The Side to Side Lunge is an exercise within the Pain-Free Movement Specialist sequencing as a B/C exercise. A B/C exercise will generally fall in the middle or toward the end of a Function First corrective exercise program. We use this exercise to help create some disassociation between the pelvis and spine as we load the hips independently. The nuances of this exercise make a big difference. Be sure to pay attention to all of the details to get the most out of this exercise.
Archive for the ‘Health and fitness professionals’ Category
Side to Side Lunges for Hip and Spinal Health
Friday, November 8th, 2024Pain and Context-Choose Your Suffering
Monday, September 23rd, 2024Pain isn’t just a physical sensation—it’s deeply influenced by context. Every situation triggers a unique response, and understanding why is key to helping our clients.
In this captivating clip from a live educational session, Anthony takes a deep dive into how the brain processes pain under extreme conditions. Imagine a surfer surviving a shark attack or a hiker stranded with a broken leg—how do their brains handle pain in the midst of danger? Anthony breaks down the brain’s ability to prioritize survival over discomfort, offering powerful insights into why pain can feel so different in life-threatening moments. These intense, real-world examples make for compelling metaphors that can transform the way we explain pain to our clients.
The NASM Random Fit Podcast with Anthony Carey
Wednesday, July 24th, 2024This was very enjoyable for me, because Ken Miller and I go back so far. Ken came to one of my very first mentorships back in the late 90’s and is one of only a handful of PFMS Level 4 practitioners.
Both Ken and Wendy are NASM Master Trainers and have made significant contributions to our industry in their own right.
The short clip we are sharing here is very relevant to you, our Function First professional community. We discuss some of the evolution of our views on the functional anatomy. We also talk about why it is not only OK, but imperative that fitness professionals work with clients in pain within our scope of practice.
Single Leg Stance Assessment and Lumbar Instability
Friday, May 17th, 2024The couch potato takes 2-3000 steps per day. That’s a lot of repetition. Imagine the repetition for those who get their 10,000 steps per day?
Since the majority of our clients walk, the Single Stance is an insightful way to see how the body responds to the forces acting on it during midstance in the gait cycle.
In this video, we are going to dive deeper into what we can observe from the back view of this assessment, particularly as it relates to the coupled relationship of the pelvis and lumbar spine in the transverse plane.
I’ll show you a quick review of the key points, and then share some actual client assessments of what we found. It will make sense why this assessment can be so insightful.
Reverse Floor Block-Anti Keyboard Corrective Exercise
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022A client favorite, this exercise has multiple benefits to the upper extremities, thoracic spine and neck region. Utilizing the arm positioning and the cueing of the radial-ulnar and gleno-humeral joints, the motor system can access the peri scapular muscles in a very efficient way.
Lengthening through the chronically shortened muscles of the wrist and forearm and isometrically contracting the middle trapezius and rhomboids produces a noticeable change in the tissue tension and posture of the upper body.
Dead Bug Variation to Regulate the Core
Wednesday, June 8th, 2022The following is a Level B in the Pain-Free Movement Specialist Levels of Designation
The Dead Bug is a popular and effective core stabilization exercise. And although it is done supine on the floor, it has a level of difficulty that may be underestimated.
When working with chronic pain clients, particularly those with lower back related issues, the many common versions of the Dead Bug may actually be too challenging. With the version we share below, the degree of difficulty can be self regulated. This means the individual has a degree of control over the intensity of the exercise by way of the force that they apply with the upper body.
With this control, the client/patient has the ability to choose a level of difficulty within their capacity and reduce the sense of threat of further hurting themselves. They will also be able to better assess their success or lack their off with fewer moving parts to the exercise.
Corrective Exercise-Half Kneeling Hula for Hip Flexors
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022Following the PFMS A-D Levels of Designation, the Half Kneeling “Hula” is a Level “C” exercise. Besides the points of contact and relationship to gravity, this corrective exercise requires some kinesthetic awareness and movement coordination and is an excellent progression to the standard, static kneeling hip flexor.
Adding variability not only provides superior outcomes, but it also often exposes restrictions we didn’t know were more prevalent.
Corrective Exercise Creates a Positive Cascade for Change with Chronic Pain
Thursday, October 28th, 2021The pain itself is almost always the primary focus. But their are multiple inputs that can lead to a downward cascade in the quality of life of those challenged with chronic pain. And equally, the sum of many inputs can also lead to a positive cascade and opportunity for improvement.
This clip taken from a live webinar I did with the American Council on Exercise, sheds some light on how the right exercises, for the right person, at the right time can be a catalyst for positive change.
If we can appreciate and impact through exercise, more of the dynamic systems involved in the pain experience , we provide our clients with a path to positive change.