Thoughts on Functional Exercise

For all you misguided folks out there who believe that working out with heavy weights in an aggressively cumulative manner is the way to Fitness, I'm going to attempt to throw a monkey wrench into your thought process, for your own benefit.

First I want you to think about the other animals we share this planet with; the small ones and the large. They live their lives, even those in captivity, without doing any repetitive strengthening exercises and yet still remain healthy, fit, and strong! How is this possible? Surely if they don't exercise in all the goofy ways we're conditioned to believe are necessary they will become weak, anemic, and decrepit, right? So say the doctors and the fitness experts about us humans, at any rate.

Now step into my CommonSense Corner for a moment and ponder this. Imagine a big monkey, gorilla, or orangutan, captured from the wild, strong as all get out, placed inside a cage in a zoo. Now of course on its arrival you certainly wouldn't want to go in the cage with it, knowing full well you'd be ripped apart in short order.

Fast forward ahead 10 years or so...for the last decade this beast, with a body very similar to your own structurally, has lived the life of a couch potato. For argument sake, let's also consider a captured tiger who has done nothing but pace back and forth in its too small cage for the same 10 years; neither animal working out as we're told we must do, at the gym pumping iron, at class doing aerobics, running, cycling, doing push-ups, sit-ups, or any of the other things we are told we have to do to maintain our strength.

Surely after this long period of inactivity, at least no exercise as we know it, no repetitive strengthening exercises or activities, the animals must be extremely weakened, become frail and feeble; right? So who in their right mind would think they could climb in the cage with this non-exercising animal and overcome it?

I ask you to not only think about this quandary but also entertain the images of squirrels, dogs, lazy cats, and every other creature we share this planet with. Have you ever seen any other creature, with a skeleton and a musculature (all very similar upon inspection), exercise in the linear repetitive ways that we humans have devised? The answer is no, and the question is: what do they know, that we don't?

Where does the Strength come from in those muscles?

Now, can you imagine what the outcome would be if one were to put a racehorse through a bodybuilder's workout regime? Or a squirrel or cat forced to run a 5K, or a 20 mile marathon, believing that in the end there would be of any kind of positive benefit for the creature? C'mon, tell a squirrel he or she has to run the equivalent of a marathon to prove what great shape they're in and they'll think you're nuts.

It is my belief that each and every creature knows intuitively what it is expected to do in regards to its physical structure, in order to keep it functional throughout its life. That is, every creature except the creature with the biggest brain, the human, who has access to a seemingly inexhaustible supply of ideas about how to create dysfunction out of Functionality and disease out of Health.

Instead of delving into the mysteries of how every other creature maintains its own structural integrity throughout its life, to use that information for our benefit, we humans have done everything possible to extricate themselves from the Web of Life, to see ourselves as above and beyond the rest of Life here on this planet, to attempt to make up our own rules and ways of living, much to the degradation of our species.

Let's take a look around at some easily observable examples of human achievements when it comes to disregarding the Natural Laws of Movement and Structure. And let us wonder while doing so, why there are not similar examples of these kinds of distortions and warped twisted structures among the rest of the "lower creatures". Of course, the only ones of note are the ones we humans have domesticated or caged...

To look at a bodybuilder's body, or a cyclist or runner's body is to see a misaligned, distorted, often "suffering in pain" structure, caused by the activities participated under the guise of Health and Fitness. I've learned by my hands-on work with the myo-fascial structural body that in the whole of creation's creatures here, only humans are stupid and misguided enough to engage in such senselessly destructive activities. The fact that these analytical logical mechanically minded humans cannot comprehend the effects the forms of exercise they choose have on their structure, their body, boggles my mind.

For some unexplainable reason they are unable to turn that kind of focused attention and discernment that they use on every other type of mechanical object, toward the function and use of the human body. The rational logical scientific mind would not ever treat one of their precious machines the ways that they treat the human body. That statement holds true for other aspects of the body too (like what we put in it), but for here we'll stick to the Structural Mechanics of it.

The detrimental distortions caused by repetitive linear exercises (magnified exponentially by the use of heavy weights) are so obviously apparent, through visual observation, palpation (touch), and functional de-formation through the joints the "strengthened" muscles cross. It doesn't require Einstein to notice that a weightlifter soon loses noticeable mobility throughout the body, achieving less range of motion through all of the joints, resulting in less flexibility with every workout.

I'll use my "off-roading" analogy once again and ask how lame-brained someone would have to be to not notice the negative effects that would happen after each off-road experience with their vehicle (bikes included)? And how long would that person be able to continue the activity if the appropriate maintenance were not taken care of? Watching this all unfold as it is, the whole "hard body, abs and buns of steel, build a gym body" madness that has become the norm in the mainstream, is about as funny to me as watching a playground of little kids playing with a sandbox filled with sharp knives and loaded guns.

Seriously, how many sit-ups do you need to be able to easily do? The answer is one; the time you need to. That is the way every other animal on this planet behaves, except us. The experts have somehow come to the conclusion that if one sit-up is good, then 50 or 100 would be so much better; not understanding what happens to the musculature and the skeleton when that many repetitive movements are made, for no reason other than building "strength", which is in fact functionally diminished by the bulking up and shortening of the muscles "strengthened".

This is a Paradigm shift I'm creating for you; showing you the whole phenomenon from a different angle, and based on a completely logical, mechanical, and provable model. Once understood, your former perception will seem as ephemeral as a fading dream which is no longer relevant.

Blue Dunn: Originator of Flextasy! the Functional Flexibility System".

Since 1991 I have been teaching variations of Flextasy!" to my personal clients, massage therapists in training at numerous massage schools in San Diego, and to people from all walks of life at two Sharp Hospital Centers.

During this time I have had the opportunity to study thousands of random bodies, in every stage of distortion and chronic pain, attempting to get out of pain and become more flexible. The Flextasy!" DVD is the remarkable result of this extensive research.

All of the products I have made available to the public are ones I regularly use to my great benefit. 20+years of search, research, and experiment have resulted in this creme de la creme, my collection of favorites, which have changed my life, and the lives of my private clientele for the positive, and can change yours too. Don't hesitate to email me with any questions regarding any of these products.
http://EvolutionHealth.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Blue_Dunn

Address Back & Hip Pain

Perhaps the major, negative factor contributing to hip problems is tension in the leg muscles. Think about it; if the leg muscles: quadriceps, illio-tibial band (I.T. band), adductors, and hamstrings are shortened, and all of ours are, then the hip (and knee) joint they cross will be compressed and distorted. Those muscles never shorten symmetrically and so the joints are always compressed asymmetrically; and this is where the degenerative wear and tear comes in.

Identify any problem in the skeleton and there will be areas that need to be addressed, above and below that problem area. There are no isolated problem areas because the musculo-skeletal system is like a spider web. Pull or tug on or mess with any area of the web and there will be negative repercussions throughout it. Many things need to be untangled and addressed to remedy one, seemingly isolated symptomatic area. This is another reason why treating a symptom as "the problem" doesn't work

By releasing those muscles from each other and the bone, and by lengthening and organizing them, the knee and the hip joints (*along with the low back) are allowed to decompress and reorganize. It's not rocket science, but rather simply logical, mechanical dynamics. Treating a structural problem, with drugs or unnecessary surgery is expensive, dangerous, and ultimately counter-productive, since drugs (poison) will only depress and strain your immune system and surgery (mutilation) will, in almost all cases, simply add insult to injury and make your situation worse. Use your common sense, before drugs or surgery, please exhaust all other less aggressive, intrusive, and harmful methods.

Foam exercise rollers are the simplest, most effective all-around self-maintenance tools you'll find for releasing tension in all the major chronic pain problem areas of your body. They will release and organize your musculature and release and align your skeleton.

Areas addressed using Foam Exercise Rollers:
Spine, Ribcage, Shoulder Girdle, Neck, Your Whole Back, Pelvis, Sacrum, Hips, Thighs, Calves, Feet.

Using my understanding of body mechanics and myofascial release work, I have discovered ways to perform the most amazing structural release / massage bodywork on yourself using Foam Exercise Rollers. They are the perfect compliment to the Flexibility movements, in that they speed up the process of loosening the body. Once you begin using the Foam Exercise Rollers you will wonder how you ever got along without them.

You will not find a simpler, more effective method for releasing the old accumulated tension, and the chronic everyday tension, from your body.

You can think of the Foam Exercise Rollers as an insurance policy against injury. Muscle pulls, strains, tears, and even the breaking of bones can be avoided by attaining flexibility and skeletal alignment. Working with the Foam Exercise Rollers gives you both of these. You'll feel their effectiveness from the very first time you use them. You do not have to keep getting stiffer and more decrepit as you grow older. You can turn back your Structural Aging Clock by working with these incredible tools.

For less than the price of a single massage, you will have in your possession something you can use everyday, at your leisure, which will enable you to understand and break your own pain cycle. It's like having your own physical therapist, chiropractor, and masseuse in your home, at your beck and call.

I've been using these Rollers for over 14 years and I attribute a huge part of my current level of fitness to them. I never travel without one and they are something I use everyday for at least a few minutes; while other days I schedule 20 to 30 minutes with them to keep myself on track.

Blue Dunn: Originator of Flextasy! the Functional Flexibility System". Since 1991 I have been teaching variations of Flextasy!" to my personal clients, massage therapists in training at numerous massage schools in San Diego, and to people from all walks of life at two Sharp Hospital Centers.

During this time I have had the opportunity to study thousands of random bodies, in every stage of distortion and chronic pain, attempting to get out of pain and become more flexible. The Flextasy!" DVD is the remarkable result of this extensive research.

All of the products I have made available to the public are ones I regularly use to my great benefit. 20+years of search, research, and experiment have resulted in this creme de la creme, my collection of favorites, which have changed my life, and the lives of my private clientele for the positive, and can change yours too. Don't hesitate to email me with any questions regarding any of these products.

http://EvolutionHealth.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Blue_Dunn

Fix your feet balls

High arches, fallen arches, pronation, corns, bunions, callouses, and most anything else that can go wrong with the feet can be positively affected by a simple (non-surgical!) procedure. If your feet hurt I can guarantee you need to use this inexpensive self-maintenance tool. In all the years and thousands of feet I've worked on, I have never met anyone who can'‘t benefit from these. You can fix your feet!

My how-to instructions for the Fix Your Feet Balls explains the exact procedures which will enable you to understand your feet and how to bring them back to normal. If you don't lose these balls, they should last indefinitely. Fix Your Feet Balls (in combination with tennis balls) are the perfect tools for working on your feet. There are 26 bones, 33 joints, and an unspecified number of hinges in each foot and if you can find any pain while standing on either tennis balls, or these Fix Your Feet Balls, then you can be sure that those 26 bones, 33 joints, and unspecified number of hinges are in a disorganized state. And if your feet are disorganized then you can be sure that the rest of your body is too. Look at the Leaning Tower of Pisa for illustration; poor foundation and everything above goes awry. Soreness (and downright excruciating pain) in the soft tissue is indicative of stressed and compromised musculature and thus inevitably as a result, skeletal disorganization.

How did your feet get so messed up you might ask? I'll tell you.

#1: Shoes which are not the shape of the healthy foot. Feet are not narrower at the front as most shoes are. Cram your foot into one and over time your foot will become shaped similarly. Think about the interesting cultural tradition of binding the feet in China and then look at the more subtle, but similar in effect, tradition of women wearing high heeled shoes in our culture and the disastrous repercussions. No natural foot is shaped anything like most of the shoes people wear, with recognizable results.

#2: Heels (anything over ½" high) which lift the back of the foot up and put too much pressure on all three arches: the transverse arch ( across the balls of the foot), the medial arch (inside), and the lateral (outside) arch. This pressure compresses the bones of the foot and inhibits the arches from working the way they were designed to work, as springs.

#3: Arch supports which inhibit the medial arch from dropping down to work as the spring it is designed to be. When the foot steps onto the ground it is meant to spread width-wise and also to lengthen (like a spring). Shoes which do not allow this spreading and lengthening destroy the natural functioning of the wonderful foot and cause all kinds of problems, not all of which are localized in the foot. People who feel they need arch supports and orthotics have extremely disorganized feet and using said "crutches" are only setting the distortions deeper into the disorganized structure of the foot, as well as everything above it. This of course leads to plenty of future problems for the complications resulting. Great for the manufacturers of these products and the administering physicians but not so good for you.

#4: Walking on hard, flat surfaces. We humans love to make everything around us simple and easy; trying to make it so no effort is required, and this we call progress and civilization. So things do get easier (no need to lift the garage door up, the automatic opener does it for you, saves you time so you can go to the gym and lift weights) and we, as a culture get more spoiled and weak in many ways. Anyway, walking on flat surfaces doesn't require the 26 bones of the foot to move much; uneven surfaces (take a hike someday) actually massage the joints and hinges of the feet, mobilize the ankles, and cause differentiating movement to occur through all the calf muscles.

#5: Walking with the feet turned out (like a duck). This is very common and wreaks havoc with the ways the arches, hinges, and joints of the foot are designed to work as the foot lands and pushes off the ground during organized walking. This practice also destroys ankle function and creates a dense, painful calf, due to the fact that the ankle joint and the calf muscles are not required to move at all when walking this way.

The good news is this: normalizing your feet through the use of tennis balls and Fix Your Feet Balls is the first, and most likely last, step to putting an end to callouses, corns, bunions, plantar fasciaitis, pain in your feet in general, etc. All of this occurs as a result of disorganization. Feet abnormalities stem from disorganization, and if you can fix that, you fix it all.

*As you work out the pain and soreness in your feet with these balls you will be allowing the 3 arches (medial, lateral, transverse), the 26 bones, the 33 joints, and the unspecified number of hinges to reestablish themselves back to normal, individually, and in relation to each other.

High arches will eventually drop into normal, and flat feet, when the tension holding them down is released, will be able to rise into normalcy. *(This requires some exercising of the inner arches by stepping your feet apart medium-wide with your knees bent and your feet turned out. Begin to push your knees apart while lifting your medial, inner, arches. Do not lift your heels or the balls of your big toes off the floor. Practice walking on the balls of your feet.)

No matter what anyone tries to sell you, never use hard balls like golf balls or wooden tools to work on your feet. It's too easy to mistake uncovering and dissolving pain with inflicting pain. It's not hard to bruise your feet and that will only set you back. *On that note, I never recommend using wooden implements in general for self-massage, for the same reason. You can be very efficient, with more appropriate tools, without the risk.

If your foundation (your feet) is not organized then nothing above them has any chance to function properly.

And by the way, as you release and organize your feet, they will get bigger. This is a good thing! If you find your shoes beginning to feel as though they belong to someone else and feel too tight, this means you are doing a great job. Discontinue wearing those shoes, throw them out or give them away. Your feet will reshape themselves to the old mold if you let them. Don't! Cut loose and move forward. Stand on your own two new feet!

OK already, so how do I use them?This is done in one of two ways.
1) Stand with one ball (tennis or handball) under each foot. *Use only one ball under one foot if it is just too intense. If this is the case then you have got a project ahead of you but one worth undertaking!
Slowly shift your weight from foot to foot, each time changing the position of the ball a little bit. Take a nice slow breath and exhale for each pressure on the ball. Gradually work your way around the entire bottom of your foot. Each time you step onto the ball it will be in a different place, and little by little, you will "clear" the area. Clear means no pain. Rolling the balls around the bottoms of your feet does nothing we are interested in. It may feel like a little massage but it will do nothing to structurally reorganize the foot, which is what I want you to do.
Each session, I recommend using tennis balls to start out with, and then alternating with Fix Your Feet Balls. Replace your tennis balls as they begin to get soft. *Put 3 of your softer tennis balls in a sock and tie the top off tight. Use this tool to work on your hips and sacral area. See the complete instructions on the Flextasy website.

2) Use this method if it is too intense to stand on the balls at all, or if you just want to get at the feet from a different angle. Sit on a stool, or low step of the stairs, and put one ball under each foot. (Hopefully you can use the Fix Your Feet Balls for this, but I have had clients who have had to start this way with soft, worn-out tennis balls. Yikes!) Lean forward and rest your forearms on your legs near your knees. Lean as much pressure onto the balls as you comfortably, uncomfortably can. SLOWLY begin moving the balls around the bottoms of your feet. SLOWLY, cover the whole bottom, all the while looking for pain and trying to lovingly dissolve it. Don't miss any spots. In case you haven't noticed, SLOWLY, is the key word for this process.
Remember, the good part about this, and all of the tools I recommend, is that YOU are in charge. Take it easy and figure it out. It's just you and your pain. Work it out at your own pace, but work it out!

Good Luck, and Stay Loose! 

Blue Dunn MT/HHP EVOLUTION HEALTH and FITNESS 



Note, if you do not have balls similar to the ones pictured below, they can be purchased here