Friday, June 18, 2010

Personal health and Performance Arsenal Checklist

Personal health and performance arsenal is an idea I've had where you learn to do the things to keep you healthy and performing at your peak.

No one will have the same tools, programs, stretches, ect...because non one has the exact same injuries or performance goals.  But, with that being said, there are a few things I think will help 80% of the people out there.   I'm basing this on my work with athletes and patients that come into my office and that I've treated and trained on a World Class level for the last few years.

Posture will dictate more then you think.  That slouch will come back to haunt you.  Quoting Casablanca, "maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."
Rounded shoulders, forward neck, flexed lumbar all are going to create havoc at some point.

As Dan Gable said.  "If it's important, do it every day.  If its not important, don't do it."

DAILY
1.  Keep working thoracic extension.
2.  Stretch Psoas, mobilize the Rectus Femoris.
3.  Stretch the pecs (major and minor)
4.  Activate the Glutes
5.  Stretch the Soleus
6.  Foam roll the Vastus lateralis/IT band/Ext. Hip Rotatores
7.  Do one anti-rotation ab exercise

Personal Tools Recommended
1.  12" foam roller.  Denser the better.  Spend 8 minutes with it.  Why 7?  10 might sound like to much, 5 is to little.  7 is precise.  My college football coach had meetings at 3:28pm.  No one ever walked in at 3:30.  Same principle.
2.  Lacrosse ball.  Gets a little more precise than the foam roller.
3.  8ft of rope.  Helping hand when it comes to stretching.
4.  Jump Stretch light band.  You can do so many different things with this.  Stretching to activation work, it's pretty versatile.

So there you go, 7 things I do daily, 4 things I always use to help with them.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

A RumbleRoller (www.rumbleroller.com) is even more effective for myofascial release, and can replace both the foam roller and the lacrosse ball.