movement

On: Breathing

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We all do it, 16 times a minute, it’s been written about on here before. But how much attention do you pay to it, as a messenger of your current internal state?

Start by putting your hands on your abdomen, and sniffing. You should feel your diaphragm move. If you have difficulty initiating belly breathing, this is a great technique to find it.

Breathe 10 slow breaths, in through the nose, controlled and slow out through the mouth. Focus on your diaphragm moving smoothly.

If you use this to do a quick body scan, you may find all sorts of areas of tension and holding that you were otherwise oblivious to. You can then note these to work on later, when you have mobility and movement practice.

As you become more adept, you will also notice when your breathing shifts, a cue to your internal stress levels, and a hint that your body is shifting gears for some reason. If you can pause, reflect and assess, it may help you focus on a message your body has been trying to tell you.

If you really want a challenge, pause your normal training for a week, and just focus on breath and mobility work. You may notice a significant improvement in your training when you return, not just from the rest and recovery you have allowed yourself, but in the way you are able to access other underlying systems.

Of course, if you find any areas of restriction or concern, see your general medical practitioner and come to us for further support, education and intervention.

Breathe. Live. Move.

On: fitness to survive

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Being fit is a good idea.

The fitter you are, the more likely you are to…. quite frankly be better at everything.

Of course, fitness is defined as suitable to a role or task, but in this case, we are talking about optimal health and well-being, in all areas.

Research shows repeatedly that the fitter you are overall, the greater your capacity and capability, even down to surviving and recovering from major trauma. One study even showed that, of those who experienced whiplash, the fitter people recovered faster and with less negative outcomes 6 months on than those who rated lower on activity scales.

You also are more likely to respond effectively to stress and mental pressure, since the body cannot differentiate easily, and only has a few responses available.

Fitness doesn’t have to be all leggings, crop tops and pouting in the mirror, neither does it have to be muscles, grunting and maximal exertion. It’s about building a base capacity, optimising power to weight ratio and being more capable.

So, if you’re struggling, start by doing something.

We have a starter plan we regularly offer to clients that simply involves:

  • Walking for 10 minutes at a brisk pace
  • Then:
  • Stepping up and down for 20 steps on each leg
  • Touching the floor then reaching for the sky, 10 times on each side
  • 10 Wall pushups
  • 10 Standing rows (squeezing the muscles at the end), no load, just controlling the muscles.
  • Repeat the movements 3-5 times
  • 10 minutes brisk walking

Simply by adding load in, and changing the movements for more dynamic ones, that can be almost infinite in scope. Steps become lunges, wall pushups become burpees, rows become pull-ups, floor to sky becomes a dumbbell snatch, walking becomes running and skipping.

Move. Improve your capacity, capability and resilience. Become more human, upgrade the software, optimise the hardware.

Of course, before beginning any health journey, if you haven’t moved for a while, seek professional medical support first to clear you for takeoff.

Onwards and towards a better healthspan.

On: The cost of entry

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You can do anything you put your mind to. Dream, believe, achieve. Hustle and grind. All of these are worthy motivational statements. And all ignore the cost of entry and the cost of continuation.

This is the effort, time and material required to even start on the path, and maintain momentum. If you want to set up a small business, there is the initial outlay for kit and materials, even if you are working from your kitchen table (often things you don’t expect), as well as the energy required to become proficient and the time required to learn business management. If you want to become a personal trainer, first you need to get qualified then find a stable clientbase. Become an astronaut or surgeon? Start planning from as young as possible because the baseline requirements are so high.

How does this apply to movement and motivation? If you want to start doing something active, the cost of entry doesn’t have to be high. You probably already have a pair of shorts, leggings, trainers and a top that will start and if you find something you enjoy, the cost of continuation will be low, since the cost / benefit equation is biased favourably.

Remove the roadblocks one by one and you will get there, wherever you define there to be.

On: Finishing

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Start with the end in mind. Easily said, not always easily carried out. And sometimes you will never finish.

Putting up a shelf, yes. It may be technically challenging, if you don’t have the requisite skills, but it is specific and attainable.

When it comes to health and longevity, there is no endgame before death.

Instead, flip the problem.

Check in with each decision to see if it will contribute to the desired outcome (not dying early / staying healthy for longer). Smoking / Vaping? No. A third beer? No. A walk during your lunch break? Yes. Salad over chips? Yes. Making art over scrolling mindlessly? Yes.

We cannot change our genes, we can’t avoid the end, but we can influence the small things that add up.

Choose life every day, simplify and allow space for the universe to give you things.

On: Beyond movement

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There are the eight prescribed movement patterns: flex, extend, rotate, push, pull, squat, lunge, walk.

But beyond that is the ability to do them smoothly and under load.

For example, when out walking, without losing step, run your fingers along the ground. That involves walking, flexing, lunging and an element of rotation.

Now repeat the action raising your hand over head to touch a tree leaf. Again, walking, extending, rotation.

The more complex the move, the more we challenge our neuromuscular system, the less spare capacity we have and greater the risk of subtle injury due to compromise.

Therefore, we should train these elements. Not just the standard gymrat moves, but through play.

Look at an object and play with it. A plate carried overhead. A tree branch that can be climbed on or over, or under. A line on the pavement to walk along, skip over, or walk backwards over.

Look at the environment as a playground, and use it to improve the way you move.

Injury proof yourself through play.

We can get better

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Because we’re not dead yet (Turner et al 2015)

You cannot remain in stasis. Even that requires the expenditure of energy, so with no input you will slip into slow decay.

Therefore, choose wisely. Put your shoes on. Expend energy in a positive direction. Get better at something. Move more, eat fewer junk snacks, spend less time scrolling mindlessly, spend more time reading and learning.

Make that choice every day. It’ll be worth it.

You are what you do.

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They presented with a long history of shoulder and back pain, with occasional headaches, particularly in the evening. No other significant complaints, simply a tight and painful upper back, and shoulders, with a stiff neck.

After taking a thorough history and checking pertinent red flags, I carried out a suitable examination, looking at how they used their body, how it wanted to respond passively and actively.

And the thing was, other than the presenting complaint, there wasn’t much to be found. An anteriorised head posture and slightly kyphotic thoracic spine, but nothing much more than you might expect for a modern lifestyle. They exercised frequently, were not obese and tried to optimise their working posture when at a desk.

I treated what I found, and we addressed a few issues, but I was unhappy with their progress, as the complaint didn’t feel like it was resolving along the curve I expected.

Then it clicked. Whenever I went through to reception to collect them, they were playing with their phone. Head slumped forwards on the chest, looking down at the tiny screen and typing or scrolling away.

The problem is, modern expectations are that we are constantly connected, with rewards and punishments meted out by both the device and other people if we do not respond to its electronic siren call. I am as guilty as the next person, at instinctively checking and wasting hours.

It was this small, but frequent behaviour that was causing, in this case, the shoulder pain. Looking down was loading the back of their neck, the shoulders were coming in to support the arms holding close and everything matched when I mimicked them.

However, other than taking the phone away from them, there wasn’t a direct intervention I could do, so instead we discussed possible mitigation strategies, to reduce the automatic reaction, shorten the time spent interacting and change the posture, things that have been shown to work.

Following the rules of three, I suggested:

  • Switching on greyscale. This, interestingly, makes the device far less stimulating, but still allows you to work effectively. It also helps increase battery life on some devices.
  • Clean up the home screen and put apps that distract in a folder so you don’t see them first
  • Turn off notifications for social media applications

The point was simply to create a brain pause that allowed for a moment more reflection before the action, rather than create a wholesale change that would more likely fail.

Having created this awareness and put in some simple measures, we were both very happy to see that the treatment was then far more effective and the presenting issues resolved.

After they had left, I reflected in how the simple actions we do can have profound impacts and that, as practitioners of every discipline, we need to continue to look at the whole person, not just the complaint.

Being human

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Sometimes we forget what it means to be human. We have forgotten that we are merely vertical mammals in a semi hostile environment and only when this is challenged do we wake up from our technological torpor and realise just how close to the edge of existence we are. 

So in this season of reflection, lets ponder on how we can be more human. 

Move more. We evolved to move for survival yet these days we rarely need to. Not moving frequently is a short step to oncoming death.

Eat less and more varied. Once we have finished growing, we don’t need to eat more than we burn or require for physical repair or performance. Occasional fasting is no bad thing if you are fundamentally healthy.  And, as wanderers we ate a much more varied diet compared to now. The more varied our pallette, the broader the nutritional intake available. 

Drink less, smoke nothing. What is the point of poisoning yourself? Occasional alcohol, at seasonal festivals is not a problem. But that will almost certainly be far less than you currently consume.

Be useful. Without a supportive society we would be dead. From birth to death you are reliant on those around you. So be useful. Check on your neighbours, learn first aid, spend time at a local charity you support, give to a food bank. You never know when you will need it returned. 

Remember the basic rules of life: Be compassionate. You are what you do and say. Discipline and consistency are the only way to achieve anything. 

So go forth, be awesome and have a healthy break. You’ve earned it. 

When the going gets tough;

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Stop.

Breathe.

Think: Do I really need to be putting myself through this, is there a more efficient way?

 

If you’ve been banging your head against the same problem 42 times, perhaps the 43rd attempt won’t solve it either.

If its a workout, or a programmed training session, then dig in buttercup, the outcome is worth the effort. The same if its a challenging work scenario with a defined goal.

But if the task has no defined goal, no finishing line and seems apparently insoluble, then perhaps you need to take a break and reflect.

It could be that someone has been down that route before and talking to experts could save you hours of time.

It could be that “we’ve always done it that way” isn’t actually the best anymore.

And it could be that, however good your intentions, the goal isn’t going to fit your long term plan.

Stop, breathe, think.

Then get going again.

 

 

Be Ready….

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If you can run 10k in 40 minutes but not carry your buddy 200 yards, are you ready?

If you can squat twice your bodyweight but can’t even run for a bus, are you ready?

If you can walk for hours with a pack but can’t climb a rope, are you ready?

If you can’t swim 25m in a pool, clothed, are you ready?

You never know what life will throw at you. It may be carrying a sick child home from a day out, helping a friend move house, walking across town because the traffic is messed up, or even being caught up in a situation where your skills and fitness are vital to keep yourself, and those you’re responsible for, safe.

Chris Hadfield, in his book “An Astronauts Guide to life on Earth” has a point about being a zero.  You might not be a direct asset to the situation at hand, but you really don’t want to be a burden. Being fit and ready to respond makes you a better zero.

We all like to think we’re fit, but have no idea what that actually means. Being able to run 10k fast is a skill but if you’re washed out for a week after, that isn’t so great. Being built like a rugby prop is useful, if you play rugby. But those guys and girls can also run very fast (at least the professionals), can you?

For its many detractors and weaknesses (not enough endurance based cardio respiratory training in most boxes), crossfit and its like offers a great way of being a better human. Not only do you get faster, fitter and stronger, you can develop mobility and recovery.

Of course, you don’t need to join an expensive box to improve. A few basic kettlebells, sandbag and jump rope are all you need to start.

And get some first aid training. The basics really are basic but could save your life and those who you love.

So be a better human and a positive asset to everyone around you. Get after it.

Linked below is a basic training plan and ready guide. It assumes you can move without pain but little else. Caveat: See a medical professional before starting any new form of exercise plan to make sure it isn’t going to kill you.

Be Ready V2