back behind you. Be sure your knees are stacked on top of each other and your thighs are parallel to each other.
7. Hold the top leg straight with your thigh tight and your foot flexed.
8. Raise and lower the top leg 20 times to work the outer thigh.
9. Key point: Keep your heel higher than your toes by slightly internally rotating your leg. This is critical in order for you to activate glute medius. You should feel this in your glutes.
10. Roll to the other side and repeat the entire sequence.

Focus on: Keeping the thigh of the working leg tight and the foot flexed.

Left: Inner thigh, position one; Right: Inner thigh, position two. [Photo credit: Maryann Berry]

Left: Outer thigh, position one; Right: Outer thigh, position two. [Photo credit: Maryann Berry]

Abductor Presses

Sets/Reps:

3 sets of 20 reps

Purpose:

To activate the abductor muscle group (outer hip).

Instructions:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor pointed straight ahead.
2. Place a strap or belt around your knees. Your knees should be bent and fist-width apart (about four inches).
3. Set your feet hip-width apart with the outer edges of your feet straight.
4. Press outward against the strap and then release. Be sure the knees aren’t wider than hip width when pressing against strap or belt. Continue to press and release for a total of three sets of 20 reps.
5. You should feel this in your outer hip/glute area.
6. Be sure to keep your stomach and upper body relaxed.

Focus on: The set up. You will get the most benefit by starting off with your feet and knees hip width apart and your feet straight.

Abductor press. [Photo credit: Maryann Berry]

Hip Flexor Leg Lifts

Sets/Reps:

2 sets of 20 reps on each side

Purpose:

To promote knee extension and to strengthen the hip flexors and quads.

Instructions:

1. Lie on your back with one leg bent and the other leg extended straight out in front of you.
2. Prop yourself up on your elbows and look straight ahead. Roll a small arch into your lower back.
3. Tighten the thigh of your straight leg and pull your toes back toward you.
4. Hold this tightened position while lifting and lowering this leg from the floor up to the level of the bent leg and down again. You should feel this in your quad and the crease of the hip.
5. After 20 reps, switch legs and repeat.

Focus on: Maintaining the arch in the low back. If you lose the arch the exercise will feel really easy and will defeat the purpose. If you cannot maintain the arch while achieving the proper height of the leg you are working, then lift the leg as high as you can while maintaining the arch in your low back.

Left: Hip flexor, position one; Right: Hip flexor, position two. [Photo credit: Maryann Berry]

Invisible Leg Press

Sets/Reps:

2 sets of 10 reps

Purpose:

This exercise does a lot of things all at once. This works both the quads and hamstrings. This also works the shin muscles and promotes dorsiflexion of the ankle. Finally, this exercise activates the abductor muscles of the hips for an overall total leg and hip workout.

Instructions:

1. Place a strap around your ankles so that your ankles are one fist width apart.
2. Lie on your back and fully extend your legs in the air.
3. Allow your arms to rest at a 45 degree angle with your palms facing up.
4. Maintain constant pressure outward on the strap in order to feel muscles work in your hips.
5. Flex your ankles back so that the tops of your feet are parallel to the ceiling.
6. Slowly bend your knees while keeping your feet parallel to the ceiling. Only go as far as you can go without loosing position with your feet. At this point you should feel a stretch in your claves and muscle work in your shins.
7. Extend your legs back to the straight position and contract your quads at the top to finish the rep and you will feel your quads burn.

Don’t forget to continuously press outward against the strap. Pretend that your heels are sliding up and down an imaginary plate of glass, but you do not want your heels to break through the glass away from you—and keep your feet straight.

In order to practice keeping your feet and ankles in the correct position, place a lightweight, flat object on the soles of your feet. Go through the reps without allowing the object to slant or drop.

Focus on: Keeping the soles of your feet parallel to the ceiling throughout the entire exercise. If done correctly, the range of motion of the legs moving down and up will be about four to six inches. The most important factor is keeping the feet parallel to the ceiling, not how low you can bring your legs.

Left: Invisible leg press, position one; Right: Invisible leg press, position two. [Photo credit: Maryann Berry]

Put Posture Intervention to Use

I hope you have enjoyed and will be able to put this posture intervention to good use. No matter what course of action you choose to heal your knee, don’t forget the bigger picture: everything is connected!

More on posture and alignment:

Two Alignment Fixes to Prevent CrossFit Injuries

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad reader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The post Posture Intervention: Healing After a Knee Injury appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This is all well and good in a world filled with perfectly functional and aligned bodies. But what about in today’s modern world? We spend all our time when we are not at the gym sitting, hunched over our cell phones and computers, or in the car.

A dysfunctional, misaligned, heavily compensated body may appear to be strong. But these dysfunctions will inevitably lead to injury at some point. Strength and power are important, but if one cannot return to the sport and repeat the lift or the activity, then looking strong and powerful is worthless.

Poor Posture Sabotages Strength

There is a direct relationship between function and strength. In 1947, The Posture Committee of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons defined good posture as:

“…the state of muscular and skeletal balance which protects the supporting structures of the body against injury.”

They defined poor posture as:

“…a faulty relationship of the various parts of the body which produce increased strain on the supporting structures and in which there is less efficient balance of the body over its base of support.”

In this article, I will show you two posture exercises that you can incorporate into your strength-building routine. These two exercises are just a start, and by no means do they encompass a full, well-rounded posture corrective routine.

If this is your first time addressing posture, try using these exercises as benchmark posture assessments. Can you do the movements shown properly, and can you move through the intended ranges of motion?  If not, what is this telling you about your body and your training? The next step in taking on improving your posture is to work with a coach who can help you to develop a customized, well-rounded posture routine to incorporate into your training plan.

Exercise Instructions

Standing Elbow Curls

This exercise unlocks the shoulder blades by moving the shoulder joints through a full range of protraction and retraction. This exercise will help to improve shoulder mobility and will help you to stand straighter.

1. Stand at a wall with your heels, hips, upper back and head against the wall. Your feet should be pointed straight and hip-width apart.
2. Curl your fingers into the palms of your hands by bending at the second knuckle (be sure to watch the video to see what this looks like). Place your knuckles against your temples with your thumbs pointing down to your shoulders.
3. Open and pull back your elbows so that they are against the wall, then close your elbows together in front of your face.
4. Keep your elbows up at shoulder level, do not let them drop down.
5. Repeat 25 times.

Hip Crossover Stretch

1. Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, pointed straight ahead.
2. Place your arms out to the side at shoulder level, with your palms down and flat on the floor.
3. Cross your right ankle over your left knee and rotate the ankle/knee junction down toward the floor.
4. Your right foot should now be flat on the floor, along with the outside of your left leg.
5. Do not let your left foot slide across the floor as you rotate your ankle/knee junction down toward the floor. See the accompanying video for a visual on what this looks like.
6. Look in the opposite direction and relax your neck and shoulders.
7. Press the right knee away from your body using the right hip muscles. Do not use your hand to press your knee away from your body.
8. Hold for 1 minute, then switch sides and repeat.

I hope you enjoy these exercises, and that you are able to make them a part of your regular training routine. You will find that they will make a big difference for you over time. For more on posture, sports, injury prevention, and fixing posture through exercise, check out The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion by Pete Egoscue.

Get healthy with your movement so you can keep going:

Tune Up for Long-Term Training

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad reader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The post Posture and a Bigger Powerlifting Total appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Although these exercises may appear to be very simple, do not be surprised if you find them very challenging. Working through the proper position and full range of motion of the following exercises will pay off tremendously in keeping you healthy and performing at your peak potential in the future.

Exercise Instructions

Supine Foot Circles and Point-Flexes

This exercise activates muscles of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. It also improves the connection and function of the hip-knee-ankle kinetic chain.

1. Lie on your back with one leg extended, and the other leg bent and pulled up toward your chest.
2. Clasp your hands behind the bent knee.
3. Keep the foot on the floor pointed straight up toward the ceiling.
4. Circle the lifted foot one way for 40 repetitions, then reverse direction for another 40 reps.
5. Make sure the knee stays absolutely still with movement coming from the ankle and not the knee.
6. For the point-flexes, bring the toes back toward the shin to flex, then reverse the direction to point the foot forward for 40 reps.
7. Switch legs and repeat.
8. Make sure your down leg’s foot stays pointing to the ceiling.

Down Dog

This exercise requires the whole body to work as a unit! The main keys for this exercise are to keep your knees locked in extension and to place the arch in your low back.

1. Start on your hands and knees; hands directly below your shoulders, knees directly below your hips.
2. Tuck your toes under and lift your knees off the floor into the pike position.
3. Place a small arch in your lower back.
4. Keep your elbows straight.
5. More weight should be on your thumbs and index fingers.
6. Keep your thighs tight, then let your heels drop toward the floor.
7. Hold for one minute.

If you are having a hard time keeping your knees straight and getting your heels to the floor, then try this modification:

1. Set yourself up on your hands and knees with your feet and heels about 4 inches in front of a wall.
2. Pike up into the down dog position so that your heels come back to touch the wall.
3. Tighten your thighs and hold for one minute.

Over time, work your heels down the wall until eventually you can place your heels flat to the floor with your knees straight. We are talking about a process of months, if not years, to establish the kind of flexibility needed to place the feet flat to the floor. Be patient and practice daily!

I hope you are able to put these exercises to good use as they have helped me tremendously to remain healthy and injury-free over the years. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email.

More movements to keep your spine happy:

Posture exercises for Surfers

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad reader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The post Triathlete: Fine Tune Your Body appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Although yoga is a strengthening and balancing technique, it will not correct or fix existing postural issues that result from excessive sitting or lack of movement. Yoga is an ancient practice that was created during a time when humans did not spend their days sitting. For the modern day body to reap the great benefits of a yoga practice, one must do something to counteract the effects of sitting and lack of movement. As well as yoga, these exercises will support anyone who has a mobility practice that is similar.

The exercises featured in this video are designed to promote balance and proper function of the eight load-bearing joints of the body: the shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. These exercises will put the body into a better position in order to get the most benefit from a yoga practice.

The exercises are: 

• In-line gluteal contractions
• Three-position toe raises
• Standing arm circles

For best results, incorporate these exercises both before and after your yoga practice.

Exercise Instructions

In-Line Gluteal Contractions

This exercise works the stabilizing gluteal muscles around the hip, all while challenging your balance.

1. Stand with your feet in-line with each other so that the toes of the foot behind are three inches away from the foot in front.
2. It is very important that your feet remain pointed straight ahead through out the exercise.
3. In this position, squeeze and release your buttocks muscles, keeping your thighs and stomach muscles relaxed.
4. Repeat three sets of 20 on each side.
5. Remember to keep your feet straight and keep your balance.
6. Keep your upper body relaxed throughout the exercise.

If you have trouble keeping your balance at first, stand next to a table and periodically hold onto it for support.

Three-Position Toe Raises

1. Stand with your body aligned straight up and down, with your hips directly over your heels.
2. For the first set, point your toes straight ahead.
3. Roll up onto the balls of your feet, keeping the weight evenly distributed over all five toes.
4. Lower you heels back to the ground in a smooth motion.
5. Repeat three sets of 10 reps.
6. For the second set, point your toes outward at about a 45 degree angle.
7. Repeat the above directions for another three sets of 10 reps.
8. For the third set, point your toes inward so your big toes are touching.
9. Repeat the above instructions for the final three sets of 10 reps.
10. It is essential to maintain your body alignment, with your hips directly over your heels
11. Do not let yourself lean forward.

Standing Arm Circles

This exercise balances the shoulders and promotes function of the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine.

1. Stand with your feet pointed straight ahead and hip-width apart.
2. Place your finger tips into the pad of each hand and point your thumbs straight out.
3. This is referred to as golfer’s grip and maintaining this hand position is important for the exercise to be done correctly.
4. Pull your shoulders back by squeezing your shoulder blades together and down, then bring your arms out straight from your sides up to shoulder level.
5. With palms facing down and thumbs pointing straight forward, rotate your hands up and forward in approximate six inch circles and continue for 50 reps.
6. Then reverse direction: palms should now face up, with thumbs pointed straight backward.
7. Rotate your hands up and backward, continue for 50 reps.

Lately, several yogis have come to me asking for support with reducing pain and tension resulting from their yoga practice. This prompted me to create this article for people who practice yoga regularly. I hope this short routine helps you to maintain balance and to gain greater benefit from your practice. If you have any questions or comments feel free to send me an email.

Keep your body ready for anything:

Tune Up for Long-Term Training

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad reader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The post Exercises for Balanced Yoga appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Prep Your Body for a Long Tennis Career

In order to set your body up to be able to play tennis for a long period of time without pain and injury, it is critical to practice a regular routine of posture exercises that will reduce rotation and leave the body in a neutral, balanced position. I’d like to show you two exercises that are designed to remind the body’s eight major load-bearing joints, the shoulder, hips, knees and ankles that they are designed to work together and equally on both sides.

The exercises are: 

1. Frog
2. Upper spinal floor twist

For best results incorporate these exercises both before and after your tennis practice.

Exercise Instructions

Frog

1. Lie on your back with your arms at your side, palms up, and hands relaxed.
2. Place the soles of your feet together.
3. Center your feet along the mid-line of your body and let your knees relax down to the sides.
4. Relax.
5. Do not press your knees/legs to the ground. Just let gravity pull them down.
6. You should feel a stretch along the inner thigh.
7. Hold the position for two minutes.
8. You will naturally have an arch in your lower back.

While you are in this position, look to see if one knee is higher than the other. If so, this means that your hips are not balanced.

Upper Spinal Floor Twist

1. Lie on one side in the fetal position with your arms straight out from your shoulders in front of you.
2. Stack your knees one directly atop the other, where they should remain throughout the exercise.
3. Open the top arm, lifting it up and over your body to the other side, letting it rest to the floor or as close to the floor as you are able.
4. Move your head to look in the same direction as that arm.
5. Do NOT let your knees come apart while moving the arm to the other side.
6. Use your bottom hand to hold your knees together and keep them stacked on top of one another.
7. Remember to breathe.
8. Allow your body to open up.
9. Hold for one minute.
10. Switch sides and repeat.

I hope this short routine helps you to remain balanced and injury free so that you can hit the courts feeling and performing your best. If you have any questions or comments feel free to send me an email.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad reader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The post Mobility and Alignment for Racquet Sports appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What these movements are lacking is frontal plane or side-to-side movement. Training predominately in the sagittal plane (front to back) for an extended period of time can lead to slumped or forward flexed posture, rounded shoulders, stiff hips, and a greater likelihood for injury. Side-to-side movement should be supplemented in order to provide a more well-rounded and balanced program that will improve posture and prevent pain and injury in the long term.

One important factor to keep in mind when incorporating frontal plane movements is the tendency for a body that is very strong in the sagittal plane to want to cheat. The natural tendency is to avoid recruiting the proper muscles that stabilize the body in the frontal plane. 

Posture Muscle Activation Exercises

In this video, I’m going to introduce to you two exercises that will promote extension of the spine and improve shoulder position. They will also target and strengthen lateral hip stabilizer muscles. Pay careful attention to the instructions, positions and equipment involved. These exercises are designed to prevent the body from compensating, and to promote activation of the correct musculature.

The exercises are: 

• Kneeling tricep stretch with abduction – 3 sets of 20 reps
• Sitting abductor press – 5 minutes of continuous pressing

For the best results, try doing these exercises before you work out. They will put your body into a better position and they will activate key stabilizing posture muscles.

Exercise Instructions

Kneeling Tricep Stretch With Abduction

1. Place a non-stretchy strap around your ankles so that your ankles are one and a half fist-widths apart.
2. Kneel in front of a chair or bench.
3. Place one hand on each shoulder and place your elbows on the chair or bench.
4. Walk your knees back so that your knees are beneath your hips. Your knees, hips, and shoulders should all be in line with each other.
5. Collapse you shoulder blades together.
6. Arch your lower back.
7. Press and release your ankles out against the strap for 3 sets of 20 reps.
8. Be sure to keep your low back arched for the direction of the entire exercise.

You should feel this in your outer hips, and you should feel a stretch between your shoulder blades and in your triceps.

Sitting Abductor Press

1. Sit in the middle of a chair with your feet pointed straight ahead, 4-6 inches apart.
2. Place a non-stretchy strap around your knees so that your knees are one fist-width apart.
3. Roll your pelvis forward to place a small arch in your low back and hold this position throughout the exercise.
4. Press outward against the strap then release. Press and release continuously for five minutes.

You should feel muscle burn in the side of your hips, if done correctly. This will be very difficult to do for five minutes, but the work will pay off in the end!

Get Strong, Stay Healthy

I hope you enjoy these posture exercises as they have helped me greatly over the years. I enjoy traditional bodybuilding exercises because they make me feel strong and they produce results! I hope these balancing exercises help you stay in the game, pain and injury free. If you have any questions or comments feel free to send me an email.

A little prep work goes a long way toward preventing injury:

Build a Resilient Spine: Start Here

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The post Posture Exercises for Bodybuilders appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

If a surfer is not being proactive by continuously re-balancing their body before and after surfing, they will end up with one or both of the following posture imbalances:

• Rotation and asymmetry of the torso and shoulder girdle
• Rotation in the pelvis

Left: Back view of a surfer demonstrates torso rotation, shoulder girdle asymmetry, and pelvic rotation. Right: Three weeks later, after practicing a daily routine of posture exercises. [Collage credit: Maryann Berry]

As you can see, the rotation and asymmetry in his torso and pelvis are greatly reduced in the after photo. He initially came to see me with a herniated disk. Today, two and a half months later, his symptoms have greatly reduced and he is still practicing his exercises every day.

Exercises to Correct Surfer Posture

The following posture exercises will promote muscular and load joint balance prior to surfing, and will also act to remove compensation after surfing. For a demonstration of these exercises, be sure to watch the video below.

Hanging

1. Stand with your feet pointed straight ahead, hip width apart.
2. Bend over to touch your toes; simply hang there.
3. Drop your head and try to concentrate on relaxing your upper back.
4. Do not bend your knees, keep your weight in the middle of your feet toward the ball of foot and do not bounce.
5. Hold for ten breaths.

Hip Lift

1. Lie on your back with your feet on the floor.
2. Cross one ankle/foot over to the opposite knee, just above the knee.
3. Lift the foot that is still on the floor up until your calf is parallel to the ground and your knee is bent at a 90 degree angle.
4. Relax your shoulders, and put your arms out to the sides, palms up.
5. As you pull the knee with your ankle on it toward you, press the other knee away from you. Resist the temptation to use your hands.
6. Hold this position for one minute on each side.

Sitting Floor Twist

1. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Bend your right leg and cross it over the left leg.
3. Place the left elbow on the outside of the right knee while it is crossed over.
4. Roll your hips forward to create an arch in your low back. It is very important to hold the arch throughout this exercise.
5. Tighten the thigh in your straight leg and pull your toes back toward you.
6. Twist your upper body to the right using your back muscles to rotate your spine.
7. Turn your head to the right as your twist your back.
8. Hold this position for one minute and breathe then switch sides and repeat.

Down Dog

1. Start on your hands and knees, hands directly below your shoulders, knees under your hips.
2. Tuck your toes under and lift your knees off the floor into the piked position.
3. Try to place a small arch in your lower back.
4. Keep your elbows straight, more weight should be on your thumbs and index fingers.
5. Keep your thighs tight and then let your heels drop toward the floor.
6. Hold for 10 breaths.

Standing Elbow Curls

1. Stand with your heels, hips, upper back, and head against the wall.
2. Your feet should be pointed straight and hip width apart.
3. Place your knuckles against your temples with your thumbs pointing down to your shoulders (golfer’s grip).
4. Open and pull back your elbows as far as they will go then close your elbows together in front of your face.
5. Keep your elbows up at shoulder level, do not let them drop down.
6. Do 25 repetitions.

Have fun, and see you in the lineup!

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this article is to promote broad reader understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

Straighten your posture:

Corrective Posture Exercises for Chronic Sitters

Help your athletes move better:

Move Well First: A New Path for Coaching Fitness

The post Posture Exercises for Surfers appeared first on Breaking Muscle.