So you can have an idea of where Dan was starting at, here are some of the basics of info we will share. Dan is 45 years old and has 2 sons. One in College, the other about to graduate High School (we hope). Just Kidding Luke. I tease Dan that he is a secret Agent but really he works as an International Corporate Pilot. Sounds like code words for James Bond but he denies it. With his job he is gone for 5-8 weeks at a time which comes at a serious cost to his muscular efficiency. There are times he has to stay in the same seated position for as much as 12 hours at a time. He spends most of his days either flying, working on the aircraft, or he stays at his hotel for the day, most of the time for his safety.

Currently his body suffers from many of the common symptoms associated with prolonged sitting. He has a bulging L-5 disk in his back. He constantly has discomfort in his hips, both joint and muscle pain. Then recently he suffered a scary lower leg strain that originally was thought to be a torn achilles tendon. He is generally very tight all over.

Here is his diagnostic photos from the first meeting:

Like we mentioned with Holly, there are several issues here to point out but we are going to focus on 2 main ones to start with. Looking first at the front and back views look at Dan's Pelvis. Notice how the right side is significantly higher than the left? This is one area we want to really focus on. an imbalance in the height of the pelvis has some serious negative side effects throughout the body. We always say that your hips are the foundation of your body so any imbalance there will have repercussions elsewhere in the body. One of these examples is how the imbalance in the heights of the pelvis will cause lateral curvature in the spine (scoliosis). Commonly when you have someone with an elevated hip then one of the shoulders will also be elevated in relation to the pelvis. Notice how this is true in Dan's shoulders.

The second issue is similar to what Holly was suffering from. He is not accepting weight correctly into his pelvis which creates a significant amount of stress in the lumbar spine. In the lateral views notice how far out in front of the midline his hips are. Look at this picture to to see again how the skeletal system is designed to be positioned. Holly was teasing Dan after we were going over the photos during the session that his butt has disappeared. I promised her it is still there but due to the position of his pelvis it gives the appearance that it is gone. We gave Dan his first series of exercises to begin the process of correcting his postural imbalances.

I have asked Dan and holly to give us a weekly update on how they are feeling and doing. I will post these up for you as they are ready. Then we will also go over the updated pictures each week.

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Here we are in the year 2010 and it took a team of Health Experts from London to tell us that sitting for long periods of time is potentially bad for us. The article tells us that "Research is preliminary, but several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die."

I am not sure about death but what I do not to be fact and I have plenty of years in the industry to prove it is that sitting for long periods at a time will destroy your muscular efficiency. We have talked about this many times and detail it quite a bit in our 4 Laws of Training Posts. Our bodies are constantly changing based on the stimulus they receive. If the stimulus you give to your muscular system is to be dormant, sure enough it will become dormant.

It does not take research for us to understand that sitting is not a good choice. This is true regardless of your fitness goals. Losing weight, gaining flexibility, or running a 10k. Sitting for extended periods will make achieving these goals incredibly hard.

Do yourself a favor and allow the Experts in London to spend their time researching something that we might not be able to figure out for ourselves.

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The answer from our perspective may surprise you. I sat down to calculate this out and came up with an amount that has nothing to do with cardiovascular requirements or calorie burning but rather what would it take for us to be able to maintain true physical health. True physical health meaning that our bodies are maintaining a high level of efficiency that allows us to be flexible, strong, have good posture, have high levels of endurance, and high energy levels throughout the day. We all had this at one point, it was called childhood.

Childhood was a time in our lives where physical activity was of premium importance. I am now 35 years old but I can remember how highly it was stressed in my Elementary Schools. Thank you Bear Creek in Lakewood Colorado! We had P.E. everyday along with multiple recesses all the way through 5th grade. Now my son who is in 3rd grade gets one recess if he is lucky and P.E. for 45 minutes 1x per week. So think back to being 6 years old and we begin to get closer to how much time we need to exercise during the week.

The answer is hours, many hours not per week but per day. Our Bodies were designed to be used, not occasionally sitting on a silly little bike reading a book but used, a lot. Playgrounds, fences, trees, and any other obstacle we could find used to be our training equipment. When we used them we were strong, had more energy than our parents could stand, and were as healthy as we will most likely ever be in our lives.

So how do we replicate this as adults now with kids of our own and full time jobs and the many other stresses we deal with on a daily basis? The answer is in smaller amounts. We no longer have the luxury of a 3 hour marathon game of Cops and Robbers. We now are luck to have 30 minutes. One of the many reasons I wanted to create this blog was to give you tools to become as healthy as possible regardless of your current situation. If you have not looked in the Store, go check it out. For the cost of going to a movie you can get some of our programs.

If you work at a desk all day, Purchase our AM/PM routines, the Complete Cubicle Workout Series, and the Abdominal program. You now have the tools you need to get an hour worth of exercise a day without making much of a difference in your current schedule.

Give us some feedback and let us know what other types of products will help you out in your goals to stay fit and healthy. In the meantime make sure you are doing exercise everyday. The ramifications of not doing so go way beyond not burning enough calories or needed to work your cardiovascular system more.

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Train2move would like to offer you an alternative this year. The style of muscular efficiency training we utilize at Train2move allows you to restore the performance of your muscular system. We have talked about this in hundreds of our posts but we want to take this New Years opportunity to actually show you how effective it can be and provide you with access to the training.

To provide this opportunity to you we needed to find people willing to go through the program and share their experience with you. Lucky for us we found Holly and Dan Migas. They are parents of Luke, one of our Hood to Coast team Members on our Runwithpower team. We selected them based on the fact that we thought they represented what this program is all about. They were both healthy individuals who cared about their bodies but noticed that they were starting to slow down physically. They both want to stay active for many more years but are concerned that they are not going to be able to .

Dan and Holly are perfect examples of what many people say is just the by product of aging. We are going to prove to them and to you that it is not their age but rather their current level of muscular efficiency that is making them, "feel there age".

Over the next month we will take you through their progress with updates from us about their training, postural photographs so you can visually see their progress, and most importantly feedback from them. We have told them to be completely honest about how they feel about the program and of course how they are feeling physically.

If you are looking to try something a little more successful than the annual weight loss goal this year we invite you to join Dan and Holly on their quest to restore their muscular systems to a level that enables them to feel great physically and maintain a level of efficiency for many years to come. As we get near the end of the month of January we will be giving you access to the exact program that Dan and Holly went through.

Check back here soon for the initial interview and postural photographs so you can get the complete look at where Dan and Holly started.

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These issues typically disappear after the middle of February when most of the New Years Resolution crowd realizes they are not going to stick with it and they begin to fall off their over eager workout schedule. This was always a little disappointing to witness each year. People would go in to the new year and workout out at a level that was not appropriate for their current ability levels and completely burn themselves out after a month or so.

Sadly the gym world relies on this to make their money. I remember seeing statistic sheets when I was an assistant manager at one of the gyms that less than 20% of the people who were paying their monthly dues actually used the facility more than once a month. We also noticed that many of the percentage who came in were doing so for the amenities like tanning and massage but not to actually workout.

Sign people up for a three year financial commitment, then watch as they slowly lose interest. They stop coming in but you still get their money. It is the sad truth about gyms. Don't get me wrong. Many gym offer some incredible training and classes designed to keep people motivated and going to the facility. It is not the gyms fault necessarily, it is just the reality of the gym world.

So if you are considering going out to purchase a gym membership this year to help achieve your resolutions, here are a few things I would recommend you consider before you do so.

1. What is your motivation? Are you trying to lose weight, run a marathon, play some pick up basketball help your aching knees and back? Make sure you have your goals firmly in place before you go to the gym. Then consider what all you will need to make this happen. Make sure the gym you are considering has the things to offer that you will need to meet your goals.

2. What do you enjoy? If you have always loved swimming, make sure your gym has a pool. If you enjoy playing games to get in shape, does it have a basketball court or a racquetball court? Are their leagues you can get into?

3. What time are you going to use the gym? Most gyms will give you a free pass to try the facility out. Take it and make sure to spend some time at the gym when you will normally be there. Many people go to purchase a membership during their lunch break only to find out that in the evening when they are going to workout the gym is so busy they can barely move around.

4. Try to get a month to month deal. If you can go in and purchase just one month, do so. Even if they want to charge you quite a bit for it, go in and prove to yourself you are going to use the facility. If after the month you are consistent and enjoying it, now make a longer commitment.

5. Try exercising at home to see if you are actually willing to do it. We have some very inexpensive programs that you can try in our Store that will not only help to get you in better health but will also be a great supplement to your gym membership if you decide to get one.

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We decided that it would be worth taking what is one of our biggest passions and create a separate blog just for those of you who love running as much as we do. This blog will be focused on one main area, education. We want to share what over twenty years of combined training in all forms of running has taught us with all of you.

There are going to be some fun events happening in 2010 that we also want to allow you to be a part of. Loren will be blogging about his Quest to run a 400 meter dash in under 50 seconds is going. It has been a goal of his for a long time and he is excited to fill all of you in on what he has learned to do and more importantly what not to do when it comes to training for speed and speed endurance.

Josh did Qualify for Boston at the Portland Marathon this year and he will begin his training this month. He once again will keep you up to dat with how that is going and then he and Loren will be sending constant pictures and video from the event itself. This should be a great chance to see for yourself why Boston is considered the King of all Marathons.

Finally Runwithpower was accepted into the 2010 Hood to Coast Relay in Oregon. Our team of twelve is ready to take you through the process of what has become one of the most prolific races in the country. With 1000 teams and 12,000 runners we leave from the Peak of Mount Hood and Travel Through Portland all the Way to the Beach in Seaside Oregon. 197 miles of awesome running. There will be many more details to come on this great event as we get started in January.

Go now to check out the new site. We hope you like it and more importantly are able to become a better runner by being a part of it with us. Make sure to sign up for the newsletter to get your free gift!

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The article begins with some information on research done with kids but there is also this link to a study down on adults.

The article on the kids was interesting. They noticed a major correlation between the activity and how quickly the children fell asleep. The more activity they received, the quicker they fell asleep. The quicker we get to sleep the more likely we are able to get through our natural sleep cycles that allow for a true and complete rest at night.

Take a minute to check out the article. If you are not able to fall asleep quickly at night we have several recommendations for you. One is of course higher levels of activity during the day. Next is to do some exercise to unwind in the evening. We built our Am/Pm program for this very reason. Loren also posted on this Yesterday. Also just like everything else we talk about in regards to something not being right with your body, ask why. Why are you not falling asleep. Are you lying there thinking about the laundry list of things that you will need to do at work the next day? Try getting a pad and paper and just make a list.

Try to establish why you are not able to fall asleep and do your best to make the changes to allow for a great, restful night sleep. The health benefits are numerous and your family and co-workers will thank you for it!

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This brought up the topic of muscle memory and if such a thing existed. There is no doubt that our body can develop patterns. I would even argue that we inherit some of these patterns when we are born. Genetic factors play a major role in the development of our muscular systems. I do not have major study results to prove it but raise your hand if you physically resemble one or both of your parents is some way.

How we develop these patterns I think can be attributed to the 4 Laws of Training. If you have not read those posts I recommend that you do. We feel it is the framework for understanding how to train the human body for maximum results. Law #2 states that the more of a specific stimulus our bodies get, the greater the anatomical change you will create. For instance the more heavy weight training you do, the stronger and more dense your muscles will become. In the example of running, my client had developed a pattern in her past when she ran all the time that created what she believed to be her "normal" stride.

Law #1 states that our bodies are designed to respond to stimulus. So the running she was doing was the stimulus that her body responded to. She ran very frequently so the constant supply of the same stimulus created a pattern. I believe this patterns to be what many refer to as muscle memory. The body has no choice but to react to the stimulus you give it. This can be a positive like building a consistent stride to run with, however, it can also be a negative if the stride you are building is not very efficient which will lead to poor performance and ultimately injury.

Our bodies are constantly changing, there is no staying the same. Think of everything you do during the day and the impact it will have on your body. The way we eat, the amount of water we drink, the amount of sleep we get, and of course the type of physical stimulus our bodies receive are constantly changing us. Depending on what type of stimulus you are giving it this can mean a change for the positive or negative.

So I believe there is such a thing as muscle memory. It exists in the form of a pattern that develops from consistently supplying the same type of stimulus to the muscles. If you do it long enough and with enough consistency you will create a pattern. The longer this pattern sets in, the more the body will use this pattern to perform the given task.

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We also want to highlight some of the better pieces of information for you. During the year we started several new programs two of which we are particularly excited about. the First is the Exercise of the Week Program. We have now reached nearly 40 different exercises and 4 complete workouts for you to try.

The Fitness Tip of the Week Program is approaching its 20th edition thank to the Efforts of Train2move Athlete Loren Sheets.

Let us know what you think of the new changes as they happen. Our goal is to always provide you with information that can benefit your overall health and exercise performance. If you have not checked out the Store yet, I would encourage you to do so. There are several programs included that can impact your fitness, help with various pain ailments, and even strengthen you core.

Check back often as we continue to offer the best fitness products that will truly make a difference in your life.

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First is to realize that the odds of you doing much after your meal are fairly slim so take the time to do a workout before you eat. It does not have to be much but even a little stimulus to the muscles throughout the day can make a major difference. If you are not sure what to do, follow some of these links to free workouts we have given you in the past. Here is a warm-up. Here is a strength training routine. And finally here is a general yoga style routine.

If you have the time, do all 3!

Some other useful tips we can share with you are to drink a lot of water before, during, and after you eat. The amount of food we eat and the types both can be brutal on our digestive system. Water is a major asset to your digestion so do yourself a favor and drink some. Try starting early in the day and shoot for 40-60 ounces before you eat. Then have some water with you as you are eating. When finished have another 15-20 ounces an hour or so after you eat.

Now let's assume you want to get up and move some after you eat. Make sure to give yourself a good hour before you do. When you do get ready to move choose something light like a nice walk to get away from the In-laws, or take them along, whichever seems necessary. Feel free to do some of the exercise routines we provided above as well.

And one final piece of advice to help lessen the damage to your body today is go easy on the appetizers! If you are like me you will eat a signifcant amount of food long before the main feast arrives. This will drastically increase your calories and make you less likely to take in the better calories to be had later. Look for the fruit and veggies when eating your appetizers!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone.

The Train2move Crew.

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