Since May of this year, I've been sharing with you various stretches and exercises to help you get out of pain and stay that way.  From the questions and emails I've been receiving it seems as though a reminder of the blogs would be really helpful.  As I promised early on in my blog post, I am committed to providing reliable, useful, practical information that will assist you in getting out of pain and staying that way.

If your having Shouler Pain:

Try these stretches and exercises to get rid of pain and stay that way:

Shoulder Stretches Group 1

Shoulder Stretches Group 2

Shoulder Exercises Group 1

Shoulder Exercises Group 2

Having Wrist Pain, don't forget these tried and true movements:

Painful Wrists Stretches and Exercises

Lower Back Pain, remember these stretches for the hip and lower back:

Back Pain Stretches Group 1

Back Pain Stretches Group 2

Back Pain Stretches Group 3

Knee Pain have you limping around? Try these:

Knee Pain Exercises

So there you go. The bodypart where you're experiencing pain listed just above the stretches and exercises. It doesn't get much easier than that.

With this well outlined group of stretches and exercises you should have no problem getting out of pain and staying that way.  But I feel I have to remind you, you have to do them consistently if you want them to work. Doing these movements once in a while will not get you results. Make the committment, get out of pain and go do what you already enjoy doing . . . . better!

Have a great Labor Day Weekend.

I wanted to pick up where I left off last Monday regarding achieving an experience in The Zone. There are several elements that are necessary, or that people all seem to mention, as part of their Zone experience.  Click on the video below and check out the first element necessary to achieve a Zone experience. Be sure to tune in next week as each Wednesday, for the month of September, I will be sharing a crucial element to achieving a Zone experience.

I realize this has gone around numerous times, but it is an outstanding jumping off point for what I want to share with you for the month of September, to help get you on track and keep you there.

The Mason Jar Parable

A philosophy professor stood before his class at the end of the year with a table full of somewhat odd items.  He began class by filling up a very large, empty mason jar with rocks from a sack on the table.  As he topped off the jar, with some rocks spilling over the side, he then asked the students if the jar was full.  They all answered that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of small pebbles and poured them into the jar, shaking it lightly to allow the pebbles to meander into the open spaces between the rocks. He asked again if the jar was full.  They again agreed it was, but some, sensing he wasn't quite done, said "Well, not really."

The professor then picked up canister of sand and poured it into the jar until all the openings between the rocks and pebbles had been filled.  "Now you could say it's full", said the professor. "And I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.  The big rocks are the important things: your family, your spiritual practice, your partner, your health, your friends, your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still seem full."

The pebbles are the other things that matter, such as your job, your home, your car.  The sand is everything else.  The small stuff."

"Now think of this: If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks.  The same goes for your life.  If you spend all your time, space and energy on the smaller stuff, you will never have room for the things that should truly matter to you."

"So be attentive to the things that are crucial to your happiness.  Play with your children and spend time with them.  Don't neglect your health.  Take your partner out dining and dancing.  Be there for your friends."

"There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, run errands, and fix the disposal.  Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter.  Set your priorities.  The rest is just sand."

The students were speechless and all agreed it was a great year-end lesson.

But suddenly one student asked about the bottle of beer still on the table.  "Ah," the professor smiled and poured a bottle of beer into the jar.  It went in just fine, being soaked up through the sand, and truly made the jar full. "It's here to drive home the point there's always time for a cold beer with friends."

Some of you may be asking what the heck this has to do with health, fitness and wellness. Well, how many of you out there have clearly defined, written down goals with a time line?  How many of you out there are clear on what your "Big Rocks" are? Check back with me in a week and I'll show you how to guarantee your success by getting clear on your Big Rocks and goal setting.

See you next week for more on this. . .

For some strange reason I've been approached several times this week regarding knee injuries.  Not quite sure why this has been the issue this week, but thought I would share with all of you some tips on how to get rid of that nagging knee pain.

First though, let me help you better understand how the knee ends up being in pain.  If you have a habit of sitting to one side while at your desk, cross your legs under your desk and/or chair, or if you sit on one leg, all of these create misalignment in either the hip and/or the ankle.  Guess what joint sits right above or below this now misaligned hip or ankle -- the knee.  

When you sit in a posture that is not legs at 90 degrees, feet and ankles underneath knees, shoulders back and chest up, you are increasing the chances of muscles running from the hip to the knee or the knee to the ankle becoming strained. And as you know if you've been reading my blogs, muscles under strain will pull on the joints.

Now let's be honest. Almost none of us sit upright in the position I described above all the time; But if you're in pain you already now that. If you're having knee pain, please download this free Knee_Injury_Rehab_Level_1_(blog_8-27-2010).pdf and get out of pain now!

If you've been lucky enough to avoid pain so far, I would encourage you to begin rolling on an Energy F/X Tube or other roller to alleviate muscle tension, and decrease the chances of developing knee pain. If you have any questions on how to begin using an Energy F/X Tube to avoid or alleviate knee pain click here. And if you need to purchase a roller that will last, try the Energy F/X Tube.

Life is too short to live in pain.  Don't let bad habits set you up for pain.  Either get in the habit of sitting in an upright position on a regular basis, use a Swiss Ball as a desk chair, which aids in maintaining good posture, or get yourself an Energy F/X Tube and, like drinking a glass of orange juice to avoid a cold, it'll help alleviate the symptoms that cause knee pain.

Or you could just ignore all of this. . . . . .  and see what happens.

I believe sometimes in this world of instant gratification and reality TV we forget that the route to our goals can be challenging. But don't give up. Discomfort is part of the journey, don't be discouraged, it is only making you stronger. Click on the video below to find out more.

As I finished yet another insane training day on Saturday, I paused for a moment, turning to my training partner and saying, "How lucky are we?" For a full 75 minutes I pretty much lost track of time. I was completely immersed in each and every exercise, every breath, was without judgments, or distractions and felt literally part of every movement I was doing. As difficult and uncomfortable as the workout was it felt as though my body was moving through the movements effortlessly. For years I've taken for granted this very special time that I get to enjoy a few times each week.

To me, this is being in The Zone!

When you are so present to a moment you are in, that you actually lose track of time and literally become part of that moment, feeling and experiencing the smells, tastes, touches from a place that is almost surreal -- that's the zone. Many athletes have described the zone as feeling like everything slows down to slow motion. They state their vision is crystal clear, they are without distractions, and while they are obviously in their body, they feel as though they are watching everything happen from a place beyond themselves, often saying they are doing the activity effortlessly.

The cool thing to me about being in the zone is that you don't have to be a professional athlete or weekend warrior. I have friends that paint, hike in the mountains, surf, friends that build things (wood work), and numerous other activities that are not sports related all comment on being in the zone. What I now realize is that in order to get into the zone in any activity you have to be willing to become completely immersed in the activity you are doing. The activity has to involve you using your body to do the activity and the activity has to require some significant level of concentration (and sometimes skill) in order to perform it.

The interesting thing about reaching the zone is that your body moves effortlessly, you feel as though you can go on forever. Runners often talk about this as a "runner's high". But make no mistake, achieving the zone state can be done while painting, doing cardio, wood work, or any other activities that meet the requirements I listed above.

The result of being in the zone is a completely refreshed sense of well being, clarity and calmness about things that had been previously troubling you, and if you're lucky a kind of giddy euphoria.

Is there anyone else out there that has an experience of being in "the zone" that they'd like to share?  We all get there in different ways, but WOW is the feeling fantastic.

Let me know about your Zone experience.

Sometimes I think people believe things have to be very complicated and exotic in order to get results. 

That's not true. 

Things just have to be consistent and effective.  When it comes to your body, all you need are simple movements that are consistently done - namely stretching and strengthening. 

As I shared with you last week, stretching is just part of keeping yourself pain free.  Stretching will relieve the immediate pain and start you on the road to recovery, but equally important are the strengthening exercises you do to create and maintain proper alignment and keep you out of pain!

As this is the last in my series on shoulder pain, I've included a worksheet of 5 very important exercises that you can print and take with you. That way you'll be sure that you're doing the exercises correctly and taking one more step to getting yourself out of pain and staying that way.

At this point, between all of the stretches I've shared with you, in addition to the exercises, you have enough information to get your shoulders pain free and keep them that way.  If you need a little extra help, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Here's your free worksheet. 5 more Shoulder_Rehab_Movements_(blog_208-20-2010).pdf to get and keep you PAIN FREE.

As always, please let me know how they worked for you.

Many times people believe that goal setting just means thinking about the destination. Honestly, it's a bit more involved than that if you want to get results. Here's a quick video that will help you set goals that almost guarantee results -- click below.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if it helps you achieve your goals that much quicker and keep the great results, then I'll be the bad guy.

I can't tell you how many times I'm asked, "Well, I just want to lose weight right here". The person is pointing to their thighs, buttocks, hips, waist, etc.  It seems in this age of instant gratification everyone wants a quick fix to getting into shape.  The unfortunate truth is that you cannot spot reduce.  I know, I know, say it isn't so. But check out one of the many quick fixes that has been on the market for some time and see the truth of what this machine really does.

"According to a study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, the answer is yes and no. The scientists electrically stimulated the abdominal regions of 24 adults 5 days per week for 8 weeks. The goal was to determine the extent of abdominal muscle activation and any resulting body composition changes affecting muscle definition.

Upon study completion, all subjects reported that their abdominals felt “toned” and “firmed,” and 54% “felt that their posture had improved....There were no differences in body weight, body mass index, or skin fold thickness over the course of the study.” stated the study authors. However, subjects experienced a 58% increase in abdominal strength and a 100% increase in abdominal endurance." (courtesy Idea Magazine)

So what this proves again is that you can in fact exercise an area of the body and feel more toned, gain more endurance and possibly strength, but you will not lose body fat in a specific region just because you exercise that region.

Once again, it's all about your habits surrounding your nutrition as well as your exercise intensity -- be it cardio or using weights. If you need a little reminder on how to organize your meals to get rid of those few extra pounds click here.

We all want to enjoy what we see when we look in the mirror, but please understand there are no quick fixes.  If there were, everyone would be in shape.  Bottom line is that you have to create a plan and stick to it. No infomercial product is going to provide you with a short cut to discipline and consistency.

And the biggest secret is consistency!

I believe you can do it. I believe you have what it takes to create the body you want. You just have to make a plan and stick with it.

If you need some help, let me know, that's why I'm here.

For a bit of time I've been sharing a variety of stretches with you.  Now it's time for some exercises.  Truth be known, stretching is only 1 part of the process.  Stretching will relieve the immediate pain and start you on the road to recovery, but equally important is the strengthening of the area that is weak and out of alignment -- thus causing pain.

Check out the 2 stretches below to get you started on pain free shoulders.  Don't forget the previous blogs on shoulder stretches so you have all the tools you'll need to stay pain free.

This is Part#1. (X) This exercise is known as X, X, T. Thus you should perform an X movement, another X movment and then a T movement before starting the process again. From a standing postion, knees slightly bent, hands in front of body at waist height, take a band, anchored at knee height or lower, into an 'X' position as shown. Hold position for 1-2 seconds and return to start position.  Abs should be activated to stabalize core. Repeat 7-10 times.

Part #2. (X) From a standing postion, knees slightly bent, hands in front of body at waist height, take a band, anchored at knee height or lower, into an 'X' position as shown. Hold position for 1-2 seconds and return to start position.  Abs should be activated to stabalize core. Repeat 7-10 times.

Part #3.  (T) From a standing postion, knees slightly bent, hands in front of body at waist height, take a band, anchored at knee height or lower, into an 'T' position as shown. Hold position for 1-2 seconds and return to start position.  Abs should be activated to stabalize core. Repeat 7-10 times.

Here is another of my favorite shoulder exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff. I call it Pull Rotate. Simple enough. Click the video and learn another movement to get and keep your shoulders pain free. Repeat this movement as the others, 7-10 times.