Because golf season is upon us, let’s focus on common swing faults and what you can do about them.

 The first swing fault we will discuss will be the “loss of posture”. This swing fault is defined as any significant alteration from your body’s original alignment during your golf swing. The Titleist Performance Institute states that loss of posture can affect all aspects of the golf swing including timing, balance and rhythm.

 After becoming certified by the Titleist Performance Institute, Dr. Haggerty is now able to help treat muscle and joint imbalances that lead to these swing faults. Dr. Haggerty advises that if you are looking to change your biomechanics be sure to work closely with your golf instructor so he can help you adapt your swing to your new abilities.

At the Winchester Institute we focus on whole body health. We do this by offering exercise and nutritional advice for our patients.  Most patients are interested in losing weight, so we try to offer the most up to date information (whether it is good or bad) on the current trends.

A recent news paper article was based on an unlikely weight-loss aid, noodles. The article states noodles made with fiber from the Asian Konjac plant can help a person lose weight by keeping them full longer. The article also claims the Konjac fiber helps to lower cholesterol, improve digestion, and can help diabetics control blood sugar levels.  One study states the consumption of proprietary fiber (made from the Konjac fiber) before a meal was found to reduce pizza intake by 38 grams or 85 calories. Scientist’s state research shows the fiber is beneficial, but more studies are needed.

As stated further research is needed, but as of right now it seems it may be a natural way to increase you soluble fiber intake. This can help with digestion, cholesterol problems, and blood sugar levels.  If you are looking to increase your fiber intake and receive some of these health benefits Dr. Haggerty suggests increasing your fresh fruit, fresh vegetable and whole grain intake.

A new study in Men’s Health Magazine explains why boot camps and other training classes are currently so popular. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that people who train in groups can boost their pain tolerance more than people who work out alone. The study claims scientists aren’t exactly sure why, but they think that group exercise may contribute to an underlying endorphin surge. The study also suggests, if you don’t have a training partner, plug in some earphones because music seems to ease strenuous exercise.

At the Winchester Institute we help people achieve their health goals by providing our experienced personal training staff for instruction and motivation. This can provide the patient with a competitive environment helping them achieve this increased pain tolerance and gain the strength and stabilization they need to get back to a healthier, pain free, lifestyle. At the Institute the results speak for themselves.

Many athletes have been told to suck in their gut or press their back toward the floor while doing core exercises. This advice began in the mid 1990’s when researchers discovered that the first muscle to fire during an athletic movement was the transverse abdominis, a key core stabilizing muscle. It was discovered, by performing this sucking maneuver, this muscle could be isolated and strengthened. This advice spread like wildfire through personal trainers, Pilate’s instructors, and other fitness experts.

A current article in the NY times states that this instruction can be detrimental to an athlete’s low back. Stewart McGill, a highly regarded professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo states “There is so much mythology out there about the core”.  He goes on to state “The idea has reached trainers and through them the public that the core means only the abs. There’s no science behind that idea”

Most researchers agree that the core is the corset of muscles and connective tissue that hold the spine in place. If a person has a stable core their lower back will be protected while performing any form of movement or activity.  McGill says “the muscles forming the core must be balanced to allow the spine to bear large loads. If an athlete concentrates on strengthening only one set of core muscles, they can destabilize their spine by pulling it out of alignment”. He goes on to say “in research at our lab, the amount of load the spine can bear without injury was greatly reduced when subjects pulled in their belly buttons during crunches and other exercises”.

McGill suggests that a core exercise routine should incorporate all major muscles surrounding the spine. He states that this can be accomplished by performing some research proven exercises such as the side plank, bird dog, and the modified curl-up.

At the Winchester Institute these exercises are exactly what Dr. Haggerty has been prescribing to his patients for years. After attending many continuing education seminars presented by Stuart McGill he has experienced the benefits of this research first hand and has brought back that knowledge to advance his patients. If you or someone you know is experiencing back pain please contact our office or email Dr. Haggerty at drhaggerty@thewinchesterinstitute.com for a complementary consultation.

At the Winchester Institute we like to keep up on the latest musculoskeletal treatments. This past week one of our licensed massage therapists came to me with some information on a new soft tissue technique called Yamuna Body Rolling.

Yamuna Body Rolling is a soft tissue treatment that uses four to six inch balls and claims to lengthen and tone muscles, decompress joints, while reorganizing the body.  This caught my interest because we currently use foam rolls for certain soft tissue treatments. Due to this fact, it seems that YBR may fit right in at the Winchester Institute.

The technique’s creator states that YBR has three distinctive features:

      1) The specialist uses his or her hands on one side of the body and the ball on the other.

      2) The ball acts as a fulcrum for applying sustained traction outward, away from the center of the body.

      3) The combination of traction plus working both sides of the body at the same time results in equal release, front-to-back and side-to-side, bringing muscle groups into balance.

Many therapists state YBR makes working on clients much easier. The therapists state that they can obtain a deeper release on their clients with relatively little effort and no strain to their hands or wrists.

The goal for this treatment is to balance the client’s body so all the muscles – front, back and sides – have an equal range of motion, length and tone.

At the Winchester Institute we work on finding imbalances that are causing dysfunction in the body and focus on eliminating them as soon as possible. This relieves abnormal stresses from the joints preventing abnormal wear and tear and pain. This technique is very interesting and more research will be done to see if this is something we want to offer at the Winchester Institute.

1) Core exercises improve your balance and stability – When you perform core strengthening exercises you teach the muscles of your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen to work together as one unit. This will lead to better balance and stability, whether in an athletic event or during your activities of daily life.

2) Strong core muscles make it easier to do most physical activities – Everything from swinging a baseball bat to picking up your shoe from the floor requires core strength. In fact most sports and other activities depend on core stability. Weak core muscles can lead to lower back instability and predispose you serious to injury.

 3) Core exercises can lead to washboard abs – Many people want the magazine cover “six pack abs” to impress others at the pool or beach. With a good aerobic exercise routine combined with a proper core strengthening routine you can achieve more definition in you abdominal region.

 4) You can perform core exercises from home – You don’t need to travel to a gym to strengthen your core muscles. You can perform crunches, glute bridges, side bridges and many other core exercises on the floor while watching your favorite T.V. show.

5) Core exercises can help you achieve your fitness goals – Many people will notice an increase in the amounts of weight they can lift or number of repetitions they can perform after they obtain a properly stabilized core. This is because a stabile core provides a strong foundation for the athlete to perform off of. It is a fact that without a stable foundation maximal performance cannot be achieved.

At the Winchester Institute, Dr. Haggerty helps his patients achieve proper core stability with research proven core exercises and routines. This helps the patient prevent injury and achieve optimal function and performance. The Institute is now equipped with a state of the art physical rehab facility staffed with a very knowledgeable and experienced personal trainer ready to help you meet your fitness goals. If you have any questions on how you can achieve optimum core stability please contact our clinic or email Dr. Haggerty at drhaggerty@thewinchesterinstitute.com.

This winter at the Winchester Institute many patients have been asking for advice on how to continue training outside with snow on the ground. The February issue of Runners World offers some great tips on this.

Runner’s World suggests the runner should first look for snow that has been packed down, this will provide better traction. The article goes on to state be leery of fresh powder, it can cover up icy patches that can be dangerous.

 Another suggestion deals with breathing cold air. Research has shown that temperature below zero will not harm a person’s lungs, but can cause slight irritation to the throat. To avoid this, the runner should breathe through a scarf or ski mask.

 Frozen toes can also be prevented by wearing thicker socks. Many running shoes are designed for maximum ventilation, exposing the runner’s feet to more cold. Thicker socks designed specifically for colder weather may help to prevent unnecessary discomfort and injury.

 However if the roads are covered with ice, the runner should stick to keeping the workout indoors. Use a treadmill, elliptical, or run in the pool. Perform these routines at 100 to 150% of your normal running time. This will help the runner to continue building cardiovascular strength when he is unable to train outdoors.

 These simple tips can help a runner bear the winter weather and continue to maintain great cardiovascular condition throughout the entire year. For more tips always check back on our blogs or email us at info@thewinchesterinstitute.com.

The great benefits of cardiovascular exercise are well known. However, it is common for many people to still question if this is the best way to burn fat. It is a FACT if a person’s body burns more calories than it consumes weight will be lost. The question is what percentage of the weight lost is fat?

 A new study consisting of overweight people came up with some surprising results. This study performed by Jeff Volek Ph.D, R.D. (an exercise nutrition scientist at the University of Connecticut) put people on a reduced calorie diet and divided them up into three groups. One group did no exercise, another group performed cardiovascular exercise 3 days a week, and the final group did weight training and aerobic exercise 3 days a week.

When the results came in, each group had lost about 21 lbs per person in 12 weeks. The amazing part was that the group who lifted weight shed about 5 more pounds of fat. The other groups shed around 16 lbs of fat and 5 lbs of muscle.

Since muscle is a very active tissue, it raises a person’s metabolic rate, which means the person will burn more calories at rest. This, in conjunction with diet and lifestyle changes, will help decrease the likelihood of a person gaining back the pounds they worked so hard to lose.

 At The Winchester Institute,  Dr. Johnathan Haggerty offers exercise and weight loss advice based on the latest research. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call today!

If a person is excessively tight in certain areas this can place abnormal stress on the surrounding joints and structure. By lengthening this spastic or shortened muscle group, stress can be reduced or relieved. But what about injury prevention?

Many recent studies have suggested that stretching poses no effects on the prevention of injuries that may occur during a sporting event. Some studies have even proven that a static stretching routines can actually cause a detrimental effect to a muscles performance (Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2009 Dec 18).

Static stretching seems to have been thrown by the way side for pre-performance warm-up routines due to recent research, but this doesn’t mean you should just start jumping off of the couch to go run a marathon or play in a football game. There are many different, effective, ways to warm up your body to prepare it for battle. The USTA has a great dynamic warm up on their web site (http://dps.usta.com/usta_master/usta/doc/content/doc_437_217.pdf). This warm-up will help increase the blood flow to a person’s tissues and decrease the likelihood of injury. Dr. Johnathan Haggerty highly recommends the participation of some form of active warm up before any athletic event. If you have any questions please contact us at info@thewinchesterinstitute.com.

At the Winchester Institute, Dr. Haggerty treats many patients that have muscle imbalances in their hip and lower extremities and don’t even know it. Muscle imbalance cause extra stress on tendons and joints which ends up causing pain and dysfunction. The worst part about the imbalance is usually the first time a person figures out they have a problem is when they begin to feel pain. This means that there is already damage occurring! Don’t worry, it’s not too late! If you want to get rid of that clicking or grinding behind your knee cap, a simple way to start taking pressure off of this area is to stretch the quadriceps muscle group. Excessively tight quads can cause greater than normal compression of the knee cap onto the femur causing cartilage wear and tear. Try this out! This isn’t the end all be all cure for knee pain, but it is a great start.