Understanding Active Release Techniques (ART) When it comes to managing chronic pain, restoring mobility, and enhancing performance, Active Release Techniques (ART) is a revolutionary approach that has garnered significant attention. ART is a specialized manual therapy method designed to diagnose and treat soft tissue injuries and dysfunctions. In this article, we will explore what ART […]
Working out with pain Clients frequently ask me whether or not they should exercise through pain. In short, no. If an exercise is hurting when you’re doing it, something’s wrong. When the muscles are performing their respective functions adequately, there will be no pain, just the burn associated with lactic acid accumulation. If you choose
Abdominals and back pain We’ve all heard that weak abs can lead to back pain. Is this true? Well, the short answer is yes. But that doesn’t mean you should go out and hit the sit-ups. Lower back pain is, in part, caused by weakness of important stabilizing muscles such as the deep abdominals and multifidus.
Footwear and injury The majority of orthopedic injuries of the lower-leg, foot and ankle can claim ill-fitting or inappropriate footwear as a major contributing factor. Wearing the right shoes, properly fitted, is a vital part of sports injury prevention. Over my years as a trainer, I’ve witnessed many exercisers wearing running shoes for weight lifting.
Preventing injuries at the gym To get results in the gym, you have to be willing to push yourself. You have to be able to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to force your body to adapt. But how do you do that without getting injured? The answer is three-fold. First, ensure that you
To stretch or not to stretch Does this sound familiar? You stretch and stretch a muscle or muscle group and it never seems to get any more flexible. In fact, sometimes it even seems to get tighter as a result. This is an extremely common phenomenon. In many cases, stretching is the LAST thing such
Hypermobility Every structure in our body struggles to maintain an optimum balance between stability and mobility. The more stable a structure becomes, the less mobile it becomes. The more mobile a structure becomes, the less stable it becomes. Good examples are the shoulder and the hip. The shoulder is a very mobile joint, capable of
Shoulder impingement syndrome Impingement of the shoulder occurs when one or more of the soft-tissue structures of the shoulder is compressed between bony structures or improperly rubs against them during movement. This is usually the result of some sort of shoulder instability or prior injury. To understand shoulder impingement, one has to understand the rotator
Overtraining Anyone who participates in regular, intense exercise is at risk for overtraining syndrome. In overtraining syndrome, ones training outpaces their rest and recovery. The body can’t sustain this indefinitely and will let your know it; you just have to be paying attention. There are certain common signs and symptoms of overtraining. These include: recurring
Self-Myofascial release There isn’t just one way to stretch. There are many, including some types you may have heard of: static, active, dynamic, active-isolated, passive, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), ballistic and others. Each has their uses in an integrated, progressive flexibility regimen. All types of stretching exist on a continuum… you progress from one to