Looking for an easy and healthy soup to make this fall? Try Sharon’s favorite Vegan Butternut Squash Soup recipe, full of vegetables and delicious flavor! A very low-calorie treat, one cup is packed with antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Potassium!
Try this easy 30-minute meal this week!
Scientists, physical therapists, and physicians have always known balance to be an important aspect of health. Falls and fall-related injuries, incidences, and hospitalizations account for a major portion of our healthcare expenses. There is now new information that actually confirms that balance is a key proponent of good health and longevity. In a recent study published in the British Journal of Medicine Longevity scientists administered a ten-second balance test to 1,792 people aged 51 to 75.1
They coined it the “flamingo test,” with each person asked to stand barefoot on one leg while keeping their other leg lifted in the air. Importantly, they were required to keep their head upright and their arms straight at their sides for ten seconds. This is very similar to tree pose and the knee-to-chest postures we practice in LYT yoga.
Twenty percent of the participants wobbled and could not complete the test, especially at the top end of the age bracket. For the 20% of participants who failed the test, there was a higher correlation with being overweight, having heart disease, high blood pressure, poor lipid panels, and these individuals were twice as likely to have Type-2 Diabetes.
Subsequent findings that the researchers discovered after checking back in with the participants 7 years later were even more compelling. After accounting for age, gender, and underlying health conditions, the inability to pass the flamingo test was linked to an 84% higher risk of all-cause death* over that seven-year period. In addition to longevity, these researchers contend that balance is necessary for overall health, well-being, and independence.
* What is all-cause death? Death by multiple causes, or by any cause.
Balance and its role in optimum health
When my patients tell me they don’t need to be able to stand on one leg, I quickly respond “Oh yes you do!” We regularly need a one-legged posture to move out of a car or to climb or descend a step or stairs. Simply walking without an assistive device requires a portion of the gait cycle to be in a single-limb stance.
To lack this ability or have fear of standing on one leg can lead to a loss of autonomy and consequently, less exercise, less movement, and a worsening of various health conditions. Many physical therapists and experts feel balance should be included when checking vital signs. Walking speed has been considered the 6th vital sign, but we should give serious consideration to adding the flamingo test as well!
If you want to stay active it is paramount that you maintain your physical well-being. When it comes to balance there is definitely some truth in the saying “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” Healthy physical well-being includes strength, flexibility, balance, and effectively using your senses—vision, hearing, feeling physical sensation, etc.
Balance can be affected by a variety of factors including age, spinal stenosis, pinched nerves, and inner ear issues. If you don’t have any of these issues but still consider yourself to have had poor balance your entire life, THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!
Easy ways to improve your balance
The Harvard Medical School newsletter offers some simple advice for improving your balance, including:2
The LYT yoga method specifically retrains our core musculature and balance centers, challenging our single-limb stance and causing our bodies to get in touch with new neuromotor pathways that were previously unattainable. Each day with the LYT method is a small improvement toward healthier aging!
You can also incorporate balance moves into your everyday life. Try standing on one leg while brushing your teeth or getting up from a chair without using your hands. It’s worth the extra effort because the research strongly suggests that better balance now means better quality of life and healthier aging later.
References:
Many people who give birth are ‘cleared’ at either 6 or 8 weeks by their medical provider. However, there is often a lot of confusion about what exactly someone is cleared for at that early postpartum checkup. Many people have questions about when they can resume exercising and often interpret that 6/8 week checkup as the green light to start their pre-partum exercise routine.
However, the body has just gone through a multitude of bodily changes associated with pregnancy, labor, and delivery and often needs muscle retraining to be able to exercise safely and without issues that include but are not limited to: pain, urinary leakage, and abdominal separation. Moreover, we know that it is labor itself that is traumatic for the pelvic floor and not the method of delivery (vaginal vs.C-section), meaning that all people who have delivered children have the potential to have pelvic floor issues!
The healing process extends well beyond the 6 and 8 week marks, but
1) there is often limited guidance on how to approach exercise and
2) not everyone gets to see a pelvic floor physical therapist after their pregnancy.
So, how do you know if
1) the pelvic floor is healthy and
2) when to resume exercises?
Check out the tips below to self-check your body’s ability to stabilize itself, aka use the deep core and pelvic floor muscles correctly (this is absolutely essential as you start to exercise again!):
1) Can you contract, relax, and lengthen the pelvic floor musculature pain-free?
When the pelvic floor contracts, it should compress and lift. For folks with vaginas: the contraction should feel like picking up a blueberry with the vagina. For folks with penises: the contraction should feel as though the penis is being drawn toward the abdomen. Do the muscles relax after contraction or are they stuck in the contracted position? Can you lengthen the muscles? Many people have trouble differentiating between pelvic floor contraction, relaxation, and elongation but knowing how to perform each of these movements helps to ensure that the pelvic floor is able to do its job well.
2) Do you have abdominal coning?
Abdominal coning is when the abdomen tents/cones/domes up in the middle with trunk movements. Perform a quick check: In lying with the knees bent, interlace the hands behind the head and lift the head and neck. Does the abdomen dome up or stay flat? If it domes, it means that your body is having trouble managing pressure, aka – the core muscles are not contracting enough and/or at the right time to combat the increase in intra-abdominal pressure when the head and neck lift. This can become an issue when we move as we need good pressure management to move pain-free and prevent issues such as urinary leakage and pelvic organ prolapse.
3) Are you able to perform a single-leg balance for at least 30 seconds?
If you are unable to, your body may be having trouble stabilizing with its deep core muscles. Over time, this can lead to overloading of other tissues and subsequent pain.
These are just a couple of things you can do to begin to self-assess the quality of your movement and start asking more questions regarding pelvic health and wellness in the post-partum period. If this self-check-in created more questions than it answered, it may be helpful to contact a pelvic health physical therapist in your area in order to determine what areas would be helpful to work on in order to optimize your health in the postpartum period and beyond! Check out pelvicrehab.com to find practitioners in your area or come see me in Princeton, NJ!
Welcome to part two of the three-part How to Have a Happy Low Back series! If you haven’t had a chance to check out part one, I highly encourage you to start there or read it after you finish this article. Remember that what our low back truly desires is to have three things: stability, mobility, and adaptability.
Low back pain can be a major cause of distress. It is not uncommon for those who have experienced intense episodes of low back pain to develop, what we call in physical therapy, fear-avoidance to movement. Often someone will come to me expressing their fear to do simple tasks like picking up a pen from the floor or bringing in groceries from the car. Low back pain can be debilitating and is commonly linked with increased rates of depression and reduced quality of life. Utilize the three principles of stability, mobility, and adaptability combined with a proactive, healthy lifestyle and your back will no longer feel like a trouble area. Rather it will feel happy and free, allowing you the peace of mind to pursue any hobby, dream, or special activity to the fullest extent of your desires. Please understand that these are general principles and guidelines. To truly maximize your potential of applying them seek out a personalized training plan from your local physical therapist and other healthcare and fitness professionals.
Let’s dive into our second principle, mobility (stability is covered in Part 1 of this series). The definition of mobility is to move or be moved freely and easily. This means without difficulty and without pain. Movement comes from joints – the point where two bones make contact. Muscles contract and relax to move joints. Our nervous system, run by the brain, gives the command to our muscles to move or be still. The lumbar spine has on average, the following ranges of motion (in degrees). Notice that the lumbar spine primarily assists with spinal flexion and extension (sagittal plane or forward/backward movement) compared to the other motion types available to it.
| Flexion | 40-50º |
| Extension | 15-20º |
| Rotation | 5-7º |
|
Lateral Flexion (side bending) |
20º |
Common barriers to full range of motion include joint restriction, muscle restriction, and motor coordination deficits. An example of each respectively include osteoarthritis, shortened muscle tissue from poor posture habits, and excessive movement from one segment – most commonly the L5-S1 segment vs uniform flexion-extension throughout the entire lumbar spine, L1-S1, due to learned poor motor behaviors and postural deficits.
Most often, extension is the first motion to be negatively affected. From the time we are born, we know the effects of gravity. Gravity pushes us into flexion, and over time we find ourselves slouching over computers, slumped on comfy couches, spending our days in flexed positions, thanks to gravity’s pull. Without training, over time we lose our ability to go into full lumbar extension. That loss of extension means that the balance of our gloriously complex musculoskeletal system is thrown off, leading to undue wear and tear. Imagine the gears of your bike were constantly rubbing in places they shouldn’t. Metal breaks down, gears get stuck, and seemingly overnight, the wheel doesn’t turn like it used to. But this wasn’t an overnight issue. It was years of breakdown because the gears were never addressed. This is what happens to the structures in your body. The seemingly sudden incident that throws out your back – waking up from sleep in sudden pain, sharp shooting agony after picking up a light bag from the floor – is really just the final straw to an issue that was building up for a very long time.
Issues like this can often be avoided with appropriate movement and posture education, training mobility, and most importantly adopting an overall healthy lifestyle. There is no easy fix to our orthopedic pains, unfortunately. As nonchalantly as medical providers offer us pills and creams to make our pain go away, these are only temporary relief aids to issues that only YOU have the power to heal. Our life choices affect our every cell. It’s true what they say – you are what you eat, and you are what you do. Isn’t it joyous to know that you have the power to change your own life? So, choose food, drink, movement, and stress reduction habits that will support your well-being and minimize your chances of developing avoidable chronic diseases, such as low back pain.
In summary, our lumbar spine moves in 3 planes of motion, but mostly it is responsible for flexion and extension. Over time, extension tends to be the primary motion of the lumbar spine that becomes limited due to gravity’s pull biasing flexion. To avoid losing extension, or any other motion of the lumbar spine, you can 1) educate yourself on appropriate posture and movement mechanics for your activities of daily living, 2) train mobility, and 3) support your movement practice with other healthy lifestyle choices. The LYT Daily platform is full of classes to support your lumbar spine mobility. Try one of these below and see for yourself! Your back will thank you.
Until next time, cheers to a happy low back!
XO,
Thalia Wynne, PT, DPT, AT, RYT-200
@thalialovee
Picture source: https://www.themanualtherapist.com/2016/01/top-5-fridays-5-myths-about-spinal.html
No one is ever prepared when they face an unexpected change in their health. Our bodies, the home we’ve been residing in our entire lives, can suddenly become a very scary place. This is especially true when there isn’t a clear cause and effect for an illness or diagnosis. When our health feels out of our control, we lose a sense of security we have in ourselves as well as part of our identity.
As we navigate what comes next – be it treatment, changes in lifestyle, or finding a ‘new normal’ – one of the most important things we can do is work to rebuild confidence in our body. This begins by recognizing that our body is a powerful partner in healing, recovery, and wellness – not a place to fear. Shifting that mindset is easier said than done! It’s a gradual process that requires self-compassion, patience, and a ready set of tools to keep us on track. Beginning or maintaining a LYT Daily Yoga practice can be a game-changer.
LYT is an opportunity to re-educate ourselves about how the body works. Having a better understanding of our own anatomy, the biomechanics of our movement, and how these impact vital systems within is empowering. It can begin as simply as taking a few deep breaths.
When stress, anxiety, fear, or overwhelm are front and center, our nervous system loops in fight or flight mode. Coming to the mat, placing the hands on the body and feeling into the movement of the breath helps onboard the parasympathetic response. Known as ‘rest and digest,’ these elements are key to supporting the immune system. Rest, which can feel elusive at this time, is essential to healing and repair. Healthy digestive function means improved absorption of nutrients and the ability to clear toxins from the body, directly impacting energy levels, mood, and outlook.
Alignment, key to LYT, also impacts the breath. Coming to the floor in a Reset is a safe, supportive way to start connecting with how we’re holding ourselves. Emotions weigh heavy on the body. With that, it’s common to carry stress and fatigue in forward rolled shoulders and tipping through the head and pelvis. Lying supine on the mat gives immediate, tactile feedback and aids in aligning the spine and opening the front of the body to help ease the breath.
As we progress with abdominal exercises, floor work, and standing poses, each step of the way we build strength, stability, and balance. Through this, we also work to incrementally increase range of motion. In breast cancer patients, for example, movement often feels restricted in the chest or shoulder area due to surgery or treatment. These patients benefit enormously from shoulder work in LYT daily yoga classes. They can begin in the Reset or against a wall and utilize modifications throughout to gradually realign and strengthen supporting muscles in the torso, ultimately returning to more optimal movement.
Cancer patients and those managing conditions with medical treatment also experience a host of short- and long-term side effects. These can include neuropathy, lymphedema, and cognitive changes. Women, in particular, are at increased risk of advanced bone loss after treatment. Weight-bearing exercise is one of the most effective ways to stimulate osteoblasts in the marrow that help build bone and may stave off further loss. LYT is an ideal way to incorporate body-weight-bearing work targeting the entire body through the flow.
These examples skim the surface of the numerous benefits that LYT offers. Above all, when we move well, we feel better. There are aspects of our health that will always be out of our control, but what we can control is how we respond and adapt to adversity and change. LYT is a highly adaptable practice that gives us a platform to safely realign, reconnect with, and rebuild strength in our bodies at a time we need it most. Ultimately, helping to nurture a more confident mindset to carry us forward.
If you are new to LYT or returning to your practice after treatment or surgery, be sure to have your doctor’s permission before beginning an exercise program.
Many people hate running. I used to be one of those people too, believe it or not. Back when I was in PT school, I was having a hard time getting into a routine with exercise and felt like all I was doing was studying and working. That’s when I decided to train for my first marathon. The best thing about running is you can do it anywhere, at almost any time, and with minimal equipment. However, there are right and wrong ways to go about getting started running safely. In the spirit of October, which one could argue is the start of marathon season, let’s talk about how to ease into a running routine.
The best place to start is to determine your “why” and go from there. For me, it was simply wanting to get in shape with the littlest cost and time, so running fit the bill perfectly. Determining why running is important to your overall health goal can help you stay on track when you might feel like quitting. Keep it in the back of your mind as you go through your running journey. You’re going to have good days and bad days, so having this “why” may be the very thing that keeps you on track.
The next step is to set a realistic goal within a realistic timeframe. Upwards of 65% of all people who begin an exercise program end up dropping out in three to six months. If your goal is to run a marathon, there are plenty of 4-6 month programs out there. But if you’re new to running, this timeframe is highly unrealistic. I gave myself a year of training before my first marathon, as the furthest I’d ever run was three miles at that point. So start with smaller and more attainable short-term goals, such as a 5K. Once you’ve set your goals, create a plan to reach them.
Having a formal training schedule to follow is a great way to help stick with the plan. The internet is full of training programs. I’ve found that running 3-4 times per week works best for my body. I run every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, even when I’m not training for a race. Were I to run another marathon, I would add Sunday into the mix. Look at your schedule, determine the most ideal time for you to hit the road, and then make it a recurring appointment. Always have a plan B for when life or weather gets in the way. If you belong to a gym, running on a treadmill is a great substitute in a pinch. If and when setbacks happen, and they will, don’t just throw in the towel. Be compassionate with yourself and get back in the game when you’re able.
Remember to start slow. Progressive overload is a commonly utilized training method with weight training and involves gradually increasing the weight, frequency, or repetitions in a routine. It can be applied to running programs as well. Exercise is a science and should be approached as such. Your weekly routine should also include cross-training. Starting with anywhere from 10-15 minutes of running and slowly building in intensity, duration, and frequency. A general rule of thumb is to increase by no more than 10% per week. Also, choosing a run/walk method is a great way to avoid injury. On my shorter runs, I run 9 minutes and walk 1 minute throughout. On my longer runs, I run 4 minutes and walk 1 minute. It allows me to enjoy the entire run and gives my muscles and lungs a little break from start to finish.
Getting the right equipment is important too. Go to a reputable running store where they will let you try on and run in multiple different pairs of shoes. Finding the right pair for you is key. Clothes that wick the moisture away from your skin are paramount. Cotton is NOT your friend when it comes to running! Wearing layers works best for me in the fall and winter months. Having a thin windbreaker on the outside keeps you from getting chilled when sweating. If you’re going for a long run, having a belt to carry water and refueling nutrition is an absolute must. Lastly, if you know it will be dark when you run, reflective gear and headlamps can be found cheap and are important for your safety.
Finally, accountability is huge. I used to pick a fun destination for my marathons, so once I bought that plane ticket and paid the entry fee, there was no turning back! Finding a social network to run with is a game changer too. Your running partners will begin to feel like family. People will look forward to seeing each other and sweating together, even in the wee hours of the morning!
So lace up those shoes and hit the road! I just filmed a wonderful LYT Yoga class you can do on your off days called “Runner’s Recovery”, which will help you loosen up any tight areas and recover quicker after a long run. LYT Yoga is a wonderful cross-training option for running. I have a Runner’s Series of classes on LYT Daily as well. Click the links for the class or the series!
Xoxo,
Kristin
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the pelvic area does not adequately support the pelvic organs above. The ability to support is based on connective tissue, nerve functioning, and pelvic floor and core muscle strength and coordination. Pelvic organ prolapse can often create bothersome symptoms for people including heaviness in the pelvis, low back and pelvic pain, difficulty emptying with urination, and bulging at the vaginal opening. Oftentimes, people with pelvic organ prolapse are nervous about how and if they can participate in exercise. The answer is resoundingly yes! Specific exercise and pelvic floor training can help reduce and manage the symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse. However, there are a few things to consider and keep an eye out for when exercising to avoid exacerbation of symptoms.
As always, if you have questions regarding pelvic health, exercise, and/or pelvic organ prolapse specifically, it may be helpful to contact a pelvic health professional (i.e. physician, pelvic health physical therapist) for clarity and information. Check out my clinic’s Instagram @activcoreprinceton_pelvic for all things pelvic health and check out pelvic PTs in your area. Pelvicrehab.com is a directory of pelvic rehab practitioners searchable by zip code!
The lumbar spine consists of 5 vertebrae and is surrounded by layers of muscle and connective tissue. Encapsulated by layers of fascia, the lumbar spine is the home of the energetic hub of our central nervous system – the spinal cord. This wonderful playground of tissue and bone gives us the capacity to move in a variety of ways and remain upright when we want to be. Unfortunately, low back pain is a major issue in our world, and we spend millions of dollars a year trying to figure out how to keep our lumbar playground from becoming a garbage pit of pain, dysfunction, and inflammation.
So, how do you have a happy low back? We give it what it craves! Stability, mobility, and adaptability. Many chronic lumbar conditions are easily preventable through proactive healthy lifestyle changes that include a daily movement practice, healthy food and drink choices, and stress management. Each month, in a series of three articles, you are going to learn what to do to develop a stable, mobile, and adaptable spine with yoga so you can live a happy, back-pain free life!
Let’s dive in with a chat about stability. The definition of stability is the state of being firmly fixed. Our lumbar spine gains stability through the natural shape of its vertebrae, with a thick and massive vertebral body. These large structures were designed to hold the weight of our entire upper body. The lumbar spine can handle a lot of force because of its natural anatomy. The 5th lumbar vertebra attaches to the sacrum. Through the stability of the sacrum, weight is transferred from the spine to the pelvis. The bony structures of the lumbar spine are supported by joints, discs, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and fascia.
When all these players are doing their roles, we have structural integrity. Forces get dispersed evenly, and energy flows easily. This is why POSTURE *#*^ing MATTERS. We must train our muscles to align our joints to their anatomical positions. Gravity wants to pull us down. Because of our modern lifestyles – sitting in school, working at a desk, looking at our phones, less time playing and exploring – we are vulnerable to unintentionally developing poor postural habits that take us out of our anatomical alignment because of the way gravity pulls on us when we slouch. This malalignment shows up as adaptive muscle weakness, tightness, and, over time, joint and bone degeneration, spinal compression, nerve irritation, and duh duh duh – pain. The good news is most of the time, we can reverse the pain through movement practices that bring us back to anatomical alignment.
LYT yoga is a wonderful practice for this very reason. If you practice with us, you already know how intentional every pose and transition is to keep optimal posture. Don’t be fooled – it is a PRACTICE. You will feel better after one class certainly but having a happy back takes time and effort. Think of the many years it took to develop the weakness and tightness in your body. Be consistent with your posture work to rewire your brain and increase muscle strength and flexibility to undo the years of poor movement and open up the energetic freeway between your pelvis and spine for a happy, healthy, and stable low back.
Try our LYT Daily posture challenge
and check out this month’s latest workshop from Lara – Love for The Low Back
to get started on your posture journey to stabilize your lumbar spine today!
XO,
Thalia Wynne, PT, DPT, AT, RYT-200
@thalialovee