Tools to Thrive: Running for T1D Management and Entrepreneurship

Many of us, including myself, face the difficulty of keeping blood sugar levels elevated during sessions of intense activities like running. Yet, if practiced correctly, running can be an awesome therapy for the physical and mental health of those in the #T1D community.

Insulin keeps me alive, but it isn’t the only therapy I use to manage my diabetes. I combine my prescribed insulin regimens with running in order to optimize my blood sugar. By committing time in my weekly schedule to running, I see drastic improvements in my blood sugar levels and I require fewer boluses of insulin, simply because I have fewer instances of hyperglycemia.

Let’s talk specifics: on a day that I want to run, I will be sure to have a pre-run snack like a banana to ensure that I don’t go low. Also, I always share my route with my girlfriend, so she knows where I am while I run around. Lastly, I find an awesome playlist that has my favorite tunes, specifically songs by Chance the Rapper. After making the appropriate preparations, I hit the road and begin feeling the benefits physically and mentally. Having the opportunity to exercise clears my head, reduces my stress, increases my cardiovascular health, and regulates my blood sugar. All of these benefits are super important to take advantage of as a patient entrepreneur managing both a chronic disease and a business.

You don’t need to hit the ground running, though (no pun intended)! Walking and jogging are also great starts, just as long as you get moving! These types of exercises can drop blood sugar levels fast, so supplementing your running with healthy snacks and meals is crucial. Be sure to check out some articles (below) if you’re interested in running with #T1D. Remember, don’t let type 1 stop the run!

Check out John’s recommended resources on running and T1D, with an addition from Lyfebulb Ambassador Christel Oerum of Diabetes Strong:

1) https://beyondtype1.org/a-runners-guide-to-t1d/

2) https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a20834290/how-to-fuel-for-a-long-run-with-type-1-diabetes/

3) https://diabetesstrong.com/started-running-type-1-diabetes/

Inside the Patient Entrepreneur’s Mind: Jon Margalit

Jon Margalit

Managing a chronic illness is challenging, whether it is your own or a loved one’s. Starting and running a business also poses unique challenges. If you struggle with a chronic illness, have started a business, or want to start a business, this blog series can help guide you. “Inside the Patient Entrepreneur’s Mind” offers key insights into chronic disease and mission-driven entrepreneurship by some of the most innovative patient entrepreneurs in the world.

Jon Margalit is CEO & Founder of Complete Start.

As a patient entrepreneur, can you describe your personal experience with IBD from diagnosis through your current daily management and how this experience drove you to innovate the space?

To make a long story short, I am a very social and outgoing person who enjoyed immensely being out with friends networking, in all types of social settings. I was also an avid gym goer and black belt martial artist. Once diagnosed with Crohn’s, I had to deal with all kinds of drugs and steroids to mitigate the ill effects of the disease and as a result transformed into a guy with acne all over who was afraid to leave the house at the risk of being too far from a comfortable bathroom.

With that being said, after trying different types of drugs, I realized really quickly that this wouldn’t change until I took matters into my own hands to find solutions. After some research, the one thing I found I really had control over was what I was consuming. I focused on what I could control and immediately thought to myself if I study this, and become an expert in food science, perhaps I might be able to make some drastic changes in how I’m feeling and looking. Inflammation causes the digestive tract to shrink so we [the IBD community] have difficulty digesting whole vegetables and roughage. I had the idea to freeze dry and grind them into a powder to consume micronutrient rich vegetables without digestive issues. I bought a freeze drier on amazon to test the idea.

What makes Complete Start unique and how does it meet an unmet need of the IBD community?

There are products on the market that are similar in nature, but we are the only ones completely organic and non-GMO. Our goal is to deliver the most complete and clean digestible nutrition for customers. As a result, the cost to produce has vastly increased. I quickly realized why our competitors didn’t produce the same quality of product because it narrowed the customer base. We are sticking to offering a premium product at price, staying true to our goal.

Are there any other unmet needs of the IBD community that you think take priority in working to address? How are patient entrepreneurs well-suited to meet these needs?

I think that the key to making a widespread, massive impact is to create more awareness for the products, services, and support that are available, so I’d love to focus more on community building. When I was first dealing with Crohn’s, I was not aware of the products, services, and people out there that were available to help me overcome. Out of instinct and pain I sought them out and created resources for myself, which was key to remission. If I could go back in time where that community already existed, and someone introduced me, then things would’ve been easier to deal with and I would’ve found a way out much faster. My goal is to try and bring us together in a community form beyond just introducing patients to Complete Start.

Where do you draw your inspiration and motivation from to keep forging ahead as an entrepreneur in the healthcare industry?

The real answer is I was initially afraid to leave the house. I was afraid to be seen and covered in acne—steroids destroy you. Now, I want everyone to know that the fear they are feeling is not just them and someone like me can help alleviate those fears and show them the path. If I was able to breakthrough and overcome, they can too. It’s others in the community and the validation that I get from them when they reach out and say I read your story and it made me believe that perhaps I can get there too who inspire me. Other people continue to fuel my fire and my desire to keep getting out there to make sure that others are aware and can receive the comfort of a blueprint for healing.

Lastly, what do you do for fun to manage the stress of running a business as both a person with IBD and an entrepreneur? Do you have any similar advice on work-life-disease management balance to others out there thinking of starting a business to meet an unmet need of a chronic disease patient community?

Absolutely. There is one key and I think that it is just as important as food—it’s exercise. I mean it very passionately—I am a daily hardcore gym goer and when I go to exercise, I go hard. When I do, I feel tremendously better. Movement and consistent exercise is the only way to complete the healing puzzle and again, that is another element that people have control over. Jon Margalit exercise fitness I would recommend to anybody who is suffering out there first to test, then heed to Dr. Sandborne’s advice of eating what makes you feel good, and you’ve got to be consistent with exercise. Don’t just go through the motions—do it with purpose and passion. Push yourself physically because there is no bigger healing element in the world. The blood flow, endorphins and sense of accomplishment after a workout is the single most impactful driver to get me into remission. Two things people will never regret are eating vegetables and working out. The exercise is the stimulus to the right blood flow and right state of mind to tackle disease and career—both mental and physical battles. There is no better way to deal with the pain and discomfort of IBD than exercise.

All Roads Lead To Wellness: How Our Different Backgrounds Led Us To Lyfebulb

Katie:

In May of 2019, I joined Lyfebulb as the new Community Manager. Like many patients (including Ambassadors and Entrepreneurs) part of the Lyfebulb community, my health journey has not been easy. I struggled with chronic, neurological Lyme disease for close to a decade. The lack of awareness of this chronic illness prolonged my receiving of adequate treatment because of the inability to get properly diagnosed. Once diagnosed, I spent years researching all that I could about chronic Lyme and making all possible lifestyle changes within my control (diet, exercise, sleep hygiene, chemical-free product substitutions) to get myself out of a state of illness and into one closer resembling “wellness”.

After I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and observed marked changes in my symptoms, I learned how important support drawn from shared chronic illness experiences are to improved disease management and in certain cases, remission. Through this realization, I went to culinary school to learn the intricacies of preparing healthy yet still delicious food so that I could more thoroughly stay true to my commitment to wellness. My chronic illness ultimately taught me how to thrive in life, directing me towards likeminded people who have had similar health journeys.

At the age of 27, I now work for Lyfebulb in order to help build the chronic disease community that I wish I had from the start of my health journey–especially during my sickest years. Chronic illness strips you of hope and the natural instinct of a chronically-ill person is to curl up and isolate from the rest of the world. My goal is to encourage others who are either creating community or innovation around their disease to come together so that we can make the impact of patient-driven innovation and messages of how to thrive with chronic illness, or of wellness, that much stronger.

Jamie:

I joined Lyfebulb in June of 2019. My role includes the development of partnerships, execution of Innovation Summits, and the management of Lyfebulb’s Patient Entrepreneur Circle. I came to Lyfebulb with a different background than most of my colleagues. Unlike Katie, Karin, and our extended community, I do not suffer from chronic disease, nor do I have loved-ones who do – or so I thought prior to joining Lyfebulb.

Though fortunate on to this end, health and wellness has always been a high priority. With northern California roots, it was instilled upon me at a very young age that it is more than just a lifestyle choice – it is necessary to keep the body and brain sustainable.

Formally, I geared my educational studies towards art history and business. After school, I landed a dream job in the field at an art market transparency company. Four years later, I found myself feeling unfulfilled. Though art will always be a passion, I sought out to find a field where I could make more of an impact.

I found Lyfebulb by chance, attending the UnitedHealth Group Summit activation event for depression and anxiety. Shortly thereafter, I joined the Lyfebulb team and brought the UHG Summit to fruition. Though grateful for my time spent in art, I am grateful to have returned to my path of wellness and health, and look forward to where it will take me.

New Workout App for People With Diabetes – And Christel is an Instructor!

Have you ever dreamt of working out with a trainer who understands diabetes, who might even live with diabetes, and who gets what it takes to get through a workout without wonky blood sugars?

Well, that trainer could be me!

Today, my 12-week fitness program “STRONGER”, that I developed for GlucoseZone, is available in the GlucoseZone app. I’d like to personally invite you to come train with me. To join me for a program that will push you to be a stronger version of yourself.

The beauty of joining GlucoseZone is that you’ll get access to not only my program but to 6 other exercise programs, as well as live workouts, all developed specifically for people living with diabetes. You can do all of the workouts in your own home or bring it to the gym.

Regardless of your fitness level, you can find qualified instructors to take you through the workouts that are right for you, and always with your diabetes in mind.

One of the reasons why I’m so excited about working with GlucoseZone is that it’s the first-ever clinically validated digital exercise therapeutic for people living with diabetes, and it’s endorsed by the American Diabetes Association.

Stronger Getting Started

Sign up HERE and use the “STRONGER” code to get 30% off the monthly retail (You’ll only pay $9.09 per month) when you sign up for the GlucoseZone app.

Connect with Christel on Facebook: @DiabetesStrong; Instagram: @diabetesstrong_ig.

Rebecca Babcock: IBD Warrior

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais NinDueing

December 1-7 is Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness week,

and as an IBD Warrior, it is an important to take a pause and look at REAL life with a silent, incurable illness. There is no question that is hard, but it is also what WE choose to make of it. As I often say, each of us can do hard things.

rebecca-babcock-ibd-crohns

Having a chronic illnesses can understandably leave you living in fear of the next flair up… like becomes an insane game of “illness athematic”: trying to time the onslaught of debilitating symptoms with work or personal commitments (as if we have an ounce of control over any of it!), lying in wait of medication’s terrible side effects, or perhaps planning around the anticipation of potentially embarrassing social encounters. Aka: life can get very small… if you let it.

Last weekend I experienced a beautiful reminder that I can live a full life even during the hard times when I don’t feel well, or I am not sure I am up to it, I don’t look my best or can’t give it 100%. I went to a baby shower for a very best friend and then a “Friendsgiving” celebration, and while I could not partake in either of the beautiful and likely delicious cakes, I was reminded that showing up is most of the battle.

rebecca-babcock-life-ibd-crohns

The bottom line is my disease doesn’t define me and it doesn’t need to define you. It certainly takes courage and more than a fair amount of humility and honesty to show up to life, maybe not at my best, but on life’s terms. It is a lot better than not showing up at all.

#nocolonstillrollin,

Rebecca

How To Improve Your Health: A Guide

You may have been told many times what you need to do to improve your health and take care of yourself, but have you stopped to consider how you can do this? What lifestyle changes does this require?

One of the first points to keep in mind is the fact that you need to get into a routine of visiting your doctor. You should go for check-ups to make sure that nothing is amiss, and you can then rest must easier at night. This, among other tips, will be touched upon in more detail below.

doctor

Visit your doctor

How often do you visit your doctor for medical check ups? Even if you think that you are healthy, you never know what might be happening on the interior, and it’s better to take preventative measures from the start.

Find out what makes you happy

The sooner you find out what fulfills you and makes you happy, the sooner you can also improve your mental health in the process. Of course, you also need to pursue the activities that make you happy.

Pick up a sport

Picking up a sport is always a worthwhile endeavor, for a wide number of reasons. Firstly, physical activity releases endorphins in your brain, which make you happier. You will simply look and feel better, and there are so many sporting activities that you can choose from, you are bound to find one that piques your interest.

Even if you are constantly busy with work, there are still some sporting options that are perfect to do during your lunchtime. One popular choice is golfing, and there are some who even choose to hold their business meetings over a game of golf.

That being said, always keep in mind that you need to invest in the best possible equipment for your particular sport if you want to excel at the game. In the case of golf, you can take a look at what your options are with SGI irons.

If you know that professionals use the equipment, then you can guarantee that you have invested in the best possible item. Don’t forget that purchasing something that is flimsy, such as a weak golf club, could even make you more susceptible to injuries while you are playing a game.

Eat well

The type of food that you eat will always largely affect your overall wellbeing, considering that it is fuel for your body. That is why you need to get into the habit of eating nutritious and well-balanced meals at all times of the day.

In particular, starting your morning with a healthy breakfast is key.

Get enough sleep

In order for you to be well rested, you need to get anywhere between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Thus, the next time the evening rolls around, make sure that you turn off your mobile phone so that you are not distracted from it. Keep in mind that the blue light it emits only makes you stay up at night.

Always remember that improving your health will be a process, and it will thus not happen overnight. That is why you should adopt healthy habits sooner rather than later, and in no time, you will start to notice improvements in your daily life.

Working Out With No Obstacles

Hello friends! My name is Judy and I’ve been a T1 diabetic for 18 years now! You may know me from my Instagram account @hyper.hypo and blog/shop (www.diahyperhypo.com), and you may already know how much I love to help other T1s with my experiences and tips. I believe that diabetes should never be a limitation, and with a positive attitude and positive thoughts, it is easier to live with this disease that often feels like riding a rollercoaster.

I know that having T1 can often lead to a lot of questions: ‘’Should I inject for this’’, ‘’Should I eat now?’, ‘’Should I tell people I’m low and not actually drunk?’’ However, in my opinion, one of the main subjects that us T1s tend to ask questions about is type one diabetes and exercise. A lot of diabuddies think that they need to workout less or not at all because of their numbers, or even limit themselves to a type of exercise but I am telling you with full confidence: THAT IS NOT TRUE!

I believe so much in the affirmation: ‘’Diabetes is not a limitation’’ that I decided to launch my own line of diabetes sportswear.

I decided to create something that will empower a lot of type ones when exercising: a sports bra with an integrated pocket to put the insulin pump (or PDM or supplies or phone, you decide!). I know that working out while having T1 diabetes brings extra responsibilities, so having a pocket that will let you have an intensive and satisfying workout will motivate you to get off your couch and move!

In my case, every time I work out, I feel good. You may think: ‘’Okay Judy that is so cliché!’’ It is, I have to admit it, but it’s the truth! Here are my 3 main tips that help me exercise with type one diabetes:

It’s okay to change your schedule

Be mindful. Accept the fact that you didn’t stick to your workout plan. Accept the fact that you exercised during the evening and not in the morning like you planned to because of your numbers. Once you accept that your schedule might me modified, you will be happier while working out. Things happen!

2. Try to workout with no insulin on board

Working out in the morning works best because there is no insulin in the body (well usually). Sometimes, the blood sugar might spike, so it is important to know your body and to know that a correction might be needed. If there is insulin on board (meaning you injected yourself not so long before), you might need to set a temporary basal rate (if you’re on the pump) or try to inject less insulin before a meal/snack before a workout for next time.

3. Yes, what you eat is important!

Food. Everybody loves food, right? The thing with food is that it can give you instant satisfaction, but might get you lazy if you don’t eat something good for you. Eating a lot of vegetables, fruits and fibers will get you motivated and won’t make you say:

“Ugh yeah I’ll go to the gym tomorrow.” Eating proteins and carbs coming from non-fatty foods will make you feel good, help with your digestion, and affect your numbers before/ after a workout in a beautiful way!

And always remember: Train 30mn a day to avoid being tired 24h a day!

– Judy

Keep Fighting Toward Your Fitness Goals

So I thought I’d share how difficult it is to live with a chronic illness and try and stay fit.

The picture on the right was last year… when I had just had a colonoscopy to determine how inflamed my bowel was. Shortly after, I was hospitalized due to my colitis. In that week I had lost around 8kg in weight in the space of 5 days. Everything I ate went straight out. I had been in decent physical shape externally but internally I was in bits. I felt incredibly weak. I had no energy, but I still tried to work and live my life as normally as possible. At the time I even tried to celebrate the fact I looked half decent. 🙈 But when you look at the photo closely, I look very skinny. I was then put on some heavy duty drugs to get my colitis in check. Gained loads of weight in hospital and then went home.

Fast forward to may of this year. I’ve managed to get to a decent shape however I’m the strongest I have ever been. I manage to beat my personal gym goals every week and my colitis seems to be under control. 🤛👏

I saw this photo in my feed and wanted you to understand that physically and mentally I’m in a much better place. Everything is going in the right direction and with more hardwork and dedication I’ll get to where I want to be.

Even last year I said I’ll have to start my journey again. It really got me down but if something is worth doing… it wouldn’t be easy….or everyone would do it 😅👌

It doesn’t matter where you are in your IBD journey. It will always keep moving forward it you BELIEVE you can do it
❤

Moving for Your Body

Let’s be real, working out can suck. Like really, really suck.

Growing up, running was always my punishment for the other sports I played (tennis, volleyball, and softball). We would run if we missed, run if we lost, etc. Running was never something I got to do, but had to do, rather. I’d had a distorted view of working out (outside of playing sports competitively) and I saw working out as punishment for what I ate, etc.

By pushing my body too hard, at the age of 21, I’ve already had shoulder surgery, five stress fractures in both my shins and lumbar spine, as well as four cortisone injections. So after years of putting my body through intense workouts to train, I am finally working out to heal my body and mind.

So what shifted in my love-hate relationship with “movement”? My mindset. While I used to view running, cycling, swimming as the enemy or the “worst part” of training, I now view it as something I GET to do. I get to move my body, as quickly or slowly as I please. I get to be outside. I get an hour to move how I want to– however feels good for my body.

I used to push myself through a run when I could hardly walk, or through shin splints on a long run, now I don’t. Now, I run or bike when I want, put on a great playlist, and enjoy the movement, the celebration of what my body CAN do. I practice yoga daily because it is sustainable for me, and I love the mental and physical reset it provides for me. I focus on how it feels, what I need, and am very consious of my blood glucose levels when working out.

My advice to those who have a distorted view of gyms or physical activity, or even just need motivation to start working out is to find something you love, that you can sustain. Maybe for you this is dance, yoga, boxing, a long walk– or a multitude of act ivies combined.

“Speak like you love yourself. Eat like you love yourself. Move like you love yourself.”

Lyfestories: Incorporating Exercise Your Life with an Invisible Illness

Hi, I’m Zoe and I am actively autoimmune!

When I was diagnosed with lupus, I felt like I had lost control of my health and body. As a physiotherapist, I have always believed that movement is key and began to use exercise as a way to take back some control. Whatever the illness, injury or challenge, I believe exercise will support our health and recovery.

In saying that, I know how difficult it can be to motivate yourself to be active. Pain and fatigue, alongside juggling work, family or school plus hospital appointments and medication regimes; exercise can just seem unachievable. Health can fluctuate on a daily basis preventing consistency and progress. Here are my top 5 tips into how I incorporate exercise into my life with a chronic illness:

Be kind to yourself!

Sounds simple, but I find adopting the right mentality about why I am exercising, helps to motivate me. A lot of social media is aimed at fit and healthy people, striving for excellence. With chronic illness, we are striving for different goals.

You are not exercising to punish your body. You are not a bad person if you miss a workout. And you should not feel guilty if you cannot keep up with what others either on social media or in the gym are doing. Find what feels good for you and be kind to yourself.

2. Set realistic goals

Find a balance between something realistic but challenging, and something you care about or enjoy doing. Our bodies cope with enough medically, so we don’t want to add to the stress it goes through!

I find comparing where I am and what I want to achieve is very different to the average #goals on Instagram. Realistically running 5k and doing 50 burpees are not possible at the moment. But to aim to get on my mat 5 times a week, whether for a gentle workout, stretch or yoga is attainable and helps motivate me.

3. Be flexible

“Be stubborn with your goals, but flexible how you get there”

Health is unpredictable (the number of days I wake up with my list to do and due to how I feel, I achieve zero of them). Add in spontaneous hospital trips and appointments and it can feel disheartening not achieving what you set out to do that day. I try to use these moments to mix up my routines, walk instead of run, stretch instead of workout or on really bad flare days, simply sitting and doing some breathing exercises. Frustrating as it can be, it is about listening to what your body needs.

4. Learn when to rest and when to progress

Lots of my clients used to ask me:

“If I feel unwell should I still exercise?”
“Do I stop if I have pain?”
“Should I keep pushing past fatigue?”

For those of us with invisible illness, if we listened to our bodies every time they were unwell, in pain, or fatigued we would never exercise. That being said, we can be too brave and push past symptoms we should pay attention to. It is a really difficult balance and often ever changing due to drug changes and disease activity.

The best way to find out your limits is to test them! I started very lightly and monitored how I feel during, immediately after and the next day. A gradual increase in activity is a lot wiser than getting stuck in a pattern of over exerting yourself and then needing days to recover.

5. How to push through

Everyone has bad days, either physically with raging symptoms, or mentally due to a lack of motivation or simply fed up. It is absolutely okay to have these days off! However, it is often on these days when I am feeling rubbish, getting on my yoga mat can have the biggest positive effect.

Sometimes it is the thought of exercising that can seem overwhelming more so than the workout itself. The process of getting in my activewear and getting out my mat can sometimes seem a big a task as washing my hair aka. huge. One method I use is to break down the task so it seems more manageable. I give myself a target of 5 minutes. If after 5 minutes, my symptoms are still horrible or worse, then I stop but more often than not, I carry on.

I hope a few of my tips helped, for more guidance or if you have any questions please reach out to me on @activelyautoimmune or on www.activelyautoimmune.com

How I Started Health and Fitness Coaching

Two years ago I decided enough was enough and I needed to make a change for my own personal health.

There wasn’t anything specifically wrong, but I just didn’t feel good in my own skin and was really lacking energy and motivation. I knew I was the only one that was going to be able to change that for myself. I started a program after I saw my friend post her before and after pictures on Facebook and decided it was worth a try. Honestly, what did I have to lose right?

Two months later I was feeling so much healthier, weight started going down (20+ lbs overall), inches were being lost, my insulin was reduced by about 30% and people started to comment on how much happier and healthier I looked. Even my endocrinologist at Joslin was so impressed when I walked in the office and beyond happy with my progress! Yeah to lower A1c’s, Blood pressure and Cholesterol. This was the moment that I decided to start coaching myself. There was no way I couldn’t not share this with others in the hopes they could experience the same results as me.

In the past 2 years so much has changed for me. I now feel so lucky to be able to work with over 100 people to help get them jump started on their own health journey. Many of them with Type 1 diabetes, which of course I LOVE since it’s the diabetes educator and nurse in me. There is nothing like hearing people say, “My clothes don’t fit me anymore” or “I have been able to lose the weight I needed to before trying to conceive” or “I can’t remember the last time I felt this good.” There is nothing more powerful then helping others self esteem increase and just feeling happy & healthy!

I run monthly accountability groups online where we have daily challenges with some fun incentives for them. Why not work out when you can get some fun workout tanks, beach bags or silly gifts from it right? My challengers post sweaty selfies of their workouts, pictures of their meals and we share daily recipes and motivational posts to help keep their momentum going. I also do my best to check in with them every 1-2 weeks or more depending on their need to make sure they are getting their answers to any questions they may have. Who doesn’t want a cheerleader supporting you to reach your goals?

I think many programs out there are lacking the accountability piece and support system.

I truly believe that is why I have been able to continue this lifestyle for the past 2 years and not to mention I have gained financial support for my family and made some of the most ever lasting friendships I could have asked for.

This past July I was able to attend my first Summit in New Orleans and had a chance to work out with Shaun T (my fav) and Sagi and more others. It was truly one of the most inspirational, exciting and powerful events I have ever had the chance to be a part of. Working out with 5,000 people in one room or 25,000 people in the streets of NOLA as the sun was coming up was electrifying. You better believe this mama already booked my return to Summit next year and ready for the Indy 500.

Having lived with Type 1 Diabetes for 25 years I know how hard the day to day struggle is and truly it’s a full time job to just stay healthy.

Eating right, exercising, insulin, doctors appts, eye appts, etc….the list goes on and on for our daily tasks. I feel very fortunate to have found something that encourages and supports me to keep my health first and do that for others as well!

Facebook: @health.fitness.diabetes.mama

Instagram: type1diabetesmama

Is It Possible You Should Slouch More?

You’re at work. Your back is killing you. You’re shifting in your chair to try to stay as upright as possible, but it actually kind of hurts.

But, you’ve been told to sit upright, so it must be better for you, right?

“Sit up straight.” “Pull your shoulders back.” “Don’t slouch.”

Are these thoughts that you tell yourself? When you’re sitting at your desk chair? Or while driving? Or even just sitting at the dinner table?

So many of my clients come to me with back pain, and as soon as I get them on a video call, I can see immediately one of the major contributing factors to their pain.

In an honest attempt to protect their spine, they have actually begun to make the issue worse!

It’s not their fault. I used to do the same thing! We’ve been told these things all of our life!

After all, slouching doesn’t look very professional in school or in a meeting.

Did you know that excessively sitting upright can actually be just as bad for you as excessively slouching? Yup, turns out there literally is no research that shows a direct correlation between slouching and low back pain. Crazy, right? I know. I thought the same thing.

That’s why with certain clients, based on what we observe after scheduling a video consultation (click here to schedule your complimentary video consult!), I often prescribe this exercise:

Still confused? Because you’ve been told the spine should always be kept straight?

The body simply loves movement VARIABILITY. That’s why the body doesn’t respond well to lots of sitting OR lots of standing. Neither is inherently bad, but it’s the lack of movement and the over-abundance of the same posture.

I’ll even let you in on a little secret. This fundamental principle which I teach my clients in my programs is:

The best posture is the posture that changes most often.

Let me give you a little analogy to help make sense of this craziness. If I were to tell you to hold a bicep curl all day long, do you think you would get stronger? Or at some point, would your muscles actually fatigue and get weak and tight? Yeahhhh… I think you know the answer ?

The same goes for our spine! When we hold our spine straight all the time, we are essentially doing a plank all day long. No wonder our back ends up feeling tight and weak! It needs a rest!

This is counterintuitive, I know. But if you’ve ever experienced back pain, you’ve probably noticed that pulling your knees into your chest feels amazingly good.

Ain’t no coincidence! Want to know why? Because when you pull your knees into your chest, your back is rounding and finally getting the rest it wants so badly!

If you’re curious to better understand how your body’s unique movements/postures are impacting your pain, your health and your fitness, send me an email! Just simply ask any question you may have and I am happy to answer it for you!

You can also click here to schedule a 60-Minute Video Call where we can take a look at what’s going on with your body specifically to determine some concrete actions you can implement RIGHT away to start alleviating your pain.

To learn more about Melanie Daly and her personal training, please visit her website: http://www.backpainpersonaltrainer.com/