The "Kneed" for Alignment

Posted by: Lindsay

The other day as I was finishing up my run, I heard someone call out from behind me, “Hey, a little tip!” A fellow runner catches up to me and points to my right leg. “I’m a PT and I noticed you run with your foot turned out. You should pull your foot in or you could damage your knee.”

I replied that I had been told this before and shrugged, since I tried my best to keep my foot straight (apparently to no avail) and I didn’t know what else to do. She ran one way, and I ran the other, wondering how long before I did that damage to my knee.

Fast forward a couple of weeks. Dr. Dan is teaching me some Foundational Movement Practices, having me “twist and turn” and feel the connection between my hip bones and my legs. I’m twisting and turning in my seat and then he has me twisting and turning as I walk.

“Like the models on the catwalks,” says Dr. Dan. We have a laugh about how more people need to walk like models.

The next day on my run, I decided to “twist and turn” as I jogged down the sidewalk. Why not, after all? This practice is designed to help me move better, so why not see how it does that?

Not even a minute into my new, FMP-powered run, I noticed that my foot was landing straight. I stopped twisting and turning from the hip and tried to see if my foot turned out again and sure enough, it reverted back to what it was doing before. I started twisting and turning again and felt the alignment from my foot to my hip. I must have looked like a gangly crazy person, hopping and jumping down the street.

But then I noticed how much easier it was to run, how much power I felt I suddenly had. My feet would hit the ground and almost sink into it a little bit and then rebound up as if propelled. I felt like  runner. (A big deal for someone who vehemently despised running for almost all of her life.) Two words that capture this experience: more leverage.

The Foundational Movement Practices get you (and got me) more connected. The different parts of your body can work together the way they should, with and not against gravity, in fluid and dynamic tension, in order to give you more power.

And after just one short lesson, I was running correctly, with gravity, with more power. I won’t have to worry about damaging my knee. Instead of needing therapy to exercise, exercise is now my therapy.

Since then, I’ve been hoping to find that PT who initially called out to me. Just to say, “Look! Look what I’ve learned!” And then to recommend she send her clients over to see if some of our care might help them in the same way.

Clean, Burn, and Shape

Posted by: The Balancing Center

We are well into the second half of 2013 and it seems like a great time to evaluate how your year has gone and how you would like your year to finish. How are you lately? Are you feeling energized and lively? Sluggish and tired? Ready to take on the upcoming months or maybe wanting to get back to those New Year’s resolutions you made almost eight months ago? However you’re feeling, there are things you can do to either keep up your momentum or increase your energy so you can finish your year with a flourish!

Besides visiting your friendly neighborhood chiropractor, we recommend taking on the rewarding challenge of a cleanse, specifically Orenda’s new Clean, Burn, and Shape program. Cleanses, when done safely and properly, can give you more energy and support the health your body is designed to achieve naturally and on its own.

Orenda’s Clean, Burn, and Shape program is a multidimensional cleanse program, beginning with detoxification, supporting healthy weight-loss functions, and creating a strong foundation for continued weight and health maintenance. You start with a 10 day cleanse to jumpstart your metabolism and detoxify your system. After the cleanse you move into three 30 day cycles that outline a detailed diet and exercise regiment. All told, it is 100 days to a leaner shape, cleaner body, and more vitality!

The last step after any cleanse is to integrate your new, healthier habits into your everyday life to maintain your vitality for the rest of your life. Orenda’s Clean, Burn, and Shape program is ideally designed to help you achieve that integration.

Check out this simple and informative online brochure to get the scoop on Clean, Burn, and Shape. If you would like to order the program, visit Orenda’s website here or call the convenient support line at (866) 673-1333. If you would like, you can even call us at The Balancing Center, and we can support you in your decision to Clean, Burn, and Shape!

We’d love to feature your progress and celebrate with you as you move forward in your health goals. Our wonderful office manager, Jennifer, recently began the program and has already seen encouraging results. After her first 10 days, she lost over 13 pounds and an inch from her waist!

If you’re looking for a way to make the second half of 2013 even better than the first, try Orenda’s Clean, Burn, and Shape to receive the best support for your optimal health!

Stressed? Here's a Tip!

Posted by: The Balancing Center

Are you feeling anxious? Nervous? Stressed? Have you ever? Will you soon?

Here’s a new, old way to destress and relax: exercise. (Surprise, surprise?) New research suggests that exercise causes certain neurons in your brain to suppress your stress and anxiety response.

When you strengthen your heart, lungs, and muscles, you also strengthen your brain’s ability to stop your neurons from firing the stress signal. Imagine experiencing overall reduced anxiety because of your daily walk, yoga class, or dance class!

If you want to experience the benefits of regular exercise without joining a gym, try incorporating our Foundational Movement Practices into your daily routine. The FMP are easy, quick, and ultimately life-changing because they retrain your whole body to sit, stand, and move better. As an added benefit, the FMP make everything you do over the course of your whole day exercise! According to the research, that will in turn decrease your stress and anxiety. It’s a win all around!

Read all about this fascinating research here.