This video demonstrates a reactive neuromuscular training for the hips in the frontal plane using a band. This exercise can be modified for the knees and ankles and it allows you to feel common compensations and use the resistance band to activate muscles that might not often be used.
Pressure Therapy Lateral Thigh and Glutes
The following video is a demonstration of the use of a pinky ball to allow for progressively increased tolerance to pressure density in the areas of the lateral gluteals and thigh.
Long Quadruped to Plank
This video demonstrates transitioning form long quadruped to a forearm plank.
This movement is valuable to help coordinate the inward compression of the abdominals with the engagement of the muscles of the "posterior seam" (glut.max., adductor magnus, hamstrings) when moving into a plank position.
In quadruped and plank positions, the weight of the internal organs provide resistance to this inward abdominal movement. Therefore, it is important that we progress gradually with how we enter into and how long hold our planks.
This exercise allows to focus solely on coordinating our exhale to the inward compression of the abdomen when transitioning from a position of less resistance (long quadruped) to a position of greater resistance (forearm plank).
The idea here is to only hold the plank as long as you can exhale, and to make sure that exhale moves the abdomen inward. You can then rest in between breaths to reset and try again.
Please comment with any questions you may have, and give the video a like and subscribe to the channel if you find the information useful.
Be well,
Chris
Side Hollow Body
This video demonstrates the side hollow body.
This movement is valuable to help coordinate the inward compression of the abdominals with the engagement of the muscles of the "posterior seam" (glut.max., adductor magnus, hamstrings).
In supine, gravity promotes resistance to the closure of the anterior ribcage during exhalation making inward compression difficult. In quadruped and plank positions, the weight of the internal organs provide resistance to this inward movement.
The sidelying position, on the other hand, allows for increased ease in compressing the abdomen inward due to its relationship to gravity. In this position, gravity and the floor assist the compression of the lateral ribs inward. While gravitational resistance to the inward movement of the abdomen is minimized due to its perpendicular relationship.
Please comment with any questions you may have, and give the video a like and subscribe to the channel if you find the information useful.
Be well,
Chris
Bent Knee Hollow Hold with Stability Ball
This video demonstrates the Bent Knee Hollow Hold using a stability ball for reference to engage the posterior seam of the body. This seam includes the adductor magnus, glut. max, and hamstrings.
These hip extensors balance the activity of the hip flexors that often wants to accompany the trunk flexion performed during hollow or crunch related movements in supine.
Please reach out with any questions you may have.
...and if you find the video useful please give it a like and subscribe to the channel.
Be well,
Chris
Mulligan Taping for Lateral Tibial Rotation
This video is a demonstration of a self Mulligan taping technique for lateral tibial rotation. It can be used when you have symptoms usually in the medial or lateral knee during knee flexion in activities such as squatting, walking, deep kneeling and running. Or, if you are experiencing an unstable or "twisted" feeling in the ankle or knee. The technique is used mainly as an assessment in order to see if a tibial rotation correction decreases the symptoms during the provocative movements. The video above demonstrates a lateral rotation technique but a similar technique can be applied for medial tibial rotation if that motion is found to have the most favorable effect on the provocative activities.
Banded Mobilization at the Subtalar Joint
This video is a demonstration of banded mobilization at the subtalar joint. This movement allows the joint to move from a posterior to anterior direction while doing heel raises.
Loaded Mobility Flow
The video above is an example of several individual loaded mobility interventions into one integrated flow. These movements include:
- Open half kneeling lateral front squat
- Half windmill
- Open tall kneeling front squat
- Front rack Z-Sit switch
- Windmill
- Reverse get up
- Arm bar
Good Morning Variations
The video above is an example of a loaded mobility intervention in order to improve hip hinging. The following examples include a bar back position this movement is often referred to as a good morning exercise. The video demonstrates a narrow and a wide stance hip hinge with a mildly loaded bar kept in a back rack position in order to block compensations from the thoracic spine as well as add a loaded direction for enhancing the mobility of the movement.
Loaded Mobility: Forward Fold with Loaded Shoulder Extension
Active Warm-up for Athletes with Lower Back Pain
The video above demonstrates an example of an active warm-up for a young athlete experiencing lower back pain before they embark on their athletic endeavors.
Loaded Mobility: Overhead Hip Hinge Variations
Ground Mobility: Supine Variations
Movement Variability is the New Ergonomics
The amount of time that those in a civilized culture spend in a sitting position while doing computer work is a well recognized problem.
Often times well intentioned individuals attempt to remedy this problem by educating others on better sitting ergonomics such as a better work station where the static position that one maintains throughout the day allows for the best alignment and greatest amount of passive support. It turns out the research does not really support this model of remediation as being that valuable. In my estimation, this is due to the fact that the problem with sitting at a computer is not that we are sitting in an improper position but that we are in one position too long. Therefore, instead of attempting to optimize a position of stillness, movement professionals need to promote frequent positional change.
This video is an example of a physical therapist completing his paperwork while using the principles of movement variability as opposed to postural ergonomics.
The positions varied every two minutes include::
- Poor man's half lotus
- The Z sit
- Hero's sit (heels together)
- Toe sit (heels together)
- Open Half kneeling
- Half hero's sit
- Prone on elbows half frog (myoball in abdomen)
- Prone FABER frog
- Prone FABIR frog
- Tall kneeling
- Half kneeling
- Deep squatting
Scapular Depression with Alternating Tricep Extension
The tricep is an often overlooked shoulder extensor that is important for supporting scapular position. The movement demonstrated in this video trains the triceps as a shoulder and elbow extensor but more importantly also challenges the muscles that create and maintain scapular depression. Therefore, this exercise has little to do strengthen a specific muscle but instead focus on stabilizing a position. In this process muscles do get strengthened but not in isolation, instead in a manner that is valuable to postural function and can be transferrable to other tasks where anti-forward shoulder posture is desirable.
Alternating Eccentric Shoulder Extension with Activation of the Lats
The Latissimus Dorsi is one of the largest and broadest muscles in the back that is often activated during normal daily activities. The Lats primarily function to allow adduction, extension, and medial rotation ofthe shoulder assisting with pulling heavy objects off of an overhead shelf, swinging your arms during walking, and crossing your arms across your chest. This muscle can also help assist with pulling your body weight upward, breathing, shoulder depression, sidebending, and extension of the spine resulting in an anterior pelvic tilt. By strengthening the Latissimus Dorsi one can improve both their postural and breathing function as well increase ease with daily activities involving upper extremity use.
Prone Horizontal Abduction with Gripping
Shoulder movements involve a coordinated rhythm between the scapula, more commonly known as the shoulder blade, on the chest wall as well as the shoulder joint and is often called scapulohumeral rhythm. The shoulder blade functions as a stable foundation for a kinetic chain to allow for the transfer of energy from the lower extremities and trunk to the upper extremity into the arm and hand. An abnormality of movement between the scapula and shoulder can occur due to a weak link in the chain resulting in compensation as well as ineffective energy transfer placing added stress on the tissue surrounding the shoulder joint. This exercise is often used to help improve both scapulohumeral rhythm and stabilization of the scapula.
Prone Shoulder Extension
Prone shoulder extension is an exercise that is often used to strengthen the posterior muscles of the shoulder as well as the shoulder blade muscles. This exercise can help improve shoulder stabilization, allowing for normal movement patterns of the shoulder joint, and allows for activation of both the tricep and latissimus dorsi muscles improving both shoulder depression and extension. This exercise is often used to help aide in the prevention of shoulder injuries through stabilization of the shoulder girdle and shoulder blades.
Prone Variations
Prone position is an anatomical term for a body position in which an individual lies face down with the head, palmar surface of the hands and arms, stomach, and anterior surface of the legs all making contact with the surface. Prone lying is a good position to help open up your joints, specifically your hips and low back, and improve flexibility by going into an extended position resulting in a relaxation and/or a stretch to the flexor musculature. This position can also help provide a stretch to the trunk muscles and is often utilized in strength training, specifically the posterior chain muscles, due to the resistance from gravity when working in a vertical direction.
MovementProfessional.com: Wrist Pain with Your Forehand?
This video demonstrates how to assess and treat wrist pain through the kinematic sequence of a movement as opposed to simply looking the area of symptom. More often than not when symptoms are found at a distal point of an extremity the remedy must commence more proximally towards the center. In the case go any rotational movement (such as a tennis forehand) the core/pelvis must lead the upper trunk which will lead the arm which will direct the racket.