Body Balance and Well-being

Superfunctional podcast

2011-08-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, I am doing a regular podcast, called Superfunctional, available (free) on iTunes. In addition, check out the Muscle Balance and Function Development(R) fan page on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/musclebalanceandfunction
Twitter: @Superfunctional @deadlyexchange

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To Stand or Not to Stand?

2011-05-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

In the past month or so, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services posted a report that Americans should stand at leastonce per day. Below are several places to find the information:

1)www.theonion.com/articles/department-of-health-and-human-services-recommends

2)well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/the-hazards-of-the-couch/

3)The Vancouver Sun, West Coast News, Saturday 19 March 2011: "Sedentary workers benefit from standing"

This is incredibly sad. A great nation, which America once was, has declined to such a state of super-passivity that a government department needs to issue a suggestion of this nature.

For those of you that have benefited from some part of the MBF(R) education system will be acutely aware of the importance of movement for the human body. In fact, previously penned blog posts (21st Century Movement) speak to this.

More important, if you will recall, the NASA studies on Inactivity (Sandler and Vernikos, 1986) revealed the essential nature of activity for human beings for the maintenance of overall proper body function. All systems of the body benefit from movement and this is evidenced by the fact, as reported by NASA, that Central Nervous System (CNS) activity decreases as physical activity decreases. Furthermore, NASA reported that these results occurred in 24 to 72 hours, and in some subjects as little as eight hours of inactivity. As you may know, the CNS plays a role in almost all the systems of the body, thus any decrease in its activity would result in decreases in all body systems. (Perhaps science should begin to explore this in relation to newer ailments, such as Type II Diabetes, Alzheimers, and Parkinson's Diseases...)

Certainly the need for movement is not new. In 1970, Dr. Ken Cooper introduced the western world to the importance of cardiovascular stimulation through using the major muscles of the body. However, the NASA studies (with ample sample sizes to satisfy validity) take human movement even further.

So, get out there and don't just stand, move your body!

You know what they say, "if you don't use it, you lose it!.

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Pharmaceuticals + Doctors = Big Business

2010-11-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

I’m fortunate enough to have traveled extensively to other countries, learning about other cultures, and the like. Whenever I return to the states, I notice either a positive attribute about our country or a not so positive one.

A glaring not so positive one is the predominance of commercials (ads) for pharmacological products—drugs—either over-the-counter or prescription.

Even in our democratic neighbor to the north, Canada, with socialized medicine, drug commercials are scarce. I can only attribute the preponderance of these television (and magazine) ads to our capitalistic, profit-driven system. Obviously, these ads are selling something, from which a nice profit will be garnered. In America, drug commercials on television occupy thirty (perhaps more) percent of the paid advertising space.

Why is this alarming?

First, we are not encouraged to seek natural remedies for our ailments. If you suffer from Diabetes, they have a drug for that. If you have high blood pressure, they have several drugs to help you manage that. If you have problems with sexual function and arousal (estimated at 20 million men in the U.S.), they have numerous drugs for that.

You get the point. But what may not be apparent is that these drugs are not resolving your issues, rather just covering it up, like a Band-aid. In other words, these pharmaceuticals primarily address your symptoms, not the causes.

Certainly, some of these drugs are necessary for many conditions. Yet, many times there are natural and simple remedies that would work just as well.

Second, these pharmaceutical companies are not passing along (pushing) their products solely to improve your health. In fact, many of the side effects (listen carefully at the end of the commercial) of these drugs are quite horrendous, possibly causing death in some subjects.
These companies are in this business for themselves—their profits.

Finally, perhaps saddest of all, doctors are complicit in this public travesty.

When was the last time your doctor suggested you choose a natural remedy for some health complaint you have?

No way! Here are some pills that might help.

This occurs because doctors (medical professionals) acquire benefits for encouraging drugs that they prescribe.

What sort of benefits? Vacations to tropical locations supplied by pharmaceutical companies, for instance.
How do I know this? Because I’ve spoken with representatives of drug companies, the ones that visit doctors offices and inform them of new products on the market, as well as new incentives to prescribe these drugs.

This is scary stuff. Sort of sounds like a street pusher, who rakes in cash and then buys a fancy BMW.

Except, it’s all legal. I am not against making a profit, but the following appears valid to me: as long as medicine is part and parcel with profit, then true public health will be in jeopardy.

Should healthcare, medicine, your well-being be up for sale?

Perhaps you know all this already.

In that case, is there a drug for common sense?

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European Special Forces Training Secret Revealed

2010-09-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C.—After several years of secrecy, the Commander of Slovakian Special Forces revealed that his teams use individually designed exercise programs for performance enhancement in the field.

It all began when the Commander was handed the Muscle Balance & Function Development® CDROM by a contracted training instructor. The Commander (and all SF personnel must remain nameless) simply followed the basic exercise regimen prescribed on the computer disc and within a week he could feel the transformation within his body take place, despite the rigorous demands of special forces training.

“Within one week all my pain was gone,” stated the Special Forces Commander, who then mandated the use of the MBF® exercises for all those under his command.

The MBF® education system, created by Geoffrey M. Gluckman, Msc, is based on principles of physics for the creation of proper exercise selection and sequencing. In 1994, the system came to world attention in a groundbreaking article featured in Shape Magazine (November issue).

“MBF® system creates awesome long-term conception as an injury prevention method. Also, in our battlefield job, it gives us a serious edge and pretty much keep us active in our job. It has quickly become our core injury prevention method which we use daily—even during the missions,” stated Slovak Special Ops team member, ‘Kaucuk’.

According to Gluckman, who holds a masters degree in exercise science and biomechanics, the programs work equally well for the non-exerciser as for the elite. Each program is designed for the individual based on a postural evaluation, health history, and symptom inventory.

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Your Health

2010-03-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Many people appear to be overly concerned with their health these days.
And why not?
Maybe because the Health Bill just passed?
Or, because all of the toxins, diseases, lack of exercise, and whatever else lurking out there to potentially threaten a long and prosperous life.

Many of us know the formula for health: proper diet, regular exercise, and reduction of stress. Admittedly, some people go overboard, perhaps obsessive, into any one of these categories, or sometimes all of them.

Based on several decades of observation, I would say that certain key elements for positive health are overlooked by most. First, let us remember the advice of the ancient Greeks: ‘Nothing in excess’. In other words, balance may be the most important element to a healthy life.

Now for some specifics: a twenty-year study at UC-Berkeley revealed that adequate rest each night was the most important factor for optimal health. (I’m guessing that assumes you have enough water and food.)

How much sleep is enough?

According to the study, it varies for each person, but the average was eight hours. Common sense, right? But most of us don’t get that. Also, the study indicated that the quality of sleep is more important than the quantity.
Here’s the key: How many of you are getting deep, restful sleep? (That means unencumbered by drugs, alcohol, poor digestion, worry/anxiety, and excess stress.) I’m guessing not too many.

Overall, the study showed that adequate quality rest is the most important factor for positive health.

Next, most health watchers focus on the three biggies: nutrition, movement, stress reduction. In fact, this is where we are directed if medical advice is sought, unless pharmaceuticals are prescribed

But many of us neglect an entire environment that has a devastating impact on health. And most general practitioners will not talk about it. Besides, it’s much easier to prescribe a sedative.

So, what is it?

The inner landscape atop your shoulders.

I know, I know. Much is written about this topic, whether you call it mental health, a sanity check, or mind noise.
But seriously, the state of your mind plays a huge role in your health, from organ vitality to proper digestion of food to the depth of rest at night.

In this day and age of economic uncertainty and technological overabundance, many lie awake at night, our minds racing, until we either succumb to exhaustion or resort to some concoction of chemicals. The cause of such mental anguish could be anything: lack of money, fear of loss, teenagers, and overbearing boss—you name it.

What to do?

Dare I say it: look inward, but not through mental masturbation. Spend time with yourself.

The key here is to listen, at first, to what your mind is saying (if you are able) and simply acknowledge a few of the mind’s worries/fears/concerns. (What have you got to lose? See what happens.)

Then, take them one at a time and ask yourself: What do I need for that?

After the question, be still and quiet (to the best of your ability). Most of the time, the answer will come to you, maybe rising to the surface like a bubble through water. Or it may just pop into your awareness (aka, your consciousness).
(Sounds simple, and it is, but be prepared to practice, like with anything else, in order to get steady results.)

Allowing for the inner dialogue described above opens the doorway for key often unmentioned elements of health: compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance for all of you. Best of all, you are the provider, too.

By offering these intangible salves to your self, the sores and scars of daily stress can heal, just as a glass of water sates the parched.

Directions for use: Apply regularly, as needed.

Sources:
UC Berkeley, Harvey Sleep Lab, 2003.

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Barefoot Function and Running

2010-01-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

Finally, the well-needed truth about athletic footwear enters the wider public domain. In the January 28, 2010 issue of Nature an article, entitled “Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners,” reveals the results of an extensive study on the impact forces caused by running, both barefoot and wearers of athletic shoes.

I remember in the early 1990’s being on the speaker’s circuit at such conferences as National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and IDEA and being one of two presenters speaking about the importance of function. I was the only one speaking about muscle balance and function, for sure. The other speaker was Dr. Mel Siff, a researcher from South Africa. We shared a great conversation about how he had coaxed the athletic shoe companies to send pairs of their shoes for testing on a force plate, in order to show which shoe offered the best protection. The funny thing was that the results showed, much like in this most recent study, that the human barefoot offered the best performance, both in force absorption and production.

I would say few people listened to him, or the information I shared at the time.

The recent Nature article, written by Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman (Harvard University) with contributions from a slew of researchers from University of Michigan to Moi University Medical School in Kenya, Africa, demonstrates the effectiveness of bare feet in absorbing the collision forces associated with running.

The technical results (kinematic and kinetic analyses) “show that even on hard surfaces, barefoot runners who fore-foot strike [first] generate smaller collision forces than shod rear-foot strikers.”

The same is true for those barefoot runners who land more flatfooted (mid-foot). Both types of ground strike, fore-foot and mid-foot, dissipate the collision forces by spreading it through the surface of the foot and apply increased flexibility in the ankle motion. All of which does not occur for a heel-striker.

The researchers estimate that mid-foot and fore-foot ground strikes were more common for thousands of years before the invention of the cushioned athletic shoe. After all, humans have been running for millions of years, long distances at that, all without the benefit of any or minimal foot protection.

As many of you know, if you have taken a class with me, in 1986, NASA researchers came to the overall conclusion from long-term studies that the human body was designed for movement and that it was optimal for the body to operate from a frame that was aligned at right angles in the major joints—ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders.

If you get a chance, read this article. Hopefully, people will start to listen to those of us who have been saying that prevention of injury begins within the body, especially one that is muscularly balanced and functional.
Sources:

Lieberman,Daniel E., et al. Nature 463, 531-535 (28 January 2010).

Sandler, H. and J. Vernikos, ed. 1986. Inactivity: Physiological Effects.
Orlando: Harcourt and Brace Jovanovich.

Gluckman, Geoff. 2001, 3rd edition. Muscle Balance and Function Development(R): Training Manual. San Diego: DPDC

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Happy Holidays from MBF(R)

2009-12-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

I hope this finds each and everyone of you happy, healthy, and safe.
My deep gratitude to all of you, both practitioners and clients, who have added to the Muscle Balance and Function Development(R) education system with your presence this year and years past.
It is a great pleasure to offer service to the best of my ability for all those who desire it.
Happy Holidays,
Geoff Gluckman, MSc

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Staying Motivated: The Tour de France

2009-07-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again, Christmas in July for me. The Tour de France is happening July 4-26, 2009). With only a few days into racing, the excitement is fantastic. No, not because Lance Armstrong has returned after a three and a half year retirement, but he does add to the action.

To me, I think the Tour de France is the toughest sports event in the world. It requires tremendous individual athletic and mental ability, team unity and skill, and the strategic intelligence of a chess player. It takes place over a three-week period matching the top cyclists against one another as they race through a variety of countries and terrain, including both the Pyrenees and the Alps. Furthermore, most race days during the event are more than one hundred miles.

As an avid cyclist I’ve been a devoted fan of the race for more than two decades, usually watching everyday. I love listening to the expertise and stories shared by the commentators, Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Bob Roll (Bobke). Phil has presided over the race for 37 years.

See the riders, legs pumping, and the beautiful scenery ignites the fire within to ride. Never content being a spectator, I enjoy the participation. In fact, in 2003 and 2004, I created my own little Tours (of Vancouver, BC), where I rode a percentage of the distance that the TDF competitors raced each day. I tried to match the terrain to the particular race day. For instance, if it was a mountain stage, I rode in the mountains (of course, not the Alps). If it was a time trial, then I did that, too.

Watching a sporting event, whether the TDF or the World Cup (for me), stimulates the desire to enjoy that sport in reality. What a great way to get motivated! (And, dare I say, it proves that not all television watching causes deterioration of body balance and muscular function.)

Ask: What sport/activity do you enjoy? What motivates you to actually do it?

The key is to find what ignites your passion and use that as a motivator.
Trust me, staying motivated to exercise is essential to maintaining optimal health and well-being.

So, get out there and play!

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Keys to Client Compliance

2009-06-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

So often when teaching a course, especially an upper level one, I am asked how to motivate clients to do the exercise programs they are given.

When I meet with a client or patient for the first time I share with them how I operate. Doing MBF® programs is a cooperative venture in that my job is to give the best program I am able and their job is to do it. Also, if he or she encounters any problems or questions, a call to me is quite welcome.
If your client is not interested in this type of cooperative approach, then maybe you should refer them to another practitioner (which I have done on occasion).

Next, it is very critical for you, the practitioner, to be a living example, not just a mouthpiece. By this I mean, you must do your program and get updates on it in efforts to building and improving your quality of life. If you do not, why should your client do their program? Like children, others observe our actions more than our words.

Find out how much time your client is willing to commit to doing an exercise regimen at least five days per week. Then, construct the program to fit that time frame. Realize that there are times when a little more work is required by the client to reach the goal s/he may have. Verbalize this to the person, so they are informed.

Finally, in your initial meeting with your client, take time to find what motivates that person. Is it pain, or rather reduction of pain? Is it increased performance and ease of motion? Is it to be able to simply walk again for three miles? Whatever the case, find it and use it as their motivator.

Find what motivates your client or patient and the key to compliance is yours.

Best in health & well-being.

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Health and Body Movement in the 21st Century

2009-05-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Almost forty years ago, Dr. Ken Cooper, an Air Force researcher, announced his findings about exercise, health, and well-being. The report focused on cardiovascular conditioning and fitness.

These findings were based on studies conducted on thousands of people in and around an Air Force base in Texas. At the time, the information took North America by storm, both among laypersons and medical practitioners, because the results definitively suggested guidelines for cardiovascular health maintenance.

In sum, Dr. Cooper recommended that each person should get three weekly sessions of total body movement (activity), each lasting twenty to thirty minutes. This prescription for CV health was a minimum and became a medical health standard.

Now, in the ever-evolving digital age, and traveling the supertechnological highway of passivity the question is: Is that minimum standard enough?

Unfortunately, my friends, I am sad to report that it isn’t.

Does this mean you should begin your marathon training today?

Fortunately, no.

In years leading up to1986, NASA embarked on a series of longitudinal studies on the effects of inactivity in preparation to understand extended stays in space by cosmonauts. (A few days ago we just witnessed the return of five such spacepersons in the Shuttle Endeavor.) While the full (and horrific) results of the study are too lengthy to include here, please be aware that our sedentary lifestyles (chairs, cars, TV, lack of movement) have led many of us to a very scary place in terms of health and well-being.

Pain and discomfort.

These familiar conditions result from the collapse of human bodily function, which the NASA study predicted. A key factor is the loss of proper alignment of the body in relation to the force of gravity, which works on the body 24 hours a day.
Put simply, the body requires purposeful, functional total body movement (not necessarily cardiovascular) every 24 hours (more frequently for some) or many of the key systems, such as blood flow, immunity, kinesthetic, and muscular balance, begin to decline in function quite dramatically.

In other words, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

So, what are the options?

For health and function of your body in the 21st century, many of you will need to undertake some sort of total body activity for at least one hour per day, possibly two.

I know, a tall order in this super busy day and age.

Here are some hints*:
1) Most important, try to select activities you like.
2) The above time frame does not need to be performed all at the same time. Preferably, increments of 12 to 36 minutes should be undertaken (unless debilitated physical condition).
3) Sample activities: walking, gardening, cycling, tennis, pilates, yoga, swimming (though not load bearing). Ideally, to counteract the NASA findings, movement should be load-bearing.

Whatever you choose, try to make it fun and enjoyable and start slow.
Remember: walking is perhaps the single best activity, if you are able.

“The body is designed for movement” (Overall finding from the NASA studies, according to Sandler and Vernikos, editors.)

*May be wise to see your physician before beginning any exercise regimen.

Resources:
Cooper, M.D., Ken. 1970. Aerobics.

Sandler, H. and J. Vernikos, ed. 1986. Inactivity: Physiological Effects. Orlando: Harcourt and Brace Jovanovich.

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Dieting: Nightmare or Solution?

2009-04-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Everyday thousands of people go on or off a diet. There are hundreds of these regulated courses of eating and drinking plans circulating the planet at any one time.

Atkins, Miami Beach, Raw Food (with many variations), High Carb, High Protein, Low Carb, Blood Type. Take your pick. Typically, a new variant surfaces for a time and retains the fad crown until the next great sensation hits the media.

But do they work?
Based on the increasing waistlines in the Western world, especially North America, evidently they do not.

My suggestion for success in the battle of the bulge stems from a multi-layered approach that begins with changing one’s thinking first. Let’s call the alteration of your eating and drinking patterns something other than a diet, which has a negative and short-term connotation.

I like to refer to my culinary habits as the Positive Eating Plan (PEP).
What is a Positive Eating Plan?
It is a regimen that begins in your mind and manifests in your behaviors. The key tenets are vision, ‘positivity’, and choice. Too many diets are based on restriction (negativity) and ‘have-to’s’ and should-based thinking.

I find that true change comes from within. But how does that begin?
Inspiration is a good start. And that can come from within you or from the external world.
Next, comes vision. What is the vision you have for yourself? Your life (including your weight)?

Formulate that answer and your well on your way to transformation.

The mental part begins by realizing that no one has ever accidentally eaten anything.
Yup, that’s right.
Awareness is essential. Every time something enters your mouth, you must be conscious. By being conscious you empower yourself to choose whether to continue to eat or not. Of course, this decision should be based on your previously established (written) vision.

Positive Eating Plans require work on your part. There is no ideal diet for everyone, though many diet promoters would like you to believe otherwise. You must find what foods lead you to the quality of life you desire and envision.

For instance, becoming a raw foodist may be right for cousin John, but not for you.

Quick fixes (aka, diets) to weight issues are usually less than satisfying, both in food selections and results. Most dieters regain the weight lost within a few months because they have not reprogrammed their thinking, thus their embedded behaviors remain in the unconscious.

Does exercise help?
Yes, but exercise alone rarely produces the loss in pounds that people desire. Nevertheless, merely walking is a great way to burn some calories, especially those fat pounds.

Personally, in this day and age, I don’t think you can walk too much (unless such action causes more serious pain). However, build up your endurance slowly. Start with 12 minutes, if you can. Then, simply add 10 percent per week.

Finding the Positive Eating Plan for you may take some investigation and definitely taking responsibility for your dietary health and well-being. There are many resources available for enhancing your nutrition IQ. For instance, Eating Right for Your Blood Type books may offer helpful information to guide you, but should not be seen as the ‘answer’.

Seeking help from a certified Nutritional Counselor is a wise decision, rather than just trying someone else’s idea or the latest celebrity diet. Choose a counselor that is not selling any particular diet or plan.

Remember: honor your uniqueness and find the foods and beverages that make up your Positive Eating Plan.

Try it! Put a little PEP in your step today.

(Resources were purposely not listed for this article, as I didn’t want it to appear as a sales piece.)

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MBF® Level Four: Beyond the Physical

2009-02-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

At long last, after many years of prompting by students, I’ve created another level to the current 80 hours of course instruction in the Muscle Balance and Function Development® education system.

In Level Three we explore deeper into the significance of center of gravity and energetic management, while also looking at how to design functional upper and lower body strength programs based on MBF® principles. More than I care to count I was asked how to tap into the intuition so necessary for great programs and progression. I have often spoke of it in class, but unfortunately could not teach to others what I do in an assessment.

Finally, with the help of a good friend and renowned intuitive consultant, you will be shown how to tap into your intuition. My special guest for the first day and one half will be John Deveraux (www.johndeveraux.com). He will offer attendees a combination of lecture and practices to help turn on or up your intuitive abilities, thus allowing you to read your client’s energetic imprint better and design improved programs, all with less effort.

I am truly pleased with this collaborative effort as it overcomes my personal inability to teach these vital skills. In addition, Level Four will offer further advanced education, including review of difficult cases brought by participants.

The first Level Four class will be offered in the California Bay Area, Fall 2009. Please check the website for upcoming dates and times.

Next: Enhancing Client Compliance

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Holiday Gift: Breath

2008-12-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

Yogis have said that almost all illnesses can be resolved with breathing. From my personal experience, I have found this to be true over the years, though I have no proof.
Nevertheless, regardless of lack of proof, I do know that without breath, there is no life. Breathing ranks up there in the hierarchy of needs. Most people can go without food for eight weeks, without water for four weeks, but lack of oxygen is much shorter--seven minutes. It is a premium. That seven minutes is all most people get, and even before that portions of the brain would become damaged.
Interesting facts, but how does it factor into overall health and well-being?
Easy.
When under stress, acute or chronic pain, or lack of training, many people breathe shallowly, creating inefficient oxygen supply and delivery to all areas of the body. If prolonged over time, even just a few months, lack of proper oxygenation can lead to deterioration of your health. It can cause health problems, such as headaches, stiffness, and lethargy.
When combined with pain or stress lack of proper breathing can impede your body's ability to get better, in other words: heal thy self.
What does inefficient breathing feel like?
Typically, you are only inhaling air shallowly into your lungs, thus chest-breathing. There might be a feeling of shortness of breath or not being able to "catch" your breath.

How do you correct this?
Diaphragmatic Breathing: Lie on your back (floor or bed) with your knees bent and rest a book (1-2 pounds) or your hands over your navel. Then, as you inhale (slowly) try to fill your belly, thus pushing the book or your hands up. Upon exhale let your belly fall towards your spine. Do this gently without forcing and this will naturally deepen your breathing and better supply oxygen to your system.
Enjoy!!
Take a breath for the holidays.
Happy Holidays to all!

References:
Ramacharaka. Science of Breath.

(Next: MBF® Level IV class: Beyond the Physical: Tapping Your Intuition. Coming Fall 2009; watch for info here!)

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The Cornerstone of Health and Well-being

2008-10-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

There is much advice floating around on the web, in magazines, and from friends and colleagues about how to be the more healthy. Much of it may be useful, however a subtle, key ingredient is missing.
Self-responsibility.
It may seem like common sense and it is, if one truly understands the depth required. Within the Muscle Balance and Function Development® education system there are two basic cornerstones that represent the foundation beneath the principle-based system. Self-responsibility is the first and breathing is the second, which will be discussed in an upcoming post.
How does self-responsibility work in relation to your health and well-being?
Simple.
In my experience, it is not possible to improve your health and well-being without choosing to take self-responsibility.
It sounds simple, but let’s delve a little deeper. If you have low back pain and go see your doctor, then on the surface you are being self-responsible (though s/he may not have any idea how to help you).
However, if you are viewing the doctor or any other health care practitioner as the answer to your problem, as opposed to a tool for assistance, then you have relinquished your self-responsibility (and personal power).
And, unfortunately, you will not get better in the long term. True, short-term improvements may be possible.
In the MBF® education system the client is appraised of the importance of self-responsibility at the outset. In essence, the nature of the relationship between MBF® practitioner and client is a partnership. First, the client chooses to do something about an issue. Next, the MBF® practitioner designs the best program possible within the client’s ability to deal with the client’s problem or refers the client to another type of healthcare provider, if need be. Finally, the client chooses to commit to do the program as prescribed.
This scenario is far different then the doctor “fix me” visit. It is imperative to distance yourself from that “victim” mindset.
If you have suffered a trauma of some sort, such as a car accident, then view yourself as a survivor, a warrior that is still alive and breathing.
See yourself as the solution, even if you need to seek assistance from a tool provider, like a hardware store to a builder. Then watch how your life transforms.
Take self-responsibility. Take the first step toward a better and improved you!

(Next blog: Power of Breath)

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Transitions: Muscles to Principles

2008-08-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Many healthcare professionals, whether new or seasoned with, employing the Muscle Balance and Function Development® (MBF®) education system fall into a typical trap—trying to assess and correct body misalignment through an analysis of muscle imbalances.

I’m sure you know those familiar questions: Which muscles are too tight? Which are too weak?

This thinking stems from traditional rehabilitation education received in most institutions of higher learning. No one can fault such training as it makes sense on a surface level. However, deeper inspection reveals serious flaws with this type of body re-alignment (posture correction) process.

First, there are somewhere between 600-800 muscles in the body, depending on the source referenced. This makes an effective evaluation difficult, especially without expensive electromyographic (EMG) equipment being attached to motor points.

Second, even if applied to one quadrant with more finite muscle groups, the body and its lever systems work as a unit, not in isolation.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, the muscles take direction from neurological impulses, which predominantly receive cues from proprioceptive receptors, such as golgi tendon organs, located throughout the body. Furthermore, body position in relation to the force of gravity plays a big part in proprioceptive responses. Thus, simply applying exercises to strengthen weak muscles and stretches for tight ones would probably result in less than long lasting outcomes.

Within MBF®, a principle-based system of education, the laws of physics (Newtonian) are tailored to re-educate the body back to proper alignment, bio-mechanical function, and neuromuscular function through proper exercise selection and sequencing.

This is what differentiates the MBF® system from other systems of exercise. Choosing appropriate exercises without proper sequencing is like having the proper tools to build a house and then applying them in the wrong order. For instance, hammering wood together before properly sizing the pieces for construction.

Remember the principles, whether new to MBF® or an old hand, and apply them correctly.

Live, Love, Laugh! Life is short.

In-joy,
Geoff Gluckman, MSc

www.musclebalancefunction.com
www.geoffreygluckman.com
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How Muscle Balance and Function Development® Works

2008-06-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

The human body responds, develops and is maintained according to basic bio-mechanical principles. Today's lifestyles promote postural weakness due to the lack of purposeful physical activity in our daily lives. This condition is causing the premature breakdown of our musculoskeletal systems, making them susceptible to injury, reduced performance, and prolonged recovery.

Muscle Balance and Function Development® is a unique method of restoring function to the body. This program accomplishes postural realignment through a progression of sequential exercises that target the intrinsic postural muscle groups and retrain the neuromuscular system. Essentially, the exercises remind each muscle of the function it was designed to perform.

The evaluation process reveals the muscular imbalances that cause postural misalignment, compensated motion, reduced performance and injury. Each program is individually determined, as each patient will begin from a different level of structural strength and mobility. The sequences are systematically oriented toward reducing or eliminating symptoms. Individuals are progressed to their maximum level of function. The exercises require minimal equipment and can be performed almost anywhere.

Given the balancing properties of these exercises, they act as a perfect compliment to many other healthcare approaches.

MBF® System

www.musclebalancefunction.com
www.geoffreygluckman.com
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Online Education Begins for MBF®

2008-05-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

This is the first post on the official Muscle Balance and Function Development® blog. Upcoming in this space will be little tidbits of information on body balance, muscular function, and overall well-being for both health care practitioners and laypersons. At times, the articles will be written by me, Geoffrey M. Gluckman, the creator of the MBF® education system. Also, guest writers will be invited to share their insights and information.
Thank you in advance for your interest in the MBF® offerings.
If you would like more information on the system, please visit our website (see below).
If you would like to see Geoffrey M. Gluckman's fiction, poetry, and other articles, please visit his website (see below).

www.musclebalancefunction.com
www.geoffreygluckman.com