Whiplash: Do I Need to be Treated?

It's that time of the year.  The weather has gotten warm.  The sun is shining bright.  It is the perfect time of the year to put the top down or open the car windows and go for a ride.  When you go for a ride in a car you always run the risk of getting into a car accident.  Now what?

The most common injury that someone suffers in a car accident is an injury called whiplash.  Whiplash happens when your car comes to an abrupt stop, but your body in the car, continues to move forward at the same speed until something (preferably the seat-belt) acts in opposition to your moving body and stops you.  This is based on one of Newton's Law of Motion, that simply states that an object in motion will remain in motion until it is acted upon by another force.  This means that even thought the car gets slowed down from the accident, your body will continue to travel until something slows it down (i.e. the seat-belt).  Because the seat-belt goes over your shoulders, and not your head, your head and neck will continue at the same rate or speed at which your car was traveling causing the neck to whip around.  This whipping around  pulls on the muscles and ligaments in your neck, stretching them out and sometimes tearing them giving you the swelling and pain we call whiplash.

You have been diagnosed with whiplash, now what.  In most cases of a history of a car accident that leaves the patient with neck pain, the patient is usually taken to the ER for an evaluation and most likely x-rays.  After you have been cleared of any broken bones, you are usually sent home with a prescription for pain meds of muscle relaxers.  The question is now, what do you do?  There are several things to try that can be very important on how fast you recover from your injuries:

1.) Use ice packs -
- Ice will help lessen swelling, and thus lessen the stiffness.
- Ice also helps to numb the area and that can lessen pain.
- Try to avoid using any heat until you are sure the swelling is gone as heat can promote swelling.

2.) Keep your neck moving -
- As long as you are without fractures or tears you must move joints for them to get the nutrition they need to heal.
- Be careful to not overdo it.  Too much movement can pull more on already injured tissue making things worse.
- Try chiropractic.  Chiropractors are trained to get joints moving again that are lacking in motion.

3.) Listen to your body -
- Pain is your body's way of telling you that you are overdoing it.  The old adage of no pain, no gain is a poor one.  Listen to your body, if it hurts, slow down.  If you push it, you run the risk of injuring the area even more.
- Exercise is the key.  Moving the joints and strengthening them will help you feel better, faster.

It is easy to just think that relaxing and resting will help to eliminate the problems but studies have shown that  that when you do nothing you run the risk of further problems to the neck.  Because of this, it is very important to get your body treated as quickly as possible after your injury has happened.

Disclaimer:  The above information is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as medical advise.  Always, see your physician to be properly diagnosed before trying any course of treatment.

Study Finds: Chiropractic can help with Digestion

Do you suffer from digestive problems such as GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease), or IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)?  Have you tried medications and not received much relief?  Have you tried chiropractic?  If not, you may be missing out on a therapy that could provide some potential relief.  A study posted in the January 2005 edition of JMPT (Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics) titled Self-Reported Nonmusculoskeletal Responses to Chiropractic Intervention: A Multinational Survey by: Leboeuf-Yde et al; suggests that chiropractic may be beneficial to you.  In the study, a survey was given to 5,607 patients in seven different countries and they were asked to self-report any non-musculoskeletal conditions that improved during their chiropractic treatment.  The study found that 26% of these patients reported an improvement in digestion despite only a small number of those patients stating that they were seeking treatment from their chiropractor for digestive issues.  So, how does it work?

First, we need to understand how digestion works.  Our stomach, small intestine, and large intestine are largely considered to be our primary digestive organs.  These organs are under the control of what many in anatomy call the "Gut Brain."  This is an intricate network of nerves that provide communication between these organs and our brain.  These nerves come from a specialized part of our nervous system called the autonomic nervous system (aka the "automatic" nervous system).  This system is in charge of providing our bodies with digestion when there is food in the body and turning off these organs when food is not present.  Can you guess where these nerves originate from?  If you guessed the spine, you are correct!

So where does chiropractic come into play here?  It all has to do with the chiropractic subluxation theory.  With this theory, it is stated that when two adjoining vertebrae lose their proper motion, it not only stresses out the joint as well as the ligaments and muscles that attach to the joint, but it also interferes with the ability of the nerves that exit out these joints, to conduct their signal properly.  This inability of the nerves to properly conduct their signal is thought to lead to problems with the organs they attach to.  Thus, it is thought that by adjusting the joints and removing this interference, you will cause the organs to function better and limit problems in the organs.  It is pretty simple.

If you or someone you know has digestive issues they might want to consider chiropractic to help manage their problems.  Have them contact their local chiropractor and see what they can do for you!

Disclaimer:  The above information is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as medical advise.  Always, see your physician to be properly diagnosed before trying any course of treatment.

New Year's Resolution: Lose Weight - Now How Do I Do it?

Resolutions

Most of us do the time honored tradition of making a New Year's Resolution and if statistics are correct, most of you reading this have made the resolution to lose weight in 2012.  We always want to be the better, healthier people we know we can be.  The problem that we now run into is: How do I not only lose weight but keep it off this time?

To Diet or Not to Diet

The first thing you are probably asking yourself is which diet works the best?  The unfortunate answer to that question is: NONE OF THEM.  I know that is a tough thing to read but it is the truth.  Diets are inherently bad, they don't work.  The definition of a diet is a temporary thing.  Diets and particular crash diets like the HCG diet, Atkin's diet, The Master Cleanse, and other restrictive diets are only good for temporary weight loss.  Can they help you lose weight?  Yes, some of them can.  Will you keep the weight off once you stop utilizing the diet?  No, most people end up putting the weight back on and in some cases, add additional weight to what they had before. 

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So, why does this happen?  It happens as a result of the restrictive nature of the diets.  These diets are not healthy enough to continue to do your entire life.  When you do a restrictive diet or cleanse, you are missing vital nutrients/food stuff that your body needs to perform normal bodily functions.  You are also not being told how to eat properly.  As soon as the diet ends, most people go right back to their old habits as that is the way they know how to eat, and all of the weight comes right back.  So how do you lose weight and keep it off?

Changing Your Lifestyle

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you must change your lifestyle.  Look at it this way, if you were a smoker and wanted to quit smoking, you do not stop smoking for only a month or two and then pick it back up once that time is over.  So, why do we do this with food?  The only way to not be a smoker anymore is to change your lifestyle.  The same is the case with food.  If you want to keep the weight off, you must change your eating habits including the kind and amounts of food you eat, FOR GOOD.

Using the Basal Metabolic Rate

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to know how many calories your body needs. 

There are many different factors that are involved in weight loss.  Most of weight gain happens due to a high caloric intake and not enough caloric output by the body.  For us to determine how many calories it would take to lose weight we must first determine how many calories your body uses while at rest.  This is called your Resting Metabolic Rate (or Basal Metabolic Rate).  There are several ways to determine how many calories are burned while your body is at rest.  All of the different equations are correct and are widely used to determine your RMR.  For an accurate number we are going to use the average of the results of all the equations.

Please fill in all blank lines (a calculator will be needed).  Conversion equations are listed at the bottom:

Determining Resting Metabolic Rate

Method One Description:

Males: 66 + (6.22 x _______weight (lbs)) + (12.7 x _________height (inches)) - (6.8 x _____age)

                                                                                       =____________ SCORE 1
Females: 655 + (4.36 x _______weight (lbs)) + (4.32 x _______height (inches)) - (4.7 x ____age)

                                                                                       =____________SCORE 1

Method Two Description: Harris-Benedict Equations

BW = body weight in kilograms, HT = height in cm, Age in years

Men: RMR = 66.473 + (13.751*________BW) + (5.0033*________HT) - (6.755*________Age)

                                                                                        =____________ SCORE 2
Women: RMR = 655.0955 + (9.463*________BW) + (1.8496*________HT) - (4.6756*_____Age)

                                                                                        =____________ SCORE 2

Method Three Description: REVISED Harris-Benedict Equations

BW = body weight in kilograms, HT = height in cm, Age in years

Men: RMR = 88.362 + (13.397*_________BW) + (4.799*_______HT) - (5.677*______Age)

                                                                                       =___________ SCORE 3
Women: RMR = 447.593 + (9.247*_________BW) + (3.098*________HT) - (4.330*_______Age)

                                                                                       =___________ SCORE 3

Method Four Description: Quick Estimate Formula

Men: _________BW (in kg) * 24.2                                                                =___________ SCORE 4
Women: __________BW (in kg) * 22.0                                                         =___________ SCORE 4

Method Five Description: Fat Free Mass Formula (We will not use)

This is the same for men and women.
RMR = 1.3 * Fat Free Mass (in kg) * 24  

Conversion Formulas

Pounds to Kilograms:  ________BW (lbs.) / 2.2 = BW (kg.)

Kilograms to Pounds:  ________BW (kg.) * 2.2 = BW (lbs.)

Inches to Centimeters:  ________HT (in.) * 2.54 = HT (cm.)

Centimeters to Inches:  ________HT (cm.) * 0.3937008 = HT (in.)

Now take ________Score 1 + _________Score 2 + _________Score 3 + _________Score 4 = _________Total / 4        =     

                                  _________________Average RMR



What this all Means

So now that we have determined what your RMR is let me explain how this is helpful.  This is the number of calories you need to eat in order to maintain your weight.  This is the baseline for which to set your diet.  We know through numerous experiments that there are roughly 3500 calories in a pound of fat.  What this means is that if you cut out 3500 calories from your diet you will lose one pound.  Lets put this into a more practical term.  If you were to cut out 500 calories a day you will lose a pound after only one week.  It is as simple as that, just eating a little less, no exercise.  We all know nothing is simple especially weight loss so there must be a trick right?  Well there is a trick to losing weight faster than a pound a week and maintaining that weight loss.

The Trick

The trick is in the food you eat.  There are certain foods that will make you full faster and help you to eat fewer calories.  Let’s talk about how your body physically works.  When you eat food as you chew you are making the food into smaller particles, as well as adding saliva that begins the digestive phase.  The food then passes down the esophagus to the stomach where it is broken down further by the stomach’s acid.  The stomach then passes the food into the intestine.  In the intestine the food takes a bath in pancreatic enzymes that further aid in breaking the food down into the particles that our body uses.  This is also where we determine if we are full.  There is one particle that our body is looking for and once it has enough of this particle another enzyme is released by the pancreas to make us feel full.  What is this magic particle?  Protein.

 Diets that are high in lean proteins will cause us to feel full faster and stay full longer.  This is the trick to a good diet, lean protein at every meal.  Having a breakfast that consists of an egg white omelet will fill you up faster and lower your blood sugar to begin the day.  This means you will stay full until lunchtime and not have the stomach grumbles as soon as you get to work.

Eat about five small meals a day instead of eating two or three big meals.  This helps to prevent overeating and using up all or most of your calories on one meal.  If you put longer than 4-6 hours in-between meals your body begins to enter into starvation mode.  Starvation mode is also conservation mode meaning your body will begin to conserve and store calories.  This will cause you to hold on to fat, which is the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish.

Disclaimer:  The above information is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as medical advise.  Always, see your physician prior to beginning any diet or exercise program to determine if you are healthy enough for the program.

Holiday's and Stress: Boost Immunity This Holiday Season

With the holiday season invariably comes the holiday sickness.  We are around lots of people and end up getting the colds, flu, or sinus infections that go with the season.  This, however, doesn't always have to be the case.  If you follow a few simple tips, you can greatly limit your chances of getting sick this holiday season.

Tip #1: Eat Plenty of Fruits and Veggies

Over the holiday season, we tend to overload on carbs and not eat enough of the things that keep us healthy: the fruits and vegetables.  Not only are fruits and vegetables loaded with vitamins and nutrients that are essential to everyday health they are also high in stress and germ fighting anti-oxidants.  These are chemicals that help to rid the body of disease and age causing free radicals.  If you limit the amount of free radicals in the body, you will also limit the possibility of disease.

(Fruits and Vegetables to eat:  dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers)

Tip #2: Get Plenty of Exercise

According to the US government department's website for the National Institute of Health, exercise has a direct link to boosting your immune system.  One of the theories behind this is the link between exercise and lowering cortisol levels in the body.  Cortisol is a hormone that is released from the Adrenal Glands and is in direct connection with levels of stress in the body.  As stress levels rise, so do cortisol levels.  Studies have found that exercise lowers levels of cortisol in the system and therefore decreases stress, giving you less chances of getting sick.  One thing to watch out for is overdoing the exercise while sick.  During infections, one of the best defences your body has is to raise the core temperature and give you a low grade fever.  This speeds up the body's metabolism and creates an environment where white blood cells (the bodies defenders) can work at a faster rate.  Exercise, also raises body temperature.  If you already have a fever and increase the body's temperature even more, you run the risk of passing out or doing other bodily harm.  Exercises while sick should be limited to mild intensity and be performed no more than 15-30 min in session.  If you are not sick, exercise should be done on a daily basis as an overall disease preventative process.

Tip #3: Reduce Your Stress

Just like exercise helps to reduce stress, we also need to do other things to reduce stress.  We all know the holidays can be very stressful.  We need to remember that the holiday's are meant to be a time to be together as friends and family.  Sometimes we get caught up in the stresses of the holiday season; the mad rushes to buy the best gift, worry about finances, and stress over family problems.  All of these will dampen our immunity and ability to fight off disease.  Take a few minutes to yourself this holiday season to just relax and soak up the holiday season.  Most of us take time off work to have a vacation over the holidays but it never really feels like a vacation.  So, let's make it one.  Take a few days to catch up on some sleep.  Go to the park and go for a stroll.  If the weather is too cold around you, go for a drive and look at holiday decorations.  Give yourself some time to unwind and your body will thank you for it.

Tip #4: Limit Your Alcohol Intake

Yes, you are on vacation.  We just talked about that, but, that doesn't mean you should overdue it on the alcohol.  I know a lot of us have a drink to "unwind."  Yes, there is proven benefit to having a glass of red wine.  The key to that sentence, however, is to have A GLASS.  Moderation is the word for this holiday season.  You want to have a few drinks?  Do so in moderation.  You want to eat some Christmas cookies?  Do so in moderation.  You want to pig out at your family's house?  Do so in moderation.  It doesn't matter what holiday you are celebrating, you need to keep your vices in moderation.  A moderate amount of alcohol can have some health benefits, a large amount will do more harm than good, so keep it moderate.

Tip #5: Don't Be Afraid to Reward Yourself

If you are sticking to a plan and trying hard to keep yourself healthy through this holiday season, the best way to keep yourself on the right path is to give yourself little rewards.  You are working hard at your health.  When you work hard at anything else in life, you get a reward, so why not here?  Take the time to enjoy the little things that make all the other hard work worth it. 


These are only a few of the many tips out there on how to stay healthy over the holiday season.  I invite you to use the comments section to share with others some of the tips you use to stay healthy over the holiday season.  Please, enjoy the holiday!

Backpacks Can Cause Backpain

It's that time of the year again.  The time where all of the kids have gone back to school.  They are grabbing their backpacks and rushing out the door every morning to catch the bus.  This is the normal picture of most households but there is something wrong here and it involves their backpack.

The Consumer Product and Safety Commission estimates that there are 27,900 backpack-related injuries that happen to U.S. kids and adults in a year.  You have to be asking yourself; "How can such a simple product, that so many people use, be causing so many injuries?"  So what are we doing wrong?  There are several precautions we need to take when considering what is the correct backpack to buy, as well as the proper way to wear a backpack.

What Backpack Should I Buy?

When picking out a backpack you should look for several things, the first is the size of the backpack.  We need to be purchasing backpacks that fit properly.  If the backpack is the same size as your child, you have the wrong sized backpack.

You also need to purchase a backpack with padded straps.  As we increase the weight present in the backpack, the full pressure of that weight gets distributed through the straps of the pack onto the person wearing the backpack.  Padding the straps makes sure that they do not dig into or cut the person wearing the pack.  Also, look for a backpack with wide straps, the wider the better.  As we increase surface area by widening the straps, we will decrease the amount of force or pressure that is applied to any one spot on the shoulders.

How Should the Pack be Worn?

One of the first and most important things we need to consider is the weight that is present inside that backpack.  Most parents and teachers would be shocked to discover the amount of weight our students carry in their backpacks.  We have all been there, your kid comes home and puts the backpack where it doesn't belong and you go to pick it up and move it and you practically pull a muscle trying to lift it.  The American Occupational Association, Inc recommends that you should not carry more than 10% of your body weight in your backpack.  This means that a 100 pound person should carry no more than 10 pounds in a backpack.  However, the American Chiropractic Association did a study and found that the average American child carries around 22% or their body weight in the backpacks.  This puts a large amount of stress in the child's shoulders and joints of their back.  To prevent this will take a coordinated effort between parents and teachers to lessen the amount that the student carries in their backpack each day.

The proper placement of the backpack is over BOTH shoulders, with the bottom of the pack no more than 4 inches below their waistline.  This will allow for the weight to be controlled by a bigger group of muscles in the back.  This means that we need to have a backpack that has adjustable straps that allow for tightening and loosening of the shoulder straps to allow the pack to be raised and lowered.

What Are Some Signs of Impending Problems?

There are a few things you can watch for to help make sure these injuries are not beginning with your child:

•  Watch for posture changes as the child carries the backpack
•  Listen for complaints about muscle or joint pain (even foot and knee pain could mean impending back problems)
• Lift the pack yourself to test for the weight - If it is too heavy for you, it is too heavy for your child
• Numbness or tingling from wearing the pack
• Red Marks from the pack

What Do You Do if You See Any of These Signs?

Make a note of them and make sure you notify your physician.  Make the changes suggested above and take your child to a chiropractor to help keep them out of pain!

Best Supplements to Take

What are the supplements that I should be taking?  It is a very common question that gets presented to me not only in practice, but also when I am teaching (you cannot learn about the intricate workings of the human anatomy and physiology without discussing nutrition).  The answer to this question can prove to be difficult at times.  All vitamins and minerals are vital to your health and well being.  They are play an important role in how your body works, all the way down to the chemical processes of each individual cell.  They are all important, and your body should be given all of them.

Now that I have gotten that off my chest I think I can be a little more objective and give a straightforward answer.  In order to do that we need to come to an understanding first.  We are going to talk about SUPPLEMENTS.  If they were supposed to be the main source of nutrition for your body, they would be called REPLACEMENTS.  No supplement can replace a healthy diet.  With as good as we have gotten with technology, we still cannot make the nutrition in as usable form that mother nature makes it.  It is always best to get your nutrition through eating the proper food.  We will cover in a later post, the best ways to eat proper food, and still lose weight.  But, here we are going to be discussing supplements.  Supplements are supposed to be a supplement to what you are already getting in your diet.  It is to help you get adequate amounts of the nutrients your body needs when you may not be eating enough within your diet.  Again, this does not mean that you are healthy if you eat bad for you food and take supplements.

So there are a few supplements that I would recommend a normal, healthy adult, to take.  This goes without being said but I will say it anyway, if you have an illness or disease, you will need different nutrients based upon your condition.  This is for those of you that are already healthy, and are looking for that extra boost to keep yourself healthy.  Lets get started:

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Vitamin C is a great supplement to take.  It is a water soluble vitamin, meaning that it has to travel over the intestinal tract with water.  This also means that it is difficult to hit a toxicity level with vitamin C.  When your body has excessive amounts of vitamin C, you will typically just urinate it out.  Your body uses vitamin C to create collagen, which is a connective tissue.  This means that vitamin C is used to make a lot of the tissues in your body, and helps those tissues to stay strong.

Another thing that vitamin C does is it is one of those often heard antioxidants.  Vitamin C, along with Vitamins A and E, make up the antioxidant system of the body.  Antioxidants get rid of free radicals that can do damage to cells in your body.  Be sure that you buy supplements that also contain bioflavinoids, a micro nutrient that helps with the absorption of the Vitamin C.  Vitamin C also helps with the absorption of iron into the body.

Omega 3

Omega 3s are a fantastic supplement to take for your body.  It has been shown in different studies to raise HDL's (good cholesterol) in the body.  This is important as it helps to protect your heart and blood vessels from disease (heart disease is the number one cause of death in the US).

Omega 3 has also been shown to be a natural blood thinner as well as to lessen inflammation in the body.  While it is a natural process that your body needs to do, it is also the cause of most aches and pains in joints and muscles.  The swelling of inflammation also adds extra unwanted weight to the body.

CoQ10

Co-enzyme Q10 is an important enzyme in the body.  The main job of enzymes in the body are to work as catalysts.  A catalyst is used to speed up a chemical reaction.  In the case of CoQ10, it is used to speed up a reaction called the electron transport chain.  The electron transport chain is used to create ATP (energy) that cells like nerves and muscles use as fuel.  CoQ10 is thought to help prevent neurologic and muscular disorders.  It also, naturally, helps to create and sustain energy in the body throughout the day.

A Multivitamin

Multivitamins are great as most vitamins require the presence of other vitamins in order to have proper absorption into the body.   Multivitamins provide all those vitamins to be taken together.  Please note though, if you are taking a multivitamin in tablet form, you are only processing half of what is says you are getting.  This is because the tablets are so tightly compacted together to make that pill, your body cannot break the whole pill down and thus you only can absorb what is broken down. 


There you have it.  My top four supplements to take.  Prior to starting a supplement regime, make sure you consult your physician.  Especially, if you are taking a medication, make sure the supplement will not interact with your meds.

Good Exercises for Back Pain

In the last post, we discussed that one of the main reasons that back pain comes back is because your muscles are too weak.  So, you went to your local chiropractor and got adjusted.  This helped your back pain, but it seems to be coming back.  What do you do now?  Well, the best thing for you is to get off the couch and get moving!  The discs of your back need movement to undergo a process called imbibition.  This is how the discs move nutrition in and out of the joints of the spine.  Movement allows for this nutrition to move in and out of the joint and start the healing process,

So what exercises are good for your back to move and gain strength?  Below, we will cover some of the best exercises for your back as well as a good plan for how often to do those exercises:

Exercise 1: The Pelvic Bridge
The pelvic bridge is an exercise done in the supine position (on your back).  You next need to bend at your knees and put your feet flat on the ground.  Next you need to initiate your core.  To do this, you need to lightly contract your abs as if you were bracing for someone to punch you in the stomach.  At the same time during your ab contraction, you need to lightly arch your back.  A good way to tell that you are doing it correctly is to place one hand behind the small of your back.  If you feel like you are crushing your hand, you are contracting the abs too much and not arching the back enough.

After initiating the core you need to hold that contraction and raise your pelvis up off the ground as if someone was pulling on a string attached to your belly button to lift you up.  If you are putting a lot of pressure on your shoulders, you are not doing it correctly.  You need to concentrate more on lifting your pelvis and less on trying to force it up.

The pelvis is held in it's lifted position for 3-5 seconds, before you lowered it down in a controlled fashion.  Then, wait for 3-5 seconds and repeat the exercise.  The exercise is to be performed for a minimum of 10 repetitions per set for 3 sets to be repeated twice daily (10 reps/3 sets/2x daily).  More reps may be added once a strength has been built.  For best results, this exercise should be done 3-5 times per week.

(For an advanced version of this workout, this exercise can be performed with your back pressing against an exercise ball for added balance difficulty, thus increasing the difficulty of this exercise).

Exercise 2: The Push-Up
One of the best exercises for the core is a push-up.  The push-up is just a modified version of a Pilate's exercise called a plank.  The only difference is with a push-up you raise and lower your body toward the ground thus increasing your arm strength.  If you feel you are not strong enough or if you have shoulder of wrist problems, the plank exercise can be performed in place of the push-up to the same benefit.

How do you perform a correct push-up?  This exercise is done in the prone position (laying face down on the floor).  You then must place your palms flat on the floor with your arms about shoulder width apart.  Your elbows should be bent at about a 45 degree angle with the elbows tucked in beside your body.  You then must initiate the core by contracting it as described in the exercise above.

Upon contracting the core, you then will use your arms to push on the floor raising your body up off the floor until your arms have fully straightened (extension).  Upon reaching extension of your arms, you will then lower your body back to the ground in a controlled fashion.  While keeping the core contracted the entire time, you repeat the process of raising and lowering your body.  The exercise should be done a minimum of 10 reps/3 sets/2x daily.  More reps may be added once strength is built.

( For those who suffer from arm injuries or weaknesses that cannot perform a full push-up, a plank may be performed.  To perform a correct plank, follow the description above with the exception of placing your elbows and forearms flat on the ground instead of the palms of your hands.  When the exercise is performed and you hold your body off the ground the pressure is placed on the forearm and elbow and the contraction is done once.  Instead of repeated raising and lowering of the body the raised position is held for 15 seconds with 3-5 seconds in between reps.  This exercise is also to be performed at 10 reps/2 sets/3x daily for best results).

Exercise 3: Aerobic Exercises
A good aerobic exercise such as going for a walk or jog is great for the core muscles when performed with the core contracted as described above.  Adding this exercise to your aerobic workout not only helps to strengthen the core but also to help the heart, and help the body lose/maintain weight.


Disclaimer - As with any exercise regime, it is very important that you consult with your physician prior to beginning your regime to make sure you are physically fit and healthy enough to begin.  Only a trained physician can determine if you are healthy enough to handle the new exercises.