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Tag: exercise

By Dr. Johanna Newbold 0 Comments Exercises , , , , , ,

Four Easy Ways to Fight Forward Head Posture

woman in car on smartphone
Photo by Igor Starkov on Unsplash

Forward head posture, “text neck”, anterior head syndrome… these are just a few names for this common postural condition can lead to neck pain, headaches, sore shoulders, reduced respiratory function, early degeneration of my neck spine and many others. All of these painful conditions can certainly get in the way of fun activities like skiing, playing golf, running marathons, playing video games, adventures with grandchildren, and conquering fitness goals.

While forward head posture is nothing new, computers, sedentary jobs and smart phones has made this condition much more common. If ignored, it can lead to permanent changes to the neck spine and eventually will cause a fully hunched over “nursing home posture”. While it could take decades before that occurs, by the time that it does, correcting the posture may no longer be possible.

Here are four easy ways you can fight forward head posture now:

  • Take breaks and stretch when sitting at a computer, playing video games, or using your phone or tablet for an extended period of time. Here’s an example stretching sequence. Practice it slowly, and hold each position for a few moments:
    • Tilt your head back, then forward.
    • Turn to look to your left and to your right.
    • Tilt your head to your left shoulder and your right shoulder.
    • Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
    • Roll your shoulders back.
    • None of these moves should cause any pain, if they do see tip #4.
  • Try neck planks.
    • While lying on your stomach, hold your head up and away from the floor.
    • Hold for 5 seconds.
    • Repeat 10 times and rest.
    • Practice this sequence daily, increasing the hold time by one second until you can hold it for 15 seconds.
    • Neck planks should not hurt or cause a muscle spasm, if they do, the problem may be more complex than muscle weakness.
  • Strengthen the neck with this move.
    • Stand with your back to a wall
    • Push your head against the wall and hold.
    • If you can’t touch the back of your head to the wall, use a folded towel to make up the distance.
  • Schedule an exam with Catalyst Chiropractic to evaluate your neck structure. We’ll perform a complete spinal exam, along with a motion study x-ray of your neck. With this information, we can create a personalized treatment plan to help you correct forward head posture.
woman in yoga plank
Photo by bruce mars from Pexels
By Dr. Johanna Newbold 0 Comments Exercises , , , ,

YMCA Octagon Lunch Circuit Class: Review

I’ve been debating whether or not to write this review because I enjoy this class and it has a 10 person limit. On Mondays when you would think the gym would be starting to empty the class hit that limit and more. Wednesday’s class doesn’t get as full.

Octagon equipment at the YThe flip side of this is if the class is popular, then maybe it will be offered more often.

The class is 45 minutes long and consists of up to 10 stations per round. If the class is full, then it’s 3 rounds. On the day in which it was just the two of us, it was 9+ rounds. Each round start with a runner who runs 1 lap around the track (9 laps per mile), expect for a few of the faster runners, they do 2 laps and sometimes the runner walks a half lap (depending on their limitations). They act as the timer, during that time you do the exercise station you are at until the runner returns. Then everyone moves up a station, the next person runs, and the class continues until everyone has done each station.

This class works multiple region of the body, and alternates between exercises using resistance techniques, free weights, or your own body weight. Modification of an exercise is an option if there is a limitation, and there is no pressure to push yourself until injury. There is encouragement to try a little harder, to do 1 more rep, but encouragement is not pressure. We all started at a different level of fitness, a different levels of ability, and we all have our own goals.

Dr. Johanna’s Goals: My goals for this class are to cross train to enhance my running ability, and to increase my speed. I’m training to run Gate City marathon this year and cross training is often forgotten when trying to run 4 times a week. I’ll be honest I do not push myself as hard as I could at the class, but one day a week I am doing this class and running 3-4 miles. I prefer a slow gradual improvement with minimal risk on injury and I know patients would prefer I stay injury free as well. The strength work is hard but is getting better.  The stretching we do at the end is a good start, but honestly if you are taking this class plan to spend 5-10 mins after class stretching or foam rolling.

Alex’s Goals: My primary goal is to be healthier, to that end I’m exercising in this class to improve my stamina and lose some unwanted pounds.  Plus, I enjoy working out in groups.  I tend to get bored if I’m alone at the gym and work out less.  Having a class to attend, gives me accountability. Having an instructor picking the routines, also gets me doing exercises I wouldn’t normally do if the choice was up to me. 

Overall this is a good whole body workout class that works on strength and is small enough to get some personal attention when you need it for form or modification. After 4 weeks of the class, we have both learned new exercises we can do at home to continue the forward momentum.

You can learn more about class and other at the YMCA. If you have a gym or host an exercise class you would like us to review, please contact the office and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

By Dr. Johanna Newbold 0 Comments Exercises , , ,

Group Strength Class at YMCA Review

This time we are going to do something a little different, Alex and I will review the class as we took it together.  Alex regularly takes a strength training class with the Octagon equipment, and I regularly run on a treadmill.

Friday 10:15am Group Strength with Meredith at Nashua YMCA

cartoon holding barbellJohanna’s Comments: I avoid weights, I’m always nervous that I’ll hurt myself if I do it wrong and I’ve studied enough about musculature,  to know all the ways I could get hurt. I love running(very slowly), so I knew this class would be a challenge to me. I selected the lightest possible weights with the opinion, I can use heavier ones next time.  I made the right call, as we did 100+ reps of some of the exercises. No region of muscles was missed.

When we showed up I asked the instructor what equipment we needed, it was obvious to me, that many of the people there had done the class before.  We grabbed a step board, yoga mat, pair of dumb bells(lots of weights available, I chose 3lbs each), bar bell, bar weights(I chose 2.75 & 5.5) and clips. Setting up over by the mirror was great, since I could check out my squat form. Meredith did a great job of calling out the different exercises and since there were so many reps, I was never really behind if I had to figure out what to do. She also gave the right amount of time and warning when we needed to change the weight on our barbell or switch equipment. There is a chance I was the most clueless of everyone n the class and I certainly did the least amount of weight(far less than the seniors in the class). Never did I notice anyone looking at me like I shouldn’t be there and Meredith encouraged us to come back.

This class was a lot of fun, extremely challenging and something I will do any, possibly weekly until it becomes easy. According to a friend the workout style is called Body Pump and I should expect to cry over climbing up stairs tomorrow.

Alex’s Comments: I like lifting weights, I find it to be a fun way to exercise, but I don’t really enjoy doing it alone.  It’s more satisfying, to have someone with you, to cheer you on, to spur you into that one last set, but that might be because I’m competitive, stubborn, and sarcastic. I lift once a week (more often than not I’ll get in a session once or twice a week on my own), in a class at the Y around the equipment called “The Octagon”.  We’ve been focusing on, form, heavier lifting, in 3 sets of 12 repetitions.  Accompanied by some cardio, some stretching, and resistance against our own body weight.  This Group Class, was as different to my Octagon class as sprinting is to a marathon.  In one hour, we do 9 sets of different exercises designed to improve strength and stamina.

Entering the class, our instructor asked us to grab a bar, and some weights.  I almost dropped the bar when I picked it up, because it weighed next to nothing.  I was expecting a 45lbs bar, not a bar best measured in ounces.  I grabbed my usual weight amounts, assuming that with the lighter bar they would be enough for a simple class.  Was I ever wrong.  After my first set of reps started, I counted until I hit 12, then we kept going.  Easily did 100 repetitions for each exercise grouping.  Some of them involved holding a pose with your arms extended for 30 seconds, was I ever glad that the bar didn’t weigh 45lbs.  30 seconds is a long time, even if you’re only at a third of your usual weight amounts.  I debated swapping my weights out, to be more in line with the rest of the class.  But, I’m stubborn.  I enjoyed the class, it was more cardio vascular exercise, with weights attached to your hands, than it was weight lifting.  Which made it challenging.  I’ll be back, because it was a different form of workout, and I’m too stubborn to quit.  Even if I hate planking.

By Dr. Johanna Newbold 0 Comments Sports

Time to Run

runner-805392_1280Last night as I was out on my run, I noticed several people out doing run walk intervals.  My best guess by watching is many of them are out starting a running routine. Honestly I am as well as it has been too long since I got outside and ran with any regularity.

Years ago when I first started running I wrote a blog about that experience, now I’m starting with a new perspective.  I know I can run a 10K.  I know that with training, a half marathon or more is within my reach.   All it takes is consistency and in my case, to not hide inside when the weather gets cold.

Just as I love data in my office to track the improvements of my patients.  I love to keep my run stats, that way I can see my improvements, not to mention it keeps me honest about how well I am sticking to my running schedule.  These are several of the apps that I use  or have used in the past.

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Nike Plus: This is my primary run only state tracker with GPS.  I use this to track running only.  I start this app after my warm up walking.  It will run through out the an entire running session even if I am doing intervals of running and walking.  This gives me an idea of my race speed.

RunKeeper:  I love this app for all types of exercise stats.  I use this to from the start of the workout warm up to the end of the cool down.  It lets me know my total distance. I’ll use this app when going for walks and for hiking.  Several of my friends use this app as well, so it’s nice to “like” my friends workouts and encourage them.

RoadID: This is a safety app, it doesn’t keep a map or track anything once it is closed.  What it does is GPS track where I am, and send a link to my husband that is updated in real time.  I use this in case the worse happens and I’m hit by a car.  The app will alert him if I stop moving more than 5 mins and it gives him a good idea of where to start looking.  Alternatively, if I run a race it lets my friends know where I am so they can meet up and cheer me on.

CharityMiles: I recently discovered this one.  You can select a charity, and money is donated to them each time you run.  There is a similar app called Wooftrax that donates to the animal shelter that you select.

C25K Free: I like the couch to 5K training plan in this program and that I can have it in the background and it will alert me to when I need to change from running to walking.

Zombies 5K: When I first started years ago, this was the app I used.  It has longer workouts than C25K but also had an interesting story that I had to go work out do listen to. My friend, and fellow fitness enthusiast, Amber Lee wrote a fantastic review of the app.   The standard Zombies Run app is not a training program but is a great break from just listening to music, not to mention at the end of each run you get supplies to build up your township.

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Don’t forget here is Nashua we have a local and very active run club The Gate City Striders.

 

Disclaimer: As with all new exercise programs please check with your healthcare provider to make sure there are not any specific modification to the routine that you need to make.