Spring Cleaning: Body Edition

After a long cold winter, most of our bodies are ready for some more sunshine to kiss our skin, and more movement and time spent outside, breathing in fresh air. Before you hit the ground running with your Spring activities, consider these "Top 4 Tips for Spring Cleaning your Body" to prepare for this season of renewal. 

1) Water your Internal Garden! 

Hydration is key when increasing your activity level and being outside for longer durations. Not only do we need H2O for all of our cellular processing, but our gut health depends on it for helping to flush out all the toxins from our system. Using a re-usable water bottle is helpful way to transport your water where ever you go. Personally, I use a glass or non-BPA plastic bottle daily and try to keep track of how many times I have filled it up to be sure I am getting the proper amount of hydration in a day. If you need a little flavor to keep you motivated, throw in a slice of lemon, cucumber (or both), or other fruit to liven up your hydration experience. 

2) Walk before you Run!! 

Some of you may be ambitiously planning to participate in a 5K or other type of actual race this year. For others, tackling house cleaning projects or yard work may SEEM as daunting as running a marathon! Regardless of your activities, be sure to actively warm your body up before heading into more strenuous movements. If you are following a "Couch to 5K" program, or working with a coach to train for your races, good for you!! Listen to your body and take breaks as needed as it is much easier to steadily increase the demands on your body than to pick up the pieces after "over-training" injuries may occur! For those of you tackling the home/yard projects, most of them are done in front of the body or "flexed" positions. To counteract all of the sorting, lifting, scrubbing, raking, planting, and pulling positions, be sure to include some Extension activities in your routine: Stand up straight, reaching your leg back behind your body (one leg at a time). Reach your arms all the way up overhead to open your chest and shoulders. These will help to reduce tightness and soreness from the forward flexed postures that are required for your Spring Cleaning tasks. 

3) Wring out your Waists & Wastes!!

Many of you know that our muscles MOVE our bodies from place to place. Did you know that our muscles are also responsible for pumping our Lymphatic Fluids out of the body? The lymphatics are the waste removal system of the body. They rely on the pressure from muscle contractions to serve as pumps for the flow of the waste materials out of the body. Regular movement is required to keep our "pipes" clean. Even more reason to get back in for a session to make sure that ALL of your muscles are functioning efficiently!  Some other ways you can help the lymphatic flow are by dry brushing your skin, or bouncing on a trampoline (also known as rebounding). Since many of our lymph ducts are in our armpits, abdomen and groin, marching in place and bringing your opposite elbow toward your knee will allow your core muscles to massage your internal organs and flush those major lymphatic ducts.  Ask me at your next session to teach you my favorite Lymph blaster, "The Jiggle" as that one is easier to teach (and funnier to watch) in person. Hee hee! :) 

4) "Treat Yourself Well" (TYW) Exercise

My favorite new movement routine is a simple way to open your heart, allow the divine energy to flow into your body and energy centers, and shine that positive light and energy out to our planet as you share your unique gifts with the world.  This activity also helps to undo all of the stuck stress related to excessive forward flexion activities and postures. I've shared this before but it is so worth repeating, and it's so easy to remember and perform no matter where you are: at home, on vacation, at the office, wherever!!  

How to perform the TYW exercise: 

T: Spread your arms out to the sides to make your body look like a letter "T". Feel the opening of your chest as you squeeze your shoulder blades behind you. Spread your fingers wide and reach them back behind your body as you reach them away from the center of your body to feel the elongation throughout your entire arms, chest and torso. Take a few breaths in that position. 

Y: Reach your arms up and out with your thumbs facing backward, as if your body is forming a letter "Y". Feel the chest open again as you drop your shoulders down away from your ears and reach your arms up to the corners of the room. Extend your fingers again to feel the elongation through your entire arm and hand. Take a few breaths in that position. 

W: Bend your elbows with your arms open to each side, as if forming a letter "W" with your upper body. Your shoulders will be externally rotated and your chest is open again. Rotate your forearms so your pinky fingers are facing behind your body and thumbs point toward the front of your body to feel the elongation through your entire arm again. Take a few breaths in this position. 

This sequence can be performed many times per day. Try it while seated, standing, lying on your back, or for a more challenging position, lie on your stomach over an exercise ball or at the edge of your bed. Be sure to stay within your pain-free ranges of motion. Enjoy!! 

Looking forward to helping you MOVE into Spring and beyond!

Keep Moving Well!

Tootsie's TWEET: Save Yourself Hundreds of $$$ This Year

Hello there! It's me again, "Tootsie," Emily's (straight-forward & sassy) Alter-Ego. (If you haven't met me yet, click here for my official introduction) As "Queen of the Posture Police," it's my duty to keep our community safe from all things that may negatively affect your posture or drain your body's precious energy and CALL THEM OUT!! I had to issue another "warning" recently at a local recreation equipment store, and wanted to share with you so you can avoid bodily harm AND save yourself hundreds of dollars this year! 

Massage Gadgets: Wonders or Weapons?

So many people are talking about all of the various self-massage gadgets available these days. Some people have even given them or received them as holiday gifts last year.  Obviously, people think these are helpful tools, as the local recreation store mentioned above had a whole rack of items including massage sticks, trigger point releasing canes, foam rollers, and spiky massage balls of all shapes and sizes, some with pretty hefty price-tags. I'm here to give you a different perspective... I say, "Drop your weapons!!" 

So, I'm all for taking matters into your own hands to help yourself feel better. Massage can be a wonderfully beneficial modality to improve circulation, promote relaxation, and increase endorphins. But seriously people, less is more!! I can't tell you how many people have hurt themselves digging for gold with these tools!!  Sure, some people can handle deep pressure and can tolerate using these devices without any problems, but I'm here to tell you, you will not be "releasing" the knots--you simply can't "untie" them! Nor do you even want to. Here's why...

Your Body is Your Vehicle for Life!! 

Just because something is tight and sore does not mean it is the problem!! Would you take a hammer and break the red light flashing inside your dashboard to solve your car's problem?? Of course not!! Pain and other not-so-fun sensations are indicators (red lights) that something is not right. Your body is your vehicle for life, and although they are available, replacement parts are nowhere near as good as the originals!! Stop killing the messengers in your body by trying to dig them out, and keep looking for the root of the problems so your body works better!

Maybe your chronically sore and tight neck and shoulders are chronically sore and tight because you have weak abdominals or lower spine muscles. Those sweet, innocent neck muscles may be holding on for dear life, as they are the ONLY muscles working to keep you upright, OR they are majorly overworking to compensate for the weakness below and they are trying to get your attention!! Get that Thera-Gun away from your neck and shoulders and THANK those sore areas for keeping you upright! Sure, feel free to give them some love, a gentle rub-down, or better yet move your shoulders up, back, down and around to alleviate some discomfort. But enough already with trying to dig out the tightness, untie the knots, and "release" the red flashing light on your dashboard! We don't hesitate to take our cars in for regular maintenance, yet often wait until our vehicle for life screams at us before we do something about it! 

Re-Wire your Body

(Science Nerd-Alert) The nervous system runs our body's show! Similar to a computer, the electrical messages sent by the nervous system (software) control the movement of our muscles and bones (hardware).  Our software tells our muscles where, when, and how quickly to contract to do 3 main things: hold our alignment/posture, move us from place to place, and pump our lymphatic system to boost health. When one muscle gets the message to contract, the brain sends a signal to its opposing muscle to relax.  If something feels tight, the opposing muscle might not be contracting as well as it could be. If one movement pattern isn't working well, your brain will find another one nearby that does something similar, but not exactly the same.  If you "release" the compensations that may be indicating a problem in your body, your brain will have to come up with an even less efficient secondary compensation!! TWEET!! I'm blowing my whistle again here to stop the madness, to say STOP mashing on something just because it hurts, and focus on finding better ways to get your body working efficiently!! 

Just like a light switch turns on a lightbulb, a Muscle System Specialist can help turn on our muscle activity. Nerve pathways get blocked up, almost like the switches get turned off, with inflammation from stress, injuries, surgeries and accidents. This can lead to the pain, tightness, limited movements, and imbalances that usually send Emily's clients in to see her.  Emily is helping your nervous system send those electrical messages better when she's poking and prodding on you to re-wire your system! It is important to re-boot your body, get your lights turned back on, improve how you move and flush out your system, so you can feel and live better! 

Ready to ditch the rollers, mashers, and diggers, finally get to the root of the issues in your tissues, and let a muscle whisperer help? Get your "vehicle for life" checked and take advantage of Emily's special offer today: 

Winter Wellness Special: $79**

Full Body 5-Point Inspection:

✔ Alignment/Posture Check

✔ Range of Motion Check

✔ Muscle Stability Check

✔ Gait Analysis

✔ Home Program Check/Update

**Available for the first 3 clients who mention this offer when scheduling**

Simply call or text 414-405-3956, or email 1212bodyworks@gmail.com to schedule 

Investing in your health care pays dividends for years to come. Save your money when it comes to buying another plastic gadget and put it toward making a real difference in your body!

Keep Moving Well! 

"Tootsie" 

Tootsie's "TWEET:" Don't Wait Until It's Too Late

It's me again, Emily's alter-ego, Tootsie, "Queen of the Posture Police."  I'm tired of Emily being so nice to you all!! I'm here to keep it real and offer some unfiltered advice so you feel better & STAY better!!  I'm here to blow my whistle and make another citation for crappy posture! 

TWEET! Don't Wait Until It's Too Late!!  

It's so annoying!  That lingering, dull ache when you bend or reach. It's been bothering you for some time now, but you just keep hoping it will go away...eventually. But it is still there. It's not convenient, but you move on. It doesn't seem to matter what you do, it is still there. You've tried stretches. It's still there. Your Chiropractor gets your alignment straight and you feel better for a little bit, but it's still there. Your Massage Therapist tries to untie the knot in that area, but it tightens back up. Then all of a sudden, you move the wrong way and your body locks up completely!! You have to cancel all of your plans and let your body calm down for who knows how long!! Again, not convenient, but this time you can't move at all!  Now, what are you supposed to do??

Good question. I know the answer. (Emily is too nice to share it, so here I go!) DON'T WAIT!! That little annoying ache, that all of a sudden turns into an emergency could have been dealt with much better in Emily's office when it was a molehill, rather than a mountain. You know how it goes on Emily's treatment table..."Move this way...Hold here...Ready, RESIST! Roll over, lift this leg, Hold, Ready RESIST! Now roll back over. Stand up. Sit down. Move this way, Ready RESIST!" Good luck trying to do any of THAT when your body is in crisis-mode, crying out in pain! 

Here's the deal. When your body has trouble MOVING or you can't MOVE a certain way, your muscles are involved. When you feel tight or have a "knot," your muscles are involved, but I'm here to tell you, those stretches won't help! When your posture and alignment are out of place, your muscles are involved; when your alignment is put back into the ideal position, if the muscles that hold it there aren't on board, your crappy alignment will shift right back to where it once was. It is as simple as that! Fortunately for you, YOU happen to have your own personal Muscle Specialist. You know who to call when your body is starting to send you the uncomfortable messages. You know NOT to wait until it is too late.  

A few weeks ago, Emily got a call from a client she hadn't seen for several months. All of a sudden, this client reached out in crisis mode. "I NEED to get in for a session! My body is ANGRY!!" Unfortunately for this client's sake, Emily's calendar was full of clients who had already been on her schedule for weeks, committed to working on the process of moving better after their body gave them subtle warning signs. This client waited until it was too late! She waited until her body was screaming at her!! Not only would she have been miserable on the treatment table, trying to move into the range-of motion positions needed for Emily to figure out the best way to help her, but the hands-on and exercise treatments themselves would have been more painful to endure as well in her inflamed state. 

Even though she is a PT (which some people think stands for "Pain & Torture"...), Emily truly does NOT like to hurt her clients!! Seriously, she doesn't!! She knows that it will be painful for her clients to be treated when they are in an active crisis mode. Of course, IF she is able to help, Emily will see her clients in whatever state they show up to the session, but it goes much more easily for everyone involved if the sessions are focused on promoting wellness rather than doing damage control. (But she's too nice to say anything, so that's why I'm bringing it up!) 

So, in summary, listen to those body signals, people!! Even if the message seem just like a little "whisper" right now, these quieter messages are important indicators that something may get MUCH louder if you wait too long to have your muscles checked! Maybe you've been told by a friend or family member that your posture needs help, or you've noticed uncomfortable sensations in your body with all the stress & changes you've been through since 2020, or you've been dealing with a chronic, nagging ache for years and you just keep on plugging away. Now, bring your mole-hills in to see Emily before they become mountains!! 

DON'T WAIT!!! Call, Text (414) 405-3956, or Email 1212bodyworks@gmail.com to set up your next session! 

Tootsie's "TWEET": Stand Up Already!

It's me again, Emily's alter-ego, Tootsie. I introduced myself last month as "Queen of the Posture Police." (If you didn't get to meet me yet, hop back to the last blog entry and find out more about me). Basically, I'm tired of Emily being so nice to you all. I'm here to keep it real and offer some unfiltered advice so you feel better and stay better!! I know you have better things to do than go in for treatments all the time! As Queen of the Posture Police, I'm here to blow my whistle and make another crappy posture citation. 

TWEET! Stand Up Already!! 

I'm all for standing up to crappy posture, but this time I'm serious! Sitting is the new smoking, or so it's been said. Sitting is one of the worst things that you can do for your body, especially when you remain sitting for long periods of time. Chronic sitting leads to many detrimental health effects including 

• Decreased Digestion
• Stifled Breathing
• Heart Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Dementia
• Cancer 
• Muscle Fatigue
• Muscle Tightness
• Muscle Weakness
• Pain (Neck, Back, Shoulders, Hips, Pelvis, etc)
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Sciatica
• LE Swelling/Edema
• Varicose Veins

Sounds awful, am I right? And this is only some of the bad effects of sitting. So what do you do about this problem? There are some easy solutions. Emily will go into more details about all of them next week in a Free Zoom Seminar, but for now, here are some ideas for you:

 

1. Set a timer to get up every 30-45 minutes

2. Get a Standing Desk

3. Choose to have a walking meeting instead of at a desk

4. If you have to sit, sit correctly

5. Avoid sitting as much as possible

6. MOVE!! 

See, it's really not that difficult to break the cycle of sitting. Wondering what correct posture is all about? Curious about which exercises or movements are best to negate the effects of sitting? Well, you're in luck! You can join Emily next week on Friday, September 24, 2021 at 9am for a Free Zoom Seminar called "Take a Stand Against Sitting." You'll learn more about why we should be getting up off of our keisters more often, what correct sitting posture looks and feels like, and what exercises you can incorporate to keep yourself from adding any of those bullet points above to your life!! 

Interested in joining in? Drop Emily an email at 1212bodyworks@gmail.com, or send her a text to 414-405-3956 letting her know you are interested, and she will send you all of the details for the seminar including the Zoom link. (I might just be making any appearance at the seminar...TWEET!!)

Now, don't just sit there!! Get up off of your keisters and contact Emily already! 

Meet "Tootsie:" Queen of the Posture Police

You don't know me, but I know you! You know that sweet, muscle lady who keeps your body working? Well, I'm the alter ego inside her head, Tootsie. Emily is nice, and I'm mean. She's the bubbly-coffee-shop-barista, and I'm the cranky-waitress-at-the-50's-style-diner. She's a squirrel, I'm grounded. Because she's a "people pleaser," she usually filters me out--that's why you haven't heard of me before. It's time to keep it real and sneak in some of MY advice now. 

So many of "our" clients have crappy posture!! That leads to arthritis (joint inflammation) from head to toe, pressure on organs (no-go, or gotta go, gotta go right NOW!!), and immune dysfunctions (I know...blah, blah, blah!). I crowned myself "Queen of the Posture Police." It's time to stop being nice, stand up to crappy posture, and set it straight once and for all!! It's Citation time, people!! I have a whistle, and I'm not afraid to use it! (TWEET!)

TWEET!  Go Barefoot Already!!

You don't need "support" from a shoe! Or a shoe insert. Our feet are designed to hold an entire body up for a lifetime.  If you have been told by a professional that you are an "over-pronator," have fallen arches, or that you should NEVER go barefoot, here's another side of the story (from the Black Sheep of the PT family...) Barefoot is best! (Disclaimer...a transition is needed!) Honey, get ready to kick off your ugly, orthopedic shoes, break up properly with your dang inserts, and get your tootsies MOVING!! 

What? Your feet hurt, or don't move like you want them to move? Need help letting go of tightness? There's hope! "Muscle Magicians," like our girl Emily, can easily restore LIFE to your muscles.  She Locates limited motions, Isolates the weakness, Facilitates weak muscles, and Educates on how to stay active and keep you out of our office!! We ALL have better things to be doing, am I right!?! 

Human bodies are tricky: pain in one area doesn't always mean the problem is there. Your feet may be attempting to compensate for your weak hips, or some other place for that matter.  Plantar Fasciitis, Bunions, and Hammertoes resolve when we get your whole body moving better. Here's what you can do right now: when barefoot or not, start moving your feet, ankles and toes EVERY day, every chance you get! (You'll thank me for this!)

It's SOOO simple: moving your body is helpful for so many reasons. You know who to see when your efforts to move better on your own are not cutting the mustard, sweetheart! Together, "we" can locate the source of your unique weakness and teach you a better way to move. (Tell Emily I sent you!) 

Since this is our first meeting, I'll let you off with just a warning...but only this time!

Until next month, 

Tootsie

                     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just to be safe in avoiding future citations, Emily is offering a Free Walking Analysis with every session for the first  2 weeks of August. It's amazing how much better you can feel with even a few tweaks to your walking posture and alignment! Get yourself on the schedule as appointments are filling quickly these days. Call, text (414) 405-3956, or email 1212bodyworks@gmail.com to connect. 

 

Is Your Head On Straight?   How many of you have heard me say "We need to get your head back on straight?" Sure, it sounds kind of silly, but SOOO many of my Physical Therapy clients benefit from this simple reset. My client Stacy came for help to resolve chronic shoulder and elbow pain, which was making it difficult to perform her work as a Professional Photographer. Her camera was heavy with all of its attachments, and she was having trouble making it through an entire shoot without needing many breaks. Then, while sitting at her computer to edit the photos, a feeling of tightness settled into her upper back. She was seeing a Massage Therapist to try to "untie the knots" in her neck and shoulders but wasn't having lasting results. She was frustrated that despite going to the gym regularly, doing all sorts of stretches, and using pain-relieving essential oils, she couldn't find relief.  When we first met for her Full Body Assessment, her posture caught my attention. Stacy's head position was slightly tilted and rotated to the right. Her left shoulder was higher than her right, her pelvis was also rotated, and one of her foot arches was much flatter than the other side. This alignment is very common, especially with clients who are Right hand dominant. As we worked together, Stacy performed corrective exercises at home for her shoulder and arm. She noticed very little pain while doing her exercises but then felt some discomfort later in the day. She adjusted her computer workstation to take pressure off of her arms, but that only helped a little bit too. When we treated Stacy's neck, she could immediately feel an improvement in her shoulder mobility, tightness and pain!  Stacy was surprised to learn that so many of her neck muscles were "asleep!" She asked, "How have I even been holding my head upright with all of this weakness?"  We laughed, and I told her she was compensating for the weakness by holding tension in surrounding areas. It is not an efficient long-term solution to weakness, but that is what our body does! Since the head houses the brain, which is responsible for ALL of the nerve signals traveling throughout the entire body, it is important to "get it on straight!" Just this week, Stacy told me that her Massage Therapist even noticed how much better things are for her now! She's happy she is finally finding relief!  Stacy's pain and tightness was located relatively close to her neck, but getting your head back on straight can even help client's who are suffering from Lower Back Pain, Sciatica, Knee pain and even Foot pain! It's amazing how everything is connected.  If you or someone you love have been dealing with chronic pain or tightness that doesn't seem to lessen with exercise or other therapies, there is hope!! You too can find freedom from the pain once and for all!

8 Key Elements to a Well-BALANCED Life: "A" is for...

How many times has a parent, teacher, or someone else in your life told you to sit or stand up straight? Most people know that ideal posture is important, but don't always consider why. Leave it to me, the muscle nerd, to fill you in on why having proper posture is important to your health and how learning to monitor and adjust your body's ALIGNMENT can save years of pain and dysfunction.

Your muscular system is responsible for 3 main functions: 1. Align your skeleton, 2. Create movement, 3. Control movement. Weak or tight muscles cause imbalances which pull your body out of correct alignment,  resulting in less efficient movements and more stress on your entire system. If your muscles are not working properly due to stress, trauma or overuse, your everyday postures could be doing more harm than you realize! Improper alignment can lead to difficulty taking a full breath, pinched nerves, headaches, neck and back pain, knee and shoulder injuries, foot dysfunctions, and the list goes on!!  

"What is ideal alignment," you might be wondering, "and how can I prevent myself from having some these problems?" The answer is dependent on whether you are standing, sitting, lying down, etc. This post will focus on your standing posture. Let's start from the ground and work up, as this sets up a solid foundation. 

Foot Alignment:

Your feet should be positioned about hip width apart with the toes pointed straight ahead, not in or out to the side. Your weight should be evenly distributed between both of your feet, and over the 4 corners of each foot: at the ball of your foot near the base of the big toe and the pinky toe, and at the inside and outside edges of your heel. Your arch should come up and away from the floor and your toes should be relaxed. 

Knee Alignment:

Your knee caps should be relaxed and facing straight ahead and your knee creases on the back side of the knee should be facing behind your body evenly. 

Hip and Pelvis Alignment:

Your hips should be positioned over your ankles with the pelvis neutral (not tipped forward or tucked backward) and both sides of the pelvis should be level (not elevated or dropped down on either side). 

Spine Alignment:

You have a naturally occurring S-shaped curve (almost like a snake) that runs throughout your spinal column and alternates toward the front and back of your body to help absorb shock. The lower back (lumbar region) curve is known as lordosis, which means that the spine curves slightly forward forming a slight arch. The mid back (thoracic region) curve is known as Kyphosis, which curves toward the back of your body. The neck (cervical vertebra) curve has the lordotic curve like the lumbar spine which curves slightly forward. The spine should stack straight on itself, rather than sway sideways, as in scoliosis. 

Ribcage Alignment:

Your ribs and chest should stay aligned between your shoulders and pelvis with the front, lower ribs dropped down, not flared forward. 

Shoulder Alignment:

Your shoulders should be lined up over your hips with arms relaxed and hanging straight down at your sides. Your shoulder blades should be located on the back of your ribcage, not rounded forward. 

Head Alignment:

Your head should be positioned with your ear aligned above your shoulder with your eyes looking straight ahead. Your ears should be even with each other, not tilted up or down on one side. Your chin should remain slightly tucked inward, with the top of your head reaching straight up toward the sky. 

If there was a plumb line drawn down the side of your body, it would line up through the middle of your ear, down through the middle of your shoulder joint, down through your outer hip, down through the back of your knee cap, and to the front of your ankle bones.  You can have a friend or family member take a picture of you from the side, back and front so you can observe all of the above areas and note your alignment. 

How do you line up? 

Working as a Physical Therapist for 17 years, I have had the privilege of helping many people, just like you, resolve their pain issues and movement dysfunctions through identifying and correcting muscle imbalances to improve their alignment naturally.  Early in my career, I would teach general exercises to retrain my clients' bodies. This would alleviate some of the tightness and create more strength in the muscles, which was helpful. However, I knew that something was missing, as people were still having to really work to hold their correct alignment.  

For the past 6 years, I have had access to over 270 muscle tests through the Muscle Activation Techniques system. Using these precise tools, I can now even MORE specifically isolate the weak muscles leading to the impaired alignment and movement dysfunctions that I may have missed earlier on in my career. This has made a huge difference in my client's outcomes! Their ideal alignment and posture now holds better than ever, without them having to try so hard to maintain these positions. 

If you are in line, good for you. If you need help to analyze your posture and resolve your imbalances, I'm happy to help you become aligned and well!