Archive for the ‘Exercise’ Category

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Running May Protect Your Knees

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
There was recently an interesting article published in the New York Times (read the whole article here) about long time runners actually having healthier knees than other similarly aged people that were non-runners.
The article discussed a couple of studies that point to the possibility that long term endurance running can actually protect your knees from degeneration (osteoarthritis) as you age. This is in direct conflict with conventional wisdom that says that running is terrible for your knees.
It’s a very interesting article and I recommend you check it out. I have two points to add.
The first point I’d like to make is one that was glossed over in the article. The studies mentioned seem to follow long-term runners that were CONSISTENT with their running. Exercise and training of all kinds tends to be more beneficial if it’s consistent. If there is a large fluctuation in the amount and intensity of exercise (think weekend warrior), then you’re less likely to get the benefits discussed in the article.
The second point is also one that was briefly mentioned but I’d like to briefly expand on. It was mentioned that if a muscle isn’t firing appropriately, say from an injury, then another muscle or other structure (ligament, cartilage, etc.) will have to compensate and try to pick up the slack, as it were. This is precisely the way that I often help athletes perform. Through something called applied kinesiology (AK) I can locate a muscle weakness and
better still, I can locate the source of the weakness and fix the problem, often times in just a visit or two to my office.
You see, often times, the body breaks down from the inside out. In other words, if you have a digestive system, immune system, nervous system or another part of the body that is stressed and not sending ideal messages to the rest of the body that will often times set you up for an injury.
Here’s a quick story of a person that I helped the morning of his race with just such an issue.
“I came to Dr. Frykman because I hurt my knee training for a race. I had a shooting pain every time I stood and I could hardly walk up stairs. I tried everything I could think of to relieve the pain but I was having no luck.

The day of the race it was worse than ever and I was ready to throw in the towel. In desperation I decided to talk to Dr. Frykman and he agreed to see me to try to fix the problem.

He was very professional and explained everything to me in a way that I could understand. After the session I couldn’t believe it when 95% of the pain was gone! I was so ecstatic! I was able to run the race with little problem.

I have to admit that at first I was skeptical but Dr. Frykman made me a believer. He has a customer for life. I would definitely recommend him to others.”

Tim Osterlund
Business Banking
So the moral of the story is make sure you’re getting consistent exercise and to really optimize your health, set up an appointment with an applied kinesiologist who can locate the source of any potential muscle weaknesses.
Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,
Dr. Chris Frykman

Posted in Exercise, Goal setting | No Comments »

The Health Benefits Of This Popular Activity…

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

I know no one talks about sex a lot because most people find it a little embarrassing, but I came across an article that talked about the health benefits of sex and it’s pretty interesting.

It turns out, having a good sex life helps you stay happy, healthy, and fit…and it has numerous health benefits that even I didn’t know about.

For example, did you know that sex can actually cause you to get fewer colds? It’s true! Research has shown that couples who have sex weekly have a 30% increase in immunoglobulin A, which is an antibody that fights infections.

Sex also has the following positive health benefits:

* It helps women have a more predictable period cycle.

* It helps reduce stress levels – for physiological as well as emotional reasons. Sex activates a nerve that has a calming effect.

* It lowers blood pressure, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

* It can reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol!

* It helps you tone your abs, gluts, and pretty much any muscle in your body.

* It increases estrogen levels, which improves the look of your hair, skin, and nails

* You get increased feelings of motivation from the release of endorphins

* Improved memory because of increased blood flow to the brain

* Boosts intimacy and self esteem from the increased levels of oxytocin (the love hormone)

So there you have it – a bunch of reasons why sex is beneficial to your overall health.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Source: ABC News, June 16, 2009

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Are 20 Minute Workouts Any Good?

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

We all know that exercise is very beneficial to a person’s health. So why don’t more people exercise on a regular basis? Is it lack of money? Or lack of motivation? Or the lack of equipment?

No. The #1 reason people don’t exercise is lack of time.

Martin Gibala, a kinesiology professor and exercise researcher at McMaster University says, “We know that 50% of the population doesn’t exercise and the most commonly cited barrier to exercise is the lack of time.”

Professor Gibala put his theory to the test in a study published in the Journal of Physiology. He compared a group of people that exercised a “traditional” 90 to 120 minutes a day to a group that only exercised 20 minutes a day, and only 3 days a week.

After only two weeks, BOTH groups showed improvement in exercise performance and oxygen uptake. What was interesting is that the improvement was almost identical in both groups. How can that be, you might be asking?

They found the group that only exercised for 20 minutes trained with greater focus and intensity. So IT IS possible to get a lot out of short focused workouts instead of longer one hour workouts.

In fact, this is just one of dozens of studies that confirm the benefits of shorter but more intense workouts. Just remember that HOW you exercise in those 20 minutes is the important thing. Intensity is the key, not duration.

So keep that in mind as you try to get everything into your busy schedule. And if you already exercise regularly, then try mixing things up and do a shorter and more intense workout. You’ll get a lot out of it and you will save yourself a lot of time.

If you want to talk about what’s most effective and/or safe for you, please feel free to shoot me an email at DrChris@VibrantPotential.com or call me at 952-224-2909.
Have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon!

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman
P.S. If you want to blast through a quick intense workout I know some AWESOME trainers that you can work with. It’s great to have someone knowledgeable walk you through a workout designed for YOU. Check out one of these great trainers near you.
Morgan Luzier
www.seek-balance.com
Danielle Pellicano
www.daniellepellicano.com
Angel Obert
http://www.angels-acme-bodyshop.com/Angels/Angel_Obert.html

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Information You Should Know About The Swine Flu

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

I’m not sure if you know this, but the swine flu is continuing to be in the news.  And now there’s talk about a “swine flu vaccine” that the drug company is rushing to manufacture.

There are a lot of red flags and questions being raised about the swine flu and this new vaccine, and I want you and your family to understand everything going on with this.

I’ve found some great information that just came out a few days ago that I want you to read so you have a better understanding of what is going on.  Take a moment and click the link below and read the article, as well as Dr. Mercola’s comments after the article.  It won’t take you long, but trust me, you WILL learn a lot and it is information you SHOULD know.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/04/Warning-Swine-Flu-Vaccine-Coming-Soon.aspx

Let me know if you have any questions.

Helping you reach YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

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9 Tips To Keep Yourself Exercising

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Health is such a passion of mine.  There are many activities that promote great health and vigor.  Chiropractic, massage, “good” diet, positive self talk…  Among the top of the list is certainly exercise.  There are so many health benefits to exercise that one could almost make the argument that if you’re not exercising you must not want the most out of life.   We know that’s not the case though.  Most people that don’t exercise know it’s good and even have good intentions to get it done but fall short of making it a habit.

After reading the following list of tips, if you have any questions or concerns about exercise or integrating it into your life, call me at 952-224-2909 or email me at DrChris@VibrantPotential.com and I’d be happy to talk to you about a plan.

One of the most commonly made, and most frequently broken, New Year’s resolutions is the resolution to exercise more.

People who exercise are healthier, more energetic, think more clearly, sleep better, have delayed onset of dementia…the list goes on and on and on and on and… you get the idea.

There’s also a lot of research into the connection between exercise and happiness - some studies suggest that it provides a real boost, some studies suggest that while correlated, exercise isn’t a factor in making people happier. I’m interested to see what further studies reveal, but I’ve made up my own mind: in my experience, and the experience of everyone I know who exercises, exercise makes me calmer, more cheerful, and more alert.

But even once you’re convinced of the benefits, if you’re not inclined to exercise, it can be hard to adopt the habit. After all, why else do so many people join a gym on Jan. 1st and stop going before three weeks have past?  If you want to transform into a regular exerciser try deploying these strategies:
1.    Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the week.

2.    If at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning. The longer the day goes on, the more likely you are to get derailed.

3.    Never skip exercising for three days in a row. You can skip a day, and you can skip two days, but on the third day, you must exercise no matter how inconvenient. (If you go more than a couple of days people end up feeling like they’ve failed and then say, “to heck   with it.”)

4.    Give yourself credit for the smallest effort. Give yourself a super easy minimum. Perhaps 10 push-ups. Once you meet that goal, feel good that you’ve done something and if you want to keep going then do it but don’t feel like you must.  Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The fifteen-minute walk you DO take is better than the three-mile run you DON’T take.

5.    If you don’t have time both to exercise and take a shower, find an activity that doesn’t require a shower afterward, like yoga or walking. I enjoy a hard work out but sometimes I only have 20 minutes so a walk to the lake and back is just what the doctor ordered.  The sunlight and fresh air do wonders to clear the mind and boost the mood.

6.    Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satisfying. Could you upgrade to a nicer gym? Buy yourself a new iPod? Work with a trainer? A lot of people are feeling a real money crunch right now, but exercise is a high life priority, so if you can afford it, this is a place to spend some money if that helps.  If you want a recommendation, just let me know.  I know plenty of GREAT trainers and coaches.  One with whom I’ve recently been VERY impressed with is Danielle Pellicano.  She does a GREAT job, will  spend the time to individualize workouts for you and is SUPER affordable.  Her contact info can be found at her website -  www.daniellepellicano.com

7.    Remind yourself of the benefits from exercising. Whether you’re  more motivated by short-term gratifications like “I’ll feel more focused” or “I’ll sleep better” or long-term considerations like “I’ll live longer” or “If I have surgery, I’ll recover quicker” are more your style do a little soul searching and figure out what gets you out the door.  There are SO many positive benefits to exercise that you’ll be sure to find something to prod you along. ;)

8.    Think about context. If you find it much harder to go running in winter than summer, maybe the real trouble is that you don’t like the cold. (If you invest in some decent cold-weather running gear its amazing how comfortable you can be at low temps) Do you
hate the loud music in your gym? Is your work-out so exhausting that you can’t face the rest of your day?  Set yourself up for success by doing something you LIKE!!!

9.    When choosing an activity, a gym, or an exercise class, make convenience a top priority. Most people are much more likely to go to a mediocre gym near the office or home than to a great gym that’s out of the way.

Apart from the happiness gain you’ll get from the exercise, merely the fact that you’ve kept your resolution to yourself will boost your happiness.

Yours in health,

Dr. Chris

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12 Foods You Don’t Have To Buy “Organic”

Monday, September 29th, 2008

Organic foods are rising in popularity. Today I wanted to share with you some foods you can eat that don’t have to be organic, and some foods that you should consider buying the organic variety if you can afford them or if they are available in your area.

First of all, do you know what growing organic means? Well, let me tell you!

Organic fruits and vegetables are by definition grown without the use of pesticides. It’s becoming a known fact that “organically grown” foods are healthier than conventionally grown foods.

However, some people don’t have easy access to, or can’t afford, organically grown foods on a regular basis, and that’s why I wanted to share this with you.

Here are some foods that you can purchase at your local grocery store, that aren’t organically grown, but have very low levels of pesticide use when farming.

The Environmental Working Group (EWA) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health. This summer they published the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. The date is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests.

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the Guide to Pesticides, the following 12 foods had the lowest amount of pesticide load when conventionally grown. Because of this, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume. Here they are:

Broccoli
Eggplant
Cabbage
Banana
Kiwi
Asparagus
Sweet peas (frozen)
Mango
Pineapple
Sweet corn (frozen)
Avocado
Onion

Now, on the flip side of this coin, here are the 12 fruits and vegetables that were tested to have the HIGHEST amount of pesticide load. These are the foods you should consider to buy organic FIRST.

Peaches
Apples
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes (imported)
Pears
Spinach
Potatoes

The best thing is to buy all local, organically grown produce, I just wanted to provide these lists for those trying to budget for certain foods.

If you’d like more information, just check out these resources:

DrWeil.com July 30, 2008
FoodNews.org Printable Shopper’s Guide

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

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Applied Kinesiology and the Athlete

Friday, April 18th, 2008

Did you know that I know write a column for the bi-monthly magazine Midwest events? Athletes have long embraced chiropractic in general, and those in the know specifically seek out applied kinesiology.

Here’s the article as it appeared in the March/April issue. I hope you enjoy.

Applied Kinesiology: How you can gain that competitive edge while reducing risk of injury
Each athlete has his/her own reasons for competing. For some it’s general health and fitness. For others it’s an innate competitive drive to win. Others love the social aspect. No matter the reason you compete, if you’re like most people, you want to minimize your risk of injury, feel great, both on the road, and at home in-between training sessions, and perform to the best of your abilities. One way to effectively achieve all of this is through applied kinesiology (AK). Nutrition, cross-training, weights…there are many ways that you can optimize your training. AK, and the method of muscle testing that is a key aspect of this approach, allows us to see the “big picture” and help us to better understand what the body needs to function at its peak. AK provides a road map of the body so you can coordinate all systems efficiently and in the most effective way possible. What’s the best sports drink for your individual body? Is there a specific food that you could cut out of your diet to eliminate that runner’s diarrhea? Are all your muscles firing like the well-tuned machine you strive to be? Imagine a NASCAR racer attempting to win a race firing on only five cylinders instead of all eight. That is what most athletes are doing every time they toe the line. If you’re going to go out there, you may as well give it your all!

Gaining Your Edge

If AK is an avenue you would like to pursue, the first step is to make an appointment with a health care practitioner who is certified in AK. When you go in for your appointment you will go over any injuries, concerns, and health history. One of the unique aspects of AK is the fact that whether you are aware of any health issues or not is inconsequential because the practitioner can determine them through a simple but methodical series of muscle tests.

A big goal is to reduce any negative symptoms that you are experiencing. But kinesiology has the strength to go even beyond that. I like to use the term Total Body Wellness. When an athlete enters my office, the main goal is to achieve Total Body Wellness. Anything I can do to help the body heal from injuries, reduce the risk of future injuries, increase performance, and overall vitality; that’s what we’re after.

As an athlete you can respect the importance of having all your muscles contracting and relaxing in appropriate harmony with the rest of your body. It’s going to be pretty hard to have a killer bike split if your quads are only firing at 35% efficiency! That’s a major aspect of AK. Through nutrition, chiropractic adjustments, meridian therapy (like acupuncture), and many other modalities, a major outcome is that your muscle, joints and entire structures are going to be more balanced, more powerful, and finely tuned. That’s not all though. The most important part of the muscle testing is actually the aid it lends in assessing the health of the nervous system and the internal organs. AK is really about total body health; powerful performance, fewer injuries, and increased vigor are just side benefits are of optimal health. (What a concept - health care that has side
benefits instead of harmful side effects).

It’s simple: the body very rarely stops working for no reason. If you have a headache, shin splints, or constipation, there’s a reason. The trick is finding the real cause and correcting that cause. With AK, I’ve seen problems that have lingered for decades resolve in weeks.

The body breaks down from the inside out

The reason that a certified kinesiologist can gain understanding of the interior of the body simply by testing muscle function is due to a phenomenon known as the viscero-somatic reflex. Viscera means organ and soma refers to the body or muscles. In essence, when we abuse our body (consciously or otherwise) it will suffer. Let me use the example of the chest muscle, the pectoralis major. If your liver is stressed out in any way, it will send a reflex to the pectoralis muscle and consequently, your performance is going to suffer. Can you imagine being in the pool and trying to do fifty laps without your pectoralis muscles fully firing? Might you suppose this puts extra burden on the surrounding muscles - muscles that are trying to pick up the slack? You can see then, how a body out of balance like this could lead to decreased performance as well as more frequent injuries.

Tried and True

Applied Kinesiology is a well-hidden secret. It’s how Dr. Jeff Spencer helped Lance Armstrong and the Discovery team win 7 Tour de Frances. It’s what Dr. Craig Buhler uses to keep the Utah Jazz in peak condition. And it’s what I used with Rasmus Henning before he placed fifth at the 2007 Lifetime Fitness Triathlon. Countless other professional athletes trust and utilize AK to optimize their training. Why not you?

Dr. Chris Frykman is a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in Kinesiology which is the BEST news for athletes. As a Certified Kinesiologist and an USAT Certified Tri Coach, Dr Chris provides the most customized and targeted care for athletes to keep them in win victory status. Dr Chris uses the most innovative treatment through Total Body Wellness which helps individuals, like you, achieve their athletic and life goals. His practice, Vibrant Potential, is in Shakopee, MN. Contact Dr. Chris at 952-224-2909 or email DrChris@VibrantPotential.com to discover how to best leverage your training, racing, and to remain injury-free. Learn more at his website, www.vibrantpotential.com.

Posted in Chiropractic, Exercise | No Comments »

Two Simple Stretches to Defeat Back Pain

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

Many people suffer from chronic back pain. It’s epidemic.  If you know
anyone with back pain please forward this onto them.  It will be SUPER
helpful and they’ll thank you.

Even though chiropractic care is the best treatment for back pain,
adding some good stretches to accompany the adjustments is a great idea.

So today I wanted to share with you two stretches that are great for low back
pain and sciatica that you can do at home.

Sound good?

Okay, here’s a simple exercise you can try today: Get one of those inflatable
medicine balls (the kind you find at the gym and can be purchased at any
sporting goods store).

Start by lying on the ball on your stomach, looking at the floor. Your feet
should be spread apart for balance. Next, slowly roll forward until the ball
is placed in front of your hips. Allow your body to bend forward, rounding
to the shape of the ball.

Next, relax your body completely and place your hands on the floor for
support and balance. You should feel light to moderate stretching in your
lower back, and possibly your hamstrings.

This stretch loosens the muscles that run up and down your spine. This
creates more space between each vertebra.

You’ll be amazed by the pain relief you get from increasing the space
between each vertebrae and when you combine this stretch with your
chiropractic adjustments, it’s a great 1-2 punch to eliminate your pain
and improve your health!

Here’s the next one.  Tight hip flexors is one of the most common cause of
low back pain, even very severe pain.  To alleviate this sometimes we have
to do some muscle work at the clinic called a psoas strain/counter strain.
If you stay on top of it though you’ll be less likely to need that.  Here’s how
to do a great hip flexor stretch.

Get into a lunge position.  Hips should point forward.  Your torso needs to be
straight up and down (don’t lean forward).  Push down into the ground from
your hips.  You should feel the stretch right at the front of your hip on the leg
that is extended backwards.

Try them out and let me know how it goes!

Have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

Posted in Exercise, Healthy Living | No Comments »

More on Martial Arts…

Thursday, January 10th, 2008

I’ve had several comments on my last entry about martial arts. People want to know more. Needless to say, I love getting comments on my writing because that’s how I know you’re getting great information.
One of my practice members who is very active in several martial arts asked me how my services here at Vibrant Potential could be of use to her in her training. GREAT QUESTION.

Right off the bat, let me say that there is way too much information for me to cover in a single email. If you’re interested in more information, email me and we can arrange a group discussion and demonstration.

Greater Performance

If you’re into sparring, if you have a competitive streak, or if you just like to do your best at whatever you do - kinesiology can help. What I do is help your body restore harmony to all systems of the body, particularly the neuromusculoskeletal system. (That’s a quick way of saying, nerves, muscles, and bones.)

The Body Breaks Down from the Inside-Out

Here’s a question for you - if you were woken up by the fire alarm what would you do? Would you say, “stupid alarm” and take out the battery and go back to bed? I don’t think so. You’d grab the kids and get the heck out of there! The ironic thing is that when it comes to health, most people are simply “taking the batteries out”. In other words, treating the symptom. Seriously think about this. Isn’t your health your most precious commodity? This is why athletes of all sorts, martial artists not withstanding, find great benefit in my care.

 

You see, the whole body is one connected unit. Muscles are correlated to organ function. One example I see all the time is a stressed out liver. The liver is correlated to the pectoralis (chest) muscle. Just think if you’re pecs aren’t firing (contracting) correctly. How are you going to be able to throw a powerful punch? How about benching? How about swimming? And that’s just the liver!

 

The trick is to bring balance to the organs and the nervous system so that the rest of the body can work and use energy. Just think if you’re body is using 90% of it’s energy to digest food. Do you think you’ll be able to spar longer, run faster, jump higher, etc. if you become more efficient at digesting food so you can use that extra energy in your sport? Hmmm…

 

Prevent Injuries and Recover Faster

 

 

The fact is it’s more effective to prevent injuries than recover from them. The fabulous thing about kinesiology is that if you’re doing it proactively you will have fewer injuries because you’re going into a sparring match (or any activity) in complete harmony. Usually an athletic injury is from something that doesn’t seem like it’s that big of a deal but the person with the injury was set up for it.

 

Here’s what I mean.

 

Picture this. You’re in class and there is a whole row of people from white belts to black belts practicing front kicks. Your instructor is shouting numbers in Korean… Hanna, Dul, Set, Net… Suddenly, the guy next to you crumples to the floor grasping at his ankle.

 

What happened? Why was everyone else okay but he injured himself? Well, let’s say the muscles on the outside of his leg were being inhibited so when he put his foot down he wasn’t able to compensate correctly and BOOM - down he goes.

 

Total Body Wellness

What does all this mean for you? If you are in martial arts, any other sport, or simply want to be able to get the most out of a workout and feel great than kinesiology is for you.

 

I know that this is new information for some of you so I propose a test. If you call 952-224-2909 or email me within two weeks of receiving this email I will give you an exam ABSOLUTELY F-R-E-E!! The reason I’m willing to do this is so you can experience the awesome benefits of kinesiology with absolutely no r.isk.

 

I know you’ll love it! I’ll see you soon.

 

Oh, and one last thing, everyone that wants vibrant health can benefit from this. If you know anyone that might be interested in feeling younger and full of life forward this email on to them. They can take advantage of the same offer. They will thank you for it and so will I.

Helping you reach YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN.

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The truth about muscle soreness…

Thursday, December 6th, 2007

Have you ever exercised or done a physical activity like working in a garden, and then the next day your muscles felt really sore? I know I have :-)

When this happens it is called “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).”

Doctors used to think this muscle soreness was due to lactic acid buildup, but now scientists have proven that isn’t true. So what causes the muscle soreness?

When you do a physical activity longer or harder than usual, you put in motion an inflammatory response that releases chemicals that sensitize nerve endings, and in time these nerves send messages to the brain that say, “Ouch!”

So if you exercise or do a physical activity and you get the delayed muscle soreness, you can always apply ice to the areas where you are the sorest. Ice therapy is a natural anti-inflammatory and will help combat the inflammation. Put the ice on your body for 15 to 20 minutes and then take it off. Make sure you have something thin between the ice and your skin, like a t-shirt or paper towel.

Here’s another myth for you…the warm up, cool down myth.

There is a chronic confusion concerning the need to warm up and cool down as a way to prevent injury to your muscles. Stretching is the usual approach to warming up, but it doesn’t prevent injury like people think it does.

A warm up is definitely required because cold muscles are vulnerable to injury, but stretching is not the way to do it. The best way to warm up is to do a brief cardiovascular spurt with low resistance. Examples of this would be walking briskly on a treadmill (or outside) or riding the exercise bike for a few minutes. You want to do anything that brings blood to your muscles, increases your body temperature, and revs up your metabolism.

The cool down is the reverse of the body changes you are trying to make with the warm up. Just continue your exercise, but slow down the pace. Stretching after your exercise will not prevent sore muscles, but it will increase your flexibility and may speed recovery time.

I hope this was helpful. Have a great day and we’ll talk soon.

Helping your reach your Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN.

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