4-Week Program for Posture and Alignment - Week 1

As I was doing some research on an alignment issue for one of my clients, I came across Maryann Barry and some of the articles and videos that she has published. Upon looking at my own body, I realized that my body is misaligned, and I believe, the cause of my hip/SI joint pain that many of you have heard me talk about. I have begun doing these exercises myself and am finding that when my body is in alignment, I do not experience the hip pain that has been with me constantly 24/7 for over 2 years now.

If you experience any kind of pain, such as headaches, neck, shoulder, hip or knee pain, or plantar fasciitis, I recommend you taking a few minutes to read Maryanne's brief story below and watch the 4 videos that I have included.  All of the exercises are simple to do and the only piece of equipment needed is something to place between your knees that will keep your knees open as wide as your sits bones such as a yoga block or foam roller.

Here is Maryann:

"When I was 27 years old, I was in a wheelchair for almost a year. I couldn't walk because of an unexpected onset of excruciating pain in my left hip. I never had a fall or an accident. The hip pain just started one day and continued to get worse over time, until eventually the pain levels were a constant eight out of ten.

Desperate for a reprieve from the pain, I tried painkillers, but even the most creative concoctions offered no relief. There was no position of comfort for me, sitting and lying down were just the lesser of evils. Eventually I was confined to being pushed around in a wheelchair because even the simple act of wheeling myself aggravated my hip.

My Downward Spiral Into Pain

Rewind to before this all started. My whole life I was active and into sports. At the time, I was in school studying to get my EMT license to become a firefighter. I was also an avid surfer and part-time personal trainer. To be confined to a wheelchair and in chronic pain was nothing short of catastrophic and sidelined much of what I had going on in my life. 

In an effort to get better, I consulted with over twenty healthcare professionals, including hip surgeons across the country. I sought every form of medical treatment under the sun, and ended up in a downward spiral that went something like this: At the first onset of hip pain I went to see a sports medicine doctor who told me to stay off of my hip and rest. Repeat visits to a chiropractor yielded no long-term relief. Six months later, I was worse and began aggressively persuing a diagnosis for my symptoms.

As my hip pain worsened, and I went from walking to being on crutches to being in a wheelchair, I visited orthopedic surgeons, a neurologist, plastic surgeons, primary care physicians, a nurse practitioner, a psychiatrist, physical therapists, an osteopath, massage therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, spiritual healers and energy workers. I was scanned, poked and prodded in every way imaginable with MRIs, MRIs with contrast, scopes, CAT scans and X-rays. I took everything I was prescribed including anti-inflammatories, painkillers, anti-nausea medication to counteract the nausea that resulted from the painkillers, and antidepressants.

"The one thing all of my doctors overlooked was that my body was severely out of alignment."

After all was said and done, the diagnosis was femoroacetabular impingement with labral tear. In other words, the bones of my hip were coming in contact with one another, resulting in cartilage damage. But after arthroscopic surgery to my left hip, done by a specialist in Los Angeles, I was still in just as much pain as before, and left wondering why I had this problem in the first place. This was the last straw for me.

The one thing all of my doctors overlooked was that my body was severely out of alignment. One shoulder and one hip were higher than the other, and my entire body rotated towards the right. 

How did I get to be so out of alignment? Breast implants. 

I had a breast augmentation in 2006, and that is when I started having problems in my back, knees, and ankles that I had never had before. My body was compensating so much after the implants were put in, that the mechanics of my hip joint were totally thrown out of whack. 

Now let me take a minute to pause, and let you digest what I just said. Yes, breast implants.

Now, let me be clear about a few things before I go on, because I know what you might be thinking. First of all, they were not huge, but the implants were big enough that they caused negative changes to the position of my shoulder girdle and upper back, which in turn affected the rest of my body. Secondly, no, I did not have a leak or chemical reaction to silicone. My symptoms were entirely alignment based. Third, this is not an anti-breast implant article.

Posture photos from when I was in a wheelchair.

Getting breast implants is a personal choice that a person makes based on many different motivating factors. Although I can vouch for the negative impact breast implants can have on a person’s posture, there are many women that rock implants without ever having problems.

The Solution: Posture Alignment Therapy

So, you might be wondering how on earth my doctor came up with the possibility that the implants might be the problem. Well, none of my doctors came up with this theory. I did. In fact, when I suggested it to all of the doctors I was working with, they dismissed my theory as entirely impossible. 

"My symptoms didn’t just magically disappear. It took a great deal of work on my part post surgery to coax my shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles back to a better alignment."

But I knew in my gut that I needed to get the implants removed in order for my body to return to a more neutral alignment and for my hip to get better. Sure enough, after having the implants removed in 2010, my hip pain went away within weeks. I eventually resumed all of the activities that I loved and have been wheelchair free ever since.

My symptoms didn’t just magically disappear. It took a great deal of work on my part post surgery to coax my shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles back to a better alignment. 

This technique is known as Posture Alignment Therapy, and through my training in this method I learned that all of the parts of the human body work together as one unit, and the human body has the ability to heal itself if given the chance. I experienced both of these things firsthand, and have made it my life’s work and passion to teach others the same.

Today a typical workout consists of weightlifting and interval training, and my hip is pain free.

I continue to practice a daily routine of Posture Alignment Therapy exercises to keep myself out of pain and functioning at my best ability. "

4-Week Program for Posture and Alignment - Week 2

4-Week Program for Posture and Alignment - Week 3

4-Week Program for Posture and Alignment - Week 4

REAL Men Do Pilates!

I am re-posting this article from May 2016 to add a follow-up video clip interview from the ESPN Body Issue 2016.
You will find this clip at the end of this post.

ENJOY!








... "One day after the 2013 season (wife) Brittany and Jake were leaving a French bakery in their hometown of Austin when he noticed a Pilates studio next door. Arrieta has always been a workout omnivore, devouring any discipline that will make him better: yoga, Olympic weight training, visualization, sports psychology.... Pilates? Sounded interesting. Arrieta figured he would take one or two classes a week. He walked into the studio and signed up for a class with an instructor named Liza Edebor. “I pitch for the Cubs,” he told her.

“Oh, that’s great,” she said. “I never heard of you. Let’s see what we can do.”

In the first half of the 20th century German-born Joseph Pilates developed a series of controlled movements to improve strength and flexibility throughout the body. Many of the movements involve the use of pulley systems on a machine called a reformer. After Arrieta’s first session with Edebor he told her, “We need to train together. This is life-changing.”

He took sessions three times a week. He ordered a custom-built reformer for Wrigley Field and put it in the only space available, a cramped storage room that doubled as manager Joe Maddon’s media interview room. Last season Maddon conducted media briefings while Arrieta ground through his Pilates workout just a few feet away.

In the off‑season Arrieta turned his Austin garage into a Pilates studio. Edebor trained Brittany and Jake there for an hour and a half six days a week, starting at 6 or 6:30 a.m. “Jake went from a regular-sized athletic guy to just ripped,” Edebor says, “and the only thing we did was Pilates.”

“It’s an incredible experience,” Arrieta says. “Pilates has been around a long time but maybe was taboo in this sport. I think it’s only a matter of time before you see a reformer in every big league clubhouse.”

The Cubs finished remodeling their clubhouse facilities this off‑season, giving one of the game’s most cramped quarters the second-largest footprint in baseball, behind only the Yankees’ facilities in square footage. The new Wrigley digs include a room devoted to the latest in training devices. It is known as the Arrieta Room. More reformers are on the way.

“What I noticed from Pilates last year was that I have much better control of my body,” Arrieta says. “I repeat my delivery consistently. My balance is much improved. And the mental and physical toughness Pilates requires to complete movements the correct way have directly helped me on the mound.”

Arrieta stretches two hours every day. He does yoga. He meditates. He undergoes mobility training called Functional Range Conditioning, which stresses his joints to ward off injuries from sudden movements, such as reacting to a bunt. He starts every day with up to 24 ounces of water and 24 ounces of cold-pressed juices. He eats four to six eggs for breakfast and then has small meals throughout the day. Before starts he prefers marinated chicken, quinoa, roasted vegetables and other “foods that will lead to clarity of mind,” as he puts it. Steak and potatoes? “Never before competition,” he says. “There’s no way I’d put that food in my body. It will directly correlate with my performance.”

About two hours before every start Arrieta climbs on his reformer. He runs through a progression of movements designed to awaken and stress parts of his body for competition: obliques, lats, shoulders.... This goes on for about 20 minutes. When he is done, he pulls on his uniform and headphones. In Baltimore he would play heavy metal such as Pantera or Metallica to get his heart rate up. But now he plays mellow ambient music such as Fleet Foxes. He has learned that it’s better to calm the body and mind to conserve energy. When he steps on the mound, Beast will be there."

You can find the full article in the March 28 2016 edition of Sports Illustrated or here

http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/03/28/jake-arrieta-chicago-cubs-profile

How cool is that!!! :)

Below is the video-clip interview from ESPN's  Body Issue. 
(Yes, there is a commercial that runs before the video)



http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=16616055

Expansion

The piece is called Expansion and is by artist Paige Bradley. I came across it on-line and it is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen. Just had to share!

Correct Rowing Technique

Good form is not only for the Pilates studio! We practice Pilates to strengthen, stretch, balance, and tone our muscles to hold our skeleton in good posture, and to be aware of how to engage the proper muscles while lying, sitting, kneeling, standing, and moving. So remember to take what you learn in the studio and bring it in to all of your other activities, whether you are sitting at your desk, playing basketball with your kids, or working out in the gym.

I love rowing and know that some of you enjoy rowing as well, and good form is important to prevent injuries, so I wanted to offer this brief tutorial on proper rowing form.

This article is from Men's Health Magazine:

The Five Rowing Mistakes You Don't Know You

Are Making

By Kelsey Cannon

...we reached out to Bryan Volpenhein, head coach of the U.S. men's Olympic rowing team and Olympic gold medalist, to set us on the right course.

Master Your Form

1. The Catch: Sit with your legs bent and feet in the stirrups so your shins are almost 90 degrees to the floor. Fully extend your arms to grab the handle and lean your body forward so your shoulders come just in front of your hips. Keep your back flat and your core engaged.

2. The Drive: Maintain a straight back, tight core, and locked arms and then drive your legs back until they are just about straight. Once they are, hinge from your hips and lean your torso backward. As your torso reaches a 90-degree angle with the floor, begin to pull with your arms by bending at the elbows. 

3. The Finish: Here your legs should be straight, your elbows bent, and you should pull the handle to your lower chest. Your arms should be slightly away from your ribcage, but not flared out to the sides. Maintain a strong core and a straight back. 

4. The Recovery: "This is a mirror image of the drive," says Volpenheim. The arms begin to straighten. When they are almost fully extended, the torso hinges forward from the hips. Maintaining a straight back and tight core, the knees begin to bend once the handle passes over them. 

Manage Common Mistakes

The Problem: You row in the wrong order.

On the drive portion of the stroke, guys usually use their bodies or their arms too soon. "This is probably the most common mistake I see," says Volpenheim. 

Fix it: Think of the sequence as working your way from your big muscle groups to the smaller ones, says Volpenheim. You want the large muscles in your legs to do most of the work. He suggests rowing without strapping your feet into the machine. If you can't keep your feet in contact with the footholds, something is out of order, says Volpenheim.

The Problem: You "shoot your seat."

It’s more common than you think. "This is where your seat moves and your legs extend but nothing else moves," says Volpenheim. It delivers a major blow to your explosive power and momentum.

Fix it: "The handle should move at the same time as your seat," says Volpenheim. Try focusing on the first half of your drive. Sit in the catch position—with your knees bent, back straight, and core tight—and extend your knees half way. Make sure the handle travels at the same rate as your seat.

The Problem: You pull too much with your torso.

Leaning your torso too far past a 90-degree angle with the floor puts your back in a weak position. "I see this a lot because most guys want their power readout to jump up, but it actually puts you at risk for injury," according to Volpenheim. You should try to stay as close to 90 degrees as possible.

Fix it: Row without strapping your feet into the machine. Only hinge your torso as far as you can without your feet breaking contact. You can also try squeezing your glutes at the final phase of the arm pull to keep you more upright, he says. 

The Problem: You don’t sit like you should.

 It seems so simple, but if you don’t sit correctly, you sabotage your power. "I see a lot of people row with their backs curved and their hips rolled forward—I call this rowing behind your hips," says Volpenheim. 

Fix it: “Think of your torso as stacked right on top of your hips,” says Volpenheim. Try practicing rowing with only your torso. With your legs and arms extended, hinge backward and forward from the hips, he suggests. By isolating the second part of the drive phase—when your torso hinges after your legs straighten—you can focus on feeling the seat move under you. 

The Problem: You don’t have a good grip. 

Most guys hold the handle only with the first knuckles of their fingers or hold the handle with an underhand grip.

Fix it: Your fingers should wrap around the handle so your second knuckles face forward with your thumbs on the underside of the handle. The top of your wrist should also be completely flat, and not rolled to the outside. To improve your grip, try rowing with an overhand grasp and your thumbs on top of the handle to strengthen your fingers. Or tape a Popsicle stick to your wrists to remind yourself to keep them flat, he says. If you feel pressure from the stick or if it pops off, that means your wrists are bending too much. 

And here is a great YouTube video that explains everything above :)

Down Stretch

Teaser on the Box

Up Stretch

Stomach Massage Series

Some Facts About Cellulite

Guys, this doesn't really apply to you, but if you read the article you will understand why :)

This is a great article that I found on Pinterest by Deniza. Her site is called, Ask Deniza Fit As Medicine. She describes herself as a 24 year old medical student from Germany. If you have a Pinterest account, here is the link. On her site are links to related articles and ways to get more information.
http://sumo.ly/jQEU

If you don't have a link, I have copied and pasted the article below:

Thunder Thighs Series – How to get rid of cellulite

“Orange peel”, “mattress”, “dimpling” – These are a few of the names we use to describe one of the most common “diseases” women experience nowadays – Cellulite.

What is most frustrating is that cellulite is not only an issue of overweight people. Otherwise healthy women that might look fit and slim can have just as much cellulite on their hips and legs, sometimes even in the lower abdomen. Those flawless pictures you see of models on covers? They are not real. Have a look at them before adding filters in photoshop and you will realize that cellulite does affect every woman. In fact, I have never met a woman without any cellulite, have you?

Last week, we talked about thigh fat and why women tend to store more body fat in their lower body than men. Today, I would like to address Cellulite. What is cellulite and is there are a way to get rid of cellulite naturally?

While there are some men who might get it, 90-98% of cellulite cases occur in women. To understand what cellulite is, take a look at this picture showing the anatomical structure of our skin.

As you can see in the picture, the epidermis is the outer layer of our skin. Right below the epidermis comes the dermis, filled with hair follicles, sweat glands, blood vessels, nerve receptors and connective tissue. The third part of our skin is called “Hypodermis”. This layer consists mostly of subcutaneous fat. In fact, this is where 50% or more of our body fat is stored.

As you can see in the picture, the dermis and subcutaneous fat are not clearly separated. Some of the fat cells in our Hypodermis might also protrude into the dermis. This is the main cause of cellulite and leads to the uneven look and the “dimpling” of our skin.

Why is cellulite more common in females?

Just like the number of alpha-receptors and beta-receptors in fatty tissue, the anatomy of skin in males is different. There are two main differences between female skin and male skin structure.

1. Thickness of fat layer

The epidermis and dermis in the thighs of males is much thicker, while the first layer of Hypodermis (the fat layer) is much thinner compared to females. This difference occurs during the third trimester  of fetus development and is manifested at birth.

2. Distribution of collagen fibers

Another very important difference of skin structure between men and females is the distribution of collagen fibers.

Collagen fibers form our connective tissue, found in the Dermis. Think of the connective tissue as the framework that provides stability of the dermis layer. It offers a necessary insulation between the various nerve receptors, blood vessels and other organelles in our dermis. It consists primarily of collagen. There are different types of collagen fibers, some are inelastic and provide great tensile strength, while others are more elastic and give our skin the ability to extend and return to normal constituency.

While collagen fibers in male skin form more of a mesh or a chain, the collagen fibers of females run vertically through our dermis.

As you can see in the picture, the structure of collagen bonds in males seems to make it impossible for the fat cells underneath the dermis to protrude and lead to uneven look of the skin. In contrast, the vertical alignment of collagen fibers in female skin makes it very easy for fat cells to protrude and grow as they like.

Why is cellulite more prevalent in the lower body?

As I explained in the last article “”, women tend to hold most of their body fat in their thighs. The reason for this is the different distribution of adrenal receptors regulating fat burning and fat storage. While men have more beta-receptors (for fat burning) in their thighs and less in their belly, it is the exact opposite for women.

Cellulite gets worse as we age

As we age, the dermis area starts to get looser, due to the aging process of our collagen and elastic fibers. Thus, this will allow more fat cells to protrude into the dermis and further increase cellulite. In addition to that, muscle mass decreases as we age, while fat storage in our Hypodermis increases. However, this process largely depends on your lifestyle, nutrition and exercise regime.

Cellulite is not a problem of overweight people

Don’t make the mistake to assume that cellulite is directly linked to obesity. In fact, cellulite is most common in very slender women. The reason for this is the structural formation of their dermis. Often called “skinny fat”, those women might look skinny but their connective tissue in their dermis is loose and their subcutaneous fat layer could be just as thick as for someone overweight. In contrast, individuals with less body fat and more muscular definition tend to have less visible cellulite.

How to get rid of cellulite

To reduce the protrude of our fat cells into our dermis, we need to address the two main causes I explained above.

1. Build a strong mesh of collagen fibers in the dermis

2. Reduce fat cells in our subcutaneous fat

Thus, there are two main methods we can use to fight cellulite. The most effective way to strengthen our connective tissue is exercise, particularly strength training.

Lifting weights does not only lead to muscle mass but also to tighter and more collagen fibers. Collagen consists of amino acids, protein, just as muscle fibers. In addition to that, increased muscle mass burns more calories, which leads us to the second most effective method.

The most effective way to decrease fat cells in our subcutaneous fat is fat loss (not to be mistaken with weight loss!).

Make sure to read my series on muscle-building and fat loss at the same time. To reduce cellulite, this is the program you need to follow!

Other methods to speed up the process

Increase blood flow

Effective ways to increase circulation are frequent massages and foam rolling. Foam rolling might be very painful to you but it is one of the best ways to loosen up your muscles and increase blood flow to your problem areas. This will help eliminate toxic end products and increase fat burning, when combined with the right nutrition and exercise regime.

Antioxidants

Free radicals occur as end-products of metabolic pathways and can attack our DNA. This does not only lead to development of cancer but also speeds up the aging process. Foods such as turmeric, lycopene, green and white tea, rosehip, silybin / silymarin contain antioxidants that bind those free radicals and make them ineffective, thus protecting our dermal connective tissue.

Effective supplements

There are many supplements on the market and only a small percentage of them are effective. I recommend to stick to a diet consisting of whole foods and antioxidants, as listed above. However, these two supplements can be very useful for people with cellulite, joint pain, rheumatic diseases and arthritis.

• Collagen: Collagen is a kind of protein our body needs not only to build connective tissue but also for our joints. You might not be getting in enough collagen through protein sources, thus it makes sense to supplement collagen. If taken in daily, it will tighten your skin and your joints and ligaments will feel much more stable.
• Glucosamin: This is a carbohydrate that can be found in our connective tissue, ligaments and joint capsules. Glucosamin consists of sugar and binds a lot of water. This is crucial for tight, full skin and healthy joints.

Regenerate Collagen

Eat foods high in Vitamin c and bioflavonoids, such as rutin, quercetin, luteolin to improve dermal collagen integrity. Collagen can be found naturally in green lipped mussel and chicken sternum / cartilage.

Improve estrogen elimination

Excess Estrogen stored in our fat cells can decrease fat burning and enhance fat storage. Thus, we need to improve our body’s (especially our liver’s) ability to eliminate toxic end-products and hormones that are not needed anymore.

Increase your consumption of green vegetables, such as broccoli, broccoli sprouts, kale, spinach, radish, watercress, cabbage and cauliflower. In addition to that, make sure to get in enough B vitamins, which can be found in most vegetables and complex carbohydrates, such as quinoa a wild rice.

Another way to increase excess estrogen elimination is to add 30 grams of fiber to your diet daily. 2 great ways to do this is to add chia seeds and FiberMend to your day. Chia seeds have 5 grams of fiber/tablespoon. You can add them to any drink such as protein shakes, kombucha, or juices, or you can see my earlier post: "Chia Seed Pudding" for a great recipe for a delicious snack.

FiberMend is a fiber supplement made up of plant fibers (not psyllium husk which is very hard on your intestines) that we sell in the Life Time Cafe (don't forget to tell them you are working with me as your trainer and get 10% off any nutritional supplement purchase in the cafe or if you purchase them on line use my trainer code e128369). FiberMend has 5 grams of fiber/scoop and adds almost no flavor or texture to your drink.

Correct Way to Curl the Neck or, "Chin to Chest"

Maintain the curvature of the spine, don't hang the head off of the neck.

The 5 Spine Shapes in Pilates

There are 5 spine shapes the we work with and through in Pilates:

Tall (often called "flat")
Round
Extension
Side Bend
Twist

All of the spine shapes work with an elongated spine. In Tall spine, think of your back against a flat surface, either lying on your back on the mat, or standing with your back against the pole on the Ped-o-Pull, or against a wall. In order to elongate your spine, pull your tailbone towards your heels. Be careful not to tuck the tailbone and curl the pelvis. You should feel your sacrum and tailbone flat against your surface (mat, pole, or wall) and your low back lengthening. Now draw your low abdominals into your body and back towards your low back. You should now be feeling more of your lower vertebra connecting with your surface. Next, scoop your abdominals so your belly hollows out by pulling your low abs into your spine and then trying to pull your navel up under your ribs. Now more of your lumbar vertebra should be connecting to your surface and you should feel a lengthening in your waist. Now "funnel" your ribs, which means to draw them together in the front and pull them down towards your waist. This activation lengthens and supports the mid spine. Keeping your ribs together, open your chest by pulling the shoulders away from each other like you are trying to touch the two

opposite sides of the room with your shoulders, and then allow the scapula, or shoulder blades, to fall down the back side of the body. Do not tuck the shoulder blades behind you. Remember that the neck is part of the spine so continue to lengthen the neck - not the throat, by drawing the bottom of the skull away from the shoulders. Any time your body is in  or moves through Tall spine, whether standing, sitting, or lying on either your back or your stomach, this is the position your body should be in.

In Round spine, we continue the elongation of the spine but now we curl forward so that the crown of the head (if your neck were to continue out through the top of the head, it would be going out through the crown) and the tailbone are trying to connect. It is important to maintain the length of the spine with everything that you activated in Tall spine so that you don't collapse in the low back or hunch your shoulders.

Rolling Like a Ball

Tree Front on the Reformer turned upside down on the mat and now called Balance Control

In Extension spine we maintain a Tall spine in the low and mid back and arch the upper back. 

Swan on the Ladder Barrel

Here it is important that you keep the neck and head in alignment with the spine and don't over arch the neck. The low and mid back stay long, the abdominals are lifting up to the breast bone, the ribs stay together, and the muscles of the back engage to open the front of the body.

This is a photo of what NOT to do in spinal extension:

In this photo, the body is arching in the low back while the mid and upper spine are flat. She is not drawing her abdominals in and up to support the low back and lengthen the spine, rather she is collapsed into her low back. The muscles of the back which lift the spine, open the chest, and draw the shoulder blades back and down are not engaged, causing her to hang in her shoulders. Ouch! :(

In Side Bending spine, again we start with Tall spine and then we arc the spine to the side bending near the solar plexus or lower ribs. Make sure that your hips and shoulders stay in alignment not only hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder, but also in the same plane as if you are side bending between two panes of glass. 

Side Arm Series on the Reformer

                                                                             Side Bend or Mermaid

With Twisting spine you want to think of spiraling up. As with all spine shapes, start with Tall spine, then rotate the ribcage working from the waist (not the shoulders). Continuously lengthen the spine up as you rotate. 

                                                                                Spine Twist

Snake and Twist mount

Avoiding or Reducing Wrist Pain

During a Pilates session, it is important to maintain proper hand/wrist alignment and muscle activation in the upper body and Powerhouse to prevent the risk of or reduce nerve disorders.

The nerves that run through the hand, wrist, elbow, and arm travel in their own tunnels, or channels. It is important to maintain proper alignment during movement so as to minimize stress or irritation to the nerves which may cause pain, muscle weakness, or numbness.

Always work to maintain a neutral wrist. This avoids stress in the wrist and helps to connect the hands and arms to the larger muscles of the back rather than the smaller muscles of the shoulder.


When bearing weight on the wrists, think of how we stand on our feet: distributing the weight evenly, lifting the arches, wrapping the inner thighs, hips in line with the knees and ankles, and engaging the Powerhouse. The same is true for bearing weight on the wrists. We want to distribute the weight evenly across the 5 first knuckles of the hand, lift the wrists, lengthen through the arms, "wrap" the arms/shoulder girdle (rotate the forearms in towards the body and the upper arms outwards away from the body and draw the shoulder blades into the ribs and down the back of the body), shoulders over the wrist, and engage the Powerhouse.

How to Prevent, Stop, and Relieve Muscle Cramps

If you have been reading the blog, you will remember a post I did back in May called, "What Causes Muscle Cramps". Therein I shared a video link about Rod MacKinnon who has been studying muscle cramps and found that it is the nerve which causes muscle cramping, not the muscle, not dehydration, not electrolyte imbalance.  The article shared that he had developed a supplement that could be taken to help reduce or eliminate muscle cramping by targeting the nerve, that they were in the process of testing the product and that it would be released in 2016.
I said I would keep and eye out and let you know when there was more info, ... and here it is!

I have not tried this product so I am not endorsing it in any way, simply passing on new information :)

This is a copy of their press release and below that is a link to more information and how to buy HOTSHOT.

For Immediate Release SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH IN SPORTS NUTRITION TO CHANGE THE GAME FOR MILLIONS OF ENDURANCE ATHLETES A Genius Solution and New Category in Sports Nutrition: Neuro Muscular Performance BOSTON, MA – June 2, 2016 – Exercise-associated muscle cramps are agonizing. Millions of athletes and fitness enthusiasts suffer from them – even the best trained and most nutritionally-savvy. They’re painful, unpredictable and can rob an athlete of a killer performance and confidence. Existing “remedies” that target the muscle have limited scientific evidence that they work. Breakthrough research, to be presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting and published in the Journal of the American Medical Athletic Association later this month, has led to the development of a revolutionary new sports shot, HOTSHOT™, that is scientifically proven to prevent and treat muscle cramps by stopping them where they start: at the nerve. Invented by a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist and endurance athlete in collaboration with a Harvard Medical School neurobiology professor, HOTSHOT, previously codenamed #ITSTHENERVE, is a 1.7 fluid ounce sports shot comprised of a proprietary formula of GMO-free organic ingredients with a kick. Consumed before, during or after exercise, HOTSHOT facilitates the synchronization of communication between the nerve and muscle thereby giving athletes greater control over the way their nerves and muscles work together, boosting their Neuro Muscular Performance (NMP) to prevent and treat muscle cramps. Now athletes can push harder, train longer and finish stronger. How Curiosity Killed the Cramp: Invention Inspired by Experience Rod MacKinnon, MD, a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist, along with close friend and colleague Bruce Bean, PhD, a neurobiology professor at Harvard Medical School, sought to find a cure for cramping after a life-threatening event occurred off the coast of Cape Cod in 2010. The pair was enjoying a longdistance sea kayaking trip when almost simultaneously their arms seized up miles from shore, in dangerous conditions. Both were surprised by the muscle cramps because they had taken precautions to stay well-hydrated and topped up on electrolytes. Curious as to what was known about the cause and cure of muscle cramps, MacKinnon and Bean dug into the literature and realized that cramping is not caused by dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, but instead originates from hyper-excited motor-nerves in the spinal cord. Building off MacKinnon’s Nobel Prize-winning research on ion channels, they hypothesized that activating certain Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) ion channels in sensory nerves in the mouth, throat and esophagus could send signals to calm those hyper-excited motor neurons, thereby stopping muscle cramps before they start. Over several years, they experimented with numerous natural ingredients that activate certain TRP ion channels and refined the proprietary formula of ingredients found in HOTSHOT – now scientifically proven to prevent and treat muscle cramps. Neuro Muscular Performance: A New Category in Sports Nutrition In their pursuit to find a solution for muscle cramps, MacKinnon and Bean accidentally unlocked the power of Neuro Muscular Performance – the way that an athlete’s nerves and muscles work together in an optimal way. New evidence shows that boosting Neuro Muscular Performance also reduces postexercise muscle soreness. The exercise-associated muscle cramp study of HOTSHOT conducted by Penn State University showed a statistically significant reduction in muscle soreness during the first 20 minutes after a muscle cramp, compared to placebo. And in field studies among athletes using HOTSHOT prior to working out, the majority reported reduced post-exercise soreness. “This is a brand new concept in sports nutrition: how to stimulate sensory nerves as a way to affect your muscle function,” said MacKinnon. “This is cool science. The breakthrough and what we now know is how to prevent and treat muscle cramps. However, what intrigues me is what I’m hearing from athletes about other potential benefits. This is only the beginning.” The company’s scientists, in partnership with leading sports science institutions, are continuing to study how HOTSHOT affects boosting an athlete's Neuro Muscular Performance and how that may translate to additional benefits for athletes. Supported by Science HOTSHOT’s formula of strong TRP activators has shown a statistically significant reduction in muscle cramp intensity compared to placebo in two distinct muscle cramp models: 1) electrically induced muscle cramps; and 2) an innovative new model developed by Penn State University in which healthy volunteers maximally contracted one calf muscle until cramping occurred. A field study of healthy, cramp-prone athletes who consumed HOTSHOT 15-30 minutes before their normal training sessions showed a 50 percent or more reduction in the frequency of exercise-associated muscle cramps compared to the observed baseline frequency. In addition, the athletes reported a quicker return to training when a cramp episode did occur. “I am not aware of any other consumer product that has demonstrated significant efficacy in mitigating muscle cramps in such a rigorous double-blind scientific study,” said Larry Kenney, Ph.D., FACSM, Marie Underhill Noll Chair in Human Performance and Professor of Physiology and Kinesiology at Penn State University. Trusted by World-Class Athletes: TeamHOTSHOT The proprietary HOTSHOT formulation is NSF Certified for Sport® and has been extensively tested by amateur and world-class athletes across endurance sports, track and field, professional football and tennis. Among the elite athletes and sports scientists, who are the company’s brand ambassadors and rely on the product’s NMP benefits, are:  U.S. National Team distance runners expected to compete on the world stage this summer, Shalane Flanagan, Amy Cragg, Colleen Quigley and Evan Jager.  Five-time IRONMAN® and IRONMAN 70.3® World Champion, Craig ‘Crowie’ Alexander.  Neurosurgical Consultant to the Denver Broncos, Dr. Chad Prusmack. “I have been an endurance athlete for over 20 years,” said Craig ‘Crowie’ Alexander, 5-time IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion. “Muscle cramps are a source of concern for me because they put a brake on your momentum. They can strike at the beginning of the race or when you are meters from the finish line. A cramp can paralyze you mentally, and physically, and cost you crucial time. So HOTSHOT is a big confidence-builder and game changer in endurance sports, knowing you won’t be stopped in your tracks by cramping.” Boost Your Neuro Muscular Performance HOTSHOT is available online at www.TeamHOTSHOT.com and at select specialty retailers in Los Angeles, Calif., Boulder, Colo. and Boston, Mass. A single serve bottle is $7 USD, while six-bottle and 12-bottle packs are $35 and $65 USD, respectively. To learn more about HOTSHOT and the science around Neuro Muscular Performance, visit www.TeamHOTSHOT.com. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. # # # About HOTSHOT Invented by Rod MacKinnon, a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist and endurance athlete, HOTSHOT™ is the sports shot with a kick that is scientifically proven to prevent and treat muscle cramps. A scientific breakthrough in sports nutrition, HOTSHOT is a kick-ass proprietary formulation of organic ingredients that boosts Neuro Muscular Performance – how an athlete’s nerves and muscles work together in an optimal way. MacKinnon and Harvard neurobiology professor Bruce Bean spent several years calibrating this precise formulation of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) activator ingredients that stimulate TRP ion channels in the mouth, esophagus and stomach that directly influence and regulate nerve function. Translation? HOTSHOT stops muscle cramps where they start – at the nerve – allowing athletes to push harder, train longer and finish stronger. HOTSHOT is a non-GMO Project Verified, USDA Certified Organic product that is NSF Certified for Sport®. To learn more, visit www.TeamHOTSHOT.com. HOTSHOT is a product of Flex Innovation Group LLC, a division of Flex Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq FLKS).

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