Posture and Technique
Pain Free Backpacking
It has been over a decade since I've been backpacking due to injury and fear of pain. I am happy to say that my husband and I went out for a successful night last weekend to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Backpacking can be added to my list of can do...
How Fit Are You?
Can you... Complete 50 abdominal crunches in one minute? Squat 2 times your body weight? After reading those two sentences, are you feeling unfit right now? Well, I am! These, however, are just a few of the assessments that some people commonly use to...
Relieve Back Pain with Foundation Training
I continually want to provide you with tools to help you take care of your body and reduce your pain. However, that's not as easy as it sounds. In other words, I know that not every approach is going to work for everyone. So, having a variety of options is essential...
5 Exercises to Reduce Anterior Pelvic Tilt
In my last blog I described the relationship between anterior pelvic tilt, lengthened hamstrings and shortened hip flexors. Additionally, an anterior tilt can lead to excessive curvature in the spine. This is because the lower back increases its arch while the upper...
Treat the Cause, Not the Symptom
I've heard a saying regarding pain in the body, “the victim screams while the criminal is silent.” When Tom Myers, internationally known fascia expert and author of Anatomy Trains, said this, he was referring to the interconnected relationships between the soft...
Stay Aligned and Injury Free on Aerobic Machines
When we exercise on an aerobic machine (elliptical, treadmill, bike, stair stepper, etc.), our intent is to condition our cardiovascular system. In essence, we are concerned with our heart rate, breathing and fatigue. It is all about our heart and lungs. However,...
10 Things Posture Therapy Can Do For You!
This summer marks my five-year posture therapy anniversary. In this article, I reflect on what I have gained from the process and what you may also achieve through this therapy. I began my posture therapy career as a client in debilitating pain. Because I was...
Posture Exercises to Improve Your Golf Game
My secret is out! I'm a golfer! Yes, I enjoy hitting a little white ball around a well-manicured course. As an endurance athlete, I've received much criticism for my hobby. I love the completely different challenge golf offers as a skill sport. It is truly a mental...
Prolonged Sitting – the new health risk
This is the first blog entry in a series on sitting health. We are at war with sitting! And the research is mounting. The risks of sitting too much were likened to smoking in the Los Angeles Times Article, Don't just sit there. Really. that appeared last month. A...
Get Fit to Sit – 5 Exercises for Better Desk Posture
This is the third and final blog entry in a series on sitting health. If you have read my previous blogs on healthy sitting, you now realize that prolonged sitting is a health risk factor with negative consequences similar to smoking. Additionally, if you sit for an...
How to Sit Pain Free
This is the second blog entry in a series on sitting health. Look at the left side of the image. Can you see the "C"? This "C" posture is a posture of pain and dysfunction. Unfortunately, it is also very common. In fact, it's the most frequently assumed position that...
Is surgery the answer for your musculoskeletal pain?
In case you missed my article in The Weekly Sun of the Wood River Valley or the Los Alamos Daily Post it is reprinted below. When we hurt we often assume the worst. We become afraid and tentative with our bodies, telling ourselves that this much pain...
Strength Training for Better Posture: Shoulder Shrugs
Use your time in the gym to improve your structural alignment, not ingrain poor posture and compensated movement patterns. Starting Position A staggered stance (1-2 feet apart) accommodates wider hips and larger dumbbells. The head, shoulders and...
Strength Training for Better Posture: Assisted Pull-Up
Use your time in the gym to improve your structural alignment, not ingrain poor posture and compensated movement patterns. Starting Position Hand position on the bar is wide enough to create a 90 degree angle from the wrist to the elbow to the shoulder...
Does it hurt to run and play?
In case you missed my article in The Weekly Sun of the Wood River Valley or the Los Alamos Daily Post it is reprinted below. Sports and exercise shouldn't hurt. For many of us, though, moving our bodies creates symptoms of pain. Consequently, the circle of...
Meet Jessica!
I believe we are designed to move and play throughout our entire lives. I don’t buy into the idea that we should slow down with age, or that pain, injury and physical restrictions are unavoidable aspects of growing older. So, here’s my philosophy. Our mental mindset, combined with the physical position and condition of the body that we bring into any activity (from walking to skiing to everything in between), determines our chance of hurting when we move. If we have a positive mindset, and if we have proper positioning and move with correct body biomechanics, all activities should be possible.
This is the goal I have for everyone: to overcome pain and limitations so you can Stay in the Game for Life!
Visit The Pain Free Athlete website for additional resources and opportunities.
