As the world tunes in to the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina from February 6–22, we’ll marvel at skiers flying downhill, skaters carving ice, and athletes who’ve trained for years to make a few minutes look effortless. We know about the grueling workouts—in the gym, on the track, on the snow. What we rarely consider are the thousands of quiet hours in between: how these athletes sit, walk, stand, and recover when they’re not officially training or competing.
Wake Up Your Glutes, They Snooze, You Lose
In surveys of what people find physically attractive in a partner, a shapely butt is often highly rated. Perhaps it’s no surprise, but if you want, there are even apps to help! So, are good-looking glutes all about sex appeal and filling out our clothing in a flattering fashion? While these concerns may be valid, it is also true that well-toned glutes have many other, profound, but less widely recognized attributes.
This blog post takes a look at the bigger picture of glute function. You may be surprised to find out just how much your glutes can contribute to healthy posture and a pain-free body.
What’s the Best Exercise to Strengthen Your Back? Part 1: Bird Dog
Have you been taught cobra pose or locust pose to strengthen your back? It is a common practice to try to strengthen the back with back bends, focusing on the long back extensors on either side of the spine. This approach is used by the McKenzie Method, many yoga teachers, and physical therapists.
In the Gokhale Method® we prefer to strengthen the back by working with the muscles which collectively stabilize the trunk. Our focus is on maintaining a healthy J-spine baseline rather than backbending.