The fitness boom was launched in America in the early 1980s by a small group of celebrities, including Jane Fonda, who recognized the importance of exercise for long-term health and well-being.
Although their methods were flawed, their vision was important. Over the past 30 years the notion of fitness as a valuable end in itself has persisted in the public consciousness. But for the most part, people do not take action on their own behalf in this critical area.
In a typical scenario, a person will finally decide to begin a plan to shed the 30 or more pounds of excess weight he or she has been carrying around for too many years to count. In a whirlwind of activity, the person joins a gym, buys a pair of snazzy cross-trainers, stylish new workout shorts, and tank tops, and even purchases 10 grueling sessions with a personal trainer. After this initial burst of enthusiasm, the typical fitness-seeking person will lose interest in 30 days. Health clubs across the globe rake in their profits from new member initiation fees, knowing full well that most new gym members discontinue their efforts within four to six weeks.
But fitness matters. And from an even broader perspective, lifestyle matters. In 2007, heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease (including stroke and hypertension), and pulmonary disease accounted for more than 60% of the 2.4 million deaths in the United States.1 It is now well-recognized that each of these diseases and conditions is specifically a lifestyle disease. With respect to cancer, less than 10% of cases are due to an inherited condition. The rest are a result of lifestyle choices such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption. overweight and obesity, and lack of exercise.2
With respect to your long-term health, one key action step is to engage in regular vigorous exercise. If you haven't exercised in many years, daily walks are a good way to begin your life-long exercise program. Start with a modest 10-minute walk and build up over six to eight weeks to a daily 30-minute walk. Once you're walking 30 minutes a day, gradually increase your daily pace. When you've achieved a quick 30-minute daily pace and can maintain your schedule comfortably, you may begin to alternate strength-training workouts with your walks.
Fitness is not only a critical lifestyle enhancer, it is also a state of mind. People who are fit want to stay fit. A person who becomes fit usually discovers that he has begun to choose healthy food rather than junk. Frosted doughnuts, candy bars, and twisted ropes of raspberry-flavored sugar lose their allure and appeal. Organic trail mix, organic apples, and protein smoothies become preferred snacks. Persons who take on a fitness lifestyle find themselves losing weight, naturally and easily. No stress-inducing diets. No drastic weight loss. The pounds just fall away because the person is exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.3
Now-fit people never want to put that weight back on again. The healthy lifestyle becomes the preferred lifestyle.
1Xu J, et al: Deaths. Final data for 2007. Natl Vital Stat Rep 58(19), May 20, 2010
2Kirkegaard H, et al: Association of adherence to lifestyle recommendations and risk of colorectal cancer: a prospective Danish cohort study. Brit Med J October 26, 2010 (Epub ahead of print)
3Brietzke SA: A personalized approach to metabolic aspects of obesity. Mt Sinai J Med 77(5):499-510, 2010
Dr. Joshua Brooks
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Principles of Posture
Long ago and far away, a fourth-grade teacher told a student to "stand up straight - you look like a pretzel". The unthinking adult only offered criticism. The child was left to try to unkink himself in the ways that probably caused more structural damage.
Most of us think good posture involves thrusting out the chest and pulling back the shoulders. Informing a person that he needs to improve his posture usually results in a sudden, robot-like increase in stature, the person stiffly incorporating most or all of these muscular stresses.
As a direct result of our weak relationship to sound concepts of what good posture actually is, most people have protruding stomachs, slumped shoulders, and necks that protrude far in front of their body's center. Aside from perpetually unattractive aesthetics, such chronically inefficient posture places ongoing strain on back and neck muscles. Poor posture interferes with normal functioning of your heart and lungs. Metabolic processes deteriorate owing to lack of normal oxygen supply. Poor posture not only leads to musculoskeletal problems like chronic back and neck pain, but also is implicated in gastrointestinal and endocrine diseases and many other disorders.
The welcome news is that achieving good posture is not that difficult. Work is required, of course, as well as consistent attention. But the work is not hard - it is merely new and different, for most of us. As we can guess, the key element in good posture is a straight spine. Importantly, straight doesn’t mean rigid.
The main consideration here is how to get your spine straight without tightening all your muscles and holding your breath.1 The solution requires a little imagination. Picture in your mind a string dangling from the sky and attaching it to your sternum - your breastbone. You can name this image “hitching your sternum to a star”. You dangle from the string like a puppet.
Also, you imagine that the string is supporting all your weight. As a result, your chest lifts up easily and your spine straightens naturally and smoothly.
Another piece to the posture puzzle is to allow your shoulder girdles to rest on your rib cage. You don’t have to press your shoulders down to do this - just don’t hold them up. Most of us unconsciously tighten our neck and shoulder girdle muscles all day long. By starting to be conscious of what’s going on, we can start letting go of tight shoulder girdle muscles. The shoulders will then gently descend and come to rest on top of the rib cage, where they belong.
By paying attention to these basic postural corrections, over time we can develop a posture that is fluid and efficient. We will appear taller, comfortably reaching our full height with grace and ease. Tension and anxiety begin to reduce and we sleep more restfully at night. Good posture is good health.2,3
1Movahed M, et al: Fatigue sensation, electromyographical and hemodynamic changes of low back muscles during repeated static contraction. Eur J Appl Physiol Sep 30, 2010 (Epub ahead of print)
2Edmondston SJ, et al: Postural neck pain: an investigation of habitual sitting posture, perception of 'good' posture and cervicothoracic kinaesthesia. Man Ther 12(4):363-371, 2007
3Prins Y, et al: A systematic review of posture and psychosocial factors as contributors to upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents. Physiother Theory Pract 24(4):221-242, 2008
Dr. Joshua Brooks
Chiropractor, Fairfax VA
Most of us think good posture involves thrusting out the chest and pulling back the shoulders. Informing a person that he needs to improve his posture usually results in a sudden, robot-like increase in stature, the person stiffly incorporating most or all of these muscular stresses.
As a direct result of our weak relationship to sound concepts of what good posture actually is, most people have protruding stomachs, slumped shoulders, and necks that protrude far in front of their body's center. Aside from perpetually unattractive aesthetics, such chronically inefficient posture places ongoing strain on back and neck muscles. Poor posture interferes with normal functioning of your heart and lungs. Metabolic processes deteriorate owing to lack of normal oxygen supply. Poor posture not only leads to musculoskeletal problems like chronic back and neck pain, but also is implicated in gastrointestinal and endocrine diseases and many other disorders.
The welcome news is that achieving good posture is not that difficult. Work is required, of course, as well as consistent attention. But the work is not hard - it is merely new and different, for most of us. As we can guess, the key element in good posture is a straight spine. Importantly, straight doesn’t mean rigid.
The main consideration here is how to get your spine straight without tightening all your muscles and holding your breath.1 The solution requires a little imagination. Picture in your mind a string dangling from the sky and attaching it to your sternum - your breastbone. You can name this image “hitching your sternum to a star”. You dangle from the string like a puppet.
Also, you imagine that the string is supporting all your weight. As a result, your chest lifts up easily and your spine straightens naturally and smoothly.
Another piece to the posture puzzle is to allow your shoulder girdles to rest on your rib cage. You don’t have to press your shoulders down to do this - just don’t hold them up. Most of us unconsciously tighten our neck and shoulder girdle muscles all day long. By starting to be conscious of what’s going on, we can start letting go of tight shoulder girdle muscles. The shoulders will then gently descend and come to rest on top of the rib cage, where they belong.
By paying attention to these basic postural corrections, over time we can develop a posture that is fluid and efficient. We will appear taller, comfortably reaching our full height with grace and ease. Tension and anxiety begin to reduce and we sleep more restfully at night. Good posture is good health.2,3
1Movahed M, et al: Fatigue sensation, electromyographical and hemodynamic changes of low back muscles during repeated static contraction. Eur J Appl Physiol Sep 30, 2010 (Epub ahead of print)
2Edmondston SJ, et al: Postural neck pain: an investigation of habitual sitting posture, perception of 'good' posture and cervicothoracic kinaesthesia. Man Ther 12(4):363-371, 2007
3Prins Y, et al: A systematic review of posture and psychosocial factors as contributors to upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents. Physiother Theory Pract 24(4):221-242, 2008
Dr. Joshua Brooks
Chiropractor, Fairfax VA
Monday, January 3, 2011
Video Games for Rehab
From the Footlevelers Website...
You’ve probably heard of the Wii and Kinect video games. Maybe they’re even sitting in your living room.
Gaming software isn’t just for kids. Some of the most innovative advances in physical therapy and rehabilitation are due in part to gaming devices—the key being how these devices actually work.
Ever hear of Exergaming?
Exergaming requires a system that responds to body movement or reaction—a player, using only the movements of his body can play a video game. No control, no joystick, just a flourish of the wrist or a swivel of the hips. We’re not talking about playing Pong, either—the video games supported by these systems can be incredibly complex and labor intensive. Exergaming has completely revolutionized the cultural stigma of gaming as a sedentary activity. Technology like the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Kinect are getting everyone off the couch and into the game.
The Kinect uses light to map the body with points of reference and stores it—being able to identify and remember players by facial structure, hairstyle, height and weight. This method of identification also enables the Kinect to observe a patient’s posture, and in the case of rehabilitation, whether or not the patient is performing the exercise correctly. On the other hand, the Wii is equipped with the Balance Board, a device that uses pressure as points of reference (as opposed to light). The Balance Board uses a player’s balance, alignment, and weight to determine progress and performance of exercises.
Patient doesn’t want to leave the house? No problem.
Microsoft’s Kinect can link you to your patients without ever having to leave their home. Where once patients had to come to a doctor’s office for supervised rehabilitation exercises, the Kinect enables the patient to perform exercises at home.
The Xbox Live (the Xbox internet) enables the doctor to review a patient’s progress, and check in face-to-face with Video Chat.
Both the Kinect and the Wii are affordable tools that perform just as well as costly medical equipment and can do everything from virtual doctors’ visits to injury rehabilitation. While gaming software is not a replacement for care (no machine can adjust, prescribe, or advise patients), it can be a valuable fitness and rehabilitation apparatus. Gaming tools such as The Kinect and the Wii Fit have "great potential for core strengthening and rehabilitation and may boost compliance exercises,” said Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), these new gaming systems can assist with strength training, balance and aerobics, and show potential for increased exercise motivation.
As healthcare professionals know, one of the hardest parts of physical therapy is keeping patients motivated through tedious, repetitive, and sometimes painful exercises. Chances are, your patients have complained on more than one occasion about the banality of the exercises. Gaming software turns the dull into the dynamic, increasing compliance and potentially, your results. The game also serves as a distraction to patients who must suffer through more painful rehabilitation exercises.
“Acute pain is shown to be noticeably reduced in children and adult sufferers once engaged in video game activity,” said Charles Friedman, D.O. of the Pain Relief Centers in Pinellas Park, FL. “These video games do certainly play a role in relieving some pain through both distraction and movement.” The interactive aspect of this software creates a fun distraction, allowing the patient to go through rehab without even realizing it.
In addition to rehabilitation, gaming software is also a valuable fitness resource. Games that require extensive movement, such as dancing games like Just Dance 2 and Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), offer players the chance to work out, lose weight, and maintain a healthy lifestyle—without even knowing it. A study featuring 22 overweight and normal weight children between the ages of 11-17 found that DDR increases players’ heart rates so that they obtain an aerobic workout, even at the easiest levels of the game
Another study observed the physical intensity of playing DDR at an intermediate level of difficulty and found that it met official standards for developing and maintaining cardio-respiratory fitness in an active and aerobically fit population . Games such as Your Shape:
Fitness Evolved, EA Sports Active and New U Fitness are just a sample of the wealth of fitness games available. Check with your game dealer before you purchase game titles—most game consoles are “region locked”, meaning “an Xbox 360 console in North America cannot play game discs that are sold in Europe or in Asia on that console. An Xbox 360 console that is sold in Europe can only play game discs that are sold in Europe. And an Xbox 360 console that is sold in Asia can only play game discs that are sold in Asia.”
Systems that support these kinds of software are relatively inexpensive and the potential applications for the product in your office are virtually limitless.
1 Loftus, Jack. "In Early Tests, $99 Wii Balance Board Outperforms $17,885 Medical Rig." Gizmodo. N.p., 17 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Dec. 2010.2 Rauscher, Megan. "Wii Fit Finding Its Way Into Rehab." Reuters. N.p., 12 June 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2010.3 "NATA Offers Tips for Fitness Video Game Users." National Athletic Trainer's Association. N.p., 29 May 2008. Web. 20 Dec. 2010.4 Taylor, Owen. "Wii Fit, The Balance Board and Its Role in Physical Therapy." Ezine Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2010.5 Unnithan, V. B.; Houser, W.; Fernhall, B. (2005). Evaluation of the energy cost of playing a dance simulation video game in overweight and non-overweight children and adolescents. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 26. 1-11.6 Tan, B., Aziz, A.R., Chua, K., & The, K.C. (2002). Aerobic demands of the dance simulation game. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 23, 125-129.7 Manners, Tom. "Are international games compatible with local consoles?" MyGaming. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2009.
Dr. Joshua Brooks,
Chiropractor, Fairfax VA
You’ve probably heard of the Wii and Kinect video games. Maybe they’re even sitting in your living room.
Gaming software isn’t just for kids. Some of the most innovative advances in physical therapy and rehabilitation are due in part to gaming devices—the key being how these devices actually work.
Ever hear of Exergaming?
Exergaming requires a system that responds to body movement or reaction—a player, using only the movements of his body can play a video game. No control, no joystick, just a flourish of the wrist or a swivel of the hips. We’re not talking about playing Pong, either—the video games supported by these systems can be incredibly complex and labor intensive. Exergaming has completely revolutionized the cultural stigma of gaming as a sedentary activity. Technology like the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Kinect are getting everyone off the couch and into the game.
The Kinect uses light to map the body with points of reference and stores it—being able to identify and remember players by facial structure, hairstyle, height and weight. This method of identification also enables the Kinect to observe a patient’s posture, and in the case of rehabilitation, whether or not the patient is performing the exercise correctly. On the other hand, the Wii is equipped with the Balance Board, a device that uses pressure as points of reference (as opposed to light). The Balance Board uses a player’s balance, alignment, and weight to determine progress and performance of exercises.
Patient doesn’t want to leave the house? No problem.
Microsoft’s Kinect can link you to your patients without ever having to leave their home. Where once patients had to come to a doctor’s office for supervised rehabilitation exercises, the Kinect enables the patient to perform exercises at home.
The Xbox Live (the Xbox internet) enables the doctor to review a patient’s progress, and check in face-to-face with Video Chat.
Both the Kinect and the Wii are affordable tools that perform just as well as costly medical equipment and can do everything from virtual doctors’ visits to injury rehabilitation. While gaming software is not a replacement for care (no machine can adjust, prescribe, or advise patients), it can be a valuable fitness and rehabilitation apparatus. Gaming tools such as The Kinect and the Wii Fit have "great potential for core strengthening and rehabilitation and may boost compliance exercises,” said Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), these new gaming systems can assist with strength training, balance and aerobics, and show potential for increased exercise motivation.
As healthcare professionals know, one of the hardest parts of physical therapy is keeping patients motivated through tedious, repetitive, and sometimes painful exercises. Chances are, your patients have complained on more than one occasion about the banality of the exercises. Gaming software turns the dull into the dynamic, increasing compliance and potentially, your results. The game also serves as a distraction to patients who must suffer through more painful rehabilitation exercises.
“Acute pain is shown to be noticeably reduced in children and adult sufferers once engaged in video game activity,” said Charles Friedman, D.O. of the Pain Relief Centers in Pinellas Park, FL. “These video games do certainly play a role in relieving some pain through both distraction and movement.” The interactive aspect of this software creates a fun distraction, allowing the patient to go through rehab without even realizing it.
In addition to rehabilitation, gaming software is also a valuable fitness resource. Games that require extensive movement, such as dancing games like Just Dance 2 and Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), offer players the chance to work out, lose weight, and maintain a healthy lifestyle—without even knowing it. A study featuring 22 overweight and normal weight children between the ages of 11-17 found that DDR increases players’ heart rates so that they obtain an aerobic workout, even at the easiest levels of the game
Another study observed the physical intensity of playing DDR at an intermediate level of difficulty and found that it met official standards for developing and maintaining cardio-respiratory fitness in an active and aerobically fit population . Games such as Your Shape:
Fitness Evolved, EA Sports Active and New U Fitness are just a sample of the wealth of fitness games available. Check with your game dealer before you purchase game titles—most game consoles are “region locked”, meaning “an Xbox 360 console in North America cannot play game discs that are sold in Europe or in Asia on that console. An Xbox 360 console that is sold in Europe can only play game discs that are sold in Europe. And an Xbox 360 console that is sold in Asia can only play game discs that are sold in Asia.”
Systems that support these kinds of software are relatively inexpensive and the potential applications for the product in your office are virtually limitless.
1 Loftus, Jack. "In Early Tests, $99 Wii Balance Board Outperforms $17,885 Medical Rig." Gizmodo. N.p., 17 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Dec. 2010.2 Rauscher, Megan. "Wii Fit Finding Its Way Into Rehab." Reuters. N.p., 12 June 2008. Web. 9 Dec. 2010.3 "NATA Offers Tips for Fitness Video Game Users." National Athletic Trainer's Association. N.p., 29 May 2008. Web. 20 Dec. 2010.4 Taylor, Owen. "Wii Fit, The Balance Board and Its Role in Physical Therapy." Ezine Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2010.5 Unnithan, V. B.; Houser, W.; Fernhall, B. (2005). Evaluation of the energy cost of playing a dance simulation video game in overweight and non-overweight children and adolescents. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 26. 1-11.6 Tan, B., Aziz, A.R., Chua, K., & The, K.C. (2002). Aerobic demands of the dance simulation game. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 23, 125-129.7 Manners, Tom. "Are international games compatible with local consoles?" MyGaming. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2009.
Dr. Joshua Brooks,
Chiropractor, Fairfax VA
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