Prone Shoulder Extension

Prone shoulder extension is an exercise that is often used to strengthen the posterior muscles of the shoulder as well as the shoulder blade muscles. This exercise can help improve shoulder stabilization, allowing for normal movement patterns of the shoulder joint, and allows for activation of both the tricep and latissimus dorsi muscles improving both shoulder depression and extension. This exercise is often used to help aide in the prevention of shoulder injuries through stabilization of the shoulder girdle and shoulder blades.

Prone Variations

Prone position is an anatomical term for a body position in which an individual lies face down with the head, palmar surface of the hands and arms, stomach, and anterior surface of the legs all making contact with the surface. Prone lying is a good position to help open up your joints, specifically your hips and low back, and improve flexibility by going into an extended position resulting in a relaxation and/or a stretch to the flexor musculature. This position can also help provide a stretch to the trunk muscles and is often utilized in strength training, specifically the posterior chain muscles, due to the resistance from gravity when working in a vertical direction.

MovementProfessional.com: Wrist Pain with Your Forehand?

This video demonstrates how to assess and treat wrist pain through the kinematic sequence of a movement as opposed to simply looking the area of symptom. More often than not when symptoms are found at a distal point of an extremity the remedy must commence more proximally towards the center. In the case go any rotational movement (such as a tennis forehand) the core/pelvis must lead the upper trunk which will lead the arm which will direct the racket.

Rotational Lunge Sequence

This video was done to properly explain a rotational lunge sequence. You should start this sequence slowly, focusing on your stance and maintaining proper alignment throughout all the different motions. As you progress through the sequence you can increase speed and tension while still maintaining control throughout the positions. The purpose to begin slow is to prime the movement before you increase the intensity to ensure you continue to maintain control throughout the entire sequence.

Stages of Transition in Gait

This video was done to demonstrate the stages of transition in Gait while maintaining 3 positions that allow for proper alignment throughout your gait cycle. This will help you improve your foot work and balance allowing for enhanced transition throughout the different phases of gait. This video also provides a gait sequence by increasing stride length while still maintaining proper alignment throughout the different positions.

Love to the Ankle Dorsiflexors

This video discusses the value of engaging the ankle dorsiflexors to aid in activities such as squatting, landing, and walking.

Many of the ankle dorsiflexors actively spread the toes, therefore widening the foot giving us a better base of support as we interact with the ground.

This muscle group is also partially responsible for helping us maintain our medial arch as we sink or load into the ground,

Please comment with questions.

Be well

Chris

Wall Supported Standing Hip Extension

This video is short demonstration of a wall supported hip extension exercise.

The value of using the wall here is to provide a reference for the position of the pelvis, ribcage and head, when moving the hip into greater degrees of extension.

This important as it is common for us compensate somewhere up the chain when attempting to move the hip.

Please comment with questions.

Relaxed Breath Hold Count

This assessment involves using a stopwatch to time the duration of the maximum time in which we can retain air after a relaxed exhale. The intention is to examine our ability to tolerate greater levels of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. In my experience, this assessment is one of the most valuable and easily understood ways of demonstrating positive change to breath control overtime.

Hollow vs Neutral Plank

This video explains the continuum from the hollow body plank to the neutral body plank.

Too often movement professionals debate the "right" position instead of clarifying the intent of the position. In this case, both the hollow and neutral body are valid body positions that fit into a continuum of what the client can control.

The Glut Max as a "Pusher"

This was an answer to a question from an intern inquiring about the action of the glut max during the swing phase of walking.

Pump Handle vs Bucket Handle Breath Dissociation

Pump handle/bucket handle dissociation: This exercise assesses and trains our ability to expand our thorax in a front-back direction in the upper rib cage. In order to perform this exercise properly, it is assumed that we are able to take a solid abdominally-oriented inhale, as well as experience and maintain the contractions of the muscles involved in an abdominal brace. The practice is commenced by inhaling low and wide into the abdomen. After this initial inhale, an exhale is pressurized creating a gentle abdominal brace. During the subsequent inhale, the muscle contractions of the abdominal brace are maintained, while we attempt to expand the chest and upper thoracic spine in a front-back direction. This activity separates the pump handle movement of the upper ribs from the bucket handle movement of the lower ribs.

This exercise can also be done with a 4-7-8 count (inhale-retention post inhale-exhale). In this case, the 4-second inhale and 7-second retention are performed only with the upper ribs, while the lower ribs are held downward. During the 8-second exhalation the muscle actions involved in the abdominal brace are enhanced. This process is then repeated for repetitions.