A client who had been working with me 6 months comes bounding in the front door of the Vitality Center and says, "Aaron, before I started working with you I had my blood pressure taken as part of a health exam now that I'm 62. I just had a check-up and my blood pressure is down by 20 points. I haven't taken any drugs. I haven't done any additional exercise than I normally do. I haven't changed my diet. Is it possible that Reposturing has lowered my blood pressure? "

Pump #1: The HeartIn my many conversations with Dr. Victor Barker, author of Posture Makes Perfect, I learned that posture plays a big role in circulation and regulation of blood pressure. What people don't know about circulation is that there are 5 pumps that your body uses to circulate blood. Most of us are already familiar with the heart as the main pump for the blood. By the time blood leaves your heart and gets down to your feet, the blood pressure is approximately 1/3 of its original pressure. How does the blood get back to the heart?

Pump#2: The Heel StrikeIn the feet, there is a venous plexus that is stimulated with every heel strike. This venous plexus in the foot stimulates blood to circulate through the capillaries from the arteries to the veins of the feet where blood begins to return back to the heart.

Pump #3: The Calf Muscles- The Body's "Second Heart"When blood leaves the feet, it heads up through the veins in the calf that are specialized to have flaps that prevent backflow. Every time the calves flex in a normal stride, the contraction of the calf muscles pushes blood further up the leg, and the relaxation of the calves allows more blood to fill up the vein. The flaps close inside the vein to prevent backflow.

Pump #4: The Arterial Return WaveThe fourth way that blood gets back to your heart is the "arterial return wave". According to Dr. Henry Hamilton, a surgeon, there is an arterial return wave that stimulates blood flow in the adjacent vein that helps to send blood back to the heart. To get a picture of it in your mind, imagine if you splash water in a bathtub. Your splashing hand pushes water to the other end of the tub, but that wave comes back to you with some force and continues for some time until the water settles. That return wave is what happens in the arterial blood flow in the thigh. The body sends blood to the leg in the artery, but it doesn't send it in one big "woosh". There is a wave that pushes then recedes again and again until blood makes it all the way down the leg. Simultaneously, the power of that return wave pushes blood from the legs up to the abdomen.

Pump #5: The Abdominal VacuumThe fifth way is the vacuum pump that gets created when, with your full and open ribcage, every time you take a full breath you create negative pressure in the abdomen. That negative pressure is a vacuum that creates a suction force that helps pull blood into the lower hose that goes to the heart, otherwise known as the inferior vena cava.

With each of the five systems of circulation, there could be negative consequences if there is a deficiency or a restriction. If a person is inflexible or overweight, the heart has to work harder to push the blood through the veins and arteries. If a person is wearing high-heeled shoes, the feet can't flex to stimulate circulation. The feet can't flex for a proper heel-strike either. If a person's ribcage is compressed or collapsed with bad posture, then the vacuum pump of a full inhale is missing from the circulation process. Some of the consequences of breakdowns or deficiencies of any of the 5 ways could include: high blood pressure, varicose veins, cold feet, achy joints, achy legs, swelling in the feet, and swelling in the calves, just to name a few.

Perhaps you can see, that the solution to maximizing your circulation is to have good flexibility and great posture. Here are the Reposturing exercises that will give you the best results to improve circulation:
Foot Circles, Calf Stretch on Wall, Standing Quad Stretch, Step-Up Lunge, Side-Reaches, Torso Twist

Getting Rid of Chronic Pain

The Summer of Perfect Posture is all about looking great and feeling on top of the world. For the month of July, we are going to focus on Reposturing exercises that relieve pain; more specifically chronic pain. One amazing posture fact is that 1.8 million Americans suffer painful and potentially disabling musculoskeletal disorders (MSD's), 600,000 of whom must take off work to recover, costing businesses $18 billion annually. Aaron's solutions to great posture are designed to be simple and effective so that your body can reclaim its authentic self and participate in every activity and event in life that is important to you.
The exercises below are designed to eliminate chronic pain forever if followed properly and performed frequently. In addition, the four target spots represent the areas on the body that have the biggest impact people's lives when they are affected by aches and pains.
So if have been looking for a remedy to make the aches and pain go away, look no more because help is finally here.

Headaches/Jaw: Open Jaw Pull
Neck/Shoulders: Reach Up Reach Back and Side Flex Neck Stretch
Back: Side Reaches
Hips/Legs: Step Up Lunge
Ankles/Feet: Foot Circles

America's Posture Crisis

Americans are in a posture crisis. Many common aches and pains we have can be traced back to poor posture. Every day I see people of all ages with bad, awful, or wretched posture. At a health lecture a few weeks ago, I tried to find ONE person with good posture among the 300 attendees. I could not find even one person with pretty-good posture who I would consider asking to be a model for any of my posture videos, seminars, or photo shoots.

So what are the hallmarks of good posture? I look for the shoulders to hang behind the body's front-to-back midline such that the person would have a high ribcage. Second, I look for the neck and head angle to be upright so that the head sits squarely over the body midline. Third, I look at the low-back and hips. The pelvis should be vertical front-to-back and level left-to- right. The pubic bone should be forward so that the abdomen is mostly flat. Lastly, I look at the knees and the feet. When a person is walking or standing, the knees should be directly over the feet, but in a balanced, even, unforced way. Finally, I look at how a person walks, to see how they balance their weight from foot-to-foot and front-to-back. Are they graceful? Coordinated? Is the chest high? Do the arms swing evenly to balance movement smoothly?

When I am out-and-about, I am perturbed that I cannot find anyone with very good posture. What people don't know is by having bad posture, they set themselves up for long-term problems such as neck pain, shoulder problems, shortness of breath, headaches, jaw pain, chronic lower back pain, knee problems, and foot problems.

Do you have friends who are in need of a posture intervention? Maybe that person is actually you. Is it time for you to do something about your posture? This is the summer of perfect posture.

Read more about it: Do your own Posture Intervention THIS Summer

Reposturing Dynamics Training Commercial

What makes the bust-line go saggy in the first place?

Why makes the breasts go saggy in the first place?

It's Springtime! Time to think about preparing for summer fitness goals. Last month I talked about how important it is, especially for the guys, to eliminate health mysteries by getting every test you can; and by doing so, you can know the best course of action to orient your fitness activities. This month it's the ladies' turn.

This past week I did a 2-Session Posture Makeover introductory package for a lady. In just two sessions of Reposturing, her bust line lifted a full inch-and-a-half. If you've ever had any Reposturing done by any of our Certified Practitioners , you know that this kind of results happen much of the time. What's remarkable for this lady is the fact that it happened so quickly, even without the exercises I usually recommend. So, what makes the bust line go saggy in the first place, and how can you prevent or reverse it?

According to statistics quoted in a recent article in Hilary Magazine , the most popular reason women get implants is, "enlargement of breasts in patients who have less breast tissue than desired". What I have discovered in my practice at The Vitality Center is, the body uses fat-and-water in the breasts and upper arms as a front-to-back weight-balance system. If the shoulders are rolled forward, the breasts go lower and either get smaller, or get larger and hang more pendulously. At the same time, a woman may develop more upper-arm fat, to balance the weight of the body on it's own mid-line. This is your body naturally following Newton's Third Law: Every action has an equal and opposite re-action.

So how can we use the laws of nature to help restore the natural height and (perhaps) the natural fullness to your bust line? It's a three-pronged approach:
Strengthen your upper-back muscles (rhomboids and trapezius) to be so strong that they ultimately hold the shoulder-blades so far back that they almost touch the spine.
Stretch your chest and shoulders (pectoralis major, minor and anterior deltoids), so that having your shoulders way-back is effortless for you.
Strengthen your lower-back muscles into the upright position, so being upright is easy and normal, all the time.

The exercise of the month is one of my favorites for exactly this purpose. Although not shown, you can even do this in a chair, from a seated position. The video-clip shows me and my crew doing a set of 8 repetitions in each direction. You can access the exercise for free on the web site, or you can download it for just $3.99 from the Shop page. Here is my guide for how you can approach getting results that really count in just 21 days: If you are:
Interested-- Do 2 sets of 8-10 repetitions twice per day, for a total of up to 40 reps per day.
Motivated-- Do 2 sets of 20-30 repetitions twice or three times per day, for up to 180 reps per day.
Ambitious-- Make it 3 sets of 30+ repetitions three or more times per day, for at least 270 reps per day.

Win* a free Posture Makeover Package worth up to $1,000! Do this exercise of the month. Share your before and after electronic photos with us (upper-body, front and side views) along with your name, phone, email address, and 100-200 words about what having great posture will mean for you. Deadline for all completed entries is April 25, 2007. Our committee will choose the best entry and you'll be notified by phone, and your story featured in next month's Vitality Newsletter.
*Some restrictions apply. For details, see http://www.myvsi.org/index.php?page=posture-makeover-package-qualifications or call the Vitality Center at (650) 347-4565

Mystery is the Enemy of Good Health

Mystery is the Enemy of Good Health

Just after last month’s newsletter posted, my brother Darryl admitted himself into the hospital with chest pains to get himself checked out. Turns out that the blood flow from his heart was only 15% of maximum. He could have gone another month or so, and I’d be writing an obituary right now.

An avid golfer, he also jogged 2-3 times per week. What he did not knew was the smoking and poor diet was catching up with him at a faster pace than he could run from it. We could have lost him.

On Oscar Sunday, February 25th, he is back on his feet with a new appreciation of the value of knowing the health of your heart. In his own words:
“For any male over the age of 25, I highly recommend that he go get a heart ultrasound to know the actual strength of your heart. It doesn’t matter how healthy you are—you should still get it checked.”

So everyone, (especially us, guys), needs to start today—schedule every test for every vital sign there is. The more you know your scores, the better shots you can call to win the game. So far, I’ve recently had my blood pressure, bone density, body fat, fasting blood sugar, and cholesterol checked. Next for me are prostate and heart.

How about you?

Hey folks! I have a new Myspace account! Got a posture comment or question? Got a general health/fitness question? Add me on Myspace! www.myspace.com/posturegenius

Hell in High Heels

This was orginially posted on January 25, 2007

Hell In High Heels--
Pumps and Stilettos give you Power and Pride at a Painful Price
By Aaron Parnell

Fashion trends in footwear almost always call for high heels. You know they are going to make your feet hurt. You even know how long it will be before you have to take them off. Some women are willing to have foot surgery to stay in their favorite brand of shoes. You still believe the payoff in pride and power is worth the trouble. But is it?
Just in case it has never been made clear how bad this is for the body, let’s explore some of the problems associated with these pumps for your power suit:

Bunions, Hammertoes and Fallen Arches
Wearing heels makes you walk with your toes pointed outward for support. When you ‘push-off’ with your back foot propelling you forward, this force also smashes your toes sideways and makes the second joint of your big toe become the push-off point. The joint has to grow more bone cells to do so. Hence, over time, you can get some pretty ugly toes that hurt a lot. All the surgery in the world will not make you walk better. Heels just make the problem worse.

Bubble Butts, Jiggly Arms, and Thunder Thighs
In heels, your body tilts forward, causing your weight to balance on the ball of your foot. The farther you lean forward, the more weight your body has to load onto the back of your body for balance. If you wear heels a lot, over time, the body has to compensate for the imbalance by adding fat and water to the back of your arms, derriere and thighs.

Low Back, Neck, and Shoulder Pain
Sporting 2-inch heels makes your body work up to 25 times harder to stay upright than if you were in flat shoes. Bones and muscles in the back, neck and shoulders perform the extra work. This can lead to chronic pain, arthritis and stiffness that lingers long after the shoes are off.

Poor Circulation
Your feet and calves need freedom of movement to act as a natural pump to help circulate blood back to the heart. The ankles and feet can swell when fastened into high heels with limited motion. Veins can become unsightly under pressure; and the heart has to increase blood pressure to promote circulation.

No better than many other self-destructive habits, over time, constantly wearing high heels can get you into some serious pain and discomfort. Further, someone will have to bear the cost of health care services you may need.

If you still ‘need’ to hop into those heels, here are five things you can do to avoid pain and some of the associated chronic health problems.

1- Foot circles. Extend you foot and point toes and make circles in the air, as wide as possible, 10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise. Do this sequence once for every 2 hours in heels.
2- Wiggle your toes. Up, down, spread, relax. Follow this sequence five times for every 2 hours in heels.
3- Carry a pair of totally flat comfortable shoes with you, so you can change into them when your feet have had enough torture for the time.
4- Take a yoga class. Keeping your body flexible will allow your body to stay more vertical when you are in heels.
5- Massage your feet. Do it yourself, have someone else do it, or get one of those gizmos you can put your feet on or into.