Lower Back Pain Or Discomfort Whilst Driving Back To Health Wellness's Thought For The Day podcast

0:49

The longer you sit - the weaker and tighter your calves become. Your hamstrings become“much starved of oxygen” from its progressive lengthened state. Your back will definitely not be thanking you for this. The long term result - poor blood flow and balance issues as you age. While sitting for work may be a pre-requisite, Using a foot rest to keep yours calves, hamstrings and feet engaged, may be a blessing that you are yet to receive. Nothing can substitute standing up but, this simple yet subtle introduction to your working ergo, will Improve blood flow and balance, even while you sit. Now that’s thinking smarter, to function better.…

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Every Coin Has Two Sides 0:58

7 weeks之前0:58

0:58

Every coin has two sides. And both sides are different. Our body is no exception - we have a stronger and weaker side. We are meant to move, but it’s also ok if we stay put. Furthermore, to function well, one side needs to be different to the other. One side has to move better. One side has to be better at staying still. This is why we have a stronger and a weaker side. A dominant Right or left hand. A stronger Left foot or right foot. Learn your strengths and yours weaknesses, but don’t just acknowledge. Bridge the gap and by doing so, your two sides will become as balanced as you want or need it to be, in order to function as well as you want or need it to.…

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More For Less 1:04

12 weeks之前1:04

1:04

Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? It’s an idea based on the Pareto principle, that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. Giving your body a bit of attention everyday will capitalise from this rule. For example, I come home from work, after standing and being physically active the whole day, I then do 10mins of gentle stretching the back and body with slow controlled breathing. Some of you may do this type of routine after waking up in the morning. It’s the seemingly small yet, big picture things, like standing and moving after sitting for a while, the changing of the handbag position or the hand hold on the steering wheel, it’s the 20% of consistent, daily practice, which will magnify the benefits by 80% and go a long way to helping avoid any long term neck or back problems, by at least 80%. Become aware and act.…

1
What Is A Joint? 2:12

14 weeks之前2:12

2:12

A joint is where two bones meet. It’s meant to be a perfect match. Though the interactions with 1) ligaments - strong, elastic bands of connective tissue that surround joints to support and limit movement and 2) tendons- tough, connective tissue attaching muscles to bones, in order to move them - will ultimately determine how perfect a joint can be. Add to the mix the bones themselves bring their own ingredients such as blood, fluid and cushions for the purpose of weight bearing, then you have a lot to contend with. Now what makes the perfect joint? Simply put, Balance. Balance makes a perfect joint. An understanding of stability and movement wherever and whenever it is required. The ability to manage your environment efficiently without failing. However, for balance to be achieved, A joint needs to be trained. It needs repeated action. It needs to be nurtured, it needs strength, it needs flexibility it needs stability. Like a child learning how to walk, it first needs to learn how to crawl and then balance, to then walk. Unless you are aware of it, your day to day environment lacks the variation required to train them to be balanced. If we train them to take weight but not to move, it will learn just that, until one day, you decide you want to move. This is where the understanding of your joint health, its integrity and dexterity in performing a task is essential. You know this and act on any limitations and you will be ok.…

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How To Stop The Body Getting Weaker As You Age 2:41

1 year之前2:41

2:41

If you look up online Why The Body Gets Weaker As You Age, many will say that you lose bone tissue and subsequently, muscle size and strength, as the muscle tissue itself also shrinks with age. I am certain this thought can leave many people feeling down and dejected. Though, isnt it possible that if a bone or muscle can weaken, it can also become stronger, regardless of your age? So, Here is how you Stop The Body Getting Weaker As You Age- Since bones are living tissue like muscles, they also respond to physical activity by growing stronger. Strength-building and weight-bearing activities are the best to build bones strength back up. How? Heavy weights increase the power and strength of your bones and muscles by challenging them to grow again under stress. Have you Ever felt too weak to finish a chore or an activity? Well take my word for it, with a bit of dedication to lifting weights, those everyday physical tasks will get easier. It is important to factor in the adequate diet to subsidise the extra energy required for building bone and muscle growth. Now, If you thought the benefits from lifting weights stopped there, guess again. Lifting weights can improve Confidence. It’s a no brainer, if you can lift a considerable weight, whether it be once or 6 times, especially when you do not think you can lift it in the first place, then, you will feel that you deserve a treat. Another benefit to lifting weights is Injury Prevention. If your bones, muscles and tissues are stronger, the risk of developing osteoporosis, injury, back pain , arthritis and chronic pain, will significantly reduce. Although there will be a fear in purposely stressing bone and muscle in those who suffer with bone issues or muscle pain, though is enough evidence to suggest that a resistance training plan tailored to that individual’s needs, can greatly reduce their associated symptoms, as the improved muscle strength, endurance and power, add strength and stability that will help them ward off injuries and keep the body strong. Now just pick a day, and get going.…

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Is Running Bad For The Knees? 2:46

1 year之前2:46

2:46

Some say, Running wears your knee joints away, leading to early onset of knee pain and arthritis. Some say, that’s rubbish and that running can help prevents knee pain and arthritis… What do you think? For those that say running is bad, I ask what about walking? After all the mechanisms are the same. Even excessive walking, done incorrectly, without good form or good support in terms of footwear, can also lead to knee pain, hip and back problems. Is walking bad for the knees? Ofcourse not! So why is the general consensus that walking is promoted, and running is demoted? There is plenty of evidence to say that the benefits of running far outweigh the risks, and that includes the effect on your knees. Running and walking both involve the foot striking the ground with force during the loading phase… Many knee issues are caused by weaknesses elsewhere, which introduce instability further down the legs. The Hips and glutes are particularly guilty of leading to knee issues, while tight hamstrings also shift the impact of running to the knees. So if your hearing this, and you are thinking this may be me, then its quite possible that it’s not running that’s is the problem. If you feel pressure or pain in the knee during a run, try the following :- Stretch - do a few stretches for the lower back and legs and see if the pressure of pain eases Check your posture - A slight change to your posture from the head down can have an impact on the load through the knee and thus, your running technique. Keep your posture straight and erect .1 keep your head up, your back straight, and shoulders level. Make sure you're not leaning forward or back at your waist, this can happen during the run as you get more tired. When you feel yourself slouching, correct your posture. Wear good running shoes that can help reduce the impact of the heel strike when running. Running is a dynamic and full bodied workout that compounds health and fitness in a way that walking alone cannot. If your goal is to run, but you cannot because your knees hurt, try applying the advice above, if that does not work, consult with your practitioner, whether they are a physio, chiro, osteo or massage therapist, as they can make an assessment of your pain, check for possible injury, and recommend any changes or exercises that might help get you running the way you would love to.…

1
It’s Time To Walk The Plank 1:51

1 year之前1:51

1:51

Let’s not beat around the bush, A strong and solid core, looks and feels good. The core stabilises, balances, and powers the body during just about every activity. A strong core can reduce stress on the joints and allow you to achieve better posture. Planking helps you achieve this at any age. Some may wonder “how can I hold my bodyweight”? Well, i say to this, “if you can balance the weight of your body on two feet, you can then certainly balance your weight on four limbs! It will just take practice! The plank will help with spinal alignment, as Muscle groups work uniformly to hold the weight of the body and gravity. Studies have suggested that the plank is highly effective at activating the muscles responsible for spine stabilization, which is an essential mechanism to prevent or alleviate back pain. Moreover, since the plank strengthens your abdominal muscles, it will help support the weight of your body to walk upright. Top tip - Try and hold the plank for 10 secs, increasing if you feel confident. Also during, Make sure you’re not arching your back and ensure yours hips are not drooping toward the floor as this will overload your lower back, which won’t help with back pain. Separate your feet slightly further apart, this will help hold the position better. This is because the muscles on the outer thighs are bigger and often stronger, which will further secure the hip. P.s. do the plank with arms straight with a small bend, making sure not to lock your elbows, why? just trust me, your shoulders will thank you for it.…

1
The Tale Of The Bunion 2:04

1 year之前2:04

2:04

In 2011, I ruptured my ACL ligament in my right knee. In 2020, I noticed that over time, cysts that had developed inside my knee as a result of the injury, had began to bother me. I had started to depend more on my left leg, which caused me to walk differently. Come 2022, my son was born and what a year it has been! Though since, my back has become noticeably stiffer. It may well be the daily habit of carrying or caring for him having something to do with it. I guess after all, my spine was clearly not programmed to manage looking after a baby, and manage a long standing knee issue. Now In 2023, I have noticed a small bump on the side of my big toe which, I am sure is the beginning signs of a bunion. Though I am fully aware of how to manage this issue, my question to you is, do you see the link? It may sound like a strange connection, but bunions can be a strong indicator of an underlying back issue. This is simply because movement that involves standing, walking, and running, require stability in the pelvis as the respective joints move. The spine, connects to the pelvis - and if this connection is affected - it is common for the joints further down the chain to be affected and vice versa. Bunions which are bone spurs, are usually caused by prolonged pressure on the big toe, which alters itself to manage the pressure, and therefore pushes it towards the second toe. The foot allows this by dropping the arch to leave space for bone spurs to form as a result of the weakened muscles supporting the dropped arch. Where wearing insoles that amend the dropped arch of the foot may help, in my opinion it is essential to look for the real cause of the bunion by first checking your spine - down. You may be surprised with what you find. After all, I was.…

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Shut The “Trap” Up 3:13

1 year之前3:13

3:13

The trapezius muscle, Also known as the traps, plays an important role in posture. First, it is a large muscle of the back. It starts at the base of the skull moving down the neck, it then extends across the shoulders, and down the middle of the back, forming a trapezoid. The trapezius muscle acts as both a posture stabilizer and a movement muscle. It directly stabilises the shoulder blade and extends the neck. Bad posture culminating from standing or sitting for too long, will affect how the spine balances the head on the shoulders - as the stiffness in the spine increases, the upper, middle and lower trapezius muscle tightens to try and fix the head and shoulder blade position. Failing to do this successfully, results in a forward head posture. This adaptation can give rise to a tension headaches which can refers up the back of the neck, to the back of the head and then over to the front of the forehead and the eye. This type of referral headache is known as the Cervicogenic headache. Now, If symptoms like a headache can develop - then you know it’s probably gone too far. So what to do? How does one shut the trap up? The answer is simple - you do everything that can help alleviate stiffness in the spine, to improve posture. Here are 3 ways to do this - Massage or spine adjustments. Both therapies can help you relieve stiffness in the trapezius muscle. They also help increase flexibility in the spine, alleviating stiffness in the process. Spine traction - this therapy uses a device for focused stretching of the spine and the surrounding tissues. Spine traction is A highly effective way to Improve neck curve and alleviate upper back and neck tension. This therapy is Ideal for those with a limited neck curve or those with a straight neck and a flexed upper back - which, are both the outcomes of stiffness in the spine and tension in the trapezius muscles. Reassess your environment - Be it sitting as the desk or standing for hours - l your environment will have the most profound and long term effect on your spine and thus the traps muscle. If you sit for hours, and getting up and moving around is unlikely, change your sitting environment - get rid of your office chair and get a kneeling or saddle chair. This will help with keeping your back naturally upright - ultimately improving your posture and alleviating tension and stiffness in the spine and the traps. Final thoughts There are other ways to alleviate tension in the traps, such as spine mobility exercises and gentle intermittent stretches. Though identifying the reasons behind why the trapezius muscle is so tight and stiff, and improving your posture will go a long way to helping remedy it permanently and Finally, keep it quiet.…

1
What Works For Some Won’t Work For Everyone 1:39

1 year之前1:39

1:39

It is important to be sensible when doing anything from exercise to simple everyday activities. Sensible exercise does not involve paying large sums of money to join a gym (and rarely go), or pound away vigorously on a treadmill, or even pump iron and feel inferior as the superfit gym bodies sweat and grunt around you. To get fit? Simply Go for a walk, run, cycle and eat well. It is about increasing your general activity in each and every day and finding things to do that you enjoy. We all know that regular exercise can have beneficial effects to your general health and well-being, increase your energy levels, reduce stress and lift the mood. However busy you might be – find time to get active every day. Exercise does not mean you have to end up sweaty and exhausted, although it’s good to get the heart-rate up. If we were more active on a daily basis, we would not have the need for gyms to work off the excess calories or keep fit. Remember that ANY activity that is over and above what you do normally is going to burn up additional calories. Each and everyone of us has a threshold to the kind of pressure we can handle and the pace we are comfortable with. Therefore it is important to bear in mind, When the amount of work you put on your body is greater than what it can tolerate, you get injured it is that simple.…

1
The Cold Always Flows Where Fat does not Grow 1:03

1 year之前1:03

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Did you know, that the hands, feet, ears, and nose have reduced blood flow compared to the rest of the body? This explains why the extremities are cooler in cold weather than the rest of the body. You might wonder why? Well, simply put - the warmth goes where fat grows. This is why the stomach and chest are two of the warmest areas in the body. The nose is contrast is composed mainly of cartilage tissue and does not have a lot of insulating fat. This also explains why we are more susceptible to colds and flus when there is a weather change. Therefore where the weather takes a turn, measures like warm foods and beverages, warms baths and exercise, will help to increase the body temperature and help prevent the cold flowing where the Fat is not growing.…

1
The Invisible Force of Gravity - On YOUR Spine 2:30

1 year之前2:30

2:30

Whilst Sitting at your desk or on your sofa, have you Ever wondered why you suddenly creep forward towards you phone or computer screen? It is definitely not because what you started watching 30 mins ago had suddenly become more interesting. A more likely reason, is the 7-14 lbs weight of the head (which if you are not sure, is roughly the weight of a bowling ball). For example, as you sit, Try letting your head hang forwards for 5 seconds. It keeps getting heavier right? (I really hope your not doing this while your driving) Now consider the force of gravity pulling the mass of your body down towards the earth, on top of the weight of the head? It does not matter how well supported a chair may be, the weight of gravity is constant. So what do you do? Try standing tall! Doing this at the desk would proof difficult, Therefore for your spine and for your sanity, Get up and move about every 30 mins. When sitting or standing, You can Practice keeping your head in line with your body, by bringing your ears back in line with your shoulders and keeping your eyes in a neutral gaze. Think, you should not have to peer down at ANY screen. Keep conscious of this head position when sitting at the desk as you satisfy your work demand and when driving any length of time. Regular daily practice of this will make this natural for you, which will bode well now and in the future as it will help your body to distribute weight through your spine more evenly and thus lessen the burden of our environment and the weight of gravity. Final thoughts- Whilst hypergravity can largely only be experienced in space, and the feeling of ‘weightlessness’ in free fall not lasting long enough, the next best thing is floating in water. Floating decreases blood pressure and cortisol levels, reducing anxiety, addiction and enhancing memory and creativity. So, like the water in our body, just keep swimming.…

1
Why The Front Squat Exercise is Essential For Good Back Health 1:16

1 year之前1:16

1:16

Everyday activity, whether it be walking, running, sitting or standing requires forward and backward movement of the pelvis. A common and well known cause of back issues remains a heavily favoured, forward tilted pelvis, which has lost the freedom to move sufficiently backwards. This inability can be caused by a variety of factors, including tight hip flexors, weak gluteal muscles, and poor postural habits. Incorporating the front squat into an exercise routine is an excellent way to not only improve our core strength, but the overall muscle mass in the legs, which is always a bonus, given that they need to withstand the weight of gravity, the weight of our body, and the demand of our environment on a daily basis. Final thoughts - The ability for the pelvis to freely move forward and backward within reason is critical to not only our everyday function but to avoiding chronic back issues in near or distant future.…

1
The REAL Benefit to Improving Posture 1:41

1 year之前1:41

1:41

Have you ever gone for a treatment, like a massage or an chiro session, and had your practitioner find a tender / painful spot you had not realised had even existed before? Well, they are known as knots or trigger points. Knots or trigger points are caused by muscle overload due to overexertion, overuse, poor posture and trauma. Muscles become overloaded due to sustained tension, structural issues, like spinal misalignments, and nutritional deficiencies. What do all three causes have in common? They are all functional, meaning that they all are either created or maintained by us and us alone. Therefore, How we look after our body will determine their outcomes. This is why it is essential to become aware as awareness is the first ingredient to improving posture. Think, why is that knot or trigger point there? Oh it must be the way I sit at my desk. So amend your desk setup, has anything changed? If not, keep inquisitive, and you will soon figure it out. As you become aware of the undue muscle tension, the structural issue, or the nutritional deficiency, you can work out why it is there, and then what you need to do to resolve it. Because really and truly, you are the only one who can solve your problem. If you remain committed to improving, you will always find a guide to help you along your journey to making the right decisions, but remember, the real hero in this story is you. Not us.…

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All Chained Up 3:55

1 year之前3:55