A QUESTION As a physical therapist I see a fair share of people with osteoarthritis. I often hear folks blame themselves for their condition by saying they wore out their knees by running too much, or working too many years in construction. But was it really their fault, or was it their genetic destiny? Like […]
What is a hand stand press? A handstand press is a foundational hand balancing skill used in gymnastics and physical circus. The press is basically the ability to transition from a forward bend into a handstand without jumping. It is a smooth graceful way to enter a handstand. You can enter from a forward bend […]
Questions Have pain in the back of your thigh and are wondering if you strained your hamstring? Not sure how to tell if you have a hamstring strain? Did I pull my hamstring? When I was sixteen I jumped in the air and landed in the splits. This was a stunt I had done before […]
Why does my neck get tight when I reach overhead? Why does the base of my neck get tight? What can I do when my neck gets tight? I asked myself these same questions. From time to time when raising my arm overhead and holding it there for more than a few seconds my neck […]
The last four posts have covered partner strength and conditioning drills. Now it is time for some acrobalance. (See my previous post for definitions of adagio, acrobalance and acroyoga) We will teach this stunt at the partner strength and conditioning workshop. WHY THE HIP HINGE “T”? I often find that process of getting into an […]
WHY SQUATS? Squats strengthen every muscle in the lower body. Everyone squats whether they realize it or not. Getting out of a chair, a car, or a low couch is a squat. Building strength in squatting carries over to any athletic endeavor in which you push with the legs: rock climbing, rowing, slack lining, picking […]
WHY PUSHUPS? Push ups strengthen the entire “anterior chain” including the chest (pec major, anterior deltoid, and triceps), anterior core (rectus abdominus, internal and external oblique and transversus abdominus) and the quadriceps. At a summer camp that I worked at in college there was a challenge to do 3,000 pushups in two weeks. Over the […]
WHY THE FISHNG POLE? The fishing pole is a partner exercise in which the flyer is in a side plank and the base is in a straight legged dead lift position. The base works all the muscles of their lower back as well as their gluteus maximus and hamstrings. The flyer works their obliques and […]
A Question: Sure balance is a cool trick, but could it be linked to anything meaningful? Besides the risk of falls – which are a problem for the elderly – does balance matter for the rest of us? Who needs to be able to stand on one leg to get to work, nail that interview, […]
WHAT IS A DEAD LIFT? A deadlift simply involves picking something up from the ground to standing up straight with your arms hanging straight down. It is a dead lift because the weight starts in a static “dead” position on the ground, there is no lowering phase in which the muscles can stretch first and […]
Posture Movement Pain 