For such an easy to do exercise Push-ups deliver a real punch to your body's health. For as much as it can give you the great physique most of us are looking for, they provide a very unique way of strengthening our bodies and targeting areas that are commonly weak. We use this exercise in it's various forms often in our rehabilitation programs, in particular for neck and shoulder pain, but also with overall integrated skill development with spinal injury and various nervous system disease. They are without doubt one of the oldest and most common of all exercises to every person around the world. They are often used as a fitness test in Police, Military and various sporting clubs as well as being a cornerstone of programs for martial arts and gymnastics. It is fair to say everyone knows what a push up is and a rough idea of how to do one correctly. Unfortunately not many people are aware of the amazing benefits this exercise provides. In this article, I will explain the true value of the push up, how to do it right, and also give you a few different versions to try out that will really challenge you.

No exercise ranks higher in importance to every person than breathing! Without air, we will die! Pretty simple, yet there are so many more things that breathing does to our body and many people are completely unaware of this. Most people do not even understand what a normal breath is. Without doubt, learning how to breathe is the most neglected part of any training program, whether it is for sports, rehabilitation or just getting in shape. The first thing people think of when I talk about breathing is how it relates to aerobic endurance, and while it plays a part in this, it really is so much more than that, and as you will see in this article how it can contribute greatly to weight loss, stress, strength, flexibility, and chronic disease! We will discuss all of the important things breathing does to your body, then teach exactly how to breathe correctly whether it is for relaxing, stretching, lifting weights or playing sports.

With all the technology available in modern society it has provided great opportunities to do things never before possible, but at the same time has and continues to come at a cost to our health. Without doubt the use of the smartphones has seen an epidemic of neck and shoulder problems due to the poor posture being placed on the neck. I work closely with a well respected chiropractor with over 30 years experience, and he has never seen so many young patients with neck pain than he has in the last 2-3 years! Postural problems caused from sitting too much, looking at smartphones, tablets and TV all lead to potential head, neck and shoulder problems. Muscles in the shoulder can become extremely tight leading to headaches, treat with migraines and potential serious injuries like shoulder impingement or disc bulges in the neck! Most people will resort to stretching, massage, even chiropractors and physiotherapists to release these tight muscles. And while these strategies are great and can help, they do not solve the ultimate problem. For without improving stability of the shoulder, and strengthening muscles that have become lazy and weak, the tight muscles will just tighten up again within a few days. To get off the merry go round and fully restore function to the shoulder a complete approach is needed. And without a doubt you will need to one strengthen the Serratus Anterior. This muscle plays a massive role in this puzzle, but is very difficult to isolate and strengthen. In this article, I explain why this muscle is so important and how to go restoring it back to full strength and function.