The right exercise, done with the right attitude, makes everything better.
Let’s talk about attitude. We’re all about that here at Inside Out Fitness. As the name implies, we teach you how to find your way with exercise and fitness by what feels good and right to you from the inside out. It’s really a process, because most of us have been brainwashed by the diet and fitness industry to think that fitness is hard and that your body is not OK the way it is.
When you start with the premise that there is something wrong with you and/or your physical apparatus, you will always be at a disadvantage. Add all the crazy fitness ideas to that, and no one would blame you for not getting started. There are some great columns in the archives here at the San Francisco Bay Times if you’d like to learn more about how to think differently about your body and your fitness.
What I want to talk about today is that exercise can reduce joint pain. Small strengthening or stretching exercises create strength and flexibility that can help bring your body into better balance, which can help reduce joint pain.
One of the problems is that, when you think fitness is hard, you never get to it. At Inside Out Fitness we are famous for our super effective, small step exercises that are easy to do, so you will do them. You get stronger in the most important places, then you feel better. You have less pain. You move more. It’s a good momentum to have going. A little bit goes a long way.
One of my favorite strengthening exercises for the reluctant exerciser is called the Tush Tilt. I’ll explain how to do it after I tell you how and why it works.
The Tush Tilt strengthens your butt muscles or glutes. Weak butt muscles contribute to knee, back and hip pain. You can see why getting and keeping those muscles strong would be important. One of the problems with strengthening the butt muscle is that particular focus can sometimes exacerbate back pain. The “Tilt” in the Tush Tilt takes care of this problem because it is a stabilizing position for your back while you focus on your butt. The best part is that, not only does the tilt protect your back, but it also does so with a move that strengthens your abdominal muscles and produces core strength.
The Tush Tilt therefore strengthens your butt and core safely, easily and efficiently. It’s designed to be done in a chair in less than a minute a day. This ease and efficiency is the perfect route for a reluctant exerciser. A client told me this week that after 6 days of doing 10 Tush Tilts each day, her sciatica felt better!
Here’s how to do a Tush Tilt. Try it now with me. You can do it in any chair you find yourself in. If you have wheels, make sure your chair is snugged up against something. Sit in good posture, feet flat on the floor. Have your legs in the 90-degree position, which means that your ankles are positioned directly under your knees.
First we’re going to try the Tilt. Imagine the curve of your low back. The object of the Tilt is to straighten that curve. You do it by trying to press your navel towards the back of the chair. The mechanics of this is that your abdominal muscles shorten, which requires your lower back muscles to lengthen and so the curve straightens out. Try it now. It can be a little weird at first. You might feel “something” in your lower back when you do this. If it’s sharp or painful, stop. If it feels like “motion is lotion,” then you’re on the right track.
Get a feel for the Tilt. Do a few. Remember to breathe.
To add in the Tush, you will be squeezing your butt. Check your sitting posture and foot position and try it now. Squeeze your butt! You are now ready for a Tush Tilt. Do the Tilt first and then add the butt squeeze. Release, relax and repeat. You can find a video tutorial for this exercise on YouTube. Just search for the Tush Tilt or follow this link:
Try 5 Tush Tilts today and work up to 10 each day. This exercise is much more effective if you grin while you do it!
Cinder Ernst, Medical Exercise Specialist and Life Coach Extraordinaire, helps reluctant exercisers get moving with safe, effective and fun programs. Find out more at http://cinderernst.com
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