Author: Alexander Method
Supported Corpse into Marching Corpse
Had a few clients ask about our upcoming release of the "Marching Corpse" stretch and how to perform it in combination with the Supported Corpse stretch. So here is a quickie vid demonstrating how to mix the two stretches together to provide greater relief from hip & lower back discomfort.
Where Did the Alexander Method and SMR Originate?
Self-myofascial release has existed as long as people and animals have rubbed their bodies against something to scratch an itch or relax a muscle. Jeff & Carolyn Alexander began exploring the tools and concepts available to recover following intense workouts or competitive events around 2001. What they found was a collection of techniques loosely linked together around using a foam roller, tennis ball, golf ball, and frozen water bottle with little or no real guidance other than to "roll around to find the sore spots."
Over the course of 5-6 years Jeff and Carolyn searched for classes, tools, and experimented with themselves and their clients until they had the beginnings of a logical, step-by-step program that anyone could pick up and use to help take care of their own muscles. This system has evolved over the last 6 years to become an approved educational course for trainers to maintain their professional credential as well as a starting point for many coaches to use when teaching their clients about their own anatomy and how to manage the normal aches and pains that come from daily life as well as pushing one's body to it's physical limits.
The Alexander Method of SMR is a system of self-care that you can see (and feel) immediate results from when dealing with a muscular dysfunction. You do not need to learn complex anatomical terms or physiological systems to understand how to do the techniques, as the system is a simplified step-by-step approach to understanding how you can move better by practicing certain specific techniques each day. We start with the most important muscles and groups of muscles that lock up your hips, knees, and shoulders when they don't work right. Once you begin to understand how these three key areas can be addressed (and how helpful it can be when you work on them regularly) we help you address the other key areas to improve or maintain your quality of movements so you can enjoy your day and your activities.
Here is Jeff at the beginning of a SMR Clinic in Southern California describing why the Alexander Method was developed:
Are You Dehydrated?
Many of us lead busy lives. Wake up early, grab a cup of coffee and off to start the day. Whether it's a busy schedule with the kids and activities scheduled throughout the day or business meetings that spill over through lunch or into the late hours of the evening, we all have our "stuff" that takes us away from the ideal lifestyle for health. A couple rather easy fixes to maintain in your day to minimize the stress to the body during the busy days involve how much water you take in and how effectively your body utilizes the water that you drink.
1. Are you drinking enough or too much?
- Dehydration can be a life-threatening condition or a mild frustration. MedicineNet.com has a table on their dehydration facts page that lists the recommended number of ounces of water intake for a particular body weight. This is not a new recommendation, but you might be surprised by how poorly your body utilizes the water you ingest. More water is not always better, but until you are drinking dramatically more than is recommended in this table it is likely you won't harm yourself by having another glass (or two) of just plain water.
2. Is the water you are drinking actually entering your body tissues or is it just testing your plumbing?
- How many times are you hitting the water closet for "number one?" WebMD has four to eight times a day listed as typical for a healthy bladder. After looking through their list of causes of frequent urination we suggest you take a look at your electrolyte balance before knee-jerking to schedule a cystoscopy. Many of us do not eat & drink the right balance of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium (plus other minerals) so it is likely you are moving toward an electrolyte disorder. If you have a "daily cup o' jo" then it is likely your nutrient balance is at least a little out of whack. If you just drink more water and don't address these nutritional imbalances you will simply "test your plumbing." We suggest you find a good electrolyte additive that you can simply drop into your water as needed. Nuun makes a variety of flavors of highly transportable tabs that you can easily split and drop into almost any water bottle or glass. Click here if you care to read a thorough (and rather lengthy) explanation of the mineral balance in our body and its impact on water retention.
Whether you eat more nutrient dense foods or add supplements to your drinking water, one thing is for sure: getting the right mineral to water balance will improve your energy levels, provide just the right amount of bathroom trips to rid your body of waste, and make you a generally awesome person.
One other thing, since this is a site for taking care of tight muscles...getting your water and mineral levels balanced means fewer cramping muscles!
Fixing Lower Back Pain
Many of us suffer from occasional lower back pain. Matter of fact 80% of all adults will at some time experience it and many of us have chronic low back pain which affects our choices of activities every day.
One of the likely muscular causes of lower back stress is a shortened and tight Psoas Muscle.
If your psoas is shortened it is constantly pulling on your lumbar vertebrae, hip, and thigh. As it tightens more each day, the lower back muscles compensate to stabilize the amount of tension on either side of your spine. This leads to excessive stress placed on the vertebrae and discs between the vertebrae.
One effective way to safely lengthen the psoas to reduce the stress on your spine is to practice the "Supported Corpse Stretch" every single day until you no longer feel any stretch or tension in either your lower back or the front of your hips & thighs. Symmetrically stretching the 5 hip flexor muscles located on or in the front of your hips (psoas, iliacus, rectus femoris, sartorius, tensor fasciae latae) to their full-range natural length can reduce excessive tension in your hip & back and neutralize the stress in your spine.
Tune in to your body and practice these and the other techniques found in the Alexander Method of SMR to find lasting relief from back pains that have muscular origins.
Fixing Ryan Moody’s Tight Hip
In addition to being a talented and engaging presenter of the Explosive WOD Seminars, Ryan Moody is a heck of a jumper:
A good friend of his heard him speaking of a nagging hip issue and brought him to come visit us at the Rumble Roller booth at the CrossFit Games. After spending about 20 minutes with him and giving him some SMR "homework" to do each day, he got some rather dramatic results in only 2 days! |
Sterno Roll
Use this SMR exercise AFTER the Lats Roll and in compliment with the Neck Roll. This SMR exercise is to address the layers of knots & adhesions in the numerous muscles in your neck. If you have tightness or discomfort in your neck, headaches, or general shoulder & neck issues, then this exercise is likely to help. |
For written instructions, click here to download a printable PDF of the Sterno Roll |
Be sure to post your questions and comments below. We want to provide the best instruction to help you recover from your workouts. Click here to return to all of the Fundamental SMR Techniques **All information is provided for educational purposes only. You should consult your doctor before attempting any exercises you read on this page or any page on this website.** |
Neck Roll
Use this SMR exercise AFTER the Lats Roll and the Pecs Hand Press (or one of it's alternatives), and in compliment with the Sterno Roll. This SMR exercise is to address the layers of knots & adhesions in the numerous muscles in your neck. If you have tightness or discomfort in your neck, headaches, or general shoulder & neck issues, then this exercise is likely to help. |
For written instructions, click here to download a printable PDF of the Neck Roll |
Be sure to post your questions and comments below. We want to provide the best instruction to help you recover from your workouts. Click here to return to all of the Fundamental SMR Techniques **All information is provided for educational purposes only. You should consult your doctor before attempting any exercises you read on this page or any page on this website.** |
Delts Roll
Use this SMR exercise AFTER the Lats Roll. This SMR exercise is to address the layers of knots & adhesions in your delts. If you have tightness or discomfort in your shoulders, deep dull aches in your upper or mid back, or general shoulder & neck issues, then this exercise is likely to help. |
For written instructions, click here to download a printable PDF of the Delts Roll |
Be sure to post your questions and comments below. We want to provide the best instruction to help you recover from your workouts. Click here to return to all of the Fundamental SMR Techniques **All information is provided for educational purposes only. You should consult your doctor before attempting any exercises you read on this page or any page on this website.** |
T-Spine Roll
Use this SMR exercise AFTER the Lats Roll. This SMR exercise is to address the multiple layers of knots & adhesions in your upper and mid-back. If you have tightness or discomfort in your shoulders, deep dull aches in your upper or mid back, or general shoulder & neck issues, then this exercise is likely to help. |
For written instructions, click here to download a printable PDF of the T-Spine Roll For our downloadable video instruction, click here (video from 2010--updated video is in the works!) |
Be sure to post your questions and comments below. We want to provide the best instruction to help you recover from your workouts. Click here to return to all of the Fundamental SMR Techniques **All information is provided for educational purposes only. You should consult your doctor before attempting any exercises you read on this page or any page on this website.** |