It is funny to remember when NLP (Neuro-Linguistic-Programming) became famous in the early 80’s that people were shocked to hear behaviour and personality defined as programs. It was shocking to compare a human being to a computer!

Today, science is going far beyond this notion. Quantum physics specifically affirms that we can’t be only observers in this world but contributors. This notion changes everything. The universe would not exist without consciousness and our own mind is building reality. Is that hard to believe?

We can’t look at something without influencing it and it seems that we are part of a gigantic Universal computer. Depending on our beliefs, we allow different kinds of events to happen in our lives, exactly like a program allowing you to open some documents. It actually makes perfect sense. Our beliefs are framing the territory of possibilities and if you don’t believe in the magic of life, it does not mean that it does not exist but that you can’t access it.

Our beliefs change our environment and health. The placebo and nocebo effects are well known and obviously important in the way we can either improve or damage our health. What is interesting is that all the double blind studies conducted for new molecules are showing an increase of the placebo effect. It is as if the program for self-healing is getting stronger.

Our beliefs seem to be a major factor in the whole process. If you want to make a presentation and you don’t have Powerpoint on your computer, it is much more difficult. In the same way, without the right beliefs, you cannot access certain levels of reality where, for example, your own inner power can heal you efficiently.

Don’t try to convince someone of anything. If the person does not have the right program, it will be almost impossible to believe you, because the reality of the person does not include this possibility.  The famous St Thomas quote: “I believe what I can see�. Do you see electricity, do you see air, viruses, energy..?

Because we are the architects of our life and environment, our beliefs are creating our life and vice versa. If I see the glass half empty, my life is unfolding according to this belief. So I have every reason to keep believing the same thing and to reject the ‘half full’ notion. In other words, changing beliefs is a gamble and needs strong commitment and faith to succeed.

The only hope, seeing how someone else’s life is different, is for some people to question their beliefs. What is he/she doing differently to obtain this result? Too often the notion of “they’re just lucky� gives an easy reason not to questions your own beliefs and patterns. Exemplarity is the only way to perhaps make people move on from the half empty position.

The only advice that I can give you is to stay as open as you can in order to be able to download more programs allowing you to have a wider range of experiences. And what if the all notion of beliefs and programs is true- do you believe it?

It is all up to you.

This article was written and supplied by Denis Gorce-Bourge of www.gblifecoaching.com

According to Britain’s Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, up to 60% of sports injuries are caused by worn-out or unsuitable footwear.

Proper footwear can potentially prevent, reduce and/or treat mechanical factors associated with injuries to the lower extremities and the lower back. The foot provides dynamic stability for a person’s entire body weight, while simultaneously maintaining flexibility for shock absorption and propulsion along uneven surfaces. As a result, there are unique biomechanical demands on the foot.

One of the body’s adaptations to these demands is through specialized movements in the foot, such as Pronation. Unless there is a severe, acute injury, pronation develops as a gradual biomechanical distortion. Several factors contribute to developing pronation, including tibialis posterior weakness,  ligament weakness, excess weight, flat feet, knock knees, subtalar aversion, or other biomechanical distortions in the foot or ankle.

Tibialis posterior weakness is one of the primary factors leading to pronation. Pronation primarily is controlled by the architecture of the foot and eccentric activation of the tibialis posterior. If the tibialis posterior is weak, the muscle cannot adequately slow the natural pronation cycle. This can become a contributing factor to lower back pain and lower extremity disorders, such as plantar fasciitis, ankle injuries, foot pain, shin splints as well as various knee and hip injuries.

Back pain due to foot pronation

The inward rotation of the leg that occurs as the foot pronates causes the pelvis to lean forwards (anterior tilt) and drop. This increases the curvature of the lower spine (see picture below) and the muscles become tight and sore. If the foot pronation occurs more in one foot than the other, this will cause the pelvis to become uneven. The leg will become shorter on the more pronated side and the lower spine may tilt in the opposite direction to prevent leaning. As a result, muscles and joints become painful and walking becomes less efficient. Pronation usually is corrected with orthotics, which are especially designed shoe inserts helping to restore the natural position of your foot and/or strengthening exercises for the tibialis posterior.

Here are some strengthening exercises for the Tibialis Posterior:

1. Use a ‘theraband’ or the inner tube of a bicycle-

Place two fingers on the outside of your knee to stop it moving to the side.

Now contract the Tibialis posterior muscle by letting the ankle pull against the rubber tubing, trying to lift the foot arch off the floor by rolling the ankle outwards. Here, it is still only partially raised off the ground.

Note that this is the situation in a healthy, fully functional lower leg and foot. In the situation for an already over strained and insufficient tibialis muscle, the foot arch would not lift even this much.

2. Form foot arch as seen above.

Place the fingers inside of the knee, and encourage the knee to move to the side.

The femur thus laterally rotates to catch up with the lateral rotation in the tibia, and the knee is no longer twisted.

Note how the foot arch fully lifts by combining the twin strategies of contracting the Tibialis posterior muscle and moving the knee laterally.

Also, Deep Tissue Massage treatments can relieve myofascial trigger points in the tibialis posterior, and other muscles, and address any resulting neuromuscular dysfunction in the leg or foot.

Do I need Orthotics?

Many foot symptoms ranging from general aches to painful bone and foot problems such as heel pains, bunions, calluses and knee or back pain, can be caused by collapsed and fallen arches.

Orthotics are especially designed shoe inserts which help to restore the natural position of your foot and realigning the joints within the foot in order to relieve the various symptoms. Left foot is corrected with a casted orthotic.

Do I wear Orthotics all day?

Orthotics, like glasses, work only when you use them. They do not change the structure of a foot, but help realign its joints to improve posture and function and relieve foot pain.

All day use of your orthotics is generally recommended to control or reduce pain or fatigue.

This article was written and provided by Barbara Brunner of www.brunnertraining.com

How many times do I hear patients complaining about their environment, people around them, friends, partners…?

Our environment is the mirror of our inner world and reality. How can we expect to have the right surrounding if we are not true to ourselves and others? We have the friends, the partners, and the boss that we deserve. If you want to change your surroundings, change how honest you are both with yourself and those around you. Don’t try to be somebody else or you will have somebody else’s friends, partner and boss!

We are like a puzzle piece and our we have a specific purpose. We are a corner or a piece of sky or whatever else but, if we are not true and honest, we can’t be at the right spot on the puzzle. This then puts the rest of the puzzle out of place as you are taking someone else’s place and so the cycle continues…..

If we embrace, respect and love who we really are the world around us will change accordingly and, little by little, the big puzzle will change and the big picture will appear.

Genuine, beneficial change can only happen if you are genuinely honest with yourself. Accepting who we are is the safest and quickest way to evolve and grow.

The more you are true to yourself, the more you will see people that you do not really like disappear and new people appear. Perhaps will you see someone appear around you that can become your partner, your new boss or a great friend?

How can you be yourself? Well, the simplest answer is to work on yourself and try to listen. Do you say ‘No’ when you want to, or do you answer according to how those around you might react? That’s your first step in the right direction! What is the real you? Are you faking reactions? Do you pretend it doesn’t matter when someone hurts you? You can express the fact that it hearts and it will not make you appear weak or overly sensitive. It takes courage to express your emotions.

Your life could be very different if you would really commit to yourself and to what makes you happy instead of spending so much energy trying to please others.

The puzzle is waiting to become a lovely picture and you can help the collective process by truly helping yourself.

This article was written by Denis Gorce-Bourge of www.gblifecoaching.com International Executive Coach, Trainer and Psychotherapist.

When one thinks about gymnasts and acrobats performing somersaults, hand stands, jumps on vaults and beams and looking superhuman, you can’t help but wonder: “Where does their huge amount of strength and skill come from?�.

I am a big fan of a type of training called Bodyweight Training, which is one of the most natural ways to train as it uses very little or no equipment and involves performing a wide range of exercises by using your own bodyweight.
These are several great reasons for Bodyweight Training:

• It builds your core – with bodyweight exercises you tend to use your core a
lot more than when you’re just doing weights. It’s practically impossible not
to! Why is this important? A strong core means less chances of getting back
pain!
• It builds functional strength – this type of training will enhance the coordinated working relationship between your nervous and muscular systems, which in return means you’ll be seeing substantial improvements to whatever
sport you’re practicing!

• It’s easier on your joints – weights don’t tend to train your stabilizer muscles as well as bodyweight training. You’ll be moving your own body in lots of different directions and at different angles which will help build your stabilizer
muscles and strengthen your joints.

• It will improve your flexibility – at first you might find this type of training a little difficult, but after a few workouts you’ll notice how much more flexible you’ll be!

• It will save you time – the reason we teach bodyweight training is so that you know how to perform these type of exercises when on holiday or at home and in the park since you’ll only need a little bit of space and almost
no equipment!

So here is a simple routine for beginners to get you started:

The Burpee

• Begin in a Squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you
• Kick your feet back, while lowering yourself into a plank position
• Return your feet immediately to squat position
• Leap up as high as possible from the squat position

Walking Lunge

• Stand upright and take a step forward with one leg and lower yourself until your back knee almost touches the ground
• Do not allow the front knee to go forward beyond your toes
• Push yourself upright again, then do the same with the other leg
• Keep moving forward

Squat Jumps

• Begin in a squat position with your hands stretched out in front of you
• Now jump up vertically as high as you can before returning into your initial position
• Do not look on the ground but instead keep focusing on something a few feet ahead of you

Pelvic Raises

• Lie on your back with your hands by your side
• Raise your legs so that your feet are pointing at the sky or the ceiling
• Now raise your buttocks off the ground, pushing your feet up as high as you can
• Return to starting position keeping your feet pointing up

Here’s an idea to perform your routine: go for a jog or a run in your local park if you can. Run for 5min, then stop and do these exercises back-to-back with zero rest in between. You will want to rest, but immediately hit the next exercise!! After it is done, keep jogging for the next 5 min, then repeat.

If you’re starting off from not having done any exercise in a while, I suggest you aim at just going out for a short 20 min workout, which means you’ll be jogging and doing this routine twice, and they’ll approximately last 5min each. Try and do this 2-3 times a week for at least 4 weeks before you start to add another set to the routine.

Just remember to add another 5min of jogging every time you add a set of exercises. This way, your workout will be a 30min one by month two, and a 40min one by month three.

Try it. This is the perfect way to tone your entire body and get ready for the summer!

This article was written by Barbara Brunner of www.brunnertraining.com