Scientists say that your brain is one of the most complex structures in the universe with trillions of cells and neurons interconnected in a network allowing your body to function, heal, and recreate subconsciously. The brain is connected to the rest of your body through your spine and nervous system. Your spine is your LIFELINE.

Look well to the spine as the cause of disease

-          Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine

A fundamental predictor of health and lack of health is how well your spine is functioning. Determining how your spine is positioned and performing tells you whether you are in a state of health or in a state of dis-ease (a precursor to disease).

Checking Out Your Spine

Two primary methods of assessing your spine is posture and X-ray.

Posture

When you look at a person from the front, their spine should be straight. The head, shoulders, hips and feet should line up if we were to draw an imaginary line dissecting all those points. From the side the ears should line up with the shoulders (assuming the shoulders are not rolled forward) and the shoulders should be back over the pelvis.

Abnormal Posture

Your spine and posture are abnormal if any of the following observations are made: (This is a good way to screen yourself your family and friends)

-          The head is either shifted, rotated, tilted or a combination of the three in one direction

-          The head is shifted forward in front of the chest and shoulders

-          One hip is higher than the other (indicating the possibility of misaligned or abnormal spine or anatomical/functional short leg)

-          One shoulder is higher than the other, or rotated forward or backward

-          The whole upper part of the body is shifted to one side

In any of the aforementioned scenarios, your central nervous system is experiencing interference and/or being damaged.

X-ray

After observing your posture from the outside a more accurate method of assessing the condition of the spine is by X-ray.

As we mentioned earlier, the spinal bones (vertebrae) should be straight and NOT rotated or shifted. When viewed from the side the spine is to have 3 flowing curves in the neck (cervical spine), mid back (thoracic spine), and lower back (lumbar spine).

The most important of these arcs is the one in your neck for several reasons. For one mental life impulses flow from the brain through the brain stem (mid brain) down through this part of the spine to give life to the rest of the body. Any interference, called vertebral subluxation, in this area causes obstruction of the information from brain to body and thus your central nervous system can not be truly healthy no more how much you exercise or eat right. According to Dr. Daniel J. Murphy “When this information is interfered with, a problem arises in the body.”

Later Phase of Spinal Degeneration

Poor posture of the neck  and back especially when there is forward head displacement is often accompanied by loss of the cervical or neck curve. According to Dr. Rene Cailliet of the University of Southern California this forward head displacement and/or hunchback can result in the following:

• Loss of vital capacity of the lungs by as much as 30 percent. Loss of lung capacity leads to heart and blood vascular problems.
• The entire gastrointestinal system being affected particularly the large intestine. Loss of good bowel peristaltic function and evacuation is common to forward head posture and loss of spinal curve.
• Hunchback (or hyperkyphotic posture) was found to increase the likelihood of death in Geriatrics Society.

As we can see your posture may be largely responsible for failure to achieve your lifestyle goals. So go see a doctor of chiropractic office that specializes in reconstructive care like Tree of Life Chiropractic for a consultation (which is free by the way) to see if the health of your spine is negatively impacting your diet, exercise, and/or fat loss programs.

Author’s Bio:

Nenos Damerchie is a Chiropractor in Hamilton, Ontario. He graduated with honors from the University of Western Ontario before receiving his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from the prestigious Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Canada.

Dr. Damerchie operates a family chiropractic practice on the “Hamilton Mountain.”

If you’ve visited a Skechers retail store or flipped through a health magazine in the last six months you may have noticed a funny looking shoe called Shape Ups hitting the weight loss marketplace.

[Nothing makes me feel more comfortable then walking barefoot.]

According to Skechers, Shape Ups were designed to promote weight loss, firm calf and butt muscles, improve posture and strengthen your back with several styles and colors available for men and women.

Now it’s not often weight loss and fashion are combined into one tangible product but during a recent visit to a Skechers retail store I decided to give these bad boys a try because you can never have enough butt muscles, right?

First impressions

My first impression upon picking up one of these bricks, I mean shoes, was the actual weight. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to wear these shoes or curl them for ten reps? 12-hole Doc Marten’s would feel like a pair of socks in comparison. The kinetic wedge insert and a rolling bottom are intended to simulate walking barefoot on the sand.

Taking one step at a time

I laced them up and instantly felt sorry for Ronald McDonald and all the other clowns who have to endure a clunky shoe feeling. But I forged ahead! Taking a couple of strolls around the store I could feel it working my calves and the arches of my feet in a physiotherapy-type-of-way. If you’ve ever tried “foam rolling” or kicked around one of those wooden massage rollers under your desk then you know what I’m talking about.

I definitely had to concentrate on keeping my balance but I wasn’t sure if this was because of the weight of the shoes or the exaggerated arch of the sole? As for posture, I didn’t feel much of a difference but then again I consciously think about my body position when seated or standing.

[Frankenstein called and he wants his shoes back! Kidding...]

Survey Says?

Personally, I couldn’t stand the clunky orthopedic feeling. If you’re comfortable in wearing these shoes then be my guest, but if you think the pounds are going to fly off, I think you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Skip the shoes and try this instead

Some of the my favorite lower body exercises include dumbbell swings and squats but I like to keep things fresh with outdoor activities like stair-climbing and interval sprints as well.

But if you’re looking for ways to firm up those calf and butt muscles specifically, then I suggest you check out the bodyweight butt exercise video below from fitness expert and author of the Turbulence Training program, Craig Ballantyne. - Psst, we reviewed his program here

Don’t worry ladies, these butt exercises will allow you to tighten up a trouble spot in the comfort of your own home.

Exercise is always a good option for keeping your body strong and youthful, but if you’re strictly looking to lose weight, you can’t out exercise a bad diet.

Take a look at the free video from Jeff and Isabel about their now famous Diet Solution Program.  It has a huge following at the moment, so take a peek —– >>> HERE