Blog - Page 9 of 17 - The Art of Fitness

October 15, 2015

Movement is Function

I believe that the skill of healthy natural movement enables us to be strong and helpful in the world. To be of service to others. This is a mindset that flips the current fitness culture on it’s head. Too many “fitness” programs revolve around vanity rather than function. If our fitness is primarily designed around selfies and looking fit and strong, chances are, it will lack depth and function. It is possible to have the outside look of being strong and fit, but beneath the surface lack competent function.

Looking good is great, but being strong to be helpful has more impact (and is more sustainable). Fitness in our culture has become too contained, too artificial–we want to be fit so that we can feel good in the gym environment. But the true fitness necessary in the real world doesn’t exist in a gym. If my neighbors or family need me to be there for safety or support, I want to be able and capable to really serve them. Pushing a car, getting someone to safety who has fallen on the trail, saving someone from a fire, running to catch a child who is in danger–these are the real moments that our fitness is truly tested.

Our current fitness culture focuses on conditioning–high intensity workouts to burn calories and promote weight loss, with very little focus on quality movement or skill. That approach may lead to a quick fix, but it will also most likely lead to injury that will sabotage the hard work you’ve done.

Movement is Function

Movement Therapy, on the other hand, focuses on a concept of movement restoration and exploration. We start with a movement assessment to see where your movement is limited; and then using MovNat principles, develop solid skill and form with a strong emphasis on quality. We move on to conditioning only once we’ve established solid skill and good form.

Are you ready to be more than an appearance of just fit? And instead become strong to be helpful? It is time to train so that your movement is function. I can show you how.

October 12, 2015

A Lifetime of Movement

How do you want to move when you’re 90? Do you want to be able to get up off the floor with ease? Pick up your grandkids? Have balance without the fear of falling? Can you do these things now?

All of these are skills of movement. If you don’t have these skillsets now, and you don’t develop them, you won’t magically have them later. One big secret of movement is that when you don’t use it, you’ll literally lose it.

A Lifetime of Movement

It’s important to explore the full potential of natural human movement throughout your entire lifetime so that you can move well and age well. This is especially true now in the age of sitting for long hours in front of our technological achievements.

Unfortunately, most people stop moving and lose their skills of movement as they get older. They become more cautious and conservative, and over time, their range of motion shrinks. This is not the way it is meant to be. Receiving support and feedback from a skilled Movement Therapist, personal trainer, or coach can make a world of difference.

You are a natural human mover. The time is now to reengage with what that means. Move like a human.

October 7, 2015

Restore Your Movement Function

3d rendered illustration - painful neck — 3d rendered illustration – painful neck

Over the weekend, a client contacted me complaining of neck pain when moving her head in flexion and extension. I find the common tendency with these kinds of symptoms is to massage and stretch the neck specifically in the direction of the discomfort.
She wasn’t able to come in for a session for a few days. So I gave her some movement tips based upon what we’ve been working on already. Instead of focusing on the neck.

I had her work on bigger movements through the spine and hips, with an emphasis on rotation and lateral flexion.

Last night I received a text:
“You are a wise dude. The lateral movements are totally helping.”

Bring Back Movement Function

We move in three deminsions. Sometimes the deminsion of movement that feels tight, restricted, or painful is just a symptom for what isn’t working in another dimension. And the specific location of pain or discomfort is actually the area of the body that is working well. The problem is that it is compensating for a deminsion of movement elsewhere that isn’t moving well. The painful area is working so hard that it becomes cranky.

Bring back the movement function elsewhere and the localized symptoms of pain improve. This is why a skilled Movement Therapist, personal trainer, or coach is so valuable.

October 5, 2015

Pain Free Movement

Freedom from Pain

Pain is often a manifestation of choice. Once we identify the “why you hurt”, we can begin to change the choices you are making around movement. It’s incredibly important to move well with good form. Receiving support and feedback from a skilled Movement Therapist, personal trainer, or coach can make a world of difference. The bottom line is, if you learn to move well, you’re going to experience less pain. If you move poorly (poor form), eventually, over 10, 20, 30 or more years, it is going to hurt to move.

Clients often tell me that they’d like to be more fit or active, but previous injuries, painful workout experiences, or fear of pain and injury holds them back. If pain, is affecting how you move, it’s important to identify the root cause, and just as important… that you can keep moving. I assess my client’s movement to find the “why” they experience pain, and teach them how to restore the missing movement pieces to improve movement quality and bring back full pain-free function.

Pain Free Movement

Contrary to popular belief, It’s rarely the movements we do too much of that causes pain. In my experience, it is the movements we don’t do enough. During our sessions, I look at how you move and observe where your body isn’t moving well, and then together we use specific exercises to bring those movements back into your body. For example, if you can’t drop into a deep resting squat, an incredibly important human skill , we can break that movement down into its smallest fundamental progressions in order to rebuild and restore the skill of squatting. Once you’ve got the skill, we can continue to build on top of that and eventually add in elements strength and conditioning .

Are you feeling unsteady and fearful around movement? I begin with small safe movements and teach you how to open your body into fuller ranges of the human experience. I focus on movement quality, efficiency, competency, skill, and safety. I’m less concerned with whether you can do it, but more concerned that you can do it well.

September 10, 2015

Will going barefoot prevent injuries?

Will going completely barefoot cure injuries?

As a Movement Therapist and Coach, I know that there are many many benefits to going completely barefoot. I’ve witnessed it with clients and have experienced it in my life. One of the most common questions I receive is will going completely barefoot cure injuries?

A slow healthy barefoot transition can help with many pain and injury complaints, but It will NOT however magically cure you of all your injuries. This idea is a falsehood that really needs to stop being spouted. It’s dangerous advice to follow and it’s just plain wrong.

In fact, transitioning into a barefoot lifestyle after many years in shoes has many inherent risks and can be equally if not more problematic. I see just as many, if not more, injuries from people transitioning to barefoot/minimalist as I do with those who are exclusively shod.

I encourage all of my clients to slowly explore a more and more barefoot experience. There is value to spending quality time exploring the world barefoot. I teach them to listen to what their body tells them through movement. And I don’t drive a hard line ideology that being barefoot is THE WAY. It is not for everyone. But everyone CAN gain benefit from spending at least a little time barefoot each day.

Looking for another great barefoot resource? Check out Katy Bowman’s blog and read her books. Or better yet, schedule a free consultation with me.

August 25, 2015

Yoga is Not a Competitive Sport

I’m a big fan of Yoga–I believe it is an excellent movement practice, and I incorporate a lot of yoga movements into my personal training and coaching sessions; as well as my own personal movement practice. However, I work with many clients who hire me to help them heal and recover from yoga injuries and there are a some common themes I have noticed over the years.

As with most movement related injuries, I find that the driving factor leading into an injury is one’s mindset. With Yoga injuries specifically, I quite often sense a level of competition (either with oneself or in the dynamics of a group class) that pushes them to move beyond their body’s ability, placing them at physical risk.

At its essence, Yoga is about developing a conscious connection with your body to explore movement both externally and internally. It is about listening to the body’s subtle queues of what is a healthy vs an unhealthy movement. It is not about looking just like the instructor, the person next to you, or pushing through a painful movement to achieve a “perfect” pose. If you’re trying to compete or “do it right,” you are in fact doing it wrong, and possibly hurting your body. Which, by the way, goes completely against the whole point of a healthy Yoga practice.

To be present with yourself, focus on the exploration of movement and less on the the end range goal of a pose. Pay attention to your thoughts and check in for healthy pain free movement with questions such as: What am I experiencing in this moment? Is this movement painful? Does it feel safe? Exploring yourself from a very mindful space instead of “I’ve got to beat my last pose”, or “look at that person next to me. I’m not doing good enough”. If you listen to your body and use it as a tool for gradual change, Yoga is great. It is a fantastic exploration of self through movement. But if you are exploring Yoga through judgement or competition, you may be wading into treacherous waters

Want to learn more on how to develop a healthy Yoga movement practice? Check out this great article written by my good friend Amanda Patti Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire: Bridging the Gap between Yoga and Movement.

August 7, 2015

Check In For Healthy Pain-Free Movement

Whatever workout you have planned for today, take a moment to ask these simple questions along the way:

Is this movement appropriate for me?
Is it painful?
Does this feel safe?

No Pain, No Gain?

As you consider these questions, keep it simple. Pain is always a yes or no question. We tend to qualify and discount pain with “it hurts a little, but once I run through it a bit, it starts to feel better” ; “it doesn’t hurt that bad.” ; or my personal favorite “No pain, no gain.” It is a dangerous game to “push through pain.” The mantra of “No pain, no gain” is often what many people say right before they injure themselves. I prefer the mantra of “No pain, no pain!” or “No pain, all gain!”

Pain is the best coach you will ever have… if you listen.

Ask yourself these questions, really listen to your body, and honor the answer. If you’re feeling pain, tune in and listen to why.

Is your body asking you to stop?
Is your body telling you that this movement isn’t appropriate right now?

Be present with what you are experiencing in this moment. If your body is telling you to stop, then stop, and find a non-painful movement or exercise that feels safe. Painful movement is not healthy movement.

Not sure how to listen well? An experienced Movement Therapist, MovNat Certified Natural Movement Coach, personal trainer, or fitness coach can teach you healthy pain-free movement as well as to recognize and respond appropriately when you do feel pain.

Your Mindset Matters

Where do your decisions to move come from? Most of us choose to move based on where we are emotionally. If we are operating from a place of self judgement, anger, or insecurity, we are far more likely to ignore pain, push it too hard, and/or experience greater physical injury.

For example, the person who goes for a run because they think they are not good enough–they are not operating from a foundation of love, honor, or respect for their body. They are punishing themselves. Every step they take reinforces the mindset of “I don’t like myself.” They are more likely to not only ignore a painful condition, but to push even harder in spite of it. How will this feel over time? They are not moving away from self-loathing by working out. They are reinforcing it. Every painful step drives the self hate deeper. This person may look incredibly fit and healthy on the outside, but every time they look in the mirror, they see someone who is less than.

If you judge yourself harshly, you are less likely to listen to your body. Every movement or exercises decision you make from this place of self judgement reinforces a negative mindset and sets you up for potential pain and injury. These injuries are your body’s way of saying pay attention now! Injury will stall your progress directly in its tracks and drive you deeper into self-loathing! Even worse, it will affect how you recover from injury. You will be more likely to do too much too soon and fall into the injury cycle.

When we are operating from a foundation of loving, honoring, and respecting our body, we make healthy movement decisions around our health and well being. Changing your mindset will make a big difference in your experience and your outcome.

Healthy Pain-Free Movement

Is there a pattern of self-judgement playing out in your fitness activities? Shift into a mindset of love, honor, and respect and use these simple questions to check in with your body throughout your workouts. Making a habit of tuning in this way will set you on a path to engaging in healthy movement that makes you look and feel fit and healthy on the outside as well as on the inside.

May 18, 2015

Jumping and Landing

Do you jump well?

Jumping and Landing

Jumping is a powerful exercise with many great benefits. However, your jumping is only as good as your ability to land efficiently.

Landing is the equivalent of the brakes on your car. It’s your ability to slow down or stop momentum. It is your body’s ability to absorb the energy of impact. The inability to land efficiently is a huge reason for pain and injury.
Landing is one of the most important movement skills that most people don’t do well. Something that makes landing doubly important is it is a part of the ONE movement you do more than any other… Walking/Running Gait mechanics.

If you don’t land well, then every step you take loads a poor movement pattern into your body. If you take the recommended 10,000 steps a day, eventually something is going to hurt.

Landing Phase of Gait

With each footfall, impact energy should be absorbed throughout the kinetic chain of your body – i.e. joint by joint from your feet to head and back out through the opposite foot – like a loaded spring.

When this full body loaded spring isn’t functioning optimally due to injury, overtraining, or just lack of use, it is unable to absorb and unload energy efficiently. This creates energy leaks somewhere in the kinetic chain. Your body still has to slow down or stop momentum, so the load of impact is leaked out into the less absorptive areas of your structure – such as directly into the joints. This can create all kinds of secondary compensations and pain.

And because landing is a full body movement, the compensations and pain can be anywhere. Maybe that pain your neck is actually coming from the how your body interacts with the ground?

I put a huge focus of my program design on teaching and integrating the skill of efficient landing because it is so important for the prevention of pain and injury.

Learn to land well so that when you jump, the sky’s limit.

April 30, 2015

Does Massage Therapy Solve Your Pain

Does Massage Therapy Solve Your Pain?

Do you have a standing massage therapy appointment? Do you foam roll the same areas each week? Does this provide temporary relief, but eventually the same aches and pains come back? If so, something is missing in your fitness and wellness approach.

As a massage therapist, I cannot fix you with massage therapy! No massage therapist or movement therapist can fix you. You are not broken.

How you move is directly related to how well you feel.

Hands on massage therapy is an incredibly valuable tool. Massage therapy is a tool in my movement arsenal. However, by itself, massage therapy is limited. If you want to feel better in your body, you must focus on the quality of your movement. How you feel will alway comes back to how well you move. If you move better, you will feel better.

I can help most people get out of pain through massage. However, If all my focus is on table work, you will leave my office and go back to the exact same movement patterns that caused your pain to begin with. The pain will eventually come back.

Want the pain to stay away? Learn to move well.

This is what I teach… how to move better. I develop a Personalized Exercise Program so that through your own movement practice, you begin to heal yourself. This is where the magic happens.

Move better to feel better

April 29, 2015

The Art of Movement Effienciency

Movement efficiency is a lost art in today’s fitness industry

With the desire to work hard and look fit, we are sacrificing movement efficiency – moving well – for conditioning. This is why you hurt!

I don’t care how hard you can workout. Anyone can workout hard. That’s easy. How well you move takes practice. Instead I focus on how efficiently you can work.

During Personal Training and Coaching sessions, I teach clients to learn and perform movement with skill… First, second, and last! As you learn the skill of movement efficiency, you can then apply load and intensity to improve conditioning, but you are always applying the art of movement efficiency.

Conditioning isn’t sacrificed. You gain both competency of movement and conditioning. Your conditioning is built upon a stable foundation of movement skill.

Move well, feel well. Be strong to be helpful.