This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in March of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHdTOTCw8x8&t=79s Mike: Discover if the legs-up-the-wall yoga pose is right for you. Brad: That's right. We're going to help you determine if this pose is something that's going to be a thumbs up or thumbs down based on your individual health needs. You need to know if it's going to be good for you or not so good. Mike: So, this pose in the yoga world is known as Viparita Karani. It also is known as the legs-up-the-wall stance. And for some people, this is a perfectly good stretch. But for other people, it may not be. Brad: Right. And we're actually going to go into who should not be performing this and maybe explain how you're going to determine if you should not be, and it'll all be clear. Mike: So this pose may be a thumbs down if you have any of these conditions. And you want to make sure to check with your doctor before doing them. The first one is if you have heart problems, especially something like congestive heart failure. Brad: Or if you had a hip replacement. Mike: Also, if you have glaucoma. Brad: Or if you have kidney failure. Mike: Or if you have failure of the liver. Brad: Or if you're pregnant. Mike: And if you have uncontrolled blood pressure. Brad: Right. Again, you need to check with your doctor. This is something that should feel reasonably comfortable, with no pain. You're going to feel a hamstring stretch. As you can see, Bob is feeling that right now. He's shaking his head. Mike: Now, for the thumbs-up section. These people, if you're looking to get any of these benefits, you may do this stretch. The first one is to improve circulation, especially for venous insufficiency, or if you're standing or sitting all day long. Brad: Or it can help you to distress. Mike: Yes, de-stress and take it easy. Next is to ease pain and some muscle fatigue you may have in your legs. Brad: It also increases flexibility in the legs, especially in the hamstrings as we've already mentioned. Mike: And it can also help you decrease your back pain if you keep doing it. And if you're having some issues, you can also put a pillow under your back or your buttock to help relieve some of that. Brad: Right. Personally speaking, I know this looks like a pose that would help stenosis, which I do have. Mike: It can also reduce fatigue in your lower extremities. Brad: Now, this one we have not had any experience with, but we understand it can help alleviate menstrual cramps. Mike: And it can also help you fall asleep. Boy, that'd be a long time with your legs up if you fall asleep. Brad: Well, with that sort of thing you need to know the protocol of how to do it. Initially, try it. If you experience any pain or discomfort, you do not continue with it. Again, with the hamstring stretch, I would go no more than five minutes the first time you attempt this. And then as you feel comfortable with it and it feels fine the next day, you can build up to ten to fifteen minutes and go one to two times per day. All right, so we're going to finish up here. Decide whether or not you're going to do this. Make sure you're healthy with it and be careful. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July of 2020. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYiH0p4hAm4 Bob: Today we are going to show a seven-minute “good morning” chair workout for seniors at home, alone or in a group, no equipment is needed except for a chair. Brad: We will need a chair, but there are so many people that want to do some exercises but don't feel safe, maybe doing standing ones and it's a good way to start the morning. No equipment is needed, the seven minutes may vary depending on how long or how fast you go through it, so we're going to probably take a little longer to explain them and make sure you do them properly. Bob: I'm going to turn to the side, so they can get my profile, my big beak. Brad: Yeah, okay, so one thing before you get started, it's important that you do this in a firm chair. Don't do it in a recliner, a soft squishy chair is not going to be a good option. One with armrests is nice, it can be helpful, but you don't have to. Bob has one without, I have one with and we'll go through the whole thing. Now these first two things, you may not think they're exercises but they are incredibly important to do before we get into the more stretching part of these and that is first thing, take a deep breath. Breathe in your nose, fill up those lungs, get your posture back, and exhale. Do this three times. Bob: It's good to go through the mouth when you're breathing out, through pursed lips, like you're blowing out a candle. Brad: So you're kind of getting some resistance and then breathe in through your nose. Fill up those lungs, so incredibly important to do this, and now we're going to work on that posture, which you kind of do when you breathe. So, it's shoulders back, sitting up tall. Make sure you tuck your bottom, or your butt back in that chair so you have a good tall posture. Brad: The next thing we're going to do is start out with chin tucks, so we're going to bring the chin in towards your throat and back. So not down. Bob: Not down, not up, straight back, like someone's throwing a pie in your face. Brad: The repetitions, you should do at least three but five of them would probably be better. You could go up to 10 but not more than 10. Okay, we'll do between five and 10 here and continue to be relaxed. You know, get some music in the background. Bob: Continue to breathe. Brad: Yep, breathing is very important. Now we're going to go to trunk rotations. So, you're going to look over to your right and then over to your left. Now if this feels pretty good and you have armrests, you can grab the armrests and give a little overpressure but not too aggressively. Bob: I'm just grabbing my leg and giving the overpressure. Brad: There you go, leg or armrest. I really like the overpressure on this one. This is nice if you're still driving, it really helps that range of motion so you can look behind you when you're backing up. Bob: You really want to emphasize good posture when you do those. Don't hunch forward and turn. Brad: Exactly, Bob, thank you for that reminder. The next one Bob calls the Hallelujah. So we're just going to lean back and bring the arms up, and depending on your shoulders, if you have tight shoulders, just bring them up as far as you feel comfortable. We don't want to irritate any shoulder impingement. If you want to bring your hands behind your head you can, or out to the side. Breathe in and exhale. Bob: And you have to say it, Brad. Hallelujah! Brad: Hallelujah! That's right, life is good and we're going to enjoy it. Bob: While we're still on this earth. Brad: While we're still on the chairs here. Okay next one, we're going to go to the hands. Hands out in front of you, make a gentle fist, don't make a tight fist, and do circles. Take a deep breath, and make sure you go both directions, five or 10 times. Get those wrists moving, there are a lot of little bones in those wrists, they're kind of complicated joints and it's nice to keep them loose. Brad: Then we're going to open our hands and close the fist. Open and close. Open and close. You can really feel all those, there are so many joints going right now with this. I should have counted them. Bob: Yeah, there are a lot of joints. Brad: Probably got 30 to 40 there altogether. All right, good posture, and then we're going to go to the legs and the hips. Marching, get those knees up one at a time as high as you can. 10 times typically on each leg. Bob: You know what I just read yesterday, Brad? If this hurts in the hip, that's one of the signs of hip arthritis. Brad: Oh really? The seated march, okay. Bob: It's one of the tests they were doing, active flexion. Brad: Oh I see, yep. Now we're going to go to kicking out or we call them long arc quads. Make sure on this one that you don't just do short cheating ones. They are not going to benefit your knees as much. Good posture, up and hold it a second or two. Bob: For those of you that sit a lot during the day, this is a good one to do throughout the day. It is very good for the knees; you get a little bit of strengthening but you also get some movement. Brad: It stretches the hamstrings and if you pull your toes up towards your nose, you're going to feel more stretch back in your calf. So, that's a nice way to make that exercise complete. You get more benefits out of it that way. Okay, now we're just going to leave the legs down in front, kind of on your heels and do ankle pumps. Now ankle pumps, the most important part of this is when you pull your toes up towards your nose, and keep your heels on the floor but that stretches those heel cords and strengthens the muscles in the front of the lower leg, which is really important for when you walk, so that you don't drag your toes when you walk because that's a fall risk. Bob: Yep. Brad: This is an important one, it's a small exercise but it's really important. All right, now this one, you're going to start with your heel flat on the floor and take your right leg and touch over as far as you can to the right. I call them toe touches. Bob: I touch my heel. Brad: Then the other leg. You can touch your heel, but I like to go with the toe, but the heel is okay. Bob: I'm taller so more difficult to touch the toe. Brad: Oh sure, whatever works, and with this one it’s nice to have the armrests as well but you don't have to. Bob: And going back to what I was just talking about with hip arthritis, this is one of the directions that you start to lose with hip arthritis is going out like this, so it's a good one to try to maintain that as long as you can. Brad: Now we have done 11 altogether, there are 12 of them. This last one is optional, it's more aggressive, you do have to have armrests and we're just going to push up with your arms and do chair push-ups, we call them. Bob: I'm just pushing off the chair so that really doesn't work. Brad: The idea is you're going to strengthen those arms a little bit because a lot of people will push off from the armrests and it gets those arms stronger for getting up. If you're strong enough, you may be able to get up higher. If you're not, like I said, this is an optional exercise. Bob: And you can use your legs to help. I mean, if you're weak, you can start with using your legs to help and then eventually go to more and more arms. Brad: You could do this if you don't have armrests if you feel stable and you don't feel like you're going to fall forward. Bob: All right, I feel revived. I feel ready for the day! Brad: And I think we're very close to seven minutes right there. Bob: Sure, funny how that worked out. Brad: The number seven, it is complete. Good things will happen when you work with it. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

Warm Up *30 seconds of each 1. High knees 2. Straight leg kicks 3. Walk out plank Workout 1. Lateral Walks, Right (10) *Slightly bend knees, small steps to the side 2. Squats (10) 3. Lateral Walks, Left (10) *Same as the picture above (#1) 4. Squats (10) *Same as the picture above (#2) 5. REPEAT 6. Kickbacks, Right (10) 7. Kickbacks, Left (10) *Same as the picture above (#6) 8. Toe taps (10) *Tap toe out to the side, alternate legs 9. Repeat- 10 Lateral Walks Right, 10 Squats, 10 Lateral Walks Left, 10 Squats 10. Repeat- 10 Kickbacks Right, 10 Kickbacks Left, 10 toe taps 11. Final Burn Out! a. 3 set of 10 squat pulses This article is part of a series called Workouts with Jordan. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/workouts-with-jordan Jordan now has her own YouTube channel called Follow Along Fitness. Whether you’re a senior, a beginner, a pro, or even pregnant - there’s something for everyone!

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtJNlTs_bCc Brad: Are you having SI pain or sacroiliac pain? It’s right in the buttocks and lower back. If you have it, you know it. It goes down the leg to the knee. We’re going to do five techniques that have worked in the clinic, for our commenters, and for me personally. Mike: We’re going to show you how to do them all and you just pick which ones work for you. Some are exercises and some are other strategies to try to relieve that pain. Brad: That’s right. I’m excited because these really work. Let’s do a little anatomy on the SI joint. First, we say SI, that's an abbreviation for sacroiliac. That comes from the sacrum and ilium, so the sacroiliac joint. This is a nice model we have because it moves. Now, in a real human, there are a lot of ligaments holding this joint together, quite solid, it doesn’t move very much. A little bit of movement can cause a fair amount of pain. Mike: Pain is very common with weight-bearing activities or walking. It can be sharp, and it can go down to the knee if it gets that bad. Brad: Right, usually not below the knee. What we’re going to show you is how to stabilize this and keep it from moving with five different exercise options. The first two techniques are going to be done lying down. You can do this on your bed or on the floor. They’re muscle energy techniques. What happens is your muscles, because of an isometric contraction will put force on the pelvis and a rotational force and put it back into place. It’ll feel better if you’re doing it properly. If you’re doing it wrong and it’s going in the opposite direction, it will hurt. In that case, you simply stop that exercise. Mike is going to show the first one. Mike: You’re going to bring the side that is painful first. You’re going to bring that knee up to your chest as far as you can. Your other leg will be relaxed. What I’m going to do is push my foot towards Brad, while resisting with my hands. You’re going to hold this for six seconds, then relax. How many times should we do that? Brad: If it feels good, you’re going to repeat it up to five times and then do it every hour until things start to feel better. Again, if it hurts, then you’ll stop and go to the next one. Mike: Should we try this on both legs? Brad: You can. You’re probably going to do it on the side that hurts. You can try it on the other one and only continue if it makes things feel better. As a therapist, we can zero in on one side or the other because we’ve done a complete assessment. In your case, you’ll just have to try and listen to your body. Only progress with that technique if it makes it feel better and that goes for all of them. Should we do the next one in this position? Mike: Sure. Brad: All right. With this, you’re going to need a stick. You can use a mop or a cane or you can use a Booyah Stik if you have one. They’re a little longer than you need though. We’re going to put the stick under your knee. Mike: It’s going to go under the painful side, in the crevice of your bent knee. Your leg is going to push down like it did before, but you’re going to use your other leg to pull up toward your face simultaneously. Sometimes when you do this, the cane is going to move a little, so you’re going to have to stabilize it with your hand. Hold that for six seconds. Pushing and pulling in opposite directions and then you’re going to relax. It’s the same concept as the first, just a little more advanced. Brad: Right. Do it one way, if you don’t have good results, try it the other way. If neither of those works, go on to the next one. The third option and this is one of my personal favorites is massage. I have right SI problems from time to time. I’ll get a massage gun out. This is our UNI massage gun and it works quite well. You need to have a massage gun that reciprocates back and forth. We have about 10 millimeters of amplitude on this one. You’re going to want either the round or air-filled head. Not all massage guns have air-filled heads but when using it on the SI joint it is almost necessary unless you know how to use a round head. This is exactly how I do it. I lie on my side with the problem side facing up. Flex the hip, in other words, bring my knee up and relax it. Get the massage gun going and put it at about half power. Work not on the sacrum, that’s the bone. It doesn’t hurt because I have an air-filled head but it’s not doing much good either. You want to go in on that and simply go where it feels good. You may work down on the ischial tuberosity, which is part of the pelvis to get things moving in the right direction. If you have a round head, turn it sideways, it’s less aggressive. As you want to get more aggressive, you rotate the gun directly into it and use as much force as you need. It should only feel good, if it hurts it’s not the right technique for you. You can also do this with a chair. Just put your problem side leg on the chair or stool and work it that way as well, if you have good balance. You’re going to work on this for one to two minutes. Mike: So we should say the point of the massage gun is to calm down the muscles surrounding the SI joint that are irritated right now to get them to relax. It’s not going to solve the original problem, but it will feel good and help relieve some of that pain. Brad: Right. If things relax and you work it, it will hopefully slide back into place. You’ll know. Now, the fourth option, I personally have not had success with, but I’ve had several patients and so has Bob have success with this. It’s using an SI belt. We’re going to show you one you can buy, but you don’t necessarily have to buy one. You can just use a belt from home. The placement of the belt is critical. What the belt does is it squeezes together and prevents that SI joint from moving, creating that pain. The belt goes around, below the iliac crest. Right around the pelvis and then tighten the belt and simply stand up and walk around. You’ll know it works because if it hurts to walk after the belt is on, the pain will go away dramatically, and you know you’re on the right track. If that’s the case, you should go ahead and buy a real SI belt. They work better and they’re more comfortable. Mike: There are many brands you can choose from. We’re not saying any are better than the other. We just happen to have a Serola belt. This is what Deb Riczo, who is an SI joint pain PT master kind of, recommends and sells this one. This one has two straps you can pull apart and tighten to make more pressure on that SI joint in there. Just go to whatever feels comfortable. Make sure you buy the right size for you. Brad: Before you do that, I want to give a little more attention to the belt. You’re going to put it on and it’s going to go lower than you think, lower than your normal belt. Pull it as tight as you can. I had a patient last fall do this. He was excited. He used his belt for the whole treatment. Do not wear it to bed, just when you’re up and walking, and for a few days to a week. Maybe two weeks and things will settle down. Brad: The fifth exercise is one of the go-to's for me for maintenance, particularly to keep my SI joint in place. I’ll do this hip flexor stretch. Get a stool, park bench, or whatever is available that is steady and solid. Put your foot on it and lean forward to stretch it. It should feel good. If it doesn’t, do not do it. I’ll spend about 20-30 seconds stretching and I’ll do a little noodling or move my hip around. So, work on all five, pick the ones that work for you that feel good. Good luck! Mike: You can do it on stairs, you can do it on anything. Pick what height is comfortable for you and you feel like you're not going to fall over. So, again, we're working on the right side if that is the painful side. Then bend forward, just kind of noodle around like Brad said. I'm moving more from my backside, or you can just move the hip more. Whatever feels best for you, there's no right or wrong to this. It's just supposed to help relieve some of that pain and get that pelvis tilted where it needs to be for the SI joint. Brad: Yeah, very good. Excellent job, Mike. That noodling thing is kind of going to kind of weird some people out. Well, we learned it from one of the experts. Mike: Kelly Starrett. Brad: Kelly Starrett, yeah. So, blame it on Kelly, if you don't like the term noodling. He's a heck of a nice guy. He's a really, really outstanding therapist. All right. SI joint, pick out the ones that work for you that feel good. Mike: And let us know what works for you and what you like in the comment section below. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

Workout *Start w/ 8 reps of everything, then 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 rep 1. Push-ups Modified Push Up 2. Band Pull-Aparts 3. Bicep Curls 4. Plank Shoulder Taps *Reach up towards the opposite shoulder; continue switching sides This article is part of a series called Workouts with Jordan. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/workouts-with-jordan Jordan now has her own YouTube channel called Follow Along Fitness. Whether you’re a senior, a beginner, a pro, or even pregnant - there’s something for everyone!

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in August of 2017. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdc7jGDLurQ&t=7s Bob: All right, today we're going to talk about the top 10 exercises to avoid if you have sciatica. Some of these are probably even good for people who just have regular old back pain. Brad: Right, a lot of times back pain can lead to sciatica. It's kind of a precursor oftentimes, so these are good things to think about with both conditions. Bob: And generally, the rule of thumb is that if you're doing anything and while you're doing it, it starts making the pain worse, you need to avoid it. Brad: If that's an activity or a posture, by posture I mean if you're sitting in a car and that consistently creates back pain or pain down the leg, you need to change how you sit in that car. Bob: Yeah, you must make an adjustment. This is kind of a battle of finding the things that lessen pain and finding the things that worsen the pain, and you must do more of one and less of the other. Brad: Right, more of the things that lessen it obviously, and less of the things that irritate it. Bob: I know that seems very simple but it's very true and it's very effective. Brad: Some people don't think about these things, we're going to go through these 10 activities that oftentimes irritate sciatica. So, this is just hitting 10 of the big things that we think a lot of people ignore because they're not aware of it. Bob: All right number one, what's number one, Brad? Brad: Okay, big thing, a lot of people when they have back pain think they need to stretch their muscles out. So, they'll start bending forward. And more times than not, I'd say the majority of sciatica is from a disc problem, a bulging disc. This stretch, most of the time is going to make the disc worse. It stretches the muscles too but it's not good for that bulging disc. Bob: I just saw a golfer, an older guy that was golfing with me do this. He took his club and was stretching but bending over. I was like, don't do that. This is terrible for your back. Brad: Right, you should be going in the other direction. So don't be stretching to the toes. Avoid that one. The next one, this is a really popular one. People like to do the hurdler stretch. And not only does this bend your back forward, but it twists your pelvis, and it locks your pelvis in place. It puts more stress and then you rotate a little bit. You're getting rotation, and excessive flexion with a locked-in pelvis. It's true, you're stretching your hamstrings, but you're damaging and making your back worse. You're putting a lot of stress on it. Bob: So, you're saying I should never do this one? Probably not, right? Brad: Yeah, there are a lot better ways to stretch your hamstrings than this. If you're a hurdler, maybe this is a good thing to do. But if you're not there are a lot better ways to do that. I'm not a hurdler's coach. I don't know about that. Bob: One of the better ways to stretch your hamstring when you're got back problems is just to lay flat on your back and bring your leg up with the stretch strap, or a belt, or a sheet. And then you can also push down and relax, push down, and relax. Brad: Yeah, contract, relax. These little stretch straps really work well for stretching the hamstring. And the back is in a neutral position down here, staying safe. Bob: Yeah, a great way to stretch without putting any stress on your back at all. Brad: Next, I want to get into some of the weightlifters. We have several comments from people that are weightlifters asking, “Geez, can I get back to my weightlifting with sciatica?” This lift here, we call it good mornings. When you're doing this one, I would take that lift and throw it in the garbage. Bob: Throw it in the trash and never do it again. Brad: Right, that one is hard on the disc, on the low back. It's true, it works the muscles. It works on the hamstrings, but it's really putting stress on the low back. So, good mornings, just forget about those. Bob: Say good night to the good mornings. Brad: Yeah, exactly. All right, Squats. Now I would even put this one on hold until your back is completely fine, and you have no more sciatica. Because even if you do perfect posture with this, you're putting a fair amount of stress. Bob: It's too much compression force. Now we're not saying that you should never do squats. The squats are fine for your back. In fact, I would recommend them to strengthen your back. But not if you're having back pain. Brad: Right. Anything with back pain, or especially pain down the leg, that's a big red flag. Put a hold on the squats and get back to them when you're feeling pain-free. Bob: If you're coming back to squats after having back pain, I would start off with doing real shallow ones with really good form. Because the further you go down, the more your back rounds out, the more stress. Brad: Yep. You get that butt wink. And there's controversy on that but we are firm believers that you don't want to get in that butt wink. It really stresses the disc. You know, if you're a hardcore lifter, they want to lift. I can understand. Bob: I understand too. Brad: Okay. The next one is the deadlift. This one is hard on your back. It's a great exercise for the overall body, hips, and legs. Bob: Again, it's going to strengthen your back, but not when you're having sciatica or back pain. It's too much compressive force. Brad: I've seen a lot of people do deadlifts and their backs are rounded, that probably created the back pain. So, if you're going to do deadlifts, really work on your form but put a big hold on it. Brad: We always talk about the three points of contact. If he's doing it correctly, he should have 3 points of contact. And if he's doing it incorrectly, one point of contact. Bob: That puts a lot of stress on that one point. I was at a high school tournament, a lifting tournament and I felt so bad for all those kids. It's like, they're going to have back problems if they continue to max out with poor form. Bob: Brad and I can watch people do things and we know eventually, they're going to have this problem or that problem. Brad: Right. If they continue with that kind of body mechanics. Bob: That’s just the way mechanics works, the body's going to give if you're doing things incorrectly. Brad: Okay. Number six, this is something that is near and dear to me, cycling. If you're a cyclist and you've got back pain, particularly if you have a road bike where you really get hunched over, it's going to take a toll. And I know, including myself, I must work on my posture. The taller you are up on your bike, the less stress on your low back. You're going to be slower too, there is a lot more resistance. So, if you're concerned about that, change your posture, or just take a break from the bike for a while. Bob: So, I have the upright handlebars, and I would even if I'm feeling a little bit of back pain, I don't really go biking. It’s that upward movement of your knees, it puts you into a little bit of flexion. Brad: Right, yeah. Especially if your seat's too low. Bob: Yeah. And my seat's not too low. Brad: So, cycling is a red flag on that too. Walking, if walking makes your back feel good, and your leg feel good, that's a good thing to walk. Bob: It's wonderful to do. Brad: But walking uphill, you must lean forward just to keep your balance. That's going to put stress on your low back. So, if you're going to walk, do not walk up hills, if you can avoid it, walk on the flats. Bob: The other thing I would say about walking with sciatica, sometimes it helps to take shorter strides. It can pull on that sciatic nerve if you're taking longer strides. So, if you're getting back to walking because walking is good for your back, especially if you can get like 20 minutes in, try to just take shorter strides and see if you can do that pain-free. Brad: Right. Okay, the next one is burpees. This is one of those exercises that is good overall, you’re getting your heart rate up, working your legs, and your hips, but boy when you're going down to the ground, you're putting your back at maximum flexion. Everything is curled up in that fetal position, which really stresses that low back. You're putting max flexion on there. Bob: People maybe don't know what a burpee is. Brad is going to show you. Brad: You might go to one of those classes and everyone thinks that if an exercise is really, really hard, it's really, really good for you. Sometimes that's true. In this case, if you have some back problems, it could cause more pain. Bob: We have to come up with a modification to that. But Brad is absolutely right. There are two spots in there where you're really hurting your back. One is on the way down and then when you come back up. It's throwing you right into flexion. And violently. Brad: It's a pretty dynamic exercise. So again, great exercise for aerobics and strengthening that area. But it stresses the back pretty badly. Bob: Next one is sit-ups. Brad: We have a lot of videos on how to do bad sit-ups, and how to do good sit-ups for back pain. But if you've got sciatica, you might want to leave the sit-ups alone for a while. If you're doing those old traditional sit-ups we did in school, that's terrible. Forget those. Brad: Or if you're raising your legs up and reaching for your toes, great for the abdomen, but not good for the low back at all. So really avoid sit-ups. There are sit-ups you can do with the ball that can decrease the stress on your back by quite a bit. Bob: We have a video on that, “BEST Abdominal Core Exercises to Do with Low Back Pain.” Brad: Okay, good. Bob: I just saw a whole article on it. It was really in-depth. Brad: And the last one, this is one a lot of people don't think about after you run, or you walk, or you do something that exerts you a little bit. You bend to get your breath or to get caught up. Bob: McKenzie talks about this. He said a lot of times people get pain after athletic activities. It's because they're maximally warmed up. They sit down and they slouch over because they're really warmed up and really stretched out. Brad: And they're tired and relaxed. Bob: And they're tired and it's really bad on your back. So, when you get done with your workouts, you need to stay in good posture yet, sorry. There's no time you can take off from having good posture. Brad: This is one, I need to think about when I do my pull-ups. A lot of times I'm tired and I want to lean forward. And I think, oh, then I'll correct myself. I'm breaking my habit of leaning forward. Same thing we're talking about here. So, there you go. Those are 10 things, but remember there are other ones, and if it makes the leg pain worse, or the back pain worse while you're doing it or afterward, that's an activity, or posture to stay away from. Good luck with your sciatic. And remember Bob, we can fix this about anything except… Bob: A broken heart. Brad: Exactly. Bob: But we're working on it. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in March of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vizes_2enyg Mike: Are you tired of slouching and experiencing discomfort from poor posture? Brad: Well, if you are, look no further. We have a simple exercise that you can do at home and really get tall and strong. Mike: This exercise only takes 30 seconds to do, and in our opinion, it's one of the best posture correctors you can do. Brad: So we recommend doing this exercise throughout the day. However, we're going to give you some additional exercises that are going to help you as well. Alright, to do this exercise, you're going to need a broomstick, a piece of doweling, PVC pipe, or a Booyah Stik. It should be about five feet long. We've got this little mop handle, it works fairly well, but it's a little short for me. I could put it on the floor, which is what I'd like to do, but it's short, so I'm going to put it on my chair to get the right height. And this works really well. If you have a broom handle and you want to keep it from sliding around you simply take your shoe, and put it on the floor, or in your chair, so that it does not slip around. It has to be stable there. Brad: And then you simply reach up as high as you can with your hands, and you're going to lean forward. Lean forward and get a stretch. Now you can do it seated, or Mike is demonstrating it standing. Mike: Yes, so reach up as high as you can, and as you're reaching up and leaning forward, try to pull down. That's going to get the nice stretch you want, and it's going to help prevent any slouching, it helps with your breathing, and Bob says it's even helping with his digestion. So give it a try if you're having issues in that realm. But do this and try to hold it for three breaths. Brad: And relax and exhale. You're going to feel the lats stretch, you're going to feel the ribcage stretch. It's all the way down into the back and the shoulders, which helps with that posture we're looking for. Mike: An alternative to this is to take the pole or stick, or whatever you have, and put it on one side, grab up with that single arm as high as you can, and kind of lean into it, so you're kind of getting the latissimus stretch a little more, and just isolating the one side. Brad: This also happens to be a nice stretch if you have one-sided low back pain, you can also do this and see how it responds, it can be an excellent stretch for that, on the painful side. Mike: Make sure to inhale and exhale for three breaths, and then switch sides, make sure to do it on both sides. You don't want to become lopsided. Brad: I've been lopsided all my life. All right, and the final stretch, this is one of my favorites for posture. Take your stick over the top of the shoulders and we're going to bring the chest out, and at the same time bring the chin in. So it's called the chin tuck, chest out. And you'll feel a nice stretch right across the chest. Mike: I would just say do this 5-10 times. You can do reps, or you can hold it. Just breathe through it, nice, good stretch, make sure you're grabbing wide. I can't bring my arms in, it is very uncomfortable, so grab nice and wide. Brad: There you go. I also do a little gentle rotation. Don't do this if it's uncomfortable, it needs to be relaxed and comfortable, breathe, and take it off, and you'll find, there you are. Good posture. Mike: The Booyah Stik does work well for these exercises. Brad: Okay. Be careful. Be Healthy. Be Happy. Be helpful. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndqMrPvm_LM Brad: We’re both going to show you three exercises, that aren't really exercises, to improve your balance. We’ve done videos where you’re doing these awkward things and squats and strengthening exercises. None of that with this protocol. It’s going to be fun and you’re going to get it done in 90 seconds. All right, Bob, just a brief review on how your body stays upright and continues to balance without falling. Three systems. Your vision has a great deal to do with how your body stays upright. The next one is your ears or vestibular system. It’s like a level in there telling your brain where your head and body are. Finally, proprioception. Bob: Knowing where your body is. Brad: Right. Your body knows where your legs and feet are without looking because the nervous system is talking to your brain. You don’t have to look. We’re going to challenge all three of these without those exercises that can be a little dangerous if you’re by yourself and you fall doing the toe touches or squats. Bob: These are very simple. Brad: First, you’ll need a chair with armrests. In front of you, depending on the level of balance that you’re at, if you feel wobbly while you’re doing these, you’ll need a solid chair in front of you or a cupboard or something you can grab onto in case you lose your balance. This will challenge your balance. The first one is simple. You’re going to stand up. It’s nice to have a timer for 30 seconds. You’re just going to stand still and see if you can stand still without touching anything for 30 seconds. Brad: If your balance is good enough at this point, you’ll bring your feet closer together, which will challenge you more. When the 30 seconds is up, you’ll sit back down and relax. If that was challenging, you’re going to stay there. We’re going to show you how to advance that but that will come up later. Brad: The second one. Stand up, and set your timer for 30 seconds with your eyes closed. Most people will find this quite a bit more challenging. Bring your feet closer together if it’s too easy. You’re going to find that makes a big difference. You’ll need something to beep or someone to tell you when the 30 seconds is up, you can’t do it the old-fashioned way. Bob: You might put your hands on the counter lightly. Brad: Yeah, sometimes I’ll have my patients put just their fingertips so you can feel it and that offers stability or if you do lose your balance, you’ll catch yourself. If you happen to lose your balance, the chair is right behind you so sitting in the chair is the worst that can happen. The last challenge is proprioception. The way you do this, you need to stand on something that’s not stable. If you’re at your house, you can use a pillow, or you can take a cushion off a piece of furniture. I’m going to use Pete’s choice cushion, that’s what they’re made for, but you don’t need one of them. You’ll put it down on the floor and stand on it. Eyes will be open, and both chairs will be there, but things will be wobbly. Stand for 30 seconds. Your ankles may be wobbling around if you’re challenged. Brad: If you want to double up, you can do this with your eyes closed. Then you’re working everything together. I’m already starting to be challenged. Pete’s choice is something firmer but not too firm, it works well. Now, let’s say all these were easy and you didn’t feel challenged enough. What you do is you’re going to start out without Pete’s choice and do the whole thing all over with only one foot. One foot, eyes open and see how it goes. Bob: A lot harder. Brad: Then do it with eyes closed on one foot. I’m not doing this well. The challenge is there for someone who is low level to the people who are advanced. No real exercise is involved. 30 seconds a piece, 90 seconds for all of them. Keep your balance toned in, tuned in, and stay upright. Be careful. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in March of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3G_-S_2HUk&t=2s Bob: Today we're going to talk about 10 exercises to never do with osteoporosis, especially if you have severe osteoporosis. Brad: Sure Bob, you bet. Bob: So, kind of a softening of the bones. I think people know what it is, right? Brad: Yeah, it puts you at risk for a fracture. Bob: One of the biggest concerns with osteoporosis is that you can get a compression fracture of the spine. A compression fracture happens when you move into a flexed position, especially with weight bearing or with added weight. Brad: Right. If there's an impact, that obviously increases that risk much more. So, we want to avoid that. Bob: We want to avoid the jarring through the spine. Brad: We know from working with a number of patients over the years, compression fractures in the spine are painful and they don't go away quickly. Bob: No, they don't. I've seen people literally just bend over with that rounded back and get it that way. So, it doesn't take much. That's why you really want to learn good body mechanics when you have osteoporosis. Brad: And we should mention, typically this is older people, and it affects women more than men because of the change in their hormones at menopause. So, I would say people in their 60s really have to start thinking about this and older, of course. Bob: I'm sure your health professional is probably bringing it up to you. Because they try to monitor that fairly closely. Brad: Right, and there's a test they can do with the actual number to see what level you're at. We have a video on that, and I gave all the details. Bob: Sure. All right, number one, you shouldn't be doing toe touches. Well, you shouldn't be doing these anyway. But a lot of people do it for stretching and it's just not good for your back anyway. Bob: You certainly don't want to be doing those and you don't want to be doing it lying down like this. You don't want to be going this way either. Brad: Yeah, some of these traditional therapists call it traditional, old-fashioned strategies that they thought were good at one time, but there are much better ways to do it now. Bob: It'd be the same with sit-ups. Look how I’m rounding out and putting pressure on the back at the same time. So those two are both ones that you want to avoid, even if you don't have osteoporosis, we don't want you to do it. Bob: So, watch your rounded back with any stretches or there are a lot of yoga poses that you can't be doing. I'm sorry, you can't be doing ones where you're bending, or you can't be doing the ones where you're badly twisting either. Brad: Particularly going to end range or really pushing the stretch hard. That just puts more and more stress, especially if you flex and rotate at the same time. Bob: And they fold, I don't know what they all call it like the fold. Brad: The comments are going to be coming in. Bob: I know, but you're rounding out. And if you have osteopetrosis, you shouldn't be doing that. There’s also the side bend triangle. I'm sure I'm screwing it up, but you're compressing on one side of the back really, badly. Bob: Now this one, you cross your leg over and twist. Brad: We used to do it a lot in karate. I called it the pretzel. Bob: Now again, I'm bent and I'm twisting, it's called the Lord of the Fishes. What a name. So, I don't want to be doing that one. You want to be careful with jumping. Now, there have been some recent studies that show that it can help your osteoporosis by creating bone, you know, Wolfe’s Law. Brad: Right. But that's controlled jumping. I had a course where they actually do that in classes with older people. But they're typically holding onto something and they start out with a small bounce like this. Bob: Awesome. You don't want to be doing a jump rope or jumping jacks. It's just too much impact. Brad: Don't jump off the back end of a pickup truck for some of those older farmers. That's a good way to pop it. Bob: Number six running, you should choose speed walking instead. Do you know how to do that, Brad? Brad: Speed walk? Bob: Yeah. Brad: No. But I did a race once where he could keep up with me walking. I was running a seven-minute pace and he could walk there. I couldn't believe it. He was a professional. Anyways. Bob: Next number seven. You want to avoid sports that involve a high risk of falling. So, you know, skiing, no matter how good you are, you may fall, ice skating, rollerblading. You know, these are things I'm sorry, as you get older, you're going to have to avoid because you get a compression fracture, you're not going to be happy. Brad: Right. Bob: So, this is not really a sport per se, but a recreational activity, snowmobiling. Brad said, the suspension has gotten much better, but you're often rounded out and bumping up and down. Brad: Particularly the person on the back. If you're a rider and someone in front, and maybe they're a little younger and they like to give you a little scare. The back of the snowmobile is much more compressive, or bouncy than the front. And if they want to do a jump just to scare you. And when that thing lands, it’s jarring. Bob: It sounds like something that you did. Brad: I did. Yeah. Bob: And you probably wonder, oh, what happened to my wife? Brad: No, this was when I was younger, I was single. It wasn’t my mom either. Bob: Next one is golf, which I was kind of surprised a little bit because you can kind of modify your swing, but they had three case studies of women that got compression fractures mid-swing. So, you must be careful. Brad: I didn't think you'd bring that up. Because you're an avid golfer. He's serious about that one. Bob: I know, and tennis is the same thing. You know, you're putting some weight and you're twisting again. I think you can do a modified version of these. But you'd have to learn how to do that. So, you need to move your pelvis when you're moving your back basically. Brad: It is kind of a double-edged sword because as you get older, you want to stay active. But if you got osteopetrosis, keep those considerations in mind and dampen things down so they're not so aggressive, or find another activity, maybe bicycling. Bob: Yeah. You know what would also be bad is bowling. You're bending over. Brad: We're not going to have any fun when we get older if we get osteopetrosis. But no, there are always ways. Brad: Biking could be bad too unless you make sure you're upright when you're biking. You don't want to be rounded out. It's not a lot of pressure because you put some pressure on your arms. Brad: They've got some of those nice bikes. They look old-fashioned with the higher handlebars. Bob: They have recumbent ones too. All right. Brad and I can fix just about anything. Brad: Except for- Bob: A broken heart. Brad: Thanks for watching. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

Equipment needed: Chair and mat *If possible, complete this routine after a walk or workout so that you are fully warmed up* Warm Up (2 minutes) *30 seconds of each 1. Walk in place 2. Arm Circle forward and reverse 3. Knee raises 4. Neck circles Workout *Hold each stretch for 30 seconds per side 1. Neck stretch- Right and Left 2. Side stretch- R and L 3. Arm stretch across the chest- R and L 4. Tricep stretch- R and L 5. Standing quad stretch- R and L 6. Standing IT band stretch- R and L 7. Standing hamstring stretch- R and L 8. Shoulder stretch 9. Butterfly 10. Figure 4- R and L 11. Lying hamstring stretch- R and L 12. Knee pull- R and L 13. Quad stretch (laying on the side)- R and L 14. Seated hamstring stretch- R and L 15. Runner’s lunge- R and L 16. Cat/cow 17. Child’s pose *Rest 1 minute *Complete 2 more sets This article is part of a series called Workouts with Jordan. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/workouts-with-jordan Jordan now has her own YouTube channel called Follow Along Fitness. Whether you’re a senior, a beginner, a pro, or even pregnant - there’s something for everyone!

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2020. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23ZWC5EgdLs&t=353s Bob: Boy do we have a treat for you today? Today we're going to show you how to get rid of muscle knots in the traps, trapezius, shoulders, and back in 90 seconds. Brad: Exactly. Bob: We're not hyping it, this is an actual technique and Brad's going to talk about how it worked on a different part of your body, right? Brad: Oh yeah, I'm excited about this. It's nothing new and it's been scientifically proven by many studies, clinically proven. It started back in the 50s by Dr. Lawrence Jones. And originally it was called Strain/Counterstain. Bob: That's what I remember from my earlier days. Brad: Right, and now it's more often just called positional release. Typically, a therapist does it, but we can teach you the basic parts of this so that you can do it at home. Bob: Yeah, we're basically going to show you how to get the knot out of the shoulder or upper back, a very common place for knots. It's a few steps but just follow along with us and you'll be able to catch on. Brad: That typical spot, there is a trigger point oftentimes in the levator scapula or the upper trap, that tightness you get from poor posture, tension, all those things that add up in your life. And it seems to end up commonly, right here. Bob: Yeah, I feel a little bit there. Brad: Yep, and every patient I have had that I work on their shoulder, I usually find that spot and I say, "You see that?" And I say, "Don't worry, everyone has it on both sides". But when you're tight and it's painful, it's much worse. What you want to do, when you feel that tightness is take your opposite hand and reach over and find that knot. You'll find the muscles a little knottier there. Bob: Yeah, it's an area of hyper-irritability. It's a nodule basically. A marble. Brad: In school I had a teacher say, "It's like a tootsie roll." And it kind of is, it's about that size and you'll feel it and it’s tender. And when it's really knotted up, it's very tender. So just palpate that and get a benchmark for how painful it is. Now you can do this in a couple of different positions, but I'm going to show you how to do it side lying. If the right shoulder has the knot, then you're going to lie on your left side. We’re probably going to need two pillows. Bob: I can still palpate that area too lying on my side like this. Brad: Now, the thing about this is it's a positional release and the position of your head and your shoulder is very critical. The muscle basically starts at the far end of the clavicle and goes up to the head and we want to shorten that muscle as much as possible. Brad: The whole theory is, neurologically, that's going to allow the muscle to relax, which is going to increase circulation, blood flow, and oxygen which is going to allow that knot to release. And you'll feel that when you get that circulation going, everything feels much better, and it carries on. Now that we have covered the theory, we're going to go back to the practice. So, Bob is going to take his head, if his right is the painful side, he's going to side bend his right ear towards his right shoulder. Then he's going to extend a little bit, and look away from the right shoulder, or rotate to the left. Bob: So, I'm bringing my head back a little bit. And then look away. Brad: So this is kind of an awkward position and then we need enough pillows so that you can relax and maintain that position. Now you can palpate again if you feel that painful spot dramatically decreases when you touch it, this is all the farther you have to go. Then you have to hit a timer or watch the second hand on the clock and you go for 90 seconds in that position, it's critical you go at least 90 seconds for things to release. Now, if you palpate and still feel sore, then we're going to add shoulder or scapular elevation, so the shoulder goes up towards the ear. You may want another pillow for the painful side arm to relax. Bob: Or you could even bring your arm up overhead? Brad: Yep, or you can reach over the top like this. And you can adjust yourself however it takes so that muscle relaxes, and the painful spot feels better. Bob: Oh, I can feel the knot is just disappearing now, the one that was there. Brad: So, what pain level were you at when you pushed initially? Bob: It was maybe at one or two. And now it's gone. Brad: It's gone, so you're there. So, the person is completely relaxed in a quiet area for at least 90 seconds. Bob: Can you do this in a seated position, Brad? Brad: Yes, you can. You probably want to do it in a recliner or something where you can get pillows. We’re going to give you a bonus here. So, 90 seconds went by, now it's critical when you come out of this position you come out of it slowly. And you just relax, you're breathing. Bob is going to get up in a nice relaxed, slow manner. Bob: I'm breathing. Brad: Yep breathing, relaxed. And when you're done, you can do some gentle and slow range of motion with your neck. We're not going to get after it and stretch hard on it or anything like that, we're just going to do some gentle motion. Remember that muscle's relaxed, now we want circulation to continue to flow, just allow it to continue to relax. Brad: Also, you can do a little massage on it as well if you want, not hard. The knot is gone, we just need to get the circulation moving. And then you're done. You can repeat that three or four times a day because it may come back particularly if you're tense or if you have poor posture and you're not aware of it. Poor posture is often why that particular knot starts or originates. Bob: Yeah a lot of times you're not moving and you're concentrating and you're focused on your work and that's how it develops, but let's try it in a seated position. Brad: Sure. Bob: So basically, I'm going to do lateral side bending. So, I'm going to the right and I'm bringing it back a little bit, now I'm turning away. Then I'm lifting the shoulder. Brad: Now, again, Bob does not have a chair to lean into and relax in so this would be a lot better if you were in a recliner. And then you would have a pillow. At least one pillow there to rest your arm on. You could have a pillow behind your head. A recliner so you can adjust the angle would probably be ideal for someone on this. Bob: I have to be honest; I think I almost would rather do it sitting. Brad: It may be a good option. In the clinic, it’s easier side lying because you've got a patient laying there and it's easier to work with. Bob: That really zaps it away. Brad: This has been proven. Bob: I guess I'm a little shocked that it's working that well. The pain was there and now it's gone. Brad: This is going to be big, Bob. Bob: All right well if you want to do it on the other side, I'm going to show that quick too. So left side, left side problem we're going to angle, laterally side bend. You're going to extend it a little bit. You're going to turn away and then you're going to elevate the shoulder. Brad: If you don't have something to rest the arm on if you do it seated, it's not going to work because your muscle is going to contract to hold that shoulder up. Bob: So, you can't do it sitting without support, you need to be leaning in a chair. Brad: Yep, and support the elbow and the arm. I did this technique for my tennis elbow along with cross-friction massage and another mobilization that was helping. Bob: And it really helped. Brad: The next day I forgot all about it. It's like "Oh, my tennis elbow is gone." Bob: Yeah, he's going to do a video on tennis elbow too. Brad: Thanks for watching everybody, appreciate it. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap3nqtRSDbQ&t=56s Brad: All right, if you’re experiencing headaches, neck pain, or even shoulder pain at your workstation, we have a no-exercise fix for you. 10 seconds and the problem is solved. Bob: It will put a smile on your face Brad: If you’re sitting, whether you’re working or watching TV, and you’re experiencing neck problems, neck aches, headaches, shoulder pain as we mentioned, these are what you’re going to do. This comes in two steps. The first step is no big surprise, everyone knows this I think, simply assess your posture. I’m slouched, and my head is forward. Everything is bound and determined to cause pain all over. Bob: Slouching will feed your headache. Sit up straight and lead through the chest. Brad: Up we go. Sit up, shoulders back. Think about bringing your sternum forward. That straightens out the spine. The chin will come in automatically and you have that neutral posture. Bob: Everything lines up. Brad: There’s one thing you have to do after you do this to have complete success. The key to this is the position of your scapula or shoulder blade. Bob has good posture, but on the right side that shoulder blade, which should be higher has drooped. He is right-handed, and he uses his mouse on the right side. If you look at the tension of his shirt, it’s pulling. The same thing happens to the muscles that go to the neck and the shoulder. If the shoulder blade is drooped because of the weight of the arm, we need to release that tension and let the shoulder blade rise. Brad: It’s simple. We’ve corrected the posture, now we need to unload the scapular droop or depression. Simply, if you have a work chair that you sit in, look at your armrests. Bob: Are they adjustable? Brad: Right. With the armrests at the lowest setting, my scapula is drooping. I brought the armrests up and now it’s better. Bob: You almost want to overcorrect. Brad: When you relax and the weight of your arm goes into the armrest, not pulling the scapula down. You’ll feel immediate relaxation of those muscles that cause the pain or headaches, which will all go away within a short amount of time. Bob: Do you think we should mention that this is from Rick Olderman? Brad: Rick Olderman, the therapist that has 20 years of studying all these little intricacies. Bob: He’s an amazing therapist. Brad: Now, if you happen to be watching TV and you’re on a couch or your chair does not adjust and it’s too low, simply take a pillow and put it under your elbows. Bob: It keeps that shoulder blade raised up. Brad: Right. Bob has found out something. He has the same problem. The pillows work but who wants to work with a pillow there all the time? Bob: Right, it keeps falling out. Brad: The towel roll. Probably the most useful tool in the house for therapy. Put a rolled towel under your elbow instead of the pillow. It does the same thing. You can take some tape or rubber bands to wrap around the armrest. You can’t go wrong with duct tape. Bob: You’ll know if it feels better. Brad: Yeah, you’ll notice very quickly those muscles relax, blood flow getting back, tension going away. Good luck with your shoulders, headache, scapular droop, and whatnot. Bob: Thanks! Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.