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Movement Practices to Settle Your Body

9/29/2020

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I have been reading the book, My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem.  This book "is a call to action for Americans to recognize that racism is not only about the head, but also about the body.  Menakem introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racialized divide and takes readers through a step-by-step healing process based on the latest neuroscience and somatic healing methods." Quote from the back cover of the book.

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I have been taking time with the second part of Menakem's book, which is titled "Remembering Ourselves".  He says, "The place to begin the all-important healing of trauma is with the body.  Your body.  Each of our bodies."  He provides body and breathing practices to get to know, experience and understand the body.  I have been enjoying these practices and have incorporated some of the ways to settle into a movement practice.  The movement sequences shared below bring in novel ways to move the spinal chain and mobilize the joints.  "Sometimes trauma energy can get stuck in the joints," Manakem states.  The momentum and rotations can help to release the energy and reduce the tension along the kinetic chain. 
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignforhealth.com.
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Disclosure: I only recommend programs and products that I would use myself.  If you use these links to purchase something, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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Spinal Mobility Drill in Sitting

2/3/2020

 
Spinal Mobility: movement
Improve spinal motion and decrease pain
Healthy spines need movement; healthy bodies need movement!  Every spinal segment is like a cog in a wheel, when one section or vertebrae moves, the other follows suit, just like the chain moving around the crank shaft.  Over the course of our lifetimes we get bogged down by tensions, holding patterns and loads that limit the mobility of the spine.  Our nerves that travel to our organs, muscles, and skin exit the spine and span outward to their destination. For the health of your nerves, your lower extremities, core, organs, upper extremities and head, get a move on!  

Explore your spinal movement

Link to Anatomy in Motion's, Wake your body up!
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignforhealth.com.

Get up and down from the floor with ease

10/19/2015

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Can you get up and down from the floor without using something sturdy for support like the coffee table or your knee?  A few years back there was a Longevity Test hot in the news that predicted mortality risk.  The test participants were told:  "Without worrying about the speed of movement, try to sit and then to rise from the floor, using the minimum support that you believe is needed.”
The study found that those who needed to use their hands and their knees to get up and down were almost seven times more likely to die within six years, compared with those who could get up and down without support.
This study tested 2000 subjects ranging from ages 51 to 80.  Now I don't know about you, but I know a lot of 20-30 year olds who need to use their hands and knees for assistance!
Lack of joint mobility and decreased strength plague our ability to move well.  In order to get up/down from the floor easily we need toe extension, ankle dorsiflexion, knee and hip flexion and leg strength. Below I share with you two movements that are great for your lower extremity mobility and strength.

Split Lunge

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Step into a stride position. Allow your back heel to be off of the floor. Make sure your feet face forward (think railroad tracks).
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Drop straight down so your front knee bends at a 90 degree, and your back knee is bent at a 90 degrees. Hover just above the ground and then come back up. Repeat 5 times each leg.

Kneeling Toe Extension

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Come down into a crouch position with your weight into your foot pads.
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Begin to move your knees toward the floor taking your toes into an extension stretch. Moving nice and slow. Shift your weight down and back up 5-10 times. Stand back up and repeat the split lunges. Repeat the sequence at least 3 times.
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If it is too intense to come all the way down to the floor you can use a prop to bolster with.
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignforhealth.com.
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    Author

    Susan McLaughlin,
    Physical Therapist

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    FEEL GOOD SERIES:
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    Disclosure: I only recommend programs and products that I would use myself.  If you use these links to purchase something, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you.  

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Contact:  Susan McLaughlin, PT 801.859.4142
susan@alignforhealth.com