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Ultimate Core Strength Workout

12/31/2015

I'm calling this Pete Egoscue designed and narrated workout the Ultimate Core Strength Workout. Most "core" workouts only target the abdominal muscles and often while putting the body into spinal flexion. The true "core" of the body is the entire torso and all the muscles that attach to the pelvis, spine, ribs, and shoulder blades. This workout targets all of the truck muscles and teaches them to work together with the arm and leg muscles to stabilize the body in both static and dynamic whole body movements. You'll quickly feel the benefits of this well rounded workout: improved posture, easier and deeper breathing, increased energy, and over time improved hip, shoulder, and torso strength (real core strength).

If you'd like more workouts like this or workouts personalized to your body and goals, contact me today for a free consultation.

Related videos/articles:
Is training your "core" really helping you?
Cardio core workout
Straighten before you strengthen
How shoulder posture affects running performance

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How Posture Affects Lung Capacity

12/30/2015

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Most people understand that chronic slouching can cause back pain and good posture is important to long term back health, but did you know slouching can also decrease lung capacity dramatically?

Thoracic kyphosis, or the classic upper back slouching, can cause dramatic decreases in lung capacity and function. Below are some examples of thoracic kyphosis:

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Thoracic kyphosis is the excessive rounding of the thoracic spine compared to optimal position as seen below:

Optimal thoracic posture vs thoracic kyphosis

Thoracic kyphosis (or excessive thoracic flexion) is very closely linked with several other posture imbalances that play off each other including: forward head posture, cervical flexion, rounded shoulders, scapular abduction and winging, internal humeral rotation, and depressed ribs. Images 1, 2, and 3 above show varying degrees of forward head posture, cervical flexion, rounded shoulders, scapular abduction and winging, and internal humeral rotation. Images 1 and 2 show depressed ribs as does the thoracic kyphosis drawing above (notice the difference in rib position in the two drawings).

The lungs are positioned inside the rib cage and normal or optimal thoracic spine, rib, and scapula position are needed for normal breathing and full lung capacity. Here is how the NIH describes breathing:

"When you breathe in, or inhale, your diaphragm contracts (tightens) and moves downward. This increases the space in your chest cavity, into which your lungs expand. The intercostal muscles between your ribs also help enlarge the chest cavity. They contract to pull your rib cage both upward and outward when you inhale.

As your lungs expand, air is sucked in through your nose or mouth. The air travels down your windpipe and into your lungs. After passing through your bronchial tubes, the air finally reaches and enters the alveoli (air sacs).

When you breathe out, or exhale, your diaphragm relaxes and moves upward into the chest cavity. The intercostal muscles between the ribs also relax to reduce the space in the chest cavity. As the space in the chest cavity gets smaller, air rich in carbon dioxide is forced out of your lungs and windpipe, and then out of your nose or mouth.

When someone has thoracic kyphosis and depressed ribs the thoracic cavity is decreased in size and the rib cage cannot expand to its full size. The more thoracic flexion or kyphosis someone has the less lung capacity they will have. Rene Cailliet M.D., the famous medical author and former director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at USC, says lung capacity can be decreased by as much as 30% in these individuals.

Lung capacity is something that is important for professional and top level athletes where the difference between winning and losing is often less than 1%. But lung capacity is also important for all active individuals who need their full lung capacity to enjoy running, biking, skiing, hiking, gardening, golfing, and playing sports.

Professional distance running Mary Cain showing thoracic kyphosis. Mary will experience decreased lung capacity and decreased performance because of her poor posture.

Runner showing very good thoracic spine posture. He will be able to use his full lung capacity and run to his full potential because of his good posture.

Lung capacity is also very important to people who have lung diseases like COPD, asthma, emphysema, lung cancer, pulmonary edema, and bronchitis where their lung function is already decreased and their life depends on getting enough oxygen to stay alive and enjoy life.

Decreased lung capacity caused by the poor posture of thoracic kyphosis puts in increased stress on the heart and can cause heart disease, such as cor pulmonale. Cor pulmonale is the abnormal enlargement of the right side of the heart as a result of a disease of the lungs. People with severe thoracic kyphosis have even been know to have died from cor pulmonale when left untreated.

Thinking about postures affect on lung capacity: The woman on the left would have the most compromised lung capacity and function because of her severe kyphosis. The woman on the right would have full lung capacity and normal function because of her very good upright posture.

If you believe you have some thoracic kyphosis and are ready to learn some exercises that will help restore thoracic extension and improve your posture and lung capacity, contact me today and I'd be happy to offer you a free posture evaluation either in-person or over Skype or FaceTime.

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OET Official Merchandise on Spreadshirt

12/18/2015

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Oregon Exercise Therapy has an ever expanding Spreadshirt store that features official OET merchandise like t-shirts, coffee mugs, iPhone cases, and sweatshirts. Here is a sample of some of the great offerings:

Support your active lifestyle with some fun active wear that reminds you how you got pain free and how to stay that way.

Learn more about how to live, play, and be pain free:
Egoscue and low back pain
How to fix chronic knee pain
Golf pain free with this warm-up and cool-down
What is postural alignment therapy?

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Warm-up and Cool-down for Golfers

12/18/2015

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Golf is a game of skill, technique, focus, confidence, balance, flexibility, strength, and power. Getting and keeping your body in postural balance allows you to use your talent and play to your full potential. This golf specific warm-up and cool-down will allow your body to perform better. Your body will feel the difference and your score will show the difference. Playing 9, 18, or 36 holes never felt so good! Enjoy.

Related videos/articles:
Tennis warm-up and cool-down
10-minute after-work workout
How shoulder posture affects running performance
Egoscue and low back pain

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Warm-up and Cool-down Exercises for Cycling

12/1/2015

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Cycling is one of my favorite sports and I've spent countless hours mountain biking and road cycling throughout my life. One of the things that has kept me pain free and feeling good both on and off the bike is doing posture exercises before and after cycling. This video made by Sonima and narrated by Pete Egoscue will help give you the hip extension, knee extension, and spinal extension that is missing in cycling while undoing the tightness in your hip flexors, hamstrings, calves, and anterior torso that lead to neck, shoulder, and back pain.

Comment below about how these exercises felt, what changes you noticed, and if you have any questions about how to keep cycling pain free.

Related videos/articles:
How shoulder posture affects running performance
How to build and maintain bone density
The power of the Tower
Warm-up and cool-down for tennis

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10-Minute After-Work Workout

12/1/2015

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You've been sitting at your desk for 8 hours at work, talking on the phone, taking notes, typing on your computer, leaning forward to see your monitor, and slouching more and more as the day goes on. You know all this sitting and slouching is not good for your body, but what can you do about it? How about this quick, fast, energizing, and highly effective 10 minute workout?! It will engage your core, balance your hips, improve your posture, boost your energy, and burn calories. And it only takes 10 minutes! You can do this workout at your office, at the gym, at home, or anywhere in between.

Have fun and let me know how it goes. Comment below.

Related videos/articles:
Simple posture exercises for office workers
How shoulder posture affects running performance
What is "normal" aging?
At work pain free stretching routine

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Ultimate Core Strength Workout

How Posture Affects Lung Capacity

OET Official Merchandise on Spreadshirt

Warm-up and Cool-down for Golfers

Warm-up and Cool-down Exercises for Cycling

10-Minute After-Work Workout

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