Self Help 101: Correct Muscle Imbalances with Posture Podz

While practicing Massage Therapy, teaching Indoor Cycling Classes, and Personal Training in Hampton Roads, muscle imbalances are prevalent client concerns that are encountered daily.  Whether clients are consciously aware of the imbalance is another question.

Sometimes our bodies are born with imperfections. Often our bodies adapt over time to everyday habits including occupation and activities of choice.  Injuries also occur over our lifetime.  The end result is often  a muscle imbalance. Ever been told one leg is shorter than the other.  Are you knock kneed, bow legged, or pigeon toed?  Clients seem to feel this is a permanent condition based on their individual anatomy.  More often this is a case of muscle imbalances that can be corrected.  If left unattended, over time chronic pain may become a way of life as a result of muscle imbalances.

Typical long term results are of muscle imbalances are:

• Chronic Pain in joints such as the neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees, or ankles.
• Headaches from the tension created.
• Vertigo due to poor circulation caused by tight muscles inhibiting blood flow to the brain.
• Emotional Distress and/or Depression from ongoing chronic pain and the frustration of feeling there is no relief in sight.
• Poor sleep habits due to lack of comfort.
• Sharp pain or numbness due to nerve impingements caused by tight muscles pressing on the nerves.

What is a muscle imbalance?  Muscles work in conjunction with each other for movement to occur.  For muscles to contract, others must extend and vice versa.  Proper strength and proper flexibilty are required for muscle balance.  In essence, Muscle imbalance occurs when a muscle or muscle group has overpowered another muscle or muscle group.

How can this be corrected?  It's quite a complex issue of strengthening, and stretching muscles to recreate balance. Our bodies are composed of dominant larger muscles known as Prime Movers that are used in conjunction with smaller, supporting muscles referred to as Stabilizers.  Ergo, where you feel the pain is most often a smaller Stabilizer being dominated by a Prime Mover.  Therefore, the Stabilizer needs strengthening and the Prime Mover requires stretching.  Additionally, Prime Movers are larger muscles that require more movement better known as flexion, a concentric action, and extention, an eccentric action.  The smaller stabilizers are more often used in a stable position known as isometric.  Complicating the matter further, an many cases the pain is not bilateral or proportionate to both sides of the body.  Therefore, each side of the body requires different attention for balance to occur.  For decades, this process has been studied by the health and fitness industry for solutions and many theories have been deduced.

What if you could train the body to correct itself?  Well you may be able to accomplish this by utilizing Posture Podz.  Stability training is a primary stage of training utilized in todays fitness industry.  The theory is that you are able to create a balance within the body if you continue to challenge it by creating instability.  The unstable environment created encourages the body to utilize not only Prime Movers, but Stabilizers as well.  Unfortunately, many special populations such as sedentary, overweight, and seniors are clients in the greatest need for stability training.  They are also the most likely to be intimidated by the thought of instability and reluctant to embrace the concept for fear of injury.  Why?  Many stability training tools are elevated creating a greater distance to fall.  Some create inversion of the ankles, a prone position.  By beginning stability training in a prone position, injury may occur as a result.

What makes Posture Podz different? 

• Posture Podz are flat and create an unstable but not prone environment.
• Posture Podz are lightweight and versatile allowing you to transport and use them in almost any environment.
• It requires very little space to be effective with Posture Podz.
• They are versatile and adaptable. They can be used in conjuction with other tools for fitness such dumbbells, medicine balls, or boxing.
• The intimidation factor is minimal since your feet are larger than the podz and you can't really fall off of them.  Your feet simply touch the ground for you to regain balance.
• Posture Podz are fun to work with as you learn to counteract the body creating both balance and functionality.
• You can measure improvement very quickly as you gain confidence while balancing the body.
• Core work is done vertically minimizing vertigo or hiatal hernia concerns. Horizontal core work can cause increased vertigo symptoms or create heartburn with clients that have hiatal hernias making typical core work uncomfortable.

Why do they work?

• Muscles become adaptive by utilizing all 3 muscle functions: concentric, eccentric, and isometric simultaneously.
• Muscles are utilized in all 3 planes of motion; frontal, sagital, and transverse.
• Muscles over time become more functional in order to offset the instability created.
• Muscles become self correcting working in conjuction with each other.
• Core workouts are more effecient because they are incorporated into other routines.  You can't maintain balance on Stability Podz unless you core is engaged.
• In time the muscles will properly allign the body and possibly alleviate body imperfections such as the bow legged or knock kneed appearance.  
• They are not intimidating and progression is easily identified increasing self-confidence in the process.  

Where can you get Posture Podz?  Posture Podz are available at HealthWorks Wellness Training for $35 a pair including U.S. Shipping and Handling.

Norfolk Acupuncture and Therapeutic Massage is now offers 'The Wellness Workout' which includes a basic assessment, a kinetic hydration test, an assisted stretching session, a gait reset, and Instructional training of the 'Posture Podz Dumbell Workout'.  Also included is a FREE pair of Posture Podz (a $35 value) to workout with at home and/or take to the gym.  The cost of the 1 hour Session is $80.

A balanced body is a functional body.  Get the most out of your body while reducing pain that is inevitable living in a forward, concentric world. As we enter the cooler Fall Season in Hampton Roads, Indoor workouts become more frequent.  Posture Podz are an excellent tool to add to your arsonal not only for improved fitness, but also as a solution for pain relief created from muscle imbalances.  Massage Therapist practice in an envorinment where muscle imbalances are prone to develop.  Utilizing Posture Podz in a few simple routines can help restore physical balance that may prolong your career.  Watch the slideslow of Posture Podz workouts at Bayside Fitness And Wellness attached to see how much fun they can be!