I often get comments like; “I really enjoy my menu. I feel lighter on my feet, balanced and centered when I finish, but the exercises are so gentle, shouldn’t I be doing more of a workout?”

The answer of course depends on quite a few things. Here are some basic guidelines. Any of you who would like a recommendation more specific to your circumstances please, send us your questions. We’ll answer them here or contact you directly.

1. Your menu is first and foremost. The key to musculo-skeletal health is maintaining fluid movement and alignment of all the joints of the body. A specifically designed routine to re-balance and straighten your body will enable you to avoid the aches and pains of aging, prevent ‘wear and tear’ of disks and joints and enjoy all your recreational activities with minimal risk of injury.

2. Light to moderate cardiovascular activity. When it comes to cardio there are as may opinions as there are different ways to get your heart rate up. Depending on what you are training for different times and intensities are suggested. Walking or a light jog (or a mix of the two) are the best way to engage your body and Cardiovascular system. As a general rule 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week. However, your intensity and time should vary based the level of fitness you need to maintain for your lifestyle. Function Run is a goofy looking activity but is a great warm up for any activity.

3. Your training should match your lifestyle. If your goal is to be able to walk to the mailbox and back for the rest of your life all you need to do is walk to the mailbox and back. I know that sounds a little flippant but it is that simple. Your training should match that level of intensity you expect of the rest of your day. On the other hand if you want to hike the Grand Canyon you’ve got a little more work to do. Just remember your training (in intensity and activity) should match what you are tying to accomplish but doesn’t have to dramatically exceed it. Use common sense and listen to your body and you will not go wrong.

4. Strength training – The same holds true for strength training. It should match the intensity of your lifestyle. If you want to do heavy lifting then by all means train that way. For most people a moderate strength building circuit is more than enough to maintain adequate muscle tone. Remember that strength is a product of function. If you are not functional, you are not strong…No matter how much weight you can push or pull. (please note: there is a HUGE difference between functional training and restoring function. Your PostureMenu will restore function, “functional training” will not.

5. Nutrition – This isn’t where I excel, however generally speaking a diet that is low in animal products (but not void of them) and high in fresh fruits and vegetables would benefit us all. In the future we’ll have a guest or two who can give us some more specific advice.

If you follow these few simple guidelines you will live a healthy, active and pain free life. I’ll be elaborating on each of these in future posts. you can subscribe to get updates as they are posted. Keep the questions coming.

The idea that high-fructose corn syrup infuses lots of our food has left a bitter taste in many consumers’ mouths. So the corn industry has started a public relations campaign on behalf of its beleaguered syrup in an attempt to rename the additive as “corn sugar.”

All this over a word: Sweetener Death Match: Sugar vs. Syrup

Ever-time I watch it I wonder how did anyone allow this to be on TV. Forget about the word… think about what “high-fructose corn syrup” has been linked too and the study in 2004 by the American Journal of Nutrition. Take a look at your cupboard … I had 5 items I didn’t even know it was in (now in the trash). I don’t want to take a chance with my children’s health do you?

Honestly what I see is amazing. There are two techniques I’ve seen recently that stood out. The first was what I call the “left hook“. This particular runner looked as if she was throwing a left hook EVERY stride. Each time she brought her right leg thru, her left arm would come around as if she was throwing a punch. This left hook technique has served her well over the years she happens to be an above average runner. The other technique I’ve come across recently is the “slapper“. I noticed it while out for a short run with another friend of mine. He slaps both feet hard on the ground with each foot strike. Again my friend is an above average runner.

So besides being a little awkward what is wrong with these techniques if both of my friends can outrun me? Well for starters they are incredibly inefficient. If they could change their technique they could dramatically improve their times just by making their movement pattern more efficient. More importantly if they continue to run with faulty mechanics they are likely to be injured (she happens to be suffering from right knee pain, and he complains of sore calves, no coincidence there…) As you know, we do not believe in trying to consciously change your mechanics, so we’ve come up with a simple exercise that will get you moving smoothly without any upper body compensation. We call it the function run.

The function run will get your hips and gluteals working and make sure your upper body stays relaxed as you run. It should be a very slow pace, treadmill speed would be between 1.5 – 2.5 mph. If done correctly it will resemble a trott, much like you would see a horse do when warming up. Make sure your torso stays upright, shoulders, abdominals, and breathing stay relaxed, and attempt to keep an arch in your lower back. Be sure to go slow enough that you can roll from your heels thru your mid-foot and off all five toes.

You’ll know it’s working when you hip flexor’s and glutes feel like they’re kicking in. This can be done as a warm up to a regular paced jog or run, but it also can be done as an exercise on it’s own. We often suggest a minimum of 30 minutes of it to get your hips going.

Check out this video we made to help you see how the Function Run should be done. Watch Jon’s form and pace as he attempts to deliberately create the heel-ball-toe foot strike.

Even just a few minutes of this type of running will get you feeling better. You will notice that when you go back to a regular pace your shoulders naturally stay more upright, relaxed and your stride improves, without having to work on it. Give it a try it looks a little goofy but I promise it will be worth it!

As always, let us know how it goes! We welcome your comments or any questions.

We are partnering with The Honda Classic to offer you a chance to win a new Honda INSiGHT while helping the Foundation at the same time. Please join in the Birdies contest and lets all have some fun with The Honda Classic. Details on the contest and how the Egoscue Foundation reaps the rewards of your excitement are below.

What is Birdies for Children?

The Birdies for Children program is a way for charities such as ours to benefit from The Honda Classic. We and other local participating charitable organizations obtain pledges of $20 or more and the donors of those pledges earn an opportunity to guess the number of birdies made during The Honda Classic – with 100% of their pledge amount going directly to their participating charity. Remember, a birdie is a score of one stroke less than par on any hole.

If you have the winning pledge you can win a 2012 Honda INSiGHT – while the Egoscue Foundation gets 100% of the donations.

How Birdies for Children Works

Individuals/businesses solicit donations on behalf of the Foundation (By using this link, register and select Egoscue Foundation will be your benefiting charity)

The Honda Classic collects all donations and upon completion of the tournament will contribute 100% of the money to the Foundation (or whichever charity is designated on the pledge form)

There is no risk or expense to the individual or to the charity as all costs are covered by The Honda Classic

The Honda Classic provides a full-time coordinator, printed donor forms, management of collections, and award distribution

The Egoscue Foundation has agreed that all donation money received through this appeal will be used to support the youth for the Patch Initative

How To Donate and Guess the Birdies

You can make a donation of $20 or more to the Birdies for Children appeal and then guess the total number of birdies that will be made by the entire field in the four rounds of the 2012 Honda Classic. (Click here to Donate and Guess now)

What Can Be Won

Grand Prize: A BRAND NEW 2012 HONDA INSiGHT

Awarded to the donor who guesses the correct number of birdies
*Note – In the event of a tie, a blind drawing from all correct guesses will determine the winner
Several other great prizes will be awarded based on a random drawing from all participants (Donation not required to be eligible to win)

What Number Should I Guess
As they say, past results do not guarantee future performance, but to help you along, here are the total number of birdies made in each of the last three tournaments:

2007 1,116
2008 1,144
2009 1,180
2010 1,181
2011 1,041

That is a tricky question because it is different for everyone. Maintenance is a menu or group of menus that help you constantly improve your life. We think Egoscue should be a part of your life forever once you have chosen to add it. Maintenance for some might mean a menu each day that requires them to set aside 2 hours and for others it will mean 20 minutes a day or even just a few days a week. Maintenance is where you as the Egoscue client really get to take control of your therapy.

Here are some key questions to ask yourself to find out where you stand:

* Are you still improving?
Is the original reason that you started with Egoscue been taken care of. Is Your body still moving in a positive direction. Can you do more than you could before.

* Does your menu make you feel better?
Are you energized after you finish your menu. Are you moving with more freedom and lighter on your feet.

*If you feel discomfort do you know what to do and when you should do it?
Pain is not something to be afraid of. If you begin feeling some discomfort your first instinct should be to do a few of your favorite e-cises. If you choose the right ones your pain will diminish almost immediately. If you are having trouble figuring out which exercises to do it is a good idea to seek some help

*You have menus to alternate from?
You body is constantly changing based on the demands you place on it. If you change your activities your posture will change. Getting an new routine helps you to keep your body moving in the right direction. Another way to think about it is that its like going to the gym, at some point you need to change it up. Without change you won’t progress.

*Do you still have limitations?
We don’t believe you have to live with anything. Age is not a factor. Quality of life is huge, if something is Keeping you from the achieving the quality of life you want it is something you can overcome. If you are having difficulty finding you way an appointment with one of our therapists may be just what you need.

If you had some “No’s” don’t start beating yourself up. Our favorite part of the job as Egoscue therapists is helping you change your answers.  You could take your photos and email them over, it could be as easy as your therapist recommending a menu you already have, or getting a new one. Of course the easiest way to get help is to go into the closest clinic or call us up on Skype for a session.  Pick up the phone right now and call us at 561-202-6741, sometimes you just need a boost to get you back on track. When all else fails email us at palmbeachgardens@egoscue.com

In an ideal world we would continue to see clients after their series on a monthly to bi-monthly basis. That way we can make sure you are doing what you need to get yourself better. We can monitor your progress and ensure that you are improving as fast as possible

Your relationship with us shouldn’t stop after you complete your series, we are here to help. We have added you to our Egoscue family for life!

Baseball season brings opportunity for family entertainment and physical fitness. In fact, statistics reflect nearly 4.8 million children pursue the dream of playing in baseball Little League programs across the country. Unfortunately, for many Little League Baseball players and coaches, the prevention and treatment of elbow pain remains at the forefront of every practice and game.

Christina Cadena, Yahoo! Contributor Network. Why didn’t we hear about Little Leaguer’s Elbow 50 years ago? Little Leaguer’s of yesteryear spent their leisure time running, climbing and jumping. They played outside all day long in a variety of sports and activities. The youth of today spend the majority of their time either sitting in class or in front of a monitor, keyboard and video games. As a result their bodies are far different. The human body, especially the bodies of children, require motion to develop the strength and range of motion necessary to maintain health. Our modern society is slowly taking away the activities that keep us strong and our children are on the front lines. Next time you’re walking around in public and see a group of kids, take a look at their body posture. I’ll bet you that their feet turn out and their knees turn in, and their head and shoulders have rounded forward. All of these are symptoms of a body that is starving from some good old fashioned play! Fast forward to the baseball diamond and all of the sudden little Tommy is asking his arm to go thru what some consider an extreme range of motion (I think it is well within normal limits for a functional body). The only problem is that now his shoulders have rounded forward from sitting in front of his ipad, laptop and video game console. A shoulder that is locked in a forward position forces the elbow to take on the work that the shoulder should be doing. With the shoulder unable to “open up” during the throwing motion in order to create velocity the elbow is torqued beyond what would otherwise be necessary.
Watch this short video to get a idea of what we are talking about…

What do you think? We welcome your comments. To find out more about how this can be avoided, contact us at (561) 202-6741

Got this emailed to me this morning. Thought it needed to be shared

Runner’s World posted an article in their July issue where Reed Ferber, Ph.D., director of the Running Injury Clinic at the University of Calgary says; “Every runner has a dominant side that’s stronger and more stable. In fact, which side you favor is genetically coded.”  I’d agree with the fact that many people have a dominant side, BUT I wouldn’t agree with the fact that it is “genetically coded.”

The article talks about a single leg Balance test, but one key idea that they don’t mention, is the relevance of the impact that the rest of your body has on maintaining this position.  The body works as a unit, no muscle works alone.  It’s important to consider the position of your upper back and shoulders when performing the single Leg Balance test.

Here is a photo I found of a runner. Notice the strong upper back which is set forward and the shoulders are rounded. Because of this faulty alignment, this runner’s balance will be compromised, likely more on one leg than the other.

Now for a test:

First try the balance test from the article:

Stand on one leg, with your eyes closed. Time how long you can hold without toppling or putting down your foot. Switch legs. According to Reed Ferber the leg you balance best on is “genetically coded”

Now try these three exercises:

Test yourself again:

Stand on one leg, with your eyes closed. Time how long you can hold without toppling or putting down your foot. Switch legs. What happened? Send us your results. Do you think your dominant side is “genetically coded”?