I just have to say that after leaving the gym this past Monday I realized that there are a few things that need to be addressed in the fitness world. But, before I say another word let me tell you a little about myself and what I can do for you! I am a Health and Fitness Professional and have been certified through National Academy of Sports Medicine. I also have a BS in Sport Management with an emphasis on fitness and wellness. I specialize in correcting postural distortion patterns, and muscle imbalances- Basically I take a body that needs some work and tweak it until it works at its optimum level, therefore making you feel like Superman!
Pay close attention because the information I am about to share with you can and will change your body, your health, and your life while on your journey to getting fit. I’ve helped my male clients overcome all kinds of injuries including knee, back, lower back, shoulder, neck, foot, and even injuries in the glutes. Injuries are no fun, and the best way to overcome them, is to avoid them in the first place!
I’m going to be straight up; do you have a pain in your ass? Maybe,in your lower back or upper neck? Yep it’s there but most of you just ignore it and think it’s from all those shrugs you’ve been doing. Well, let me tell you those shrugs aren’t working and secondly that pain is a sign that something is not right. As I scanned the gym on Monday I took a count of how many men actually had good form. 1 out of 12!!! I’m going to cover the basics of good form, why it’s important, and what will happen if you don’t have proper form.
You have 5 check points in your body; feet, knees, hips, shoulders, and your neck. These 5 check points need to be lined up at all times to keep our body
functioning smoothly, and without errors. If one of these check points is out of line it will cause extra stress on your joints, wear and tear on your
ligaments, and lastly cause muscles to do the wrong job leaving you with aches pains, and injuries.
Let’s start with your feet. Your feet are like the tires on your car…VERY IMPORTANT! Why do you get your alignment checked in your car? Easy, because if you don’t it could cause damage to your entire car. Your body is the same. Your feet need to ALWAYS be facing straight ahead at 12 o’clock no matter what you are doing. I repeat, no matter what you are doing! Running, squatting, lunging, bicep curls, standing, you get the point.
Next up is your knees. They need to line up over your toes. Do not let your knees point out or in, especially when you are in a squat position. Do to this to avoid back injuries. Trust me, those are the worst.
Third are your hips. A lot of business men have hips that pull forward, also known as an anterior pelvic tilt. This is because your hip flexors are tight from sitting at your desk all day. Make sure that your hips stay in a neutral position and are not pulling forward or backwards. If they do pull forward, perform the kneeling hip flexor stretch, and if they pull backwards, you need to stretch your hamstrings.
The fourth are your shoulders, another target area for business men, or all of you guys playing on Facebook all day. Most likely if you are at a desk all day for work, you have rounding of the shoulders. This means your chest is tight and your back is weak. By the way, national chest day every Monday and bouncing 500 lbs off your chest doesn’t help your posture, it’s only making it worse. Lay off the chest for a bit and stretch those muscles. Turn your attention to your lats and rhomboids (the
muscles between your shoulder blades) to correct your shoulders.
Lastly, but not least is your neck. The only postural imbalance possible in the neck is a head that protrudes forward. For this you can stretch your neck by putting your ear to the shoulder and holding. Do each side for about thirty seconds. You can also stretch the back of the neck by putting your ear to your shoulder and then looking down towards your shoe. Hold for 30 seconds on each side. Being aware of the problem
will help you change your posture and pull your chin closer to your head.
Use these tips to help you get your posture under control and prevent injuries in the future.
Best of Health,
Liz Lieberman