Principles
- Motion is Life
- Action is better than Intention when choosing one. Both are best.
- Movement is the most important nutrient for your brain and nervous system.
- Health and Fitness are not the same. You cannot be healthy without being fit, however, just because you are fit doesn’t make you healthy.
Exercise and movement have been a part of my life as long as I can remember. I remember being one of the those super active kids… I was TINY, literally 4’11”, 95lbs FRESHMAN year but I was an athlete my whole life beginning with competitive swimming at age 5 and competitive tennis at age 9.
At West Point, I was introduced to weight lifting and in that timeframe put on about 50lbs and realized what was possible with the body in terms of strength and conditioning. I became a Master Fitness Trainer in the army and earned the Army Physical Fitness Test Badge nearly every time I took the test.
When I got out of the army, however, I was introduced to the concept of Fitness vs. Health because I was totally fit. I could run a half-marathon at a 7 minute pace, benchpress 350lbs, and I was under 5% body fat.
But one major issue, I was FIT but unhealthy.
During this phase of my life, I was introduced to surfing, yoga and functional training. I was introduced to the concept that Fitness, although awesome and essential to living a vibrant life, without health is not only NOT sustainable but could be really detrimental to both short and long term well-being.
It was here that I decided that I wanted to be a personal trainer and quickly jumped into a program with the CHEK Institute – where I was introduced into a model of holistic living as it related to primal movement. The model of exercise that I learned was one that could actually inspire healing in your body – it could correct postural imbalances and create long lasting health outcomes.
People ask me all the time:
Is {insert exercise regimen} good for me?
This includes EVERYTHING under the sun… CrossFit, Yoga, Rock Climbing, Orange Theory Fitness, Brazilian JiuJitsu, Running, etc.
My answer is very commonly: It DEPENDS.
I will say that all movement is good better than no movement so long as your structure can handle it. You will understand when you see my x-rays below.
I know for a fact that I probably have some of the worst x-rays in the practice. Patients ask me all the time if I get adjusted. The answer is YES… for the last 13 years averaging twice a week whether I have pain or not.
If you do the math it is roughly 1300 adjustments!
I literally cannot imagine a life without getting adjusted regularly and preventatively.
Because I had 9 years of some of the worst trauma to the spine – especially my head and neck – but also because my life requires that my nervous system function optimally.
Can you imagine the type of adjustments I could (or could) deliver if I wasn’t mobile, agile or strong?
So I show you these because I love being transparent and I would never ask of you, my staff or anyone in my life something I don’t do myself. Trust me, I check my staff and my fiancé daily and when Victoria and I have kids, I will check them nightly (obviously hoping their nervous systems are clear).
Here are my x-rays…
For me, yoga is great HOWEVER, some movements are not the best for me like Plow pose.
Can you guess why?
Regarding my x-rays, hyper flexion of the neck is not the best idea. Although that phase two degeneration at C5/6 has improved significantly over the last two years while being under corrective care, it’s not where I want it to me.
Do I avoid it completely flexion? NO. The spine was made to move in at least the 6 cardinal directions.
But I rarely put my spine into hyper flexion under load.
The title of this blog is Daily Flow because in the most simple terms we should MOVE everyday.
Many of you have heard that sitting is the new smoking and that being stagnant for more than 30 minutes straight it not conducive to a mobile body let alone long term well being.
What can happen in 30 minutes of being sedentary?
- Increased inflammation
- Increased muscular imbalances
- Neurotransmitters change in your brain and move towards stress and depression
- Alterations in blood sugar and insulin sensitivity
What can happen in the long run?
- Chronic stress response
- Increased postural compensations and degenerative change in the spine and body
- Decrease bone density
- Increased nociceptive patterning (foundation for chronic pain patterns)
And because of the above, we have an increased risk of cancers, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and depression.
On the opposite end, movement and exercise are up to 91% preventative of most site-specific cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This is better than ANY drug EVER invented.
If you look at the top 10 causes of death in the US (which mirror the statistics globally), this is SO important HOWEVER…
Avoiding, treating, preventing disease is just part of the picture.
The point is, we were made to move.
If you understand the musculoskeletal structure of the body AND couple that with the essential nature of movement neurology, you would know that mobility is not an option on a daily basis.
It is essential.
Movement is how we animate life from a whole body perspective and a down to the subcellular level. Not one thing happens in the body without movement. Movement of the body with running, stretching, walking, etc. etc. makes sense to us…
But movement of the body with every single function of the body and does NOT happen without direct orders from the brain and nervous system.
For example,
The emulsification of bile in the gallbladder is movement that ensure we can digest fat effectively.
- this function comes from the nerves in your mid back region.
The movement of breath is a highly coordinated function that integrates your diaphragm, ribcage and lung tissue.
- this comes from your neck region, your upper back and each level of your ribcage that expands and contracts upon breathing.
The ability to poop effectively is a highly integrated function involving the bowels, your core muscles and pelvic floor.
- that involves your vagus nerve, sacral plexus and the nerves in your lumbar spine.
In that same article by Booth et al (linked above), the authors specifically talk about gallbladder function and exercise. The authors speculated that “there are probably SEVERAL metabolic pathways by which physical inactivity may increase the risk of gallstone disease…”.
Wait, exercise and gallstones?
I use this example because many of us get that exercise affect body weight, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes but gallbladder health?
Really?
The thing is, in our world at Future Generations, it’s always at least two reasons.
- It’s mechanical. Movement MOVES things in your body. It’s physics. It makes sense.
- It’s neurophysiological. The physiology and neurology of movement LEADS to beneficial changes at a very deep level.
Exercise cannot adjust you when you are subluxated but it can absolutely help you hold your adjustments and prevent subluxation patterns.
Adjustments are mechanically but also neurophysiologically HEALTHY.
Subluxations are mechanically but also neurophysiologically UNHEALTHY.
Exercise/Mobility/Movement are mechanically but also neurophysiologically HEALTHY.
Sedentarism is mechanically but also neurophysiologically UNHEALTHY.
Movement is how are create the symphony of life expression in all aspects.
Unless… and this is a big one… you OVERTRAIN…
… ahem, for all of you Orange Theory, Crossfitters, etc. who go 5-6 times per week and exchange good form (quality) for accomplishing/competing MORE (QUANTITY) … YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE…
Do yourself, your spine and nervous system a favor and slow down…
My routine, since many of you have asked…
- Regardless of what happens I do 1 of the following daily:
- 10 sun salutations, BIRTHFIT Functional Progressions / Squat Therapy or
- Push Ups: 50/40/30/20/10, Air Squats: 50/40/30/20/10, Pull Ups: 20/16/12/10/8 in alternating sets.
- In addition, I do
- Brazilian JuJitsu (apparently the cousin to chiropractic) – 2x/week
- Indoor Rock Climbing, Yoga or Surf – 1-2x/week
- Walk/Hike/Run – 2x/week
So in the end. MOVE DAILY. Include strength, flexibility, agility, resistance, mobility, balance, coordination and of course, REST.
Aligned Action:
Establish a daily movement you routine you can commit to.
- Do it first thing in the AM
- 5-10 minutes max
- Have fun and make it adaptable (i.e. involve baby or your kids)
- Create balance with it (i.e. if you already run a lot, focus on mobility)