Program Features
This page explains program features used to train clients.
CORRECTIVE EXERCISES TO ELIMINATE PAIN
A number of my clients suffered for years with chronic joint and back pain. Their medical doctors did not find the underlying problem or simply dismissed the issue and gave them pain medication that only treated the symptom. All of them suffered with ongoing joint or back pain that was caused by a muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalance is caused by the following: repetitive motion, trauma from an accident, poor posture sitting at a desk all day, occupational job stress, prolonged immobility due to an injury, cutting through muscle during surgery, playing sports or working in the yard. After correcting their muscle imbalance, the chronic joint and back pain was eliminated. Athletes are likely to develop a muscle imbalance due to the repetitive conditioning and overuse that is necessary to play sports. Recurring pain that limits athletic ability can be significantly reduced and in many cases completely eliminated using therapeutic exercises to correct the muscle imbalance.
BALANCE ENHANCEMENT EXERCISES
Keeping your balance is more difficult as you get older. A normal process of aging is a steady decline in vision, loss of muscle strength and decreased flexibility which all contribute to the risk of falling. One in three Americans over 65 years experience a fall every year causing serious injuries and sometimes death as a result of medical complications related to the fall. Approximately 1/3 of those who were injured from a fall lost a degree of their independence. Improving balance is important as a person ages due to a number of physical changes that occur in the body. You can prevent falls by simply strengthening your leg muscles which are needed to maintain balance during a sudden unstable situation. This helps reduce the risk of injuries from falls at home or work regardless of your age.
CORE STRENGTH EXERCISES
Strengthening the core stabilizer muscles helps a person develop correct posture while sitting, standing or walking for long periods of time. All movement begins and ends in the core area of our bodies. A weak core is a major factor for most back problems. There are abdominal exercises that should be avoided due to the increase compressive forces on your lumbar spine that will actually increase lower back pain. Lumbar spine problems (lower back) are the number one source of pain reported to physicians by their patients. Athletes will generate greater power and force production by performing stabilization exercises prior to lifting heavy weights.
FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH EXERCISES
Functional training works with the natural movement of your body to develop proper neural adaptation and muscle recruitment. You will achieve greater total body conditioning performing anatomically correct functional movements compared to isolated movements using exercise machines. Machines force controlled isolated muscle movements and artificial joint stabilization due to the "single planar" action. Most traditional training programs develop only "absolute strength" in a single plane of motion using the same movement patterns. Muscles have anatomical individuality but lack functional individuality and work synergistcally in groups with other muscles during physical activity.
SYSTEMATIC AND PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES
My training program is based upon scientific research using the proper methods to achieve optimal fitness levels. You will feel the changes each week as you get stronger and progress to new exercises. A person will not benefit if they continue to perform the same exercise routine over and over. Exercises should be varied on a regular basis which forces the body to recruit new muscle fibers and you become stronger.
NEUROMUSCULAR MULTI-SENSORY EXERCISES
Most traditional training begins in the "strength phase" using exercise machines or heavier weights to increase power and force production. This training method increases strength to the "prime mover" muscles which can lead to injury due to an increased muscle imbalance in relation to the weaker "stabilizer" muscles that are needed to protect the joints. My training focuses on developing the stabilizer muscles first with neuromuscular multi-sensory exercises and then increasing to the strength phase as the body adapts to handle the heavier loads.
CONTROLLED UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT
Placing a person in a safe controlled unstable environment on balance sensory equipment creates a new stimulus which allows the body to gain extra muscle. This training method increases strength by creating dynamic stabilization around the joints which reduces stress to the joints during physical activity. Stabilizer muscles and neutralizer muscles counteract unwanted motion in the joints and protect against injury. The bigger "prime mover" muscles are now able to produce more power because they are not being used to stabilize the joints.
MULTI-DIRECTIONAL MOVEMENTS
The human body moves naturally in three planes of motion. The sagittal plane is forward, backward, up and down. The frontal plane is the lateral subsystem that moves the body side to side. The transverse plane is rotational or twisting movement at the mid section of your body. Exercise machines and traditional training methods in the past only address the sagittal plane. Training the body in all three planes of motion is a superior method to develop total body conditioning.
INTEGRATED FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES
Integrated flexibility training is a major aspect for all exercise programs. There are three types of stretching that are used to develop proper flexibility: static, active and dynamic. It is very important to apply the correct stretching technique at the beginning of physical activity to achieve the optimal benefit. Further, appropriate stretching at the end of exercising is needed to reset the muscles for proper healing.
A number of my clients suffered for years with chronic joint and back pain. Their medical doctors did not find the underlying problem or simply dismissed the issue and gave them pain medication that only treated the symptom. All of them suffered with ongoing joint or back pain that was caused by a muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalance is caused by the following: repetitive motion, trauma from an accident, poor posture sitting at a desk all day, occupational job stress, prolonged immobility due to an injury, cutting through muscle during surgery, playing sports or working in the yard. After correcting their muscle imbalance, the chronic joint and back pain was eliminated. Athletes are likely to develop a muscle imbalance due to the repetitive conditioning and overuse that is necessary to play sports. Recurring pain that limits athletic ability can be significantly reduced and in many cases completely eliminated using therapeutic exercises to correct the muscle imbalance.
BALANCE ENHANCEMENT EXERCISES
Keeping your balance is more difficult as you get older. A normal process of aging is a steady decline in vision, loss of muscle strength and decreased flexibility which all contribute to the risk of falling. One in three Americans over 65 years experience a fall every year causing serious injuries and sometimes death as a result of medical complications related to the fall. Approximately 1/3 of those who were injured from a fall lost a degree of their independence. Improving balance is important as a person ages due to a number of physical changes that occur in the body. You can prevent falls by simply strengthening your leg muscles which are needed to maintain balance during a sudden unstable situation. This helps reduce the risk of injuries from falls at home or work regardless of your age.
CORE STRENGTH EXERCISES
Strengthening the core stabilizer muscles helps a person develop correct posture while sitting, standing or walking for long periods of time. All movement begins and ends in the core area of our bodies. A weak core is a major factor for most back problems. There are abdominal exercises that should be avoided due to the increase compressive forces on your lumbar spine that will actually increase lower back pain. Lumbar spine problems (lower back) are the number one source of pain reported to physicians by their patients. Athletes will generate greater power and force production by performing stabilization exercises prior to lifting heavy weights.
FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH EXERCISES
Functional training works with the natural movement of your body to develop proper neural adaptation and muscle recruitment. You will achieve greater total body conditioning performing anatomically correct functional movements compared to isolated movements using exercise machines. Machines force controlled isolated muscle movements and artificial joint stabilization due to the "single planar" action. Most traditional training programs develop only "absolute strength" in a single plane of motion using the same movement patterns. Muscles have anatomical individuality but lack functional individuality and work synergistcally in groups with other muscles during physical activity.
SYSTEMATIC AND PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES
My training program is based upon scientific research using the proper methods to achieve optimal fitness levels. You will feel the changes each week as you get stronger and progress to new exercises. A person will not benefit if they continue to perform the same exercise routine over and over. Exercises should be varied on a regular basis which forces the body to recruit new muscle fibers and you become stronger.
NEUROMUSCULAR MULTI-SENSORY EXERCISES
Most traditional training begins in the "strength phase" using exercise machines or heavier weights to increase power and force production. This training method increases strength to the "prime mover" muscles which can lead to injury due to an increased muscle imbalance in relation to the weaker "stabilizer" muscles that are needed to protect the joints. My training focuses on developing the stabilizer muscles first with neuromuscular multi-sensory exercises and then increasing to the strength phase as the body adapts to handle the heavier loads.
CONTROLLED UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT
Placing a person in a safe controlled unstable environment on balance sensory equipment creates a new stimulus which allows the body to gain extra muscle. This training method increases strength by creating dynamic stabilization around the joints which reduces stress to the joints during physical activity. Stabilizer muscles and neutralizer muscles counteract unwanted motion in the joints and protect against injury. The bigger "prime mover" muscles are now able to produce more power because they are not being used to stabilize the joints.
MULTI-DIRECTIONAL MOVEMENTS
The human body moves naturally in three planes of motion. The sagittal plane is forward, backward, up and down. The frontal plane is the lateral subsystem that moves the body side to side. The transverse plane is rotational or twisting movement at the mid section of your body. Exercise machines and traditional training methods in the past only address the sagittal plane. Training the body in all three planes of motion is a superior method to develop total body conditioning.
INTEGRATED FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES
Integrated flexibility training is a major aspect for all exercise programs. There are three types of stretching that are used to develop proper flexibility: static, active and dynamic. It is very important to apply the correct stretching technique at the beginning of physical activity to achieve the optimal benefit. Further, appropriate stretching at the end of exercising is needed to reset the muscles for proper healing.