Assessing and Training for Better Posture: UPPER EXTREMITY POSTURAL DISTORTION

Part 3 of a series of 3 articles:

Good posture is essential for the best exercise performance, and to avoid pain and injury. and in everyday life. Working on a laptop all day, leaning forward to see your screen, carrying a baby, playing a violin, or working the chest muscles too hard while failing to develop the upper back muscles.... All of these can lead to the symptoms of the upper extremity postural distortion:

• rounded and forward tilted shoulders
• forward tilted head
• in some cases, the palms of the hands face to the rear when standing

Some of the problems this posture can lead to include headaches, a painful nerve impingement in the shoulder, rotator cuff problems, and labored breathing or snoring. From an exercise standpoint, the body is not in an optimal position to perform many exercises such as overhead shoulder press, curls, chest press or fly, and so on. Individuals with this posture frequently mistake the soreness they experience in their upper back as muscle tightness when in fact the muscles are weak and extended - they need to be strengthened and not stretched.

Tight Muscles include:
- Pectoralis major and minor (chest)
- Latissimus dorsi (back)
- Upper Trapezius Upper back/below neck)
- Neck muscles (sternocleomastoid and levator scapulae)

Weak muscles include:
- Rhomboids and Middle/Lower Traps (upper back)
- Cervical Flexors (neck)

It is important to correct this posture early in an exercise program by strengthening the weak muscles and stretching those that are tight, and to avoid exercises that will worsen the condition and lead to progressive problems such an an impingement. Generally, exercises like incline chest press, shrugs, and front raises for the shoulders should be avoided. Front rows, and presses or pulldowns behind the neck - which are risky exercises for anyone - absolutely MUST be avoided. Corrective exercises would include scaption and rear flys emphasizing the rhomboids and middle lower traps, coupled with a stretching program.

The problem frequently shows up in poor form on simple exercises - such as lat pulldowns or tricep pushdowns done with the shoulders rounded forward. The exercises should be performed carefully. Please let me know if you need help with assessment, exercise selection or program design.

For a corrective exercise program and 14 other programs, visit trainercary.com/exercise-programs 

Eating and Exercise: Time it Right to Maximize Your Workout

From the Mayo Clinic

When you eat and what you eat can affect your performance and the way you feel during your workout. To get the most from your workout, follow these guidelines:

•Wake up early enough to eat a full breakfast. "Most of the energy you got from dinner last night is used up by morning," says Stephen DeBoer, a registered dietitian at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. This. "Your blood sugar is low. If you don't eat, you may feel sluggish or lightheaded while exercising." If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a smaller breakfast or drink something to raise your blood sugar, such as a sports drink.
•Time your meals. Eat large meals at least three to four hours before exercising. If you're having a small meal, eat two to three hours before exercising.
•Don't skip meals. Skipping meals may cause low blood sugar, which can make you feel weak and lightheaded.
•Eat after your workout. To help your muscles recover and to replace their glycogen stores, eat a meal that contains both protein and carbohydrates within two hours of your exercise session if possible.

What to eat: Getting the right fuel for your best performance

Carbohydrates: Your body's chief source of fuel Your body stores excess carbohydrates as glycogen — primarily in your muscles and liver. Your muscles rely on stored glycogen for energy. Cereals, breads, vegetables, pasta, rice and fruit are good carbohydrate sources. But right before an intense workout, avoid carbohydrates high in fiber, they may give you gas or cause cramping.

If you don't like to eat solid foods before exercising, drink your carbohydrates in sports beverages or fruit juices. If you're a long-distance runner or you exercise for long periods of time, you might want to consume more carbohydrates regularly and consider carbohydrate loading before a big athletic event.

Protein and fats: Important, but not your body's top fuel choice Protein isn't your body's food of choice for fueling exercise, but it does play a role in muscle repair and growth. Fat is an important, although smaller, part of your diet. Fats, along with carbohydrates, provide fuel for your muscles during exercise. Try to get most of your fat from unsaturated sources such as nuts, fatty fish or vegetable oils. Avoid fatty foods just before exercising

Water: Drink plenty to avoid dehydration The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you drink 8 glasses of water every day and more when the temperature and humidity are high. Drink at least one glass of water before and after your workout and every 10 to 15 minutes during your workout to replace fluid lost in perspiration. Avoid substituting water with coffee, tea or soda, because they contain caffeine, which acts as a diuretic, a substance that causes your body to lose even more water.

Water is generally the best way to replace lost fluid, unless you're exercising for more than 60 minutes. In that case, sip a sports drink to help maintain your electrolyte balance and give you a bit more energy from the carbohydrates in it.

click here to read the full story from the Mayo Clinic

Exercise and the Common Cold

It's not a cure but it won't hurt

Should you exercise when you have a cold?

Studies have found that regular, moderate exercise is effective for reducing one's risk of catching a cold. In a study of people with colds, exercise didn’t speed up recovery, it didn’t slow it down either. Unless there is fever or any serious problems, it appears the best medicine may be to continue exercising moderately while the cold runs its course.

From research published in the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, click here to read a summary from the American Council on Exercise.

Information from ACE FitFacts, permission granted.

Assessing and Training for Better Posture: Lower Extremity Postural Distortion

Part one of a series of 3 articles
Good posture is essential for the best exercise performance, and to avoid pain and injury. and in everyday life.

Flattened and externally rotated feet, Knees rotated and tilted inward...

When these postural distortions are observed while standing or performing movements, they indicate a Lower Extremity Postural Distortion. The legs are not capable of producing optimal levels of force, or of absorbing force from activities such as running.

Tight Muscles include:

• Calves
• Inner Thigh
• IT Band
• Hip Flexors

Common complaints with this postural distortion include foot pain (heel spurs or plantar fascitis), knee pain, hip pain and shin splints.

Weak muscles include:

• Tibialis (shins)
• Vastus Medialis (a quadricep)
• Glutes Maximus & Medius
• Hip External Rotators

As you can see, when a muscle is tight, its opposing muscle is weak. An effective corrective component of your exercise program will focus on strengthening the weak muscles and stretching the tight muscles.

Proper exercise selection is very important. Today, I met with member who frequently used the inner thigh machine. His knees were internally rotated indicating that this machine was not likely to produce a successful outcome for his program. Please let me know if you need help with assessment, exercise selection or program design.

Future topics: Pelvic Tilt, Protracted Shoulder, Forward leaning head

Supplements: Too Much of a Good Thing?

From the American Council on Exercise
In a perfect world, everyone would know exactly what and how much to eat for both optimal health and peak performance. Unfortunately ours is not a perfect world and most of us are left on our own to decipher the implications of current research findings or the latest nutritional fad.

Americans seem to be married to the idea that in order to achieve our goals, we must consume special dietary products in amounts not normally found in a typical diet. But while the initial promises offered by makers of these supplements are often enchanting, the actual benefits to the consumer don't necessarily live up to the advertising. Let me know if you have any specific questions, and click here to read or download a PDF of the full story.

Fit Facts are reprinted from ACE FitnessMatters magazine. permission granted.

Debunking the Carbs Protein Hype

Exerpts from a Joint Position Stand of the American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada
There is no evidence that athletes need a diet significantly different than the general population
- Carbohydrates should represenet 55-58% of energy (calories)
- Protein should represent 12-15%
- Fat should represent 25-30%
- Individuals who want to gain muscle mass should consume 1.6.-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight
- Endurance trained athletes should consume 1.2- 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight
- Consumption of higher amounts is not shown to be beneficial and could cause health problems
- Carbohydrates are essential to the recovery process, they replace muscle glycogen and facilitate the repair process
- The post exercise meal should contain a mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat
- Supplements should generally not be required if sufficient nutrients are being consumed in the diet.

Losing Weight, Keeping it Off

From a position stand by the American College of Sports Medicine
ACSM recommends that the public follow these general guidelines for losing weight and keeping it off: Consult with a trained healthcare professional, consider losing weight if BMI is 25 or above, reduce caloric and fat intake, exercise 2.5 - 4.5 hours a week, and use dietary supplements/weight loss drugs only under physician supervision.

-An "energy deficit" of 500-1000 calories a day is recommended
-An effective weight-loss program must include increased energy expenditure in addition to reduced dietary intake.
-Significant health benefits can be realized with a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week; there may be advantages to increasing to 200-300 minutes per week
-Even modest reduction of 5-10% produce significant health benefits
-If energy needs exceed energy intake, weight loss will occur
-Very low calorie diets (VLCDs), used in conjunction with dietary supplements and requiring medical supervision, may increase the magnitude and rate of weight loss but probably will not improve long-term weight loss

Exercise Can Help Control Stress

People who exercise regularly will tell you they feel better.

Here are four ways exercise controls stress, according to the American Council on Exercise:

1. Exercise can help you feel less anxious. Following a session of exercise, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles.
2. Exercise can relax you. One exercise session generates 90 to 120 minutes of relaxation response.
3. Exercise can make you feel better about yourself. That feeling of self-worth contributes to stress relief.
4. Exercise can make you eat better. And it's no secret that good nutrition helps your body manage stress better.

Activities you can choose from:
Aerobic activity - All it takes is 20 minutes' worth, six to seven days a week.
Yoga - Recent studies have shown that when large muscle groups repeatedly contract and relax, the brain receives a signal to release specific neurotransmitters, which in turn make you feel relaxed and more alert.
Recreational sports - require the kind of vigorous activity that rids your body of stress- causing adrenaline and other hormones.

Don't try exercising in your office. Outdoors or away from the office is the best place to find a stress-free environment. Even a corporate fitness center can have too many work-related thoughts for some people.

Click here to read the whole story from the American Council on Exercise

Delayed Muscle Soreness

Why does it hurt a day or 2 later?

There are two types of exercise-related muscle soreness. Immediate muscle soreness quickly dissipates and is the pain you feel during, or immediately after, exercise. Delayed muscle soreness manifests 24 to 48 hours after the exercise session and spontaneously decreases after 72 hours.

The most current research attributes it to microscopic tears in the muscle and surrounding connective tissue following eccentric exercise. (A muscle contracts eccentrically when it lengthens under tension during exercise).

Those who experience delayed muscle soreness include conditioned individuals who increase the intensity, frequency or duration of their workouts, or participate in an activity that they are unfamiliar with. Beginning exercisers, or those who have undergone a significant lapse in training,frequently experience soreness when starting a new exercise program.

Once you induce delayed onset muscle soreness at a specific exercise intensity, you shouldn't experience that sensation again until intensity is increased. This is because delayed muscle soreness has been shown to produce a rapid adaptation response, which means that the muscles adapt to an exercise intensity.

Click to read the whole story from the American Council on Exercise.

Experts Predict Hip-Fracture Epidemic

Better nutrition, treatment now could prevent global crisis

FRIDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- The world faces an epidemic of hip fractures over the next few decades as more and more people's bones weaken from osteoporosis as they age.

So conclude researchers who estimate that at least 6.3 million people worldwide will suffer a hip fracture in the year 2050 -- more than triple the 1.7 million cases recorded in 1990.

The trend toward more fractures could be turned around, however, if doctors and the public take advantage of what's known about osteoporosis prevention. One key preventive strategy: "We should be looking at the younger population to maximize calcium," said Dr. Joseph Fetto, associate professor of orthopedics at the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases.

NOTE: This is another reason why training for balance and stabilization is very important, particularly for adults past 50 and 60 years old.

Click here to read the full article at MSN Health News