Thurs - MM Power & Katy Bowman Aligned & Well Back Biomechanics

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

This morning was Montenegro Method Power Workout. The MM Power Workout has four 10 min sections - 3 are strength/endurance based, and one is cardio based. All I can say is this 10 min format gives the "10 Minute Solution" workouts a run for their money!!! In these 10 min workouts you actually WORK hard for 10 minutes. I'd say these would be great add ons to do as "sparks" throughout the day. I did all 3 of the strength/endurance workouts this morning back to back and I was soaked in sweat by the end and my HR was way up there. In each of these workouts you will do some "strength" type exercises, some cardio/endurance, and some plyo. There are repeat exercises from the Endurance and Strength DVDs - but the exercises are put together in different sequences and there are also some new exercises thrown is as well. A lot of total body movements. Burpees, Push-ups, planks and mountain

climbers all were present and accounted for as well! Definately a tough and efficient workout - done in 30 minutes! Also, in the space I worked out today I was able to check out my form a bit better (mirrored surface) and I'm actually quite pleased with my squatting form - definately doing better with the back arching and sticking my butt out! Also, trying to be sure to engage the butt to bring me back up.

Afterwards, I added on from Katy Bowman's Aligned and Well Back Biomechanics. Katy Bowman is interviewed/featured in some of the articles that Dianne posted yesterday about the pelvic floor - so that is what inspired me to try this DVD this morning! This is not a real "follow-along" DVD - it is more of an instructional resource. I watched the beginning which was a "meet Katy" segment and a brief general talk about the back and our sedentary culture - basically how too much sitting, driving, etc. has contributed to a host of health and joint problems in our modern society. She points out that unlike people in other cultures and from the past, we are not engaged in all day movement - but rather we sit all day and have just brief periods of intense activity (and that is only for those of us who exercise regularly!!) - we are also under almost constant stress. It makes you think - although our

modern society has given us so many conveniences we are actually less healthy because of them. I also think we are more stressed out because of technology - we never have a time when we can 'un-plug" from the world - we have computers, cell phones, blackberries, etc. that keep us in contact and "on" all the time, there is always something "to do" and somewhere "to go". Definately something to think about and contemplate how we can make things simpler in our lives. (Not like I have any answers there)

She also talks about each part of the back and the common issues and causes of pain and disfunction - rounded shoulders, rounded thoracic spine (kyphosis) which not only causes joint problems but also intereferes with heart and lung function, and lower back pain. After the general information Katy provided our "prescription" for a better back - in this segment she demonstrated 5 exercises with the recommendation to do them all daily, 3X a day for up to 60 seconds each. The exercises were:

Calf Stretch - now this is interesting!! Miranda-Esmonde White (Classical Stretch) discusses how a tight calf muscle can cause back pain. I never gave it much thought, even when Miranda said it (I figured it was just something "quirky" she was saying!). The way Katy presented it though makes total sense! If our calf muscles are too tight, our walking gait is off and this contributes to poor posture, leaning forward, etc. So, our first exercise was a calf stretch - Katy used a half-foam roller (a rolled up towel works as a sub - which I used since I do not have a half-foam roller!). A simple stretch - place one foot on the foam roller with your heel down on the floor, toes on the roller and move your other leg forward of the stretching leg, as if walking. Katy mentioned that some people are so tight they can't do this! I was able to, but I felt a tremendous stretch in my calf

muscle. Now, you all know from my whining this winter over calf strains that I must have some issues with my calves - so I will be incorporating this stretch daily - 3X per day - as Katy recommends! What is great is, you can do this one anywhere/anytime. Also makes you really re-think wearing high heels (which I haven't done in about 2 years now) since that further shortens the calf and pitches you forward. Re-thinking the whole shoe thing for exercising, too. I find there are some exercises I can do much better without shoes b/c my heel isn't artificially high (the box squat in Montenegro Method - can't do it in my crosstrainers, can do it barefoot - it is a squat wear you touch the floor).

Neck Exercise (Ramping up) - In this exercise you pull your neck back into alignment over your shoulders so that your ears line up with your shoulders. Katy's cue for this is to think about creating a double chin. This one is a great exercise for anyone who sits at a computer or drives a lot and spends most of their day with their head jutting forward over their chest/shoulders. Again, I think the recommendation is 3X per day, up to 60 seconds also another one that you can do at your desk anytime/anywhere.

Rhomboid Push-up - This one was an eye opener for me. I got really fatigued quickly - which tells me just how weak my back muscles are in this mid-back area. In looking at my parents aging posture (my mother is one of those people who is getting so hunched over in the thoracic spine that she can't turn her head) this is something I need to work on now before it is too late! For this exercise you get on all fours - knees under hips, hands under shoulder and you "dip" your upper back down then pull it up into neutral using your rhomboids (Katy does suggest that you avoid arching/rounding, since most people are already rounded too much here). Another great counter-exercise for those who sit at computers all day, spend their day driving, etc. About half-way Katy has us check our elbows to make sure they are pointing straight back, not out to the sides like a "bull dog" - this, she says. is good for shoulder

alignment. This is one that I need to do more often. I have also seen a variation of this using a wall - which I may do at work as I'm not sure I want to get down on all fours there.....

Reclined Hamstring Stretch w/ a Strap- A simple one we have all seen. Laying on the floor, one leg extended the other in the air with a strap wrapped around the foot - hold leg extended (no knee bend) to your level (the spot where you feel a stretch in your hamstring)for up to 60 seconds. Then, pull your straight leg across your body to stretch the IT band. (Katy mentions if you have a hip replacement not to do this one). Again - recommendation is up to 60 seconds, 3X per day.

Reclined Twist - Another one we have seen, laying on the floor, one leg straight, bend other leg, then slowly twist toward your straight leg side, getting knee of your bent leg down to the floor, while stretching the opposite arm to the floor. Goal is to have your hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder eventually reach the floor. I got hand, wrist and elbow down, but not shoulder! Aside from the obvious benefit to your back from doing this stretch, Katy also mentions that this is good for your internal organs and digestion. She also mentioned that the abdominal aorta is usually the one most clogged with plaque and doing these rotational moves will help with that as well.

Figure "4" stretch seated - Another familiar, but good, stretch. Sitting upright in a chair bring one ankle up to your opposite knee creating a "4" (or triangle) with your legs. Good for the hip rotators. Katy mentions this one as a preventative cure for a hip replacement. This one is great to do at your office, too! Another variation that I have seen for this is to do it lying down.

So, while nothing new to me was really presented here, these were good reminders about the stretches/exercises I *should* be doing daily. What was nice about this DVD is that Katy explained the reasons for and benefits of each exercise. I still have more to watch on this DVD - and will try to get to it today during laundry folding time! But, I do plan to incorporate these 5 exercises into my routine daily - they will make great breaks from desk work! Plan is, I will do them in conjunction with my morning workouts, again in the evening, and at some point mid-day. It will only take a couple of minutes to run through them all, but I can see that these will be helpful if I actually do them.

Other titles in Katy's Aligned and Well Series are:

When Your Doctor Prescribes Exercise

When You Hurt All Over

Fix Your Feet*

Knees and Hips*

"Below the Belt" for Men

"Down there" for Women (this is mentioned in the article Dianne sent us!)*

When You Can't Breathe

Easy Rx-ercise for Diabetes

My hands hurt: from elbows to fingers*

Get Your Balance Back

Biomechanics for Strong Bones*

From the Shoulders Up*

Smart Digestion

There are definately a couple if titles I would be interested in. The "Down There' one is interesting to me not only for incontinence prevention, but from what I understand (from reading Dianne's articles) there is a lot of work presented to correct glute function which I NEED. I starred the ones on my "wish list"

Will write up some more after I watch a bit more of it.

Take care!Donna