Finding a comfortable mattress is a very personal choice, but here are some guidelines: • The base of the mattress should be firm enough to support your spine in a straight position (s-curve as opposed to c-curve). • The mattress does not allow sagging. Look for sagging in the mattress to compare supine straight and supine sagging, side-lying straight and side-lying saggy, prone straight, and prone saggy. • The upper layer of the mattress should be comfortable and conforming, reducing the pressure at the contact points. • Medium-firm mattresses have been found to be better for back pain than firm mattresses. • If you are a smaller person with less prominent curves, you will probably tolerate a moderately firm foundation mattress with a firmer top. You won’t sink into the mattress easily because of your size. And because you have less prominent curves you tolerate a firmer top. • If you are a heavier person with prominent curves, you will probably require a firm foundation mattress with a less firm top. You will tend to sink into the mattress easily because of your size and because you have prominent curves you will benefit from a less firm top. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5qERHI9iWQ&t=310s Mike: Today we're going to discuss why the step-up is the most important exercise you aren't doing. Brad: Absolutely. And we're also going to discuss the glute maximus muscle, a muscle that contributes to more than just strengthening the hip. It contributes to the leg balance, endurance, and all the way into the trunk and the core. Alright, here is a brief summary. We're going to first educate you on how this muscle can affect you with back pain, hip, knee, and ankle pain. Very quickly, we're going to show you how to do the exercise with a step-up. For some people who are not comfortable with a step up, there are some nice options for you as well. Mike: So the glute is an important muscle to keep your femur, the long bone in your leg, in the place where it needs to be. Oftentimes, if it is weak, it can lead to internal rotation of sorts, meaning your leg goes in. Mike: If your leg starts deviating in like this with standing and walking, over time you're going to start developing hip pain first. It could possibly be knee pain. You could see my knee is caving in. And it even affects the arch in your feet. If you're in like this, your arches are going to get weaker. It can cause foot problems. Now if you look at this as well, if you get to an extremely shifted position, notice my pelvis is shifting. Mike: This is going to start causing lower back pain as well. So a good thing to do is strengthen this glute max muscle to fire properly, which can help prevent any of these issues from happening. Brad: Right, let's get to it. Mike: So according to a study, the step-up exercise is the best exercise to activate your gluteus maximus muscle. Now this study also looked at other common exercises, including hip thrusts, lunges, deadlifts, and squats. They all activate the glutes as well, but this one really isolates the glute max the best. Mike: In the study, they did forward step-ups or lateral step-ups. It didn't matter. They still activated the glutes properly. So Brad, how should they perform this exercise? Brad: Well, that's a good question, Mike. There are a couple of big common mistakes when you do step-ups. If you're using a stare or steps like this, watch what happens to the knee right here. Oftentimes people will not pay attention and inward motion, kind of a circular motion will happen with the knee. Brad: That's hard on the knee joint. It's hard on the hip. So make sure the knee stays over your toes, and you're very aware of good alignment that way. Brad: The second thing is people will go up and compensate, we call it, going forward like this, and then going up. And then you're not going to get the isolation of the glute Maximus. Brad: Good tall posture, up all the way until you get straight leg and down slow. Make sure you go down slow, up slow. Maximum strengthening will occur. Mike: You really want to focus on the front leg in the exercise. You can push off from the back leg. However, you're not going to get as much glute activation. You're focusing on the leg that is forward. Slow controlled movements are best. And in the study, they said if you need to use rails for support, you certainly can. Also two to three sets of 10 reps on each leg. Brad: That's right. Alright, now if you're uncomfortable doing steps or for some reason it's not working for you, you're a beginner, this is going to be some options to work that glute maximus. This is from Rick Olderman . He's an expert in the field, and these are some exercises he actually refined and tuned in for great gluteus maximus strength. Mike: So the first one we're going to do, you have to be able to get on your hands and knees. Brad will show a variation if you're uncomfortable in this position. So once you're on all fours, you're going to lift one leg up. You're not going to go all the way up towards the ceiling. Just kind of pick somewhere in between. Now, to activate your glute more, you can rotate your leg like this, and you're just going to do little oscillations. You're not going to pump through the full range of motion. Just pick a spot and do 30 repetitions. If you need to do 10, rest, go back up, do 10, that's perfectly fine. Once you do one side, make sure to switch again, do on the other side. Brad: Okay, let's go to the next one. Okay, I do want to clarify, when you do that on your hands and knees, you know, do it on the floor. The bed doesn't work so well. We just show it here because this is convenient. Mike: This is our bed. Brad: My wife always wants to clarify that for the audience. So that's important. Now, what you're going to do is put your hands on a countertop or a stable surface. This is if you don't want to get on your hands and knees. We do the same thing. You're slightly bent forward, straight back, head up, bend the knee at 90 degrees or close to it, and then you simply do the same motion. So you're not going through a full range, it's in the intermediate range. And do your 10 up to 30 pumps, and then turn and work the other leg. Now again, if you want to isolate the glute even more, rotate that femur so the foot goes down as I'm demonstrating, and you'll feel it more intensely on that glute max. Brad: All right, Mike, if people want to do some other information, you know, look for other fantastic videos, what are they going to do? Mike: You can check out our video " Best 5 Glute Medius Strength Exercises ." So that's a different glute muscle. Brad: There you go. Obviously it's done by one of the best fitness, healthy, fit, and pain-free video makers in the world Bob, Brad, and Mike. There you go. We're done babbling. We do have a tendency to babble on, and that's what we're doing now. So click off anytime you want. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun 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 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​   Stress Balls   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.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/0mlPBsf7LIc Mike: Have you ever woken up sore and achy, but you can't figure out why? Well, maybe because of your sleeping position. Brad: While there isn't one bad universal position that people can sleep in, we're going to show you and guide you toward the most comfortable position for yourself. Mike: This will pertain to back sleepers, side sleepers, and stomach sleepers. We're going to talk about all of them and how to optimize the position for you. Brad: Perfect, let's go to it. Now if you're a back sleeper, we're going to show you one common mistake people make for their head and neck, and then a way to first fix knee and back pain. Go ahead, Mike. Mike: So first, with neck pain, often people may have more than one pillow or a super thick pillow. And as you can see, my neck is very flexed. My chin is almost touching. Mike: Most people won't sleep exactly like this, but to some extent with a flexed neck. So what you can do is simply take out one pillow. Most people are fine simply sleeping with one pillow. Obviously, with side sleeping, you may need two. We'll get into that in a little bit. But what you want to do is have a nice neutral spine from your neck to your upper back and that'll alleviate any neck pain you may be having. Brad: Well put, Mike, very well put. Now let's talk about knee pain, hip pain, and low back pain. This is a trick that I personally use when I get a little sore and I've had many patients over the years feel very happy and grateful for it. Simply put one, two, usually two pillows under the knees. You need it to get a little bit higher and that flexes the knees, a little flexion in the hips, and it takes the stress off that low back. Really can make your sleeping habits go much better. Not really a habit, but you know what I mean. Mike: Your sleeping pattern position. Brad: There you go. Mike: The next position we're going to address is side sleepers. First, we're going to talk about hip, back, and knee issues you may be having in this position. So if people are lying on their side, sometimes your knees can get uncomfortable because they're knocking together. Sometimes people put a blanket in between them. But the best option is oftentimes a pillow. It can either be a small throw pillow. However, some people may need to have their whole leg at the same level to eliminate any hip pain they may be having. So in that case, you can use a large pillow, and there you go. Brad: I like the full pillow, but some may like the throw pillow, and actually they make knee pillows that you can buy and they fit really well. Mike: I actually have one. Brad: You have one? Mike: It's quite comfortable, yeah. Brad: You should have brought it in. Mike: I should have, but I forgot. Brad: That's right, let's go to the next one. Mike: Now, another benefit of this pillow being in this position is it prevents you from rolling over onto your stomach. So some people, which I have done sometimes, I did it last night and I woke up like this, and my spine was all twisted and my back hurt. Mike: So sometimes just having a pillow in that position can help. Mine actually prevents me from rolling over because there's a pillow in the way. Brad: We don't need to know about your personal problems. Let's go on to the next one. Mike: There's too many of them. Brad: All right, we want to address the neck and shoulder pain. Let's have Mike start talking. Mike: So again, with this, we want the neck in a neutral position. If I go up and down from a side profile with one pillow and my shoulder size, this is not good. I am going to get too much strain on my neck. So some solutions are to either take your one pillow, fold it up there, I'm higher up in a position, stress off my shoulder, my neck is more neutral. Or you can simply take a second pillow and place it in there. Now it doesn't really matter what brand pillow, whatever is comfortable for you, just get your neck in a nice neutral position like this. Brad: There you go. It all really depends on how broad your shoulders are as far as the pillow thickness or whatever is going to work. So Mike has got those massive shoulders. He might even need three pillows. Anyways, let's go on. All right, now we're going to address shoulder pain as a result of sleeping on your side. Let's go through it, Mike. Mike: So the optimal position would be to lay on your good shoulder if you're able to. Now sometimes if your arm is across your chest, it can cause some pain. So you can take a pillow or two to place underneath your arm here. So depending upon what's comfortable for you, you could be side or directly under your armpit. Just oftentimes getting some space in there can help alleviate that shoulder pain you're experiencing. Brad: Sometimes if you add another pillow under there, that can help. You really need a lot of pillows when it comes to this routine. Mike: Now if you are someone who has to sleep on the side of the painful shoulder for whatever reason, you can try and create a canal. You're going to need another pillow. It can be a throw pillow or a large pillow, whatever fits your fancy. So you're going to put it under your trunk, and the canal is where my shoulder is going to rest, and this can help take some pressure off of the shoulder joint. It is now going more through my ribs and upper body and my neck, taking the pressure off there. Brad: Right, this is one that Bob commonly uses. So yep, I call it the Eerie Canal. Mike: Is it eerie? Brad: Yeah. It does work well. All right, let's go to the next one. A common thing is the wrist. And this could be in any position, whether your backside or whatever. Look at his wrist, it's flexed like this to the maximum. Brad: That can be a really good way to irritate numbness in the hand, tingling, et cetera. So we need to keep the wrist in neutral. It's one of those things that we've had people actually wear comfortable wrist splints, generic ones, simple ones, just to eliminate that. Mike, what else do we have in this position? Mike: So if you're a stomach sleeper and you're having some back discomfort, what you can do is place a pillow roughly around your waistline like I have here. This can help keep the pelvis and lower back in a neutral position. Again, sometimes people get too extended and arched if there's no pillow there. This can be very uncomfortable for some people who have stenosis. Brad: Yeah. Mike: So simply putting a pillow in there really helps. Brad: That's exactly right. A couple of other things: if you are a stomach sleeper, and you probably have found this, avoid hands over your head. That stresses the shoulder joint and can actually cause numbness and tingling from the brachial plexus nerves being compressed or blood flow as well. Mike: And sometimes as well, people have their neck cranked all the way to one side. This is going to get very uncomfortable. You wake up with neck pain, if you could somehow change the degree to a point that's more optimal, it can relieve that strain. Brad: There you go. All right. Mike: So the last problematic pain area for side sleepers sometimes can be the hip. So let's say it's my left hip and I'm sleeping on it. What we can try to do is place a pillow again under your trunk. It's not going to be as high as we had for the canal in the last one, but sometimes this will help take pressure directly off of the hip. It's more on the pelvis region now taking the support. Mike: If you're in this position and you want to try this as well, you can put a pillow underneath your feet like this. This will get a different rotational component in your hip. So if you're having hip pain and sometimes even back pain, this little bit can help. Brad: Right. We even had this help reduce sciatica going down the leg just by doing this. It's one of those things you can try. If it works, you'll notice it, then keep it in. If not, let's put it off to the side. So hopefully there are a few things that you could pick up from one of those corrections that we offered. Try them out and you'll find yourself sleeping better. Now we also want to relate this to standing up posture, because that's critical as well. Mike. Mike: So if you want to check out videos on how to improve your posture, which can help you get in some of these positions a little more optimal, check out " Perfect Posture In 18 Days - 6 Minute Routine " . Brad: That's right, perfect posture in 18 days, six-minute routine. I think I made that video. So it's obviously a very good one. Mike: Obviously. Brad: I hope so. Who knows? 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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.

It is very important to get adequate sleep when trying to manage and heal your back pain. A day of pain from back pain can wear you out mentally and physically. A good night’s sleep can help you restore the energy required to battle the monster called back pain. These are suggestions to help you sleep pain-free. The key is to try the different positions and see which ones work for you. A. Sleeping on your back with a leg wedge in place. Brad, at times, will go to sleep with an ice pack inserted underneath his back with his legs up on the wedge. He will wake up a few hours later with the ice pack is no longer cold, and he will take the cushion out and turn and sleep on his side. B. Sleeping with lumbar support. We suggest first taking a rolled sheet and pinning it around your waist. The rolled sheet will provide some support for the arch of your back while sleeping on your back and on your side. If you find it comfortable you may want to purchase a night roll lumbar support by McKenzie. If you are a thinner person with minimal body curves you may not need much support. If you are larger with more cushion on your buttock, you may need a larger support. C. Sleeping on your back with one, two, or three pillows underneath your legs. D. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs. You will have less rotational stress on your spine with a pillow in place. Eventually, you may want to purchase a knee pillow. A pillow between the knees may be more comfortable when sleeping on your side. (Knee Pillow) E. Some of our patients are forced to sleep in a recliner. If so, place a lumbar support or throw pillow behind your back and recline the back of the chair as far as possible while still maintaining comfort levels. F. 90/90 on a chair or stool. G. Mattress is sagging - put on the floor or put plywood between mattress and box spring. H. Sleep on the floor with a mattress topper. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/Qd6q5M0VkF0 Mike: Are you struggling with neck pain? Does it feel like getting a good night's sleep is an impossible task? Brad: Well, you're in luck because we're going to explore practical tips on how to correct it so you can sleep all night long, pain-free. Mike: So we're going to go over all three sleeping positions and show you how to optimize each to reduce your neck pain. Brad: That's right. We're going to cover back sleepers, and side sleepers, and even discuss stomach sleepers. Mike: So let's get to it. Brad: There you go. Let's start sleeping. One of the first common mistakes that people who sleep on their back have is too much neck flexion. In other words, too many pillows. You can see the way Mike is here with two pillows. His neck is actually pushed forward. Brad: Mike, can you tell me how you feel right now? Mike: This is pretty uncomfortable. I mean, I could lay here for probably 20 minutes, but as soon as I get up my neck is going to start feeling really stiff. Brad: Right. So this neck flexion actually stresses the vertebra in the back. It actually allows you not to breathe efficiently. It causes problems in more than one way. So you simply take out a pillow and don't let one fall off. And there you go. Try to keep that spine in line. And this is one of those things where a really thin pillow is good and sometimes a thinner one than you think. So pay attention to it and see how it goes. Mike, anything? Mike: The pillow thickness will differ depending on your body size. Obviously, if you're a larger person further away from the mat, you may need more pillows or thicker ones, but you want to have a nice leveled neck like I have, not be flexed over like this. Brad: There you go. Let's go to number two. Alright, now we're going to address two common problems with side sleeping. Number one in contrast to sleeping on your back is typically a thin pillow or one pillow is often not enough because it takes the neck out of neutral position and actually puts it downward, which puts stress on the neck. And the next one is this shoulder. Sleeping on that shoulder joint can cause pain and really irritate things over time. Brad: So, Mike, do you want to go through how to correct these? Mike: Yes. So for the first one, if your neck is curved down, your spine is down in lateral reflection we call this, we want to probably add another pillow in. The thickness will dictate depending upon your shoulder size and anatomy. If you're a bigger person with broader shoulders, you may need two thicker pillows. Some people use a normal pillow, throw pillow, or whatever works for them. But oftentimes, for instance, I sleep on my side a lot, I use two pillows. If I happen to be on my back, I normally just throw one up on my headboard, and then when I go to my side, I'll bring it down. This eases any pressure that you're having on your neck keeping in a nice straight line. Brad: Wait, I want to tell them what I do. Mike: What do you do? Brad: Okay, when I turn to my side, I simply fold my pillow in half. And then when I go to my back, I fold it flat. That way, you only need one pillow. Save some money. Mike: We got some pillow stories here. Anyway, now if you want to create a canal, you will probably need a third pillow. Brad: What's a canal? Mike: This is a canal right here. Mike: It's an opening. Typically, they're waterways, but here, they're not. So what we're going to do is lay down here. This is roughly around my rib cage just below my shoulder joint. This will take some pressure off of my shoulder as well as the two pillows here. So this can ease neck pain you're having or shoulder pain. Brad: That's right. Now, there's another option for reducing shoulder pain if you do not want to try the canal theory. And that is simply to let the shoulder rotate. And it does change your body position a little bit. Brad: Some people are comfortable with this. It eliminates shoulder pain. Others will want to try using the pillows and get that canal gap in there for relief. Alright. Now, stomach sleepers or sleeping prone on your stomach like Mike is demonstrating right now. In general, we like to encourage people not to sleep on their stomachs. The reason why is it puts your head at a 90-degree turn rotation, which puts it at end-range, and staying there for a period of time can cause problems, pain, headaches, et cetera. Brad: But if you're one of those people that really like to sleep on your stomach, the one thing you'll want to not do is we're looking at here two pillows. That's definitely a no-no, it puts your head not only rotated but extended all at the same time. Putting your arms above your head like this. Another no-no because that actually can impede or cause problems with circulation. When I sleep like that, my arms literally go numb because it hits my brachial plexus on both sides. And then I have, I literally can't even move my hands. It's rather interesting. Mike, you want to talk a little more about it because you're feeling it right now. Mike: So if you are a stomach sleeper, which sometimes I end up in this position, a good trick to do is take more pillows. So you're going to take a pillow or two pillows, depending upon your body size and you're actually going to lay on them on your pelvis. So typically, your belt line region will cover it. That way, when I'm down, I might even need another pillow for my head. But now, even though my arms are above my head, I'm not really at end-range extended flex like this. I'm much more comfortable this way. Brad: And I did forget to mention the low-back strain when you're without the pillows, particularly if you have some stenosis, like most people do as you get older, that can cause low back pain after lying there for a period of time. Pillows under there really quickly eliminate that stress there. Mike, don't you have a trick? Because you say you do sleep on your stomach, but what do you do to help? There you go. Mike: Sometimes, I lift one of my legs up depending upon, typically my face and my leg on the same side are going in the same direction. Brad: And with the pillows under your stomach? Mike: Usually, I just have one if I need it. Oftentimes, I end up on my stomach subconsciously. So I wake up and my back is stiff. Brad: So you're feeling it and your body's telling you, stop this. Mike: Yeah. So it's not an optimal position. However, some people end up this way. Like me. Brad: Wonderful. Alright. The nice thing about all these solutions is they're easy and all you need is a few more pillows. If you're short, you know, go to the kids or the the neighbor's house, get a few pillows and your problem is solved. Or just change position. Mike, we have more information. Mike: Yes. If you want to check out more videos on neck pain, try " Most Important Exercises to Help Pinched Nerve & Neck Pain! FAST-RELIEF. (Updated) ." This one talks more about a pinched nerve and gives you actual exercises and stretches. You can try if you're still having some issues. Brad: Right? That pinched nerve, if you're having symptoms oftentimes it goes into the shoulder and down the arm to the hand. It's a great video for those symptoms. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun 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   Leg Massager Lite Foot Massager 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: Grip and Forearm Strengthener   Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   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 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 May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/15zzgYs_fow Brad: We're going to talk about blood flow in the legs today, particularly for those people who sit for long periods, whether it's because of work demands or other issues in your life that prevent you from getting up, walking, and getting the circulation going. Mike, what do you have to say? Mike: We're going to show you the seven best exercises to increase leg circulation to keep you healthy, fit, and pain-free. Brad: I'm sure one or two of them will work well for you. So let's look at some typical symptoms of poor leg circulation while you're sitting. We're looking at numbness and tingling. Sometimes people have dull achy legs or even feel fatigued in general like they want to fall asleep while they're working. Mike: Now these symptoms can be amplified if you have conditions like diabetes, lymphedema, or if you've had a leg injury in the past. Brad: Now, first, we're going to cover some no-cost options, and things you can do without purchasing anything, and we're going to show some nice products and options that may help you more than you think. Okay, first, we're going to cover the no-cost or very low-cost options while sitting in the chair. Now, you want to do these about every two hours and typically 10 repetitions each. Okay, let's go to the first one, Mike. Mike: So we're going to work distal, meaning further away, to proximal, meaning our trunk when it comes to our legs. So the first one we're going to do ankle pumps, going up and down in the seated position. Obviously, I'm taller than Brad, but you can just do 20 repetitions. Brad: Now, if you want to get a little more stretch on the hamstrings, do them with your legs out, and you'll feel that stretch on the calf and the hamstrings. You're getting two for the price of one if you will. Let's go to number two. Mike: Number two, we're going to actually work the bottom of your feet. You simply need a ball of sorts, like a lacrosse ball, or a tennis ball. You can use a golf ball if you have one, or a massage ball works as well. Just simply place them on the ground, and you just roll the bottom of your foot on it, and really dig in there and get in those arches. Brad: Yeah, getting those little muscles on the bottom of the feet helps relax them. It really feels good, and it gets a little circulation going in the bottom of the feet where it is oftentimes stagnant from being stuck in those shoes and compacted in there. And these balls, typically, you can find very cheaply at a dollar store or whatever. Just take them from the kids or the grandkids. Mike: You can just roll it for a minute on each leg. Brad: That's right. Next, we're going to go to the ankles and actually work with the hips as well. I call them windshield wipers. First of all, you're going to keep your legs steady and just think about moving your ankles only back and forth, just like windshield wipers. I always refer to this when I work with patients, and they can relate to it. Or keep the ankles stiff and get all the motion from the hips. So it's a nice option, very easy to do, and it does feel good, gets things moving, circulation going. Let's go to the next one. Mike: Number four, we're going to work the quads or thighs a little bit more. So you're going to sit in the upright position and simply kick out straight. Try to get your knee fully straight if you're able to. And notice at the top we're pausing for a second or two before going back down. This is just going to get the pump going in your quads and help push that fluid or swelling you may be having back up into your trunk. Brad: Right, and I emphasize don't do the fast ones. It's really critical. Do it slow with meaningful contractions on those quads. You'll feel it. All right, next one. Okay, this next one we're doing a little combination. You'll see how it works. Sit up, good posture, and simply march and bring those knees up as high as you feel comfortable. Higher is going to get you a little more exercise, and a little more blood flow. Brad: After you do 10 of those, simply feet on the floor, knees apart, and then all the way together until they touch. And just work that. That's going to work into those hip muscles and get things moving in that direction. It's a nice, simple exercise, that wakes you up as well. Brad: All right, so an option that you can purchase is something simple that works under the desk, now they make a lot of different styles of ellipticals, and manufacturers, but they do work well. They get things moving, the ankles, the hips. Brad: Now there are a couple of problems with these, and number one is if your desk or your legs are too tall, they actually can hit the top of your desk. The second thing is they're typically quite heavy, and to pick them up and move them isn't that easy. So now here's another option for under-the-desk mode, which is simply, what we call the FitGlide . It works very well, and it does not have a problem with your knees bumping into the table. It's flat. It does have a couple of options. You can simply lift up and put an incline on it. It works the quadriceps more. If you simply put it around, this will increase the intensity on the hamstrings more than you would think. And the other really nice thing about it is it's very light. You can pick it up with one finger and put it off to the side, getting it out of the way. It does happen to be made by Bob and Brad. Mike: Now, another option that can work is simply a stationary bike of sorts. It doesn't matter the style you have, if it's at a gym, or you have one at your house. This one you can use at a workstation. That's why it doesn't have a front component to it. If you happen to have a desk that can raise up and down, that's the purpose of this bike specifically. But it just gets the movement going, circulation in your legs, pumping like all the other options we showed earlier. Brad: That's right. Actually, I'm surprised the cost of this one is not near what I thought it was. I think it's somewhere between $200 and $300. You'd have to look it up online, but it is a really nice option to keep that blood circulation if it works for you. So we gave some good options. Hopefully, you'll find one or two of them that'll help you out. I have a feeling you will. Mike, what else do we have? Mike: If you want to check out another video watch " Instantly Improve Leg Circulation & Blood Flow While Standing ." This one is more for a standing-position exercise, so if you're sick of doing the seated ones, you can try that. 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 Air 2 Mini Massage Gun 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 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​   Stress Balls   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.

Tools in Bob and Brad's Toolbox The “tools” we are referring to are exercises, stretches, positions, and educational tips that should help you in your quest to fix your back pain. Use the tools that you feel are helpful and disregard the rest. How do you know if your back pain is getting better? An important point to underscore is generally the more your back is irritated, the further down the leg the symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and/or burning occur. The reverse is also true, as the nerve becomes less irritated the symptoms generally improve in an ascending fashion. That is less pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and/or burning in the foot or lower leg. This can help you gauge whether your self-treatment is helping. Is a tool helpful? Three scenarios: 1. You try a tool in the Bob and Brad toolbox and your back starts feeling immediate pain. STOP using the tool! Period. A slight bit of discomfort at the beginning of a stretch or exercise is acceptable, but outright pain is not. 2. You try a tool in the Bob and Brad toolbox and your back feels fine while performing the stretch or exercise, but overall, the pain is worse immediately after. In that case, cease performing the exercise. However, if the pain is only worse the next day you cannot assume it is from the exercise. You might try it again and see if there is a correlation. 3. You try a tool in the Bob and Brad toolbox and your back feels better while performing the exercise (hurts so good), and it remains better after the exercise. You can continue with the tool. You try a tool in the Bob and Brad toolbox and your back feels better only after performing the exercise. You can continue with the tool. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/G_NHEzh7Puw Brad: All right, so many of our fans and viewers have been commenting and asking how Bob has been doing. So we're going to take this video to explain it and give you an update. Mike: So Bob was diagnosed with cerebellar ataxia , which affected his speech, coordination, and balance, as well as some of his upper extremity coordination. Brad: All right, so Bob's symptoms are he has difficulty with his speech, he is currently walking with a wheeled walker, and he no longer drives. Mike: However, he does walk a mile twice a day with a walker that Brad customized for him. Brad: So what Bob bought is a four-wheeled walker. It has casters that swivel on the front, as almost all of them do, but that was actually causing a problem for his stability. So what I needed to do was create a locking system so the casters could no longer swivel. You'll see in the photograph how I made them, quite simple actually, there are washers with a piece of strapped steel on both sides. Very basic and elementary as far as fabrication, but it works very well. Mike: So another thing Bob has been trying lately is called low-level laser therapy , LLLT for short. Also, it is known as cold laser therapy. So Bob was reached out to by a fan for its effectiveness, so Bob decided to give it a try. He reached out to the company and they sent him one for free to test out. Brad: That's right. The fan actually was using it out himself with good success. We have a number of people who help us, give us options, and want to give us their advice or input. Mike: So some of you may be wondering what low-level laser therapy actually is. It's been around for years in treatment with physical therapy and other health practitioners. But Brad will give a brief explanation of what it does. Brad: Right, so it's a non-invasive pain-free treatment utilizing a specific wavelength of light to stimulate cellular activity and promote a natural healing process. In other words, the cold laser goes directly on the skin and it goes in deeply into the skin to help cellular healing at the neuro level. Mike: So the low-level laser therapy beams can also affect the tissue in the area, enhancing cellular metabolism, reducing inflammation, and accelerating tissue repair. It is commonly used for pain management of sorts, and also if someone has an open wound, sometimes it can help it heal up faster. Brad: Yeah, now we're really getting them confused. One way or another, we're going to show you some examples of how Bob's been using it and some results of its effectiveness. Mike: So for 45 days, Bob decided to try out this treatment of low-level laser therapy. Now he put it on different parts of his head, targeting different areas of his brain. While he did that, he was also doing some exercises of various types, meaning some he was moving and some he was just doing isometric holds. He also did some on his voice because that is an issue for him. So he put it near his throat while saying the alphabet or phrasing different words. Bob: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Brad: Now this protocol has specific lengths of time for each one. We're not going to get into the details of that, but the video does a good job of giving you an idea of how he was treating himself. Mike: So after 40 days, Bob didn't really notice a difference in anything, whether walking or exercise strength, so he decided to stop for five days, but then something happened. Brad: Well, it's very interesting because he continued to do his morning walks with his walker and after he stopped, his wife noticed a distinct difference in the quality of his walking, his balance, as well as his gait. So what he did, was he started doing the treatment again, and lo and behold, some improvement and he got back to where he was. So it's one of those things that showed gradual improvement over 40 days. He didn't notice it, but when he stopped it, things started deteriorating quickly. Mike: Bob also said that the laser is actually helping with his upper extremity coordination as well, and his walking is actually improving. He's getting a little bit faster and walking further. Brad: That sounds like a good plan. Mike: So if you'd like to check out this low-level laser therapy device, you can visit erchonia.com , and you can contact them for specific protocols that may work for you and the conditions you have. Brad: That's right. So we'll continue on, Bob's going to continue working hard and we'll keep up with you and let you know future progress. Anything else, Mike? Mike: If you missed the videos of Bob explaining more concisely what was going on with him, you can check out our Ataxia page . 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 Air 2 Mini Massage Gun 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 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​   Stress Balls   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 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 May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/VG82PzLzLfk Mike: Are you unknowingly sabotaging your knee health? Brad: Well, join us as we uncover seven bad habits wreaking havoc on your knee. And believe it or not, what I'm doing here is not one of them. Mike: Looks like a fun game. Brad: So what I'm doing with my kneecap is a simple mobilization and it's actually good for your knee, but let's go on to the first bad habit. Mike: It is not moving your knee. So, whether your knee is healthy or arthritic or painful, it's important to move it, because that helps lubricate the joint, improve circulation, and oftentimes, can even help reduce the pain you may be experiencing. Brad: Right, a good example is if you're sitting for a long time and you simply want to fully extend and bend your knee back and forth every half hour or so, 10 times is a nice simple habit that's going to help your knees. All right, the next one is simply standing with your knees locked. Now, a lot of people may have this habit and they're not even aware of it. We have had people that had knee pain and we simply have them stand and think about bending their knees slightly, taking pressure off and really changing and making the knees feel much better. This is really important if you happen to hyperextend and when you go all the way back, your knee actually bends back in the negative direction a little bit, that's even more sensitive. So, keep your knees slightly bent, be thinking about it, and do that on a regular basis. Brad: Mike, what's next? Mike: Next, is actually walking with a straight knee as well. So oftentimes, when people are walking, they put their foot out in front of them, heel strike with a straight knee. This is going to put more stress on your joints and your leg, including your foot, knee, hip, and even lower back. But when the knee comes, just think about walking with a bent knee. If you just think about leaving your knees bent as you walk, your feet will do what they need to do. As long as you're not extending straight out, just keep them bent, and your walking will improve and take pressure off that knee joint. Brad: Right, another little trick is simply thinking about instead of heel striking, getting that jolt through your system and your knee. Think about landing on your forefoot or a flat foot and that automatically puts a slight bend in the knee and then it happens. So, do that every now and then. Think about it and be nice to those knees while you walk. Mike: If it feels a little awkward with your standard shoes, you can try walking in your house barefoot or in slippers, or if you happen to have flat shoes like me, it's not an issue then. Brad: But there you go. All right, let's go to the next one. Weak knees or allowing the leg muscles to become weak. If you're sedentary and you're not doing a lot with weight-bearing activities, your knees will become weaker and that can cause that situation where your knee actually buckles and you feel like you're going to fall. I've had that with my sister. We've been working on that. It's been going quite well. Mike, you have some more additions. Mike: Typically, the weaker your muscles are in your legs, the more you're going to rely on your joints to do everyday activities, which can put stress on them and cause more damage. So, it's good to keep them strong. That doesn't mean you have to go to the gym and do a bunch of barbell squats and leg press stuff. Simply walking or doing body-weight exercises, or functional movements, as long as you can do these without any pain, they're good to do. Brad: Right. So, wall squats like I'm doing here are a really nice way to strengthen the knees, the quads, and the hamstrings. Only 10 a day, maybe twice a day is a little thing that's going to help you keep them strong. Mike: Worst habit number five is lacking range of motion. What we mean by that is how much your knee can actually bend and straighten. Oftentimes, if you're lacking one of the ranges, it can lead to issues such as pain or even trouble walking sometimes. Brad: So, when we're talking about the range of motion, a lot of people may think bending and straightening the knee is range of motion, but actually, you want to go to the end range. In other words, make sure that your knee goes fully straight. You can do it by putting your heel on the floor, sitting on a chair, or up on a stool. And what we're looking for is that you get completely straight. Now, some people hyperextend naturally or it bends backwards a little bit. That's okay. That's just the way you were born. One good way to do it is to just check one knee to the other. One might go completely straight and the other one not, and you may want to work on that and gently stretch it. Brad: The other way is flexion. Now, end-range normal flexion is actually if you sit down and just pull your knee up to your chest. So, a simple stretch like this, but done three to five times, a few times a day is a great way to maintain the full range of motion. It makes a big difference in the long term. Mike: The number six thing to avoid is developing overly tight muscles. Now, there are lots of muscles that actually, connect to the knee joint and can affect it, including the IT band, which Brad is showing off with his white stripes there. Mike: Then you have your rectus femoris, which is actually a two-joint muscle running from your hips down to your knees. Mike: You also have your calf muscles, which are on the underside of your knee, but they connect up as well. Mike: And one of the biggest culprits most people have issues with are the hamstrings, which are behind the leg here. So, we're going to show you a stretch you can do for the hammies. Brad: There you go. So, for the hamstring, a nice stretch to do, if you're able to stand if you have good balance. This is the way I do mine. I simply put my leg up or you can do it seated like Mike is. Now, straighten your knee out, keep your back straight, and think about bringing your chest towards your knee, not your nose, and go like this. Brad: And I already feel a nice stretch here. When you stretch, don't get too aggressive, be gentle with it, relax, and breathe. It makes a huge difference in allowing that muscle to stretch. You don't want to force it, allow it to stretch. Mike, what do you have to say? Mike: Now, if you have really tight knees and hamstrings, some people just getting your knee flat is enough, that's all you need to do. If this is even troublesome, maybe your back's a little tight, you can certainly lean back and try there. Mike: Then over time, if it can get to this position, that's when you worry about trying to bend forward with a straight back. Brad: So, we do have some videos strictly on stretching your hamstrings . Look at that for more options. There are about five or six good options that will fit any one of you. Mike: And the last worst thing you can do for your knees is develop bad habits. Now, we have two different things we're talking about. I'm showing one here. So, it's actually sitting with your leg underneath you or where your knee is in an extremely bent position for a prolonged period of time. Mike: If you're just like this for a minute or so, it's fine, but sitting like this for an hour, you're going to be pretty stiff and this is already uncomfortable for me. Brad: Okay, the next one is a dynamic thing or when you're going upstairs is very common where the knee actually brings or collapses inward or medially we call it. So, we're going to use this as a step. As we go up here, it's very common that people allow their knees to go in, either from habit or weakness in this direction. Let's show this in the front view. It's much clearer. So, when you stand up and as you start to bring your body up, the knee will go in and then it kind of comes out, and each time it's "whoop" and then "whoop," and that's hard on the knee. Brad: So, look down, and see what your knees are doing as you're going up and down the stairs. They should stay in line with your toe and keep in that plane, and you'll be much better off. Mike: Do your knees actually make that noise when you go upstairs? Brad: Well, yes, you should hear 'em. All right now, if you do notice that your knee does go "whoop" when you go up and down steps, Mike has a really simple exercise to help correct it and it does not take a lot of effort. Mike: So, if you stand sideways at your staircase, hold onto a rail for support. If you're having an issue tracking in, you may need to use your arms to help stabilize a little bit. So, what you're going to do is try to simply stand up sideways and then slowly lower yourself back down. Notice when I'm doing this, try to keep your knee in line. If you slightly go out for a second, it's okay, just try to get it to stabilize. Mike: This is going to help strengthen these lateral hip muscles and your quads as well, which is normally a culprit if you have weak muscles there, while you're doing the "whoop" stance. Brad: Yeah, good. Now, if you go through all these, I think everyone will probably find at least one of these habits you may be doing, correct them, use what we talked about, or go to Bob and Brad on YouTube. We've got every kind of video on knee correction and must-do strengthening, et cetera. But we have one specific one right here, right? Mike: Yeah. So, if you want to check out more videos on specific knee stretches and strengthening exercises, check out " Top 10 Strengthening Exercises for Painful Knees ." Brad: Ooh, top 10 strengthening exercises for painful knees. There you go. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun 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   Leg Massager Lite Foot Massager 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: Grip and Forearm Strengthener   Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   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 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.

It really doesn’t matter what your diagnosis is. Sciatica? Spinal Stenosis? Spondylolisthesis? Whatever it is, inflammation is likely to make it worse. So, we need to calm it down. Signs you may have inflammation in your back: ➢ Constant severe pain or aching ➢ A flare-up of pain ➢ Disturbed sleep ➢ Continuous pain when standing or walking (more than a few minutes) Tools to help reduce inflammation: 1. Walking Don’t try to straighten up when using a walker if painful. Walk only if not painful. Plus, maybe try a lumbar corset. Maybe you can walk a total of 30 minutes with a corset in place, but only 15 minutes without. It makes sense in such an example to use the corset temporarily. The big concern about back corsets is that if you wear them all the time you will get weak. True? Maybe? Our first recommendation is that you do not wear them all the time. Wear them only when doing something that tends to increase your pain levels. For example, if you are about to walk, lift something, carry something, or push something heavy. 2. Positioning with Ice Pack. 2x -4x a day for 10 minutes 3. Sleep Right. You may want to try a back corset. If a corset allows you to sleep comfortably and not wake up every time you turn, it might be worth a try (temporarily). There is not much strengthening going on in your back during sleep, so you need not worry about your back getting weak. 1. Avoiding Pain Makers for now. May gradually reintroduce them into life if the pain calms down. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/p3U3Ait9p_Y Brad: We're looking at these hips today, and if you've got tight hip muscles or if you sit a lot at work or in your car, you're likely to get tight hip muscles. So we're going to show you a remedy on how to take care of this. Mike, can you help me out? Mike: We're going to show you the best stretches and we're going to stretch every little hip muscle, because there's a lot, and you can finish it in 90 seconds. At least that's what Brad says. Brad: All in a seated position as well, this is a real gem. Now, as we all know, at least as therapists know, there's 21 hip muscles all right around that joint, that's responsible for all different movement rotations, circle's out, in, it's an incredible joint. But these muscles can get tight and can cause a lot of pain. Mike: So you can solve some of this pain and lack of mobility you may be having on your hips by simply stretching each day to try to limber them up. Brad: That's right, let's go to work, Mike. All right, we're going to demonstrate these in some functional chairs. I have a chair that has armrests. You can do it with or without armrests. It works a little better with armrests and Mike is doing it in an office chair that swivels. You can do this either/or and put it right to work on a daily basis. Now there are going to be some cynics out there saying, "Why does it take eight or 10 minutes to do a 90-second stretch?" Mike, why? Mike: I'm one of those people, but it's because we're going to show you in-depth how to do each of them. Once you get the system and figure it out and how to do the stretches, it should only take you about 90 seconds total. If you want to spend more time in each stretch, go ahead. It's just going to take a little bit longer. Brad: That's right. All right, let's go to work. The first one is simply sitting back in your chair. We actually allow a little slouching in this one. Grab your leg around the knee and pull up and we're going to flex the hip. Mike, do you have any other ways that help enhance this stretch? Mike: You can kind of noodle around as we call it. Notice I'm kind of going in and out. Obviously, the shape of your hips and pelvis is going to dictate what range you can go in but just go what's comfortable and kind of noodle around for 15 seconds. We're stretching the glute max or buttock muscle as well as the piriformis. Brad: One thing that's really important, none of these should create any pain, particularly sharp pain. It should feel comfortable and actually feel good. Your hip will feel better as a result. If it's painful, you stop and go to the next one. Number two is a really nice one for the IT band. It's an important little band that goes from the knee and connects up to a hip muscle. Just cross over, grab your knee, and pull. You'll feel that stretch right down where that line is on my pants there. And you can hold, or you can just pressure on, pressure off. Mike, does it work with jeans on? Mike: It does because I have stretchy jeans on. You probably want pants that can move around, because some of them are rather tight and rigid in the jean world. Brad: Now also a little warning, if you had a hip replacement, this is one thing you'll probably not want to do. You probably don't want to go through this routine until you talk to your doctor or therapist to find out which motions are contraindicated or are big no-nos not to do. So hip replacement people, you can check out. Mike: I'm going into the next stretch, which is the figure-four. So after you do the IT band, similar setup, except you're going to push down this time. Again, good posture is going to help with this. What is this stretch called, Brad? Because these are fun muscles to say. Brad: Well, this goes a little bit into the groin muscles. If we want to go into the details of each groin muscle, I thought you would know those. Mike: No, the small Gemelli and Obturator. Funny words. Brad: This is a really practical stretch for you as you grow older. It allows your hip to go up for putting your socks on, and putting your shoes on is very functional. All right, number four, seated clamshells. Simply scoot to the edge of your chair, put your feet together, relax your legs, with hands on your knees, and stretch out like this. We get the groin or the hip, adductor muscles, and adductors. It's a nice stretch. Relax and breathe with all of these stretches, it'll get much better results. Brad: All right, should we go into the inverted one? Mike: Yeah, so it's very similar except for your feet will go on the outside, and then you're going to kind of be like you're knocked knee. So you're going to turn in and stretch. Just go with what's comfortable. Some people are going to have more range than others. Brad: If you do have more range, you may need to put your feet out wider and then go before you feel that. And those get some of those small internal rotator muscles. So this one's usually a little more sensitive. You won't have to push really hard. Okay, now the hip flexor, this is an important one, especially doing it in a chair. It works out well, but you need to do it right. I'll demonstrate in a chair without wheels. Michael, show an office chair. We're going to turn sideways. The knee that is down, that's the hip that is getting stretched. And I'm going to actually slide my leg backward and I'm not going to lean forward, keep upright with the body. I like to put my hand on my hip to help support that hip. And it reminds me that that's how the mechanics work and I get a better stretch. And then I slide back and then we're going to shift and do both sides. Now, Mike, give him some hints on office chairs with wheels. Mike: So first, get in your position like this. If you want to touch your knee down, you certainly can, but you do not have to. You can just start swiveling, it's going to add a little rotation component to it. If that feels uncomfortable, you can just slide it forward. Brad: Sure. Mike: Again, I like stretching with my knee down, that's just me personally. But you don't have to, get a nice stretch like this. Obviously, to stretch the other leg, you have to go the opposite way. Make sure you feel safe sitting at the edge of your chair. Brad: Yes, we don't want to have people sliding off and having an injury as a result of this. Okay, now we're going to go through the whole stretch without all the details. We're going to start out a single knee to chest, up. Do the noodling back and forth. There you go, make sure you relax and breathe. Have a little fun with this. Maybe everyone at the office can do it together. Okay, next one, the crossover. Just go here, grab that knee, pull that knee to that shoulder. That helps me when I think of it that way. Ooh, I feel a really good stretch in there. Brad: This is getting that piriformis, which is responsible for a lot of pain. The other leg, here we go, stretch. We stretch and stretch. Okay, the figure-four stretch, we're going right into that one. Stay like this, relax and stretch. Again, this is that real functional one for putting your socks on and your shoes, particularly as you age. Ugh, next one. Oh, we have to go do both sides. Don't forget to do both legs. Okay, the seated clamshell. Mike: Do you ever run out of breath? Brad: Oh, I usually do. I was going to ask if you want to start going because I am. Mike: I was enjoying just listening to you do this. Brad: We stretch, oh yes. This was nice if you actually bring your shoulders back, helps your posture out as well. Getting two birds with one stone, all right. And then the inverted. I like to go out a little bit. This is the way my hips like to go. I'm one of those people who walk with their toes out. I'm an oddball. Mike: You kind of are, I agree there. Brad: Thank you, thank you. The next one is the hip flexor stretch. Mike: We're facing each other now. Can you imagine a whole office doing this? It's like synchronized swimming. Brad: Yes, I can. As a matter of fact, there will be a big surge going on across the nation over the next month. Mike: They're going to have so many productivity meetings after that. Brad: That's right, I haven't been timing it, but I know we're just a little over 90 seconds because I'm talking a little bit. All right, we're done, we've stretched everything. You know, if you can afford to get up and move around a little bit, do a little bonus stretch backward, and then you're ready to go. Do that three times a day. At least your hips will stay loose, every single one of them. All, what did I say, 21 or 27 of them? Mike: You said 21 of them. Brad: 21, there you go, you can't go wrong with 21. Mike: If you want to check out more videos, check out " STOP HIP Pain; Best 5 Stretches For Over 55 ." Brad: That's right. Enjoy the hip stretches and I'm sure you'll like them. 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This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzVcIBj_HWQ&t=22s Brad: We are going to explain and demonstrate why these three exercises are the best for strengthening your legs, as well as improving your balance. Mike: Yes, they combine the ability of strength in your hips, your knees, and your ankles, as well as the balance component, making you as stable as a pyramid. Brad: That's right, and it's quite simple to do. We'll get right to it. Let's go, Mike. Mike: Hopefully, we won't look like a pyramid. Brad: All right, the beauty of this routine, is it's only three separate exercises and we're going to show them at three levels, for beginners, intermediate, and the advanced level. Now the goal is, is to get to at least the intermediate, but some people are going to get to the advanced level or may even start with it. So we're going to get all three of them and they're going to work well. Mike, can you explain why these are better than most other exercises you're going to see for strength and balance? Mike: So the three reasons are first, it is done in a standing position, all variations from beginner to advanced. It's going to be more functional for actually working on your balance. Second, it's going to work to strengthen the muscles as well. So you're going to strengthen some of your ankle muscles and your hip muscles. And last, it's going to work on your proprioception, which is a fancy term for your balance. Brad: Well, there's a little more to it than that, but it's not needed unless you're a therapist. All right, let's get going to the explanation and demonstration. Okay, quickly we're going to go through the three simple movements. In standing, as we had mentioned, you're going to do hip flexion. You can do it with your knee straight or with it flexed. We're going to do 10 in each direction, and then out to the side, and then hip extension behind. Now it's really important that you understand, that we are actually working the hip muscles in this leg, but what's going on in the weight-bearing leg is really critical, not only for strengthening the muscles from the ankle all the way up to the hip, but it also works your balance. Brad: Now as you can see, Mike is using the chair for balance. A little bit more advanced, is to do it without the chair. And the next step we're going to show you in just a little bit and that would be the advanced version. Okay, let's get going. Mike: So for beginners, you're going to use support. You can either use a chair, a wall, a stick, or a countertop. And the first exercise we're going to do is hip flexion. Now Brad is doing the straight-leg version. I am doing the marching version. You want to do 10 on each side. Nice, slow, and controlled with them. If you're doing the marching and you wanna try alternating, you certainly can. It's a little harder to do that with Brad's because it looks like you're dancing. Brad: And I have a leg weight on, which if you wanted to start with that, because you need more resistance, then you would need one on each ankle, otherwise just do one leg at a time. To make it a little more difficult, go a little higher with either the marching motion or leg straight. That's up to you, start at a comfortable level of resistance, in other words, height. Mike: Another thing to look at is your stance leg. If I am standing with a slight bend in my knee, it's going to make this leg work a little harder. If I lock it out, it's going to be easier. So try to have a slight bend on that side. Now, the next exercise is hip abduction, meaning kicking out to the side. Try to control it. Go to what's comfortable. If you have to keep it low and down, that's fine. Kick up, just don't swing your whole torso with it. Nice slow controlled movements with a straight trunk. Brad: Good, good, nice. That is so important. I want to mention the last one is hip extension. Now this one, it is important that you keep your knees straight. The one that is doing the movement. If you bend the knee, then we're just working hamstrings. We want to work that hip more because that's going to work your balance more and your mobility better. There we go. Mike: Once you do one side, make sure to do the other. Brad: That's right. Mike: So you have to do the left side. Brad: All right, now if you want to progress to not using any balance aids, simply go in the corner like I am or in the open like Mike, depending on your comfort level. Here, you can grab the wall if you lose your balance, it makes it much safer. Simply go ahead and do the exercises again. Same thing, 10 reps on the side, not too slow. In the corner, you do have to shift your body, of course, so your leg doesn't bump into the wall. Brad: All right, now we're going to progress to the advanced mode. And this is really going to get you going and do more strengthening and challenge your balance more as well. You've all been waiting for this, right Mike? Mike: Yeah, I can't wait. Brad: Okay, here's the advanced version. You will need to have resistance bands . You can buy them in a set of usually five with different colors. They come with a door anchor. They also come with an ankle strap. If you don't have a door anchor, I'm actually going to use a wall anchor and you'll see how that works. All are options, or you simply use a table that has a very steady leg with a lot of weight. So what I'm going to do is start out attaching the ankle strap here, you connect it with a carabiner. The wall anchor, you simply go like this. It's very simple and easy. The door anchor, they come with, Mike's going to demonstrate. Mike: Simply take it and put it in between the door frame and the door. For the exercises we're doing, you want to have them lower. Make sure your door shuts firmly, so you pull on it, it doesn't open up. Brad: All right, now for you people who really feel advanced and want to modify this a little bit, if you're using the door anchor or the wall anchor, you simply move to a higher level. Now the wall anchor comes with three or four options, depending on where you buy it from. So I'm going to go up to chest height. It changes the angle of force and it makes your balance and your muscles work a little different. It's not a big difference, but if you really want to change it up and really fine-tune your balance, this will help. Brad: Okay, now when you're doing this one, you definitely want to do it your first time with some support. Use either a stick or a chair in front of you, or a wall, something where you can be very stable. I'm going to use the Booyah Stik . But again, anything that you can use for steady balance is fine. And we're going to do the same movements. We're going to start going forward. I have good balance. I'm going to use the stick on the opposite side of the leg that's weight-bearing. Slight bend in the knee as Mike mentioned. And you simply again go at a slow pace. Hold it there for a split second, then come back down. And then I test the abduction, out to the side. Again, bending at the hip does not count. We want to have an upward posture, good balance, and work on strength. I already can feel my hip muscles working. Brad: My ankle muscles here are working to keep my balance. It's much harder than you think. And then, of course, hip extension. There we go. No bending forward. Up tall and work it this way. You will not get as much range of motion in this direction, but that's okay. I can feel that glute maximus really going to town when I get out there. All right, now we're going into the advanced version with the bands. Mike's gonna help explain why this really makes a big difference. Mike: So when Brad's performing these exercises, you could see it's the band compared to the weight we had. Yes, the leg lifting up is working similarly, but the stance leg is actually getting a polling force from the band making you work on your balance a lot more on that stance leg, Brad: Right, I don't know, can you get on the ankle there? Brad: My ankle is really fatiguing because it is really working to keep my balance. This is very key, to keeping you functional, upright, and moving, whether you want to prevent fall risk or you're out and being active playing tennis or some other activity. There we go. Mike: And a simple way to make it easier or harder with the bands, Brad has mentioned, is just getting closer or further away from the wall. That's going to be a lot easier. That's going to be a lot more challenging. Brad: Good point, yeah, those two steps I made, made an obvious difference, and I can really feel now my quadriceps working because I have a flexed knee. Woo, and there we go. All right, so again, start with a stick, or a wall, but be safe. And what I like to do is I'll keep the stick in hand and just lift it up. That way if you need it, if you lose your balance, bang, you're right there, solid again. So very good. I am very convinced this is the best combination of leg strength and improving your balance in a very functional way, that's going to keep you active, healthy, fit, and? Mike: Pain-free. Brad: There ya go. Have we got something else here? Mike: Yeah, if you want to check out more videos on balance check out " Seniors - 10 Best Balance Exercises, Pick 3 & DO DAILY! " For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun 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   Leg Massager Lite Foot Massager 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: Grip and Forearm Strengthener   Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   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 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.