GREETINGS TO YOU ~
I'm very excited to introduce myself AND that I'm hoping with my 4 + decades of being an Exercise & Kinetic Therapist, I'll be able to share some of my knowledge of healthy biomechanics so that you too can FEEL and BE BETTER in all that you do IN LIFE!
Having been a back and neck pain patient for too many years, I was clearly not 'myself' and wanted to be 'the better version of ME!' As someone who enjoys studying the various sciences of Biomechanics, Movement Fundamentals, Cadaver Dissections and Dance/Movement Therapy, I ended up creating my own method, literally from 'the ground-up!' Having found myself crawling on the floor too many times, while in tremendous pain radiating through my back and often down each leg, I ended up divising healthy ways to subdue the 'louder' pains while helping to subside them. In 1976, I created KINETICS, a healthy movement program that all can use in their daily lives to get stronger, move in more balanced ways, help lower those unwanted pains while improving better posture!
As my clients say, KINETICS is a natural 'WIN-WIN!' I'm excited to share and educate YOU so that you too can UPlift your body, have greater energy, improved balance and gait...and that's just the beginning!!
For starters, do you know why sitting can create so much discomfort? Sitting creates 11xs amount of pressure intradiscally (in between your discs). So imagine sitting at your desk, working on a project for 'x' amount of time; not paying any real attention to your 'sitting posture' and you, who has either had acute or chronic back pain history, decides to get out of your chair quite a while later and has trouble standing 'tall' because your back is 'angry'! Consider this 'gift' ... measure yourself, back up against a wall, date it with your height, and re-measure yourself on a regular basis (always in bare feet, and/or with sox on)....NOTICE if your height is changing...this will give you a few 'ah-HA' moments!!! YES, as we get older, all too often we notice 'shrinking' but don't let your spinal segments et al put you in harms' way....literally!!! We should want to TRY and maintain our height as best as possible, not by straining ourselves to STAND TALL, but to use our intrinsics, better breathing techniques, proper placement in our feet when standing (> slightly forward of our heels, then rolling through center of your feet, then pushing off your metatarsal pads then toes, keeping knees straight ahead (= well aligned) with a healthy L & R arm swing; uplifted chest, shoulders rolled back and down with your head centered over your neck and shoulders. How you walk, as in how your feet 'hit-the-ground, will yield healthier forward movement if you walk with balanced footing and a taller torso.
So often when we're plagued with these back/hip pains, we're given a prescription of exercises to do and that's great...keeping ourselves mobile is so very important. How we move, from points A>B is as important; how we breathe, how and where our feet strike the ground and push-off with healthy arm swings are as relevant to your body's neuromuscularskeletal health as well. It's important to be educated by the therapist/doctor who we're learning from and if these lessons are well-spelled out while being customized, we'll make great strides to better mobile health, while feeling more like the selves we want to BE and FEEL!
Tune into future articles as I'll help to spell out a series of Back and Posture Rx's that you can use daily AND anywhere!
