Have Only Skipped Two Days in a Month of Ecises

10.10.09

I haven't missed a day of doing Egoscue, alternating the two menus. Today playing soccer on the beach I came down hard on my left leg funny and thought I'd done a number on my knee but I walked it out and it was fine.

10.13.09

I missed doing the menu the other day but in the month I've been doing Egoscue, I've only missed two days overall. I still alternate between the first and second menus each day. They take an hour. I'm going to ask Paul for less time now. Still heel pain. But body feels fine.

10.15.09

I felt my outer thighs when standing the other night and they are HARD! I mean not flabby! I was so impressed to feel this. A month of Egoscue ecises has achieved this, and it is a nice surprise. I also feel like my legs are stronger when I get up from sitting on the floor.

But I still limp from heel pain and walk like an old person for the first minute after I get up each morning. Then I'm fine.

Feel like I'm standing straighter lately

10.3.09

Did Airbench for the full two minutes today for the first time.

10.9.09

For the last couple of nights I could tell I was standing up straighter, more easily.
I still am at odds with Floor Block. Don't know if I'm doing it right and have procrastinated checking the ecise out online for clarification.

Prone Ankle Squeezes - am using an empty half gallon water plastic jug but don't know if it's the right shape.

Supine Foot Circles and Point/Flexes - can still barely do only 25 of each before ankles get too tired.

My body still feels old in the morning, still a bit of right heel pain when I step on right leg but I'm sure that will begin to lessen even more.

Need to make video showing my cracky ankle circles before my ankle stops creaking.
I want to wake up feeling fresh and flexible and youthful and ready to do karate chops!

Started my second Egoscue Menu

10.2.09

Yesterday I did the Alternate Ecises Menu, today I did the Original Menu. I can do Airbench for 1 minute 50 seconds now, which is way longer than 30 seconds, which is how long I could hold it the first time I did it two weeks ago.

The side leg lift one is easier now too. Outer thigh doesn't burn so soon.

Nicole from the Egoscue Clinic called me again tonight - she is so nice to do that. Wanted to know if all was well. She said she saw my pictures and I'm definitely making progress. I told her I was blogging about this and that I had posted a creaky knee video. She said the creakiness will go away. I said I can't wait, that would be incredible.

My first and second back picts

9.29.09 - Good news from my Egoscue therapist, Paul. He saw my pictures and emailed me this:

Hi Amanda, great work on the consistency and we're indeed seeing changes in your posture. Side views are seeing the most significant changes as your upper spine position is much more erect with your shoulders sitting back more, along with this your hips coming under your body (you have less of a flattened butt and more of a normal rounding), head position has come back closer to the line of gravity, knees are less flexed. In the front & back views, the feet are less everted, though the left is still more than the right; the right pelvis is still tilted forward more than the left, with your trunk leaning to the left. We still have work to do, but you're off to a great start.

He sent me a second menu of ecises to alternate with the first. The ecises are:

1. 1 0:05:00 Static Back
2. 4 5 Standing Windmill
3. 3 10 Standing Shoulder Shrugs
4. 2 40 Standing Arm Circles
5. 1 0:01:00 Crocodile
6. 1 10 Pelvic Tilts
7. 3 10 ABduction-ADduction w/ Feet Close
8. 3 20 Hooklying Gluteal Contractions
9. 1 0:02:00 Airbench
10. 1 0:15:00 Supine Groin Stretch w/ Towels
11. 1 40 Supine Foot Circles & Point/Flexes

Everted Feet are Ones That Turn Out

My feet are less everted

9.28.09 - I sent Paul 4 more picts of myself. I think they look better but I did try and stand up straight for the shots so maybe that's why they look better? However, I don' t know if it's the saunas or what but I am stiff after I sit on my legs for a while, when I stand up it's not easy to walk! Also remaining heel pain. Which I'm sure will take a while to go away.

First Week Doing the Egoscue Exercises

My dysfunctional hips and shoulders

9.17.09 - Today makes three days in a row that I've done my hour long Egoscue program. I really like it. As I go through the ecises I find that air enters my belly more easily. This morming when I stood up out of bed my heel pain was diminished. The ecises I find the hardest are the ankle rotation one - my ankles get so tired I can barely complete the forty circles and then point/flexes - and the inner and outer thigh one. My outer thigh is burning by halfway through the second set! And also the airbench, where you sit against a wall for 2 minutes.

9.18.09 - Did Egoscue today again, my fourth time. Airbench is lasting longer now - a minute I can hold it. Outer thighs still burn during thigh thing but getting better. All day long I catch myself curling my shoulders back over so I correct it, throw my shoulders back even though it feels weird, and try to take a deep breath into my belly, remembering what Paul said about how if your breathing from your chest, your diaphragm is shut down.

My knees still creak a lot.

9.20.09 - 6th Egoscue session this am. I am going through the exercises faster now that I know them better. Still unsure about the arms over the head one - do I do it with a cushion or without? Again this am when I stepped out of bed my heel pain was minimal. Overall I don't feel as stiff. I do like what they're doing for me so far, the exercises. It will be interesting to see if my pictures that I will take next week look different from the ones from last week.

9.21.09
woke up with the heel pain for a minute. but today as i was walking i could have sworn that my left foot is not as turned out as usual.

9.22.09 - A woman named Nicole called me today. She's from the Santa Monica Egoscue clinic. She was so nice. She asked me how my exercises were going. I had some questions for her about a few of them. Turns out I am not using a thick enough pillow (can use an empty gallon water jug instead) and I'm supposed to use the pillow/cushion/jug for the arms over the head exercise.

9.23.09 - Doing the Egoscue exercises with the empty water bottle made me feel it in my inner thighs. In a few days it will be time to take my new picts - the second batch that Paul will see. I hope my body looks different.

Have you seen my knee cracking video yet? If not, it's below!

My first Egcoscue Therapy Menu

This ecise is called Static Back

Paul emailed me my menu. It came with pictures and descriptions of each ecise. Very clearly drawn out. He said my stiffness and creaking will go away, isn't that great? I am lucky to be able to devote one hour a day to this.

Just did my first Egoscue personalized hour long menu! It took me an hour and a half this first time.

Static Back
Gravity Drop
Standing Shoulder Shrugs
Standing Arm Circles
Floor Block
Pelvic Tilts
ABduction-ADduction w/ Feet Close
Inner/Outer Thighs
Assisted Hip Lift
Hooklying Gluteal Contractions
Prone Ankle Squeezes
Airbench
Static Back Reverse Presses
Hooklying Knee Pillow Squeezes
Hooklying Isolated Hip Flexor Lifts
3-Position Toe Raises
Supine Foot Circles & Point/Flexes

17 exercises. I love Static Back, it feels so good. By lying in that position you are 'loading' your back from shoulders to hips evenly on both sides, something I'm sure I need with my hip and shoulder disparities. I have questions on some of these ecises. Floor block I couldn't really get - how do you lie on your face without breaking your nose? Are your arms supposed to be off the cushions? What's supporting the body? And the Inner/Outer Thighs one was killer on my thigh muscles, which I guess are quite weak! My outer thighs started to burn during the second and third reps. But I've been meaning to strengthen those muscles for ages.

I am going to do tomorrow's exercises as well before I email Paul with questions. At a couple points I could even feel air getting into my belly more easily, rather than just in my chest. On my list of things to do today is a breathing meditation, if even for ten minutes.

Paul's feedback on my first batch of Egoscue pictures

I sent my first batch of pictures to Paul Schell at Egoscue Santa Monica. I would show you them but I was in a bikini and they're not too flattering.

He said: my right shoulder and right hip are elevated. My right shoulder is rotated forward. My oblique abdominals are working hard to lift hip on the right. My left foot and knee turn out more than the right, which is also turned out. My left shoulder and trunk are pulled down.

Re the side view: my ear is supposed to be directly over my ankle but everything's in front. My upper back curves forward. I'm really strong in abs and legs but glutes aren't doing a lot. My knees face outwards so the door is off its hinge. I need exercises to control hips so that my hips can control my knees.

The back photo: left hip is up. Upper body leans to left. Shoulder blades are winging off from spine when they're supposed to lay flat. My abs have done the stabilizing thus far.

Other side: Can see how hard abs are working on left. Abs on left are higher than abs on right. They're pulling left hip up to the ribcage.

Paul said that besides the exercises I should be conscious of two things: Hydrate and Breathing. He said it looks like I do the hydration part (I was flattered). I told him how I've been meaning to do 20 minutes of breathing meditation every day. He said if you're breathing from your chest, then your diaphragm is shut down.

He will send an hour long set of e-cises. I'm to do these for two weeks then upload new photos. Five assessments for $200, this being my first. When I sit I can correct my torso by using my shoulders to not round over.