Book Review: Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence

It isn’t that often that a truly new fitness idea comes around, but with Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence by Eric Goodman and Peter Park, you’ll find a totally new approach to improving your health and fitness.

Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence

This book is the collaboration between two fitness and wellness experts that teamed up to create a fitness book that focuses on strengthening the back instead of the abdominal muscles to enjoy true core fitness.

Peter Park is one of the top fitness trainers in the United States and has worked with top athletes and celebrities including Derek Fisher, Lance Armstrong, and Kelly Slater. He is the co-owner of Platinum Fitness Summerland and has over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry.

Dr. Eric Goodman is a chiropractor who also works as a strength coach and personal trainer. His understanding of the back has led him to create a program that improves the body’s ability to heal and move with ease.

This dream-team of exercise scientists brings a new approach to fitness that helps create more flexibility, improved endurance, along with more power. If you’ve been disappointed by fitness programs that leave you feeling unbalanced and in pain, this program can teach you techniques that will turn those problems around.
You don’t have to be a body builder to know that fitness can be difficult. Many programs that focus on core fitness focus only on the abdominal muscles. The idea is that by strengthening them you’ll improve your fitness.

But with Foundation: Redefine Your Core Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence, you’ll find an approach that focuses instead on the back. By strengthening this area of the body you’ll have fewer problems with balance, back pain, and you’ll strengthen your entire body.

Often people who have back pain have a very tough time getting in shape. In spite of doing sit-ups and crunches, they never can seem to get relief. But by using the exercises in this book, you can become free of the pain and actually improve your fitness levels.

People who have had back injuries, surgery, and other back problems will be able to follow these easy instructions to strengthen the back and alleviate pain. Having a strong back creates a foundation upon which the rest of your fitness can be built.

If you’ve ever experienced back pain you know that it can affect the way the rest of your entire body moves. And back pain can be chronic, persistent, and debilitating. But by following a program of strengthening and stretching the back, you can have relief and be able to move with freedom once again.

When you’re getting started with an exercise program, you can quickly burn out - especially if  you experience pain and injury related to your back. But with this program you’ll experience the opposite – less pain and more flexibility.

As you follow the Foundation program you’ll gain balance and strength, and exercise will actually become easier for you. With a solid foundation and understanding of musculoskeletal structure and fitness, these two experts present a whole new way of becoming fit. By strengthening the back, all fitness areas become feasible.

In this book, not only will you learn the roots of back pain and dysfunction, but you will also learn how to fix these issues. The book includes tons of information, but probably the most valuable part for me was the workouts.

The book includes 3 different workouts - the Basic Workout of 5 basic exercises for beginners to help strengthen your back and core, the Moderate Workout of 7 exercises to further strengthen your back, reduce pain, and prevent injury, and the Intense Workout - 10 exercises that help improve on the foundation that you have built in the previous sections. Each exercise is accompanied by detailed photographs and instructions that are clear and easy to follow.

The book also includes some bonus exercises that you can add into your routine when ready, and create a healthy lifestyle to achieve true fitness and health.

Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence is a great book for anyone who wants to get in shape but struggles with issues of back pain and imbalance.

With this book you can learn exercises that strengthen your core by focusing on your back. When your back is strong and healthy, all fitness activities become easier to perform and you can truly improve your fitness and wellness.

If you have a job that requires you to sit all day, have a lot of stress, or have experienced an injury or surgery, this book can help you to get the relief you desire. It goes beyond traditional exercise programs to create a program focusing on strength and wellness for your back.

You’ll also benefit if you want to get in shape, but pain has kept you from doing so. Many people who have followed this program find that their back pain has completely disappeared allowing them to improve their fitness for life.

This approach is based on science and the experience of two industry professionals who really know what they’re doing.

You can have Foundation: RedefineYour Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence delivered to your home, your Kindle or Kindle reader and you can find it here on Amazon.com.

How To Stretch Your Back When Sitting In An Office Chair All Day

Let’s face it; having an office job which requires you to sit at your desk all day can be detrimental on your back, especially as you get older. Plus, it’s difficult to maintain a proper back posture when you’re concentrating on your work. Getting up and walking around at least twice an hour can help, but it isn't always enough. That’s why it’s important to regularly stretch your back. Here are some simple back stretches that you can do right in your chair.

Seated Back Twist

To do this stretch, you need to sit on your chair and plant both feet flat on the ground. Then, while holding the back of your chair, gently twist your body to one side to stretch your spine. Be sure to keep your spine straight and don’t overdo it or you can injure your back. After twisting to one side, you can rotate your torso and gently twist your body to the opposite side.

Chin Tuck

This stretch is effective to loosen the muscles in your neck, shoulder, and upper back. To do the chin tuck, simply lower your chin to your chest and stretch the back of your neck. You can also use your hands to push your head down with a slight pressure to further stretch your neck.

Lower Back Stretch

To do this stretch, you have to sit upright in your chair and make sure you have ample space in front of you. You then bring one knee towards your chest and hold it there for a few seconds with your hands. Make sure you feel the stretch in your lower back. You can then repeat the stretch with your other knee.

Seated Forward Bend

The seated forward bend allows you to stretch your whole back as well as your shoulders and neck. Just like when doing the lower back stretch, make sure that you have enough space in front of you. With both your feet flat on the floor, raise both hands above your head and bend down slowly towards your knees. When your chin reaches your knees, hold that position for a few seconds before you slowly rise back up.

Cat-Cow Back Stretch

This stretch is a very simple stretch which is great for the neck and upper back. To do it, sit upright with your hands on your knees, and inhale slowly while raising your head up and arching your back. Hold for a few seconds and exhale while dropping your chin down to your chest and rounding your spine. You can repeat this stretch a few times.

There are many easy back stretches you can do in your office chair. All you need to do to relieve the tension from your back is to take a few minutes every day to stretch your back. However, make sure you carry out the stretches slowly and with good form so you don’t end up injuring your back instead.

Video: Yoga Exercises for Arthritis - Shoulders & Back

This video gives some gentle and helpful yoga exercises for easing arthritis pain and improving flexibility and range of motion for your shoulders and back. Doing these regularly can really help restore function and mobility for those with back and shoulder issues. (I don't have arthritis, but I do have a lot of stiffness in these areas, and these exercises feel great!)  Be sure to work at your own level, and don't strain or push yourself beyond where your body wants to go. She shows some modifications for those with limited mobility.

(Note: You may want to adjust your speakers - this one's a little on the quiet side.)

Yoga for Arthritis: The Shoulders and Back (Part 1)
The first 'Yoga for Arthritis' back sequence. Follow the stretches in the seated Cat Pose move to build and maintain mobility in an arthritic, sore, or stiff back. The shoulder poses are good for anyone with arthritis in the shoulder joints, or previ...

Exercise Back Pain Away

According to past research and studies, nearly 80% of all Americans will experience some type of back pain in their lives.  The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons believes this as well, as they say 80% of us will encounter some type of problem with our back before we die.

Image via WikipediaTraditionally, the treatment for lower back pain is increasing core strength to increase flexibility on muscles that are tight, which will provide better stabilization of the spine and exercises to correct the imbalances of the muscles.  The muscles that surround the spine will provide stability and support of the spinal column.

Every muscle between the hips and shoulders are included as well, as these muscles are referred to as the core muscles.  Back pain can be a result of muscle imbalances caused by any of these core muscles.  If the back of your thighs are weaker than the front of your thighs, there will be an uneven pull on the front of your spinal column. 

There are some effective ways that you can integrate core strength training exercises into all of the exercises you perform, rather than doing just the traditional crunches and sit-ups (which are very hard on your back).  One such way is by breathing effectively.  Deep breathing will utilize your diaphragm muscles which will help support the spinal column and lengthen the spine, which is great for your lower back and supporting you when you walk or run.

The tummy tuck and bridge lift can also help you to reduce back pain and strengthen the core muscles as well.  The tummy tuck exercise is a simple pelvic tilt that draws the abdominal muscles away from the floor.  Do perform a tummy tuck, simply lie face down on the floor and squeeze your glutes to strengthen your spine.

Instead of pressing into your thighs, you should instead think of reaching your tailbone down towards your heels.  Perform 15 reps of each exercise and alternate them until you have completed a couple of sets. 

For the bridge, place your feet on a bench or on the floor and scoop your pelvis upward, as your rib cage should stay low to reduce any irritation to your spinal muscles.  The bridge will help to relieve stress on your back and focus the muscle contractions into the glutes and the hamstrings.

Other exercises for lower back pain are the lumbar side stretch, hip flexor stretch, and calf stretches, as all three can help to alleviate pull on your spinal column.

Hip flexor stretch (one of my favorite stretches ever!)
When doing a hip flexor stretch, bring one foot forward in a bent knee, 90 degree angle, while your other leg is on the floor behind you with the sole toward the ceiling.  The hip flexor stretch will help to open up the muscles of your back on the side of the spine near your hips.  You can also squeeze your glutes and press your hips forward (while keeping your back straight, hands on your front thigh) as well to deepen the stretch with each breath you exhale.  You should begin to feel a stretch in your back leg, in the thigh front and the hamstrings on your front leg. Hold for 1 minute on each side.

Lumbar side stretch
For this stretch keep your legs wide with your knees bent while you sit or stand.  Simply bring one hand down towards your foot on the inside of the thighs and your other hand behind your head.

Calf stretch
The last stretch will open up your Achilles tendon, which is the most distant pull on the spine.  For this, place an object under your foot and lean the weight of your body forwards.  Maintain a fluid breath while you hold stretches for 30 seconds or so.  After a while, you should begin to feel a stretch behind your knee and shin.

Click here for more info and a free video on relieving back pain.