Episode 086: Rebuilding the Knee

If you want to move more like a gazelle and less like a turtle as you age, this is the podcast for you.

In this episode you will learn about a surprising mistake people make when it comes to keeping their knees healthy and rehabilitating bad knees.

You will also learn about what it takes to keep your knees performing at their best.

I hope you enjoy!

If you need anything, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]

Episode 085: What is good enough?

“The best decision is the right decision. The second best decision is the wrong decision. The worst decision is no decision.” – Scott McNealy

This was shared with me by my therapist a while back and I think it is super powerful. There is a delicate balance when making decisions. If we rush into an important decision without thinking things through, we risk making irreparable mistakes with catastrophic consequences. But if we overthink things to death, it can rob us of joy and fulfillment.

What is good enough? When do we have enough information to make a decision.

We discuss that in today’s episode.

I hope you enjoy!

If you need anything, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]

Hyperkyphosis – Two Tests and Two Fixes

Today we talk about the dreaded upper back hump AKA The Thoracic Hyperkyphosis. It is most noticeable in the elderly when we see our grandparents or people in their 70s and 80s walking around with that big round hump in their upper back. Many people think it is just a sign of aging but that not even close to the whole truth.

The hyperkyphosis is not a genetic condition but one that is acquired due to a unhealthy lifestyle and poor habits. The sad thing is that we are seeing it more and more in the younger generation as early as elementary school. It is devastating to see because  hyperkyphosis increases the risk of morbidity and mortality in the aging population but it also has really strong developmental implications in the younger generation.

The best thing is prevention and second best is early detection. Do not wait until this gets out of control because then some of changes might be permanent.

In the podcast, I go over two tests you can do to see if you might have hyperkyphosis. This is by no means a complete list of tests but they are a good start. Then I give you a couple of fixes you can work on to be proactive with your situation.

On top of this, if you feel like you might have a hyperkyphosis, I highly recommend seeking out the care of a great structural chiropractor.

If you need help finding one, please feel free to reach out to me and I would be happy to help.

My contact is [email protected]

We are starting a new series of episodes dedicated to Rebuilding Your Body. The Rebuilding Your Body Series will focus on movements and exercises that will help you to recover from injuries and even prevent them in the first place. Let’s dig in!

Today we focus on an area of the body that we normally don’t pay much attention to - the feet.

We briefly go through the anatomy of the foot, and how the forces in the feet send signals to the brain in a feedback loop for grounding and balance.

How do we injure our feet?

We don’t use them enough. No stimulation, no neuromuscular feedback.

We are literally wearing casts on our feet every day. Shoes are great for skin protection and hygiene. They are, however, not great for moving and activating the intricate musculature in the feet which is an important neuromuscular feedback loop. That’s when injuries start to occur. Wearing footwear that are not too restrictive or padded would be ideal

Exercises for rebuilding the feet:

Walk bare foot more often - Start on dirt, sand or grass. These will mold into your feet and will help in articulation of the muscles and joints in the feet.

Ball exercises – Take a tennis or lacrosse ball under the foot and drive it into the arch, all the way to the different bones underneath the foot. This will help move the bones and the sliding surfaces of the plantar fascia (connective tissue on the bottom of the feet). The goal is to be able to stand on the ball on one foot and wrap your foot and toes around it while rolling it back and forth.

Small foot exercise- With your foot flat on the floor, pretend like your balling a piece of paper under your foot. The foot movement will look like you’re contracting your foot, trying to touch the ball of your foot to your heel. Do not curl your toes, leave your toes flat on the ground and curl in with the ball of your foot.

Single leg balance – balancing on one leg. Good for proprioception and balance. Stacking tasks tip: Do this exercise while brushing your teeth.

Calf stretch- wearing elevated footwear most of the time shortens the achilles and calf muscle which in turn will yank on your heel and create bone spurs and damage your plantar fascia. Some exercises for calf stretch- down dog pose, forward bending, wall push stretch.

Hope you enjoy this podcast!

If you have any questions, you can reach me at [email protected]

One of the most important factors for staying fit and healthy as we age is to NOT get injured. Today we talk about the 2 practices that will maximize your potential to staying injury-free and perform at your best.

Preparation/Prehab is Your Best Friend – Make the preparation and warm up more important than the actual work out. Moving your body through full ranges of motion in preparation for heavy lifts, explosive movements, or movements that require heavy cardiac output will help to fully warm-up and ramp up your system for the strenuous work ahead. The ideal order for a full workout: Preparation -> Intensity/Strength/Power

Create balance in your training program- You want a good mix of longer sustained movement (i.e. jogging, long walks, running), explosive movements (i.e. box jumps, burpees, sprints), weight training, and mobility training (i.e. yoga, pilates). Active recovery days are also part of great balance.

Develop the habit of incorporating these 2 practices into your workouts and daily movement sessions and you will increase your potential for longevity and resilience from injury.

Hope you enjoy this one!

The world of health and fitness has become incredibly confusing. There is so much misinformation out there when it comes to health, it is astounding. The internet has provided us a valuable resource to learn, grow, and share our ideas with others, but with that comes the challenge of knowing what is good information and what is bad information.

There are keys to health that revolve around nutrition, exercise, and a healthy mental attitude, but there is one that supersedes them all - our body's ability to adapt to its internal and external environment.

I hope you enjoy today's podcast!

The most powerful way to start your day is with a morning routine. These are the habits and strategies that juice you up first thing in the morning and get you prepared to crush the rest of your day. 

In this episode I share with you some of my strategies and the most powerful weapon I have to master my morning is coffee - the nectar of the gods!

Just kidding, but not really.

The second most powerful strategy is movement. Movement is life. 

I share with you some of my favorite movements to do in the morning among other things.

If you enjoyed this podcast, I would love to hear from you. Even if you did not enjoy it, I would love to hear from you anyway with suggestions on how to improve. 

Until next time, keep achieving!

Does it ever drive you crazy thinking about the amount of time you wasted doing things that did not matter? And what about all of the important things you have put off doing?

I reached a point a while back where I learned a great technique for getting things done. This is especially effective when it comes to doing things that are really important but you hate doing.

It is called stacking, and I explain how to effectively use this technique in the podcast today.

I hope you enjoy!

When many people think of heroes, they thing of the fairytales and comic books like Superman, Batman, and Spiderman.

The true heroes are not the ones who came out of imagination, but real people risking it all and making a difference in the world like the people in the military, doctors, servicemen and women, mothers and fathers, and even those who come back from the brink of death and show us what it means to have resilience, meaning, purpose, strength and vulnerability. 

Janine Shepherd is one of those heroes. Defiant is her autobiography. This podcast contains the lessons I learned from her story.

Enjoy!

Have you ever not confronted someone before because you told yourself that you are just "too nice?"

Or do you just use your dominance to steamroll over people around you?

Being "too nice" or steamrolling over people are NOT strengths. They are both weaknesses!

If you fall into one of these categories or if you deal with people in one of these categories, then this episode is for you.

Enjoy!