Why we need to straighten up

All though you might not have heard of “Upper cross syndrome” before, the condition is more common than you think and it could be having a very real and significant impact on your training and life in general.

By Suzana Talevski

Paul Bulatao, National Vocational Education and Training Manager at fitnessU, explains it like this: The Upper Cross syndrome is “the number one common condition of desk workers who display the symptoms of tightness of the traps, shoulder, headaches, tension headaches, shoulder pain, upper back, and neck pain.”

Presenting at FitEx , the conference for the fitness and exercise industry in New Zealand, Bulatao said “from the beginner to the advance client, it is essential that you address how each client holds their posture both at the gym and outside the gym. Without this assessment, you may be exacerbating further conditions and/ or not prescribing the most effective exercise program to both your client’s postural, health and fitness goals.”

“It’s a matter of balancing the imbalanced.”

Bulatao says addressing poor posture is a key in reducing the likelihood of injuries.

 

 

“Fitness professionals need to identify exercises or activities that may further exacerbate any postural variance. The neck, traps, chest and upper back muscles interplay with each other.

It involves identifying joints, muscles and connective tissues that may require strengthening and or stretching,” he says.

Bulatao says a postural assessment should be part of any fitness appraisal.

“The information gleaned from a postural assessment will not only guide exercise selection but it then allows a person to change the way they sit, stand and carry on their day to day activities whether at work, home or at the gym.”

So what are some general recommendations for helping “balance the imbalance?”

 

 

Do more:

·         Strengthen lower traps and posterior chain muscles

 

·         Stretch and open the thoracic cage (chest, shoulders) more often 

 

·         Take walks/ stand up from desk

·         Yoga/ Pilates

Do less:

·         Overhead exercises. e.g. shoulder presses.

·         Any exercises that may switch on or over activate the traps. e.g. shrugs, shoulder exercises, chest exercises, lat pull down, chin ups, cycling, rowing.

 

"Being a personal trainer is more than just having the knack for doing the right fitness exercise or giving the suitable program to your clients," says Bulatao.

 

You also have to be appropriately educated and qualified in aspects of anatomy and physiology."

 

For more information about a career in fitness visit www.fitnessu.com.au

 

 

Move it or Lose It is now online!!

Article  from  Gippsland media
Functional strength training for our senior population is now more accessible with one of Australia's most popular fitness programs Move it or Lose it going online.

The program, aimed at the elderly, combines body weight, free weight and chair exercises designed to keep our elderly population active and functional.

Suzana Talevski presents the program which also screens every Tuesday morning on Channel 31 at 8.30am.

"Being fit and healthy isn't just about weight loss or looking a certain way. It is so much more than that," the fitness presenter says. "It's about having a better quality of life, being more independent as you age and generally feeling good."

The program focuses on exercises that help us in every day function," explains Suzana who presents the program without fees.

 "For example core work, working with your abdominal muscles, will assist in getting up out of bed easier, it helps in sitting up properly and with greater ease. We need strong triceps and biceps to lift every day item such as grocery bags or to reach for something in the cupboard. It really is a pleasure to be able to reach so many through the television show and make a difference in those who need it most. It is very exciting to launch the program on line so even more people can access it not only in Australia but now right around the world.''

Ten episodes are now online and can be found on You Tube by searching Suzana Talevski