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Corrective Exercise Strategies-Using Imagery and Visualization with Dr. Evan Osar

Do you use cuing suggestions such as ‘squeeze your glutes’, ‘pull your shoulder blades down and back’, and ‘brace your abdominals’? Did you know that these cues can actually lead to faulty movement patterns and degenerative joint conditions in your clients? And did you know that if you utilize specific visualizations and imagery with your clients, this will actually create changes in the sensory and motor cortices of their brains?

If you want to help more clients solve their chronic tightness, activate appropriate motor patterns, and utilize the brain to create powerful changes in your clients, than this FITNESS INSIDER webinar series is for you. In this webinar I will demonstrate:

ü Why cues such as ‘bracing’, ‘packing,’ and ‘squeezing’ can actually lead to faulty movement patterns and joint degeneration;

ü How to activate the deep muscle system by using simple visualizations and cuing;

ü How to integrate visualization and imagery to decrease tightness, joint restriction, and improve fundamental movement patterns.

In the next and final portion of the Corrective Exercise Strategies, I will share with you how you can utilize corrective exercise activation strategies, visualization, and progressive fundamental movement patterns to help your clients move better and accomplish their functional goals. And I will let you in on an exciting new resource that will aid you in your journey to becoming a part of the movement-based solution to the health care crisis.

Until then, enjoy the extra daylight and the beginning of spring!

Best Exercises for Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

Question:

Do you train individuals that experience pain and impingement with overhead motion?
Do you train clients that have poor scapular control during their pushing and pulling patterns? How about the client who has ‘clicking’ as they lower their arm from an overhead position?
Do you use the cues of ‘pull your shoulder blades down and back’ when working with any of these clients I just asked you about?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then this edition of Fitness Insider is for you! I am going to once again challenge your knowledge about shoulder stabilization and give you a strategy for improving scapular stabilization so you can develop your knowledge and skill-set and become a booked solid industry expert.

And I have included a video link below to show you two of the most effective exercises we use to improve scapular stabilization and train the rotator cuff as part of the corrective exercise component of the Integrative Movement System^TM.

What is the problem with most of our clients’ shoulders that create impingement issues in the first place?

1. Downward rotation syndrome: Most clients with scapular instability have some component of downward rotation. This is most common when the downward rotators – pectoralis minor, levator scapula, and rhomboids – become the dominant scapular stabilizers in relation to the upward rotators – serratus anterior, upper and lower trapezius. This increases the likelihood of impingement syndromes both as the arm is going overhead and as the arm returns from an overhead position.

2. Posterior rotation of scapula: The lack of posterior rotation of the shoulder complex – both at the clavicle (by the subclavius) and at the scapulo-thoracic articulation (by the serratus anterior and lower trapezius) – increases the likelihood of impingement syndromes. Again, with dominance of the downward rotators – which also tend to contribute to anterior scapular tilting – there is a lack of posterior scapular tilting which is necessary for stabilizing the scapula against the thorax and decreasing the potential for shoulder impingement. Inhibition of the posterior rotators by the scapula depressors and anterior tilters increases the likelihood for impingement syndromes.

3. Improper cuing: Common cuing to improve poor scapular control such as ‘squeeze your shoulder blades down and back’ directly contribute the very problem they are trying to solve. The client with inhibition of the upward rotators and posterior tilters of the scapula generally have poor scapulo-thoracic awareness and therefore tend to pull their shoulder blades further into a depressed and downward rotated position. What should happen to optimally stabilize the scapulo-thoracic is that the scapula should wrap down (depress slightly) and around (upwardly rotate and posteriorly tilt) the thorax during functional patterns.

If you have not watch the video of the two patterns you may use to help improve function of the upward rotators and posterior tilters while simultaneously improving scapular depression.

CONCLUSION

To improve scapular stability and decrease the likelihood for impingement, you must put the client into positions that activate the upward rotators and posterior tilters.
To properly cue your clients with scapular dysfunction and or impingement issues, use cues such as ‘get long’ through your shoulders and ‘wrap your scapula down and around your thorax’ rather than ‘squeeze your shoulder blades down and back.’
If you want to make a dramatic difference in the lives of your clients, if you want to book yourself solid, if you want to become part of the solution to the health care crisis, let us help. Make plans to join us in 2012 for the Integrative Movement Specialist^TM program and let us help you develop your expertise and confidence in becoming a movement specialist.

Coming Next Edition of FITNESS INSIDER: How to improve posture for improved core function

Helping You Think Bigger About Your Role as a Fitness Professional,

Evan Osar

Bosu for Post Rehab Exercises

Question: Do you have the knowledge, skill level, and expertise to work with a client that just finished post-surgical knee rehab? In this edition of Fitness Insider……

I would like to challenge you to think about how you approach your new clients – both how you perform your intake and assessments as well as what exercises you choose to use with them – and help you develop your knowledge and skill-set so that you become a booked solid industry expert.

And I have included a video link below to show you one quick and easy assessment we use as part of the Integrative Movement System with all our clients.

The reasons I am presenting you with this challenge are simple:

1. We are in the midst of a health crisis – both in the deterioration in the state of health of the majority of people in this country and the disproportionate amount of money spent within the health care system to treat disease and dysfunction.

2. Because of cutbacks in certain sectors of the health field – rehabilitation being one of them – patients are being released from therapy way before their condition is fully resolved. And many don’t ever receive appropriate therapy for the underlying cause of their musculoskeletal dysfunction – faulty movement patterns.

3. With the recent economic climate, individuals are having to cut back on their spending. And one area where they tend to cut back on their finances is with their health, fitness, and well being. Likely you know someone within the fitness industry, perhaps a friend or colleague, who has had his or her business affected in the past year or two by the recent economic changes.

While these points may seem to point out a ‘doom and gloom’ scenario, they also present us with an incredible opportunity – that is, if you are dedicated to improving your skill set and marketing yourself as a movement specialist.

There is an incredible opportunity to have more clients than you can handle and make a powerful impact in the lives of clients that need the expertise of a specialist.

How?

By becoming a movement specialist. However, there is one catch……

You must want to work with challenging clients (and just to let you in on a secret, unless you are working with genetic freaks, they are all challenging) and dedicate yourself to understanding both the mechanics of injuries and how to improve movement.

Here’s an example of what I am referring to:

A client was recently referred to me from a physical therapist colleague of mine. Sheila was 2 months post-surgical from a torn right ACL and medial meniscus and had just been released from physical therapy by my colleague. Wanting to get back in shape she presented to a personal trainer at her health club. On the first session with her, he had her performing lunges on the BOSU. Subsequently, she had knee pain in her rehabbed knee for several days later.

During her intake I asked if her trainer inquired about the exercises the physical therapist had been doing with her. She said he had not. I asked whether or not he had performed any kind of assessment on her. Again she replied he had not. I asked if he had taken into consideration the fact that she had two C-sections and was experiencing inhibition of her core that was affecting stability on her entire right side of her body. Once again, he had not.

Unfortunately, this scenario is all-too-common in the fitness industry. And the more unfortunate thing is, this lackadaisical approach by many personal trainers (these individuals are not fitness professionals so I will refrain from including them in that category) are harming their clients and perpetuating many clients dysfunction while keeping their clients in a perpetual cycle of dysfunction.

If you want to become part of the solution, you must develop yourself into a movement specialist and understand some basic principles of improving movement despite your client’s goals. Trying to get a client in shape, help them lose weight, or simply exercise without helping them develop the fundamental movement patterns can be likened to trying to run a marathon while never running for more than 10 miles during your training runs – it’s doomed to break you down once you get over 10 miles.

We have to be more systematic about how we approach and work with our clients if we want to develop ourselves into the industry experts and be paid for that expertise.

Here is one easy way to assess and clue your client to see where they are at with their lower extremity stability. See below to see the video.

CONCLUSION

There are incredible opportunities out there to dramatically increase your business and make incredible amounts of money working with post-rehab clients or those recovering from injuries.
To become that sought after specialist, you must develop yourself into an industry expert and understand both how to assess and design an appropriate program for these clients as they often do not respond to traditional approaches that work for athletes and higher performing individuals.
If you want to make a dramatic difference in the lives of your clients, if you want to book yourself solid, if you want to become part of the solution to the health care crisis, we can help. Make plans to join us in 2012 for the Integrative Movement SpecialistÔ program and let us help you develop your expertise and confidence in become a movement specialist.

If you wanted to purchase Complete Core Fitness by Mike Robertson for just $97.00 you will need to do so by Friday, October 9th.

Mike has included a bonus I created a free 2 hour webinar I recently recorded on Complete Trunk Conditioning – For Sport, For Life. In this webinar, I will share with you;

The three reasons your clients lose optimal trunk function – so you can help educate your clients as to why they develop poor movement patterns and experience chronic pain;
Why stretching is not the best way to improve function – so that you can help your clients develop an improved stabilization strategy and not inhibit their progress through excessive stretching;
Three quick and easy assessments of core function and length assessment of the anterior and posterior oblique chains – so that you can quickly, easily, and efficiently assess your client’s trunk function and show them how your corrective strategy can have immediate impact on their range of motion;
The key to improving overall function and efficiency in the body – so that your clients can restore the inherent function of their core and limit compensatory stabilization strategies;
Ways to use unilateral and alternating pushing and pulling patterns to drive thoracic motion – so that you can add functional progressions to your clients program and make their patterns life or sport specific.

Click Here to Visit Mike Roberston’s site and learn more about how to obtain your copy of Complete Core Fitness and all the free bonuses including my 2 hour webinar.

Helping You Think Bigger About Your Role as a Fitness Professional,

Evan Osar

P.S.

Coming Next Edition of FITNESS INSIDER: Improving Scapular Depression

Fascia and Fitness-What Goes Wrong

Hope you’re enjoying your summer. Been hot here in Chicago however, I am not complaining.

We’ve been talking about fascia – not just because it’s the hot new buzz word in the industry, but because recent research has shed light on this remarkable tissue and just how integral it is to our posture and function.

If you missed part one of Fascia and Fitness, check it out here.

If you saw it and are ready for part II, click on the video below.

Coming next time at Fitness Insider: Fascia and Fitness – Improving Fascial Function – Part III

Helping You Think Bigger of Your Role as a Fitness Professional,

Evan Osar

Fascia and Fitness: What You Need to Know-Part 1

FASCIA AND FITNESS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

If I were to ask you what structure literally touches every single cell, blood vessel, nerve, muscle and even our brain, what would you answer? If you answered fascia, you would be correct. As ‘core’ training was all the rage about a decade ago, fascia has quickly replaced it as the hot topic in the fitness industry.

Over the 3 editions of Fitness Insider, I will take you through a brief tutorial about fascia, its’ function and relation to our client’s health, what goes wrong with the fascial system, and end up by discussing the 3 things you must encourage your clients to do to achieve optimal fascial health.

Without further adieu, on to the tutorial…

Coming next time at Fitness Insider: Fascia and Fitness – What You Need to Know – Part II

Helping You Think Bigger of Your Role as Fitness Professional,

Evan Osar