It’s never too late to start. Research is showing that working out with weights may strengthen the heart muscle, reduce depression, lower the risk of diabetes, improve cognitive performance and more.
Studies are finding that strengthening muscles has a ripple effect throughout the body. For example, during resistance training, muscles generate more force than what’s generated during endurance exercises. The heart, being a muscle, is strengthened as well. During strength training, the heart’s muscle tissue contracts forcefully to push the blood out. Like all muscles, stress causes small tears in the muscle fibers. When the body repairs those tears, it’s building muscle. The result is a stronger heart that is also more efficient at pumping.
Here are a few other benefits of strength training:
Moderate to intense strength training builds skeletal muscle and increases bone density.
It improves glucose metabolism, which can reduce the risk of diabetes. Strength training boosts the number of proteins that take glucose out of the blood and transport it into the skeletal muscle, giving the muscles more energy and lowering blood-glucose levels.
Researchers found that kidney dialysis patients who had more lean muscle mass were 37% less likely to die than the patients who had the least.
Research in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women ages 65 to 75 who did resistance training sessions once or twice per week over the course of a year improved their cognitive performance, while those who focused on balance and tone training declined slightly.
More studies are showing that you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from strength training. All you need are some light weights, a little instruction, and persistence. The professionals at the Advanced Wellness Center are here to help!
Source: LA Times, “Pumping Iron Isn’t Just for Muscles,” Jeannine Stein
Healing Tip of the Week
Practice the 5-minute rule! If you’re not feeling like exercising, give yourself 5 minutes. Tell yourself you will exercise for 5 minutes. If at the end of 5 minutes, you’re not getting into it, you can stop. Most of the time getting started is the hardest part. Once you get going, chances are, you’ll keep going, because it just feels good! Smile at your strength!
By Sese Novas, DC
One of the things we specialize in at the Advanced Wellness Center is gait analysis — that is, checking your stride and then making custom shoe inserts to correct foot imbalances.
Our sophisticated system scans your feet as you walk, creating images in both the static and striding positions. These images illustrate where the lines of pressure are, and how your foot moves from the moment your heel strikes the ground until your big toe pushes off for the next step. The scans are then sent electronically to the lab, which manufactures the custom orthotic shoe inserts.
Custom orthotics help correct the most important components of our step: stability and mobility. Our feet work as stabilizers because they are the solid bases of support when we stand, walk and propel ourselves forward. But, that’s not all. They work double-time as mobilizers, helping us absorb changing ground forces, rotating the lower limbs and adapting to irregular surfaces.
When our feet don’t work properly, they force the next structures in line up the chain (the legs, knees, hips, pelvis, etc) to compensate and take the strain.
In some cases, the result can be development of deformities (bunions, flat feet, hammer toes…etc). In others, it leads to the development of pain and dysfunction in the knee, hip, lower back…
Orthotic insoles help reduce these unwanted effects by:
Increasing proprioception (the ability to sense body position located in receptors found in muscles and tendons), so the musculoskeletal system can respond appropriately to the shock from the initial contact
Directly filtering the shock from the initial contact
If you’d like to have your step evaluated, call the Advanced Wellness Center for a consultation.
As I follow trends for my business and talk to my patients, I realize how many people try to get their help from Google to solve their pain. I have treated hundreds of back pain patients, and it’s almost always the same. They were given a wrong diagnosis, or one that was limited to x-ray or MRI. There’s so much more to the body we just can’t see yet! So don’t be fooled.
The problem is the information out there generally is so poor, or so weighted with someone trying to make a sale, that people:
End up diagnosing themselves with something far worse than they have.
Make their pain worse by obsessing for hours on the computer.
So, where does back pain come from? Why do we have millions of dollars in healthcare spent every year on back surgeries and pain medications? Because we’ve failed to take a functional look at the pain. Here’s a quick list of common causes of back pain:
Decreased hallux dorsiflexion (aka, your big toe doesn’t bend), limiting hip extension on walking.
Tight calves
Weak Tibialis Anterior
Tight Quads/Psoas Major
Poor hip rotation (usually from one tight and one weak hip). This usually involves other muscles up and down the body’s muscular chains.
Poor pelvic rotation (aka, your hips always turn one way). This can be caused by seated posture, or any of the above.
Hip hiking (usually from one quadratus lumborum, or latissimus)
On a more holistic note, back pain can even be linked to faulty emotions, abnormal breathing patterns, adrenal dysfunction, digestive issues, or poor diet.
You get the picture!
All of these cause Spinal Subluxations or Joint Pathology to occur. Your spine is like a gigantic circuit breaker. Any of the imbalances listed above will cause the electricity of your “spinal circuit breaker” to become dysfunctional. That is why many folks that come to me for back pain realize after they’re out of pain that the adjustment to their spine caused them to also have more energy and sleep better. Many patients that commit to yearly checkups also report getting sick less throughout the year.
If you don’t take anything else away from this, it’s that most injuries are LARGELY DUE TO NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION. Mainly, once movement stops, it’s literally like a switch gets turned off to some very important nerves in your joints called: mechanoreceptors and nociceptors. Chiropractic adjustments turn the switches back on! This is why it’s so useful for painful conditions; we’re rebooting the “circuit breaker!”
Healing Tip of the Week
Don’t go it alone with your pain. You’ll thank yourself for going to see a holistic practitioner, because not only will you get to the root of you pain, you’ll probably come away with even greater health and balance in your life!
Carpal Tunnel is a wear and tear injury. It’s what is categorized as a repetitive stress injury. When tendons and muscles become overused, they often develop scar tissue and inflammation as an adaptation. As the tendons and muscles tighten, they become more and more inflamed, even beginning to impinge on nearby nerves, blood vessels or ligaments. Especially in the case of carpal tunnel, entrapment is the key word. Looking at the anatomy, the nerves of the wrist literally run through a “tunnel”-like opening made up of the flexor tendons, the carpal bones of the wrist, and the median nerve.
Carpal tunnel is often accompanied by tingling, or paraesthesia, and hand pain. What’s often overlooked in carpal tunnel is the BIG PICTURE! Local surgery to the carpal tunnel often needs to be repeated soon after, and the pain often does not cease. Exercises alone often do nothing to deal with tissue inflammation and scar tissue. Icing alone, or anti-inflammatories, never fix the movement, muscle and joint dysfunction.
Carpal tunnel often begins in the neck. The phenomenon of triple crush syndrome means that the median nerve is entrapped initially as a nerve root at the neck (C5-T1); thus, if the neck has chiropractic vertebral subluxations or misalignments, the impingement can actually begin here.
Thoracic Outlet Impingement: The muscles of the front of the neck and shoulder can impinge on the brachial plexus as it exits the shoulder, inflaming the nerve as it transits down to the carpal tunnel and hand.
Pronator Teres Entrapment: A muscle deep in the forearm can actually be the hidden cause of hand pain and tingling sensations (paraesthesia).
Some more nasty and serious causes that are more rare, include diabetic neuropathy, cervical disc syndrome, and cervical rib syndrome (true TOS). The number one key to experiencing relief is to see someone who specializes in this subject.
Healing Tip of the Week
Carpal tunnel often comes from an area you would not likely expect that is away from the area that you feel pain. Chiropractic and Soft Tissue Adjustments are extremely successful at managing carpal tunnel.
I cannot go a day without eating an egg. I love them. But when I go to the grocery store, I never know which ones to buy. Which type of egg is the best choice?
The labels they put on eggs can be deceiving. When I first realized what all of them actually meant, I was shocked! There are 5 typical classifications: organic, vegetarian-fed, cage-free, free-range, and pastured (not pasteurized).
The first, organic, seemingly would be the best for you. However, this only means that the chicken’s food is free of harmful chemicals. It speaks nothing to how the chickens were raised. Vegetarian-fed chickens are only given grains for their diet. This seems like it would be healthy except for the fact that chickens need to get protein from grubs and bugs. So, this term also means that the chickens do not have access to the pasture. Next up are the cage-free hens, which sounds very humane. Unfortunately, these chickens are not confined to their cages, but usually are left in a dark barn. Not a very good place to roam and find nourishing things to eat. A step up from cage-free is the free-range chicken. These lucky birds not only get access to roam around the dark barn, but also can go out to the yard, where they can stand on a fenced-in piece of dirt or cement. This was definitely not what I thought free-range meant. Lastly, the pastured chicken makes its appearance. I didn’t even know this was an option until recently. Pastured means that the chickens are free to roam through the pasture, so they’re grass fed. They can eat the grubs and bugs they were meant to, in addition to the food they are given. This type of egg usually comes from small farms that sell their product at local farmer’s markets.
So why eat pastured eggs? What difference can there really be? Well, Mother Earth News conducted an egg experiment in 2007 to see what the differences really were. In comparison to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data for commercial eggs, pastured eggs contained: ⅓ less cholesterol, ¼ less saturated fat, ⅔ more vitamin A, 3 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, and 7 times more beta-carotene.
Personally, I’d rather get more bang for my buck. I’ll be making my next egg purchase at my local farmer’s market.
Healing Tip of the Week
Pastured eggs are a healthier, more humane choice. If you love eggs like I love eggs, try pastured eggs. You can usually find them at local farmer’s markets. And, while you’re there, you can pick up some fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruits.
After the holidays, most people worry about how to take off the extra pounds they gained. They feel bloated, congested, and tired. Boosting your metabolism is one way to help burn off the extra weight and get your energy back. Here are some tips for boosting your metabolism:
Interval Training
Here’s an example: Walk at your normal pace for 1 to 2 minutes, then speed-walk for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat the sequence 10 to 15 times. According to an Australian study, women who did intervals while they were biking lost three times as much fat as those who worked out at a steady pace.
Build Muscle
Adding just 5 pounds of muscle to your body can burn up to 150 more calories per day without even working out those muscles, according to Kristin McGee, a trainer and Pilates instructor.
Eat a Big Breakfast
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. A couple of tips for breakfast: Take your first bite of food within the first 30 minutes of waking up and make your first food of the day protein and vegetables – not a carbohydrate. This will help maintain your blood sugar. The more balanced your blood sugar, the more balanced your energy throughout the day and the less you crave carbohydrates. That could lead to healthier eating habits. Try it.
Water, Water, Water
Drink about half your body weight in ounces of water per day. While some report that drinking COLD water will cause a slight surge in metabolic rate, the increase is just that, slight. In the Chinese medicine world, it is more likely that ice or ice water, or anything cold, will slow down the digestive system. So, as a compromise, just drinking the right amount of room-temp water for your body weight will hydrate you and help your body function more efficiently.
Healing Tip of the Week
Take your first bite of food within the first 30 minutes of waking up, and make your first food of the day protein and vegetables – not a carbohydrate. This will help keep your blood sugar more balanced throughout the day.
People with Type II Diabetes can significantly lower their blood sugar with an exercise program that combines aerobics and weight lifting, a study reports. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and states that the combined program offers greater benefits than aerobics or weight lifting alone.
The study involved 262 inactive diabetic individuals. After nine months, participants who did the combination training lowered the blood level of the glucose marker HbA1c to 7.3 percent from 7.7 percent, on average; a drop that corresponds to a significantly reduced risk of heart disease.
*Excerpted from the New York Times “Health and Science” section.
I was recently invited to be one of the treating doctors at one of the biggest surfing events in the world: The U.S Open of Surfing. It was a great privilege to see the level of surfing at my home break, the Huntington Beach pier.
What did I come away with? We all need functional chiropractic, combined with rehabilitation, soft tissue, etc. If you are active in the least, and live in this high-stress world, your body will become imbalanced. Imbalance leads to injury, injury leads to lack of movement, lack of movement leads to a system flat line. Not the flat line of death, but instead a life of “getting by” instead of “thriving”.
Every pro-athlete’s main asset is his/her physical body. So, athletes tend to be very “in tune”, listening to the feedback that their organs, glands and tissues send them. They also tend to use my services more than the average folks.
The main consensus among the general public is, “I can get by.” Us “average” folks shrug off imbalance and work to the bone, until we can’t anymore. Then, we patch up the leak and keep on truckin’. Athletes, however, at the first sign of imbalance, tend to work on it themselves, and then seek a practitioner to help facilitate balance immediately. It’s ludicrous that we don’t do the same! Your body is your temple, and you want it clean and pristine for as many years as possible. That doesn’t come without work and sacrifice!
At this event, I treated three world champions and more than 40 other surfing professionals, and here are some other things I learned:
When the mind is in tune, the body will listen longer and faster to the inputs you give it. Focus, don’t multi-task, and find your flow. The athletes who tend to find more of a state of flow and who have a grasp on the stresses of competition tended to respond to my work faster than anyone I’ve treated in my life. Why? See point 2.
Being active throughout life is a must, but don’t take it so darn serious. You must be active with a sense of “play”. Us regular folk put our heads to the ground and pound the pavement or treadmill or bike like there’s no tomorrow. We tend to bring the drive and intensity of work into what should be our play and leisure time. Surfers tend to have a sense of play in there lives, because surfing’s just fun!
Eat clean. It’s obvious with athletes, like it is with my patients. The athletes who eat clean (fruits, veggies, lean meats, good fats) are less inflamed and heal faster.
See your chiropractor; most athletes do in some capacity. Get adjusted, combining soft tissue, taping, joint mobilization, nutrition, as well as dynamic strength and flexibility training.
Healing Tip of the Week
Whether you’re a professional athlete or the average exerciser, beware of bringing the drive and intensity of work into what should be fun, leisure time. Bring a sense of play into your exercise to greatly enhance its benefits!
Do you have low back pain? Who doesn’t, right? Does the pain not respond to treatments to your low back? Big surprise … the pain might not be coming from your back. Research shows that health care practitioners should be looking to your hips.
For your low back to function properly, the hip joints need to have adequate mobility. Internal rotation (moving the thigh inward) and external rotation (moving the thigh outward) should be equal on each leg and from side to side. The musculature around the hips also needs to be balanced and strong.
Unfortunately, most of us sit at a desk for eight hours a day and then go home to sit on the couch. Whatever happened to running around and enjoying the great outdoors? In case you need some help, I’ve put together some dynamic (movement) stretches to help increase mobility in your hips. So go outside, enjoy the sun (get your 15 minutes worth) and stretch out your hips twice a day. The best time to stretch is after cardiovascular exercise, when your muscles are pumped full of blood. However, if you stretch dynamically, there is less chance of injury if done before exercise. Plus, dynamic stretching is more fun! Please remember, if you feel pain at any time (or were instructed not to perform any of these moves), stop what you are doing and see your healthcare provides.
Leg swings – swing your leg from front to back, toes pointed forward. Keep your back straight, shoulder blades down and back, and pelvis still. If you lack mobility, keep your swings small.
Side-side Leg swings – swing your leg from side to side, toes pointed forward. Keep your back straight, shoulder blades back and down, and pelvis still. Do not rotate your torso.
Split squats – assume a wide split stance with toes pointed forward. Keep your back straight, shoulder blades back and down, and don’t let the knees buckle in. Keep your hands behind your head and squat one knee toward the floor.
Lateral squats – assume a wide stance with toes pointed forward. Keep your back straight, shoulder blades back and down, knees out, and squat to the side with hands behind your head.
Rotational squats – assume a wide stance, with one leg toes pointed forward and the other leg toes pointed out 90 degrees. Keep your back straight, shoulder blades back and down, knees out, and squat to the side with toes pointed forward.
Reverse lunge with twist – step back with one leg as far as you can and rotate to the opposite side. Keep your back straight, shoulder blades back and down, and knees out. Squeeze your glute (butt) muscle on the back leg while you rotate and stand up.
Healing Tip of the Week
Go outside, enjoy the sun (get your 15 minutes worth), and stretch out your hips twice a day. Your hips and low back will thank you for it!
We talk a great deal on the blog about the importance of keeping proper posture while driving, sitting on the computer, or watching television. Most recently, one of my patients brought to my attention one activity that I had totally overlooked: texting.
This patient was having neck and mid-back pain typical of poor upper body posture and was trying to work out what activities were causing the symptoms to worsen. After some searching, he realized that the main contributor to his pain was not his computer work or car time; it was text messaging on his cell phone.
A recent chiropractic publication confirms what he intuitively deduced. “These days, people are constantly ‘connected’ to their hand-held devices, whether it is their cellular phones, portable video games like Nintendo DS, e-readers such as Amazon Kindle, or they are just using apps on an iPhone.” In fact, a recent survey found that 8-18 year olds spend in excess of seven-and-a-half-hours a day using some form of mobile media.
Be aware of your forward head posture or “text neck,” and use the strategies written in many articles throughout this blog to correct them. Small corrections over a long period of time add up to big changes in your body.
Healing Tip of the Week
Get that head back on top of your shoulders! Your head is like a bowling ball, for every inch that your head migrates forward, the force it takes for your neck muscles to keep it upright effectively doubles.
