The human body is designed to move. In fact the human body, like all creatures on earth, is a direct reflection of the requirements of movement. Form follows function and our bodies were designed by movement for movement. When we stop moving, we start dying. The more we move, and the more variety of movement we do, the healthier we become. Follow the example of kids everywhere: move, run, jump, play, dance, have fun. 

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Why workout alone when you can workout together? Grab your wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, partner, friend, roommate, or teammate and follow along with Linda and John Lynch for a great 15 minute workout! 

This full-body workout will strengthen your core, arms, and legs and bring a smile to your face! 

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Studies have shown musicians experience musculoskeletal pain at a higher rate than non-musicians, but this does not mean playing a musical instrument is bad for the body. Your body is designed to play a guitar, violin, saxophone, piano, or the drums pain free. Playing an instrument can be thought about the same way as playing a sport - each instrument, just like each sport, places specific repeated stresses on the body. With repeated playing the body will adapt to the demands placed upon it and adjust. These adjustments can be adaptations in muscles, bones, connective tissues, blood vessels, nerves, etc. 

The body is such an amazing stimulus response organism and it will adapt to what you ask it to do.
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Repeatedly throwing a baseball will strengthen the muscles involved in the throwing motion and increase the range of motion of the shoulder joint. This is a normal and natural response of the body to movement/demand. But when a person throws hundreds of baseballs daily with one arm and not the other, the body starts to become imbalanced. Now not only is one arm stronger and exhibits a larger range of motion than the other arm, the rest of the body starts to compensate for this imbalance. The dominate shoulder might drop down and forward which rotates the same side hip forward and twists the knees and feet out of balance. This is a recipe for pain and injury up and down the body. 

The same imbalance patterns happen when someone plays an instrument repeatedly. Playing a guitar right handed will lead to the right shoulder rotating forward and up and will cause internal rotation of the right arm. The left shoulder will drop back and down. The right scapula will abduct (protract) as the left scapula adducts (retracts). 

Playing a violin will lead to many of the same imbalances as playing a guitar. The woman below will end up with imbalances in her neck, shoulder, and back muscles from the repeated demands of playing the violin. These imbalances can lead to neck, back, shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand pain and injury. 

Being a drummer can also lead to postural imbalances and eventual pain or injury. Common imbalances created by drumming are forward head posture, thoracic flexion, lumbar flexion, and rounded shoulders. 

Whether you play baseball or guitar the key to becoming pain free is the same: balance the body. Restoring postural alignment and balance will both relieve pain and future prevent injuries. The first thing you need to do is identify your postural imbalances and then figure out what specific exercises/stretches will restore proper strength, flexibility, stability, and position to the muscles and joints. As function is restored, your posture will return to balance, and allow you to play pain free. 

If you would like a free postural evaluation contact me today. I will help you understand the relationship between your dysfunctions (what's not working), compensations (what's taken over instead), and your pain (the resultant symptoms). Then we can formulate a plan to get your postural alignment restored and you can return to playing pain free. 

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Kids today are less fit than their parents were at the same age. Why? Kids today just don't move as much on a daily basis. We walk less and drive more. We play outside less and play video games more. We exercise more and play less. Movement is supposed to be fun! That's why let's call this play and not exercise. Encourage your kids to play along with this video and then create their own moves. The goal is to get moving by having fun. 

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This video from Sonima.com and created and narrated by Pete Egoscue, in just 7 minutes will give you a quick cardio workout while improving hip function and range of motion, creating thoracic extension, and energizing you for the rest of the day. All you need for the workout is a jump rope and a bench or chair. Hip function is the key to maintaining hamstring flexibility, improving athletic performance, and preventing back pain. The thoracic extension this workout creates counteracts the daily slouching over laptops and cell phones that most of us do. Maintaining good thoracic posture and mobility can prevent "text neck", forward head posture, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, breathing problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, and back pain. Live, play, be...pain free! 

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​Oregon Exercise Therapy YouTube page

Physical performance is a product of good posture (joint alignment), muscle strength and stability, joint range of motion, efficient cardiovascular function, and cooperation between those components. Traditional strength training can increase muscle strength but can decrease joint range of motion and have negative effects on posture. Yoga can bring improvements in joint range of motion but cause decreases in muscle strength and stability. Swimming or cycling can improve cardiovascular fitness but while causing compromised muscle stability (swimming) and joint range of motion (cycling). 

This Strong and Lean Workout designed and narrated by Pete Egoscue brings improvements in physical performance by bringing together all the components of joint alignment and range of motion, muscle strength and stability, and efficient cardiovascular function. These simple movements bring immediate and tremendous benefits which you'll be able to see and feel. Try this 14 minutes of fun!

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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:
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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.

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Do you skip workouts because...

• you don't have time to go to the gym?
• it's bad weather outside?
• you're stuck in a hotel with no workout room?
• you didn't bring your workout shoes?
• you only have 10 minutes?

This workout takes those excuses and throws them out the window! You don't need weights, cardio equipment, shoes, or more than 10 minutes to do this workout, and you can do this workout anywhere! 

Try it and your body will thank you. Trust me. Do it now. Have fun. 

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Tennis is a wonderful sport, but staying pain free requires maintaining postural balance in your body. Tennis, being a unilateral sport, puts large demands on one side of your body, which over time creates postural imbalance. Postural imbalance when left unchecked leads to pain and injury. The most effective way to prevent injury and pain is to maintain your balanced postural alignment. This video by Pete Egoscue, founder of the Egoscue Method, includes posture exercises for a tennis warm-up and cool-down that will help you maintain your postural alignment and continue playing pain free tennis.

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