The gardening season is in full swing, but it’s not too late to get your body in better shape for it. Gardening demands heavy and sustained work at times, yet many of us who are gardeners are not necessarily in shape to do it. If you move your body well, you can use gardening as a way to improve the “core muscles” that everybody is talking about. On the flip side, if you simply bend over to do things, you are probably just wearing out your back. Not that bending over is such a bad thing, but when it’s the only movement your body knows, it gets tired and starts to rebel. Adding variety to your movement is an important way to distribute the workload. Yoga is a great way to get your body working better for the many contortions of gardening. Yoga scares many people off; they feel they have never been flexible and never will be. The truth is that if you do it, you will slowly be it.

Take a walk through these photos with us and we will show you common gardening situations and the yoga poses that help to make it happen more comfortably, fluidly, and with less regret at the end of the day. If you don’t like the word yoga, substitute stretching and holding instead! Consider working in the sequence laid out here to ease your body into it. As with any exercise, modify them for your comfort and safety and consult your doctor or physical therapist if you have questions.

1. Powerful pose (Utkatasana): Bend your knees lowering your buttocks toward the floor and behind your center of gravity. Tuck the tailbone under and keep the knees behind the toes. Your hands can be positioned straight out in front of you or for more challenge position them straight over head.

1a. Simple variation: Lean your back against a wall and pull the pelvis under. Your feet should be positioned 12-18 inches away from the wall. Slide down the wall into a chair position taking care to sit with the degree of bend that works for your strength and knee health.

2. Downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana): Start from your hands and knees. Pushing down into the floor lift your bottom up and back toward your feet. The arms press as if pushing away from your head and are completely elongated from the shoulder.

2a. Modified downward facing dog: Use a sturdy armless chair or low table that will not slip. Place your hands on the chair’s sear, about shoulder-width apart. Walk slowly backward, allowing your spine to lengthen and your head to come between your upper arms. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. To release, walk forward to the chair and bend your knees, keeping your spine long as you lift into an upright position.

3. Forward bend (uttanasana): Exhaling, release your arms in wide arcs as you fold forward. Bend your knees if you feel pressure on your lower back, support your hands on blocks if they don’t reach the floor. Release your neck so that your head hangs heavily from your upper spine.

3a. Simple variation: Sit in a chair and slowly curl your spine down from the top until you are draped over your legs.

4. Rotated lateral angle (Parivritta Parsvakonasana): Place one foot up on a low chair and lean the pelvis forward in a lunge hinging at the hips. Turn through the abdomen and spine so that the elbow opposite the leg that is up rests on the outer knee. Press the knee into the elbow and the elbow into the knee to improve the trunk rotation. Keep the spine elongated. Press both palms together.

5. Deep squat (malasana): Either balance or hold on to a fence post and squat as low as you can leaving the heels down for as long as you can. This will open the low back and stretch the heel cords.

6. Pigeon pose (kapotasana): Bring your right shin forward so that your right foot is in front of your left hip and your right shin is nearly parallel to the front edge of a yoga mat. Flex your right foot. Stretch your left thigh back as you draw your left hip forward. If your right hip is off the floor then place a folded blanket under it for support.

6a. Simple variation: Sit in a chair and be aware of both sitting bones being connected to the chair. Cross one leg on top of the other so that the ankle is connected just behind the opposite knee. Feel your outer hip and gluteals stretching. Lean your belly toward your legs and then fold your body forward.

7. Gate pose (parighasana): Kneel with one foot forward as if you are proposing marriage. Turn the back leg so it forms a right angle to the front leg. Your abdomen and pelvis face out to the side. Lean toward your front leg bringing the hand down to the floor in front of the foot. Lift the back hand up to the sky.

8. Cobra pose (Bhujangasana): Lay on your belly with your elbows bent and hands placed by the side of your chest. Elongate your tailbone toward your heels. Arch your spine back and lift your chest up, focusing on the upper back and using your hands for support. If you feel back pain you are lifting too far.

8a. Cobra pose with a wall: (Modified Bhujangasana) Stand facing a wall at arms distance, with your feet hip-width apart, and place both palms on the wall no higher than your shoulders. Step very slightly closer to the wall, so that your elbows bend a little. As you exhale, bend your legs, round your back, and look down. Then, as your inhale, straighten your legs and slowly arch your spine back. Try to arch primarily in the middle and upper back instead of in the lower back. Keeping your hips in line with your feet will help with this.

8b. Wall push-ups: In the above position, bend your elbows to bring your body toward the wall. Keep elbows close to the ribcages. Don’t allow your back to arch.

9. Tree pose (vrksasana): Shift your weight toward your left side. Bend right knee and reach down to grasp the ankle. Place the foot at the groin with the toes pointing down. Press the foot inward toward the groin. The pelvis should be centered over the stance leg. Bring hands together in front of your chest, or lift the arms to the sky.

9b. Tree pose variation: Stand near a wall for support. Shift your weight to one leg and place the other foot onto the calf with the knee pointing out.

10. Horse stance with Victory Goddess (deviasana): Stand with your feet 3 feet apart, both turned out, and bend your knees into a comfortable squat. Then, bend your elbows, inhale, and stretch your palms open so your thumbs touch your shoulders. Release jaw, face, and neck tension. Open your mouth, lift your eyebrows, stretch out your tongue, and waggle it, as you exhale forcefully with a sound for 10 seconds. Release, stand tall, and observe your body and mind. This pose has the added benefit of scaring away bunnies, crows, and neighbors!

Tips for healthier gardening:

1. Keep long handled pruners close to the body instead of reaching away too far to save shoulder tendons. If you cannot avoid this break up this
task or bring the shears closer when you can.

2. Stand and arch your back if you have been bending for long periods.

3. Keep your wrists flexible to prevent elbow pain.

4. Use good lifting practices.

5. Transport heavier loads with a sturdy cart or wheelbarrow.

6. Use light weight containers.

7. Keep your tools sharp and clean.

I marvel at how all types of people have adapted their methods and their gardens to be able to garden. A love of gardening spurs inventiveness in tools to help, and in ways to use your body. Here is a helpful link for ideas in adaptive gardening.

All images were taken at Blumen Gardens in Sycamore

Picking up something with your toes instead of bending over. Using all your might to push off the armrests to get out of a chair. Waddling instead of walking. These might sound familiar to you if you have been pregnant before. Pregnancy is a one of the most wonderful experiences some women will ever experience. Physically, it is an absolutely amazing transformation that happens over the course of 40 weeks but often takes a toll on the body.

Back pain is one of the most common complaints pregnant women have, especially in the last trimester. So many women have the perception that back pain is just an expected and normal part of pregnancy. It may be common, but not normal. During pregnancy the uterus expands to as much as 1,000 times its original size. This amount of growth, when centered in one area, can affect the balance of your body and cause discomfort. Your center of gravity is gradually pulled more and more forward and therefore changes the alignment of your joints. Added stress affects your joints and changes how your muscles need to support them. It can be expected that when alignment is altered that much, there are going to be some aches and pains. However, if you understand what is happening to your body and make the right adjustments, those aches and pains can be greatly reduced. This just means you have to put forth even extra effort to adjust your posture, keep certain muscles strong and certain muscles stretched out; as if carrying a baby is not enough effort.

Let’s take two areas of your spine and your pelvis and understand why an estimated half of pregnant women experience back pain. The middle of your back, or your thoracic spine, tends to be more rounded as your posture changes. To compensate for a growing belly and breasts, the shoulders round and are pulled forward, and the shoulder blades spread further apart. This creates extra stress in the thoracic spine and is a common place to feel pain. The lower back, or lumbar spine, has a natural curvature which becomes more exaggerated as that uterus grows and pulls the center of gravity forward. The tummy muscles in the front become less active from being stretched and the muscles in the back become even tighter from the curvature. If you imagine that your abdomen and back should always work in sync, like equal partners, suddenly that partnership is imbalanced and muscles and joints become overstressed and sore.

Working our way down, the pelvis is where all the action is happening. Now this bony ring has to accommodate the growing uterus, baby and a lot of fluid. Ligaments soften in order for this to happen, which means your muscles have to work overtime to try to hold everything together. This is a big reason why not only is it common to have pain in the middle or lower back, but also the pelvis – specifically the sacroiliac joints (found on either side of the spine at the junction of the spine and pelvis) and the pubic joint in the front of the pelvis.

Managing back pain may range from dealing with an annoyance to struggling to do your everyday activities. The good news is that there are several options to make women more comfortable throughout the pregnancy. Pain can start at anytime, but occurs most often between the fifth and seventh month. Taking an active role in minimizing the stressors on your spine is where you can start. Physical therapy can help by teaching you exercises that can relieve pain. Learning how to move again – from getting out of the car to rolling over in bed – can provide relief as well. It is amazing that it is not always a set of exercises that can help, but the “tweaks” that you can make to your daily activities that can make you more comfortable. This may be at your job or while you are taking care of your other children. Physical therapy can not only provide the education and exercises but also manual therapy treatments to help align your pelvic joints and soften tight muscles.

Additionally, maternity supports now are easy to find and can be helpful during pregnancy. They help to provide an outside support to the lower back and pelvis since the ligaments soften and do not provide their normal stability. A physical therapist can help you find one that is going to be the best at relieving the pain.

Pregnancy massage is also a good way to relieve the stress and strain on the muscles. Finding someone who has experience with pregnant clients is important. Yoga is also a great way to keep muscles stretched which often trigger pain in the lower back and hips. Again, seek out a class that is geared towards pregnancy or is open to pregnant women, as you do not want to strain or make anything worse. You should always tell your doctor about your pain and all of these treatment options and recommendations should be discussed with your obstetrician.

Feeling good during your pregnancy is important. It can make or break one of the most special times in a woman’s life. Do not settle for having back pain or suffer through it, get help! We should not underestimate all a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy and postpartum.

Once the baby is born and the center of gravity returns to normal women now have new circumstances that change posture – breastfeeding, bathing, lifting, carrying, and the list goes on. Now you are doing activities over and over which encourage your posture to be poor and add in to that picture weak core muscles from the pregnancy. Often post-partum back pain gets overlooked. Women can be busy and overwhelmed with adjusting to life with a new baby and are less concerned with their own comfort. Resolving this pain and appropriately building up your core is important for the health of your spine. A healthy spine is balanced between strong core muscles (abdominals, back, pelvic floor and hips) and good flexibility of the back, hips and legs. Our health is often defined by how vibrant we feel and being pain free. Posture shapes the health of our spine.

Educating yourself during your pregnancy can help you beyond the nine months!

Tips for helping lower back and pelvic pain during pregnancy:
• Getting in bed – sit down first, lie down on side, then bring legs into bed. Do the opposite to get out of bed
• Rolling over in bed – keep knees glued together; avoid pushing into bed with one leg to turn over
• Standing up from a chair – keep knees as close together as you can; lean forward and tighten lower tummy muscles
• Getting in and out of the car – sit down first, keep knees together and swing both legs in the car at the same time. To get out, swing both legs out, then stand up out of car.
• The pelvis is a symmetrical structure so avoid asymmetrical activities – single legged activities, pivoting, etc. These can strain the pelvis.
• Sleep using extra pillows. Body and pregnancy pillows are good, but using an extra pillow between your knees works fine. Use a folded towel under the belly while on your side to avoid extra pulling on the lower back.
• Try not to waddle when you walk. It is easy to do so because it takes much more effort to walk normally. The longer you can the better you will feel. Focus on not letting your feet turn out excessively and sway your hips.

May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.  What does that mean for you?  Osteoporosis is often thought of as an “old lady’s disease”.  Actually, the bones we have later in life reflect our activity as kids, teens, and young adults.  So in a very real sense, osteoporosis is a disease that starts in childhood.  Eighty-five percent of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 for girls and age 20 for boys.  10 million people are estimated to have osteoporosis and 34 million more have low bone mass. 20% of those affected by osteoporosis are men.  

Osteoporosis is a condition that leads to a decrease in bone density, reducing its strength.  Bones become more porous, “sponge like,” which makes them more easily crushed or fractured.  Certain risk factors are unavoidable:  being female, Caucasian or Asian, thin, small body frame, and family history.  However, there are factors we can control: poor nutrition, lack of exercise, diet low in calcium, cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption; and factors we can try to control: vitamin D deficiency, low testosterone levels in men and low estrogen levels in women, nutritional malabsorption from conditions such as celiac disease, and the condition of hyperthyroidism.

So what can we do to prevent our children from having osteoporosis in the future, to keep ourselves from becoming one of the statistics–and if we do have it, to prevent it from becoming worse?  Exercise is an important key to maintaining everyone’s health.  Our bones are slowly shaped by the forces they withstand.  The more active we are, the stronger our bones will be.  This is why it is so important for our children to be outside playing on the playground, kicking the soccer ball, running the bases, and having fun in general.  It is the pounding of our feet against the pavement and our batting/racquet arm against the ball that stimulates our bones to grow and become stronger. The Wii has become a great tool for working on balance and encouraging aerobic activity, but there is no impact to the bone with Wii activities.  We require impact to build our bones.  Take that tennis match or bowling game out of your living room and back to real life.

Many people enjoy biking, swimming and water exercise classes, especially as we age, but the bike and the water are bearing your weight, so they are not as effective for building bone.  Stick with these great activities, but add something that provides impact. As we age, balance often becomes an issue.   If walking is the exercise of choice for osteoporosis, how can we be safe?  One option is to use fitness walking or trekking poles. Walking sticks assist in balance control and improve posture. By using the “push off” force with the sticks you engage your “core” trunk strength and use your upper body strength to assist you in your walk.  Badminton, basketball, hiking, karate, jumping rope, Tae Kwon Do, and volleyball are impact activities which enable  you  to spend time with your child, grandchild, spouse, and friends no matter what your age.

Good nutritional habits are a key for bone health.  Add calcium-rich foods into your daily diet and when possible look for Vitamin D-fortified foods.  On average, we want to consume 1,200 mg of calcium and 400-800 IU of Vitamin D for building and maintaining strong bones.  Look for ways to increase your calcium by decreasing your consumption of carbonated drinks, coffee, and sports drinks and include milk, soy with added calcium, and fortified orange juice.  Add calcium-rich vegetables to your diet such as broccoli, spinach, kale, and collard greens.  Enjoy almonds and yogurt for a snack.

There are many excellent resources to help you prevent osteoporosis and to maintain your bone health.  A nutritionist can help you establish a diet to sustain and improve your health.  A physical therapist can assist you with an exercise program that will aid in maintaining bone strength and address any balance issues which may prevent you from living the active lifestyle you desire.

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease as we know our skeleton is made up of mostly calcium, but also as important are the key minerals and Vitamins are bones need. Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin D which helps with the absorption of Calcium.

Exercise is as important as a good diet it gives bones a reason to live.  It strengthens them.

So let’s take a look at what inhibits absorption of essential nutrients.  Caffeine is one commonly enjoyed food or beverage that inhibits the absorption of essential minerals.
Some great alternatives to your morning coffee are readily available – Teechino is a blend of roasted herbs, grains, fruits and nuts that brews like coffee and has a similar taste and aroma.  It has a high level of potassium helping it balance out acidity.  Pero is an instant coffee substitute made of malted barley, chicory and rye. We know chocolate has caffeine so limit the amount and choose dark 70% or higher.

Just skip soda it contains phosphoric acid that blocks absorption of calcium and magnesium and is loaded with sugar, colors that we just do not need.  Water made with a little personality can replace that soda – try adding fresh herb like basil with sliced lemon it is refreshing and delicious.

Dairy isn’t the only group that provides calcium dark greens, beans, salmon are great sources. Use collard greens as a wrap in place of bread or roasting kale in the oven for a crunchy snack are delicious ways to eat your bone building nutrients.  Salmon makes wonderful burgers to bake or pan fry.  Use the wild canned salmon with bones (which are very brittle they break up very fine) adds extra absorbable calcium.

Seeds are wonderful sources of magnesium. 50% of the bodies magnesium lives in our bones, low levels are linked to fragile bones and calcium loss.

Simple ways to add seeds to your day are:
•    pack 1 ounce portions to tote along for snacking
•    sprinkle 2 tablespoons on salad or sandwich
•    toss with vegetables
•    use as a crunch on top of soups or stews
•
Or keep a stash of the seed sprinkle ready on the counter or in your desk drawer at work to enhance salads, sandwiches even your morning oatmeal.

Seed Sprinkle
Mix:  ¼ cup each toasted seeds
sesame seeds,  sunflower seeds,  pumpkin seeds
Add-  chia seeds (great Omega 3’s)
Keep in jar with a tight lid.  Use on whatever your imagination can think of!

Walnuts rich in alpha linolenic acid an omega 3 help decrease the rate of bone breakdown and keep bone formation constant. Brazil nuts are also great source of magnesium. Other sources of alpha linolenic acid are: flaxseed oil, ground flaxseeds, walnut oil, soybeans

Here is a yummy treat I make at my cooking class.

Vanilla Roasted Walnuts
2 cups walnuts
1 tablespoon olive oil or walnut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup B or agave nectar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean scraped
½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon Ceylon Cinnamon

Heat cast iron pan add walnuts and oil with the heat on high.  When hear a sizzle turn heat down to medium low.
Toast until nice and nutty.  Add maple syrup and stir then add salt.
Mix in the vanilla or scraped vanilla center from the pod.  Add cinnamon and mix.  Cool on parchment paper.

Why not learn more about what you can do to protect your bones and take a class so you can create your own wonderful foods.

Good to the Bone
Our skeletons are made of calcium & minerals.  Seeds, nuts, leafy greens, beans, fish, broth from bones are good bone builders.

All recipes will be based on bone building ingredients sure to please the palette while being good to the bones. Recipes that will be demonstrated are: Good to the Bone Treats, Egg Salad Stuffed Collard Greens, Tahini Miso Orange Spread, Falafel with Carrot Sauce, Salmon Burgers and Bone Stock.And as always interesting things to sip on and taste throughout the class.

May 17   6  to 9 pm
Session fee $60

Session will be held at 1389 Prosser Drive Sycamore
Class size is very limited

Contact
Jo Cessna
jo@jocessna.com
815-761-6393

Recently some coworkers were disguising “Piriformis Syndrome” and I had never heard of it. They talked about getting a constant pain in the gluteal(butt) area that sometimes goes down the leg. I decided to check it out on the web and found a great link, which I am going to share with you. Being aware of this problem has been very helpful to me.  And learning to activate my Gluteus Maximus was huge for me. If you get a contant pain in your butt(like a cramping) this link could help you control that pain.  http://www.easyvigour.net.nz/

I am a Massage Therapist and about four months ago I had a new client who complained of right shoulder pain. I worked on her shoulder for 30 minutes every other week for two months (about four times total) and still no significant change is her pain and lack of range of motion in her shoulder.  I then approached her about scar tissue manipulation for her mastectomy scar on her right breast.  After the first session she felt better and even better after the second.  I also suggested Physical Therapy, which will teach her the stretching and exercises to continue her success.  Scar tissue production and distribution is your body’s way of healing areas that have been injured in one way or another.  These adhesions are literally trying to keep the body together.  Unfortunately sometimes too much adhesions and scar tissue starts to build up and begins to compress nerves and blood vessels affecting the body physical and physiological functions.  After a mastectomy the scar tissue can become so bound down around the rib cage it starts to restrict the shoulder’s range of motion creating a “frozen shoulder” syndrome.  The good news is that these fibrous tissues can be lessened by manual therapy, stretching, and exercise.

Comment on this post about your experience with Gluten for others to read and comment on. Your experience may save another person from unnecessary suffering and help them understand the wide-reaching effects of gluten intolerance.

Thank you and can’t wait to hear about your experiences!

2 eggs

1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract

½ cup honey

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 can (15 oz.) mashed pumpkin

2 cups whole grain sorghum flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons xantham gum or guar gum

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup raisins

½ cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Generously grease muffin cups or line with paper liners. Set aside. Beat wet ingredients—eggs, vanilla, honey, oil, applesauce, and pumpkin—together until well combined. In separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Then stir in wet mixture above; fold in raisins and optional nuts until blended. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes until done. Yields 24 two-ounce muffins.

**Recipe presented at the 2008 Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference (a collaboration between The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard Medical School)

Gluten-free eating is a bona fide trend these days.  As more people discover the benefits of a gluten-free  diet, major companies are investing in gluten-free products to boost their bottom line.  Products packaged as gluten-free alternatives are flooding the market, and while such products tend to be pricier, gluten-free eating can be as simple as eating lean meats, vegetables, and rice.

Some of our clients and even our staff have been diagnosed with problems with gluten.  Others have discovered problems on their own.  If you would like to blog about your experience, please do so at wholept.com/blog.  Your experience may save another person from unnecessary suffering and help them understand the wide-reaching effects of gluten intolerance.

People have asked: What is gluten?  Gluten itself is a protein–the composite of proteins gliadin and glutenin. This protein is what gives bread its chewy texture.   Gluten is the problem for people with celiac disease. Eating bread or any food containing wheat (including durum, spelt, triticale, and kamuten), oats, rye, and barley causes an immunologic reaction which damages the intestinal walls.  Elimination of gluten from the diet is the cure for celiac disease and the wide range of symptoms that result.  Classic symptoms include upset stomach, gas, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation. The list of potential symptoms is even longer.  See link to article  “The Trouble with Gluten:  Why Can’t I Eat Bread?” Testing for the celiac disease is done by biopsy of the large intestine to check for damage.  A blood test is also commonly done to check for antibodies in the blood and the genetic markers for the disease.

According to Dr. Fine, a leading researcher in gastroenterology, even those who don’t test positive for celiac disease may still have a sensitivity to gluten which can manifest itself in a variety of adverse ways.  A saliva or stool sample can reveal antibodies in the digestive tract.  Through his research, Dr. Fine has found that testing of the digestive tract is more sensitive test than testing the blood .  If antibodies are present in the digestive tract for gluten, elimination of gluten from the diet is recommended. https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/Faq.aspx#blood

Even without testing, if symptoms are noticed after consuming gluten, elimination is worth trying.  The impact on your day-to-day energy levels (and the elimination of symptoms you may not have even noticed) can be surprising.

-Lynn Batalden, PT, DPT

Join us for a class designed to improve quality of life for people with arthritis using Sun style Tai Chi. The Sun style is one of four major recognized styles of Tai Chi. It includes agile steps and exercises that improve mobility, breathing, and relaxation. The movements do not require deep bending or squatting, which makes it easier and more comfortable to perform. In this class you will learn basic Sun style posture, stepping, and movements. You will participate in warm up and cool down exercises and learn twelve specific Sun style Tai Chi movements. This program is designed for those who experience pain with movement due to arthritis, but enrollment is open to all. Studies have shown this program to be effective and safe for people with arthritis, and many arthritis organizations around the world support the program. Please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing and shoes.

Dates: August 12-September 30, 2010
Day: Thursdays
Time: 9:00-10:00 am
Cost: $50
Instructor: Elizabeth Stephenson, PT
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

Liz Stephenson is a physical therapist who is also a certified instructor in Tai Chi for Arthritis classes.