Today I have two bits of awesome for you. First, The PTDC has put together a free e-book on the top 100 mistakes personal trainers make, and John’s such a class act he’s going to give it away to everyone who wants it.

=====>  Click HERE for your Free E-Book  <======

Second, I have a guest blog post from John Izzo today where he outlines some unique thought processes on how to take care of your spine, and also gives you a really cool drill to keep it healthy and strong.

To learn more about John, you should check out his site HERE.

When I was young, I had a cousin who kept his hot rod car in one of my Dad’s garages for storage. It was a purple 1967 Dodge Challenger. It was a monster and it had an engine that would roar like a lion. Once a week, he would drop over the house to check on the car and start it up. He never took it anywhere, he just simply came over to turn it over and give it a quick shine. On a Saturday morning, he stopped by and started the engine. He revved it up so much that the picture frames around the house fell off the walls. This thing was a beast. A muscle car if I ever saw one. That morning, I walked outside to talk to my cousin. He was about 12 years older than me, so he usually thought of me as his “lil’ cuz”. I asked him why he doesn’t take the car out for a drive?

It was a peculiar question because he never took out the mountain of metal muscle; he just stopped by to turn the engine over and rev it up. With a car like that I figured he’d want to conquer the streets and startle the calm in the air. He simply said, he didn’t want to risk any damage on the car’s body from idiot drivers, unsuspecting curbs, or bird droppings. At the time, I guess it made sense.

As he polished the hood, the engine purred like a lion asleep in a prairie. So, I asked him another question.

“Why do you come here every week to just start it up and rev it?”

He looked at me and said, “…because I need start the engine up once in a while so the battery doesn’t die and the fuel line stays clean.”

I am no car expert, but it sounded good to me at the time.

Today, I think back to my cousin’s response As a fitness professional, many of the clients I see are like that 1967 Dodge Challenger sitting in the garage. Like the car, many of my clients sit motionless behind glowing computer monitors or crouched talking on phones, simply letting age and lifestyle deteriorate their bodies. They know they should  perform some exercise or recreational activity, so they choose to hit 18 holes with friends or colleagues.

Like the car that is stored, its engine needs to be turned over once in a while to keep it running smoothly.

Like our bodies, our muscular system and circulatory system needs to be revved up regularly. Muscles need to move and blood needs to flow.

Businessmen like to take things up a notch and hit the greens with 18-holes. Sounds like a walk in the park, but playing 18 holes of golf after sitting for a whole week in your office chair prepping the numbers for the annual budget review is not my idea of “revving the engine”.

So, I had to instill some movement drills that they can perform in the office to compliment our sessions. One of the easiest drills that can be performed numerous times is the McGill Disc Decompressor Drill:

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I like the drill because it can be performed anywhere—especially in a cubicle or office—to simply break up the monotony of static creep that is felt within the tonic muscles. It’s also a nice way to contract muscles and increase blood flow. This simple task of moving does a great job of increasing muscle activity, blood circulation, relaxation, and improves awareness/alertness.

Typically,  the McGill Decompressor Drill should be performed 4 times per hour in the seated position. The drill, so labeled by famous low back researcher Dr. Stuart McGill, is simple and easy to do. It has been a hit with my golfing clients that still want to hit the greens on Friday afternoons to make those big business decisions with colleagues without feeling that wrench in their backside.

Like my cousin’s 1967 Dodge Challenger, the body has to be “revved up” regularly. As we age, muscles begin to conform to the force of gravity due to poor posture and inactivity. One of the sites of pain is the lower back region. The McGill Decompresor Drill is a simple way to break up the static posture of our “seated days” and allow our bodes to reset. Albeit, its not nearly enough in the grand scheme of things. But it is a supplemental movement that should be included in anyone’s day.

This drill, as well as many others, are included in the product Shatterproof Spine. It is a workshop that depicts information on low back pain and discomfort; and addresses some remedies in the form of exercise, to help strengthen any mechanical faults your client’s may be experiencing.