(originally posted September, 2011–check back next Tuesday when FH Tips resumes) Sometimes Functional Health just comes down to strategy. For example, when you carry a heavy bag–groceries, briefcase, luggage–you can hold it with your hand, requiring the small joints of your fingers to support it. You can rest it on your forearm so that […]
“The body is a bundle of careful compromises” ~R. Nesse & G. Williams, Why We Get Sick Nothing exemplifies that statement better than your joints, the designs of which boil down to exactly that: a compromise. It’s an issue of stability versus mobility– each joint a trade-off between structural sturdiness and maneuverability. And […]
While core-specific exercises are among the most important ones you can do, they can feel like the exercise equivalent of a chore. I personally think of that part of my regimen as housekeeping–as in “just gotta take care of some housekeeping.” The way I see it, most people dread it, it has to be done on a routine […]
If you ask 10 people what the ideal sitting posture is, most if not all will reflexively offer some variation of “sit up straight.” It’s an answer assumed to be so obvious there’d probably be some suspicion as to whether it was a trick question. Well, it’s not a trick question. But neither is the answer obvious. The textbook definition […]
It’s time to stop thinking of exercise machines as a take ’em or leave ’em proposition. By using traditional cardio machines in non-traditional ways, you can get a lot more bang for your buck out of treadmills, stationary bicycles, ellipticals, and others. With a little knowledge and a bit of creativity, you can change a machine from something that aggravates your condition […]
Sprain an ankle recently?….Not the first time?? Not only are ankle sprains one of the most common injuries, but recurrent sprains of the same ankle are not unusual. It’s typical for people to chalk it up to “weak ankles,” consider themselves healed once they can walk without a limp, and resign themselves to a fate of repeated sprains. […]
You know that arthritis takes its toll on joints, but do you realize that it also affects structures outside the joints such as ligaments and muscles? With chronic arthritis comes chronic inflammation and swelling, often when the joint doesn’t even appear swollen from the outside. Increased swelling = increased fluid = increased pressure within the joint = discomfort/pain. […]
Like me, you’ve probably witnessed plenty of treadmill users crank up the speed to just shy of sprinting, the incline to just shy of vertical…and then grab on for dear life! Nothing like taking a perfectly good exercise and making it less beneficial… Hanging on to the treadmill railings is self-defeating in several regards: 1) It throws off the […]
If I were a betting woman, I’d bet a pretty good sum that you’ve never heard anyone complain that their butt muscles were too tight. Or that their back muscles were just too darn loose. Coincidence? Au contraire, mon frere. It’s by design. While the broader concept of muscle imbalances certainly generates a lot of buzz these days [even in the YFH Blog: […]
Sometimes Functional Health just comes down to strategy. For example, when you carry a heavy bag–groceries, briefcase, luggage–you can hold it with your hand, requiring the small joints of your fingers to support it. You can rest it on your forearm so that your elbow does the work. Or you could put it up on […]
