This article is part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. Foundational feet Our feet form the foundation for our upright body. Whether standing or in movement, whatever happens at the feet reflects all the way through the leg joints to […]
Yoga for Healthy Feet & Knees Part 2
This article is a continuation of Yoga for Healthy Feet & Knees Part 1, and part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. Sole triangles After you figure out your personal standing tendencies, the next step is to build strength and encourage […]
Yoga for Healthy Ankles & Knees
This article is part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips, and how they each impact knee health. The ankle joint – a mighty mover The ankle joint transmits the weight of the body through to the feet and withstands thousands of steps each day. It also sends […]
How Yoga Can Help Ankle Dorsiflexion
This article is a continuation of Yoga for Healthy Ankles & Knees Part 1, and part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. Smart yoga for ankle dosiflexion Many yoga poses can help increase ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, especially if […]
Yoga RX for Your Hip Flexors
Yoga for long hip flexors Lengthen your hip flexors with an easy modified version of Virabhadrasana 1. If you sit a lot, practice this pose several times a day. It’s a great all-round healthy knee pose as it lengthens your hip flexors, hamstrings and calves; tones the buttocks and quads; and helps with ankle dorsiflexion. […]
The Knee-Hip Connection: Muscles and movement
This article is part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. The knee-hip connection Healthy hips are able to perform a diverse range of movements (see diagram right). All of these movements and their associated muscles have a direct impact on […]
Spinal Stability Exercises
By Ann West This is part 3 of 3 part a series on Spinal Stabilization. Creating spinal stability The key to this approach is to improve the nervous system’s ability to activate the pelvic floor (PF), transversus abdominus (TrA) and multifidus (MF) correctly. This is achieved by learning to voluntarily activate these muscles in near […]
4 Easy Restorative Yoga Poses
By Ann West These four easy restorative yoga poses can be practiced independently or together in the sequence below. If time is short, it’s preferable to practice fewer poses for longer holds, so the body and mind have a chance to completely rest in each position. Practice Tips Darkness: Try using an eye cover of […]
Yoga for Core Strength and a Healthy Back
By Ann West Core facts & functions Our physical core is the collection of muscles, bones, fascia and organs located between the pelvic floor at the base of the trunk, and the diaphragm at the base of the ribcage. The term “core” usually refers to our core muscles, which wrap around the middle of the […]
4 Yoga Poses to Stimulate the Heart
The poses below stretch the heart and strengthen its pumping action. Poses with the arms above the head stimulate the heart and can raise the blood pressure. The continuing level poses below are contraindicated for those with non-medicated high blood pressure. Utthita Hastasana (beginner) • Press the feet into the floor and stretch the legs […]