Blog Post

If you are experiencing "runners Knee" with discomfort on top of knee, under knee, or on the medial side of the knee, you might be keeping your legs too bent.

If your legs remain too bent throughout the running gait, you are prone to stressing your quads too much and 'turning off' or not using crucial muscles very well - all leading to a vicious cycle of dysfunction:

• Tight quads
• Tight IT band
• Over used bio flexor (psoas)
• Under used glutes (medius)

KNEE PAIN

Common knee issues can result, due to the tight quads pulling on the knee, causing poor tracking - the pain!

This also causes the hip flexors to over work, causing tightness and the inability to utilize your glutes for strength AND stability. You can be the strongest in the weight room, but if you are not firing and using muscles appropriately, this strength goes for not and will continue to cause imbalances.

BRAINWASHED

We have been brainwashed into thinking the more we run the tighter we get or the more unhealthy it is. This is wrong.  As runners, we do not have to be chronically tight, with aches and pains.  Every running step "can be" an opportunity for strength and health.

WHAT CAN YOU DO

One way to help turn this around is to include short, steep, powerful hill repeats into your weekly program. These intervals should be no longer than one minute, so you can maintain a strong and powerful gait.

I call this "strength running." The key is to focus on getting good leg extension with your stance leg like I have in the photo above.

If you do not have access to a steep hill, improvise by using a set of stairs, skipping every other step or even every two steps to get power and extension. Or simply use a treadmill and jack up the incline.

MASSAGE AND STRETCH

To help with the knee discomfort while you are working on the solution, foam roll or preferably do some self-massage on your quads.  Then lightly stretch the quads, holding for 1-2 minutes at a time.  Remember, this will only help relieve the pain, but will not rectify the problem.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

• 10 X 1 min repeats at 15% grade at Snow King Resort.
• My rest interval was long, 2-3min, which is very important. The rest allows you to recover well, so you can run each one well. This is NOT a cardiovascular workout, so take the rest.

Hope this helps - E

Author of The Cool Impossible

So, it's been a while since I managed to write, life has been very busy.  I had fallen off the cool impossible path which I had so much enthusiasm and confidence in, mainly because I couldn't stick to the plan set out in the book. 

I am a Critical Care Nurse, I work full time and on my work days I either work 12 hour day or night shifts plus travelling on top..... so basically 06:00-21:00 is an average day. Where can I fit in the training there? 

Well, some times I work a 09:00-17:00 on clinical education training days and seeing as my long shift reduce the amount of actual days in work (Usually 3-4 per week) I have 3-4 days not at work Now, if I work two long days back to back......the intensity of the work and only getting 2 x 30 minute breaks a day.......you can imagine how tired I can get. 

So what is a guy to do? 

Eric's plan is 5 months of training, with 6 days running a week. I decide that, as long as I run every day I am not on a long shift and I do run on my days off and when I work a short shift.......It may take me another month to get through the plan but......I will follow the consecutive days schedules but not in the fixed 6 days a week rigid plan. 

This has reduced the pressure I had forced upon my self which ultimately caused me to fail, fall off the path and sulk like baby. 

I am now feeling great! My form is improving, I don't get 'tired' or sore legs like I used to when running in my old form even though I have to also walk 15-30 miles a week exercising the dogs and I am also on my feet walking all day at work........something is working with this amazing coaching. 

Love my new B2R shoes......awesome. I am still transitioning into them properly........I have a pair of zero drop road shoes which I am using for the final transition phase as there is a small amount of cushioning in them which is helping to reduce impact out on the roads as I am used to trail/grass running. B2R shoes are very very comfortable, well worth the money.  

The full transition has been: Reduced drop trail shoes with some old road running shoes at times then to Walsh fell running shoes (already had them) which enabled me to maintain grip and gave some better form ability with minimal support, and then I introduced the B2R shoe. According to run distance and terrain I mixed it up a bit and now I am 100% zero drop between Merell road shoe and B2R shoes. 

More slant board work needs to be implemented to increase strength but overall....... I am back with my cool impossible.

Aim:

Complete the 5 month programme by end of October

Then, train for the Charnwood Bowline Hill Race. 

"What if you striped away the need to know and the need for "meaning"'- Eric's comment on his blog post Today's Thoughts On Real Performance. Timely conversation. Those words, and comments by others rattled around in my brain yesterday and early this morning as I started to think about the race.  I tend to stress out more about the 5k - 10k races than the ultra distances...the farther the race the less "fear" I have. 5k and 10ks are so raw. For me it's a really stripped down way of assessing my speed, strength, endurance, training. No trees or rocks or roots or aid stations or porta potties to hide behind. No excuses of bonking, not drinking enough to explain a less than desirable performance. The shorter races are  little "tests" for me.  I tend to attach a lot of meaning to them, to every detail. "The finish line is the enemy to a runner" danced around between my ears.  I couldn't make those words and phrases make much sense. I got it, but I didn't get it.

Driving to Tulsa, I got more and more nervous. I had pace parameters set...what if I couldn't hold the pace...what would that mean? Then it started to click..."meaning = knowing and knowing is impossible". And then, "What if you striped away the need to know". And the answer came, If I stripped away the need to know, I would run without fear. At that moment all of the fear that had been building just disappeared. I visualized stripping away everything,...well... except my clothes ;)  I decided the finish line would not be my enemy, but my friend and my teacher. I wasn't going to let the finish line carry any meaning.  I would trust my training, my effort, my internal senses and just run in every moment. So here's how it went down....

I did my warm up just before the race and lined up. I was really excited and pleased to feel comfortable and ready to run. I was nervous, but it was a positive energy. I am absolutely TERRIBLE at going out of the gait too fast and burning up.  So I set my watch to alarm at me if I went under a 7min mile pace. The goal for this race was to stay between 7:00 and 7:20, so that's where I set the alarm. Well, sure enough, I shot out of there trying to convince myself I was at a 7:00 pace. Ding ding ding....I slowed a tad...ding ding ding....I slowed a tad...ding ding ding.... it was so difficult to bring myself down. My watch stopped dinging and I settled into around a 7:05-7:09min mi pace for the next 2-3 miles, I didn't realize until after the race that I paced just under a 7 for the first 10 minutes, it seemed like just a few that I was under. This pace felt upper end of moderate, but sustainable. There were 200 entrants. The lead pack of 4 or 5 runners was ahead of me. I was a good minute or more behind them and all by myself. It felt so good to be solo, just inside myself and breezing along. The race goes right alongside the riverparks and is a flat/fast course, out 5k and back 5k.  

By the turnaround my average pace was now 7:12. I was still pleased and felt like I was holding well. Tammy West, the lead female I knew well. We live in the same town and I often see her on my am runs. I cheered her when we passed eachother and told her, "go get em!" she was right there just trailing the front 3 guys. It was so cool, When I turned around and started heading back I started getting lots of cheers and "go!". I cheered them as well and yelled, "good job!" and waved. It was a hoot. I was getting quite tired though. By 4 miles I could tell I was struggling a little to keep the pace and knew I was likely slowing a little. I refused to look at my watch and just maintain as strong an effort as possible without blowing up. By 5 miles I was no longer cheering and waving much! The last mile I knew I was fading. I looked at my pace, 7:17...way to close to 7:20, so I picked it up and just gave it what I could to try and bring that number down. I drew into the finish line at 45:46...happy. Totally at peace and happy. It wasn't the time I wanted. I wanted to see 44:__ or even less, but I wasn't at all disappointed as I would normally be and that made me even happier. Of course I go back over the race in my head figuring where I could've done this or that, but there's no meaning attatched to it. This race didn't MEAN anything! It is a measure of my training, speed, endurance, etc...but it doesn't MEAN anything about me. I was fortunate to finish 2nd female, 1st in my age division and 5th overall. 

With three great training days behind me, I was looking forward to today, my Cool Impossible Wednesday.  I like to devote Wednesdays to getting out for a long run and using this as a creative time for myself.  While writing The Cool Impossible, I found that I wrote best by composing my thoughts while running, taking mental notes and riffing on a subject.  

My mind gets very creative while running and today was no different as I ran the trails of Cache Creek.  My mind wandered with thoughts as my legs meandered up, down, and around the very hilly terrain of Cache - a great strength run.  Today, thoughts were just flowing out of me, thoughts of how athletes think to performance well and how I believe there is a "best way" of thinking to perform - just as I believe there is a best way to run and train.

I was running high up on Snow King and past a skier being coached how to make great turns. People never think twice about taking a ski lesson to learn, but runners often do not think running is a skill that can be learned.  Some of the first skis date back to 8000 B.C.  In fact, Chinese skiers in the Northwestern part of China where known to persistent hunt for elk on skis.  Not unlike native peoples who persistent hunt on foot, running them to fatigue after many hours.  

These Chinese skiers and native runners, like the Tarahumara Indians, developed great skill out of lifestyle necessity that is lost on us today.  This is what my Cool Impossible Wednesday is all about.  Devoting a day to truly and authentically living the lifestyle I have chosen and dreamed about for myself.  This is not about mountains or cool wildlife, it is a mindset that can be harnessed anywhere, like in Oxford.  We all have a story and dreams no matter where we live.

I just read a book about the Polish Alpinists of the 1980s and 1990s.  They were distinct in mountaineering because they created their own style, one of 8,000 meter winter ascents by new routes in the Himalaya.  This was never done before.  The Cool Impossible is just this, creating your own dreams and "style".

As I finished my run, I crossed paths with a women from France.  I gave her a smile and said "Hi" and she offered up a bigger smile and said, "hillo, furst timm, so buutiful."  What style!!

Here's to Cool Impossible Wednesday and your own style - and it's gonna be a great year!

Cool Impossible Wednesday Video

Today's Run Time: 90 minutes

AVG HR: 142

Max HR: 170

Ascent: 1600 ft

Mantra: "Trust and Create"

Well, the media is using the phrase, 'polar vortex' to describe the cold front hitting the USA today.  Here in Jackson, this is everyday weather and the best gauge of temps is normally dictated by what the moose are up to.  If it is cold, they tend to relax for breakfast in the backyard.

Momma Moose

So, today was a typical JH polar vortex, with a 1 degree F run start temp.  Today is my strength day, where I hit the neighborhood trails and "track" for a strength interval session, followed with some, in the gym, full body strength work - cool impossible style.

I started with a nice easy easy paced WU.  I ran by speed rather than HR on this.  Since it is a relatively short run, I want to nail my SP1 training zone and see if this puts my in my zone 2 HR - which is did and is a good sign this time of year.

After this WU, I headed to my winter track for 5 strength intervals.  I did one as a WU at a very moderate pace and to measure out 60 seconds.  My goal for the workout was then to make the next 5 efforts faster than this 60 second interval, AND each one had to be faster than the last.

The Track

My first one I hit 56 seconds and feared I made this way too fast and was in for a challenge.  The 2nd one I hit the finish at 54 seconds and the 3rd at 50 seconds - doing well, but the speed was getting challenging on firm snow.  For the next one I had to really focus the entire time.  I nailed it pulling off a 48 second effort.  I felt this was my best effort and my goal for the last was to really try to relax and "just let it happen".  I started out and slipped and stumbled, instead of get frustrated I kept shouting in my head my mantra and stayed relaxed.

44.8 seconds, with speed in the fours - hands on knees.  Funny how the mind works!  

Capped off with a nice recovery run to the road and then performed 7 X 15 second moderate sprints to form, economy and flush the muscles quick recovery for my long mountain run tomorrow - stay tuned.

Total Run Time: 55 min

Average HR: 141

Max HR: 180

Mantra: "I want this"

I am in the second day of my 2014 season of training.  Not because it is the New Year, but this start date sequences right with my Summer and Fall run projects.  During the holidays we had warm temps and some snow (never enough), but today I welcomed back cold, arctic air which brings great snow running conditions and blue skies.

I decided to hit Game Creek trail today, just 3 miles South of home, for a nice 3 mile gradual climb and gives way for some faster running back down.  I was first tracks today with a nice 5 degrees F to keep you awake if the mountain lion warning did not do the trick!

Today's workout plan was to climb 3 miles at a low heart rate.  The snow got a little soft in the sun, so I just ran nice and comfy in zone 2, allowing me to train my early season aerobic strength and power.  This trail is groomed for nordic skiing which is also a great time for me to use my very minimal shoes, using the B2R Moc prototypes.  These are my favorite winter snow shoe when traction is not needed.  Great for total foot and leg strength building.  Today's conditions were like running on firm sand - almost better than summer trails!

Yesterday I did 8 X 30" hill repeats, so I really felt good and strong today even though it was important to keep the HR low and easy for today's run.  It was just great to get some sunshine on the face and take in some great views.

You think running downhill on trails is fun, well, it doesn't get much more fun than downhill on snow.  Imagine every step a soft pillow, embracing all of your foot and leg muscles with the blue sky so perfect, it is fake.  And then you come around the corner and spot a Spring time climbing project.  Run on, climb on!

I hit the trail head at 6 miles and decided to finish with one hill repeat on the hill just above the parking lot.  A nice 4:45 steep climb to cap off the day.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort reported a foot of new snow this morning.  With fresh snow brings warmer temps, humidity…..and wind.  This means its time to get out of town and head North to find colder temps and good snow.  But first, I needed to fire off a few coaching emails, so I drained my double espresso and popped open the laptop.  I typically get a few emails each day from readers of The Cool Impossible and today was no exception.  One I received this morning started out with the usually, "thank you for writing the book, I love it.  I have been doing the strength work and run program and feel great."  But this one then took an unusual turn as he was writing me to ask if he could buy a training program because he just registered for his first 30k trail race in June.  

He went on to say that he was at week 5 of the Cool Impossible foundation program and was 'stuck' because it was too hard for him to get his long runs in during the winter and he was not motivated for the treadmill during the week.  Did he know I lived in Jackson and winter here is fifty nine months long!?

My response to him was that I felt the foundation program was ideal for this 30k race, sequencing perfectly for a June race.  I also mentioned that no coaching program can provide motivation or change the weather for him.  That a "new" or different program was not the solution to the challenges he was perceiving to have in being 'stuck' with the program.

When faced with challenges, we often think if something was only different it would change things:  "If only it wasn't so cold", well, wear something warmer.  Cold air is not harmful, not being prepared can be.  "There is too much snow", well, see it as a time to build more strength, rather than quit or turn around and head back to the usual road course with cars whipping past you.  "It is too icy to run outside", slow down and use it as a time to work on form.

Every challenge offers us an opportunity to improve and get better, but it takes a mind shift sometimes. Things will not always go the way we want them to and the more we resist this, the harder it will get.  Resistance creates stress and a desire to change something external only leads to more stress.  Acceptance of the situation gives way to learning and ultimately leads to great satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment.

Practice the mantra: satisfaction over desire.

Running will not always be fun and most times over-coming a challenging workout or 'bad' weather creates an unbelievable feeling of satisfaction.  And, most times, having the need or desire for running to be 'fun' leads to just the opposite outcome.  Just like wanting the 50 mile race to be over with when you are at mile 20.  Satisfaction Over Desire!

Email done, a quick strength warm up on the slant board, and then off to run.  I decided to head North of Jackson past the Town of Kelly and to the Gros Ventre.  The workout plan for the day was to get in 10 miles with some long, sub-threshold climbs.  The Gros Ventre is great for this because I can run on snow covered roads with a variety of climbs.

The Gros Ventre

I chose to wear very minimal shoes to work on micro-strength in feet/calves/glutes and they offer great traction so I could run fast up the climbs on the perfect layer of snow sand.  

Settle in and Climb

The Gros Ventre Corridor is steep in history and is the location of Slide Lake, where a massive landslide occurred back in the 1920's creating the lake. Eventually, the dam broke, desimating the Town of Kelly with a flood.  

Gros Ventre Land Slide

500 Mile Expedition

The First Runners

At the time, Kelly Wyoming was the major town in the valley due to its proximity to the Gros Ventre River, but after this flood, settlers moved to Jackson and Kelly today is only a small, eclectic town of yurts, log cabins, and million dollar ranches tuck into the side of the hills.

Welcome to Kelly

Well, my run did not disappoint, time flew by with my focus on hitting all the climbs in HR Zone 5 to help build my threshold endurance and improve my fat burning efficiency, which is vital for bigger mountains to come in the Summer.  Legs felt very strong, which is my focus right now.  My climbing intervals came out to this:

1st - 6:30 min

2nd - 4:50 min

3rd - 2:40 min

4th - 7:00 min

5th - 6:40 min

Total Miles: 10

Average HR: 143

Max HR: 163

Zone 5 Climbing Time: 27:40

Ok, so I've finished my second week of strength training. Still working out at a total of 4 days this week of training (2 days with the slant board feet/lower body excercises and 2 days with the fitball upper body excercises. Alternating feet/upper body/rest/feet/upper body/rest, eeh, you know the drill). And wow, I can already feel the power of the excercises. They seem so naive and simple in the book, but the slant board really does it.

So, I'm heading into third week, confident that these excercises really work, and I'm inspired to master the drills. Also focused on not doing too much too quickly.

Though I may add som light running this week to start the transition phase. I'm not a full heel striker but have som transitioning to do to be a forefoot runner. Which is my intention to be. I think this is the right path.

CU

Feeling positive after completing my first week of strenght training, focusing on my feet. Taking a break in my running at the same time, as I have a history of tightness/pain in my achilles tendons and flexor hallucis longus. Hope to say good bye to that. Worked feet and barbell one day and upper body excercises the other. All toghether 4 days last week. Goal is to be persistant, as I love running but hate strength excercising.

This week: no running, strength excercise as last week.

Next week: light running (if I can wait that long), strength excercise

CU

Hi, just thought I would share. 

This is my training record (for 2 people) for the start of our cool impossible training which commences tomorrow.

Training%20record%20%28word%29.docx

Training%20record.pages 

Can't wait.

Gary. 

Why you lose it
One of the reasons your body is so special is its ability to heal itself. Within your fascial tissueare cells that create fascial adhesions around an injury to provide extra stability and restrict painful movement while the damaged tissue is repaired. The restricted movement is just enough to facilitate the healing process while at the same time allowing you some freedom to move. In the ancient world where the human body was forged, this healing process took place over the course of a few days or weeks.  Movement was a necessary and key factor in the healing process. Early man did not have the luxury to spend a few days in bed to fully recover. He had to move to survive, and so he had to heal while moving, which is why this process of building fascial adhesions is so special. Movement works in unison with the circulatory system as a secondary mechanical pump and flushes the injured tissue with fresh blood. This flush of blood flow removes waste by-products, brings in fresh nutrients and speeds up the healing process dramatically. As the injured area recovers, the body once again is able to utilize full, pain free, movement patterns that completely break down the fascial adhesions.

Today we have a problem: we no longer live in that ancient world. Our cultural landscape has dramatically changed our lifestyle over the past 100 years – especially in the last 20. Instead of hunting, gathering, and harvesting our food, utilizing our body in daily acts of survival, we spend most of our time sitting, in front of a computer or in a car. Compared to a mere couple hundred years ago, the lifestyle of even the most active person in any industrialized country today would be considered relatively sedentary.

When you do not get adequate functional movement, you no longer put your mechanical pump to use.  This slows down the healing process as restrictive adhesionsdo not get broken down. Instead, lack of movement communicates to your body that you are still injured and so it continues to build up even more adhesions to further stabilize and restrict motion around the supposedly injured areas. Over time, thesefascial adhesions become so thick and strong that you permanently lose your full range of motion and function. Examples are: losing the ability to fully turn your head in one or both directions to see behind yourself while walking or driving; the ability to raise your arms fully over your head while maintaining a stable spine and scapula; the ability to do a deep squat with your feet flat on the floor; the ability to walk, run or sprint without pain. Without enough functional movement your body assumes you are in a continual state of injury. Eventually this becomes a full-time reality. This is the primary reason that I find deep tissue massage therapy, such as myofascial release, to be so important. I can manually break down fascial adhesions and increase functional range of motion.  I can prime the mechanical pump, facilitating waste product removal and nutrient delivery back into the tissue. In essence this removes years of fascial buildup and facilitates a speedy return to functional movement.

Not Just Any Movement, What you need is Functional Movement
A sedentary lifestyle means we do not use our bodies the way a human body was designed to move. This has become the reality of our lives.  On a daily basis, we fail to utilize the vast array of movement patterns that are possible.  Plus the intensity of our movements has softened. All kinds of technologies have made our lives much easier in most regards.  This means that we must go out of our way to move our body the way it must functionally move.

Functional movement training is vital. You cannot not get the movement your body needs to maintain pain-free health and vitality by sitting in front of a computer. You must move. I am not talking about the traditional types of exercises that are likely coming to your mind. I’m not talking about running for hours on end on pavement in a straight line.  I’m not talking about lifting weights while sitting on a nice cushioned bench or using a machine. Your body needs functional movement. It needs to move the way it was designed to move. Running and traditional weight training are small portion of functional training and tend to be overly repetitious in very specific movement patterns.  They do not utilize the postural stabilization and functional movement patterns your body craves. To your body not using a functional movement pattern is almost the same as not moving. And as I said earlier, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Even if you run or lift weights 7 days a week, if you do not lift your arm over your head, over time you will lose the ability to do so. Your body recognizes this as an injury and begins the healing process discussed above, but now to your detriment.

What is Functional Movement?
My definition is simple.  You have a body for a reason.  Functional movement is what happens when you use your body to meet all of its designed purposes: flexing, extending, pulling, pushing, rotating, changing directions, running, walking, jumping, sprinting and climbing. If you are designed to do it, then use your body to do it.  If you don’t, you will eventually lose your ability to do it, which will lead to a higher risk ofchronic pain and injury in your life.

As a personal trainer and deep tissue massage therapist, my entire focus is on functional movement – no exceptions. From the start we make sure you have pain free, functional range of motion with a stable posture. We make use of deep tissue massage, flexibility and corrective exercises (you can see examples of corrective exercises here, here and here) to open up your neck, chest, and shoulders so you can turn your neck to check your blind spot, or lift a box overhead without pain or injury.  We increase flexibility in your hips so you can easily squat deeply without knee or back pain.  We get you to walk and run comfortably again – no more dread of a painful trip up the stairs, to the mailbox, or to the car.

Once your functional range of motion and postural stability are improved you get to start having some real fun. In these workouts you fine tune this high performance machine that is your body by working it to meet all of its designed purposes. You will sweat, burn calories, build muscle, get stronger, move better, have more energy, become more capable and productive in your life, look better, reduce body fat, reduce stress, pain and injury, and most importantly: you will feel better in your body.

18 days and I'm going to be running an official 5k.  I know it's only 3.1 miles.  I know I've technically already run that far.  But this is the first all-running event I've ever done.  What's more, like so many others out there, at this time last year, if you'd told me I'd be running anything...away from a bear, to the store, around a track...I would have told you you were crazy.  What a difference a book, some discipline, time and the insatiable "what if" curiosity bug can make!  I'm really looking forward to my little run and I'm already setting my sights on the next goal-10k or half here I come!  While I'm on the topic of dreams, I have a crazy idea: I want to compete in the half Ironman in Lawrence, KS in 2013.  It might be a big bite but it's something I've wanted to do forever.  So, as we welcome a hasty Spring and a fast approaching Summer, here's to big dreams and that streak that drives us to get outside and PLAY!

Last week I demonstrated that the foot is the foundation of your posture (see: Injury Prevention Begins at your Foot). In the article I discussed the role of the feet in providing stability and mobility for the body and gave examples of corrective exercises to build strength, stabilization, and mobility in the foot. Today I will talk about the hips.

If the foot is the foundation of your posture, the hips are the ballast. The hips provide stabilization, counterbalance, and mobility with an incredible range of movements such as squatting, lunging, jumping, running, walking and climbing stairs.

I discussed a couple of weeks ago that we no longer move the way we were designed to move. We spend hours and hours each week sitting: in front of the computer, in our cars, and in front of the television. The position of sitting places the hips in flexion, or a forward bend, and effectively turns off the postural muscles of the lower core. When the postural muscles turn off they no longer provide stabilization of the hips and low back.

Again, going back to a few weeks ago: When it comes to movement and injury prevention, stability is king. Since stability is so important to movement, when your postural muscles lose their ability to function, your body MUST do something about it. When it comes to the hips, your body recruits stability from the gluteals and hip flexors, both movement muscles. The hip flexors and gluteals take over stability control of the pelvis. In doing so, they are weakened, atrophy and lose functional ability as mobile muscles placing greater stress on the hamstrings and low back. This leads to significant reductions in the range of motion of the hips and secondarily to the shoulders, knees, and feet. It also leads to the saggy bottom phenomena which plagues both men and women. Reduced range of motion causes imbalances throughout the body, which ultimately leads to dysfunction, pain, and injury.

The gluteals are especially important when it comes to posture. Remember, the hips are the ballast of the body, with most of the stability and counterbalance generated through the gluteals, and more specifically the gluteus maximus. The gluteus maximus is the most powerful muscle in the body providing the necessary leverage that sets our species apart from all others – the ability to stand up-right. As I mentioned above, sitting causes the gluteals to lose functional ability, which affects our ability to stand with a well developed up-right posture. Turning the gluteals back on is vital to re-establishing a strong stable posture and developing a nice powerfully round bubble butt.

In order to balance your hips, it is important to flip the switch back on in the postural muscles around your pelvis to remind them to provide for stabilization, and to recruit the mobile muscles to do less stabilization and more mobilization. This can be accomplished through the use of deep tissue massage therapy with a focus on the fascial system, self-massage using a foam roller, flexibility training, corrective exercise, functional strength training, and barefoot or minimalist walking and running.

Below are examples of corrective exercises to help establish functional range of motion, stability and mobility of the hips. I recommend performing these (in combination with the exercises in Injury Prevention Begins at your Foot and next weeks blog on the shoulder) 2-3 times a week for 4-8 weeks. This will establish a balanced and stable posture preparing your body for more functional exercise.

Self Myofascial Release Using a Foam Roller
The goal of self-myofascial release is to speed up the healing and recovery process, reduce pain, improve joint range of motion, balance the body, and prevent injury.

Three Point Toe Taps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSRlH2xt4Po

Balancing on one foot, tap your toe in three spots for one minute on each leg.

Hip Bridge

Lie on your back. Drive your elbows and shoulders into the floor, with your heels pulled up close to your glutes.

With your feet flat on the ground, press through your heels, lift your hips up towards the ceiling, and engage your glutes at the top. Hold for 30-60 seconds.

Single Leg Hip Bridge

This is a more challenging progression to the hip bridge.

Bridge or Plank

Lie on your stomach. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders. Push yourself off the floor keeping your hips straight. Focus on keeping your spine lengthened through the top of your head. Beginners: lift your feet up towards the ceiling with your knees on the floor. Intermediate: Lift your knees off the ground with weight through your toes. Hold as long as you can beginning with 10 or 15 and working towards a minute.

Lie on your stomach. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders. Push yourself off the floor keeping your hips straight. Focus on keeping your spine lengthened through the top of your head. Beginners: lift your feet up towards the ceiling with your knees on the floor. Intermediate: Lift your knees off the ground with weight through your toes. Hold as long as you can beginning with 10 or 15 and working towards a minute.

Side Bridge or Plank

Lie on your side, with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder, and feet stacked. Lift your hip off the ground keeping your spine lengthened through the top of your head. Beginners: bend and hold plank position from your knees. Hold as long as you can beginning with 10 or 15 and working towards a minute. Repeat on opposite side.

Lie on your side, with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder, and feet stacked. Lift your hip off the ground keeping your spine lengthened through the top of your head. Beginners: bend and hold plank position from your knees. Hold as long as you can beginning with 10 or 15 and working towards a minute. Repeat on opposite side.

Hip Press

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9HZ6gZpfiY&feature=related


Same starting position as the hip bridge. Instead of holding the position, you will do presses, raising and lowing your hips off the ground. Make sure to press through the heels of your feet (keeping feet flat), and squeeze through the glutes at the top. 20 repetitions.

Single Leg Hip Press

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK7-SU-qGTA&feature=related


This is a more challenging progression to the hip press.

Over the past couple of weeks, I talked about What is Posture - the fundamental need for stabilization to provide healthy movement; and You Cannot Control Your Posture - postural control does not come from conscious thought. This brings up an obvious question. How do you train postural control? The answer is by integrating a full body, holistic approach to health and fitness. The program I use with my clients involves deep tissue massage therapy with a focus on the fascial system, self-massage using a foam roller, flexibility training, corrective exercise, functional strength training, and barefoot or minimalist walking and running. In today’s post, I will take you through the first steps (pun intended) of this process.

IT STARTS WITH THE FEET

The feet are your connection to the Earth.  They are the foundation of your posture and the platform from which you move. In Architecture, the foundation of a building provides a base of stabilization that supports the entire structure. A weak foundation leads to collapse. The same is true for your feet, with a very significant difference… you move! Your feet have thechallenging responsibility of providingstrength and stability while maintaining flexibility and mobility to aid in themovement of the entire body structure. Not a simple task!

THE FEET ARE YOUR FOUNDATION

With a strong healthy posture, the body aligns over the feet.  This is what provides the incredible stability from which healthy movement is derived. Just like the foundation of a building must be stable to support walls and a roof, the feet must be stable to support the legs, torso, spine and head. If your feet are weak, they are unstable. This is equivalent to building a house upon a bed of sand. The feet become misaligned and the ankles, knees, hips, back, and shoulders follow. Misalignment creates dysfunctional movement which causes pain and injury. A healthy foot is fundamental to good posture.

HOW DO WE GET THERE?

What should you do if your goal is healthy feet and good posture? Focus on developingstrength, stability and mobility while staying grounded and connected to the Earth. A great way to do this is to take your shoes off. You can read more on why I am an advocate of making the transition to barefoot or minimalist footwear in Free Your Feet, and how shoes affect running and walking gait patterns. But before you toss your shoes and fully convert to a barefoot lifestyle there is an important step you must take. It is vital that you rebuild the strength and stabilization of the muscles of your lower leg and feet – they are likely weak from decades of neglect.

Remember: the feet you walk on are the very foundation of your posture. The healthier your foot care is the better your body will move and feel. Below are exercises to build strength, balance and stability in your feet and lower legs.

The following exercises will help strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your foot and leg, challenge postural muscles, and train your foot and lower leg to stabilize providing healthy movement for your entire body. I recommend doing these exercises two to three times a week for eight to twelve weeks. As your foot gets stronger you can continue to perform these exercises for maintenance on a weekly basis.

SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE USING FOAM ROLLER THERAPY

By performing self-myofascial release techniques using a foam roller or ball, you canreduce trigger points, decrease tissue tension, and break down scar tissue adhesions in injured myofascial tissue (muscle and fascia) formed by a combination of acute trauma, poor posture, repetitive movement, over-training, or inadequate sleep. The goal of self-myofascial release is to speed up the healing and recovery process, reduce pain, improve joint range of motion, balance the body, and prevent injury.

Stand on each foot for one minute. Try to keep the inside ball, outside ball, and heel of the foot in contact with the ground for the entire minute. Do not stabilize with your opposite leg.

Stand on a stability disc with each foot for one minute. Do not stabilize with your opposite leg.

From a seated or standing position, lay a towel on the floor beneath your foot. Using your toes, grab the towel and hold it for a few seconds and release. Repeat 20 times on each foot.

Standing with your forefoot on a platform, press through the ball of your foot lifting your heel as high as you can

Drop our heel. Make sure as you press, you don’t roll to the outside of the foot. Do 2-3 sets of 12-15.