Balance With Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is a discipline that works with the body's ability to heal itself. Health care providers that practice this medicine are naturopathic doctors (NDs).They have an education similar to medical doctor, however, utilize natural therapies for healing, such as herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, dietary changes and lifestyle counselling instead of drugs and surgery. Naturopathic medicine also works in a health paradigm rather than focusing on disease.

Individuals are encouraged not to wait until they are ill but to be more proactive and start to notice things that may be going wrong in their body or mind before it actually manifests as a disease. Prevention is the key and may be achieved by following daily and seasonal health practices. Being persistent and dedicated to these and other practices over time brings about a better chance for a long and healthy life. Aging does not have to mean living with chronic disease, there are many things that we are able to do to live a good quality of life.

Our symptoms are the body's way of letting us know that something is not quite right, whether or not it shows up on a lab test. In Western medicine, if lab results are normal, it is assumed that there are no health concerns, which unfortunately is not often the case. Consider if you have symptoms in your appetite, digestion, energy, mood, sleep, sense of well-being and menstrual cycle (if you are a woman), that these are early warning signs that there is imbalance in the system. A naturopathic doctor will look at what is out of balance in the physiology and attempt to bring it into equilibrium. In addition, it may be determined why the symptoms are occurring in the first place.

If a disease already exists in the body, natural remedies are utilized along with principles of bringing about good health. As a result, this process over time stimulates the body's natural ability to heal itself and balance is restored. Daily self healing practices that enhance the body's natural metabolic processes are designed to promote elimination of toxins through the digestive tract (including the liver), kidneys, lungs and skin. These include and are not limited to consuming a whole foods diet, taking probiotics (good bacteria), essential fatty acids, apple cider vinegar, using castor oil packs, water intake, hydrotherapy, sleep, laughter, movement, and deep breathing. Please see below more of a description of each of these practices.

1) With respect to digestive health consider consuming whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and lean meats. These are foods that are not processed in any way and provide the optimum mix of nutrients and have the most life energy.

2) Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that promote good digestive and immune health. They are more like a food, found naturally in yogurt, saurkraut, miso and other fermented foods. Many bacteria are considered beneficial, the most common ones being Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. Individuals often do not get enough in their diets and therefore require more through supplementation.

3) Essential fatty acids are another important food to supplement. These include Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. The body does not make these oils and therefore they must be obtained in the diet. Individuals tend to be deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids that are found in fish, flax and perilla seed oils. They are critically important to the integrity of the cell membranes.

4) Apple cider vinegar (1 tsp) in a cup of water, taken 15-30min before meals, stimulates the digestive tract and prepares the body for food by allowing for proper enzyme release from the pancreas, and bile salts from the liver. A functioning digestive system promotes absorption of nutrients and elimination of toxins.

5) Castor oil packs are health promoting packs using castor oil externally on the abdomen. This enhances drainage of the liver, improves lymphatic circulation, and boosts immune system function.

6) Water intake is important for the filtration of the kidneys and the health of all our cells. The human body is composed of 75% water. Drink at least the equivalent of ½ your body weight in ounces. Divide your body weight in pounds by 2. This equals the number of ounces of water you require daily. A glass is approximately 8 ounces.

7) Hydrotherapy in the form of alternating hot and cold showers. Use 5 minutes of hot/warm water and contrast with 30 seconds of cold/cool water, then repeat cycle at least 3 times. End shower with cool water. This redirects blood flow to internal organs, away from the periphery, thereby improving digestion and bringing oxygen to the cells.

8) Our adrenal glands produce important hormones that help us adapt to stress. To keep them healthy having a routine is important. Have a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends. Ideally, go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. Get to sleep before midnight. Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours after midnight. It is recommend to have between 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Sleep in a dark room.

9) Play, do something fun everyday. Laughter is essential for stress management.

10) Daily movement is another part of a healthy lifestyle. Humans are designed to be active. An aid to circulation, it is important to move muscles daily. Engage in regular exercise of 20-45 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week. Find something that you enjoy, ideally spending time outside daily for at least 20 minutes.

11) For the lungs be mindful of your breathing. Take slow, deep regular breaths throughout the day to assist in coping with stressful situations. Do sets of 10 breaths, 3 times a day, or whenever you feel stressed. It plays an important role in physical and emotional health as well as spiritual awareness.

12) For the skin consider something termed dry skin brushing. Use a loofah sponge or natural bristle brush. Brush entire body, stroking toward the heart. It is best to do on dry skin before bathing. Rejuvenates the skin and lymph and stimulates circulation.

These are some important and general features of a naturopathic lifestyle that when followed over time bring about the desired health outcome. It is also important that in addition to these practices that someone be assessed by a health professional including a naturopath to provide more individualized treatment of health concerns.

We live in a society that expects instant results, yet so many things do not work that way. True health takes some effort, which when we are persistent and dedicated to a regime really pays off. It is like being in a yoga asana or a stretch, the first time you tried it there was no getting into it, however over time, day by day, millimetre by millimetre, you are there. Now this becomes your new reality and you are onto the next thing. If you would like more information on the above health practices or would like a Personal Naturopathic Consult, please call health reception at 403.244.7405 ext. 2 to book an appointment.

'Those who think they have no time for healthy living, will sooner or later have to find time for illness'. Edward Stanley

Dr. Hajnalka Pinter, Innovative Health Group Naturopathic Doctor

The Best of Both Worlds - Yoga Plus PNF

When you ask people about the practice of yoga in the West, flexibility is one of the first things that comes to mind. Even common objections to why someone can't start a new yoga practice involves flexibility-based comments like, "I'm too tight."

Yoga for sure can increase flexibility, but in what ways?

Two of the most important benefits of flexibility are muscle relaxation and the ability to release stress. It may also help with performance in athletic activities and the reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which occurs 12-48 hours after intense physical activity.

There are multiple ways to achieve the benefits of increased flexibility including, static stretching, dynamic stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). All types of flexibility training can be applied in yoga.

Static stretching involves a low force, sustained stretch for 15-30 seconds. It uses little or no movement at a low velocity and with maximal control. Classical Hatha yoga is characterized by sustained static stretches held in this manner for three to five breaths. Many researches view the static stretch as the preferred method for flexibility for most people because of the low force, ease and safety.

Unlike static stretching, dynamic stretching involves some movement. These are often sport specific and used for athletic performance. They mimic or provide movement rehearsal for the actual movement by taking the body through the range of motion at a slower pace. For example, a hurdler might run with a slow, long stride to emphasize hip opening in preparation for running actual hurdles. Some forms of yoga like Vinyasa and power yoga can involve dynamic flexibility. Many yoga classes begin with sun salutations as a way to dynamically warm the body and neuromuscular system.

PNF stretching involves alternating contractions and relaxation o f a muscle group and its opposing muscle group. It was discovered in the late 1940s and is used extensively in the rehab setting and by massage therapists. The underlying theory is that when the opposing muscle group relaxes it provides less resistance to the muscle group being stretched. Or when the muscle being stretched contracts, it ultimately moves to a state of relaxation.

The takeaway with PNF is that we commonly think of flexibility as the muscles, the connective tissue and the joint structures. What is equally important is training the nervous system to relax. We have special sensors or proprioceptors that note changes in muscle length and even protect the body from stretching too far. This action is called the stretch reflex and is initiated by the muscle spindle receptors. This can be felt during a stretch or yoga pose when you experience the sense of tightness or moderate pain at the maximal edge of a stretch. PNF helps the body reduce the stretch reflex mechanism. Studies show the PNF stretching is able to dramatically increase flexibility in a single session over static stretching (Moore and Hutton, 1980; Prentice, 1983; Sady et al, 1982).

One method of PNF stretching is the hold-relax technique. This involves doing a stretch for a muscle for 10 seconds, actively contracting the muscle isometrically for six seconds, then ending with a passive stretch for 30 seconds where the muscle will relax due to the inhibition of the muscle from the previously contracted state.

This hold-relax technique can be used to move closer to a maximum edge in any yoga pose. For example, in seated forward bend begin with a passive stretch for several breaths. The press the heels into the floor as if you were going to bend the knee and draw the foot back toward the body to contract the hamstrings. Also lift the chest to contract the back as if you were moving back to a seated or upright staff pose. Hold the tension in the hamstrings and back for six seconds. Release the tension and sink into the stretch further continuing to breathe for 3-5 breaths.

Try this technique the next time you are doing yoga for increased flexibility.

I teach PNF in my yoga classes in Kansas City, Missouri as well as to my instructors in our 200 hour happinesslifetime.com yoga teacher training course that examines flexibility in great detail.

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For more information, visit our happinesslifetime.com yoga teacher training programs at kcfitnesslink.com/yoga_teacher_training.html kcfitnesslink.com/yoga_teacher_training.html. KCFitnessLink is a registered school with the Yoga Alliance offering instructor programs in yoga, yoga therapy, Thai massage therapy, meditation and holistic health.

Darryl Olive, MBA, MHA, CSCS, E-RYT 500 is a 500 hour certified and registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance. He leads yoga teacher training workshops and is the director of programs for KCFitnessLink. For more information, visit kcfitnesslink.com/yoga_teacher_training.html kcfitnesslink.com/yoga_teacher_training.html, e-mail

Thai Massage For Stress Relief

"I am here because a friend told me this would be good for me," Harvey told me at our first meeting. "I don't know what you do, but if it works to keep the stress down, fine."

At 80 years of age, Harvey maintained a slim and trim physical appearance with a regular personal training regimen. Despite his physical health, personal challenges at home brought a wall of emotional stress, which colored everything in his life.

Massage Therapy is a well-known and well-documented remedy for inducing relaxation and reducing mental stress. In particular, traditional Thai massage with its slow meditative and rhythmic compressions, yoga-like stretches, and passive joint movements seemed to be an ideal tool for someone like Harvey.

Part of Harvey's secret to youthful appearance was his discipline with himself. At 80, he still went to work every day, running his successful business. On a daily basis, he was committed to maintaining optimal health in his physical body. He watched what he ate, and remained open to new health trends and ideas, willing to incorporate them into his life.

Harvey was still wearing his business suit and relayed to me that he was here on his lunch break and that he only had exactly one hour. "No problem", I assured him. This confirmed my decision to go ahead with Thai massage.

Traditionally, the Thai massage recipient remains fully clothed as long as the clothing provides for a full range of motion. In addition, no oils are used, so there is no need to take a shower afterward to wash the oils off the hair and the skin.

As his business trousers looked loose enough, I asked Harvey to remove his shoes and jacket only. As he looked a little puzzled, I told him that he will not even have a crease in his pants. And not only will he feel relaxed, but also energized and ready for the rest of the day.

After a brief conversation, our Thai massage session began with my careful examination of tightness and weakness throughout the whole body. I thoroughly worked through and tested all major muscle groups and joints for any irregularity. Harvey's body was stiff with many holding patterns, or areas of chronic tension, especially around the hips, and the chest.

"Do you stretch?" I asked while working on his Hamstrings. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Harvey responded. "Do you stretch regularly?" I repeated my question. "Are you asking if I am stressed?" Harvey couldn't hear my softly-posed inquiry. But he answered the real question I had in mind. I smiled and proceeded in silence.

In yoga and in Thai massage, the hips are believed to hold a lot of emotions. For this reason, innumerable techniques have been developed over the centuries of Thai massage practice to release the hip muscles and joints.

It is a tradition in Thai Theravada Buddhism to cultivate compassion, loving kindness, and mindfulness through many spiritual practices of prayer and meditation. The art of Thai massage is no exception. Thai massage without compassion and mindfulness is like a car without a driver.

As wonderful as it is to have such noble values be part of Thai arts and culture, long hours of daily seated meditation and prayer stiffen the hip joints and the lower back muscles. Again, Thai massage is the commonly sought remedy.

Many Thais spend a lot of time sitting on the floor, eating, talking, and working, or just watching TV. It was only natural to create a style of therapy that would also be practiced on the floor. Usually, a soft thick mat and plenty of pillows are used for comfort, especially in the side-lying positions.

I decided to address all muscle groups around the hips for Harvey: the hip flexors, the side hips, the inner thighs, and all the rotators and the glutes in the back. Using various yoga-like stretches and such techniques as palm pressing, thumb springing, foot pedaling, and elbow pressing, Harvey's hips began to release.

Next, I moved on to the chest and shoulders, another area of deeply held emotions. Breaking up scar tissue around the muscle attachments at the sternum caused quite a few involuntary flinches and protective impulses. I encouraged Harvey to breathe. When he felt an emotional release or a particularly sensitive area, I could see him tensing up but then his ribcage would fill up with breath. Any sharp sensation would immediately subside and the chronic tension would slowly begin to dissolve.

I could tell that it was here, around his heart, where Harvey was holding most of his emotional trauma. "It would take a few sessions to release it", I thought to myself, making a mental note to encourage Harvey to continue with our therapy program.

I continued to work the chest and shoulders in the side-lying position. We tested every possible angle, stretch, and range of motion to find Harvey's holding patterns. Breathing consciously through the whole session, we found and released several trigger points, areas of concentrated tension and limited blood flow, that formed in the Pectoralis muscles in the chest and the Scalene muscles on the side of Harvey's neck.

As he got up after the session, he shared with me that this "massage on the floor was pleasantly surprising" and that he could feel more ease, freedom of movement, and energy already.

Harvey decided to make a commitment to come in once a week. I didn't have to explain to Harvey that consistent therapy, like regular exercise and regular healthy diet, are the keys to health. We wouldn't want to eat only one healthy meal a week and expect to be healthy. Likewise, the benefits of massage therapy are cumulative.

A year later, with regular Thai Massage therapy and personal training routine, and at 81 years old, Harvey maintains his youthful posture with open chest and upright back. He has learned to calmly face any emotional challenges that may still be present with full breath and patience.

Slava Kolpakov is a Licensed Massage Therapist practicing the art of Thai Massage, Deep Tissue, and Neuromuscular Therapy around Boston, MA. For more information about Slava and his practice, please visit eastwestbodytherapy.com eastwestbodytherapy.com

Why Women MUST Strength Train

There's a bit of a misconception in the training realm that women shouldn't lift heavy weights, or pursue the development of strength. It stems from the whole 'weights for men, cardio for women' logic, and is responsible for a lot of what is wrong in the way we train women at the moment.

For most trainers, or even women heading into the gym for a session, the design of the program goes a little like this - warm up on the cardio machines (maybe with some stretching thrown in), then proceeding to do x-amount of minutes on the elliptical/bike/treadmill, maybe (and it's a big maybe) hitting the weights section for some light dumbbell or machine-based work, and then it's off to yoga or pilates.

This is a mistake.

If this sounds anything remotely close to what you do now, for the love of God, please stop! The fork in the road telling us to go down this path for training women and down the other men needs to be changed. It needs to be goal-orientated, not gender-orientated.

Are there some differences, and considerations that need to be made from programming for women versus men? Absolutely.

But they're the minor adjustments that need to be made from one individual to another, anyway. The nuts and bolts are pretty much the same - we all need to move well. We all need injury prevention. We all need to be the strongest and the most physically (and mentally) superior version of ourselves.

At the end of the day we're all built from the same mold - the same DNA, the same muscles, and the same adaptive ability. And if we're exposed to stimuli, we respond in a similar manner.

And then benefits we garner from strength training are exactly the same. In fact, I'd go as far to say that women should have a greater focus on strength training than men do.

Why?

Well mostly because you'll have a harder time building it, mostly due to hormonal reasons.

What Are The Benefits Of Strength Training?

And why is it that you need strength training? Well that's a loaded question, but here are just a few reasons -

*What builds muscle keeps muscle. Strength training allows you to lose body FAT, without wasting precious lean muscle mass. This is crucial for the maintenance of a healthy metabolism (this means that the more muscle you have on your frame, the less likely you are to get fat from eating because muscle burns calories throughout the day, even while you sleep!)

*Strength training builds strength (who would've thought?). Being more functional will give you the more freedom, and the ability to do those things that you were previously unable to do (like open that jar, or lift your 4 year-old child).

*Increased blood circulation - this means less cellulite on the bum and thighs!

*A balanced physique - one of the often over-looked issues with a lot of 'beginner' female exercisers is that that have a dis-proportioned amount of size in their lower bodies when compared to their upper bodies. *Strength training can help balance this out, improving the overall 'visual-appeal' of the body

*Strength training increases bone density and decrease joint pressure. This aids in the prevention and possible reversal of osteoporosis.

*Strength provides the foundation for ALL other athletic qualities - without it, you will never reach your full potential. It is of vital importance for any female athlete, or any female wanting to be more athletic (or have that athletic look).

*Injury prevention - there are a few factors that subject females to being more prone to injuries, of particular note are ACL injuries. While this is a whole post for another time, strength training can provide women with that extra bit if resilience that could make the difference between a messy injury (and possible surgery), or walking away from an incident unscathed.

So really, strength training for women isn't just beneficial, it's essential!

But Won't Strength Training Make Me Big & Bulky?

Of course, no discussion entailing the words women and strength training would be complete without talking about women becoming too big or bulky.

Personally, I think of the 'I'm going to get too big or bulky' phrase originated as another way of saying either 'I have no idea what I'm doing in the weights area' or 'I'm too lazy to train hard, so I'm going to do what I feel comfortable with and never push my boundaries...but here's my B.S. excuse of why I'm doing it'.

From there it has really spiraled out of control, and given birth to a tonne of terrible programs, diets and exercise-equipment that have been designed with the idea to make a quick buck, more so than to help people.

But as it is genuine concern of a lot of women reading this, let's address it head on...

The truth is that is very hard for women to build muscle in the first place, let alone build enough to look huge.

In order to build muscle, you must first give the muscle a supportive environment that will nourish its growth. To achieve this, there are a number of things that the needs to be present. If one of these aren't ideal, it can cause a screeching halt to muscle gain.

These factors include -

*Enough mechanical stress placed on the muscle in order to force it to adapt and grow - i.e. you need to be lifting a heavier weight, or for more reps, or with less rest, each and every time you go into the gym

*This stress to be placed on the muscle frequently - at least twice per week for most people, for most muscle groups

*A surplus of calories each and every day in order to provide the nutrients required to grow - your body isn't going to use calories to grow the body if there isn't enough to maintain day-to-day functions in the first place. This means that you need to eat more calories than you burn in a given day - for women trying to lose body fat (who are generally in a calorie-deficit) this would make it near-impossible to build large amounts of muscle, that is, unless you are doing things wrong.

*Little to no metabolic (i.e. cardio) training during the week - traditional cardio training conflicts with muscle-building training, so more often than not these sessions will detract from your muscle-building efforts. Sure, there are Hybrid programs that you can use to achieve both, but they are few and far between.

*Ideal hormonal environment - this means an abundance of the hormone testosterone (the hormone from which anabolic steroids are derived) available to maintain and optimal muscle-building environment. As, on average, men produce ten times the amount of testosterone than women, you can see how this alone will make it difficult for women to build muscle.

*Time & consistency with this approach - it can take a male (with high testosterone levels, a great program and a lot of food) a year or more to put on 5kgs of lean muscle mass. To think that a woman can do it any faster than that with less than optimal conditions is ridiculous.

And even if you were under those circumstances it's not like you would suddenly wake up one day, look in the mirror, and come to the horrible realisation that, while you slept, you've grown into a grotesque, protein-devouring beast who scorns cardio and egg-yolks alike.

World renowned strength coach, Charles Poliquin, put it best when he said that, generally, female trainees tend to develop most of their hypertrophy during the first six weeks of training. Then it plateaus dramatically, so that strength gains come mainly through neural adaptations.

As someone who trains many women for a living, this is what we want. An initial gain in lean muscle mass to really give the metabolism a kick in the backside, speed up the fat loss process, give us a significant increase in strength (allowing us to train harder) and to also provide that toned and defined look that almost all women want.

Long story short, unless you're a female who is taking anabolic steroids, lifting weights will NOT make you look like a man!

So next time you baulk at the idea of grabbing that Olympic bar and getting after it in the gym, just think about all of the women whose physiques you admire, and all of the time they've spent under a heavy barbell in order to build it.

James is a Personal Trainer in Castle Hill, Sydney who helps his clients lose weight, tone up and feel good through losing fat, gaining muscle and building strength. To learn more about him, and for more free articles, go to fatlossmadefun.com fatlossmadefun.com

How to Visualize Healing Your Body

If you have read the title of this article and you first response is 'give me a break!' do not worry: you are in good company. Most of us might consider it completely outlandish for anyone to seriously believe that they can simply use the power of positive thinking (an intangible process) to cause body healing (a tangible condition). But if you really think about it, the power of the mind plays a bigger role in our condition than we might care to acknowledge. Remember that time you sat next to someone in the bus, train or plane, who had a persistent cough or sneeze throughout the journey? Didn't you unconsciously start to feel a sore throat and fever develop only for a visit to your doctor to end up completely dispelling your fears? In effect, you thought you were ill and unconsciously started to 'act out' the symptoms of the illness your thought you suffered from.

Looking at the history of mankind, the power of the mind (often referred to as the spirit or soul in different cultures) has been an integral part of human culture for millennia. In fact, the reliance of an intangible force to propagate healing actually preceded the use of any externally applied or oral medication. Even though great strides have since been made in the field of medicine and human health, the power of applying mind over matter as far as body healing is concerned has remained relevant to this day; and for good reason.

The healing power unleashed by first visualizing body wellness in the mind before it actually takes place is real if the positive effects of placebos is anything to go by. Studies have consistently demonstrated the effect of placebos in unwitting patients solely due to their belief that what they are taking is actually medicine whereas it is a sugary and otherwise harmless substance. The reason for the improvement in their health condition was more because they believed that they would be healed than anything to do with the power of the medication itself. Of course, the best approach is usually to combine both visualization techniques as well as actual medication.

Another classic example of the power of the mind over the body can be demonstrated by what happens to us when we watch different types of movies. Watching either a moving love story or a film with a tragic end (both of these being a play on our though process) leads to the shedding of tears of sadness (a physical effect). Similarly, watching a movie in the horror or thriller genres (again, these work through the visual communication to the mind) sometimes leads to sweating and a faster heartbeat (tangible effects). Of course there is a scientific explanation to all this but it can be summed up in a simple statement: every thought we have triggers a body response, whether an action or a reaction. For instance, a certain visual image triggers a specific thought that then triggers the release of adrenalin release, the 'fight or flight' hormone.

Visualization is based on the premise that the sum total of who we really are is actually based on who we think we are. The awareness of our own persona, our realities and our belief systems, is often informed by a series of events that have happened to us or we have witnessed over time. Often, these events are things that have happened to us or statements that we have heard over and over again. Visualization involves the deliberate exertion of positive thought so as to deliberately move our beliefs and realities in a specific predetermined direction. In the context of body healing, repeatedly visualizing healing and other positive thoughts eventually leads to a strong bond between that which is in the mind and what is happening on the body.

For you to realize the healing power from visualization, the first thing you must do is to define your objectives. That is, what specific body condition would you like healed? Next thing you must do is to set aside time each day to reflect on this positive picture. A quiet place would be most ideal. Your visualization must be accompanied by verbal affirmation to ensure you stay on track. Note that you might not see the results immediately. Therefore, do not give up if you do not see any changes after going through the motions for a few days. It might take a number of weeks or months.

Angel S. likes to write articles about self improvement, diet, exercise and now you can visit her website at guidedmeditationcds.org guidedmeditationcds.org.

Popular Warm Up and Stretching Exercises That Suck

I like to think of myself as the thinking man's coach. I'm always evaluating my own programs and what's currently being taught by other professionals in the hopes of finding better, more efficient ways of doing things. When it comes to my evaluation process, I use a very simple philosophy: "If it doesn't make scientific sense, and it defies common sense, then it must be nonsense." As I've evaluated some of the exercises commonly used as dynamic warm ups by coaches and stretches by Yoga and Pilates instructors, I've concluded that many of them don't jibe with either common or scientific sense.

By deductive reasoning, I've concluded that these movements are based on nothing but nonsense, and should be eliminated from your program. I call these movements the Stretching Don'ts, and I hope that by the end of this article you too will avoid them like you would avoid a warm decaf soy latte. Because of the vast popularity of these exercises, it's very likely that you're practicing some of them in your program. In addition, many of these movements are currently being taught by several well-respected coaches. Well, in this article I'm going to provide you with a whole bunch of science and a solid rationale for why these movements both fail to promote proper movement patterns, and, based on recent research, may actually lead to dysfunction. Rather than telling you what to do and why, I'm going to try to teach you what not to do, and why not to do it. As the great Bruce Lee once said, "It's not the daily increase, but the daily decrease. Hack away the unessential."

Stretching Don't #1: The Scorpion Twist This exercise has shown up more and more these days in yoga classes and fitness magazines. Truth be told, I have always thought that the scorpion was popular only because it looked cool. I have never used it because in my opinion it felt very unnatural and had no real functional carryover. My personal opinion aside, the fundamental flaw with the scorpion twist is that it requires the athlete to simultaneously extend and rotate the spine. This type of motion can cause stress to the spinal facet joints. Facets are small joints that overlap like shingles on a roof, forming the back surface of the spine. According to Dr. Wolf Schamberger in The Malalignment Syndrome: Implications for Medicine and Sport (2002): "The facet joints are stressed non-specifically on side bending, back extension alone and back extension combined with rotation to the right or left." (p. 244)

Similar writings can be found later in the article: "Loads on the facet joints of the lumbar spine may play a major role in low-back pain. Shear forces resulting from axial rotation and flexion-extension motions (compressive shear loads) are mainly transmitted through the facet joints. Although traumatic or transient shear forces will be resisted by both the disc and the facets, the disc's viscoelasticity causes slowly applied or constant shear loads to pass through the facet joints." (Hassan A. Serhan, Ph.D.; Gus Varnavas, M.D.; Andrew P. Dooris, Ph.D.; Avinash Patwardhan, Ph.D.; Michael Tzermiadianos, M.D.; Biomechanics of the Posterior Lumbar Articulating Elements, 2007) This article than goes further into the types of pain caused by facet stress and compression: "Facet joint compression leads to at least three causes of back pain: spinal osteoarthritis; bulging and herniated discs; and nerve root impingement... Because the nervous system is responsible for many other activities, the effects of facet joint compression are very wide ranging." Recent research also suggests that you're ten times more likely to suffer sciatica pain from facet compression injuries than from herniated discs. With this type of evidence, it's easy to see why the scorpion twist is a Stretching Don't.

Stretching Don't # 2: The Windshield Wiper (or Hip Crossover) This is an exercise that I've seen show up in just about every system of training as either flexibility or as "core strength" exercise. I have even seen coaches load this movement using a weighted medicine ball between the legs. I myself was using both the loaded and unloaded version of the windshield wiper until I read an article by Coach Mike Boyle called, Is Rotation Even a Good Idea? In that article, Boyle referenced physical therapist Shirley Sarhmann, who in the book Diagnosis and Treatment of movement Impairment Syndromes Movement explained why movements like the windshield wiper contradict the biomechanics of the lumbar spine. "Rotation of the lumbar spine is more dangerous than beneficial and rotation of the pelvis and lower extremities to one side while the trunk remain stable or is rotated to the other side is particularly dangerous." (Sahrmann, pg. 72) "During most activities, the primary role of the abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit the degree of rotation of the trunk which, as discussed, is limited in the lumbar spine." (Sahrmann, p. 70) Sarhmann then goes on to explain in more detail the rotational range of motion capabilities at the lumbar spine: "The overall range of lumbar rotation is ... approximately 13 degrees. The rotation between each segment from T10 - L5 is 2 degrees. The greatest rotational range is between L5 - S1... The thoracic spine, not the lumbar spine, should be the site of greatest amount of rotation of the trunk... when an individual practices rotational exercises, they should be instructed to "think about the motion occurring in the area of the chest." (Sahramnn pg. 61-62) Taking Sarhmann's advice, we've chosen to eliminate exercises that drive spinal rotation from the bottom up in favor of an alternative variation that's driven from the top down, shown below. This version puts less stress on the lumbar vertebrae and emphasizes rotation at the thoracic spine, which is better designed for mobility. Click here [out] to see pictures of all of the Warm Up Don'ts listed in this article

Stretching Don't #3: The Iron Cross The Iron Cross is basically a more dynamic version of the hip cross over. Therefore, based on what I just told you, it should be obvious why it's a Stretching Don't. The Iron Cross is actually the most poorly designed and dysfunctional movement on my hit list. This movement not only requires excessive lumbar rotation, but also adds a small element of lateral flexion to the mix, as a byproduct of lifting the leg toward the opposite hand. Any qualified physical therapist will tell you that combining spinal lateral flexion with rotation, especially under load, will put you on the fast track to disc injury. This is mentioned by Gregory S. Kolt and Lynn Snyder-Mackler in their book Physical Therapies in Sport and Exercise (2003): "The mechanism of back injury in athletes is normally the same as in the general population (i.e. prolonged and or repeated spinal flexion, flexion and rotation under load)." (p. 250) In the book Fact and Fallacies of Fitness(2003), Mel Siff also makes this point very clear: "The combination of lateral bending and rotation constitutes one of the most dangerous maneuvers for the lumbar spine." (p. 89)

Siff than continues to make a very important point and explain why rotary training exercises are much safer and more functional when performed in an upright position. "A certain degree of compressive preloading locks the facet assembly of the spine and makes it more resistant to torsion. This is the reason why trunk rotation without vertical compression may cause disc injury, whereas the same movement performed with compression is significantly safer." (p. 89) My spider-sense tells me that someone out there are saying, "Oh, come on now, Nick. Surely the exercises you've described in Warm Up Don'ts 1 to 4 can't possibly create enough force to cause any significant pain or dysfunction." Well, bubba, just feast your eyes on the study below, and you'll see why this line of thinking is flawed. A research study took thirty-eight normal healthy young subjects (14 males, 24 females) with mean ages of 23 years (males) and 21 years (females), performed 36 functional rotational tasks of the trunk. The subject's lower extremities were stabilized in a stabilizing platform, allowing the entire motion of flexion-rotation and extension-rotation to take place in the trunk. Of these tasks, 18 were isometric and the other 18 were isokinetic. The isometric tasks consisted of flexion-rotation and extension rotation from a 20, 40 and 60 flexed trunk in 20, 40 and 60 of axial rotation. The isokinetic activity consisted of flexion-rotation and extension-rotation from upright and flexed postures respectively in 20, 40 and 60 rotation planes at 15, 30 and 60 /s angular velocities.

The results revealed that the males were significantly stronger than females and isometric activities produced significantly greater torque compared to isokinetic efforts. The degree of trunk flexion was not significant; the angle of rotation, although significant, had only a small effect. The 60 trunk rotation was significantly different from 20 and 40 of trunk rotation. (Kumar S.; Narayan Y.; Zedka M., Strength in combined motions of rotation and flexion/ extenson in normal young adults, Ergonomics Volume 41, Number 6, 1 June 1998, pp. 835-852, Taylor & Frances Ltd.) Pay particular attention to the concluding statement: "Based on the results and analysis, it is suggested that the motion involved rather than the torque may have a consequential effect in the precipitation of back injuries." This statement clearly explains that dysfunction can be created just by moving the spine in a non-functional manner regardless of load. So, as in the theme of this article, it's imperative that we do our research and choose our exercises wisely. Conclusion Remember what I said at the introduction: "If it doesn't make scientific sense, and it defies common sense, then it's probably nonsense." Let's face it, with all of the new training methods, styles, systems and opinions out there, it can be difficult to decide what's really good and what's really good for nothing. Use this little philosophy and the decision will become much easier.

Visit Coach Nicks website for more tips on smarter performanceu.net warm up and stretching.

Nick Tumminello is a human performance coach and educator based in Baltimore, MD.

Harmony and Balance

On the eighth day of the eighth month of the eighth year of this century, at 8:08.08 pm the Summer Olympic Games will begin in Beijing China. The number eight spoken in Mandarin (ba) sounds a lot like the word which means "prosper", therefore many Chinese believe it to be an auspicious number, certainly August 8th 2008 will be an auspicious date for China and also the World.

During the following days, the world will be treated to a brief, yet amazing exhibition of what the human body, mind and spirit is capable of when pushed to the limits of speed, stamina, stress, and determination.  

For a brief but valuable time the world will hopefully sit back and revel in the beauty of life and the mystery of the mind, body and spirit that is us. Hopefully we will be proud of who we are, and of those that represent mankind in physical form.  

Harmony and Balance, that is what it is all about, the Tai-Chi student can feel this, the Yoga enthusiast can sense it, the Wushu practitioner embraces it, the Master teaches it,. and the Olympic Athlete will be it, and the world will be briefly, a better place.  

The question is how can we maintain healthy, mind body spirit unity.  

Discipline, education, training and good health are key to the mind, body, spirit balance.  

Discipline removes chaos.

Many of us live a chaotic lifestyle, rushing here, stopping there, only to rush somewhere else, fearing that we will miss something of quality. Searching for the next fulfilling moment, we miss the moment completely. Perhaps, we should schedule quality time for ourselves. Discipline can take many forms; it could be following a schedule, adhering to a diet, practicing a healthful exercise.  

Education replaces ignorance.

We live in a time that information is constantly swirling around us, but what do we really know? Perhaps we should be more educated about ourselves, who we are, how are bodies work, what is good for us, how can we improve our mind, our body, our spirit?  

Training builds knowledge and self esteem.

Learn to do new, healthful, beneficial things that will uplift the spirit. Perhaps you can find a teacher that you can trust and respect, one that will not only teach, but also guide. Train in a subject you can be passionate about, and believe in, and one that will help you become a better person.  

Good Health allows continuity.

Taking care of your health, eating the foods your body needs, exercising, and meditation, may allow you to enjoy life and persevere when the going gets rough. Good health allows your training, education and your disciplines to expand your universe and add balance and harmony to your lifestyle.  

Harmony and Balance, like the Olympic athletes, we too should strive for the perfection of mind body and spirit.

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