These 2 Self Tests Will Reveal If You've Lost Touch With
Your "Deep Core Stability System!
The ability to BREATHE correctly and the ability to "anchor" your body for efficient, strain free movement is crucial for protecting your joints from degeneration.
In addition, this core awareness will allow you to "recycle" gravity and use it for energy and spring instead of letting it drag you into a submissive, unattrative, forward drawn, downward spiral!
PLUS…keeping your spine and other joints "centrated" (meaning they are perfectly aligned with maximum congruence to be able to bear the most load) is also a "trick" for creating a sense of relaxation and calm in the central nervous system.
This calm is what I consider the ultimate goal…What I call "Peace Physiology" where your cells feel the bliss and go into "renewal" mode as opposed to "Stress Physiology" where your cells are in "breakdown" mode!!
So check yourself out with this breathing test and TAKE SPECIAL NOTE to do the "Baby Back" in SUPER DUPER SLOW MOTION, especially take notice what happens in your core before your foot even leaves the floor!
If you struggled with these tests you have been overloading your joints
and creating unecessary stress in your central nervous system!
But no worries! Your "Reverse CPS Now!" Fundamental Posture Transformation Exercises will get you back on the road to strain free, pain free posture and movement!
I failed all of the cross posture tests. I have pain in both my knees. A chiropractor told me several years ago that my quads were pulling on my knee caps. Will I learn what I need to correct all of this from the forthcoming videos? Is there a health care practitioner in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area you can refer me to? Thanks.
The upcoming exercise series is not specific for knee pain but is designed to help you use your core to take some load off your knees. Done correctly the exercises should not cause pain in your knees, if they do…stop and get them evaluated. Here are my first choices in Texas, but not sure how close they are for you. Also search for a provider at http://www.activerelease.com
Providers in Texas
Alan Mitchell DC 281-356-5964
31311 FM 2978
Ste. 101
Magnolia, TX
USA 77354
See Details
Don E Sharnowski DC 806-363-2444
200 S. 25 Mile Ave
Hereford, TX
USA 79045
Jonathan Simmons B.S., D.C., FIAMA 512 288-52322
7010 Hwy 71 West
Suite 360
Austin, TX
USA 78735
No problem with that one, looking forward to the solutions.
My breathing seems to be okay. The anchoring test was good raising the left leg but went to pieces when I raised the right leg. Looking forward to tomorrow’s e-mail.
Same here, Breathing is not bad, when I am concentrating, it is when I
am not thinking about it, that my body tends to cheat! Must practice!!
Thank you
My breathing is ok…I teach that type of breathing to my anxiety patients so I do fairly well with that…I do not have a suitable surface to do the other test with my hips and legs but I am positive that I have tightness there as my lower back is very stiff and sore in the mornings. My hips will give me trouble when doing my walks so I am pretty sure that my lower half is crossed as well. Thank you so much for these very enlightening demonstrations!
My breathing is okay. When I did the legs lifts I felt a jerk to my hips then to my back. The weight transfer is not smooth. When I force my focus on my spine and lift it becomes smoother with out the jerk. I knew this is where my problem is. I have 4-8 levels of pain in my lower back almost all the time. With fast movement causing spikes of 10 in pain. I am doing some yoga but some hurts my back to much. I can not wait for solutions so I can ride my bike, grade papers in school with out pain.
My breathing is good. The single leg lifts work with the back ribs anchored. When both of my legs are lifted my neck/head starts to tense and my shoulders round until I make an effort to relax and then the leg extensions work.
That will improve as your organic posture and core stability improves.
Could be better with the breathing. I don’t have trouble doing it but it is not automatic. I have to do a posterior pelvic tilt to anchor my ribs. Is that ok?
I would have to see what you mean. Good abdominal wall activation should automatically begin to correct a forward tilted pelvis, but you shouldn’t have to “tuck your tail” with buttock activation.
Ha couldn’t believe the torqing in my body when I began to lift my legs, while my breathing was good my strength was way down. No wonder I have been unable to walk and move without pain for weeks and on strong anti – inflamatories.
Core stability makes all the difference, for sure. As long as it’s TRUE core stability!
unbearable pain when I layed on my back to do this, but I didit.
Can’t wait for next video, I’m fine with this exercise as I learnt to breathe correctly many years ago. Everyday I’m doing your piriformis exercise and now almost pain free, mobility and flexiblility ninety five percent better thanks
Good to hear, Sarah. Keep it up. I think you’ll like the fundamentals series. Keep me posted on your progress!
I am a complete chest breather, but I can breathe into my side and back abdomen if I concentrate. No problem keeping the hips level, even with a leg fully extended.
My breathing is ok. My legs moved ok, I don't think my hips moved but I din't feel anchored through my rib area…I felt more wobbly in the upper part of my body than the lower.
Gotta correct my breathing.
I pretty much failed all the tests and am pretty discouraged. I've been in pain since mid-September and physical therapy didn't help–I actually got worse because they were too aggressive with their exercise & spinal manipulation. I still have pain in my hamstrings especially when I go from a sitting to standing position, and it hurts to lift my arms above shoulder level. I have an MRI scheduled for Jan 30th to see if I have a disc problem. I'm not overweight and have been active all my life (52 years old now). I hope your stretches can help me!
Thanks!
Susan
If you failed the tests that could be good news! Because you have CPS, what you will learn from the Core Wellness Institute will help you reverse it and regain your muscle balance to protect your spine.
Be smart…if anything makes your original complaint worse, stay away from it and do only things that make you feel better. Keep us posted on your progress!
The breathing thing is tricky. I have experimented with my breathing a lot and I can make it do whatever I decide for long periods of time. For a long time I have been belly breathing. Recently I have been breathing in my chest trying to get my ribs to loosen up. A long time ago I realized that when I breath I expand to the back and sides.
I felt strong on the belly thing. If I understood what you wanted I could easily lift my leg on the first part without any noticeable shift at the two points where my back touched the floor and no hip rotation. I also felt strong completely extending my legs.
Hi Dr. Steve, Thank you for all of this really useful information!
I am a diaphramatic breather. I often hear that when lifting heavy objects or weights one should “brace one’s core” by tightening the abs and pushing one’s breath against the tightened abdominal wall to create a capsule of intra-abdominal pressure. If I tighten my abs, I can still exhale deeply, but find that the inhalation becomes shallower and less relaxed.
My question is, how do we go about “bracing the core” and still keep taking full deep diaphramatic breaths, for example, while holding a plank position, or lowering a weight?
Most EXCELLENT question, Joel! The key is that a properly executed diaphragmatic breath, while holding the INTENTION of lengthening the spine and pushing away from support points, should…in and of itself, create the intra-abdominal pressure.
I often say, feel the pressure that the breath creates then maintain that feeling of stability as you exhale. It’s powerful stuff.
Breathing IS Stabilty!
Also rib mobility is crucial so you can expand into your low back and flanks effectively.
Hope that helps.
drh
Both my hands went up and down pretty much equally on the breathing test so not sure what that means. I didn’t see my clavical going up and down though like your wife had demonstrated. The circular breathing I did well with.
The first back back test was easy, the second with the raised legs I could feel some slight shifting.