If you have not watched the other video on Osgood-Schlatter Disease in our series entitled: " What is Causing Your Knee Pain? Osgood-Schlatter Disease? How to Tell ." You may want to do so. It will help with your understanding of treatment. Osgood-Schlatter disease will eventually go away on its own, generally after the involved person’s growth spurt stops. Although it may be uncomfortable to participate in sports, it generally is not dangerous to do so. Try the following suggestions. 1. Perform warm-up exercises before playing sports. Specifically, quadricep, hamstring, and calf stretches. These stretches can also be performed throughout the day. 2. Avoid specialization in one sport. 3. Avoid high-intensity workouts or practices in a sport. 4. Try cross-fiber massage over the patellar tendon a. especially prior to playing sports (2-3 minutes). The massage can also be performed throughout the day. 5. Use shock-absorber insoles in both shoes. 6. Use a heating pad for 15 minutes prior to a sporting activity and use a cold pack for 20 minutes after. The cold pack may also be used throughout the day. 7. Wear a protective pad to cushion the top of your shin bone. 8. Try the use of an over-the-counter medicine such as Ibuprofen, Advil, or Motrin to fight pain and inflammation (if approved by your doctor). 9. Strengthen your quadriceps muscles. See a demonstration of an isometric quad set with a pillow. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/6vvLZJRy_qg Mike: Do you struggle transferring from one spot to another? Brad: Well, today, we're going to show a simple trick on how to make your transfers much easier and safer. Mike: So, this technique was actually researched and tried by our own Bob Schrupp because his balance is compromised a bit due to his ataxia . So he found a way that's easier for him to go from a sitting to a standing position using one simple trick. Brad: He wanted to share this with other people who are having the same problem. And using the chair that we're going to talk about works very well, and it's really changed his ability to do so. Mike: So Bob says he performs this out of recliners, sofas, or even the bed. It has to be something rather stable. It probably won't work well in a standard chair because you kind of have to use the surface you're sitting on as leverage itself. Brad: And one important part is that the chair has an area down by the legs that is solid like this. If it's open down there, then it won't work. You'll see what I mean in just a second. Mike: So what Bob likes to do is when he's sitting in a chair, he likes to bring his feet back and push his calves against the back of the chair. You have what is called haptic feedback. So you have some type of sensory or touch on the back of your legs. This'll actually kind of help activate your leg muscles a little more as well. It's going to gauge your hamstrings and quads a bit more. So once I'm back here, I'm standing up, but I'm keeping my legs touching, and that gives good feedback, and Bob feels safe when he is getting up as well as sitting down. Mike: Now he also says, sometimes what he'll do is he has a walker in front of him. He'll do that again, but he may put both hands on one side, and he kind of goes up sideways. Once you get here, you can start grabbing your walker, and just having that leg touching the chair you are sitting on helps. Brad: I think it is very common with our experience when people do get up and they don't have that support, that people will tip backwards. Brad: That is going to offer support. Is that accurate, Bob? Bob: Yeah, it is. Brad: Yep, Bob concurs. Mike: So, to go through the whole process, when you are in a sitting position for a while, get your chair in an optimal position. If you can scoot more to the edge like this, that's fine, but make sure to bring your legs back and then push with your arms because that often helps most people, and then stand up, grab whatever assisted device you may use. Again, when sitting down, it's important to reach back when you're sitting. If you would like, you certainly can touch the back of your legs to the chair to make sure it is there, and then reach back when sitting and try to go nice and controlled. Brad: Right, that whole idea of stepping back a little bit so you can feel the chair behind you assures you that you know where the chair is and there's going to be no incident of a fall. All right, so I hope you use this technique and find it successful. We're going to call it, it's Bob's Patented Sit-to-Stand Technique. We'll get that down on paper, and it should work out well. And we have another video that will complement this. Mike: Yes, if you happen to have weak legs, which you probably do if you're struggling with sit-to-stands, you can check out our video, " Single Best Leg Strengthening Exercises for Seniors- Progress Guaranteed! ". Brad: You can't go wrong. For this week’s Giveaway, visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun A7 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head EyeOasis 2 Eye Massager EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote EyeOasis 3 Eye Massager Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager HandSpa Pro Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   iNeck Pro Neck and Shoulder Massager Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager M7 Plus Mini Massage Gun with Heat Therapy Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap 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 Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material on this website are 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. 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This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/Gz2ZIccRwZc Brad: All right, we're going to cover 10 exercises that can help improve your posture as well as your back pain. Now we're gathering this information from 50 years of experience in the clinic with Bob, me, and Mike. Mike: As well as experts that we've interviewed, like Dr. Stuart McGill and Rick Olderman . Brad: Now, good posture and back pain are related like food and good health. So, we're going to go through it in detail, and you'll understand exactly what we mean. Mike: So there are many good stretches for back pain. A lot of it just depends on your individual needs, what makes your back actually feel good, and what makes it feel worse. Brad: So we'll go through the 10 stretches, do them along with us, and you're going to have to follow the rules we're going to go through to determine if the stretches are right for you. There are probably two or three for most people that are really going to be helpful. Mike: So we're going to cover three important rules with every stretch. And the first rule is, if the stretch creates any sharp pain at all, it is not the stretch for you, and just avoid that one. Brad: Very good, number two. If it feels good while you're doing it, that's a good sign. But it's also important to find out if it responds well after doing it, in other words, an hour or two, or up to 24 hours afterwards, to ensure that there are no residual effects that are negative. That can happen sometimes. Mike: And the third rule is you have to relax and make sure you're breathing through each stretch. If you're tense doing the stretch, it's not going to do much. Brad: That's right. So just enjoy the stretches, go through them, follow these rules, and we will determine what's going to work for you. Okay, the first stretch, we're going to use names that you can remember or not, and there are different names for these depending on yoga, therapist, or whatever you want. But we call this what? Mike: This is called the child's pose, or all four hands rocking, whatever you want to call it. So you're going to start on your hands and knees like this. Now you're going to sit your butt towards your heels while keeping your hands in place. As you go down, this is going to start stretching your back. It also stretches your shoulders and other parts of your body. But if you have spinal stenosis, this stretch might feel good for you. Brad: That's right, it also helps stretch out the shoulders and resolve some back pain up there. One thing is you're not going to do it on a table, you could do it on a bed, but it usually works best on a carpeted floor. And notice Mike's feet, he actually has his feet down like this, it actually does a nice stretch on the ankle as well. Brad: If you do it with your toes up, it's a little more difficult. You could do it that way as well, you won't get as good a stretch on your back, but that's up to you, work with it. And again, remember the rules, if you get sharp pain, or this it's not comfortable, scratch it off. If it feels good, it may be on your list of things to do. Mike: You can also stretch one way more than the other by crossing your hands if you want. So, say you have the left side of my body that's tight or needs some stretching, reach over to my right side. Get a little extra stretch, and you can switch sides. You could do this for three to four repetitions of 20 to 30 seconds, just make sure you're breathing throughout it. Brad: Very good, let's go to number two. So stretch number two, particularly if you have low-sided back pain on one side, let's say it's on your right side. We can do it this way using a door frame, or I'll show you a way where you can simply use a Booyah Stik or a cane. Go ahead. Mike: You can also use a pull-up bar if you happen to have one. Now I'm going to face my palm away from me, put it on top of the door frame. I realize there'll be a wall here, but I don't have one. So once you're up here, you're going to start to lean your pelvis through the door. And the more you bend your knees, the more of a stretch you will start feeling. This can really help decompress the spine on this side. So if you have some sort of sciatic or pinched nerve, this can really help with that. Brad: Now, this may be difficult for someone to do, depending on the height of the door and yourself, as well as your comfort level and finger strength, so that when you do this, you're safe. So if that's the case, simply go ahead and use the stick of some sort, and you can do this seated or standing. You'll simply put the stick on the chair and then reach up, grab here, and I'm stretching already, I'm feeling a stretch here. And now if I lean to the right, that actually puts a real nice stretch. The key is, is that your hand doesn't slip down the stick. So get a grip on there and feel that stretch. Brad: You can actually do this standing as well, at a table or a cupboard with a stick there, and stretch, feel that stretch there again. Once again, wait as soon as you feel that stretch, it should relieve that pain. If it hurts, it's not comfortable, scratch it. Let's go to number three. Mike: So for this next stretch, you're going to be lying down on your stomach. Brad will show an alternative version standing. So this is called a prone press-up in the therapy world. What you can do is start by lying flat on your stomach. I can't put my head down because my mic is right here. And first, try to just go up on your elbows. If this is pain-free and easy, you can progress to the next step. If you start to feel back pain here, just sit here, relax, and stretch out in this position. Over time, what you want to try to do is put your hands on the mat, press up to where you comfortably can, hold for a second, and then come back down. Mike: Over time, you want to try to progress to getting up as high as you can while keeping your pelvis touching the mat. You don't want it to lift up like this. Mike: So what you're doing is actually working on your spinal extension. This is a good exercise if you happen to have a herniated disc. Brad: Now, when you do this again, if you have pain going down the leg, and as you do this, if the leg pain gets better, that's a green light; you'll want to continue to work with this cautiously. If it causes pain down your leg, or the numbness or tingling gets worse, then you absolutely stop; it's not for you. Now number four is a very similar stretch to this, it does the same motion on the back, except for in a standing position, you're simply going to put your hands at your belt line like this, or like this, use that for support, and then simply stretch backwards. A lot of times, if people are uncomfortable sitting for long periods of time, this can be a good stretch to do before you sit or after you sit, for example, a long car ride. Stretch back like this again, it should feel good the more you do it. I only do these about three to five times, and then I'll do them more frequently, throughout the day, or depending on how often I'm sitting. For example, if you work at a computer, you may want to stand up and do this every one to two hours. Brad: Now this next stretch is pretty common, more with people, maybe 50 years and older, and they're starting to have some stenosis in their back. You'll know if you have back pain and you sit down, and it feels better; this stretch may be good for you. I used to use it when I would walk, and after about half a mile of walking, my back pain would get bad because I have stenosis. So what I would do is I would squat down like this, and immediately, as soon as I did this, my back would feel better. Brad: If you do this and it doesn't feel good, it's not for you again. And I would simply hold out like this for just five to 10 seconds, and I'd get up and maybe do that a couple times. Then I could get up and walk another half mile without pain, then you know you're right on. So that stretch, I kind of threw in there as my personal one, had great experience with it, and I know patients of mine have as well. So there we go, let's go, we're on number one? Mike: Number six. Brad: Oh. Mike: Alright, stretch number six is actually going to work on your spinal or back rotation. This is going to work on your thoracic spine. It's roughly the middle portion of your spine, running from your neck to your lower back region. Mike: So in order to do this, you're going to need to be in a seated position, so your lower back is stationary and can't move. What you're going to do is just start with rotations like this. Gentle, just go in each direction. You may notice one side is tighter than the other, so maybe spend a little more time on that side. If this feels easy, you could certainly add a little bit of pressure by grabbing onto the armrest and then pulling yourself into more rotation like this. Mike: You can just do kind of repetitions with this, or hold for time if you want. Some people may sit here for 15-30 seconds in one position. Some people may be more comfortable just rotating back and forth gently. Brad: Right, and again, that should feel like a good stretch, like maybe you haven't done it. It's really good for driving when you need to turn around to look behind, you have a functional use for it. If you want to get more specific and you want to maintain your posture, and this is a little more advanced, you may or may not want to do this. You simply use a stick that's long enough, put it over your shoulders, and hold onto here. And what this does is lock in your shoulders. And you do it in a seated position, now my waist is locked in, and it really gets a little more specific, you feel a greater stretch in the pec muscles here. It's good for posture as well. So that's why I like doing this one, I really do, I do this one at least three times a week, sometimes more. Yeah, again, feels great. When I'm done, I feel taller, stretched, and ready to go. Are we almost to number seven? Mike: Almost. Brad: There you go, seven, that's a lucky number. Mike: Number seven is going to be a spinal decompression stretch. You're going to need either a pull-up bar, some Hanging Handles , or something you can grab onto and actually hang from. For beginners, it's nice if you happen to have it against the wall. If you're on a pull-up bar and it's not, that's fine. Slowly start sitting and bending your knees, and start feeling that your spine decompresses. Once you feel a comfortable position, just hold there for a while, and you'll get a good stretch. Do what's comfortable; your grip is probably going to give out before your actual back. It's tired in this position, but if you don't feel much of a stretch and you're stronger and you can do it, you can certainly let your legs relax. This is going to decompress your spine even more. However, if you can't do that, it's perfectly fine just to keep your feet flat. Mike: Right, and why don't you go back up, Mike? It's really important that, now Mike is doing it with his back against the wall, because you can use the wall for posture, so you know your back is straight and your head is back. There you go. And it also acts as resistance, so you can control it. I really advise going only 50% of weight bearing, approximately, when you first do this, because it's actually going to work your shoulders as well as your back. It can be great for your shoulders as well. We've had many videos on that. Don't overdo it. Time-wise, I'd start five to 10 seconds. Do it for a few days, if it continues to feel good, then work yourself up maybe to 15 to 30 seconds. Brad: This is one stretch where you have to be relaxed and breathe. If I'm tense and tight, I'm not relaxed my back at all, it's not going to work. Mike: That's right. Brad: So you need to be nice and relaxed. Good point. So that is a little more advanced caution with that, be careful. Now we realize a lot of people do not have a pull-up bar or hanging handles. Simply use a Booyah Stik like I have, or a mop handle like Mike has. And you can do this in a seated position or up to a cupboard, and put your hands up. The important part is, is that when you get the stretch, your hands don't slip down the pole. And so what I'm going to do is reach here, and there are two options, you can do it if you're seated like Mike, is you simply lean forward, and you'll feel a stretch throughout your mid and low back, as well as your shoulders. Breathe and relax, start out gently like our everything. There we go. None of these stretches is ever going to be really aggressive. Even when you get used to them, there's really no reason to try and stretch your body so you get six inches taller; it's not going to happen. Brad: Now, if you're standing, you can simply flex your knees like this to get that same stretch. And being relaxed, like Mike said, is absolutely critical to get that low back to decompress. All right, what do you say, Mike? Mike: Let's go on the next one. Brad: That's right, number nine. Alright, number nine is excellent for posture, which goes along with the pain, as we know. But if you've got the hunch back, and you have a hard time straightening, we're going to use gravity and a roll, about six inches in diameter. You can either use a foam roller or simply make one out of some towels, roll them up tightly and neatly, and tape them up. So it's about six inches in diameter. We'll put that down, and you simply, now doing this on a bed, probably not so good, although you could start, probably on a carpeted floor is best. Put that between your shoulder blades, and we're going to allow gravity, and just relax to pull the shoulders back and keep the head in a neutral position. Can I see that pillow, Mike? Mike: I suppose. Brad: And you probably will need a pillow to let your head relax. If it's dangling there, you get a sore neck, it becomes uncomfortable, and back here like this. And Mike's going to show a little more detail on how to do this on the floor with the actual foam roller. Go ahead, Mike. Mike: So, with the foam roller , typically I start in the lying position. I will sit up because it's a little tricky to get on these, and then you place your buttocks on it, and then the back of your head. This is where the long foam rollers come in handy, the shorter ones don't work as well. So, for this, what you can do is just lie here to begin with. If this feels okay, you can try putting your arms at your sides, and just relaxing, especially if you kind of have that forward rounded posture, this can really open up the shoulders as well as the pec muscles. It just kind of feels good. Mike: If this seems easy, you can try progressing to doing what we call a snow angel. If you don't have snow, you're basically just making an angel on the ground. The goal of this is to keep contact with my head through my back and buttocks on the foam roller. Try to get as much of my hand to touch the floor as possible. If you're really tight, you may be up here; that's perfectly fine. Eventually, try to get your hands down to the ground and you can work up above your head, try to keep your elbows as straight as you can, and then come back down. It's just a good stretch. Brad: Now, I know a few of you might be thinking, I don't have a foam roller, I don't think I can do this one. And you may be too tight for that anyway, you could actually go ahead, show them how to do it. Simply go on a carpeted floor and do the exact same thing without the roller, perhaps use a pillow under your head. And this may be tight for some people. They may actually have their hands go up in the air as they get above their head, so that their hands. Mike: Yes. Brad: Can you demonstrate that, Mike? Mike: So, same concept if I've seen some people lying on the ground and their head is seriously like three or four inches off the ground. And it hurts; they can't even touch. So in that case, start with a pillow, eventually try to get something thinner, maybe a smaller towel roll, and then progress. Once you're able to go flat comfortably, without any issues, then you can start working on bringing your arms out to your side. This might be a good enough stretch. As long as your arms can touch the floor here, then you can do wall angels. They're much easier in this position compared to on the foam roller, because you have to have more flexibility for that. But this is certainly a good starting point. Brad: Alright, let's go to the last one, number 10. This one actually, as far as we know, Mike is the inventor of it. So it's a really good stretch in the seated position. Mike: So, the final stretch, you're going to need to sit in a chair for this one. It's basically just a hallelujah stretch, commonly known. So what you're going to do is arch your back, and then bring your arms up, if you're able to bring your arms up. If you can't bring your arms up, you could certainly just kind of go to the side if needed. So what you want to do is arch your back, get a good stretch, and go back as far as you can, and then come back forward. Mike: Again, this should not cause any pain, but if you want to get a little more stretch, you can try grabbing a ball of sorts. You can even use a towel row at times. Place it behind your back, and find the spot that is comfortable for you. Some people may be higher up, some people may be lower. Just pick the spot and then work on arching back, and you really get that spinal extension now. Brad: Right, and using a firm chair with armrests like this is probably the best chair to use. Using the soft chair in the living room probably is not going to work so well. So, a really nice stretch, the ball really allows you to isolate which part of your back you want to loosen up. Having fun, Mike? Mike: Yeah, it works as a nice little fulcrum. Brad: There it is, nice. Let's, let's be done, and finish up here, Mike, these people got things to do. Mike: Okay. Brad: Okay, so I'm sure you found some stretches you like better than the other just by how they feel. I'd narrow it down to three. Give yourself a day break, go back to those three, and work on those. But then you need to give it a day just to make sure they have no residual after effects the next day. Mike: So, if the next day you are feeling good, no pain, no issues, you can certainly do those stretches again, and just continue to progress them as you tolerate. Brad: And you may want to do them two to three times per day, as long as they continue to feel good, they're going to help your posture and reach all of our goals. Mike: So if you want to check out another video on back pain, you can click the video link on the screen. It is " How to Fix Low Back Pain in 90 Seconds, Bob and Brad Concur! " Bob and Brad concur. Brad: It's a very popular video, and a lot of people have commented with good results. So, very good, let's carry on the day. Mike: I guess I concur with it, too. 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Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common but temporary knee pain that can affect older children and teenagers who play sports. Particularly sports that include a lot of jumping and knee bending – hockey, basketball, volleyball, skating, soccer, ballet, and gymnastics are examples. The pain occurs where the kneecap tendon attaches to the bony bump (tibial tuberosity) below the knee. Tendons attach bone to bone. The kneecap tendon is called the Patella Tendon and is vulnerable to injury where it attaches to the bony lump. This is especially true during growth spurts when the bones are growing rapidly, and the patellar tendon is relatively short. The growth spurts commonly occur in boys (ages 11-18) and girls (ages 10-16). During a sporting event, repeated excessive pulling of the patellar tendon where it attaches to the bone can result in inflammation and pain at this attachment point. The pain may be mild and last only while playing the sport, or it could be a constant pain that prevents an athlete from participating in a sport. The pain usually occurs in one knee, but in 20-30 percent of cases, it can occur in both knees. The problem is more common in boys. Unfortunately, the pain can continue for 6-18 months, or the growth spurt occurs. How to tell if you have Osgood-Schlatter Symptoms: 1. Pain 2. Swelling 3. Redness 4. Tenderness of the tendon 5. Bony bump at the top of the shin bone, just below the kneecap. These symptoms will generally worsen with activities that involve a lot of jumping and knee bending. The doctor may order knee X-rays if the diagnosis is not obvious. How to treat Osgood-Schlatter Disease will be covered in another video in this series of videos on knee pain. The video is entitled, " How to Treat Osgood-Schlatter Disease of the Knee ." Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/9XRk0qbTXsg Mike: Are you finding it tough to stand up after you've been sitting for a while? Brad: Oftentimes people's knees get stiff after long-term sitting, and that weight bearing and that movement up, just becomes painful. We're going to show you how you can easily get rid of that with just a simple exercise or maybe two, maybe three. So, Mike, let's talk a little bit about why the knees develop this stiffness and pain and why the remedies actually work. Mike: So, typically when we're sitting for a prolonged period of time, we have no movement in our legs. This decreases the blood flow to them, the circulation, causing the muscles, tendons, and joints to stiffen up. So the longer you sit, the stiffer you're going to be. Brad: And actually, if you have some arthritic pain, that happens to be increased, because the synovial fluid, the lubrication between the joints, also is not where it needs to be. So, doing these exercises spreads that lubrication out, which is a great benefit for your movement and weight bearing. Mike: So, for some people, this can be more of an issue or concern when you sit for prolonged periods of time, especially when traveling, because that is a way to possibly develop a DVT. Obviously, if you're young and healthy, this isn't really a risk factor for you, but just keeping your legs moving, like we're going to show here in a second, can help with that as well. Brad: Now, if you're not familiar with a DVT, it's a deep vein thrombosis or a blood clot, oftentimes formed in the calf muscle from long-term sitting. Mike: So the first exercise we're going to show is going to activate the knee joint itself, the quad muscles and hamstrings, and it's simply kicking out straight. We call this long arc quad in the therapy realm. Very simple, easy to do. If you have a limited range of motion, just go to what's plausible or possible for you, move out a little bit, and then come back in. Try to work into the full range of motion. But there are some other options you can try as well. Brad: That's right, and it's important to do these slowly and with some real definition as high as you can. If you want to move your ankles as well, we're gonna talk about some activity with that in just a little bit. But again, Mike really brought up the good points. Full range of motion or as close as you can. Now, depending on how your mobility and flexibility are, you may wanna actually work some flexion or bending of the knee as well. After you do 10 long arc quads like that, then you can bring the knee up and flex it so we get a little more range of motion, if it's comfortable, or you can start out a little bit and just bring it up. And sometimes that can be a real relief right there. So that way, you get the full range of motion and do five to 10 of those on each leg. Brad: Sometimes it works better to actually put your hands underneath the knee and pull up, and that can actually distract or get the joints to separate just slightly. Mike: Another option to get some circulation and movement in your legs. Say you're stuck in a car or plane or train, whatever, you're not going to be able to kick because there's a seat in front of you, most of the time, or the dashboard, whatever. So, a good option is to simply do some ankle pumps in a seated position. If you have your knees bent, you're going to end up kind of rocking up on your toes and then back on your heels like that. If you have a little room to stretch out, you could certainly do this in a straight leg position as well. But simply doing 20 to 30 leg pumps can help keep that circulation going in your legs when you're stuck in this position for a prolonged period of time. Brad: I like to call them ankle pumps, Mark, not leg pumps, but you can call them whatever you want. Mike: Pump it up. Brad: Anyways. Yeah, it really does that because the circulation in the feet also takes time, it gets delayed, and it actually pools down there. So motion in the ankles is really beneficial to get that fluid up where it belongs. Mike: So remember, these simple movements can make a big difference in how you feel, and they can keep you moving and make you feel better. Brad: Yeah. So the stands are easier now. Mike: If you want to check out more videos on knee pain specifically, watch our video, " My Knee Hurts Here! 10 Typical Pain Spots And What They Mean ." Brad: That's a nice one, because it gets right to the specifics. For this week’s Giveaway, visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun A7 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager M7 Plus Mini Massage Gun with Heat Therapy Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap 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 ​ Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material on this website are 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.

I used the word Tendonitis in the title, but in many cases, you may have a Tendinopathy instead. A tendon is a fibrous tissue that attaches muscle to bone. Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon. Tendinopathy is a degeneration of the collagen protein that forms the tendon. The two have almost identical symptoms, so we will treat them the same. Both tendinopathy and tendonitis are often caused by stress or overuse of a tendon. Aging and lack of muscle tone can also play a role in the development of tendinopathy. There are at least two common types of tendonitis in the knee. One is felt at the top of your kneecap (directly above), and the other is felt on the bottom of the kneecap (directly below). Both types of tendonitis can commonly be found in young 15–30-year-old jumping athletes. Their sports typically involve a lot of jumping. However, Bob developed a case of quadriceps tendinitis from performing daily lunges. How to tell: The following are some signs and symptoms of Patellar and Quadriceps Tendonitis: 1. Palpation a. With your leg straight, use your fingertips to feel along the upper edge of the kneecap and slightly above. If tender, you may have quadricep tendonitis. If you have pain in only one leg, you will want to palpate each leg to compare. 2. Palpation a. With your legs straight, use your fingertips to feel directly below the kneecap. Feel the area below the kneecap down to the bony bump (tibial tuberosity). Stay on the tendon. You should be able to feel the side borders of it. If tender, you may have Patellar Tendonitis. However, beware of Osgood-Schlatter Disease. It can present in a similar fashion (more tenderness on the bony bump itself). Osgood-Schlatter disease typically occurs in boys ages 12-14 and girls ages 10-13. 3. Hopping on two legs. a. If you hop on two legs and it increases your knee pain above or below the kneecap, you may have Quadricep or Patellar tendonitis, respectively. 4. Hopping on one leg a. If you hop on one leg and it increases your knee pain above or below the kneecap, you may have Quadricep or Patellar tendonitis, respectively. 5. Quick stop on painful leg. a. Walk rapidly and then stop quickly on the painful leg. Such an action will probably increase knee pain if you have tendonitis. 6. Increased knee pain with prolonged sitting. 7. Knee pain feels better after warming up. a. The pain from tendonitis will generally feel better after the knee has warmed up. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July of 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/lTM8aIaebhE Brad: If you're struggling with low back pain and are unsure of the cause, this could help you out. Mike: So we're going to talk about the best stretch to help relieve your back pain. And you might actually be surprised what it is. Brad: That's right. All right, now, to understand low back pain, one thing that can be a common cause of the pain is the pelvis, and it's something called an anterior tilt. So we look at the pelvis, it can be anterior tilted this way. I'm going to exaggerate it so it's easy to see. But here's a neutral position. This is anterior tilt, this is posterior tilt. Now, when the hip flexors get tight, they'll actually pull the pelvis into that anterior tilt to a degree where it causes pain. Brad: So, when you look at the hip flexor muscles, we don't have the best anatomy lesson here. But, typically, some of them will run from the low back spine region here and cross the hip joint itself and go down into the femur. Another one connects more up in the lower back. And you actually have a long one that runs all the way down to the knee. Mike: So if any of these get tight, commonly what can happen is it'll pull your pelvis forward like Brad was showing, causing anterior tilt. And if you look at me right now, my anterior tilt is causing my low back to extend backward. So if I want to have good posture, this is going to get uncomfortable and cause some lower back pain. Brad: Right, it actually puts the low back, at what we call end range, pushing all the facet joints in here close together right to the end. And that's why it's called end range. And there we get pain. So what we wanted to do is find one stretch to stretch all the muscles that cause anterior tilt. And Rick Olderman , the physical therapist, wrote books on this, and we're going to show you what he likes to do. It is his number one stretch for this. All right, now there's an assessment or a test to find out if your anterior tilt exists. Simply lie down. You could do this on a bed, but on a firm bed or on a carpeted floor. Brad: So you'll lie down just like this first, and you're going to time it for 30 seconds. And you're going to monitor your back pain. If it feels, if it irritates it, if it feels very comfortable, whatever. Monitor it, put that number in your head. Zero is no pain. 10 is extreme pain. You know, just use good judgment, pick a number. And then, the second position, there are three of them altogether, is knees up. And does that change your lower back pain? Does it make it better, does it make it worse? Okay, for 30 seconds, monitor it. Again, put that number up for pain level, whether it goes worse or bad. Brad: And the third position, both knees to your chest, hold them here. Now you're relaxing with all this, you're not pulling really hard. Just a comfortable hold with your hands. Again, 30 seconds, monitor the pain and see where it goes. Brad: Now, if you find that lying flat with your legs down is the most uncomfortable position, it's a very good indication that your hip flexors are tight. You need to stretch them out. They're actually putting your pelvis into that anterior tilt. So let's go through the stretch if indeed this flat position is the most painful. Mike: In order to perform this stretch, you'll either need a firm mattress or you can do it on a counter or tabletop as well. But you're going to need something off the ground. You'll see why in a second. You're going to sit near the edge and then lie on your back. Bring both knees to your chest. This is the starting position. The closer my butt is to the edge here, the more stretch I will feel. The less stretch I will feel if I'm up higher. Go with what's comfortable for you. Brad: Now, Mike, before we stop, you do this one on your bed, correct? Mike: I do this on my bed, but I have to put something else firm there in order to get that way. Brad: Because otherwise, the edge of the bed collapses a little bit. So you put a pillow there to help brace it up? Mike: Yep, if it's too soft, you will sink down, and the stretch won't be as adequate. So you do need something rather firm. So once you're in this position, slowly lower one leg down. Now, once I'm down, you can see I'm going to bring this knee up towards my chest, and you can see my hip flexor pulling up a little bit. Try to keep it down and try to add a bend in the knee if possible. If you start getting cramping or pain sensations, just don't bend as far. Do what's comfortable for you and try to hold this for roughly 30 seconds. Make sure to breathe throughout. Once you do one side, reset and then do the other side. Now, if you happen to have back pain on one side, the side you're stretching, you'll probably feel it a little more. Maybe that side does three stretches, and the other side, you only have to do two. But you'll probably notice a difference between the sides. Brad: One mechanical thing you want to be aware of is the knee position. Now, you can't see it from there, but he's very much in line, knee, hip, up to his head. Sometimes the tendency is for a knee to go out to the side. You want to bring it back to neutral and hold it there so that you have good alignment, and that'll give you a much better stretch on those hip flexors. You know, again, pulling the foot under, you're going to feel the stretch more in the quad than when you don't have that. And that's getting the rectus femoris, that muscle that oftentimes gets missed with hip flexor stretches. All right, I just want to recover this. When you're doing the stretch, you're going to hold each one for about 30 seconds. Relax and breathe, do both legs. And like Mike said, do the tight one three times. The one that's not so tight, you can go two. It's really up to you. But, do those once or two, even up to three times per day. As long as you don't get sore, particularly after the first time you try it, the muscles have not gotten used to it yet. So, you'll find it. It'll work out very well. Mike, what else do we have? Mike: If you are still experiencing back pain and you think it may actually be sciatica, check out our video  " Only 1 In 5000 Know This About Treating Sciatica ." Brad: There you go. For this week’s Giveaway, visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun A7 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager M7 Plus Mini Massage Gun with Heat Therapy Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap 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 ​ Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material on this website are 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.

In knee osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the knee gradually wears away. As the cartilage begins to wear down, the space between the bones decreases and causes bone-on-bone rubbing. It can also result in bone spurs. Osteoarthritis usually develops slowly. Here are 6 signs and tests for osteoarthritis. 1. A gradual increase in consistent knee pain. a. The pain is felt on most days of the month because the cartilage slowly wears away. It is typical for the knee pain to come on slowly. The exception is if a piece of cartilage breaks off and gets lodged into your joint. This is like having a pebble in your shoe and can cause immediate and sometimes significant pain. 2. Unexplained swelling of the knee. a. With osteoarthritis, this can be due to osteophytes (bone spurs) or bony overgrowth - hard swelling. It can also be due to inflammation, which causes extra fluid to accumulate (soft swelling). If the knee feels warm, it may be indicative of Rheumatoid Arthritis. 3. Buckling and/or locking of the knee. a. Over time, the wearing of the cartilage can cause your knee to be unstable and buckle. As the cartilage erodes, it can also create rough surfaces in the knee joint that cause the joint to catch or lock. 4. Popping or cracking sounds (crepitus). a. Again, the wearing of the cartilage creates an uneven and rough knee joint surface that can grind and crunch as the knee is being used. 5. Decreased motion of the knee during bending or straightening. a. Bone and cartilage changes can begin to limit the motion of the knee. 6. Loss of knee joint space. a. As the cartilage begins to wear, the normal healthy space between the bones that form your knee joint can become narrower. This would be detected by an X-ray. 7. Deformity of the knee. a. Bony overgrowth can cause the knee to enlarge or become misshapen. If the knee becomes unstable, it may cause the knee to bow in or out. 8. Worse with activity a. Stairs or walking up or down hill. 9. Knee pain is generally relieved with rest. 10. Age greater than 50 years old. 11. Morning stiffness less than 30 minutes. Longer may be Rheumatoid Arthritis. 12. Tender along the joint line. Tests you can do: 1. Check knee bend. A limitation could be due to arthritis. 2. Check knee straightening. A limitation could be due to arthritis. 3. Have patient squat - popping, grinding, or cracking sound. Not a common pop since childhood. 4. Increased pain with squatting. 5. Limp with walking. 6. Knee bows in or out on the painful side. 7. Patellar grind test a. Push down on the kneecap while activating the quad. Those who reported consistent pain were more likely to lose a significant amount of cartilage in the upcoming years. Also, more likely to need knee replacement within 6 years. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program ausing Your Knee Pain? Osteoarthritis? How to Tell

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve officially upgraded the warranty on our products purchased through Amazon, from 1 year to a full 2 years! That’s double the peace of mind, at no extra cost. Why the change? Simple – we're committed to providing 100% satisfaction to every single one of our customers. You've trusted us to help you stay healthy, fit, and pain-free, and we want to make sure you feel completely confident and protected when you invest in our products.  Why We Upgraded to 2 Years (And Why It Matters to You)  This wasn't a decision we made lightly. After listening to your feedback and reviewing our commitment to excellence, we realized that one year just wasn't enough time to truly demonstrate our confidence in our products and our dedication to your complete satisfaction.  Here's what drove our decision:   We want you to feel completely secure in your purchase for a full 24 months  Our products are built to last, and our warranty should reflect that quality  100% customer satisfaction isn't just a goal – it's our promise to you  You deserve more time to experience the full benefits of your Bob and Brad products  We know that when you're investing in your health and wellness, you want to know that investment is protected. Doubling our warranty period is our way of saying we're not just confident in our products – we're confident in YOU and your journey to better health.  What Does Our 2-Year Warranty Cover?  When you purchase any Bob and Brad product through Amazon, you're not just getting a quality health and fitness tool – you're getting our promise that it will work as designed. Our warranty covers:  Manufacturing defects  that affect the normal operation of your device  Material failures  under normal use conditions  Functional issues  that prevent your product from performing as intended  Amazon Purchases: We're Here for You  We know many of you love the convenience of Amazon shopping (we get it – who doesn't love that Prime delivery?), and we want you to know that your warranty coverage is just as strong whether you buy from us directly or through Amazon.  Here's what makes us different: while many companies make you jump through hoops or send you back to the retailer, we take care of our Amazon customers directly. No runaround, no passing the buck – just straightforward support from people who genuinely care about your experience.  How to Get Help When You Need It  Life happens, and sometimes products need a little TLC. When that time comes, we've made the process as simple as possible:  Step 1: Reach Out to Our Happiness Team  Contact us at support@bobandbrad.com  w ith:  Your order details (Amazon order number works great!)  A description of the issue you're experiencing  Photos, if applicable (they really help us help you better)  Step 2: We'll Troubleshoot Together  Our team loves solving problems! We'll work with you to:  Identify the issue  Try some simple fixes that might get you back up and running  Determine if a warranty replacement is needed  Step 3: We Make It Right  If your product qualifies for warranty replacement, we'll:  Send you a replacement quickly  Provide a prepaid return label for the defective unit  Keep you updated throughout the entire process  What's Not Covered (The Fine Print, Made Simple)  We want to be upfront about what our warranty doesn't cover:  Normal wear and tear  – like rubber components that naturally break down over time  Damage from misuse  – using your massage tool as a hammer probably voids things  Accidents happen  – drops, spills, and "my dog thought it was a chew toy" incidents  Modifications  – We love DIY spirit, but modifications can affect performance  Why We Offer 2 Years When Others Offer Less  Here's the thing – we use our own products. Bob's been testing that massage gun on his own sore muscles, and Brad's using those resistance bands in his daily routine. We know they work, and we know they last.  Two years isn't just a number we picked because it sounds good. It's our confidence in the engineering, materials, and quality control that goes into every single product. We've done the testing, we've made the improvements, and we're comfortable standing behind our work for 24 full months.  Our 100% Satisfaction Commitment  At Bob and Brad, your happiness really does come first, and this warranty extension is proof of that commitment. We're not just saying we want 100% customer satisfaction – we're backing it up with actions that matter.  Whether you bought your product yesterday or 23 months ago, whether you're dealing with a simple question or a complex issue, our team is here to help. We answer our emails, we know our products inside and out, and we genuinely want every single customer to have an outstanding experience with us.  This extended warranty is our way of ensuring that your investment in your health and wellness is completely protected, giving you the peace of mind you deserve.  Getting Started  Ready to experience the Bob and Brad difference? Here's what you need to know:  Warranty starts  the day your product is delivered  Keep your Amazon order confirmation  – it's the easiest way to verify your purchase  Contact us anytime  at support@bobandbrad.com   with questions  Questions? We Love Questions!  Seriously, don't hesitate to reach out. Whether you're wondering if a specific issue is covered, need help with your product, or just want to say hi, we're here:  Email:   support@bobandbrad.com Phone:  +1(612) 567-3035 Hours:  Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM  Remember, we're not just here when things go wrong – we're here to help you get the most out of your purchase and answer any questions about best practices for staying healthy, fit, and pain-free.    Your guide to being healthy, fit, and pain-free starts with products you can trust. That's the Bob and Brad promise, and it's backed by our 2-year warranty on all Amazon purchases.

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July of 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/0eK6jYdhuuY Mike: Do you struggle to find strengthening exercises for your arthritic knees? Brad: Well, I tell you what, today, we're going to go over four, not three, but four exercises you can do safely without increasing knee pain. So by strengthening the muscles around the knee, it stabilizes the joint, and it can decrease the arthritic pain. Mike, can you elaborate? Mike: So we're going to work on strengthening four different muscle groups. First, we're going to focus on the quads, the big muscles in the front of the thigh. Then we're going to work on the hamstrings, which run from your buttocks to the back of your knee. You have three on each side. Then we want to focus on the glute medius and minimus, which are on the side of your hip. And lastly, we're going to do the glute max. Brad: That's right. So that's all going to come into play. We're going to show you in just a second. Mike: So for the first couple of exercises, you can either do it in a seated position or a long sitting position like I am here. You're going to need a pillow of sorts, or you could possibly do it with a rubber ball. The first exercise is actually going to work on your terminal knee extension, or how far you can straighten your knee. So what you're going to do is get in a long sitting position and push the back of your knee into the pillow. You're going to actually hold it for about five seconds and then relax. We want to try to repeat this five to 10 times. Brad: Now, if you're doing it in a chair at home, you're going to need a stool like this or an ottoman. And you go on, and we're really working the quads, doing the same thing. I'm really pushing down straightening the knee, and you actually feel the quad muscles. You can feel them contract. That's really getting your maximum strengthening, just like Mike said, five seconds. How many reps? Mike: 10 repetitions if possible. Brad: There you go. Mike: The next one you want to focus on is the hamstrings. Now, to do this, you don't necessarily need the pillow there if you don't want, but you're going to actually push your heel into the mat. Again, just an isometric hold. You should feel the hamstring muscles engaging here. And then relax. Try to do five to 10 reps of that exercise. Brad: There you go. In this situation, you might want to get the stool or the ottoman farther out and push down. You can see my heel pushing into the cushion. And again, you can feel the hamstrings work very well. It's going to be good feedback. Mike: Now, exercise number two is going to engage the quads, the hamstrings, and the glutes. And what we're going to start with is basic, and then go to advanced options with this. So the first thing is simply to sit on the stands. If you really have a lot of knee pain, sitting on a higher surface or in a chair with armrests can really help. Push up with your arms, try to go up nice, slow, and controlled. And also try to sit down slowly and controlled. Don't just fall over into your chair. Again, start with five repetitions, work up to 10 if possible. Brad: Yeah. And one thing you want to keep in mind is your mechanics. Try to avoid a rocking motion if you can. If you want to isolate and strengthen those muscles, just take your time, use the armrest. Depending on your knee pain, of course, work with things. If your knee pain is really bad, you may only go partially down and then push back up. That's okay. And after a few, hopefully, it loosens up and you can do the full squat down to the chair surface. Mike: Now, if this seems simple, you can do it to a normal chair. No arms are needed. You can advance to what we call a split squat. It's sort of a lunge. With these, I like to have something I can kneel on, preferably a pillow if you have it, or if you happen to have some type of foam pad. So you're going to get into a staggered stance. Hold on to something if you're new to this. And you can just start with partial lunges. You don't have to go all the way down, just getting those knees bending a little bit and straightening. Once you feel comfortable, you can try to lower all the way down, slowly and controlled, and then come back up. If this is too painful, you certainly don't have to do this. You can just stick with the sit the stands. Again, I'm trying to keep a nice upright posture with my trunk, not leaning forward. Try to do five to 10 repetitions on each side. Brad: So I put the chair here. If you need more assistance, you can do that. Or you could actually use a cane or a stick to hold onto. Start out with it being easier as opposed to getting too aggressive. There is one option from the chair before you get to that. You can simply stand without using your arms and do that. That makes quite a difference. And then if that's too easy, do the squat to the chair but don't touch the chair, and go back up. Make sure you have good balance, of course, and you feel very stable. Mike: The third exercise here, you're going to need a wall to do it. It's better if you actually have a physio ball of sorts or a little kickball, but you don't need one. It's just a wall slide or a wall squat. So I'm going to place my back against the wall. My butt is touching as well. Bring your feet out as far as you comfortably can. I'm going to touch my head to the wall too, and I'm going to squat down. Go to where you feel comfortable. If it's only partway, that's fine. And then come back up. Over time, as your knees limber up and don't hurt as much, you can try going a little bit deeper. This will strengthen your knees through more of a greater range of motion, which can help with your arthritic pain. Mike: Now I would prefer a ball to do this, that Brad is now sitting on. Brad: Yeah, you can't have it. Mike: But the ball allows you to glide up and down a little bit easier versus just using the wall. Brad: A couple of things that you can do to make this easier. If you go against a door, if your walls are rough, have a smooth door that can help you, if you have a Booyah Stik or a cane. I advise using that first until you get used to it. And you know how it feels. And really important is what kind of footwear you using. Do not do this with socks on. Make sure you have shoes on and your feet do not have a tendency to slide out, because you will go right down to the ground and have a difficult day. Mike: Now, with the ball, simply place the ball behind your back. The larger balls are a little bit easier to roll up and down on. So again, get my feet out to a comfortable distance. Don't have them right underneath you. Feet shoulder width apart, roughly. And then go down, see what feels comfortable for you for depth. If you're feeling some knee pain, you can also mess with the angle of your toes. That might help you as well. Brad: Good point. And again, use a stick. And actually you may want to put a nice solid chair to one side. You can use that if it's available right there when you start out. And where you place the ball will make a difference. You can actually go back up, Mike. You may want to start with the ball closer to your belt line. May feel more comfortable. And those are all little tricks that you'll learn quickly after you work with it. Did you want to show them, if they don't have the big ball, how to use a smaller kickball? Mike: You go ahead. Brad: Oh, I get too? So it's important that you use a ball that's soft. If you choose something like a soccer ball or a basketball, it will not be very comfortable. A nice eight-inch soft one. Go out and get it from the neighborhood kids. They'll be happy to help you out. Feet shoulder-width wide. Again, I'm wearing socks. It's okay on this carpet because they don't slip. But you certainly wouldn't wear socks on a smooth floor. I like to start with it at my belt line. Good posture. And again, oh, let's use this cane. Makes a big difference, a little help. And just start mini, same thing, same concepts as Mike. I would never go lower than my femurs going horizontal or my thighs. If you go this far down and you've got knee pain to start with, it might be a good way to irritate it. So just be very cautious with that. Really good way to work those quads and glutes. Mike: And the last exercise is going to focus on the glute medius and minimus. These are actually the hip abductor muscles. So what they do is they kick out to the side if you're engaging them. They also keep you upright, standing tall when you are walking. So for beginners, don't want to stand with locked knees. Have a slight bend in your knee, and you're going to keep an upright posture and just kick out to the side as far as you comfortably can and back in. You can hold onto a countertop, walker, or chair for support if needed for beginners. Try to do 10 reps and make sure not to teeter to the side like this to get your leg up higher. Also, do not let your leg rotate out. That's a different muscle group. So again, focus. Try to do 10 repetitions. Mike: Once you do one side, do the other side as well. 10 repetitions. If this seems easy, you can certainly add resistance right away. You can either use cuff weights or some sort of resistance band . If I'm using a band like this, simply stand on it, put it roughly in the middle of your foot here, to get it a little tighter, pull up on the bands. And then again, we're just going to kick out to the side and back in. Try to do 10 to 15 repetitions on each side. Brad: If you have the large loop bands, they actually work well. Now, you really have to have good balance for this if you're using this, because you need both hands to hold this. So it's a little more challenging that way. Mike: And this exercise actually works your standing leg as well, because in order to stand up like this, I'm engaging the same muscles. And when you have a band, you can definitely notice it more. So, give each exercise a try and pick whatever level you need to start out and slowly progress over time. If any of those exercises increase your knee pain and make it worse, and it's not for you, just pick the ones that feel good. Brad: Right. And if you want to look at some more exercises, check out our video, " Best 5 Exercises to STOP Arthritic Knee Pain ." It's a nice video. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. 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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 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/jO-REHXTkas Mike: Sit-ups are a classic exercise often associated with core strength and physical fitness assessments. Brad: Yeah, and if you are one of those athletic-type people and you want to actually get a benchmark or have an idea how many sit-ups you should be able to do for your age, or at least know where you're at, this video is for you. As well as how to do them correctly. Mike, let's talk a little bit about the role of the core muscles and actually what muscles we're working with these so that we're going to improve our fitness. Mike: So, a standard sit-up typically will target the rectus abdominis muscle. Those are their most superficial muscles, commonly known as the six pack, and they run vertically on the outer part of your abdominal wall. Brad: Right, but there are also other core muscles really important with core strengthening. And you got the oblique muscles, which actually run obliquely. And we also have the transverse band, which is really helpful in supporting your back. Mike: Now, the transverse abdominis is a deep muscle. It's underneath the rectus abdominis. Typically, most people associate that with the plank, but we can't forget, there are two other muscle groups associated with the core, and that is your hip flexor muscles, as well as your lumbar paraspinals. Brad: That's right. And all these have a great deal to do with stability and your ability to actually do other activities because the core is your base and foundation. All right, so the big question is, is doing proper sit-ups, so everything is strengthened properly without hurting something like your back. Now, let's go back vintage. For example, when I was a child, this was how sit-ups were done. You were taught to touch your toes, go all the way back, and reach back for the floor. This is no good anymore. Brad: Then it went to feet up, and a partner held your ankles, and then you could go like that. Mike: This was much easier. I enjoyed this one. Brad: And you could do the presidential fitness award back in the '70s by doing them this way. But we know that that's not the best way to do it. Now, anyway, we're actually going to go to Stewart McGill . He's an expert in back fitness and mechanics. He's done research about it through the yin-yang, and we're going to use his demonstration and his advice on how to do it properly and safely. Have a lot of fun doing it. Mike: So with this exercise, it's called the Stewart McGill Curl Up, is the name of it. Typically, if you're having back pain, the way to begin is to bend one leg and straighten the other leg. You want to make sure the small of your lower back is pushed into the mat. To do this for beginners, and you're not sure, just place your hands underneath your lower back and push into it. So push your hands into the floor or whatever you're exercising on first, and then you're going to go up towards the ceiling, but notice I'm just lifting my shoulder blades off and I'm not kinking my neck or rounding my back forward straight up and back down. You're going to feel your abs engaging. Go up, down. Notice I am going up holding for a few seconds and then lowering back down. You start doing repetitions of 15 to 20 of these over time, you're going to start feeling your abs working a lot. Mike: Now, if you're not having back symptoms, you can keep a neutral spine when doing this. You could certainly go into both knees bent like this, feet flat on the ground. Again, do the same thing. You can make it a little more challenging by putting your hands behind your head and then performing them. Brad: Just make sure you do not pull your head forward. That's a common mistake. And it's actually one of those things that people do naturally without thinking about it. But that's hard. That's not good. Mike: This is actually strengthening. I feel this primarily in my rectus abdominis core muscles here. I don't feel it much in my hip flexors because I'm not curling way up all the way up. So this is a way to really strengthen those abs. Brad: Right now. Again, we mentioned, the core is not just the six-pack muscles or in the front. It's actually all the way around. And we're going to get into what Stuart McGill calls the big three. So hold on, we have to go through a couple more things, and then we're going to get into the big three that really cover everything to make you as strong and mobile, and pain-free. Mike: So, before we get into the other exercises, we want to talk about the general guidelines for how many sit-ups you should be able to perform. Now, this list is just a generalized list. Obviously, if you're a beginner, it'll take some time to develop how many sit-ups you can actually do within a certain time limit. But if you look at the screenshot here, you can see that find your age group and you can see the norms of how many sits you should be able to perform. So again, if you're not there right away, you can slowly build up to this over time. Brad: Right, these are general guidelines. You can see the numbers, there's quite a range of sit-ups at each age. So don't get excited if you're a little low, you might be a little higher, whatever. You have your own fitness level, and then you know where to start. And as you do more, you'll see yourself progress in the same program. Mike: Now, we do want to mention that these numbers are based on how many sit-ups you can perform within a minute, not just overall, but with good form and consistency, so don't just go up and down as fast as you can to get the numbers in. So again, just general guidelines. Brad: There you go. Let's go on to some exercises. Maybe we can get to the big three yet, Mike? Mike: I think we will. Brad: All right. Mike: We already did one of 'em. We got two more. Brad: So we've got the big three. We've already explained how to do the first one, which Mike already did. Now, he is going to demonstrate the sideline plank. And this is a nice one because it works some other muscles. The Quadratus Lumborum, which is deep in the back, and the obliques, which come around, we talked about those. Mike, can you demonstrate how to do this? And some variations depending on the level. Some people have never done this before. May need to break it down a little bit. Mike: So we're going to just do beginner to more normal and advanced. So for beginners, you can actually start in a hook line position, your knees touching and bent, and try to lift your pelvis off the mat. You want to try to get in a straight line from your pelvis up to your head like this. Try not to let your hip sag down. Nice straight line. Brad: Down a little bit, Mike. Down. There you go. That's better. Mike: I'm too strong. So what you're actually going to do is hold this for a time. You're not going to do repetitions. You get here static hold, isometric, build up 30 seconds, 45 seconds, and a minute each time. You want to make sure to do both sides. So I'm lying on my left side. I would have to switch and go to my right side to work on both. Now, if this becomes easy, what you can do is actually straighten out your legs, and you can stagger your legs for more balance if you feel unsteady. Again, I don't want to be rotated in any direction. I want to keep this nice positioning. Hold for 30 seconds if possible. Mike: Now, the advanced version is just stacking your feet on top of each other, really feeling my core engaging now. Specifically, you'll feel it's more on the lateral side, which is holding your body up. You can do other variations and make it more challenging, but we're just going to stick to this variation. Brad: And it is important that you do both sides. He had his left side down. Then you need to go to the right side because it works on the side of the elbow or the arm that's down, that's the lateral side. There are two lateral sides to talk about. All right, and the third of the big three. This is the one that a lot of people neglect because it works the back muscles of the core, the posterior, we call it. It's the Bird Dog. This is a really nice one, I like it. It works in balance as well as the core. Go ahead. Mike: So you're going to start on all four positions. For beginners, you may just want to do one arm up and one leg up at a time. I will show the standard version to begin with here. So you're going to work in the opposite hand and leg pattern. So as I lift my right shoulder up an arm, I'm going to extend my left leg back. Now you don't wanna lift too far up. This is putting too much stress, especially on my hamstring, right now. So, just a nice neutral position and then back down. Then you're going to do the opposite leg. So you're going to go one side, back down, other side. Make sure to hold it for a few seconds in the top position before lowering. Be nice and controlled. And this, if you struggle with balance, this is where you can go right arm, left leg, left arm, right leg to begin with. Once you feel more coordinated, you can try progressing to the standard version. Brad: Now it's really important that you do not do these like we're showing them on a plinth or a bed. It's soft. It's going to be difficult to do, more challenging. So, go on the floor, carpeted floor, or a mat is the best. And one thing Stuart McGill really emphasizes is that you do these slowly and controlled, like Mike is doing them. You don't want to whip through them. Kind of swinging the arm and swinging the leg. That is not going to give you a good strengthening experience. Mike: Now with that exercise, try to perform five to 10 repetitions on each side. So right arm, left leg up, opposite. That would be one, try to do five to 10 of those. Brad: Right, so do all three of those exercises, put them in a set together, and do them once a day. You can build up to twice a day if you really want to be aggressive. But if you're getting sore the first time you do it, take a day off in between. So build up to your strength. Mike: Now, if you want to check out other videos on core strengthening specifically for seniors, check out " Simple Seated Core Strengthening Workout for Seniors- At Home ." And that video has to do with seated core exercises, so they'll be different than these ones. Brad: Right. That can be a big advantage if it's difficult to get onto the floor. 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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 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/IYsOcp4pvic Brad: Sitting is today's smoking. That's a quote that is used in today's medical community, and the reason why is that people are sitting so much. It actually contributes to problems like low back pain, cardiovascular problems, and more. Mike, you want to add in? Mike: Including hip pain, which can be very stiff hips. And if you have limited mobility, it's going to affect your lifestyle and what you can actually do. Brad: So first, we're going to show you why and how sitting makes your hips stiff. Mike: And then we're going to get in the five simple stretches you can do to help solve this problem. Brad: Okay, we're going to use Sam here to show you how these muscles get tight, why they get tight, and then why we're showing you this, or how the stretches actually correct the problem. So in the seated position, the hip is flexed at 90 degrees. So here we have the hip flexed at 90 degrees with Sam. Now, this red Kinesio tape happens to be RockTape. We just have that handy in the studio. These muscles will actually tighten up because that's the position, the seated position, for such a long time. Now, when this person stands up, let's look at what happens after the muscle tightens up. When you stand, you can see the muscle actually stretches, and is pulling, and that can rotate the pelvis forward, as well as some of the muscle fibers going to the lower back, and they pull and can hyper-extend or put stressful extension forces on the lower back. Either way, we have this rotational and these forces on the low back because of this tight hip muscle group. It's the Iliopsoas, you don't have to remember that. Brad: But there's one more particular muscle that has the same type of problem that is oftentimes forgotten about with the stretch. And we do not forget that with our program, that is the Rectus Femoris muscle. It's a long muscle from the ileum, the iliac crest, they call it the ASIS, down across, it's actually one of your quad muscles. Now, that muscle also tightens up when in a seated position. And then when you stand, you can see it pulls on the ASIS that we mentioned. And that also rotates the pelvis in a position where you really don't want to have it. Brad: So, stretch out these two muscles, and you can take that force off the back and the hips, and life is much better. So let's get to it. Good job, Sam. Alright, we're going to show five hip stretches. Doesn't mean you have to do all five, but I really want you to try all five. And you're going to find which hip is tight and which actually feels good. If any of these create any sharp pain, it is a red flag. Do not do it; there's something wrong with your hip, or it might be how you do the stretch. But these should create no sharp pain. Do not do them if they do. The first one I'm going to show is in a seated position. Now, this particular stretch I'm showing does not specifically stretch the hip flexors, but it's a critically important and easy stretch to do. I call it the seated figure four. So you just put your ankle up on the opposite knee, and you put a little pressure to stretch down. Easy to do, only takes 10 to 15 seconds. You can do it lying down in bed as well, just like Mike is doing. Mike: I can switch legs. Brad: Then you can see the knee. There you go. Alright, now we're going to go directly from this into a hip flexor stretch that you can do off the edge of a couch or bed. Go ahead, Mike, seeing how I took all of your talking time before. I apologize for being rude. Mike: So, a simple way to do this that's not as aggressive is just to go to the edge of your bed and drop it off to the side. You might have to scoot over a little bit to get more of a stretch. And then notice if my leg is straight, I'm not feeling much. Once I start bending my knee a little bit, obviously, I'm limited by the height of this mat, and you start to get that Rectus Femoris muscle we talked about a little bit as well. But you can just kind of hang out here. If this doesn't feel like a good enough stretch, we're going to show other variations later, you can try. Brad: Right, we've got a really good stretch that Rick Olderman , the expert in this field, shows and recommends. So that's coming up. Let's go to the next one. Alright, let's go into Rick Olderman's stretch. This is probably the best way to cover the hip stretch. Go ahead, Mike. Mike: So you're going to have to go to the edge of a bed if your bed is firm enough on the side. You can certainly do this on a countertop or kitchen table if you're comfortable getting on those surfaces. So you're going to begin in a double knee to chest position. The closer my butt is to the mat, the more stretch I will feel. So what you're going to do is bring down one leg, and I'm going to try to bend my knee again to work the Rectus Femoris. And with the opposite leg, you'll kind of see, I'm going to make sure to bring it up towards my chest. You can see I have a little bit of tightness as I pull up my leg once to pop up. That's how you get a good stretch here. Try to hold it for roughly 30 seconds. Make sure to breathe while doing this. Another thing that's important to focus on is keeping your legs straight. Don't let it try to deviate to the side. Once you hit 30 seconds, reset to double knees to chest and then switch sides. You may notice a difference with this stretch. One leg gets down further, or the knee bends more. And just maybe spend a little more time on the tighter side. Brad: That's right. Can you go back to the other side, Mike? I just want to help our viewers recognize. When the knee goes down, we're getting the deep muscle. That's the Iliopsoas; that's in deep. And that one's hard to get at. But the Rectus Femoris, that long muscle, that is often forgotten about with most hip stretches, when you pull the foot underneath, that's when that muscle gets stretched. And you will feel that stretch all the way down. It's very clear when you do it. Now, this next stretch is a really good stretch. I know Bob likes to do it, and Mike likes to do it. I've done it, and I actually really like it, but I don't have a couch in my basement where I work out. But this is really aggressive, but it's for a little more mobile people who don't mind getting on their knees. Mike, show them what it's done. Mike: So this is commonly called the couch stretch. Oftentimes, you do this on the side of your couch. We don't have one here, so we're just using a chair. I like to have something soft to kneel on. Once you're in this kneeling position, get your foot up on the side of the couch. I don't like to do the couch cushions because my ankle is in a different position. If you're actually on the edge, it's going to put your ankle in the plantar flex position. So you're going to feel a slightly different stretch depending on how you do this. Now, once you're here, some people might feel super tight just right here, bending forward. That's fine, just stay here. What you wanna try to do is eventually get to a straightened-up position with a good trunk. And make sure that your pelvis is straight as well, because some people might be straight up, but look, I'm flexing, I'm not feeling a stretch at all. So get a good stretch in there. Once you can do this comfortably, you can kind of noodle around to see which area you're limited on. You can even go back more to get that Rectus Femoris. Just kind of sit in the stretch for a little bit. Oftentimes, it feels pretty good. Brad: Yeah, it really does. I enjoy doing it, and it really gets at the hip and the rectus that we talked about. Good, and then do both legs, I'm assuming. Mike: Do both legs, do 30 seconds. I like to do two sets of 30 seconds. Because of the first set, I'm normally tighter. The second set, I limbered up a little bit, and I can get a little bit more aggressive with it. Brad: Make sure you use a pillow, or a pad, or you have some good carpet because it is aggressive on the bottom knee. Mike: And the last stretch is a classic one from gym class, at least in my area, or even football, is the standing quad stretch. So you have to be standing. If you feel unbalanced, you can certainly do this by a countertop. Simply grab your ankle and then pull back. Make sure your leg isn't way forward. We're not doing the chicken wing or something. So get a nice position, stand up tall. The more you bend your knee, the more stretch you will feel. Brad: Right, this is one I like to do because when I'm going to go for a jog outside, I don't have anything to do it with. But a nice standing stretch. And again, don't lean forward. Up tall and use something to balance if you need. And then you really get the Quadratus. Up tall, really critical. Easy stretch to do. If you feel like it works well for you, go ahead, and make sure you do both legs. Alright, five stretches for that hip flexor group, taking away all that tightness developed from sitting long-term at the computer, in the car, wherever you sit. Do we have anything else to go along with this? Mike: I would say try all five of them out and then see which ones you need to work on more. Perform them two to three sets a day, and hold for 30 seconds each time. Brad: That's right. And we're going to show you one extra little thing. If you happen to have a massage gun, you can use that effectively to get this muscle group stretched out. Hold on. Alright, so like I mentioned, you can use a massage gun if you want to get at these muscles and get in there to help loosen them up and do it before you stretch. We'll get them loosened up so they stretch better. And with this muscle group, there's a lot of muscle mass there for a lot of people, especially if you're larger. You can go with a larger gun. We have our Bob and Brad C2 Pro . And this actually has a hot and cold head. Can you show them that head? This head is very unique, and there aren't many out there, but it actually heats up and it cools down. So whichever you respond better to, you can use that. Or you can use both, hot for a while, then cold for a contrast massage. It really works out well. Mike, can you talk about where to do it and then where not to do it to get the hip flexors? Mike: Now, it's going to depend on where you are tight in your legs. The hip flexors, you can kind of work laterally here in this region. You don't want to get too close to the groin region at all. There are a lot of different things that can happen in there, including the lymphatic system, lymph nodes, and you don't want to hit. So just massage that area. If you're more sore in the quad region from your hips, you could certainly do there. Personally, I really like this on the hammies because my hammies are always tight. So any area that connects to the hip is a good place to massage. Brad: Right. And again, that rectus femoris goes all the way up and down. So you can hit that with it. That's a really nice way to use a massage gun for this type of thing. Mike: I would say different positions, too. I get a little more feeling and go deeper if I'm standing up versus sitting down. So sometimes it's something to try as well. Brad: Right, and we also have another video. If this is not getting the information you want, we also have one on how to stop hip bursitis pain without seeing a doctor and having an injection for it. Mike: So, check out the video, " STOP Hip Bursitis Pain Without Seeing A Dr or Having Injection ." Brad: There you go, enjoy the day. Mike: I'm taking this thing home. Brad: Good hip health to you. 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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.