Here’s what can happen when you work after 70. Thanks to my brother Dennis for this little bit of amusement. Be sure you watch to the end.

Working After 70

Ecuadorian Sidebar: Uvillas – A tasty refreshing fruit

One of the things we absolutely love about living here is the abundance of fruits and vegetables, many of which are organic. There are also a lot of fruits imported from Chile like apricots, plums, cherries, and apples that “look” fantastic but the chances are they are grown with chemical fertilizers and heavily sprayed for pests. Some of these chemicals are band in the U.S. but are allowed in many other countries around the world.

The Uvilla is a local fruit that grows on a shrub like plant found around Cuenca. The fruit develops inside of a “chinese lantern-like pod.”

The fruits are about the size of cherries with a yellow-orange color and have a semi-tart citrus flavor that makes your tastes buds come alive. The skin of the fruit is smooth and edible just like a grape. We like to eat them plain or in salads for a contrast of flavor along with the greens. I don’t know if they are commercially grown here, although I suspect they must be. If you ever get the opportunity to try these fruits I’m sure you become an instant fan.

Exercise of the Week:  Thoracic Extension with Tennis Balls

Last week, I demonstrated one way to work on Thoracic Extension (Sagital Plane) using a foam roller. That technique is a more broad based (yet effective) way to help mobilize the Thoracic Vertebrae. The use use of two tennis balls taped together takes this process a step further. Having the two balls taped together creates a space between the balls that allows the pressure to be focused on either side of the vertebrae instead on right on top. This may be more appropriate for folks that have osteopena/osteoporoses.

Tennis Ball Thoracic Extension Progressions:

Progression #1:   Standing against a wall

Start with the taped tennis balls at a height near the top of your shoulder blades against a wall. Center the balls so that you feel pressure on both sides of the thoracic spine.

Note : Here’s the sequence for taping the two tennis balls together

1. Start with two strips of athletic tape, 90 degrees apart as shown.
2. Next using a figure 8 pattern cover the balls so that they are completely covered.
3. Finally make several wraps around the middle to create a more concave effect.

Figure #1:  Two strips around the tennis balls

Figure 8′s around the pair and then wrap the middle

Let’s get rolling: Find a wall that you can lean up against. Place the tennis balls at about shoulder blade height. If you don’t have the shoulder mobility to do this then ask someone to assist you. Once the balls are in place start with your feet about 10-12 inches out away from the wall. Important – Push your tailbone back against the wall and keep it there.

Next, arch back while keeping your chin remains level, looking straight ahead, and touching the back of your head to the wall. Avoid looking up (raising your chin) as you lean back. You should feel the tennis balls roll slightly down your spine. You can increase the range of movement by moving your feet further forward.

Do 8-10 extensions at each vertebrae. Allow the balls to move down to the next vertebrae by slightly pulling away from the wall. Try to hit each vertebrae for 8-10 reps. Stop when the the balls reach the point where your spine starts to transition into the lumbar spine and curve starts inward.

Progression #2 – Supine (laying) Tennis Ball Thoracic extension

The setup is the same as above except that you will be laying on the ground. This significantly increases the pressure along your spine so go easy at first. If it’s too much, go back to the wall. This is not about torture, it’s about gaining some mobility in the vertebrae.

1. Start in a supine position (on your back) with the tennis balls at about the height of your shoulder blades. Cross your arms across your chest as if hugging yourself.
2. Take a breath in and then lean back as if touching your head to the floor, exhaling as you go back.
3. Flex up slightly (mini-crunch) and repeat for 8-10 reps, then move your body up to the next vertebrae down and repeat the process.
4. Be sure to keep your neck neutral, getting the range of motions from your thoracic spine not your neck vertebrae.
5. Keep moving down your spine until you reach the point of the lower thoracic spine (lumbar spine).

Lay back and enjoy the pressure. Just move slowly up and down.

Use common sense if it is too intense then go back to Progression #1 against the wall or use last week’s Thoracic Mobilization with a foam roller. You may also experience a “release” in the joints as you work your way along the spine.

This is a wonderfully subtle way to regain some thoracic mobility and potentially reverse some of the effects of our culturally chronic forward rounded spines. Don’t be surprised if you feel yourself standing and sitting a little taller after doing this mobilization.

Ecuadorian Sidebar:  Dia de Gracias -Mothers Day

Mother’s Day is celebrated here much the same way it is in most parts of the world. One Friday, at our school, the students did a nice Dia de Gracias for mother and grandmothers.

I was assigned to the 4th graders who sang a song I wasn’t familiar with by the artist Raffi. The lyrics are probably among the simplest yet most profound that I have heard in some time. They (lyrics) really just boil it down to the basics of what we all really need in life.

“All I really need is a song in my heart, food in my belly, and love in my family”

I am grateful to be reminded of this simple truth.

I

If you are interested in hearing the song and passing it along to your kids or grandkids, here’s the link:

All I Really Need

Exercise of the Week:

Thoracic Mobility with Foam Roller

This is a very easy technique for mobilizing the thoracic (upper spine). The only real precautions are that you support your neck with your hands (not holding your head) and only going down to just above your lumbar spine. For most folks, once you get down the thoracic spine a ways it just stops feeling good (there’s your sign).

Begin by laying on the foam roll as shown. The roller should be just about the height of your shoulder blades. Support your head by interlacing the fingers of your hands and holding your neck in a neutral position.

Next take a deep breath and as you let it out, arch slightly back over the foam roll into some extension.It’s sort of like doing a mini-crunch movement. Do 4-5 of these mini-crunches and push yourself back about one inch (one vertebrae down) and repeat the process down the spine until you reach that uncomfortable spot. Keep your hips in contact with the ground the entire time.

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

I remember writing about this outstanding video by Dr. Lustig of UCSF Medical Center before leaving Santa Cruz. The rate of obesity is still raising and the related diseases diabetes, heart disease, fatty livers etc. all lumped into metabolic syndrome are a major health concern.

If you are struggling with your weight, please take the time to watch Dr. Lustig’s video presentation so that you really understand the how and why sugar is literally toxic to your body. For those of you that use sugar substitutes, there are ramifications for these as well. Optimal health is the goal not just losing some fat, educate yourself and those you care about.

Video: Sugar the Bitter Truth

Ecuadorian Sidebar:  Primero de Mayo

As I’ve mentioned before, many of the streets in Cuenca are named after important dates in Ecuadorian or Cuenca history. Primero de Mayo is celebrated here much the way it is in most parts of the world, as a recognition of workers, “Labor Day.” There was a fairly large parade through downtown with some labor movement banners but over all it was a very peaceful affair.

I find it fascinating that in the states this holiday was relocated because of concerns about Cold War May Day celebrations associated with communism. There seems to be a pretty universal theme throughout the world. People just want to be able to work to support their families, absent of political ideology.

Exercise of the Week: Contract/Relax Hip Opener

If you’ve been following this blog for the past couple of weeks I have been discussing some hip mobility movements. This Contract/Relax movement is more of a stretch but it also helps facilitate hip mobility.

Sitting is arguably one the greatest contributors to diminished flexibility and mobility in the human body. The primary hip flexors of the body (Illio/Psoas) can become very short and tight contributing to a common postural issue, “anteriorly tilted pelvis.” This condition in turn causes a downward pull at the attachment points along the lumbar spine and can create significant lower back pain.

Back on March 26, 2012 you can read about the Exercise of the Week: Split Squat Reach and Twist. This is a great way to attack this hip flexor issue so if this is an issue for you please refer to that post.

Todays stretch, Contract/Relax Hip Opener, will help to stretch the rotators of the hip. The nice thing about this stretch is that it can be done from several positions (seated, supine, or standing).

The Set-up:

Regardless of your starting preference the set-up is essentially the same, get your “stretching leg” (left) bent to 90 degrees and place your ankle bone (malleolus) on top of your other knee as shown:

Finish position, pushing the knee down to stretch.

Before I lose some of you because this may currently not be possible, there are some modifications I will share with you. The first being to do this exercise from a supine (on your back) position with a stability ball. Again, bend your stretching side knee (left), crossing your leg over your other leg (above the knee) that has been elevated (right) onto the top of the stability ball.

Next, gently pull the stability ball toward your buttocks (right leg), as close to 90 degrees as possible. Once in this position (90 degree bend), push your hand against your left knee in an isometric fashion for about 5 seconds.

Next, stop pushing  your left knee against your hand and relax the left leg. Now push against your left knee without any resistance and see how far down it will stretch. Repeat this process 4-6 times on each side.

NOTE: You should notice a little improvement between how far your knee went down on the first rep vs. the last. This contract/relax technique works by contracting the adductors (internal rotators) and then quickly stretching the abductors (external rotators) while they are relaxed.

Once you have pulled into this 90 degree position

Get Inspired – 93 years young road cyclist!

93 Years Young Road Cyclist – Get Inspired

This short little video should help all of us see what is possible at ANY age. I especially appreciated that he linked good nutrition with exercise which contributes to a well rounded healthy lifestyle. The other thing that he DIDN’T SAY but I suspect to be true, is that he trains with a heart rate monitor. He’s wearing one of Sally Edwards “Heart Zones” bike jerseys. I’m a fan of Heart Zones approach to training and will devote more time to it in the future but for now here’s a link to their site to get you starting to think about training by intensity rather than just slogging along for hours or miles.

Heart Zones Training Website

Get more effective training accomplished in less time. Less is more!

Ecuadorian Sidebar:  The Chakana and Cleansing Ceremony at School

The Chakana (or Inca Cross, Chakana) symbolizes for Inca mythology what is known in other mythologies as the World Tree, Tree of Life and so on. The stepped cross is made up of an equal-armed cross indicating the cardinal points of the compass and a superimposed square. The square represents the other two levels of existence. The three levels of existence are Hana Pacha(the upper world inhabited by the superior gods), Kay Pacha, (the world of our everyday existence) and Ucu or Urin Pacha (the underworld inhabited by spirits of the dead, the ancestors, their overlords and various deities having close contact to the Earth plane). The hole through the centre of the cross is the Axis by means of which the shaman transits the cosmic vault to the other levels. It also represents Cuzco, the center of the Incan empire, and the Southern Cross constellation.

The shaman was superior to priests, sorcerers and witch-doctors in that he could modify his states of consciousness and journey at will to the lower level to enquire into the causes of people’s illnesses or misfortunes. These were generally attributed to breaches of taboo. Such trances were induced by the ingestion of hallucinogenic substances, most probably ayahuasca, or chewing the leaves of the sacred coca plant which are both used widely by the Indian shamans of Peru.

The cross has 12 points and legend has it that these points represent the following sayings, affirmations and life points

The four flat sides represent the elements Water Air Earth Fire

Below are some pictures from the Earth Day celebration at school that included a cleansing ceremony by two local shamans. The Inca Cross was created by using corn kernels and flower petals.

I was included in the ceremony representing “receivers of gifts” (tea and fruits).

Exercise of the Week:  Hip Mobility Continued

Last week I demonstrated the overhead squat pattern which serves not only as a fantastic warm-up movement but promotes an opening up of the hips in the deep squat position. Today I’m offering a three part Leg Swing pattern that targets the hip joint in all three planes of movement (forward, lateral, and rotational).

Forward/Backward Leg Swings:

Find a wall or pole to hold onto, turn sideways and start swinging your outside leg freely forward and backward. Start with a low swing and progress as high as you feel comfortable.

The backward swing should allow your knee to bend and for the heel to come up as close to your butt as possible while maintaining a tall posture. Try about 10-12 swings per leg.

Lateral Leg Swing:

Stand facing a wall (hand on wall) or hold a pole. Stand tall and allow your leg to swing freely from left to right. Be careful not to allow your foot to hit the wall or pole. Try to balance your leg swings so that you are swinging to equal heights on both sides. 10-12 reps to each side.

NOTE: This side swing movement not only works your hip on the swing side but as you swing across your body to the inside you will feel a rotational stretch on your standing leg (as long as your foot remains straight ahead.

Rotational Leg Swing:   aka Drawing a circle with your foot

Start by standing on your right leg and rotate your left leg clockwise until your foot is at the 3:00 o’clock position. Then rotate (swing) it back, counter clockwise until your toe returns to the 3:00 o’clock position. 10-12 reps per side.

All of these hip mobility movements can eventually done free standing so you are working balance and stability. Next week I’ll offer one more hip mobility/stretch to help open you up.

Cheeseburger Encrusted Pizza

For those of you living in the land of fast food, here’s a new and improved way to get several days calories at one sitting (which is so efficient, no need to eat multiple meals). So here it is, just when you thought the purveyors of fast food couldn’t expand on their offerings….

Cheeseburger Encrusted Pizza

“Bone up a tree!”

This week was far from uneventful. I have long had some allergies related to grasses and my old nemesis, rye grass grows here. The other day I saw some local bee pollen at a natural foods store and decided to start a self-prescribed regimen of bee pollen to try and boost my immune system. We had added bee pollen to our smoothies back in the states and never had any problems but my results were different here.

My first clue should have been when I placed a few grains on my tongue the night before and felt an itchy sensation. The next morning I put about a 1/4 teaspoon in my smoothie. After about 15 minutes my eyes were watering, my nose was running, and I was starting to feel my bronchial tubes constricting. At first I just dismissed it as a mild reaction and headed off for school. Within the next half hour I was a mess. I knew I needed an inhaler and an antihistamine as my symptoms multiplied to include itching all over my body and asthma like breathing. I made my way back home, hit the inhaler and took two benadryl and passed out for almost five hours.

I awoke, relieved of most of my critical symptoms but I felt like I had been hit by a bus. I was totally out of it mentally and physically. I hadn’t taken any form of medication like that for over a year. The lesson learned was (again) “listen to your body,”  that subtle tongue itching was a harbinger. Secondly, any supplement should be well researched and taken in small quantities for a period of time to ensure adaptation not a full on allergic response.

Ecuadorian Sidebar:  Cajas National Park

About 45 minutes west of  Cuenca is Cajas National Park. It sits nested near the top of the Andes and boasts over 200 lakes. Now to be fair, some of these “lakes” are really no more than ponds but this park acts like a giant reservoir for Cuenca and all the towns along the way.

There are great hiking trails and lots of interesting plant species to discover. This high altitude refuge offers some spectacular views and very unique flora. The weather can change very quickly so you will need to be prepared  for cold, sunny, rainy, and windy. Typically and depending upon the time of year, if you get started early and finish by early afternoon you can usually avoid afternoon showers. Cloud cover, like a fog, can come in quickly and leave you without a sense of direction. It is recommended that the first few times you go that you go with a guide in a group to get the lay of the area.

While the of lakes obviously hold a lot of water, it’s actually the abundance water holding moss-like plants that account for most of the water holding capacity of the area. Below is an example of one such plant that carpets much of the area. It has an amazing spongy feel to it.

This park is well above the “timber line” so it has an almost tundra-like appearance but within this ecosystem lay lots of beautiful and hardy species. The examples below are an agave type plant and the signature balloon flower.

I can’t do the beauty and diversity justice in this little post but hopefully it will inspire you to visit this gem tucked up high in the Andes mountains but just a short drive from Cuenca.

Exercise of the Week:  Hip Mobility  -  The Overhead Squat (with modifications)

The overhead squat is a fundamental movement pattern used to assess overall mobility. It is prominently featured in the Functional Movement Screen, developed by Gray Cook. The ability to drop into this body position requires the following physical capabilities:

• Ankle mobility
• Hip Mobility
• Lumbar Stability
• Thoracic Extension
• Scapular Stability
• Shoulder Mobility

Because it involves so many functional properties of movement, it can really tell us a lot about how we move or don’t move. Before you stop reading, thinking I’m suggesting that you load up an Olympic bar, get the weight overhead and squat, RELAX, that’s not the objective here.

The objective is to offer an movement rich pattern that can be practiced consistently to improve, for one, hip mobility. We will be using a wooden dowel or PVC rod instead of an Olympic bar to learn and groove this pattern.

Step One:  Arms Holding, Assisted Squat

Stand at a sink counter or grab any stable object that will allow you to hold on and then with your arms extended and relaxed, feet hip to should width apart, push your hips back and drop your butt as low as possible. If you can get down to parallel thigh position and not experience any joint pain, then you are probably ready to try this movement with a dowel.

Step Two:  Overhead Squat with Dowel

Place the dowel on your head so that the elbows are at about 90 degree bend.

If you are unable to press the dowel straight up overhead in a locked out position, then widen your grip until you are able to lock out your elbows.

The dowel should be positioned over your head and in line with your ears. Feet pointed straight ahead or slightly turned out and about hip to shoulder width apart.

Initiate the squat by pushing your butt back (hip hinge) before you start bending your knees. Slowly drop down as deeply as possible and keeping the dowel overhead as much as possible. If you experience any joint pain, STOP and get an evaluation by a qualified physical therapist.

Seen from the side, here’s what we are looking for:

• dowel extended overhead (not drifting forward)
• Torso angle and shin angle are very close to being parallel
• Body weight is in the heels (you should be able to wiggle your toes in this position)

I use this movement as part of my daily warm-up. Do 10-15 reps,2-3 sets, controlling your movement and dropping down as deeply as possible.

Modification: Using a Heel Lift

If you are NOT able to drop down below parallel, then using the following modification can help you achieve this deep position by taking some of the ankle mobility out of the equation and shifting the body weight forward. If you experience some knee pain during the squat, try using the heel lift and really focus on pushing your butt back. This heel lift is only meant to give you access to the movement until you are able to improve the restrictions in your mobility. Usually starting with a 2 x 4 under the heels will do the trick. As time goes on try to use a thinner lift (board), then wearing your shoes (thick heel), and finally working on barefoot training. I usually do a couple of sets with my shoes on to warm-up and then kick them off and go barefoot from the remainder of my training.

Be patient with yourself, especially if you are having some problems. You may want to seek out the guidance of a qualified fitness professional or physical therapist that is trained in administrating the Functional Movement Screen. Here’s the link to their site where you can use the trainer locator feature:

Functional Movement Screen Find an Expert

This another video by the folks at Box of Crayons and it really hits home for me right now because I want to get moving back in the direction of doing “great work.” I hope that you find this inspirational to move beyond the safety of the middle and see the opportunity around you.

The Timid Middle

Mindful Mountaineer: How Adventure Can Enhance Your Life

I really enjoy Matt’s insight and perspective about living life to the fullest. I recommend watching this short video, reading his book, and or taking one of his adventure courses.

Experience Life

Ecuadorian Sidebar:   Cuenca’s Founders Day – 12 de Abril

As I believe I have mentioned in the past, many of the major streets in Cuenca (and Ecuador) are named for significant dates in their history as well as famous Cuencanos. The 12th of April is Cuenca’s Founders Day.

Throughout this long holiday weekend their are numerous local artisans and artists from around Ecuador and Peru displaying their wares. Unfortunately on Thursday afternoon when we went the rain started but the rest of the weekend was sunny and almost hot at times.

The artisans from Otavalo (north of Quito) always have amazing colorful blankets, and weavings. Most of them are made from wool or Alpaca, the later being extremely soft. Like any vendor situation like this around the world, the best time to go if you want bargains is to go on the last day (Sunday) in the afternoon. They don’t want to take a lot of products home so they are happy to negotiate more loosely.

Exercise of the Week:  Part I  Ankle Mobility

Since I seem to always be stressing this often ignored area of fitness (mobility),  I thought I’d offer a toe to head series of self-mobilizations that are safe and easy to perform. Ankle mobility is one of those areas that seems to slip away quietly and unnoticed in many people as they get older. I like this “self-mob” technique because most people respond quickly and it’s easy to do.

The bones of the ankle complex need to be able to “slide and glide” in order to achieve, flexion, extension, and rotation. The somewhat weighted position of this movement makes it more effective than just having someone passively move your ankle. The other thing I like about it is that you can quantitatively measure both improvement and any imbalances between the right and left side.

Ankle Self-Mobilization Set-up:

Find a doorway or pole to work on. Place your right foot about 2-3 inches from the edge of the door jamb, left foot forward, even with the middle of the door jamb.

IMPORTANT: Your right foot (back from the edge of the door jamb) is your working ankle. Your right heel needs to remain flat on the ground throughout the mobilization.

PHASE I  (Straight Rocking)- Maintaining the above starting position, bend your right knee, pushing it gently towards the door jamb. If you are able to easily touch your knee to the door jamb with your foot 2-3 inches away, move it back 1/2 – 1 inch further back and repeat until you can no longer touch (keeping your heel down).

Continue this process until you reach a point that you can just barely touch your knee to the door jamb without your heel coming up. Once you reach your maximum distance then do about 10-12 repetitions of pushing your knee straight ahead toward the door jam, touching your knee.

This photo shows about 6 inches back from the door jamb.

Phase II – Internal Glide

Maintain your same distance and foot position but now push your right knee slightly to the left of your midline (internal), touching your knee if possible, if not then move your right foot forward until you can touch your knee 10-12 times.

Phase III – External Glide

Again maintaining the same foot position, now push your knee slightly outside (external) of your midline letting the knee touch the outside edge of the door jamb or you may even be able to glide outside the door jamb. Repeat for 10-12 reptitions and then switch sides.

As a baseline, most people can touch their knee straight ahead from between 4-6 inches, with 6 inches being a pretty good goal to shoot for or 110+ degrees. As with any movement if you experience joint pain STOP! Get an evaluation (from a physical therapist) especially if your left and right sides are distinctly different.

If you do not have  problems with ankle mobility, then just do 6-8 reps per side as part of your warm-up to maintain your mobility. If you are having trouble, then do them more frequently i.e.  2-3 times throughout the day. If your ankle doesn’t seem to be responding, you may need to have a physical therapist manually mobilize your ankle as it may be stuck.

Cycling in Ecuador

The riding here is pretty amazing, especially once you get out past the influence of the city. Riding in town can be a little dicey depending upon the day of the week and time of day. Riding in “Centro” can be dangerous and probably best avoided except early Sunday mornings when no one is up.

Last Friday I had a chance to ride with another Gringo and three Ecuadorian friends that took us out beyond the Cuenca basin. The photos don’t really do it justice. Lots of green hillsides, blue skies with a few big clouds and as always, LOTS OF CLIMBING. We were probably up in elevation another 2,000 – 2,500 above Cuenca at (8,500) so I’m guessing we were pushing close to 11,000 feet above sea level.

Can you say breath taking?

I want to encourage everyone that is interested in optimal health and vitality to take the time to watch this video. It is only available for another few hours for FREE.

Hungry For Change

Philips Patton – Local Santa Cruzian Produces Documentary

Philips is one of the most enlightened, free spirited people I have ever met. He recently completed a documentary about life in Santa Cruz, CA. The link below is for the trailer. The full length documentary will be play at the Del Mar theater in Santa Cruz starting Friday nights at 6:00 PM. If you like the trailer make the effort to get out and support Philips and this very creative work.

Santa Cruzin

Summer Writers Workshop with Sarah Rabin

As a wannabe writer I wish I could attend one of these workshops. Sarah was a member of our Fit Camp group at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz and she is a professor at UC Santa Cruz. If you are ready to explore your writing potential or want some guidance in an inspirational setting, please check out the attached flier for her workshops this summer.

2012WorkshopsFlyer-1

New Fitness Facility in Seascape (Santa Cruz, CA)

My good friend Jim Tucker, physical therapist, and long time owner of Seascape Physical Therapy is opening a new fitness center in Seascape Village. Jim is a first rate physical therapist with an extensive background in rehab and strength and conditioning training. If you are having any physical restrictions or you want to avoid them, stop by and see Jim at his new facility.

See attached flier.

Seascape Village Fitness

Ecuadorian Sidebar:  WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS aka “Frog Stragglers”

Well that;s not exactly true, as we do get lots of gentle pacific northwest type rains but twice in the last two weeks we have had “Frog Stragglers.” Up here in the Andes, at around 8,500 ft. you can’t just look outside in the morning and assume that the weather you are seeing is going to stay that way. Chances are you will experience a potpourri of patterns alternating between sunny and warm, cloudy  and coolish, to frequently short lived showers.

If it is fairly warm in the morning hours you can almost count on an afternoon thundershower of varying intensity. I have learned to recognize these patterns and their direction so I can more accurately anticipate my afternoon bike rides. On Tuesday, Judy and I needed to do some shopping and as we headed out it started to rain a “normal rain.” By the time we arrived at the store it was torrential downpour. If you have ever been in Arizona during a flash flood or in a south Florida down pour then you have experienced a similar drenching.

Some of our local roads became rivers 1-2 feet deep in a matter of minutes. This is the road along side our house AFTER the water had receded some!

The Yanuncay River that runs across the street from our house held its banks but as you can see it was carrying a lot of material with it.

Normally it looks more like this:

Unfortunately their were three local deaths as a result of the flooding. It sounded like New York City out in our normally very quite neighborhood with all the sirens blaring. We merely had to deal with the inconvenience of of 3-4″ of mud that washed under our front gate and onto our carport. Fortunately the whole event only lasted about 30-40 minutes, if it had gone on for an hour or more like that, it could have been much worse.

Exercise of the Week:  Movement Prep #6 – Split Squat Reach and Twist

We are almost finished with this series, just one more to go after this week’s addition. The Split Squat Reach and Twist, is another very rich movement that addresses several issues. The primary benefit is to stretch your hip flexors (Illio-Psoas). As has been said many times, we sit way too much in our culture and as a result we an anterior tilt to our pelvis resulting in shortening (tight) hip flexors.

If tight hip flexors just meant having an anterior tilt of the pelvis but these very large muscles (think cables 1″-1-1/2 diameter) attach directly to your spine. Hence when you standup they are pulling on the vertebrae of your lumbar and lower thoracic spine and this is a leading contributor to low back pain. If for no other reason, this stretch will help undue some of the damage done by excessive sitting and ease any low back pain you may be experiencing.

This movement also stretches your lats (raised arm side) and also adds a slight rotational component at the bottom. It helps open up the hips and lets you drop down into a nice deep split stance that you will be using with split stance squats or walking lunges.

CAUTION: Please start with the assisted variation first. Do not force your range of motion (dropping down). It is critical that you BEND BOTH KNEES SIMULTANEOUSLY as you descend and keep your torso/spine tall (no forward leaning).

Progression #1 – Pole Assisted Split Stance Reach and Twist

Stand next to a pole, tree, or a wall for both balance support and potential assistance in ascending back to the start position. Grab the pole with you right hand and then assume a long split stance, right leg (next to the pole) is back, left leg is forward. Make sure that your stance is long enough so that your front knee will be at 90 degrees when you reach the bottom position. The width difference between your front foot and back foot should be about hip width. Try to avoid placing your feet in-line with each other as this is not a stable position for balance.

Start Postion – Pole Assisted Split Squat Reach and Twist: Using a tree

Finish Position – Assisted Split Squat Reach and Twist

Next, start to bend both knees simultaneously, letting your hand slide down the pole as you lower yourself. This progression is for you to develop the strength, flexibility, and mobility to drop into a deep split squat position eventually. Be Patient, this may take some time but consistency is the key (think about how many hours you have spent sitting as an adult).

Descending down to the point of feeling a strong but not totally uncomfortable stretch, then hold there for 3-5 seconds. Push yourself back up to the start position and repeat for 6-8 reps on each side.

Once you can comfortably drop down using the pole only as a guide and not need to use the pole to get back up you are ready for the next progression.

Progression #2 – Split Stance Reach and Twist Along a Wall

Start in the same long split stance position next to a wall, right hand on the wall, right foot back next to the wall and left foot forward and hip width apart.

Bending both knees simultaneously, lower yourself down, sliding your hand down the wall. Go as deep as possible without pain and return to the top position. During the descent and ascent, work to keep your right arm extended straight up next to your right ear. As you get more comfortable with this movement (which can take some time), just use the wall when you need it for balance. Below note that my shin angle is less than 90 degrees, optimally I should have had a little longer stance, so that my shin was 90 degrees at the bottom.

Once you are able to do 6-8 reps on each side, holding for 3-5 seconds, and descending to where your right knee just barely touches the ground you are ready to fly solo, in Progression #3.

Progression #3 – Split Stance Reach and Twist (unassisted)

Set-up for the Split Stance Reach and Twist:

Same long split stance, be sure that your feet are at least hip width apart. Start with your right leg back, right arm straight up next to your right ear, left foot forward. Really extend and reach with your right arm as you simultaneously bend both knees. Your left arm should be hanging along your left side. As you descend try to just keep your right knee from touching the floor/ground.

Once you reach the bottom position (as far as you can go comfortably), keep reaching upward the ceiling or sky with your right arm and now reach down with your left arm, twisting your torso to the left and try to touch your left calf muscle with your left arm. This can be very challenging at first. Don’t lose the other parts of the movement by trying to touch your calf, and begin to cave forward rounding your back, remember, tall spine. The other aspects of the stretch are more important, so if you can’t touch, don’t worry about it.

As an added “bonus” while you are in the bottom position and holding for 3-5 seconds, try to tilt your pelvis up to neutral (level).

Hungry For Change – New Video from the folks that gave us Food Matters

Judy and I watched this video the other night and both felt it was presented well and hopefully will encourage more people to take control of their own health through improved nutrition. There are some extremely inspirational accounts that demonstrate what is possible once you decide to take back your control and stop kidding yourself with diets that do not deliver long term sustainable results.

Please pass this along to any and all you think would benefit from this information:

Hungry For Change

Ecuadorian Sidebar:  Bus Vendors

Another interesting phenomenon that occurs here (Cuenca, Ecuador) on a regular basis is vendors that come on the bus to take advantage of a “captive audience.” Some of them are pitching herbal supplements, teas, and tonics, some have small informational pamphlets for sale i.e. recipes, and others are just trying to sell different types of snake foods and candy.

The approach they use is interesting as they hand out samples of their product to everyone on the bus and then they proceed with the standard “features and benefits” speech. Keep in mind that they must be extremely agile as well to maintain their balance while the bus driver weaves through heavy traffic and and corners. Trust me when I say that this is not minor feat.

After their pitch they proceed to collect money for the product or get their samples back. This form of direct marketing seems to be fairly successful. Their investment might be 25 cents for the bus fare and then maybe a free sample to placate the driver and from my observations they  seem to always cover their costs with a little profit left over.

The other type of solicitation you will see on the buses are people that have some sort of medical condition or physical disability. They are usually soliciting for money to cover medical bills or this is their form of work. This can be quite an emotional plea and they usually aren’t bashful about showing you what is wrong with them which makes for a very compelling sales approach.

Exercise of the Week:  Movement Prep #5  -  Modified Airplane

Originally when I learned this series from Mark Verstegan, we used to place our arms out to the sides “like an airplane.” I then took the liberty of “modifying” it because with the arms extended forward, thumbs up (scapular position) you get the additional benefit of working your low traps which greatly contributes to scapular stability. This is a very common problem in many people and in keeping with my pursuit of big bang for the buck movements, I think this is a justifiable change.

This exercise also requires great hip stability (single leg stance), balance, and total body control. Be sure that you hold each rep for 3-5 seconds each, give those various stabilizers a chance to actually do their jobs. Work on getting 5-8 reps on each side. I like to alternate from right leg to left leg to reduce neural fatigue, otherwise you end up flailing about and not working your stabilizers.

Start Position:

Shift your weight over to your right leg, bend your right knee, and reach to touch the floor with both arms and stabilize for a couple of seconds.

From the side:

Front View:

Once you feel stable, simultaneously reach back with your left leg into full extension so that your left leg is parallel to the floor and both of your arms are reaching forward and as parallel to the floor as possible. Ideally you want to get your upper arms next to your ears. Hold this position for 3-5 seconds.

Side View Finish Position:

Front View of the Finish Position:

This is a difficult position to monitor in a mirror but it is possible. What you want to strive for is a flat back position with arms and leg all in a parallel to the floor position. One other cue I use is to “keep your tummy in contact with your upper thigh” throughout the 3-5 second hold.

Some people will find this position very difficult to maintain, especially the balance component at first. Rather than struggle and miss the benefits of this movement, go ahead and place your hands on a wall or pole for balance. Over time slowly start to ween yourself from needing to hold on.

Judy with the “kids” (Chaos was shall we say reluctant)

Judy’s Birthday was yesterday, St. Patrick’s Day. I am grateful to spend another birthday with her. It was exactly one year ago on her birthday that we put an offer on our house here in Ecuador, pretty good birthday present!

Judy has always remembered everyone’s birthdays so if you feel so inclined please feel free to wish her a Happy Birthday at:  Judy\’s Email Link

Ecuadorian Sidebar:  Ecuadorian Birthday Celebrations

There are two customs that are a little different when celebrating birthdays here. First, after the birthday celebrator blows out their candles, someone usually pushes their face into the cake!

Second, when they cut the cake they usually cut a circle in the middle of the cake first and then cut the slices from around the outside. To some degree I guess this eliminates the pointy wedge of cake that can be difficult to extract.

Happy Birthday (Feliz Cumpleanos) is sung in Spanish with much the same melody as the English version.

Exercise of the Week – Curtsy Split Squat –  #4 of Movement Prep Series

This movement needs to be done slowly and perhaps with some assistance initially with a band around your waist as it really opens of your hips. Another alternative is to hang onto a pole for balance and to assist you in coming back to the start position.

Set-up for Curtsy Split Squat

Start with a wide stance (wider than shoulder width), then step behind and across your left foot. IMPORTANT: Your non-pivoting foot should remain flat and pointed straight ahead.

Your right foot should now be in line with your left heel. The right foot should also be up in the ball of the foot so it can pivot as you lower yourself down. As you lower yourself down your left knee should bend and move slightly foward. Your left foot should remain anchored (weight in the heel) and pointed straight ahead.

Half way down, Curtsy Split Squat

Extend both arms forwards to assist in counterbalancing your body as you descend.

All the way down (knee touching) – Curtsy Split Squat

Work slowly with each repetition to try to get a little lower each time until you are able to gently touch your left knee to the floor and return to the start position smoothly. Try to do 6-8 repetitions, held 3-5 seconds on each side or more if you find you are tight.

Done correctly this movement will really open up your hips and add a much needed lower extremity rotational movement to your training. This exercise can be done more dynamically where you alternate stepping behind each foot, crossing down and then going to the other side. Finally, you can add light dumbbells to this (5-10 lbs.) and really add to the challenge.