One very important job of your hip muscles is to maintain the alignment of your leg when you move. One of the primary hip muscles, the gluteus medius, plays an especially important #stabilizing role when you walk, run, or squat. The gluteus medius attaches your thigh bone to the crest of your hip. When you lift your left leg, your right gluteus medius must contract in order to keep your body from tipping toward the left. And when you are standing on a bent leg, your gluteus medius prevents that knee from diving into a “knock knee” or “valgus” position.

Weakness of the gluteus medius allows your pelvis to drop and your knee to dive inward when you walk or run. This places tremendous strain on your hip and knee and may cause other problems too. When your knee dives inward, your kneecap is forced outward, causing it to rub harder against your thigh bone- creating a painful irritation and eventually arthritis. #Walking and #running with a relative “knock knee” position places tremendous stress on the ligaments around your knee and is a known cause of “sprains”. Downstream, a “knock knee” position puts additional stress on the arch of your foot, leading to other painful problems, like plantar fasciitis. Upstream, weak hips allow your pelvis to roll forward which forces your spine into a “sway back” posture. This is a known cause of lower back pain. Hip muscle weakness seems to be more common in #females, especially #athletes.

#chiropractic
#sports
#WInnipeg
#Hockey http://ow.ly/i/ywXdh

Your “diaphragm” is the dome shaped muscle beneath your lungs. When it contracts and flattens, you breathe in. When it relaxes, you breathe out. But do you know your diaphragm plays an important secondary role in protecting your trunk and spine by controlling abdominal pressure?

The muscles that support your trunk form a “canister.” The front and sides of the canister are created by your abdominal and rib muscles. The back of the canister includes those muscles attached to your spine. The bottom of the canister is formed by the muscles of your pelvic floor, while your diaphragm serves as the roof. Together, these muscles control your abdominal pressure and core stability.
A well-braced core provides a stable foundation for moving your arms, legs, and head – in much the same way that when firing a canon, a large ship serves as a better platform than a rowboat.

During normal breathing, your upper chest should remain relatively still. Patients with “dysfunctional” patterns frequently overuse their upper chest muscles instead of their abdomen and lower rib cage. This depressurizes and destabilizes your core, leading to other problems like back pain.

You should not need to always think about proper breathing – this should happen subconsciously. Unfortunately, many of us have “learned” poor mechanics and need to re-learn proper breathing. One of the easiest ways to re-train proper breathing is to sit or lie still with one head on your breastbone and the other hand on your abdomen. When you breathe in, only the hand on your abdomen should move, while the hand on your chest remains still. Your normal breathing rhythm should be about there seconds of inhalation followed by six seconds of exhalation. If you find that you are exhaling too quickly, you may try “pursing” your lips to gradually increase the length of your exhalation.

The exercises that follow are essential for your recovery. Once you have restored normal breathing mechanics, you will enjoy increased core stability and your treatment will be much more successful. It is important to perform your breathing exercises consistently, as repetitive exercise will allow your body “re-learn” to subconsciously move in a safe and a coordinated fashion- thereby reducing your risk of injury. http://ow.ly/i/uGLgw

The Science of #Yoga part 3 – #Addiction

http://ow.ly/M3vK30eXt3g

Exercising too hard or too often can cause overuse injuries like stress fractures, sore joints and muscles, and inflammation. Sports such as swimming, jogging, and tennis tend to bring on repetitive wear and tear on certain parts of your body. Try cross-training at least once a week using different kinds of activities and don’t forget to rest as well.

.
.
.
.
.
#Exercise
#fitness
#Chiropractic
#winnipeg
#Healthy
#Overuseinjury http://ow.ly/i/xVbJP

Here are a few tips to keep pain away when working long hours at a desk or on a computer.

http://ow.ly/dJnB30eAQyR

Training north of 40 need not be as daunting a task as it sounds nor does it need to be a mash up of low impact hamster wheels and resistance bands. With proper education and planning, training into your 40’s and beyond can push you to new heights and successes.

First thing first, we need to set out some ground rules:

1. Have a plan and know that it will change. Life happens and changes occur so planning 10 month training systoles is nothing more than a recipe for disaster. I like to see my patients plan in 4 week blocks. This allows you to plan a single month’s worth of gym work, events, rest and recovery.
2. Recovery and prevention are KEY habits. Recovery from high intensity workouts is key at any point but becomes paramount once we reach our 40’s and up. Tissues lose elasticity, HGH and Testosterone levels drop and our ability to heal reduces. Getting adequate rest, keeping joints, bones, muscles and connective tissues healthy and eating smart will eep you healthy, mobile and fuelled up for your day to day and your workouts.
3. Hae a go to “quick and dirty” workout for when your day turns into a train wreck. Finding time to get to the gym or park to put your work in can be impossible some days, we all know that; those are the days to have a simple, effective 15 minute blast that you can go to to get at least SOMETHING done. I’m partial to 15 minutes of 10 Kettlebell swing, every minute on the minute. 25 minutes will get you 150 swings and a nice explosive workout when time is crunched.
4. Put strength work at the top of you training pyramid. As we age muscle mass decreases. It sucks but its true. We can fight this decline by having strength work as our top priority when training.

Thanks for reading and let me know what other topics you’d like to see discussed moving forward!

Smashing 7-8 cups of coffee a day? Keep in mind a few of the consequences of overdoing your caffeine intake.

http://ow.ly/bh5W30eAQiN http://ow.ly/i/xVbhy

This is what 200 calories of some of your favourite foods looks like. Controlling caloric intake isn’t always as easy at it seems and photos like this really help us conceptualize how much or how little of different foods we should be eating.

http://ow.ly/tM9Y30eMNNg http://ow.ly/i/ya7Ce

Your spine is made up of 24 bones that stack on top of each other- normally in a straight line. “Scoliosis” means that your spine is curving from side to side, rather than being straight. Scoliosis affects between 1-3% of the population. Scoliosis may begin at any time between birth and adulthood but is most common during times that your skeleton is growing rapidly. Most cases of scoliosis begin between the ages of 13 and 18. Researchers are not completely certain why some people develop scoliosis, but they have found that the problem tends to run in families.

The curve of your scoliosis may be measured with an x-ray. Although some curves get worse, most do not. In fact, only ¼ of all adolescent idiopathic scoliosis curves will progress. Small curves in mature patients have a low risk of progression (2%), while large curves in younger patients progress more frequently. (70%) Curve progression is more common in girls, especially those with larger curves (greater than 20 degrees). Your doctor may need to monitor your scoliosis for progression by performing x-rays every 6-18 months.

Scoliosis may cause your shoulders, hips, or waist to be unlevel. Most curves are classified as “right thoracic”, which means that the peak of your curve protrudes toward the right. This is often accompanied by a forward rotation of your right shoulder and “winging” of your right shoulder blade. Many patients have a secondary curve in their lower spine that helps to balance their body. The majority of patients with mild to moderate scoliosis have no symptoms, but approximately ¼ report back pain. Unfortunately, scoliosis increases your risk of developing back pain later in life.

The primary goal of treatment is to stop curve progression. While many cases can be slowed or even reversed through appropriate management, it is important to recognize that others may progress in spite of the best care. Conservative care, including spinal manipulation (like the type provided in our office) has been shown to help some patients with scoliosis. Exercise is another effective treatment for scoliosis. It is important that you clearly understand your home exercise program and that you perform it consistently.

Patients with larger curves (30-40 degrees), or those who are at high risk for progression may benefit from wearing a brace. Braces have been shown to decrease the need for surgery in about three out of four patients. Fortunately, less than 0.3% of all scoliosis cases will ever require surgery.

You should avoid carrying heavy back packs and consider switching to a wheeled version, if necessary. Sports and exercise will not worsen most cases of scoliosis, and you should continue to participate in the things you enjoy unless directed otherwise by your doctor. The diagnosis of scoliosis is always discouraging, but you must focus on what it is really most important. Be confident in who you are! Don’t let something like a curved spine (or any other medical condition) define you as a person.

How 8 Exercise Devotees Over 60 Stay Motivated To Work Out –

http://ow.ly/k8fI30eAPqL