Structural Fitness

What is it?

Everyone knows you need to exercise to be healthy. Most folks immediately think sweaty, time consuming, and strenuous cardiovascular exercise is the answer to well being.

While cardiovascular exercise is important (read my past blogs on this subject for more info) it is not the only piece of the fitness puzzle.

Structural Fitness is functional fitness with medical considerations. The main things I look at when I first start working with someone are: medical history, posture, functional ability, range of movement through all joints, static and dynamic strength, and connective tissue health.

Seem like a lot? That is because it is. All of the pieces of our bodies are attached. You can't move one part without affecting the rest of them. Body builders have made isolating muscle exercises mainstream for years at the expense of some really important bio-mechanical realities.

Sign that you are not structurally healthy:

1. Chronic pain

2. Frequent headaches

3. Osteopenia/osteoporosis

4. Poor posture

5. Difficulty sleeping

6. Muscle cramps

7. Limited range of movement in shoulders, hips, and back

8. Weakness and inability to carry out routine daily tasks

9. Poor concentration

10. Inability to manage stress

Your biggest red flag is if you need medication to assist you with any or all of these. Putting that band aid on the problem prolongs it and makes it worse in the long run.

Getting structurally fit involves:

1. Stretching and lengthening tight muscles and connective tissue (fascia and tendons)
2. Strengthening weak and underdeveloped muscles
3. Releasing bound up fascia
4. Maintaining or building healthy bone density
5. Correcting postural deviations through body awareness and proper mechanics

There are a multitude of exercises and techniques to accomplish the above considerations. Be sure to consult a professional who is well versed on them. They should have several years of experience and credentials in corrective exercise.

Good health is about quality of life. Getting through the day feeling great and getting things done should be top priority. Structural fitness is a key component to this end.

Strength Training I What you need to know!

Strength training:

Everyone needs it. Period, don't argue.

If you don't believe me, then you probably consider Kathy Ireland a fitness expert in which case you don't need to read any further, you can pick up her DVD's pretty cheap.

WHY you need it is twofold:

1. To create a structurally and functionally strong frame on which to rely on until the day you die.

There is no reason for you to break a hip, slip a disc, or freeze your shoulders, becoming dependent on others to complete basic daily tasks...yikes.

2. Increase your lean body mass (LBM) and maintain it in order to keep the metabolism moving at an appropriate speed and have a little extra in case of emergency.

If you get into a car accident or need surgery, and you don't have enough muscle and bone to survive and recover without becoming frail, you bring your quality of life down many notches unnecessarily. Forget playing golf for a while.

So how much, how often, and what kinds of exercises???

The answer is as individual as you are. For me, I like to keep it basic and focus on what your greatest needs are. Women, increasing LBM and increasing functional strength usually. Men, increasing mobility around a joint and functional strength. Everyone is different and your workout is not your neighbor's workout.

Many people learn as they go and take classes. Others prefer to work with a trainer until they are comfortable with the concepts and considerations. Either way, if you are not lifting weights or doing some kind of conditioning work to fatigue, you need to get busy.... NOW!!!

My subsequent posts will describe the basic variables associated with traditional and functional strength training. Both of which are necessary and beneficial to you! See me for questions, it is never too early and it is never to late to get into a simple strength routine that pays major dividends down the road!