Lost my virginity today.
It's true. But it's not what you think.
You see, up until 2 days ago I was a surgery virgin. Not counting the wisdom teeth I had pulled decades ago, which seems like it was in another incarnation.
As it turns out, though I've been blessed with good health, a strong constitution, and solid big-girl bones, I came into the world with the precursors of a curve of the bone on my acromion bone, capping the shoulder.
Now, in some circumstances, curvy can be good. But not in this one. It's actually more like a hook than a curve, and occurs during formation of the bone when fusing from its 3 starter bones to one.
What's The Problem?
Here's the problem.
Sometimes this fusion can take on creative dimensions, causing the hook or curve.
Then this curve of the bone shrinks the subacromial space and impinges on the supraspinatus muscle and its tendon friends in that fragile, complex shoulder joint. This causes compression, and over time, results in rips and tears.
Ever heard of rotator cuff injuries? Sure you have. This is one of the causes.
Flashing Back a Year
This shoulder situation brought itself to my attention over a year ago, when I started experiencing reduced range of motion and shoulder pain, and with the inflammation that ensued, frozen shoulder.
An MRI confirmed my doctor's suspicions. A top notch orthopedic surgeon (yeah, the cute one) and exemplary physical therapy have been very helpful, and an important precursor to getting my shoulder joint in the best condition profile for possible arthroscopic intervention to reshape the bone and relieve compression. I'm grateful for the option, especially after seeing what non-treatment can do. My Dad pretty much lost the use of a shoulder and arm in his later years due to rotator cuff issues.
Surgery Virgin
Still, to a surgery virgin such as myself, though full confidence in my medical team, in these days of Michael Jackson drips I've been somewhat edgy. Surgery on the day of the Summer Solstice was a good sign, and all went well. A with my dreamy doc in attendance, and my dear husband Greg fetching and hovering in all the best of ways post-op, how could I lose? On to recovery!
A Word To The Wise: Take Shoulder Pain Seriously
Frozen shoulder can actually be serious business and is an official diagnosis, not just a description of limited range of motion in the shoulder.
Rotator cuff injuries, including tears to the supraspinatus muscle and tendon tears, create OR can be the result of inflammation of the shoulder joint. In some cases, such as my own, this is simply due to the shape of the acromion, the bony protrusion on the shoulder blade.
This inflammation can take on a life of its own as the relatively fragile shoulder joint seeks to protect itself. Pain upon movement or even without it then becomes prevalent. Voila, frozen shoulder.
Specific manipulation of the joint capsule is extremely beneficial in this case – as I had in physical therapy with a very skilled therapist – as is avoidance of specific joint stresses while engaging in appropriate rest, flexibility training, and building strength balance in the shoulder. Often it is advisable NOT to raise elbows to side above shoulder level until some of the inflammation has subsided except in directed, passive stretching. Each case is different.
And repeated, overhead pressing movements can exacerbate and even stimulate inflammation and injury, whether your bones are "curvy" or not.
The point is, don't take the situation lightly, try to push through it, or think that just proper alignment will necessarily take care of a shoulder problem. Though we think we're too busy to take time to address these issues, in the long run, these things are important. When in a shoulder crisis, pay proper attention!
Have you ever had a shoulder injury? Share your experience in comments below!
© Lani Muelrath, M.A. 2010 All Rights Reserved
image: cubacool
Filed under Arms, Blog, Inflammation, Injury by 
All New Fit Quickies™ AND
Fit Quickies™ Contest!
Yes! Three (yes, 3!) ALL NEW Fit Quickies™ are about to be released!
Fit Quickie #6: Thigh Warriors (for those gorgeous, energetic "gams")
Fit Quickie #7: Kickstand Curls: (for flatter abs and waist cinching)
Fit Quickie #8: Hot Seat! (take a guess)
Just for fun, and because I'm excited to have 3 NEW FQs to go, I'm throwing a wild and crazy contest.
And it's so easy to enter, you could do it in your sleep. Almost.
All you need to do to get your name in the contest hat is to jump into comments below and tell everyone one or more of the following:
- Name your favorite Fit Quickie to date is, and tell why! (7 Seconds to Flat Belly? Topless Muffins? There are now 8 from which to choose!), OR
- Which Fit Quickie (or two) you are most eagerly awaiting in the new collection
- 2 things you like best about Fit Quickies™
Of course, you can answer all of the questions!
Post your comments below before noon PST on Saturday, June 19, 2010 and your name will be entered into the drawing.
The prize? The NEW Fit Quickies™ bundle including #6, #7, and #8 will be sent to you ($60 value) – free! The drawing will take place on Sunday, June 20. The winner will be announced here so be sure to check back in.
Let's get started! Pop right down to "comments" below.
P.S. These NEW Fit Quickies™ come with 4 downloadable mp3 features:
- Audio Tutorial Track
- Audio Practice Track
- Video Form Tips
- Video Practice (ALL NEW to Fit Quickies™!)
P.P.S. Be sure to stay in the know about the July Better Bodies 4 Busy Women McBooty Camp!
To help you keeping moving your fitness forward through the summer months, I'm throwing a mini mid-summer Booty Camp but you've got to let me know if you would like to find out more.
Filed under Abs, Blog, Exercise, Fit Quickie by
If you're like me, the waist is where you can sense pudge first. Maybe it's because it's so noticeable in the way our clothes fit, or because we can so easily – quite literally – see excess poundage when it lands in our middle.
Most women (once past their teens, anyway) find the waist seems to be a favored storage area for any extra "fluff".
And when we lose some measure off the waist, universally we feel more fit, confident, lithe, and healthy. Yes?
Where Did That Inch In The Waist Go?
"Question for Lani – what's your input on why so many Gams Glutes Abs and Arms participants had significant inch loss in the waist? Was there a specific movement or Fit Quickie exercise that made that happen?"
This question from Jennifer just came in on the heels of the wrap of our May Boot Camp "Gams Glutes Abs and Arms 4 Summer".
Yes, Jennifer, there are exact and specific reasons we had such focused results from this class.
Let me list them for you.
Why The Waist, And So Many Showing Inches Lost, In So Short A Time
Here is a partial list of the waist stats to which Jennifer refers. At the finish of the 4 week session, these reports started rolling in.
Now, keep in mind I'm going to focus on waist inch loss as per Jennifer's question. These women peeled inches off everywhere else, but the waist losses really caught our attention first:
- Keturah: 1 inch off her waist
- Carol: 1.5 inches off her waist
- Jennifer: 1 inch off her waist
- Val: 1 inch off her waist
- Phyllis: 1 inch off her waist
For starters.
3 Steps To Cinching Inches In The Waist – This Quickly
Each of the women noted above implemented tools that were key to the May class – and are part of my signature system for energy, resilience and strength, body shaping, and weight loss. As these results ARE typical, and coming in like clockwork for those in my programs, I'd like to show you how simple and straightforward the pathway to these kinds of successes really are.
Let's look at the 3 headliners that these women implemented:
1) Winning Dietary Guidelines: An incredibly simple, easy-to-follow dietary plan that keeps you satisfied, well fed, and OUT of the hunger zone (critical! White knuckle weight loss does NOT work.) As Fitness Expert at the Health and Medical Center for Dr. McDougall. M.D., I have the inside track to simple and powerful nutrition tips that make THE difference.
2) Targeted Body Shapers: The muscles around the middle are not only often shrouded in excess body fat (which is addressed directly with #1 above), but due to bad posture and inactivity have lost density and shape. The best way to reverse this is to isolate and overload those very muscles. As the body fat stores decrease via the Dietary Guidelines, these muscles start to "show up" and display their "cinching" properties to your best advantage when challenged in specific, targeted fashion.
In the May class, we implemented the following Fit Quickies™ Fit Quickies, all of which – either directly or indirectly – target the middle:
- Fit Quickie #1: 7 Seconds to a Flat Belly
- Fit Quickie #5: Topless Muffins
- Fit Quickie #7: Kickstand Curls,
- Fit Quickie # 4 Gorgeous Glutes and Hamstrings, and #6 (Thigh Warriors) and #8 (Hot Seat!) which work the largest muscles of the body, and also have an Interval Training effect, increasing calories burned during as well as after exercise to dip into body fat stores.
Snapshot from Fit Quickie #7: Kickstand Curls
3) Active Every Day: Though workouts were solidly in place, this does not mean "work out" every day. It means move your body. Just being a good animal. Include challenges to the large muscle groups of the body to build shape and metabolic rate. It's really quite simple.
4) Community and Support: The simple act of signing on for a focused study, whether as part of an ongoing community or a group with a time-telescoped shared goal, such as a month long course, steps you up to the plate of success.
By demonstrating to yourself that you value your fitness, health, and goals about all of it, you leap far further into the health, well-being and energy circle.
It's a way of supporting yourself, let alone getting the support of others on the same venture along with a mentor and coach. The power of this synergy has proven itself time and time again.
As a matter of fact, it is very common when women simply sign up for a class or membership, things start moving rapidly for them because it is a sign of their commitment.
Out of the wishy-wash into the spin cycle.
Off the fence and into the sandbox. Which is exactly why I've got something new cooking just for you….
Are you seriously looking for a way to finally shake the extra pounds and inches that sap your energy, undermine your confidence and self-esteem, and tarnish your self-image? Abandon the fitness chaos that keeps sabotaging your success, and implement a proven step-by-step strategy to energize, lose weight, shape your body, and explode your vitality. Click HERE now to get started.
Filed under Abs, Blog, Boot Camp, Diet & Nutrition, Exercise, Fit Quickie, Metabolic Rate, Motivation, Plant-strong diet, Testimonials, Weight Loss by
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