Brain-Based Ankle Circles

A Harvard study recently demonstrated that exercise helps build immunity.   (Click on the sentence to read the study). At a time like now, it’s important that everyone do what they can to stay strong and healthy and studies indicate that staying active helps.

MOVEMENT IS LIFE!!!

Dr. Cobb of Z-Health built a brain-based system around movement and I have to agree with him; a lot of problems can be solved simply by moving.  Besides, we were made to move. Our nervous systems were built to perform and survival of the fittest begins with movement.  Let's move that body!

A body at rest tends to stay at rest so we have to make a conscious effort to move.  Personally, I always feel better once I get going.  99% of working out is showing up for the session!   That’s where my training can help you!  In neurology, little things add up to big things.  It’s the same with movement; little movements add up to big things.

Let’s do ankle circles today.  These are awesome for foot and ankle mobility. which is essential in any fall prevention program because the ankle is the first joint to come in contact with an uneven surface.  The more flexible the ankle, the less likely a person is to get injured.  If the ankle is used to bending and twisting in all directions, there is less risk of injury if ankle is twisted during life activities.

Brain-based ankle circles are different.  These are not the regular, boring ankle circles that you do without paying any attention to what you’re doing. You know what I mean, when the instructor says, “let’s do some ankle circles” and you sit there and look around the room.  That's the WRONG WAY TO DO ankle circles. 

I want you to stay engaged. Activate your brain.  In order to do that, you have to pay attention to what you’re doing AND how you're doing it!  The brain loves stimulation so it helps if movements are novel (new) and somewhat challenging.

Follow along with me and let’s do some ankle circles.  3 in each direction.  3 different foot positions.  

Stay engaged.  

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Hidden Secret: Jaw Exercises for Better Balance

In order to be balanced and stable, you need to have a stable midline.   The spine is the midline.   Your  jaw is also along the midline.

The jaw is powerful activator of the brain because it is innervated by the trigeminal nerve, the largest of the twelve cranial nerves.  Moving the jaw activates areas of the brain responsible for increased backside strength.  This increased extensor tone improves balance and stability.

Why It's Important to YOU:  Increased backside strength makes it easier to stand up from the chair and easier to stand up straight.

Follow along with one of my favorite jaw exercises.
Get that jaw moving to increase midline stability and extensor tone.
Try to do these at least once a day, everyday.

I would suggest 3-4 times per day if you're unstable and have poor posture.

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Don't shuffle! Pick up your feet! Do this stretch!

I've been driving a lot of miles since teaching two Brains and Balance Training classes on the opposite sides of town.  Driving is just as bad for you as sitting at a desk because the powerful hip muscles don't get sufficient blood flow and the glutes (rear end muscles) begin to breakdown.

The more I drive for work, the tighter the muscles in the back of my leg become.  This tightness places more stress on my lower back.  This posterior muscle group is called the hamstrings and the three muscles originate on the pelvis and attach behind the leg both above and below the knee.

The more miles I drive, the more these tight hamstrings pull on the pelvis which causes low back pain.  Because the muscles attach above and below t knee, the tightness in the back of the legs prevents the leg from moving in it's full range of motion with each step.

One of the primary functions of the hamstring in coordination with the other muscles of the lower body is to pick up the foot during the walking gait and 'swing' through with each step.  Tight muscles that do not lengthen restrict how high off the ground the toes are lifted.  

The result is the toe doesn't pick up enough to clear objects on the floor or uneven surface and you trip.  You stumble.  You fall.

So whether you're like me and drive your car all over town or you have a desk job or you just sit around and watch TV all day,  we all need to stretch our hamstrings if you want to be able to walk without tripping or you want to walk with out shuffling.

STRETCH YOUR LEGS to PICK UP YOUR TOES!