Why Myofascial Stretching And ELDOA Are Important.
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Holistic Exercise And Fitness
Personal Training Success Story
Personal Training Success Story – Denise Johnson
Denise Johnson is one of those people who just intrinsically know how to work hard. She was an emergency room nurse while living in Colorado and used to workout by riding 250 miles a week and competing in races.
She and her husband Bill have both worked hard to have a good life and make a difference in this world. They have three great, intelligent kids and a therapy practice that helps kids from troubled homes. So it was a little frustrating for Denise when she started having back pain and “just” working hard didn’t help.
She decided to reach out to us because of a recommendation from her good friend Amy Weyrauch. After she was explained on why this system would help her back pain she was hopeful, but she knew that it was going to be challenging. Now when you are used to riding 250 miles a week and then find yourself doing, what you perceive, as “just” a stretch, it can be a little frustrating.
But what you do after feeling the frustration (as we ALL who have done this have experienced) is where you either succeed or fail. You can make up a bunch of excuses and quit and say, “It’s not for me. “ Or you can trust the process and yourself and know that it is going to take a little work to reap the new life it will give you.
Obviously since she is the March member of the month and a personal training success story, Denise chose the latter.
1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?
My back was in constant pain from Spinal Stenosis. I always had pain and it was frustrating. I also wanted to reconnect to my health and fitness. I had developed apathy about it, and knew it needed to change. “If you don’t have your health and fitness you don’t have anything. You wont be able to enjoy the life that you have created because you will not feel like yourself, be in pain and not have vitality.”
2) What did you do before?
I used to be a spin instructor and used to lift weights. Back when I lived in Denver, CO I used to compete in bike road races and train by ridding 250 miles per week. I used to run, but had to stop because it hurt my back WAY too much. I walk a lot even though I know that that will also hurt my back. I had also gone to every different kind of modality and it hadn’t really done anything. I was lukewarm on the idea of trying any of them again.
3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?
My back feels fantastic! The whole program has really helped, but the myofascial stretching and the ELDOA’s really helped. I now know how to move properly. Being educated on how to address my body and how to perform the exercises correctly has really helped me. I am now more connected to my health and fitness and what it means for me to be fit.
4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?
I love all the exercises that involve lifting weights. It feels really good to move like that. I dread the ELDOA’s and Myofascial stretching, even thought I know that they are what I need the most. I still do them, but they are really difficult.
5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?
Myself!!!
6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer?
The education. I love learning how to move properly. You could study it, but that would take forever and even then I might not get it right. So this was invaluable to teach me how and why. The fact that I have been able to correct and alleviate the pain is very exciting to me.
7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?
Stick with it. It is a difficult mental adjustment, as you get older. Having support along the way is necessary.
8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?
If you can’t make a commitment to yourself you wont be able to fully commit to anything. If you are in pain this is the program that is for you.
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Lower Back Pain – The Pelvis, The Base Of Our Body
How Training The Pelvis Helps Lower Back Pain
Hello again,
It has been about a month since you have last heard from me through the blog page. Although, I already knew I wanted to write about the “base” of our body – the pelvis – and its importance for our daily functions, I wanted to wait until the end of my ELDOA-2 course.
With more insight and working knowledge of the body, I am hoping that this blog can give you a better understanding of why the trainers at SolCore Fitness focus so much on the pelvis ‘tucks’ during the warm-up in each session we teach.
You might have read or heard that I have been (and still want to be) very active in my sports ‘career’ and consider myself a fit individual. My cardio fitness level might be very good, and I appear to be physically fit, not everything is as it seems. During our hands-on ELDOA-training, I was informed that my spine looks like that of an old man. Really, it’s not just lower back pain, I also have a kyphosis in the thoracic spine and a forward lean in my cervical spine. (Chin tucks are really hard for me to do properly and maintain during an exercise) I had no idea, I was so out of whack …
Nevertheless, with daily ELDOA postures I can maintain the pain and even adjust the curvatures in my spine, so I can keep swimming, cycling, running, skiing, hiking and perform regular chores around the house.
Because, everything is connected in the body with ‘chains’, the cause of my back issues are likely muscle imbalances from repetitive motion and poor exercise-technique, resulting in a slight tilt of my pelvic floor, which effects the rest of the spine. When muscles become short and tight, the antagonist (opposite) muscle often becomes long and weak. This creates an imbalance in the body. The body learns faulty reoccurring patterns. So, with the proper technique and enough repetitions, you can re-learn your body to be in a better posture and go through life more comfortably.
Maintaining a neutral pelvis position is achieved via the opposing force-coupling between 4 major muscle groups that all have attachments to the pelvis. When these muscles demonstrate good balance, the pelvis holds an optimal position.
A few facts; Back pain in one of the most common reasons people miss work and visit the doctor. There are very few people who never experience back pain in their lifetime. Americans spend $50 billion every year on lower back pain, which is the most common. Second to the common cold, back pain is one of the leading causes of missed work and it causes more lost days of productivity in the workplace than any other medical condition. Unfortunately, the treatment and management of back pain can be ineffective.
Doing ELDOA is not a magic pill, but it does strengthen the postural system, by mobilizing the intrinsic muscles and normalizing the tensions throughout the body and spine. “Creating” space also increases blood flow, reduces disc pressure, spinal disc rehydration, better muscle tone and a sense of wellbeing and awareness.
So, if you don’t want a spine like mine, please, do your “homework”, especially the wall stretch, ELDOA for L5-S1.
Thank you,
Jo Van Cutsem
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Personal Training Success Story
Personal Training Success – Leslie Weinstein
This member of the month’s success story is great for a number of reasons.
First, this is the whole reason we exist. Our mission is to have #500balancedhealthystrongpeople that can live their lives to the fullest and be of the most service. Leslie is one of those people. Having a personal training success story like Leslie’s makes our mission worthwhile and fun!
The second reason is due to the power of referring someone to a program and support system that will help them achieve a better life through health and fitness. Leslie’s friend and fellow member, Barbara R, referred her to our personal training program. Barbara heard that her friend was in need of help and, based on her trust in us, told Leslie that we would be a great option for her.
It was important that Leslie find the right fit in a personal training program, because she has very specific health concerns that need to be taken into consideration. Chief among her health issues is a blood clotting disorder that she has to control with medication. This medication thins her blood and if she were to fall and cut herself, it would be quite serious.
Due to Barbara’s outreach and recommendation, Leslie has now achieved amazing results and is on the right track.
Leslie and her husband, Sheldon, came from St. Louis and have been in Santa Fe for over a year now. She had been a successful Social Worker and businesswoman in St. Louis, but when the time came to retire she packed up Sheldon, Alice (her beautiful dog), and a host of other pets and hoofed it to Santa Fe.
For the first year, she was getting her bearings and setting up her life. She found friends, great places to visit and eat, and she even found a way to give back by visiting a local nursing home with Alice on a weekly basis. But the one thing lacking was her health.
Leslie was ready, but due to her health, she was unable to enjoy her retirement. She wanted to be stronger and healthier. Now through her amazing mindset and hard work, she has obliterated her goals and has moved on to bigger ones.
This is why Leslie is our February personal training success story.
1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?
I was overweight and a pre-diabetic and knew that if I didn’t do something immediately it would be too late. I wanted to get stronger and healthier and to be the best that I could be. Just because I am in my 60’s and retired, doesn’t mean that I need to give up. Just the opposite, I want to live my retirement with the best life possible.
2) What did you do before?
I go to my doctors to manage my blood disorder. I went to PT for my knee and back and after my shoulder surgery. I took water aerobics twice a week and it was enjoyable, but I knew it wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?
My stamina, strength, posture and balance are so much better. I used to be terrified of falling because of the fact that getting a cut could be very dangerous for me and now I feel more “upright” and physically confident in my body. I have lost 15lbs and 10% body fat. My shoulder which always kind of hurt and felt funny after the surgery feels as if I never had it.
4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?
I like all the exercises that we do because I see the results it gives me. Well, except the cardio part and that is because it is hard, but I know that it is good for me also.
5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?
I want to continue to lose weight and continue to gain confidence in my balance. A nice benefit to this program is that it is helping my knees and I would like to continue to get them strong. I also want my back to continue to get strong.
6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer?
It doesn’t feel like you are going to the gym. You guys pay a lot of attention beyond what the routine is. The program is flexible and intelligent and goes beyond just the muscles and bones.
7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?
Keep the positive movement forward. Don’t dwell on what you can’t do. You will do as well as you can. It’s not about comparing yourself, it’s about how you feel.
8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?
Figure out what you can do, because this works. If you have the resources, it is well worth it. After the first 2-3 months you will be able to see and feel what it is all about. Go on “autopilot” and have faith and trust. This is what I did! It was very challenging at the start, but I just kept coming and doing what I could of the homework. And after that first 3 months, you will love it! The “homework” they give you is very important and priceless. It helps solve the problems that you have and gives you the ability to “treat yourself.” Invest in yourself. It will come back to you and more.
Do you want to achieve what Leslie was able to achieve? If you are looking for a little more support and education on how to do it right to reach your health and fitness goals them contact us about a free consult and trial. Go to https://www.solcorefitness.com/consultation-landing-page/ to request one.
The free trial wont be around long so claim it while you can. Go to FREE CONSULT AND TRIAL.
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Personal Training Success Story
Personal Training Success Story – Amy Weyhrauch
“Life is what you make of it. You can be happy or sad. It’s up to you.” Amy Weyhrauch’s dad. No one person epitomizes this phrase more then Amy. She is one of kindest most positive people you will ever meet. She is a mom to 4 kids and, it is this attitude that has propelled her to great accomplishments and the July member of the month.
When I first talked to Amy I found out that she had Ankylosing spondylitis. From the website of Spondylitis Association of America -“Ankylosing spondylitis (pronounced ank-kih-low-sing spon-dill-eye-tiss), or AS, is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, although other joints can become involved. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints (vertebrae) that can lead to severe, chronic pain and discomfort. In the most advanced cases (but not in all cases), this inflammation can lead to new bone formation on the spine, causing the spine to fuse in a fixed, immobile position, sometimes creating a forward-stooped posture.” Amy, has the advanced kind, and she needed to get the right treatment and training otherwise she was in danger of her spine fusing. So I wasn’t too surprised when Amy first came to me moving like Frankenstein with a limp. She had a really hard time turning her neck and she was walking very gingerly. It didn’t take an Osteopath to see that she was in pain. Her number one goal was obvious…get out of pain! She was cautious for good a reason; she didn’t want to further hurt her body. You see this all started when Amy was playing tennis and she fell and hurt her right clavicle. No biggie, except that it wasn’t getting better and she was starting to feel worse all over. So she started the rounds with different doctors and they kept coming up with different diagnoses. There was even a significant amount of time where they thought she had Leukemia. Can you imagine the stress of that! Well it wasn’t that, thank goodness.
To describe in practical terms how the AS affects her I’ll tell you what I tell her. “Everything that you do is magnified. When somebody else doesn’t stretch for a day or so they get a little tight and hinder their healing. When you don’t stretch for a day or two your body starts to lock up. Literally!” And when she didn’t stretch as much as she wanted to she felt it-to the point where if she had just thrown up her arms and succumbed to fait you could have understood, but she didn’t. Amy has epitomized our 3rd Core Principle “Consistent Steady Improvement.” She has been in private training with us 3-4 days a week for a little over a year and she has made amazing progress. You will hear about it later on in her words, but I am so proud of her for:
- Being open to change
- Trying her best
- And maintaining that amazing attitude throughout the ups and down of her journey.
How Amy Got Personal Training Success
1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program? My Ankylosing was the main reason to seek out help. It just made me feel so bad, and it is really hard to motivate yourself when you don’t feel good. I just kept giving myself excuses as to why I shouldn’t and couldn’t do it. Well I finally got to the point where I felt so bad that I reached out to a friend of mine, Liz Karp, and she recommended you to me.
2) What did you do before? Yoga Tapes, exercise tapes, tennis, hiking, sometimes skiing. I also had this chart that was given to me on stretches I should do for Ankylosing. But I knew I needed somebody to teach me the right way.
3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of? Well I have lost 7-8% body fat and around 10 pounds, but what I am most proud of is the fact that I am a happier better person because I don’t hurt all the time. It got to the point where I didn’t want to go out and be social. The weight of that pain on me all day took all my effort and to think about spending more effort on going out was too much. I also LOVE that I now have tools to keep myself moving and feeling great. Not only the stretches and exercises but also the fitness journal you gave me was a big help especially at the start. It is eye opening to look back and see how you really did, not just how you thought you did!
4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them? I do not like the Mountain Climbers! I love the wall stretch L5-S1, love the hip stretch (Glute Med). Actually I love all the hip stretches and all the spine stretches.
5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on? Weight loss is my next big goal along with staying out of pain and keeping my body mobile. I also want to keep changing my habits and keep getting better with the advanced workouts you guys have been giving me.
6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer? The knowledge that you guys have is invaluable. I also love that you are flexible. You guys always have a program ready, but if I come in and say I am feeling a certain way, you are able to change the program on the fly to meet my needs. I also really appreciate that you guys push me to levels that I didn’t think I could do before, but you never push me too far.
7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members? KEEP IT UP! Keep coming to class. Keep doing your homework. Keep making those small improvements each day.
8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program? I wish I had had somebody who I trusted to push me to start this sooner. Think about how many times you have procrastinated. I waited almost a year from knowing about SolCore Fitness to starting with them. To get better you have to start. So start now!
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