Key Points

• Knee or Feet depending on capability
• "Soft - V" position at rest
• Solid chest, shoulders, and head
• Hips forward and up
• Posterior Pelvic Tilt with glute and ab contraction
• Hold 3-5 seconds
• Return to rest position
• Repeat

Good Luck,
Dr. Jared

Key Points:

• Body, Leg, and Foot Positioning
• Drive the knees out
• Hips up
• Posterior Pelvic Tilt with glutes and abs contracting
• Hold 3-5 seconds
• Hips down
• Knees together
• Repeat

Have fun,
Dr. Jared

Highlights

• Understand Anterior and Posterior Pelvic Tilt mechanics
• Know what type of patient you are and if you need "flexion" or "extension" in the rest position
• Posterior Pelvic Tilt in the bridge/plank position (glutes and abs)
• Hold 3-5 seconds and back to rest position
• Its about technique and repetition, not the burn

Have fun,
Dr. Jared

Highlights:

• Key Concept for Pain Relief for Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain
• Provides baseline concept of rehabilitative movements
• Posterior Pelvic Tilt - represents the top of all lower extremity resistance training movements
• Posterior Pelvic Tilt - represents safe and solid foundation for most upper extremity movements
• Anterior Pelvic Tilt - represents the bottom of all lower extremity resistance training movements

Enjoy,
Dr. Jared

For some the pain and agony of a 3-5 minute stretchingsession is too much to bare, though 4 hours of continuous running may be justfine.  Ironic as it may be, this is thetruth for many endurance athletes.  Theywill train day after day, hour after hour, but never take a few minutes beforeand after the training session to adequately prepare and sufficiently repair.

My practice sees a large number of endurance athletes,ranging from novice to elite.  A few ofthese athletes come in as a result of an acute injury from a fall, collision,or some other uncontrolled event. However, the majority come in with chronic over-use or mis-use injuriesthat stem directly from either incorrect or a complete lack of pre- andpost-work out stretching.

Patients with these chronic injuries generally present withtwo specific problems: 1. Muscle imbalances in the region of the injury; 2.Compensation patterns that decrease efficiency and increase degeneration oftissue.  By utilizing a dynamic warm-upand cool-down that focuses on lengthening the tight muscle groups, contractingthe opposite muscle groups, and activating the primary force producers of theactivity, the athlete can prevent chronic over-use/mis-use injury and increaseactivity performance.  

Simple as it sounds, it is highly effective in decreasingpain and managing the causative factors of the pain.  Key muscle groups that commonly requirestretching in endurance athletes are the gastroc-soleus complex, iliopsoas, and rectus femoris.  Musclegroups that commonly require contraction/activation are the tibialis anterior and glutealmuscles. 

Train hard, but train smart!

Jared Van Anne

Chiropractic Physician

MS – Sports Science & Rehabilitation

Health & Performance Center - Contact Us

This tutorial is meant to be a reminder to "current patients" who have received in-office instruction on proper technique.  Those who have not received such instruction/treatment should not hold this post accountable for poor results.

From Top to Bottom:

1. Chin Retracted
2. Shoulders Relaxed
3. Shoulder Blades Together
4. "Proud Chest"; Upper Back Extension
5. "Spill Water Out the Back"; Neutral Lumbar Spine
6. Perform as instructed at office visit

Graham Holmberg recently won the title of "World's Fittest Man" at the 2010 Crossfit Games.  This 3 day event was hosted at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA with individuals from across the world competing in numerous workouts that tested multiple functional capabilities.  The work capacity of the athletes was tested over a broad array of time and modal domains, rewarding competitors for high levels of proficiency in speed, power, strength, stamina, mobility, endurance, coordination, precision, and many other measurable factors of true fitness.  Obviously, strength in one area is useless if an athlete is weak in another (ex: strength & endurance).  Listen to Graham's thoughts on how chiropractic care kept him healthy, as well as how flexibility is of vital importance to overall performance.

For more information on chiropractic & mobility visit www.hpc-stl.com
For more information on Crossfit visit www.crossfitvalleypark.com or www.crossfit-tnt.com

This tutorial is meant to be a reminder to "current patients" who havereceived in-office instruction on proper technique.  Those who have notreceived such instruction/treatment should not hold this postaccountable for poor results.

From Top to Bottom:

1. Feet shoulder width or slightly wider, Flared 15-30 degrees
2. 4-6 inches in front of Chair/Box
3. Brugger's Posture (Proud Chest & Stable Core)
4. Hip Hinge back to chair maintaining Brugger's Posture
5. Knees are quiet and Track with hips - over feet
6. Hips Contact Box, Minimize Rock Back, Maintain Posture
7. Spread Floor in between feet (contract glutes)
8. Bring Hips forward in same form as going down

Barefoot running or minimalist running has been getting a great deal of press.  Such techniques do have merit; however, it is important to understand as much as possible before hitting the road.  For more information on this trend: click here

The linked article fails to adequately educate the reader on a wide variety of critical concepts.  Barefoot running is great, but only if you are highly skilled in proper technique.  Honestly, this minimalist running style can be devastating to an uneducated runner with poor technique.  For those runners interested in improving technique and understanding concepts surrounding injury prevention, Pose Technique is something to study.

Suggestions from the article are posted below with modifications from Dr. Van Anne.

If you’re thinking about shedding your shoes, consider these guidelines:

1. Barefoot training is not for people who are just starting to run or returning from a long layoff—it’s something to slowly incorporate into an existing running regimen. ** False ** - As discussed above, it is more important to have good skill and technique than to have a specific kind of shoe.  Good skill and technique allow a runner to pick which ever shoe he or she desires, because it really doesn't matter when you know what you are doing.  It is better to slowly learn to do something correctly than to get good at doing something really bad.  The latter leads to pain and suffering.
   
2. If you have persistent or serious foot problems, consult your podiatrist first.  ** The podiatrist is an option, but it is important to consult someone who knows something about running technique and has personal experience.  If they don't sound knowledgeable and dodge your questions with confusing or incomplete answers...look elsewhere.  Other options include chiropractors, physical therapists, sports medicine doctors; however, the same criterion applies.
   
3. Ease in slowly. Paul advises starting with a few minutes on a flat, relatively forgiving surface once a week. Grassy fields, smooth roads, and soft trails qualify. Running on sand might be tempting, but barefooting newbies should stick to wet sand at first as the unstable soft stuff puts a lot of torque on your joints and is much harder to run on. ** This is a very good idea!  Taking it a step further, you may want to do walk-jog/run combos that will increase your training time, but decrease the overall wear and tear to the bare foot.  This will also give you recovery time to think about improvements and changes to your technique.
4. Listen to your body. “Barefoot Ken Bob” Saxton, founder of running barefoot.org and finisher of more than 70 barefoot marathons, says, “Luckily, your feet are sensitive, which is a good thing. Listen to them and they'll keep you from doing something stupid.” ** I always cringe when I hear "listen to your body".  It is more important to understand what the body is telling you, specifically the difference between pain and discomfort.  Pain is a stop signal that something has gone wrong and needs immediate attention.  Discomfort is a sign that Pain is near and modifications are necessary.  In other words, if you experience discomfort you need to re-evaluate your technique and try to eliminate the discomfort through more skillful running, instead of stopping at the first scent of difficulty.  I like the term "communicate with your body".

Hello all,

Here is the video on the lateral lunge.  In short, this exercise is great for pre- and post-exercise because it asks a lot of the hip regarding mobility, stability, and power transfer from ground to core and/or core to ground.  This exercise is perfect for gaining mobility in the groin or adductor muscle groups, facilitating proper glute function, and improving overall squat (sitting)mechanics that keep us healthy and performing well.

For runners, this is a great exercise because it fights against injuries due to the repetitive, in-line nature of your sport.

Remember the 48-72 hour rule!