Video- Exercising with pain; and what to do about it
Monday, August 8th, 2011
These tips will help you get through your workout safely.
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Health Coaching Show- Foot and back pain
Thursday, May 19th, 2011Join the Fit Friends’ Revolution and email your pain questions to your coach, Peter K >
Listen to hear common causes of foot pain that can lead to back pain, and what to do about it.
5 Minutes to Fitness+ Advanced Workout- Shoulders (Rotator Cuff) 1
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
Strengthen your shoulders and arms while decreasing pain with these shoulder (rotator cuff) exercises
more »Back & leg pain stretch
Sunday, April 24th, 2011Join the Fit Friends’ Revolution and get rid of your back pain >
I recently saw a client who hurt his back during a personal training workshop. He came into my office with severe back pain and radiating numbness down to his left foot and some groin discomfort, a serious condition. With the use of the stretch pictured above, a prone press-up, also know as a cobra stretch, and good posture, he left the clinic symptom free in 20 minutes. We still sent him to his Dr. as a precaution, and you should see one as well if you have similar symptoms.
FFR members- Watch the video and download how to do the prone press up stretch here > Not a FFR member? Join here and get rid of your back pain.
Video- Relieve & Prevent Most Back Pain in 5 Minutes
Monday, April 11th, 2011
Try this to help with your back pain. Always consult your trusted health care professional first.
more »Essential exercises for shoulder pain
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
As always, when you have pain you should check with you health professonal- Dr, Physical Therapist, Chiropractor, and make sure they are healthy and fit themselves.
Shoulder, or rotator cuff, pain can be caused by many reasons and that’s why you should have a health expert diagnose it. Here are 2 simple exercise I have all my shoulder pain patients eventually do to strengthen, stabilize and decrease their shoulder pain.
- Use your Peter K bands and start with just 10 reps of each exercise above. If you have pain stop and email me if you’re a FFR member.
- Try to increase to 3 sets of 10 repetitions once per day.
- When you can do that then add these exercises to your 5 Minutes to Fitness+ daily 20 minute workout.
- Make sure to eat anti-inflammatory foods like the one listed here to help you heal faster
Have an ache, pain or physical therapy question? FFR members click here to email me > Not a FFR member? Join here >
Runners- Stretch before, after, or not at all; that is the question
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011Join the Fit Friends’ Revolution and get your FREE stretching guide
We should definitely be stretching everyday to prevent injury and maintain flexibility. But when is the best time? As a physical therapist I’ve always told my clients to do a gentle 5 minute warm-up, then stretch, if they’re playing a sport or doing any vigorous physical activity. A new study claims stretching has no effect on injury for runners. You can read it here. more »
Heel & arch pain and what to do about it
Friday, February 11th, 2011Join the Fit Friends’ Revolution and get your FREE Fit Lifestyle Tracker >
Some of my clients complain of heel and arch pain regardless if they’re training or walking in heels. This is a quick overview of one of the causes of heel and arch pain. However, your best option is to call your physical therapist or sports medicine doctor.
Tightness of the achilles tendon and plantar fascia (see above) can cause pain in the heel and arch of the foot called “plantar fasciitis”. The achilles tendon attaches to the calf muscles. Stretching these structures will decrease the pressure to the heel and have less pull on the arch. Here’s a good stretching guide from the mayo clinic. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times per day and after training. Do the stretches everyday. If your symptoms worsen, stop and call your health care professional.
A back stretch to reduce pain
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010Join the Fit Friends’ Revolution and get your FREE fitness kit >
As a physical therapist people ask me how to stretch their backs all the time. Then they show me how they stretch. 95% of the time they’re doing the wrong stretches.
The picture above is the “good” stretch for people who sit for long periods, have stiffness in their back and generally speaking, are younger than 55. If you are over 55 send me an email for an appropriate stretch
Here’s how to do it:
- Sit tall with your butt touching the back of the chair
- Feet should be flat on floor
- Clasp hands behind your back and arch your back over the chair
- You should not feel pain, just a gentle stretch
- Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat 3 times. Repeat throughout the day
*If this stretch hurts your back, stop and consult a health care professional you trust. Physical therapists and chiropractors are great resources.
Don’t sleep like this. It can cause shoulder pain
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010Join the Fit Friends’ Revolution and get your FREE fitness kit >
As a physical therapist I see many people with shoulder pain. One thing I tell them to avoid is sleeping like the man pictured above. This compresses the shoulder over a long period of time and can cause or worsen shoulder pain. When you sleep on your side make sure your head is supported by a pillow and keep your arm at your side. If this doesn’t help then see a physical therapist or orthopedic doctor.