The core killer that negates a killer core

teddy in casts

I recently saw a man working out at my Mayfair studio who was wearing a back brace.  I asked him what it was for and he proceeded to tell me that he had terrible back pain and was advised to exercise with a sturdy back support.  If there is one thing that I find contradictory, it's wearing a brace that stops movement so that you can exercise/move in the gym.    If you want to make your back pain worse then wearing a back brace or support is the quickest way to do it and here's why....

Casting is for breaks

Have you ever broken any bones?  Last year I worked with a lady who broke her ankle.  She was in a cast for 6 weeks and a boot for another 6 weeks.  When she started her rehabilitation with me the difference in the musculature from left to right was incredible.  It looked like she had two separate legs!  You see the body is mighty clever.  If you are not using muscles they atrophy (shrink).  A similar phenomenon happens to astronauts when they go into space for long periods.  Because there is no gravity their bones become less dense.  The good news is that when there is an increased need for muscle the body responds and adapts to the stresses it is put under.  

This is why I am so adamantly against back braces for back pain.  If you have back pain from disc prolapses, spinal stenosis, disc degeneration, or non-specific back pain back braces are really not going to help you in the long term.  I am not saying do not wear one but I would like to educate you on what they do to the body so you can make a more informed decision about wearing one.

The off button

Effectively, just like a cast, a back brace will cause muscles to switch off.  One of the first things you learn when you start corrective exercise is how to activate the core.  Core activation is absolutely essential to the support of the spine and surrounding structures.  Switching off these muscles is just asking for trouble.  You cannot rely on a brace to give you the support you need - that is the job of your muscles and connective tissues!  If you stop conditioning the muscles under controlled conditions with gradual development you will leave your back even further unsupported and at risk of further injury.

Restricted movement

The point of exercising is to move.  Wearing a brace can result in muscles getting tighter as they are not able to move through a full range.  This will create further imbalance as certain muscles will become tighter and others will overwork to compensate further pulling you out of alignment and causing more stress on your back.  

Faulty messaging

If you are wearing something that restricts movement and causes muscles to switch off you will effectively change messages to your brain and alter movement patterns.  The brain responds to the movement patterns you put it through and with repetition it creates a blueprint that is stored for future use.  It means we do not have to learn a movement every time we come to do it.  However, if you change the variables for instance by putting a brace on, the brain will change it's blueprint accordingly.  When you take the brace off and go through daily movements, the brain will use the newly formed blueprints with restricted range of motion and less muscle activation.  This leaves you even more vulnerable to injuring yourself further.

What to do

You body has its own brace system - your core.  The great thing about the core is you don't have to put it on every day - it is always with you.  If you do not know how to activate it then seek out help from a corrective exercise specialist.  To find out more about your core read my article "Does having a strong core relieve low back pain?"  Equally important is your postural alignment.  If movement is not your specialist area then chances are you won't know if you have poor posture or to what extent your posture is affecting your back pain.  Optimal alignment, core activation and gradual progressive corrective exercise are the keys to getting your back pain under control.  There are no quick fixes.

If you are currently wearing a brace and would like to explore another option for improving your back pain then contact me at 

KT@precisionmovement.co.uk

.  

3 ways to create a healthy and happy workforce

Happy at Work

When I spoke at the Lansdowne Club in Mayfair last month I asked this question:  

Why companies are responsible for the health and wellness of their employees?  

Would you leave a machine to run your business without applying the proper maintenance check?  Health and wellness in the workplace influences sick days taken, how staff represent your company - do they look tired and overworked? In turn these factors influence productivity, retention of staff and ultimately the success of your company.  So what can companies do? 

1.  Culture of health and wellness

Develop a culture of health and wellness as part of the work place.  Make it part of your company ethos.  If you actively encourage a healthy workplace you will find your staff will continue that.  I truly believe people want to be healthier.  

Ideas

a.  For an in house client meeting order from a healthy organic deli and offer fresh salads and fruit instead of sandwiches, cakes and cookies.

c.  Set up lunch time workshops for staff to learn about a wide variety of subjects that impact their health and wellness.  I talk about posture and alignment and how to minimise the risk of desk related aches and pains.  Often experts in their field will come and speak for free.

d.  Offer an ergonomics assessment to all your staff.  Actively encourage good posture and movement throughout the day by recommending staff leave their desk for lunch.  Have a water cooler that staff can walk over to throughout the day.  

2.  Reward value not volume

If you put in place a rewards system based on being available day and night on the blackberry, working late into the night, setting up competition between your team members on who can stay at the office the longest, employees will do what they need to one keep their careers and two get ahead.  Over time this will not serve you or the employees.  Create a culture of rewarding value not volume of work.  This is a tough one as every company competes for business and has deadlines to fulfill.  However, a job well done which takes a little extra time is much better than a rushed shoddy job.  Giving employees a feeling of pride over their work is also part their of health.

Ideas

Again you can begin with small changes.  What and how you reward will be individual to each company.

3.  Budget

what would be more costly to your business - a budget for health and wellness that retains staff and increases productivity or replacing the same position 3 times in 18 months?  Set aside a budget for health and wellness as part of the maintenance of your company.  Any benefits that you can offer employees particularly ones that take care of their health and wellness are always greatly received and play an important part in staff retention.  

Ideas 

a.  Instead of going out for a big lunch to celebrate the company anniversary do something interactive and fun like a game of dodgeball.

b.  Take a team bonding day with a private walking tour around an art gallery.

c.  For the company Christmas party arrange a healthy cooking workshop that is interactive and ends with a big festive meal.  

You can also consult health experts and consultants about implementing a bespoke structure that will work for your company.  I personally think a cost efficient and relatively easy way is to build health and wellness lectures and workshops into company lunch times or friday afternoons acts as a continual reminder, motivation and inspiration to employees to take care of their health. This is one of the things I do.

The facts are simple - a healthy workforce makes a healthy successful company.  If you are not actively promoting health and wellness in your company you are missing a trick.  Look at what the 46 healthiest companies in America are doing....

http://greatist.com/health/healthiest-companies

The health and wellness of employees is not just the responsibility of the company.  Find out how you as an employee can take responsibility for your health and wellness, whether your company promotes it or not, in Part 2 of this blog.

The Life Resolution - the only one to make - EVER

Happy New Year

Have you set your New Years resolution (NYR)?  No?  Good!  Don't do it.  Seriously do not set a New Years resolution this year.  Here is what is faulty with the NYR...

Faulty goods

Often we set a short term goal that can be achieved within 3 months - to stop smoking, lose weight, go to the gym, stop drinking so much etc.  Some of us achieve it most of us lose interest.  If we do achieve our goal (yay - well done you!) we are prone to slip back into our old ways and vow to ourselves in 9 months we'll try again.  

Why?  Because life is too important.  We are creatures that seek out good times and fun.  We want to participate.  So how do we deal with the conundrum of good times v being good?  

Golden Goods!

Precision Movement challenges you to set a Life Resolution (#liferez). The liferez is a lifestyle change.  It starts with taking a good look at your life and saying what can I change here to be healthier, happier and have optimal wellness and enjoy my fitness?

Instructions

The liferez is exceptionally easy to assemble.  You choose your changes and when, where and how to implement them and the reasons for doing so.  Ideally make one small change each month.  If you feel your change is successfully implemented and fits well with your life then go on and change something else.  

Completely customised

Your liferez is designed by you.  You can choose anything you would like to improve from as little as one less cup of coffee per day to taking your first vacation in 5 years.  We all have different needs, priorities and responsibilities so make changes that serve your life.  If getting to the gym 5 days a week is impossible for you then don't include this in your liferez.  Seek out what would work better for you.  Measure your progress by your own life yard stick.

Second class post and loving it

The liferez is an endurance event - it's your life.  You wouldn't want to sprint through your life akin to same day DPD delivery would you?  You'd want to take your time, sit in the post office for a while and enjoy the view, take a few travels, maybe get lost and redirected before arriving at your destination a la 2nd class Royal Mail.  With the liferez you'll make smaller steady changes that you can work into your life over time.  They'll take a little effort in the beginning but will soon feel routine.  

T&Cs

With the liferez you will value the T&Cs and you get to make up your own.  My T&Cs are based around the 80/20 rule.  80% of the time I am golden and 20% I splash out and throw caution to the wind.  My T&Cs stipulate that after my splash out I return to my golden ways and this keeps my liferez in check.

Guarantee 

The great thing about the liferez is as long as you use it consistently it has a lifetime guarantee.  It will always serve you.  

Want to know more about TheLifeRez?  Follow me on Twitter and use #theliferez or on Facebook. Contact me at KT@precisionmovement.co.uk

What does it mean if you wake up with low back pain?

Low back pain is the 2nd largest reason why people take sick days from work.  80% of the UK population will at one time in their lives experience back pain.   One of the most common symptoms I come across in clinic is patients waking up with pain or stiffness in the back.   Read on to find out why this might happen and how to relieve symptoms.

The spine throughout the day

Over the course of a day we lose height because the discs that sit between the vertebrae (spinal bones) lose fluid through the day. This fluid is replenished overnight as we sleep. as a consequence we are slightly taller in the morning and slightly shorter in the evening. It makes compelling argument for the importance of good sleep quantity and quality. For my top 10 tips on the best sleep ever (my most popular blog post) click here.

You may also wake with back pain from lying in an uncomfortable position for a long time and the muscles may just be feeling stiff and achy.

What happens when you sleep?

Sleep is when your body heals and recovers from the day’s events.  This includes the restoration of fluid in the discs between your vertebrae.  Sometimes discs The expansion of the discs with fluid can sometimes cause pressure on the nerves that run through the spine and this can cause discomfort on waking.

Nerves get on my discs

Nerves are sensitive creatures.  They like space and freedom to do their job.  When a disc expands over night from the intake of fluid it can reduce the space for the nerve and cause you to hurt when you wake up.

  When the body experiences pain especially around the spinal cord where your central nerves run through, the muscles surrounding the area may contract to stabilize the area.  The body knows that the nerves running through the spine are exceptionally important for function and survival and it will do anything to preserve their health.  In this case it means contracting and tightening up the surrounding area.

What can I do?

If you find this is a persistent symptom that is compromising the start of your day because of discomfort or stiffness and it is affecting your function for example dressing or showering you may benefit from a physio review.

Morning Mobilizations

You can also try Precision Movement’s morning mobilizations - gentle movements in a safe unloaded position that help ease the stiffness of the muscles and bring increased blood flow to the area.  You may find them useful as a stating point for management.

Precision Movement’s top 10 tips to reduce back pain at work

sitting oldies

At Precision Movement I see so many clients with back pain who sit at a desk all day for their work.  Back pain, neck, shoulder and hip pain as well as RSI injuries are all very common amoungst those who are seated throughout the working day as the sitting position encourages us to adopt poor posture.  Also maintaining the same position for hours at a time is not good for your health of your back or body.  Here are Precision Movement’s top 10 must have adjustments to your workspace to minimize the risk of discomfort, pain and injury at work.

1. Awareness of alignment 

Slouching and poor sitting habits will contribute to back pain.  The longer you sit badly and pay no attention to your posture the more likely you are to incur discomfort, pain and injury.  Awareness and reminders throughout the day are a great start.  Set your computer screen saver to say SIT UP STRAIGHT or POSTURE PERFECT.  If you are on your phone throughout the day set your home screen with a similar message.

2. Chair/sit to stand desks 

Source a good chair for your work-space that supports your spine and deters you from slouching at work.  I like the range at www.back2.co.uk.  There is a fantastic product on the market that really helps with long periods of sitting – the sit to stand desk.  You can adjust the desk height easily throughout the day to alternate between sitting and standing.  I highly recommend this.

3.  Hand height

If you work at a computer then your forearms should be held at a 75-90 degree angle in relation to your upper arm.  The elbows and wrist can rest on the work surface if you regularly use telephones, calculators and write as this reduces strain through the shoulder and neck area.  For those that are drawing or designing at a drafting table angle the table up so you do not have to lean over your work.  A general rule of thumb is the closer your hands and eyes have to work together for a task the higher the desk height should be.

4. Height of chair 

Your chair height is determined by the height of your desk.  Ideally your knees should be at an angle of 90 degrees or slightly less and the feet should rest comfortably on the ground.  The backrest of your chair should sit right in the middle of your low back area.  The placement of the chair should be such that you do not have to lean over your desk to work or that you feel too cramped.

5. Seat pan 

You should be able to adjust the angle of the seat pan on your chair.  As a general rule if you read and write a lot then tilt your seat pan forwards which helps to maintain healthy spinal curves.  If you mostly sit in front of a computer screen then tilt your seat pan back (up to 5 degrees).  However, if you have a specific injury like a disc prolapse your seat pan position will be unique to you and I would advise taking expert advice – see the end of the article for more advice on this.

6. Foot position

Allow your feet to rest evening on the ground ideally with a 90 degree bend at the knee.  If your feet do not touch the ground when you are sitting in your chair then use a footrest and this should ideally be angled up at 15 degrees.  If you wear high heels I would advise that you work in flats when seated at your desk.  The increase angle through the ankle can lead to injury even when you are not weight bearing.  You can always quickly change into your heels to walk to a meeting although ideally flat shoes are better for you whether you are walking or sitting!

7. Computer screen height 

Set your computer screen height so that it is horizontal with your eyeline.  You definitely do not want to be looking down as this will encourage slumping forwards which strains the shoulder and neck area.

8. Computer screen distance 

The ideal distance between your eyes and the screen is 14-30 inches or 35-75cm.  If you screen is too close it will strain your eyes and if it is too far away it will encourage you to lean forwards thus pulling you out of alignment.

9. Headset  

Use a headset or a hands free kit if you are on the phone for much of the day.  If you are seated at a desk infront of a computer or need to hold documents while you are speaking you are more likely to hold the phone between your ear and shoulder which over time will most certainly lead to discomfort and potential injury.  A headset will enable you to work effectively without compromising your alignment.

10. Getting up through the day

The most important advice I can give you is to get up out of your chair throughout the day.  Not only will your back and body thank you for this but it will allow your mind to rest briefly before returning to the work you are doing.  Make a cup of tea, walk to the water cooler, walk to another floor for a meeting, definitely get out of the office for lunch.  If you can frame your work day with exercise such as cycling to work or hitting the gym even better.

KT at Precision Movement can provide bespoke ergonomic assessments and adjustments to your work space.  KT can also provide advice on ergonomic aids if your workspace is not as adjustable as it can be.  For more information email KT@precisionmovement.co.uk.

Precision Movement's top 10 essentials for super slumber

cat sleeping

Sleep is an essential part of healing and recovery from injury and equally essential to your performance throughout the waking hours!  It is very easy to make changes to maximise the rest and recvoery you get whilst sleeping.  Whether you think you sleep well or not, implementing these top tips will ensure that you get a good nights sleep every night for the rest of your life.

1.Quantity

It is recommended that you sleep between 7-9 hours per night.  I aim for 8 hours.  Try to be in bed by 10pm for lights out at 1030pm.  Your physical recovery takes place between the hours of 10pm-2am and your mental recovery from 2am-6am.  If you miss any of this your recovery will be impaired and your performance the next day may be impacted.  Recently some experts have said that you can recover sleep debt from the weekdays at the weekend.  I would advise getting into a routine during the week as recent research has also found that varying your bedtimes is akin to the effects of travelling through different time zones.  If you've travelled to Asia or Australia you'll know what that does to your body!  Even a 1 or 2 hour time change frequently can have an unsettling effect on your sleep quality.

2.  Electromagnetic interference

Reduce and ideally eliminate exposure to TV, ipad, smartphone, computer 2 hours before bed.  The light from these screens stimulates the retinae and set off a hormonal response that it is still daylight.  This will not calm you down in preparation for sleep.  Take the TV out of your bedroom and any electrical items that are plugged in.  Electromagnetic stress will disturb your sleep quality.

3.   Dim the lights

If possible spend the last 2 hours of your day in lower lighting.  This gradually prepares the body for sleep.  When  light sources to your eyes are reduced it increases the production of melatonin the sleep hormone and your body then starts its preparation of slowing down to sleep.

4.  Black out your room

Black out all sources of light from your room.  If you live in a city you'll need to black out your windows.  A great product I have come across recently is

Lights Out Blinds

- black out blinds that are easy to put up, take down and travel with.

5.  Silence!

Quiet your sleep chamber.  Our body and brain responds to sound even when we are asleep.  The quieter your sleep time the better quality you'll enjoy!  Use ear plugs if you are in a noisy area of town - just make sure you can still here your alarm in the morning.

6.  Night time routine

The best way to prepare for sleep is do just that - prepare.  I recommend a bath in low light.  Scents like lavender and rose are calming and soothing.  You can replace watching TV or surfing online for reading.  Read something that will calm you - that means no work documents or scary stories.  Choose something escapist and fantastical.  You could also do some light stretching - if you have been given a daily corrective exercise programme by Precision Movement we encourage clients to do 10-20 minutes of this as a wind down before going to sleep.

7.  Meditate

This can be a controversial one but the act of focussing on one thing helps quiet the mind and prepare the body and brain for sleep.  I use a meditation CD as I like to be guided.  My favourite CDs are by Deepak Chopra but there are many prodcuts out there that work.  If you struggle to drift off after all this preparation then I would recommend a sleep CD.  There are some amazing products out there which I have used myself.  My favourite one that always send me sweetly off is Pzizz from

Pzizz.com

.  As well as a guided meditation style speaker they have music and tones that activate theta brain waves - theta is the frequency our brain waves vibrate at when we sleep.

8.  Gratitude x 10 + 3Qs

Sounds like an equation?  Well let's call it the sleep equation!  This is my favourite one and I love getting ready for bed just to complete this task. List 10 things you are grateful for that day.  Then answer the following 3 questions -who did you help today?  Who helped you?  What did you learn?

9.  Anyone for tea?

Limit and ideally eliminate caffeine after 12pm.  Your body has a natural hormone rhythm that gets you up and puts you to bed.  Caffeine really interferes with this and in turn interrupts your sleep quality.  Use herbal teas before bed.  Look out for special sleep blends and ingredients such as camomile, valerian root and fennel.  My favourite sleepy tea is

Bedtime Yogi Tea

.

10.  Don't you worry don't worry child!

If your head is flooded with worries and things you forgot to do today, then keep a journal by your bed.  Write everything down that is bothering you.  This act of transferring it out and into your 'to do' book will calm your mind so you can prepare to rest.

The key to making this work for you is to get into a routine.  That is why I have designed a sleep chart for you to fill in.  Download it here and track your progress over 30 days.  Let me know how you do on Facebook or Twitter.  And with that said I feel a yawn coming on.  Wishing you a super sleep every night of your life.

5 sources of stress that make your pain worse

stress ball

In my

1st newsletter

where I shared the link to

Kelly McGonigal's Ted Talk

on How stress can be your friend I promised I would also share the other 5 unsuspecting sources of stress that may be compromising your health.  Although is true that your conscious perception of stressful situations can transform the outcome, there is little you can do about forms of stress you do not know about.  

Did you know that stress can come from foods, hormone imbalance, electromagnetic sources, too little or too much exercise, and temperature changes?  And did you know that all these sources of stress can contribute to a relapse of your injury, pain or discomfort?

Stress build up throughout the day

I'll use an example of how stress can build up without you even knowing.  You wake up to an alarm after a restless nights sleep. You force off your tiredness with a coffee and rush out the house because you are late.  You leave the house without a coat and it's too late to go back to get one now - you'll be cold all day.  When you get to work the computers are down  The You won't finish that proposal for a client today, you'll lose the contract and your bonus!  You have a makeshift late lunch and more coffee to stay awake.  You decide to shake off your stress by going for a run even though your back hurts and when you get home, you order a take-out and you can't wait to get the kids in bed so you can 'unwind' with a few glasses of wine before you fall asleep on the sofa in front of the TV.  Sound familiar?

Many stressors one response

What if I told you that everything in the above example stresses your body?  Think of your body having a threshold - a tolerance for all the stressful things we put it through.  What if I told you that repeating this over and over would create a build up of stress that might result in a seemingly 'random' injury or illness?  It does.  The body only has one response to stress.  It does not matter if the stressor comes from a food that you are unknowingly intolerant to or over exposure to the sun.  The body's response is to shut down so it can heal.  Repeated abuse of these systems results in tiredness, compromised immunity and suppression of healing and recovery.  This leads to discomfort, pain, injury, illness and disease.

How to combat these sources of stress...

In this blog i'll give an overview of how to combat these unsuspecting sources of stress so you can begin to change your mindset on how to deal with your discomfort, pain, injury and or illness.  As each of these subjects are pretty hefty on their own I'll be sharing information in more depth over the coming weeks.

1.  Nutrition

Eat from the earth.  Refrain from eating any foods that are packaged, processed and tampered with.  Reduce stimulants like coffee to the minimum to prevent stressing out your adrenals.  Be aware of your alcohol intake

2.  Hormonal/Adrenal

Sleep enough and rest properly.  Sleeping and rest are not the same thing!  Sleep 8 an average of 8 hours in a blacked out room in silence.  Maintain balance between work and life.  Acknowledge that you are not superman/woman and that rest is as important as action.

3.  Electromagnetic

Get enough sunlight for vitamin D but not too much - hardly a problem in the English winter months!  Eliminate all electronics from your bedroom and switch off lights at the mains.

4.  Exercise

Definitely exercise but make sure you are not overdoing it.  If you are injured seek professional help to recover effectively.  Strike a balance between healing restorative exercise like tai chi and hatha yoga and more energising forms of exercise like hitting the gym or running.

5.  Make stress your friend

If you haven't watched this video on how to make stress your friend I highly recommend it.  Kelly McGonigal says it better than I ever could.

How to make stress your friend

6.  Thermal 

This seems rather obvious but pay attention to your body temperature. Anything that keeps you too hot, burns you or adversely keeps you too cold is a stressor.  Make sure you are temperate in all situations - at home, work and when you sleep.

Lastly, this is a huge topic and I'll be covering smaller chunks in finer detail as the weeks go on so you can begin to make changes that will result in a healthier, happier pain free life!  If you have questions please email me.  

Information sourced from Paul Chek's How to Eat Move and Be Healthy book, CHEK Institute, USA.

5 top must-have tips for a long healthy career

kid superhero

If you are in business and or climbing the corporate ladder you'll know all too well that feeling of invincibility. It's a divine trait and can also be equally as detrimental - unsuspectingly to your spine and your heart.

Clients come to me in their mid-30s to mid-40s with back, neck and shoulder pain and in their mid forties to fifties with heart trouble. One way or another, a life time of stress will get you. And when it does you will have to stop completely to heal and recover. There is nothing more soul destroying than being close to the height of your career and having to take 6 months or longer off because you can't get out of bed.  It's probably not something you think about at all - and I am with you that you shouldn't have to. An awareness and application of a few basic support systems can minimise the risk of present or future work related back pain and injury. Here are my top 5 counteractions to minimise the risk of irreparable damage to your spine so you don't have to think about it!

1. Your state of mind. No one is invincible. If you are striving to achieve a top job it is an endurance race not a sprint. Pace yourself and take time out. The first step is to rethink the invincibility cloak - save it for dress up with the kids!

2. Your body heals and recovers from the stress you put it through daily when you sleep. Sleep is not an option for minimising injury and illness prevention in the future - it is a necessity. Both quality and quantity are important. Aim to sleep for 8 hours a night ideally between 10pm and 6am. Take out any electronics from your bedroom and switch off lights at the mains. Your room should be pitch black and as quiet as possible for a really good quality of sleep.

3. The food you put in your body becomes you. If you eat sugary processed foods your body will be starved of the nutrients that heal and restore from daily stressors. Also not eating enough will cause stress and impair effective recovery. Every cell in your body is renewed over 7 years. So short term fixes will not work well for injury and illness prevention in the future. Make a commitment to yourself to make a change for life - feed your success by eating what nature grows for you.

4. Movement is absolutely essential for injury prevention. If you sit at a desk during your working day you MUST make an effort to move either in the morning or in the evening. Exercise plays a direct role in maintaining good posture and keeping your joints strong and stable. A balance of high intensity and restorative exercise is also important. Too much high intensity will stress you out and could lead to an over-training injury. The quality of movement has a huge impact on how successful it becomes for injury prevention. If you turn up the gym and have a go on what looks good or manageable I would suggest seeking advice. At the very least find a good trainer or corrective exercise specialist with experience, top qualifications and a passion for their job to design and regularly upgrade a programme for you.

5. Strive for a balanced life. Spread your energy and interests wide. This idea is about giving your brain a new stimulus - a chance to work in another way. It is said that a change is as good as a rest right? So change your stimulus to give your brain a rest. Mental stress is as detrimental to your body as physical. This will mean stepping away from the office - and the blackberry.

Implementing and making a habit of these 5 suggestions helps to optimise your health to give you the best possible opportunity to enjoy a long, healthy and successful career.