So you've been trying to get back into shape and just when you caught stride your knees started to hurt, now what!? There are a few key elements with handling this issue that include optimal exercise selection, smart programming, and activity modification. Here is a comprehensive approach on how to stay active and manage your knee pain regarding different physical activities including running and hiking.
Sedentary lifestyles are an undesirable hallmark of modern society, affecting a significant proportion of the population. Prolonged sitting (a form of sedentary behavior) has progressively become the norm with computerization in the workplace. These developments are not only detrimental for physiological health and well-being with rising levels of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, but also musculoskeletal health. Recent research findings have found an association between prolonged sitting (>8 hours a day) and increased neck-shoulder and low back pain. Sedentary behaviors may induce a relatively stiff thoracic spine contributing towards the dysfunction in the adjacent spinal regions. This article will provide you exercises to improve your thoracic spine mobility!
The stork exercise is one of our all-time favorites for gluteus medius activation and neural priming prior to exercise. Not only is it already in a functional weight-bearing position, but you can ramp up as much activation as you want by pushing harder and harder into the wall!
When beginning the transition to plyometrics, I always want to make sure my athletes can first control regressed movements, positions of instability, and demonstrate good deceleration control in all three planes in a SLOW AND CONTROLLED MANNER. This is an absolute prerequisite before I ask them to generate power (speed component) and change directions (agility component), especially in reaction to an external stimulus (ie an opposing player or ball). Assessing and training deceleration control in all three planes is absolutely vital for the athlete, as no sport is truly one dimensional.
The best squat warm-up should include a full body dynamic squat prep. Preparation is key when it comes to squatting better. This article features some of our favorite content that will squat prep your body for every type of squat you can think of.
Slings (also referred to as chains and/or loops) are a functional component of the musculoskeletal system. If we think of our torso as a core cylinder, there are multiple slings that wrap around the cylinder in different orientations. The cylinder depends on strength and balance from the slings to provide a stable foundation. This article will cover a brief overview of the sling systems, as well as cover the anterior and posterior oblique sling exercise progressions and assessment!
Scapular dyskinesis (aka SICK scapula syndrome) is an alteration or deviation in the normal resting or active position of the scapula during shoulder movement. This observation of "abnormal" or "erratic" movement is often associated with pain.ย 
โBut does scapular dyskinesis actually cause a painful shoulder? Does SICK scapula equal painย โ
Personalized blood flow restriction training is a training strategy (or an exercise modality) that involves exercising at low intensities (i.e. 20-35% 1-RM) while occluding venous blood flow out of a limb and restricting arterial blood flow into a limb by using a Doppler controlled computer tourniquet. This type of training is accomplished by wrapping off the proximal portion of a limb. In the upper extremity this is done at the level of the deltoid tuberosity, while in the lower extremity this is performed at the level of the greater trochanter of the femur. As future healthcare providers, we recommend using an FDA approved personalized tourniquet system to perform personalized blood flow restriction training (like SmartCuffs andย Owens Recovery Science) as opposed to other methods such as knee wraps and/or voodoo bands.
Core workouts can become repetitive and boring when consistently performed on your own. One of the smartest ways to stay motivated with your core workouts is to add variety. SO grab your gym buddy and join us in our partner core workout series! Partner core workouts are fun, engaging, and can even boost performance due to the competition! In this article, you'll learn three popular core exercises that we have modified for your partner core workout. More importantly, you'll learn appropriate regressions and progressions to find just the right challenge for you and your partner!