Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no exercise equipment.
It works the longus capitis, longus colli, SCM (sternocleidomastoid) muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to increase neck strength and muscular endurance.
The benefits are improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin by lying on the back with the head extended off the table, maintaining a chin tuck position.
Slowly extend the head back towards the floor and then raise the head, returning to the initial neutral starting position and repeat as instructed.
Move slowly through the range of motion.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to increase knee strength and muscular endurance.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin lying on floor facing up.
Bend knees so feet are firmly on floor.
Extend arms upward toward ceiling.
Activate core muscles.
Lift hips off floor to attain a bridge position with knees, hips and shoulders in alignment.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

Initially, you may develop some cramping in the back of your thigh. A simple hamstring stretch before and after may prevent this from occurring.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the gluteus medius/minimus, piriformis and hip lateral rotators muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to Increase hip strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury

Begin lying on side on the floor with legs extended.
Top leg should attain a straight line through hip and shoulder.
Bottom leg may be bent for added stability.
Activate core muscles.
Lift top leg upward, abducting leg as foot simultaneously rotates. This will result in a toe-up position.
Slowly return to start position.
Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.
It works the peroneus longus/brevis, tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, gastrocnemius, soleus muscles.
The purpose of this exercise is to improve muscular endurance, ankle strength, and proprioception.
By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin seated in a chair with good posture.
Extend leg.
Attempt to write alphabet from A through Z with toes, moving ankle in all directions.
Repeat for prescribed sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Here is a simple exercises that you can do at home with no equipment.

It works the multifidus, erector spinae, transverse abdominus, oblique muscles.

The purpose of this exercise is to Increase low back strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention

Begin lying on your back.

Extend arms above head flat on floor.

Activate core and lift knees above hips and maintain a 90/90 hip and knee position.

Activate core.

Lift one arm off the floor and raise it towards ceiling until above shoulder level while simultaneously extending one leg downward towards floor.

Pause momentarily.

Return to start position, alternating sides.

Core activation should be maintained throughout entire exercise.

Repeat for recommended repetitions and sets.


© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Body: Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home with no equipment.

It works the areas related to the shoulder such as deltoid – anterior, deltoid – lateral, pec major – clavical head, and coracobrachialis muscles.

The purpose of this exercise is to Increase shoulder strength and muscular endurance. By doing this exercise you can have the benefits of Improved stability, functional strength and injury p

Begin on floor on hands and knees.

Hips should be above knees and shoulders above hands. Attain a straight spine position.

Activate core muscles. While maintaining a straight spine, reach forward until arm is at shoulder level. Slowly return to start position.

Repeat for prescribed repetitions and sets.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

Involves no equipment.

This exercise works the abdominal, oblique internal/external, iliopsoa muscles.

The purpose is to increase abdominal strength and muscular endurance.

The benefits include improved stability, functional strength and injury prevention.

Begin lying on floor.

Lift knees so that a 90º position is attained at hip and knees. Place hands beside ears. Activate core.

Lift shoulder off floor approximately 6 inches attempting to bring elbow toward opposite opposite knee so that both simultaneously meet.

Return to start position and repeat on opposite side. Continue alternating sides until recommended repetitions are complete.

© 2005-2010 WebExercises, Inc., Patent Pending, All Rights Reserved.

The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.

-Mahatma Gandhi

By Dr. Damon West  

With spring rapidly approaching, we have an unavoidable urge to be outdoors. But, after a long winter’s hibernation, we tend to leap right into our favorite outdoor exercise. In Sacramento, running seems to the most popular. If you don’t ease into a routine, you may be setting yourself up for serious injury.

The human body was designed for motion. This is evident by studying the joints within the musculo-skeletal system of the body. Running is one of the best total body exercises that you can do. It involves nearly 100% of all skeletal muscles, increasing blood flow and strengthening the cardiovascular system throughout the entire body. It speeds up the metabolism, which burns fat and stimulates our lymph system to eliminate toxins from our bodies. Regular exercise naturally enhances our immune system, which increases resistance to disease. Fatiguing our muscles with regular exercise assures restful sleep, and stimulates natural endorphins, giving us that euphoric (good) feeling.

But even though regular exercise (like running or walking) is extremely vital for our health, it can cause irreparable damage. The study of classical physics shows that as we exercise, forces are constantly being transferred in and out of our bodies, and the force that seems to be the most destructive is gravity. As our feet come crashing to the earth, an amazing amount of force is transferred into and travels up through the joints of the body. This force can cause the joints and articulations to shift away from their normal position. If this shift occurs in the extremities (arms or legs), the condition is called a “dislocation.” If the shift occurs in the hips or spinal column, the condition is called a “vertebral subluxation.” Because the bones of the spinal column carefully protect our nervous system from injury, a subluxation can be devastating to our health. Even the subtlest changes in vertebral position can put dangerous pressure on the nervous system and cause spinal degeneration.

Most of the time, pain or dysfunction is associated with a subluxation, but this is not always the rule.

There are three ways of dealing with the consequences of a subluxation. First, you could stop exercising. This may decrease the discomfort of a subluxation, but because of the aforementioned benefits of exercise, your overall health would suffer. Second, you could take a pain medication to hide the discomfort, allowing you to continue exercising. However, the medication cannot correct a misalignment nor stop spinal degeneration. Please remember that all drugs (including over-the-counter) are not without side effects, and may cause other serious health problems. The third and final way of dealing with the subluxation is to carefully remove it from the body.

Doctors of Chiropractic have the greatest amount of training in locating and correcting vertebral subluxations. Even if there are no perceptible symptoms, subluxations can cause postural shifts, which are detectible to the trained eye. Your posture is the window to your spine and nervous system. Postural distortions mean your spine is distorted, quite possibly due to subluxations, which lead to nerve interference and a lowered state of health. Chiropractic adjustments correct postural distortions thus restoring health to the body naturally!

Professional athletes are turning to chiropractic care in record numbers for three simple reasons: treating injuries, preventing injuries, and performance enhancement. Your body is built no different than theirs, and your accessibility to chiropractic care should be as readily available. If you already have a family chiropractor, and are getting your spine checked regularly, I want to congratulate you on being among the healthiest people in the world. If you haven’t yet experienced the benefits of chiropractic, I hope that I can be of service to you. To learn how good spinal health can affect all aspects of your life, please give us a call to schedule your family’s appointment. Until then…