The Importance of a Healthy Heart Program
The Importance of a Healthy Heart Program by Aaron westbrook
Complexity defines the human body. Each organ, tissue, and cell has its own role to play. Our Cardiorespiratory systems are no different. Our hearts and lungs work tirelessly to shuttle oxygen, sugars, hormones, immune cells, and more through highways of arteries and veins. We survive and enjoy every part of life thanks to these pumps and tubes, and in return, all these systems require for optimal health is a little regular stimulation. Given the complexity of these systems, there are a lot of things that can go wrong if they are not adequately repaired or stimulated. Lack of physical activity can contribute to many different adverse health conditions. Heart, kidney, liver, and metabolic diseases; bone and muscle loss; increased risk of stroke, cognitive decline, and falling… The list goes on…
So walk, run, strength train, cycle, swim, do whatever activity you like the most; all of these, in appropriate dosages, benefit the cardiorespiratory system. But now how can you find your appropriate level of training? PHP’s Healthy Heart program creates a streamlined and customized approach to starting, maintaining, and progressing your current cardiorespiratory training program. Our approach is simple and direct. Healthy Heart creates a partnership between you and your cardio coach to create clear, defined goals set by your exercise needs and baseline fitness levels. With your capacity for exercise, and our evidence-based approach to cardiorespiratory exercise training, we design a program that is fit to your needs, abilities, and schedule to build you a healthy heart. Your heart, and by extension the rest of your body, will thank you!
Spinal Hygiene
Spinal Hygiene by Johnny Cooke
Back pain is common in today’s world. According to Georgetown University back problems are among patients’ most frequent complaints to their doctors. Nearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back pain. Some 16 million adults — 8 percent of all adults — experience persistent or chronic back pain, and as a result are limited in certain everyday activities. Back pain is the sixth most costly condition in the United States. Health care costs and indirect costs due to back pain are over $12 billion per year. Etiology varies, some people have injuries or pathologies that requires a detailed intervention, others have general weakness and muscle atrophy that can be resolved with simple strengthening, and others still may be suffering from overuse and experiencing acute overtraining with the risk of becoming chronic.
Whether a person is suffering frequent back pain, occasional back pain, or is taking steps to avoiding ever having back pain, there is one strategy that applies to every model. We call it Spinal Hygiene. Hygiene is the conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease. We practice hygiene everyday in a number of ways; dental care, fiber, probiotics, and fermented foods for gut-health, hand washing to avoid germs, and a multitude of other habits. In a world riddled with back pain, we are well served to care for our spine in the same manner and with the same good habits.
Let’s get down to it, what exactly is spinal hygiene? It is the daily upkeep of back health through activities that act as both recovery and prevention from predictable spine stressors and dysfunction. The exact prescription will vary from person to person, but there are a few basic exercises that have near universal application. For practical purposes we will lay out the ones that should be used daily to expand pain-free movement capabilities, prevent future back pain, and improve spinal stability and mobility.
Cat/Cow – Quadruped stance (kneel on the floor with your hands on the floor in front of you). Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees directly below your hips. Inhale while curving your lower back and bringing your head up, tilting your pelvis up (spinal extension). Next, exhale and bring your abdomen in, arching your spine and bringing your head and pelvis down (spinal flexion).
Perform daily for 20-30 gentle cycles, being mindful of slow and controlled motion and not to “push” at either end range.
Bird-dog – Quadruped stance (kneel on floor with your hands on the floor in front of you, and simultaneously raise the opposite arm and leg while maintaining the position of your trunk and spine aligned with the floor. Be mindful to raise the arm no higher than the shoulder and the leg no higher than the hip.
Perform daily 1 set per side with an isometric hold of 5-45 seconds depending on your pain-free capabilities.
Unsupported sitting w/ Abdominal bracing – Sitting on the end of a bench with your hips at 90 degrees and hands placed slightly above your hip bones. Mindfully identify “good” posture with appropriate spinal curves. Next, while maintaining posture Brace the abdominal muscles by attempting to contract in a manner that will push your hands outward.
Perform daily 1 set with 5-10 repetitions of bracing held for approximately 5 seconds.
Mindful walking – As simple as it sounds. While gently walking, be mindful of the spinal curves, stability, and the opposite arm and leg working together simultaneously. The goal is to tie together the previous exercises into an animated version.
Perform daily, post above exercises, for 5 minutes or as tolerated. This activity, like the others, should be performed with as much cognitive effort and physical. As we say around here, Train Smart!