Tag: lifestyle

With rising temperatures and summer just around the corner, barefoot season is here! Now if you’re like me, you find yourself barefoot around the house all the time. We don’t have a “no shoes inside” rule, but it’s typically the first thing I do when I get home. It just feels better to be barefoot! Over the last ten years, barefoot walking/running has caused a stir in the scientific community and a controversial debate has arisen about the benefits and limitations of it. It all began in 2010 when evolutionary biologist and Harvard professor Daniel E. Lieberman published a paper showing that running in cushioned shoes encouraged people to hit the ground harder than running barefoot. He found that with cushioned sneakers, the stiffness of the sole slowed the rate at which the body hit the ground. So while this makes the impact more comfortable, the force through the body is the same. However, when a person runs (or walks) barefoot, they tend to adjust their gait pattern and land lighter. He found this was not true while running in cushioned shoes. His subjects hit the ground harder and the energy that shot up the leg was about three times greater than running barefoot. 

Since he published this paper, the research on barefoot running has exploded. As with any controversial topic, the reviews remain mixed. When it comes to biomechanics, the evidence is clear that barefoot running influences how we run and likely has a significant impact on the amount of force through the body when the foot hits the ground. However, some people don’t change their gait pattern to run more lightly to start, so there’s a learning curve. In addition, the hypothesis that minimizing impact reduces the risk of injury has been challenged in the literature as being oversimplified and flawed. It has been proposed that neuromuscular adjustments, made in response to impact forces, regulate the amount of stress through the body and the degree of cushioning is largely irrelevant. So people who change their gait pattern to a less “heavy” style can decrease stress through the joints too, regardless of whether they’re in shoes or not. But what about walking barefoot?

The general consensus in the literature is that habitually barefoot people have stronger feet and fewer foot deformities. Studies have shown that barefoot walking individuals tend to have a wider forefoot, higher arch, more pliable feet, and reduced bunions/hallux angle as compared to people who regularly wear shoes. Not surprisingly, people who walk barefoot more regularly have thicker calluses on the sole of their feet. In 2019, Lieberman and his colleagues at Harvard and in Germany and Kenya conducted another study on whether these calluses had a negative effect on sensation in the feet. His research compared the callus thickness and foot sensitivity of people in Western Africa who regularly went without footwear and people in Boston who regularly wore shoes. They found that although calluses thicken as people walk barefoot more often, there is no trade-off in sensation. The callus transmits mechanical force to sensory receptors deep inside the skin as well as a sole of a foot with thinner or no calluses. When we put an overly-supportive or overly-cushioned shoe on the foot, we significantly reduce the amount of sensory feedback from these receptors. This matters ultimately because of balance.

As we age, we lose sensitivity in the feet. Coupling that with losing mobility by wearing restrictive shoes all the time can have a detrimental effect on balance and increase the risk of falling as we age. Being barefoot sharpens the connection between the sensory receptors of the foot and brain, giving us better and quicker information about where we are in space. If you don’t use it, you lose it. By using and stimulating the nerves in the feet more often, you encourage their physical growth, which improves sensitivity. It is even believed to improve circulation, as we use more of the fine motor muscle of the foot and ankle while barefoot, which moves the blood and lymph more efficiently. When we’re more sensitive to changes occurring under the feet, we’re more able to react when our balance shifts and therefore, reduce our chances of falling. Finally, there are some early studies on walking barefoot in contact with the earth, so think grass, dirt, or sand. It’s called “earthing”. Some studies allege that drawing electrons from the earth through the feet improves overall health. I haven’t looked at these studies in depth to verify their research quality, but it’s an interesting concept.

So now that the weather is warming up (in this hemisphere of the globe anyway), slip off your shoes! We do it every time we get on our mat, which is just one of many different things I love about yoga in general. Try it around the house and around the yard. Free up those toes by checking out a pair of Correct Toes at our LYT^Ⓡ Store! Here’s the link: https://shop.lytyoga.com/. Your body and your brain will thank you in the long run!

Xoxo,

Kristin

This week we opened up registration for our LYT^Ⓡ Level 2 Core Module, which is part of our 300-hour LYT yoga teacher training program. The term “core” has been around forever and has morphed over the years into considerably more than it was 20+ years ago when I graduated from physical therapy school. For many years, we really only looked at the core from the standpoint of the abdominals and lower back musculature and their roles in supporting the spine. As our understanding of the core evolved, so did physical therapy, branching out into specialty areas including the pelvic floor and diaphragm. We began looking at injuries of the extremities and how they related to weakness in the core stabilizers, not only around the spine, but also around the proximal joints of the hips and shoulders. We began to describe the core as a container, encompassing the entire trunk or axial skeleton. However, for the purposes of this article, I’m only going to be talking about the muscles of the abdominal core.

I love the concept of visualizing the abdominal core as a cylindrical container. Imagine an empty soda can…you could stack a solid amount of weight on top of it before it would collapse, right? Yet, if you put one little dent in the side of that can, it takes a LOT less force to make it crumple. Let’s put this into the perspective of the human body…the spine has been shown to buckle under compressive forces as low as 20 lbs in the absence of muscular contribution. I’m pretty sure my purse weighs more than that at times! Certainly my kids’ backpacks! It falls to the container of the core to stabilize the spine against any type of external compressive or shearing forces. 

The container of the core has passive, active, and neurological components that contribute to its stability. The passive structures include the vertebrae, intervertebral discs, ligaments, and joint capsules, as well as the passive properties of muscles supporting the spine. These passive structures stabilize in the end ranges of motion and transmit load information to the nervous system. The active components are the muscles, which provide dynamic stability to the spine, as well as sending movement information to the nervous system. Finally, the neurological component is the brain or central nervous system, which is the center for incoming and outgoing signals. Continuous interaction between all three components is necessary to maintain core stability. Having a stable core requires instantaneous changes being made by the brain to elicit the appropriate muscle recruitment for stability and mobility in response to demands placed on the body. Yikes. No wonder it’s so hard!

When talking about the container of the core in terms of its musculature, it begins at the base, which is the pelvic floor. The floor of the pelvis is made up of layers of muscle and connective tissue, which stretch like a hammock from the pubic bone to the coccyx (tailbone) and from one ischial tuberosity (sit bone) to the other. Next, the trunk is supported by the anterior, lateral, and posterior abdominal walls, making up the sides of the core container. The anterior abdominal wall musculature includes the rectus abdominis and a small muscle called the pyramidalis, which is present in 80% of the population. The lateral abdominal wall musculature includes the external and internal obliques and transversus abdominis. The posterior abdominal wall musculature includes the psoas major, iliacus, quadratus lumborum, and psoas minor, which is present in only about 40% of the population. And then finally, we have the ceiling of the core container, which is the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a parachute-shaped muscle that runs between the chest and abdomen. Although its main function is for breathing, it works with the abdominal muscles to increase the intra-abdominal pressure in order to support the spine as needed.

The ability to tap into the strength of the container of the core takes practice. The inherent boundaries of these muscles create a corset-like effect to stabilize the trunk and spine. Any movement beyond a neutral spine and pelvis, into areas of hyper-flexibility for example, requires integration between the central nervous system and these stabilizing muscles. My favorite way to describe this core containment is by creating an abdominal brace…360 degrees around the spine. This ability to tense the core musculature is similar to what you would do if someone was going to poke you in the belly. You would tense your abdomen all around to keep the fingers from penetrating into the organs, right? You should be able to feel the muscles tighten in front, around the sides, and even into the back body. It’s more of a hug around the trunk than a hard contraction. So you can still move and breathe easily with an abdominal brace. If we can learn to move this way on the mat, it will translate off the mat as well. I like to think of it as an active koozie for our beer can of the core! 🙂 You can even hug in the pelvic floor and diaphragm from above and below at times of greater need, like those asymmetrical poses. You’ll feel the difference in your body, I promise. Your practice will feel like more work, but you’ll reap greater rewards. So give it a try next time! Until then, I’ll see you on the mat!

Xoxo,

Kristin

One of the first things that drew me to LYT^Ⓡ Yoga (then YogaStream) was the inversion practice. I used to do gymnastics when I was middle school age and younger, so I grew up comfortable on my hands as a way to get from point A to point B (ie. with cartwheels, walkovers, and handsprings). But the idea of holding a handstand, let alone in the middle of a crowded room…umm NO. I had been to other yoga studios where handstands, shoulder stands, and plow pose were offered at the end of most classes. Did I do them? Yes. Could I do them well? Yes. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m naturally pretty strong. My job as a physical therapist is demanding and I’m very physically active, so doing crazy arm balances and advanced yoga poses was relatively easy for me at the very start. But not the elusive handstand. Getting that took discipline, work, video assessment, and a daily practice to finally achieve. But this article isn’t about the handstand. It’s about why to do it versus the headstand.

When you think about it, it makes little physical sense for the headstand to be offered as the “beginner” inversion. In what alternative universe do we feel putting up to 40-48% of our body weight through our neck is a good idea? This is the axial load that studies have shown is being put through the head and neck in a headstand. Now people will argue that you’re supposed to be putting most of the weight through your shoulders and hands, not the head. However, I would argue that most people and especially beginner yogis don’t have the shoulder or scapular strength to do so. Which is why forearm stands are that much harder to do. You are taking close to TWICE as much weight through the shoulder girdle, without the head there to support the other 40-48% of the bodyweight.

The cervical spine is not built to carry a load greater than the head. If you look at the structural difference between the lumbar and cervical vertebrae, you’ll see why. The lumbar vertebrae have evolved to carry the weight of the upper body or, for argument’s sake, half of the body weight. Its large vertebral body (the solid cylindrical part) allows for this. The vertebral body of the cervical vertebra is roughly ¼ the size of the lumbar vertebra. Which makes sense given how relatively small the head is in comparison to the rest of the body. So why would we still subject ourselves to a pose that puts almost half the body weight through it? No, thank you.

Another consideration is posture. We spend so much time flexed at the neck while bent over our phones or laptops. This offloads and thereby weakens the posterior chain of the body. Most people have a flattened curve of the cervical spine as well, which essentially means we walk around in perpetual cervical flexion. Studies on axial compression forces required for failure of the cervical spine (in cadavers) was four times less in a flexed position than in neutral or an extended position. This means it takes a lot less compressive force (which is what a headstand is doing) to injure the cervical spine while it’s flexed than while it’s extended or in neutral. So unless you have a perfect curve in your cervical spine (which few people do) and are strong enough in not only the paraspinal musculature but also the shoulder girdle to offset the body weight, it’s just not worth the risk.

Lastly, we have too many important structures at the craniovertebral junction (CVJ), or where the head meets the neck. The CVJ houses the transition from the brainstem to the spinal cord. It also is where the vertebral arteries (which provide blood flow ultimately to the brain and spinal column) and first cervical nerves (which innervate the head and neck) share a small groove on either side between the skull and the first cervical vertebra. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to mess with any of that.

So take the hard road and work towards your forearm balance or handstand. Keep weight off the head and neck! Handstand, don’t headstand. Or as I like to say, “Lift switch, swing it, or step it.” 🙂 Until then, I’ll see you on the mat!

Xoxo,

Kristin

If you’ve ever had low back pain, you are not alone. Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common conditions I treat at the clinic and it affects people of all ages. Even school age kids have it, so it does not discriminate by age. It can be described as dull and aching or sharp and shooting. Sometimes LBP is accompanied by radiating pain into the back of the leg(s), buttocks, or anterior thigh. It can extend clear down to the foot in some cases. It’s no wonder that LBP is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor or miss work.

There are many different causes of LBP. Congenital reasons such as scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and an increased or decreased lumbar lordosis (swayback or flat back). Injuries such as strains, slips, and falls, or car accidents. Degenerative changes in the spine are another common cause and include stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canals), degenerative disc disease (thinning of the intervertebral discs with age), and other types of arthritic conditions (ie, spondylosis and ankylosing spondylitis). Some conditions affect the nerve and cause entrapment either at the spinal cord or exiting spinal nerves, such as disc herniation/protrusion, spondylolisthesis, and sciatica.

I actually prefer when a patient comes to me and hasn’t had any diagnostic testing. While knowledge is power, oftentimes in the case of LBP, ignorance is bliss. Studies have shown that we can pull 100 people off the street who have no back pain and ~70% of them will have degenerative discs/arthritis, ~50% will have a disc bulge or two, and ~30% will have a disc herniation…with no pain!!! People are shocked to learn this and wonder how can this be? So many different factors affect whether we have pain in the body. When it comes to low back pain and especially radiating pain such as sciatica or lumbar radiculopathy, this is especially true. And if you’ve been treated by me or have taken my Stretch class, you know I love the analogy of birds on a wire.

I’ve always been fascinated by how birds sit on telephone wires. It makes me laugh to watch them shuffle from side to side, making room as new birds arrive and spacing out as others leave. Several years ago I began explaining neural tension to my patients and students as having “birds on a wire”. The more birds that sit on a wire, the lower it sags and the more tension. Tension on a wire (nerve) is a large reason for pain and discomfort. This is true not only for back and leg pain, but also for neck and arm pain. I consider anything a person has on an MRI as just another bird on the wire. Now some birds are bigger than others and may cause more tension (large herniation or bone spurs). Other birds aren’t going anywhere (stenosis, scoliosis, arthritic/degenerative changes). But just like those studies show, people can have birds of all sizes on their wires and not have any symptoms whatsoever. My job as a physical therapist is to get as many birds off the wire as I can and let the body do the rest of the work. It is an amazing self healer if given the opportunity.

So what are some birds we can get off our wires? Tight hips and glutes. Your sciatic nerve runs right under your buttock muscles, so if those muscles are tight, they’re just birds pushing on that wire. Limited hip mobility. If you can’t move from your hips, where are you going to move? From your back. Poor body mechanics due to limited hip mobility…bird on the wire. Weak hips and core…bird on the wire. Hypermobility of the lumbar spine…bird. Hypomobility of the thoracic spine…peep peep! Prolonged sitting…cheep cheep! Poor posture…caw caw! Honestly the list goes on and I’m running out bird sounds. 🙂 Think about ways you may be putting too much tension on your wires. What are birds you can get rid off to free up the body to heal itself? LYT^Ⓡ yoga is a great place to start because it’s smart yoga. Listen to the cues we give you and apply them to your daily life. Mobilize, strengthen, stabilize. On that note, I’ll see you on the mat!

Xoxo,

Kristin

Feeling stressed out? Anxious? Sleep-deprived? Yeah…me too. This has hands down been the craziest year of my life and I’m sure many people would agree with me. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes we need more than yoga to relax. Deep breathing is one of the best ways to relax the body because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to relax your body. Those things that happen when we’re stressed out, like increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, can all be decreased when you breathe deeply to relax. Here’s a quick physiology lesson to explain how it works:

Your autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary actions like heart rate and blood pressure, is split into two parts. The first part, your sympathetic nervous system, controls your fight-or-flight response. The second part, your parasympathetic nervous system, controls your rest and relaxation response. Both systems can NOT be working at the same time, which means if you activate one, the other will be suppressed. Deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and while it may be simple, it isn’t necessarily easy and takes practice. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at it There are many different ways to practice relaxation breathing, so play around to find one that feels the most natural to you. Most importantly, be kind to yourself as you practice and accept that you might not notice results immediately. Give yourself credit for trying and keep practicing, even just for a few minutes at a time, until you reach a point where you notice it’s starting to help. Here are a few different methods of relaxation breathing to try:

Diaphragmatic Breathing

• Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
• Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
• Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.
• Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out.
• Do this 3 to 10 times, taking your time with each breath.

4-7-8 Breathing

• This can also be performed sitting or lying down.
• Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
• Take a deep, slow breath from your belly, and silently count to 4 as you breathe in.
• Hold your breath, and silently count from 1 to 7.
• Breathe out completely as you silently count from 1 to 8. Try to get all the air out of your lungs by the time you count to 8.
• Repeat 3 to 7 times or until you feel calm.

Roll Breathing

• You can do this in any position, but while you’re learning, it’s best to lie on your back with your knees bent.
• Put your left hand on your belly and your right hand on your chest.
• Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, practice filling your lower lungs so your belly (left) hand goes up when you inhale through the nose and your chest (right) hand remains still. Do this 8 to 10 times.
• When you have filled and emptied your lower lungs 8 to 10 times, add the second step to roll breathing: inhale first into your lower lungs as before, and then continue inhaling into your upper chest. As you do so, your right hand will rise and your left hand will fall a little.
• As you exhale slowly through the mouth, make a quiet, whooshing sound as first your left hand and then your right-hand fall.
• Practice breathing in and out this way for 3 to 5 minutes. Notice that the movement of your belly and chest rises and falls like rolling waves. Feel the tension leaving your body as you exhale and become more relaxed.

So try one of these out and see if they work for you!

Xoxo,

Kristin

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. Traditionally, they manifest as pain that comes over your head like a hood or around your head like a headband and can occur on one side or both. Any activity that requires the head and neck to be held in the same position for prolonged periods can result in a tension headache. Considering that many of us are spending a lot of time on computers, laptops, and our phones these days, it’s no wonder they are the most common type! Other activities such as physical and emotional stress, anxiety, eye strain, fatigue, caffeine (too much or too little), clenching the jaw, and migraines can also bring them on. Tension headaches occur when muscles in the head and/or neck contract or go into spasms called trigger points. Trigger points send pain in a very specific pattern (such as the hood or headband) and can be reproduced with pressure at specific points in the muscle belly. The good news is that tension headaches and trigger points respond very well to treatment and can be managed independently! Here are some tips to treat and prevent tension headaches:

• Tape two tennis balls together or put them in a sock and tie a knot to keep them side-by-side. Lie down with the tips of the tennis balls right under the base of the skull. You can maintain static pressure or nod the head up and down and side-to-side for a massage of the tense muscles (called your suboccipitals). This is especially useful if you find yourself in the middle of a tension headache. It may be uncomfortable at first, but eventually, the muscles will relax and you’ll find relief.
• If you work at a computer all day, set a timer on your phone to go off every 30-60 minutes. Take a few minutes and do the following each time the timer goes off:
  • Perform 10 Chin Tucks – sit up tall and draw the ears back in line with the shoulders. Hold 5 seconds each.
  • Lean your head to one side, hold 20-30 seconds, and then the other side.
  • Interlace your hands behind your head, draw your chin down to your chest, and gently press straight back into your hands until you feel a stretch at the base of the skull. Hold 10 seconds. Turn your head 30 degrees (looking towards one armpit) and press gently back into the hand on that side. Hold 10 seconds. Repeat to the other side.
  • Keeping the hands behind the head, arch back over the top of the chair, allowing the thoracic spine to extend and the chest to open. You can hold for 10-15 seconds or rock slowly back and forth, flexing and extending the upper back.

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so the best way to keep tension headaches at bay is by maintaining good posture throughout the day and managing your stress with your regular LYT^Ⓡ yoga practice! Tadasana, or Mountain Pose, sets the head, shoulders, hips and ankles in perfect alignment, allowing those suboccipital muscles to lengthen out, and takes strain off the muscles of the neck by eliminating their need to hold the head up. So find Tadasana to eliminate Tension!

Xoxo,

Kristin