Newsletter post:

Look for newsletter number three to come out tomorrow afternoon or evening. I will be writing about low back pain and mobility training and whole body vibration. I obviously believe in joint mobility movements and their effect on preventing and recovering from injury.

I really believe that WBV will be the next big thing in anti-aging and pain management. It provides a lot of sensory information which will help retrain your movements after injury or prevent low back pain.

I've been busy lately with my projects, including doing a lot of reading. I've been reading plenty of books or parts of books written by physical therapists, related to movement and pain. I've been doing this reading mostly at a chiropractic college.

That's right, I've been reading books by physical therapists at Palmer College, the birthplace of chiropractic. They actually have a very good selection, though I might be using them more than most of the students. They always seem to be on the shelves when I go there, so maybe I'm getting more use out of them than the students.

In any case, I am definitely on the right track with my programs and what I am reading is backing me up quite nicely. It is also furthering my understanding of some problems that are sometimes very complex, such as back pain and other problems.

Bottom line, for those of you interested in taking your health into your own hands, and that should be all of us, stay tuned as I plan on giving you cutting edge information.

For those who sign up for my newsletter I will soon be giving a second bonus download, a fat loss report from a top expert. It will give you some routines that can be done at home with little equipment.

Brian Morgan

Chasing Life

Chasing Life is the title of a book written by CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. In it he explores the different factors that go into living a long life, free of disease. I recently read the first chapter of this book and am anxious to see what the rest of it holds.

As he was preparing for this book, he was contacted by Russian doctors who believed that they had discovered the fountain of youth. So he made the trip to Moscow in Winter to see for himself what they had discovered. In a nice medical office he was introduced to a doctor who was providing treatments to some of Europe's wealthier people.

Interestingly, Dr. Gupta states that 70% of our life expectancy comes from our everyday decisions regarding diet, exercise, and dealing with stress, etc. That we have more to do with living a long, healthy life than does our genetics.

This Saturday and Sunday, CNN will host a special report on this idea of chasing life and what goes into your health. To read the full article I wrote, click here www.brianmorganfitness.com/Chasing-Life.html

Stretching and Science

Today let's take a look at some of the recent research on stretching. A couple of studies recently published looked at different types of stretching done as a warm-up before exercise. Both of these studies showed a decrease in performance directly after static stretching. It seems the muscle-tendon junction relaxes too much and can't store elastic energy very well.

One of these studies also showed improved performance after dynamic stretching. These dynamic stretches are similar to the actual movements that will be performed and this likely contributes to the gains that are seen.

This doesn't mean that static stretching isn't useful, it is. It just means that you would want to wait about 30 minutes before attempting any explosive movements, such as running or jumping.

Static stretching is more useful after exercise or when used between bouts of exercise to help with recovery and prevention. There are some exceptions to this, but dynamic stretching is generally more effective prior to exercise. This involves movements similar to what you will be doing, gradually increasing your speed of movement and stretching a little farther as your body adapts. In very hot settings this would require less time than colder settings.

For example, when playing softball in 90 degree weather your body warms up much faster than it does at 55 degrees. Your muscle and connective tissues will be much more pliable when warm. In colder weather, you will need more time to warm-up and go a little slower with your movements - common sense.

Some other points brought up in the American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Summit include: for most of us, its better to be somewhere in the middle, not super inflexible or super flexible, either. I would agree with this very much.

While I talk about mobility and dynamic flexibility a lot, I'm not saying that you need to do the splits or put your foot behind your head, just have enough movement for your normal activities. And if you don't move enough, you may have some stiffness and/or pain.

Another idea was that if you have been sitting for 50 minutes, you need to stand up and move around a little. I agree strongly with this one. Also, stretching is beneficial in work or industrial settings where you are sitting or standing in the same position for a long time. In this case, stretching can improve posture and reverse muscle imbalances.

This is a big reason that I love mobility work so much, because it involves movement and many of us don't move enough and end up with stiffness in our muscles and joints. Posture is also a dynamic process and not just static.

My philosophy on movement can be summed up in the words of the 14th Century physician Tissot, "movement as such may take the place of many remedies, but all the remedies together can never take the place of the effect of movement."

For more information on mobility and different types of stretching, go to www.brianmorganfitness.com

Obesity and the Amish

What do the Amish have to do with obesity? Not much, as it turns out. I recently read an article reviewing the recent Health and Fitness Summit co-sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. This four day event featured 77 speakers on various topics related to health and fitness.

One of the speakers, Dr. Ted Mitchell spoke about the rising rate of obesity in this country, including our youth. He made some interesting comparisons to the Amish that you might find interesting. Such as the fact that the obesity rate among the Amish is 4%, while the rest of the US is 26%.

Their typical diet includes plenty of fat from bacon, eggs, and butter, yet obesity isn't much of a problem. One of the reasons given is that they move around a lot. The average adult male takes 18,000 steps a day, compared to 7000 or less for the typical American male. For American women that number is around 5000 steps.

Without the conveniences of modern society, they burn more calories through physical exertion than the rest of us. Environmental, hereditary, and behavioral factors all influence how you age. In 1900, the top killers were the flu, tuberculosis, etc. Today, some of the top killers, such as heart disease and diabetes, are largely caused by our behaviors - lack of exercise and poor diet.

Another factor that may play a role is fast food and processed foods. I doubt the Amish go to McDonalds too often. All those chemicals in processed foods can't be that great for your health. If you have ever watched the TV show Survivor, you have noticed that everyone looks skinny and those that started out heavier are always much lighter by the time they leave.

Yes, these people are physically active and don't eat much food, but none of the food they eat is processed. Maybe that also plays a part in their leanness.

Maybe we just need to move around a little bit more to fight off obesity. Park your car farther out in the parking lot or take the stairs at work. Interestingly, one picture shown in the article was taken at another fitness and bodybuilding event.

The long flight of stairs going up was empty except for three people, while the escalator was jam packed, with people lining up to use it.

Maybe our modern lifestyles have made us soft and robbed us of our health in the process. Not a judgment, just an observation.

The article I mentioned was written by Chris Shugart.

www.brianmorganfitness.com

102 Year old Golfer Hits Hole-in-one!

This weekend I saw something on one of the news channels about a 102 year old woman who hit a hole-in-one. She used a driver on the 100 yard hole, but because of the slope of the green, couldn't see where her ball went. When they approached the green, her companions found it in the hole.

Amazing! Most people don't live that long and most who do, have lost their mobility by that time.

Just goes to show that most of you can keep your mobility as long as you want with a little work. While I'm sure she has lost a little strength and flexibility with age, but obviously not enough to keep her from golfing. Another example of someone older who can still function well because she kept moving.

Its a simple formula. If you want to keep your posture and mobility as you age, you have to work at it! That doesn't mean that you have to join a gym and spend hours and hours exercising. You just need to move your body regularly and work your muscles against some resistance, whether it be dumbbells, tubing, or the weight of your own body.

You need to keep your muscles strong to support your joints and keep your mobility, and you need to move your joints in different directions, to keep them from getting stiff.

Anti-aging 101.

For more articles on joint mobility, posture and anti-aging go to my website www.brianmorganfitness.com

Younger Next Year

I recently came across a book review in a fitness trade magazine. It was a review of the book Younger Next Year - A Guide to Living Like 50 Until You're 80 and Beyond, written by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge. The idea presented in the book is that with proper exercise, you won't lose much function between the ages of 50 and 80, or older.

The authors advise joining a gym and to try a group exercise class. Dr. Lodge believes that some 70% of premature death and aging is related to our lifestyles, which would include a lack of exercise. That many of the diseases related to aging, such as heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, among others, could be reduced significantly through lifestyle modifications.

Lodge also speaks of certain chemicals in our bodies that control inflammation, repair, and growth. These chemicals, known as Cytokines, are produced in response to exercise, and help to keep your body from decaying. The idea is that your body is going to get older, but without exercise it will decay and lose function (your health) at a faster rate, unnecessarily.

Just by adding more movement to your normal day, whether it be walking, joint mobility, strength training, or whatever will add more "life" to your years.

Gyms and healthclubs are great places to exercise that usually have a variety of classes and equipment to appeal to most people, but if you would rather exercise on your own, whether outdoors or at home, you will still get the same benefits. Movement is vital to your health and wellbeing.

There are many cases of older adults who exercise frequently and have lost very little function. In one of my articles, I mentioned the 84 year old instructor of Capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art. The man who walked an hour each way to teach the classes, 5 days a week. The 101 year old woman who trained with weights and does other exercise. She has her mobility and independence, and sings in her church choir.

Maybe if we exercised and ate better, we wouldn't need to take so many drugs, as we get older. I know my eating habits aren't quite as good as they could be, yet due to all the mobility and dynamic flexibility work, I feel no different than I did 10 years ago.

By improving how I ate that number would probably be even greater. So if nothing else, include more walking into your week and remember, it doesn't have to be done all at one time.

The book review was written by Rich Boggs and this book is one that I definitely would like to read. Don't wait until you have some health problems before you decide to start exercising. Its easier to prevent something than it is to fix it later. Focus on prevention.

For more information on mobility training and other anti-aging articles, go to www.brianmorganfitness.com

Why Women Need Strength Training

A recent article in the paper talked about a couple of women who were pumping iron for their health. One of these women recently competed in a national weightlifting competition, in the 65-69 age group. The other, 59, also competed in this national event. The older of the two lost about 80 pounds after getting into an exercise program that included strength training.

Strength training is important as you age, both to keep your mobility and to keep bones strong. It is also important for keeping your metabolism elevated and losing weight. Whether using weights, tubing, or just the weight of your own body as resistance, strength or resistance training is necessary to help fight anti-aging.

This is important for both men and women. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends strength training with weight-bearing and resistive exercise for all age groups. If you want to reduce your chances of falling or losing your mobility as you get older, you need proper strength. You definitely need to work on your mobility and flexibility to keep your muscles and joints from getting stiff.

Strength training is also important in staying lean. Your muscles burn calories all day long and can keep your metabolism from slowing down too much as you age. You will lose some muscle tissue no matter what, but if nothing is done, you will lose more than necessary.

I remember seeing a report on aging a while back that featured a woman who was 101 years old. She exercised on a regular basis, including strength training. She was very mobile, independent, and energetic, still singing in her church choir. She led a busy life and appeared no older than 80. So is exercise and proper strength training a good way to fight the aging process? Maybe you should ask 92 year old fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne. The guy looks pretty healthy to me.

While the two women mentioned earlier were involved in weightlifting competitions, that isn't necessary. Working your muscles against some form of resistance that challenges them is what's important. That could be dumbbells or just your own bodyweight. It doesn't require expensive equipment.

Ideally, at least half of your training should occur in a standing position, because this is where movement occurs, on your feet. By standing you work on your balance at the same time you build strength. Only working on machines where you lie or sit down takes away the balance aspect, which is important to avoiding falls, no matter what your age

Strength training will make it easier to go up stairs, get up from a chair, or bend over and pick something up, things that give some seniors problems. Problems that can be avoided by most with just a little work on their part. Remember, the focus should be on prevention!

Is Running Damaging your body?

Not long ago, strength and conditioning coach Mike Boyle wrote an article that got some women riled up. His article was entitled Should Women Run? He pointed out that some women, due to their wide hips and larger build, weren't meant to run long distances. That their wide hip structures made them prone to lower body injuries when running long distances in training or races.

As this drew some criticism from women, maybe thinking that this was an attack on them, I'm not going to add fuel to the fire. However, I do believe that some people, both men and women, would be better off with shorter distances in their runs and replacing these long runs with other activities.

I've actually worked with several runners, helping them get past some of the soft tissue injuries or tension that comes with repetitive movement. A chiropractor I used to work with had an association with the local running club and treated many of their members. I especially remember that the year our area hosted its first marathon, there was several people that came down with training injuries, as they increased their distances run to prepare for the marathon.

Running 10K's hadn't caused any problems for them, but the added training stress of a marathon did. In some of these cases, maybe adding too much distance too soon was the problem. Since most of them were following established training protocols from experienced running coaches however, I think that their build or slight muscle imbalances may have been the culprit.

I remember working with one runner in particular, a man about 50ish with a large frame. He wasn't training for the marathon that I recall, but enjoyed running 5 and 10K races or just running in general. He had quite a bit of tension in his lower body including his hips. He was over 200 pounds and had played football in high school, a lineman. My point is that while you may enjoy certain activities like running, your build may be less than optimal for this activity and may put you at increased risk of injury.

Just look at your local sports page in the Fall. Look at the difference in builds between the high school football players and the cross-country runners. Generally, the frame that suits a runner is not envious when it comes to playing football and vice versa. This doesn't mean that the biggest players are always the best players at this level. There are many high school football players who perform well without having the most imposing physiques. At the same time, you don't see many 200 pound cross-country runners. They are just not built well for it.

I remember one time while working in physical therapy, I was working on a high school football player with some minor back issues. He was about 5'8" and maybe 150 pounds, not exactly the ideal football frame. I was about 6'5" and 240 pounds at the time and he asked me where I played football. When I told him I never played football, he turned around with a disgusted look and said "well that's kind of a waste of size!" I told him that I grew after high school and was much smaller then.

But you get the point, his was not an ideal build for football and me, at a current weight of about 250 pounds, ten of which could stand to be lost, would not fare well in trying to run a marathon. Not that there is any desire on my part to do this. So if you like to test your endurance, your body might suffer less damage with triathlons, where you also swim and bike.

Not full triathlons like the Ironman, but shorter more moderate ones. You just might be better off sticking to shorter distances such as 5 or 10K's. If you have a smaller frame with narrower hips than most men or women, you will probably do better with the longer runs, if that is what you want to do.

In finishing, it might be a good idea to get checked out by a local health or fitness professional who is knowledgeable in posture and muscle imbalances. Just like your car, if your are in proper alignment, your "wheels" should suffer less wear and tear.

Softball and Hamstring Injuries:

It's mid-March in the Midwest and softball players are itching to get outside and swing the bats and throw the ball around. Time to shake off the rust that may have accumulated in your body over the winter. While many lift weights to keep in shape and hit the ball farther, it doesn't always prepare you for the explosive movements that occur when swinging, throwing, or sprinting.

So you definitely want to ease into things and give your body time to adapt to the new demands you are placing on it. Softball can be played as you get older, as evidenced by the number of over 50 and over 60 teams seen recently. Usually, a little power is lost and running speed slows a step or two, but as long as you maintain a basic level of fitness, you should be okay.

Obviously, a fitness training program consisting of strength and stretching exercises will go a long ways toward preventing injury. But what about the dreaded hamstring pull (strain)? Are you more prone to this injury after the age of 30 and if so, what can you do about it? Glad you asked.

I can speak from personal experience that hamstring pulls are a pain in the butt, literally. About eight years ago, while playing softball early in the season, I strained my right hamstring while running the bases. I was on first when a ball was hit to the fence in centerfield. As I rounded second base, I thought that I would shift into a higher gear and pick up the pace.

As it turned out, I didn't have a higher gear at that point and pulled my hamstring in two places, one where it attaches at the hip and the other closer to the knee. It felt like someone kicked me in the butt when it happened, this was the attachment at the hip.

In any case, I used ice and got some ultrasound treatments and continued to play for the next four weeks. I wrapped it up tight with an adjustable neoprene brace that kept my leg warm and ran about 50-60% speed. I would be the catcher or extra hitter and so wouldn't have to run much. It slowly got better or at least felt better, I thought.

Then one game, we were short a player and I ended up playing right field. A throw to first base went over his head and into short right field. He didn't go after the ball and I saw that the runner was going to score if noone picked up the ball. My competitiveness overcame any thoughts of protecting my leg and I reinjured my hamstring. At this point, it took a long time to fully heal and hampered my ability to play for quite a while.

The hamstrings can be prone to injury with sprinting and need special care to help prevent injury. While it took several months to get over this injury, I can now run interval sprints with no problems and no soreness afterwards at the age of 41. Part of proper training for the hamstrings involves dynamic flexibility. In other articles I've discussed the merits of being flexible in motion by using dynamic flexibility. It works!

I've written a new article on my website Elastic Hamstrings - Injury Prevention for those over 35. You can check it out and read other articles on dynamic flexibility.

Exercise and Back Pain

I recently came across a new study which was published in the Physical Therapy journal on back pain. This study compared the results of two groups, one of which received only passive treatments and the other group which exercised with a gradual increase in intensity.

The passive group received treatments consisting of diathermy, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and laser therapy. This information comes from an article written by physical therapist Bill Hartman and I will add in my own thoughts, as well.

Hartman is not a big believer in these types of modalities. In fact, he stated that he has done only one ultrasound treatment in the last 7 years, and that is because he was ordered to do so. He believes that while heat and ice treatments can help reduce pain, that they don't have a huge impact as far as actually solving the problem.

The exercise group in this study, which lasted for 12 weeks, performed aerobic activity, gradually progressing up to 85% of their max heart rate. This is pretty intense activity. The key is the gradual progression and starting out at a level which was appropriate for each individual. The results showed that the exercise group was able to reduce their pain and disability, while the passive group didn't change at all.

Hmmm, the exercise group achieved success by gradually increasing their movement levels. Sounds like a winner to me. Adding in some basic core strength might have also helped the exercise group. In any case, they reduced pain and increased their ability to function by progressively doing more movement. I think this is the key, gradually increasing your ability to move and then adding in stability and strength training.

For the rest of this article click here

Walking and your health:


Walking is a great form of exercise that almost everyone can do, with a decent pair of shoes the only equipment needed. Now that warmer weather weather is starting to appear in the Midwest, many people can be found out walking. Some for exercise and some just to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

I'm a big supporter of walking. I think that if you did nothing else, you would still see lots of benefits to your health from walking. I also strongly believe that you need to do some strength training in order to keep your lean muscle tissue. Besides helping to keep your metabolism at its highest level, strong muscles will help you stay mobile as you age and provide support for your joints.

Walking is a natural part of life that has sometimes disappeared with all the conveniences of modern society. Many people only walk to the car, from the parking lot to the office, and from the living room to the kitchen or bathroom. Not a whole lot of movement occurs in these all to common scenarios. For many people, just getting back to doing some walking would be a huge boost to their health and to removing some of the stress and tension that seems to be the norm.

For a little better look at how walking can affect your weight loss efforts, check out my new article Walking and Weight Loss at Brian Morgan Fitness.

Massage Therapy for Shoulder Pain:

Went to a massage therapy seminar on how to work with shoulder problems. It was a good seminar that served as review for techniques that I had learned before. You always pick up something new or are reminded of something you used to do and forgot about. As far as the shoulders, it was a strong reminder that where pain is felt isn't necessarily where the problem is.

For example, many people will have soreness or pain in between the shoulderblades. However, many times the cause is related to too much tightness in the muscles that attach to the front of the shoulder, and too much stretch to the muscles in back. The muscles being stretched are actually weak and need to be strengthened.

This gets back to the balanced body approach where you need to focus on good posture and make sure that the muscles on the front and back are working correctly. Because most of us work with our hands out in front of our body, whether typing, driving, or whatever, these muscles in front are prone to becoming tight and throwing this balance off.

So you need to be sure that you are doing something to keep these muscles flexible, while ensuring that you keep the muscles on the opposite side of the body strong.

This should also serve as a reminder that just because you feel pain somewhere, this might be the effects and not the cause. I have worked on many who complained of one-sided back or hip pain/tightness, when I checked the other side to compare, was just as tight or worse.

They may have been compensating for the side that wasn't moving properly and caused pain on the other side. Problems can also occur at another joint on down the line.

Such as an elbow problem that stems from a shoulder restriction, where there is a loss of movement in the shoulder, the elbow can become stressed over time, as it seeks to pick up the slack (lost shoulder motion).

Golfers, is your health in the rough?

A recent article in the newspaper commented on the general health of most golfers. It concluded that America's amateur golfers are generally, an unhealthy bunch. In an online survey conducted by Golf Digest, 66% of those who responded are overweight.

While golfers are definitely enjoying themselves out on the course, socializing with friends, most end up riding in carts, negating the health benefits that come with walking. When you add pop, beer, hot dogs and chips into the equation, health and fitness can sometimes take a beating at the golf course.

In the survey, it was noted that 80% suffer some sort of pain, injury, or illness, yet continue to play. So this would seem to reflect the general health of the majority of our population. Still, for those who would spend even a little more time working on their strength and flexibility away from golf, I'm sure they would see not only an increase in their golf game, but an overall increase in their health.

Exercise, a little can go a long way towards better health without spending several hours to do so. For a more in-depth look at how fitness can help your golf game, click here
Link

03/06/2007

For those interested in joint mobility exercises, I recently posted a sample of the different exercises, including a few for the neck. The timing of this article coincides nicely with my new article on headaches and what sometimes causes them. Excess muscle tension due to stress, poor posture, and lack of movement is usually to blame.

Joint mobility movements are a great way to prevent pain and loss of mobility that most people associate with the aging process. After reading some of my articles, hopefully you will have a different view of what really occurs with most people.

I also recently posted a couple of articles on whole body vibration. WBV is a relatively new technology that may play a huge role in fighting the aging process. I recently came back from a seminar sponsored by Power Plate, a manufacturer of vibrational platforms, and I can say that I am impressed with this piece of equipment and hope to purchase one soon.

So be sure to check back often as I keep adding new articles to my website www.brianmorganfitness.com