New Moms and Dads

Welcome! July and August are the most popular months for being born, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. So, that means there are a LOT of new parents out there!

There is much advice and knowledge out there on raising your child and bringing in a new baby.   I know you can find it. I am here to shout about taking care of yourself and your partnership or marriage during the process.

Your love and relationship is what made you want to create this precious gift of a child in the first place. Keep celebrating it when you can steal the moments by:

• Holding hands, not just the baby, when you go for a walk
• Looking into each others eyes for a full minute just after the baby goes to sleep
• Trusting in each others parenting – avoid standing over your partner correcting each mistake
• Lowering your expectations of what NEEDS to be done – a dirty living room will, in fact, be okay for tonight. Rest and take some time together rather than cleaning!
• Supporting each other to make an appointment for your OWN hour of bodywork so that you have the capacity to deal with all the excitement and energy around you.

Remember, babies are resilient little humans that forgive and forget your daily mistakes much quicker than we do as adults. They respond to energy and feeling first, so creating a calm environment with love and relaxation actually IS much more important than washing a dish or doing another load of laundry. If you forget how to do that on your own, give yourself the gift of calling BodyLogic so we can chat about how to get you back into your body to become a full and meaningful part of your own life, your baby’s life and your partnership.

 

Pre and Post surgery Bodywork

If you pay attention to an injury early enough, Bodywork can become an alternative to surgery. In addition, it can eliminate unnecessary surgery by helping you locate an exact spot of discomfort or injury rather than one of those general, all-over, incurable aches. By generally relaxing your muscles and learning to move with freedom, you may be able to pin-point the exact location of a pain and heal the injury, or worst case treat the effected area with surgical methods rather than having the doctor blindly assess your issues.

However, that is not true for all illnesses and injuries no matter when you catch them. If surgery of ANY KIND is on your horizon, bodywork and massage can be a vital step to pre-surgery preparation and post-operative recovery.

FIRST: CHECK WITH YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR BEFORE SCHEDULING A PRE OR POST SURGERY BODYWORK SESSION!

SECOND: CHECK WITH YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR BEFORE SCHEDULING A PRE OR POST SURGERY BODYWORK SESSION!

THIRD: CHECK WITH YOUR MEDICAL DOCTOR BEFORE SCHEDULING A PRE OR POST SURGERY BODYWORK SESSION!

You get the point…then find a qualified bodyworker! Many massage therapists do not understand implications of surgery on the body so make sure your therapist is qualified in this type of massage.

Pre-surgery

Before your surgery is scheduled, bodywork can help you pinpoint the exact location of an injury and in some cases help you and your doctor determine if the surgery is needed or if there may be other options.

Once your surgery is determined necessary, bodywork and massage can be a wonderful tool to helping you feel grounded before your surgery. By entering your operation relaxed and confident, you increase the chance of success and opportunity for healing.

Bodywork and specific weight training can help strenthen surrounding areas, which will lead to a faster recovery.

Also, working with a qualified therapist prior to your surgery, you can learn many hints to a successful recovery that you may not have been told at the doctors office – like stretching, freedom of movement, increased blood flow and an listening ear and heart, not something that is readily available in todays medical world.

Post-surgery

Depending on the recommendation of your doctor, you may be able to receive massage immediately after your surgery. The work can help ease the effects of anesthesia on the bowel system; assist in helping you to move body parts after surgery; increase blood flow to organs and body parts if you are not able to move as you were prior to surgery; and it can be wonderful for the fast healing and elimination of scars.

Many clients are not given post-surgical instructions and walk around for years in unnecessary pain and discomfort. Seeking a qualified bodyworker or massage therapist may help you to stay in touch with your body so that you know what to address with your physician or surgeon. Also, many therapists have experience with other clients in a similar situation as yours and may be able to offer you helpful hints and tips for recovery.

If you are undergoing surgery, remember your health is already vulnerable. Massage therapists, bodyworkers, healers and personal trainers are NOT MEDICAL EXPERTS! Be careful of quick fixes and advice that may be offered and if your therapists offers ANY TYPE of medical advice, we recommend not going back. If you feel the advice could actually be harmful, report the therapist to your local governing body, usually the police or business bureau.

That said, a partnership with a massage therapist, bodyworker, healer or personal trainer AND your chosen medical staff can lead to an amazing recovery and getting back to what you love to do – LIVE your LIFE!

 

Keeping Your Brain Young

I’m making this week’s post sweet and simple. Use your brain to keep it in shape!

That’s it. Read on if you want more explanation.

Treat your brain like any other muscle in your body and know if you use it in the same way every day, over and over and over, it will eventually wear out. Sort of like repetitive motion syndrome – but of the brain.

Physical - The brain is the most vascular organ in the body. By keeping physically fit you will insure adequate blood flow to your brain. This keeps your brain functioning and has shown to reduce the risk of strokes.

Take a brisk walk every day.
Swim.
Walk your dog.
Go up that hill rather than avoid it.
Get a good sleep.

Cognitive - Learn new tasks to improve your brain. When you learn new tasks and movements you use a different part of your brain than the part you use when you focus or concentrate. Eventually, when you know the task or movement, you will automatically move that to the part of your brain that is in charge of memorizing and “unconscious” movements. It is critical that you learn to things to keep ALL parts of your brain alive.

Take a class in something completely new.
Do a crossword or logic puzzle.
Learn a new dance.
Take a movement class.

Also, more and more studies are being done that show multi-tasking actually LIMITS your ability to learn new things. So, let’s stop finding pride in the fact that we can accomplish 10 things in the time it used to take to do one. When we multi-task we are not paying attention with the focus and intention needed to remember the new task. You may learn the task, but your retention will be less and you lose the part of your brain that is able to develop concentration.

Spiritual - Finding meaning in your life and those around you will help you remain alert and feel alive. There are many ways to look at this aspect of your brain, but the main point is find some meaning other than work, chores and succeeding. There is a part of your brain that is essential in the defining of “ME” – my hand, my love interest, my witty sense of humor. In Western American society we seem to have no lack of “ME”, so stretch your brain and try to figure out what “WE” means.

Volunteer (many, many opportunities out there – http://www.volunteernow.org
Meditate with a group (sometimes called a Sangha)
Initiate a call to a friend.
Participate in one of the many fundraising events for a cause you believe in.

Emotional - Staying connected with your own range of emotions is imperitive to a healthy brain. Rather than blaming the “stupid driver who cut me off” look at your own state of mind and why something so unimportant is making you angry. When you say “My mother/son/friend/etc is the LAMEST person in the world” look at what emotions are being triggered in you. It is important to know your own emotions so that you have cues as to how and why you may act or re-act. Emotions are not “controlable” but if you know “your state of mind” you will have an easier time knowing when to take a deep breath and relax and when to take the breath and plunge in!

Read a self-help book.
Take a bath to relax and reflect on your day.
Don’t do one of the things you “HAVE to do or my family will fall apart” just to witness everyone does survive!

Most of all – keep using your brain. Learn new things. Try something just to see what happens. This creates new connections in your brain that are vital in staying young. Yep, this is the basis of all of our work at BodyLogic, too. How convenient!

 

Seniors – and not the highschool kind

I have to admit I don’t entirely understand the saying “I’m having a senior moment.” I always think back to Senior in High School and think…yeah, I was kind of dumb then.

But what do I call it when I forget my keys? Or can’t remember your name? Or forget an appointment because I’m writing on my blog? (yep, just did that while writing my last article and got the call – WHERE ARE YOU? Oh, I’m busy, writing about forgetting stuff)

Actually, I recently received a facial and the esthetician began with “Well, now that your are showing age in your skin…” WHAT? I was momentarily mortified then I asked “Why do we put such an emphasis on this idea that growing old sucks and life is over?”

Seriously, no more “senior” jokes.  They make me mad and I’m not yet 40. We all want to age gracefully and be fully active and healthy throughout our life. So, what are you doing to BE THAT SENIOR?

Well, one suggestion is to have regular Massage and Bodywork treatments. This will help people of all ages, but can be vital for us as we age.

Basic massage will help blood flow to all parts of your body. It also allows you to sense the parts of your body so you can know when something doesn’t feel right or a new sensation occurs. This can lead to new brain patterns being established or even early detection of something that may be wrong.

Bodywork can help loosen up the ligaments, tendons and muscles that are overworked or overused from years of doing the same movements.

Meditation assists with keeping grounded, centered and in touch with yourself as well as time to reflect on where you are RIGHT NOW, not where your were 5, 10, 15 years ago.

The power of touch is so important throughout life but a particular emphasis on massage in your later years, when we are more susceptable to feeling isolated, lose partners, or live alone, can help you stay “in touch” with your own physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual bodies and lessen the effects of aging in all ways.

 

Scar Tissue Removal – Self Care

First of all, congratulations on wanting to heal your injuries! So many of us continue to live in pain for years and year, wishing there was a magic cure. In reality, we know there is no magic, but every day we go without healing is another day of pain and another day longer it will take to heal.

When we look at healing a chronic or long term injury, a good rule of thumb is that it will take as long to get out of pain as it took you to get into pain. For example, if you hurt yourself 6 months ago, and just started scar tissue removal or other forms of therapy, you can estimate it will take you 6 months from your first treatment to get back to peak performance – and that is if you work with the injury EVERY DAY!

“But…but…but…I first hurt my shoulder 20 years ago in high school!” Do not get discouraged! Many people heal faster; it’s just that you need to be prepared for LONG TERM recovery and patience, and to do the work at home on yourself. That’s where we work on the emotional and spiritual side of recovery. Back to scar tissue…

What is scar tissue?

Scar Tissue develops in muscles all the time. Generally, when a muscle is pulled, stretched too far or torn, it does not replace itself with new muscle. We grow scar tissue which is made from brittle, fibrous and inferior tissue. It takes a long time for this to be absorbed back into the body and the more scar tissue, the longer it takes.

Scar tissue can develop on the surface or skin level, like a post surgical scar or general cut or scrap. It can also develop deep in our bodies on our muscles and organs. The deeper the scar tissue, the more difficult it is to work with.

Immediate response to an injury with Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation will help. But if you are past that point, what do you do?

How to get rid of scar tissue

If you wait to take care of scar tissue, it can develop into serious problems and pain, including numbness in the nerves, decreased flexibility and ultimately compensation of body mechanics and prevailing body pain. This is not the type of injury that will go away over time. You need to work with scar tissue to heal effectively.

One bodywork technique for scar tissue is called cross-fiber. The work will be uncomfortable, but should not be painful. You CAN DO THIS YOURSELF, but if you do not know the technique, it’s best to work with an experienced therapist for a few sessions first.

Technique

Start with a cream or lotion. Anything will do, but sports specific or massage creams do not absorb into the body as fast as household body lotions. If the skin starts pulling or your fingers are not gliding across the skin, add more lotion.

You always want to work across the muscle fibers. So, if a muscle like your quadriceps is injured (the long muscles in your leg that run from your hip down to your knee), you’ll want to work from right to left across the muscle. You rub the scar tissue across the muscle, deep enough to be uncomfortable, but not causing pain. You will have to decide what that feels like to you and your specific muscle. The pain will decrease over time so don’t worry too much at first that you can’t apply the pressure. And, do not start with the “no pain, no gain” mentality or you will end up with a worse injury!

You can use your fingers, knuckles, rolling ball or foam roller. Actually, even a can of soup works, anything that creates pressure; but remember you want to pinpoint the exact area, not just a general muscle pressure, so fingers, the back of a spoon or something small works best. Whatever you use, the technique is to go across the muscle and it takes time.

You will actually cause minor trauma to the muscle and tissues when you use cross fiber that promote healing, but you do not want to create so much trauma that you re-injure the area.

Use of Hot and Cold

Cold therapy makes the blood leave an area by constricting the blood vessels and reduces sensations by numbing the nerves. Heat makes blood flow more to an area by opening up the blood vessels.

Use ice or cold therapy before cross fiber so that you can work the area with less discomfort. You can work the deeper tissues when the area is numb and you will be able to reach more scar tissue. When you are finished, apply heat so that blood flows back into the area. You do not want too much blood to flow in or you will have increased swelling, so 15-20 minutes should be sufficient.

How often should I do this?

In general, work with the tissue as often as you think about the scar or injury. It is possible to overwork an area, but it is unlikely unless you are working with it for hours each day. Try it for 10 minutes every day. Or 15 minutes twice a day. Or 5 minutes every hour. Whatever works into your schedule – just try it! Again, if you are not familiar with the technique, ask an experienced therapist to work with you a few times AND show you what to do.

Sometimes it just feels better to have someone else work on you, or perhaps your scar is in an area you can not comfortably reach like your back or shoulder. Then you will need to have someone else help you but a friend or partner can do this as well. Just make sure you communicate how much pressure to use and try to be nice to your helper – they are learning along with you!

Be patient! Our organic physical bodies can take a while to heal, but if we treat ourselves right, our bodies are amazing organisms that have the resources to get us back to a working condition. If you insist on continuing training or parachuting or housecleaning during recovery, your body will take longer to heal.

Again, not magic! But adding a stretching or positional release program into your daily routing will definitely help your body remember it’s natural resting position and speed recovery.

In Summary:

• Start with ice.
• Cross fiber – work across the muscle fibers (look up the muscle on the internet if you don’t know what it looks like)
• Finish with heat.
• Add a stretching or positional release program.
• Be patient and kind. Heal.

 

Iliotibial Band Syndrome – Running and Cycling

There are many knee pains and injuries that can be very painful. One of these is called Iliotibial Band Syndrome (or IT Band Syndrome). It can be a frustrating and debilitating injury that effects the knee and hip.

IT Band Syndrome is an example of an injury that generally occurs over time, not like an acute back spasm or ankle sprain. It usually starts as a nagging injury, or nuisance feeling and quickly progresses into something that can take even the most elite and highly trained athlete out of all sports. It is very common in runners and cyclists.

What is Iliotibial Band Syndrome?

Iliotibial band site of inflammation

The iliotibial band is really a long, flat tendon that is an extension of a muscle called the Tensor Facia Lata (TFL). Two other muscles that insert into the top portion of the IT band are the Gluteus Maximus and Gluteus Medius (yep, your big butt muscles!). It runs from a bone called the Ilium, or pelvis, down the outside of your leg and attaches to the knee at the tibia (and blends with one of the quadriceps muscles called the Vastus Lateralis at Gurdy’s Tubercle).

The TFL muscle is responsible for hip flexion and abduction (lifting your leg to the side without rotation). The Gluteus Maximus and Medius muscles also play an important roll in hip abduction.

The main problem happens when the tensor facia lata muscle and IT band become tight. This causes the tendon to pull the knee out of alignment and rub on the outside of the joint. The rubbing causes irritation and swelling of the tendon, leading to a frustrating pain that seems to never go away.

What causes Iliotibial Band Syndrome?

IT band syndrome can occur because of functional (biomechanical) issues or overworked muscles.
Functional issues include things like:

• one leg being shorter than the other
• pronation (rolling) of the foot
• muscle imbalances (weak gluteal muscles) due to other injury or birth
• flat feet

Overworked muscles can happen by:

• running on concave surfaces, which actually causes one leg to become shorter for a prolonged period of time
• weak gluteus muscles, causing the tensor facia lata muscle to overwork and pull the IT band tight
• increasing exercise intensity or duration too quickly
• improperly fit bicycle or running shoes
• excessive circular track running (strengthening the inside leg due to the angle of the body)

What to do about Iliotibial Band Syndrome?

First, be sure to remove or reduce the cause of the problem, be it an overuse or functional problem. This may include:

• stopping or reducing activities
• purchasing new equipment
• changing your workout – consider water and non-weight baring activities
• side stretching (see below)
• strengthening the gluteal muscles
• seeking professional medical attention or sports injury education

From there, the immediate treatment is basically the same as for any injury – rest, ice, compression and elevation for 48 to 72 hours.

Then you MUST look for ongoing treatment and prevention or the injury will reoccur and could progress into a debilitating chronic condition.

Ongoing treatment may include:

• Positional release therapy (to release the tight hip muscles)
• Deep tissue massage for the hip, back, leg and thighs
• Instruction in proper and thorough warm up and cool down techniques to increase oxygen to the muscles
• Instruction in proper stretching techniques – you can injure yourself further with overstretching! Make sure you consult a professional trained in sports specific stretching

Side Stretch

This is one of the best stretches for the tensor fascia lata, side of the leg and back.

• Stand upright and cross one foot behind the other.
• Then lean sideways towards the foot that is behind the other. Try NOT to rotate your body.
• Hold this stretch for about 15 to 20 seconds, and then repeat it 3 to 4 times on each leg.

 

Your mind says “YES” but the body says “NO”

You’ve worked hard all week. You get up early, do what needs to be done at work, home and in the world. You ignore the Spring sunshine and hold out until…the WEEKEND!

You OWN the weekend! By Friday afternoon your mind is already on the long bike ride you will take on Saturday. Your body can’t wait for the hike to the top of the mountain. You think you’ll mow the lawn, replant the trees, finish painting the bathroom, clean the garage and maybe even challenge your All-Star college athlete son to a tennis re-match.  And that’s just Saturday!

Then, you wake up Sunday.  You can’t move. Your head is stuck to the pillow. Your back seizes up on the way to brush your teeth. Your knee/ankle/elbow looks like you hid a baseball under the skin. Your arm shakes as you try to lift the cup of coffee.

You, my friend, are a victim of the Weekend Warrior Brain Gone Amuck (WWBGA for short).

It’s when your mind says YES and your body says NO!

So, here’s my recommendation.  Stop complaining and let’s get things worked out!

First – Make your week 7 days long

What? Well, look at how your week differs from your weekend. Are you sedentary most of the work day or do you stretch, move or workout 3 days a week to prepare for your weekend activities? Is the only time you use your back muscles is to pull weeds? Try to look at balancing your workouts so that you have activity at LEAST 5 of the 7 days in the week, rather than the 2 days of the weekend. I KNOW, it’s going to take effort from you AND your family, but mostly YOU.

Second – follow the golden rule of “3 times the weekend”

This means make your weekend workout NO LONGER than 3 times your average daily workout and no harder than 3 times the intensity. You heard it right. That means if your average daily workout is 10 minutes of walking to the grocery store and around the office, I recommend making your weekend workout 30 minutes of a little more brisk walking around a lake or park. If your average workout during the week is 30 minutes of fast running, then look at 1.5hours of soccer or 1.5 hour FAST bike ride.

Third – Sports don’t always match

Yes, Mr. Triathlete, just because you can swim, bike and run for 12 straight hours, you CAN still pull a hamstring while sliding into third at the company softball game. And, YES, you, too, CAN get repetitive stress injuries from playing baseball on the Wii. And, just because you are a body builder, make sure you are lifting the boxes in the garage properly or you WILL end up flat on the ground with a lower back injury.

Fourth – Be realistic

Yes, easier said than done. If you are generally sedentary, choose ONE Active Activity for the weekend. If you are in generally good shape, choose two. Even the elite athletes need to take DEEP rest days and replenish their bodies, minds and spirits. If they have to do it, why do you think you are exempt?

Getting your body to say YES takes nothing more than good, old fashioned time! Build up your activities so you can successfully complete your weekend pain free.

Warm ups, proper stretching and small, gentle movement to cool down are all necessary.

A fit weekend warrior can ride the high all of Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday you get an easy workout. And by Thursday, your mind can start sliding back in to the weekend.

 

5 Body-Mind exercises for pregnancy

In a previous post, I mentioned the generalities of your changing “core” during pregnancies. Now, what can you do about it? Following are 3 EASY exercises you can do during all stages of pregnancy, for ALL your bodies (physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual).

1 – Stand in silence

Stand and spread your feet about shoulder width apart (and yes, that IS TOO slightly more than hip width apart no matter what you tell yourself). Put your hands on your lower belly, just above the pubic bone below your belly button and close your eyes (well, after you read this). Now, GENTLY rock forward so your weight is on your toes. Then rock backwards so your weight is on your heels. Go back and forth a few times then slowly come to what “feels” like the middle. Now, rock to your right side; then your left. Again, go right and left a few times and slowly settle into what feels like center. If you feel off, gently rock some more.

Slowly open your eyes and notice where you are standing? Are you more forward than you thought you were? Leaning to one side? No answer is right or wrong. Just NOTICE. This position will change as you and your pregnancy develop. The more you do this centering exercise, the more you will become familiar with how you feel and how your center changes day to day.  Noticing this will help you make other subtle changes throughout the day.

2 -Hip Circles

Stand with your feet hip width apart. Double check your stance! Most of us pretend our hips are about 3 feet wider than they are! Place your hands on your hips. Slowly circle your hips clockwise, sort of like you were playing with a hoolahoop. Try keeping your shoulders still. Then try moving your shoulders. Circle counter clockwise, both with your shoulders still, then with moving your shoulders.

Go a little faster. 5 or 6 times in each direction. Be careful not to go too fast or you’ll feel it in your back. Then stop. Stand quietly. Notice any sensations created from the movement. Yes? No? Again, this is letting your body, mind and spirit become familiar with where your center and core are in that moment.

3 – Cat/Cow

Get yourself comfortable on your hands and knees. Use a pillow under your knees if you need, or kneel on the bed. There is a variation below if your comfort level does not allow you to go on your hands and knees. Keeping your hands and knees ON the ground, round your back UP like a cat does when she stretches. Let your head fall forward and your hips roll in. Feel the curve and length of your spine.

Then ARCH your back, like the sway back cow. Look up towards the ceiling (do NOT strain your neck) and stick your bottom out.

Go back and forth. GENTLY at first as you warm up your spine. Then hold each position for 3-5 seconds. This allows your spine to wake up and start moving – especially as your center of gravity changes daily!

If you cannot get on your hands and knees, lie on your side. Use your arms and legs to curl into a ball (as much as your knees and belly will allow that day), then move your legs down and back, keeping bent at the knee, move your arms overhead and feel your chest and belly open up.

–

If you can start each day with these 3 simple movements, your body will become accustomed to how it feels THAT DAY. This allows your brain and nervous system to start making adjustments for more balanced movements. In turn, this allows your spirit to feel calm and your emotional body to stabilize enough to better deal with any roller coaster the day brings.

–

PS - OKAY, FINE, this works if you are not pregnant too, male OR female!

 

Pregnancy, core and bodywork

Hmmmm…pregnancy ROCKS your core.

Duh, anyone who has been pregnant knows that! Your center of balance changes, your weight changes and top it off, hormones change and can make you feel crazy! But what can we do about it?

First, and MOST IMPORTANT, women who are pregnant need to tell ANY bodyworker or massage therapist that you are pregnant – even if you just found out that morning! There are points and areas of the body you should NOT work if you are pregant. A strong, steady pregnancy will usually tell the body where you should and where you should not touch. But, a weaker or early stage pregnancy can be compromised by the simplest body work.

Physical –

The type of bodywork that can be beneficial throughout preganacy is work to the core – hips, low back and abdominal muscles. Early in pregnancy, this can include movement, stretching and manual muscle therapies. Later in pregnancy, it can be painful to work directly on core muscles. This is when therapies such as energy work, foot or hand reflexology or positional release work can be extremely beneficial.

Through professional bodywork and massage, you can become aware of all the changes to your body and balance. It also assists you in feeling like you DO belong in YOUR body, throughout the full term of pregnancy.

You need to go to a body therapist that is skilled and experienced in working with all stages of pregnancy.

Emotional/Spiritual –

Having a child will change your world in every way imaginable and every way you can’t even imagine. Luckily, the universe has given us humans 9 months to begin our preparations.

Taking the time to sit and explore what your pregnancy is like, what it feels like, what movements are happening, and the changes to your body, energy and relationships is paramount. Pregnancy is a miracle. Perhaps one that can be explained by science but there are so many amazing things going on, it’s hard not to believe that there is some other power that has a hand in it all.

Carve out one night a week to spend time with your partner, spouse, significant other to talk about ANY of the fears that may arise. Make a commitment to continue to put your relationship first in the family. From a strong CORE relationship, a family can bloom.

If you are opting for a single parent family, find a partner and friend who is willing to walk the pregnancy with you. It can be difficult, but find this support system early. We ALL need help and support in raising a family and it is especially important if you are being the primary caregiver as a single person.

Cognitive –

Please keep your hands and feet inside the craft at all times…and have a safe trip!

Your hormones will take charge at times. Knowing what being “in balance” looks and feels like, both to you and others in your life, will help identify when you are off balance. This is mentioned under cognitive because there are changes to your body that you will have no control over. By taking care of your physical self and quieting down for the spiritual self, you can learn to “ride the waves” of the cognitive changes that will take place.

 

What is “core”?

Since the late 90’s, it has become a fad to “strengthen your core”. What does that even mean? More Pilates? More sit ups? Flat abs?

Physical -

Your “core” is made up of many BIG powerful muscles such as your abdominal muscles (internal and external obliques, rectus and transverse abdominus), back extensors, deep back muscles (Quadratus Lomborum), gluteals (butt muscles) and even your lattisimus dorsi.

Most often, when we have a weak “core”, we rely on other smaller, less powerful muscles to help out.  Our shoulders, hips, arms and legs are really made for small, refined movements.  When we use them over and over in daily repetitive actions and for inappropriate actions (lifting, turning, sitting, moving objects) we get injuries, sometimes acute, sometimes chronic. When strong, our “core” muscles use oxygen more efficiently, can last longer and do all movements with less effort.

The FIRST place to start in any injury is looking at your core movement, both strength and efficiency. It leads to better posture and allows your big, powerful muscles to do their work! More efficient, less effort.

Spiritual -

Let’s keep this explanation simple. Think “core” as in core values, grounded, life purpose. When your spiritual core is strong, you can stand your ground, roll with the punches and feel solid in the world. This is your authentic self. When we let it thrive, our lives with thrive.

Strengthen your CORE. Strengthen your ENERGY. Strengthen your LIFE.