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The recent New York Times article on “dead butt syndrome” certainly grabbed attention, and for good reason—it sheds light on an important issue affecting many of us. It’s a great introduction to the public health booty emergency many are facing, but here, we’ll take a deeper dive into the practical steps you can take. If you’re searching for answers to your own derriere dilemma, you’ve come to the right place.
Read MoreIt is common (but definitely not normal) that we find ourselves more sedentary than we’d like to be. There are moments where it becomes more obvious:
Maybe your doctor has told you to move more. Or maybe you want to lose weight. Or maybe, if you have ADHD like me, you want to jump out of your skin after sitting still for a while and you know moving around makes you feel better. BTW, if you have ADHD or are on the autism spectrum this feeling is pretty normal (although still annoying).
According to a study published in 2023, high step count populations (>8,763 steps a day) have a 60% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to low step populations (<2k steps a day) and a 51% lower risk of developing Cardiovascular disease. Even small amounts make a big difference. Participants who got 2500-2800 steps per day decrease risk of CVD by 11% and death by 8%. What this means is that moving more makes you healthier, feel better, and less likely to die for any reason.
Read MoreBack pain sucks, but that’s not news. About 80% of all people will experience it at some point in their lives, and most of the time it will be lower back pain.
Why is it so common? Lots of reasons: poor posture, sitting, sitting, and sitting. That’s not a typo.
Sitting places the structures in your body into weird positions and lets certain muscles get used to staying in shortened and tight positions. for low back pain, the main muscles affected are usually the hip flexors and hamstrings, which affect the position of the pelvis, which the affects the position of the backbone (yes, I’m using a colloquial term for spinal column, because science terms tend to make normal people’s eyes glaze over like a Krispy Kreme donut). Your glutes and hip rotators (especially piriformis) can get super tight, too!
Read MoreYou bend to set something down and you feel a sharp twinge. You wish you could go back in time like five seconds and do it differently, but it’s too late. Blam! You threw your back out. 8 out of 10 people know exactly what I’m talking about: back pain.
Read MoreLower back pain affects over 80% of people at some point in life. I personally have a hard time believing that number isn’t higher, given my own history with chronic back pain.
These are some of the most useful mobility and core strength exercises for relieving low back pain. I have used these for over 10 years with clients seeking relief from back pain and have found that they work for most cases. Keep in mind that everyone’s body is different. depending on what’s going on, these may or may not work for you.
Read MoreAccording to the National Cancer Institute, almost 4 out of 10 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life. While the survival rate continues to rise, exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence in cancer patients. Regular vigorous physical activity can also improve mood, sleep, and energy levels, as well as lessen anxiety and treatment-related side effects. Sam Mayercik had thyroid cancer in 2006 and remembers how much a simple walking routine helped her, “I knew it was a big part of my healing.”
Read MoreEver have one of those days where your lower back back feels totally wrecked? About half of all working Americans report back pain every year, and up to 80% of all people will experience the joy of hating their life due to pain in the low back. It’s a big deal. Over the years, I have met hundreds of people who have told me that their back pain was one of the biggest reasons for not exercising when they actually wanted to be!
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