Latest news with #PracticalSolutionsforBackPainRelief
CNN
14-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Move for your mind: Create a fitness routine that supports mental health
Wellness Mental healthFacebookTweetLink Follow EDITOR'S NOTE: Dana Santas, known as the 'Mobility Maker,' is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, and is the author of the book 'Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief.' (CNN) — We already know exercise is good for our bodies, but it's also an essential tool for managing mental health. Yet many people still separate physical fitness from mental wellness, viewing them as two different goals rather than parts of the same whole. Too often, workout routines are designed with only the body in mind, focusing on burning calories, building strength or improving flexibility. What's often missing is intentionality — movement designed not just to make you sweat but also to help you feel better mentally and emotionally. Research shows that consistent physical activity can ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, sharpen executive functioning and improve sleep quality, a key factor in emotional regulation and overall mental health. But not all movement is created equal when it comes to mental health. The type of movement — and how you approach it — matters. As a mind-body coach in professional sports for more than two decades, I have helped elite athletes build durable, mobile bodies while also supporting their mental resilience — using movement and breath to regulate the nervous system, stay grounded under pressure and maintain sharp focus. These same tools and principles can help anyone strengthen body and mind, improving how they move and feel every day. Pushing yourself through a high-intensity workout while mentally checked out or disconnected from your body doesn't offer the same mental health benefits as moving with awareness. True mind-body fitness involves being present during movement, using intentional breathing and training in ways that support your nervous system. The brain and body are deeply interconnected through the nervous system. One of the key players in this connection is the vagus nerve, which runs from your brain stem to your gut and influences functions as varied as heart rate, digestion, mood and emotional regulation. When you exercise with focused, deep breathing — you stimulate the vagus nerve, which activates your parasympathetic nervous system (your 'rest and recover' state). Doing so can calm your mind, lower stress and improve focus by shifting your body out of 'fight-or-flight' mode, helping you achieve restful states more easily. On the other hand, when exercise is overly intense or performed with poor breathing patterns and no recovery, it can spike stress hormones and leave you feeling more depleted than energized. That's why it's important to choose exercises and formats that align with your needs and goals — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, too. You don't need to overhaul your workout regimen to make it more mind-body focused. Start by layering in these five simple strategies. Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain. Breath is the most efficient and effective way to influence your nervous system. Use slow, intentional breathing before, during and after your workouts. • In warm-ups: Use diaphragmatic breathing to downshift from your day and connect to your body. • During mobility work: Use your breathing to move your rib cage in ways that support better posture, positioning and rotation. For example, when twisting your upper body to the right, use inhalations to expand your ribs on the right side and exhale to contract your ribs on the left side, to facilitate the rotation. • During strength training: Exhale through the effort phase — as you would when pushing up in a push-up or standing up from a squat — to activate core control and regulate tension. • In cooldowns: Practice extended exhales, which further stimulate the vagus nerve, to promote relaxation and recovery. I recommend doubling the length of your exhales during recovery sessions by practicing a four-count inhale with an eight-count exhale. Mobility training improves flexibility and joint health, but its benefits go beyond the physical. Practicing breath-driven mobility drills, such as the three-way hip flexor release and windmill twist to also sharpen body awareness and support nervous system regulation. Add exercises such as these to your warm-ups or active recovery days, focusing on coordinating breath and movement to build physical control and mental clarity. High-intensity workouts have benefits, but overdoing them can chronically elevate stress levels and impair recovery. To support your nervous system, balance your weekly training with lower-intensity sessions. Activities such as walking, yoga, breath-focused mobility and body-weight strength work help keep you active while promoting resilience, emotional regulation and injury prevention. No matter what type of training you're doing — strength, mobility, cardio or recovery — your mental presence affects how your body performs and adapts. Rushing through reps or zoning out increases the risk of poor form, injury and missed benefits. Focus on the quality of your movement: Pay attention to alignment, control your pace and stay aware of how your body feels. When your mind starts to wander, use your breath to ground yourself in the present and reconnect with your body. Presence turns every exercise into an opportunity to build both physical skill and mental clarity. Before, during and after your workouts, take 30 seconds at a time to assess how you feel. Ask yourself: Where am I holding tension? How's my breathing? What do I need right now — intensity or grounding? These moments of self-awareness turn your fitness practice into a tool for emotional regulation, not just physical conditioning. Here's a sample weekly structure to balance strength, mobility and nervous system support: Two days: Strength training with breath-focused movement prep and mobility cooldown. Two days: Breath-driven mobility or Pilates and low-intensity cardio (walking, light cycling, etc.). One day: A recovery day with breathwork and gentle stretching or yoga. Two days: Mixed training (circuit or flow-style) that blends mobility, strength and cardio. Although having a plan is important, mind-body fitness is about listening to how you feel and adjusting accordingly. Movement can shift your mental and emotional state, but it works best when you begin with awareness and choose what best meets your needs, whether that means calming down or boosting energy. The goal is to support — not override — your system. Remember, a mind-body fitness routine isn't about doing less, it's about doing what serves you more completely. By training with awareness, incorporating breath and mobility, and respecting the needs of your nervous system, you'll not only feel stronger — you'll feel more focused, resilient and grounded in everyday life.
CNN
14-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Move for your mind: Create a fitness routine that supports mental health
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dana Santas, known as the 'Mobility Maker,' is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, and is the author of the book 'Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief.' (CNN) — We already know exercise is good for our bodies, but it's also an essential tool for managing mental health. Yet many people still separate physical fitness from mental wellness, viewing them as two different goals rather than parts of the same whole. Too often, workout routines are designed with only the body in mind, focusing on burning calories, building strength or improving flexibility. What's often missing is intentionality — movement designed not just to make you sweat but also to help you feel better mentally and emotionally. Research shows that consistent physical activity can ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, sharpen executive functioning and improve sleep quality, a key factor in emotional regulation and overall mental health. But not all movement is created equal when it comes to mental health. The type of movement — and how you approach it — matters. As a mind-body coach in professional sports for more than two decades, I have helped elite athletes build durable, mobile bodies while also supporting their mental resilience — using movement and breath to regulate the nervous system, stay grounded under pressure and maintain sharp focus. These same tools and principles can help anyone strengthen body and mind, improving how they move and feel every day. Pushing yourself through a high-intensity workout while mentally checked out or disconnected from your body doesn't offer the same mental health benefits as moving with awareness. True mind-body fitness involves being present during movement, using intentional breathing and training in ways that support your nervous system. The brain and body are deeply interconnected through the nervous system. One of the key players in this connection is the vagus nerve, which runs from your brain stem to your gut and influences functions as varied as heart rate, digestion, mood and emotional regulation. When you exercise with focused, deep breathing — you stimulate the vagus nerve, which activates your parasympathetic nervous system (your 'rest and recover' state). Doing so can calm your mind, lower stress and improve focus by shifting your body out of 'fight-or-flight' mode, helping you achieve restful states more easily. On the other hand, when exercise is overly intense or performed with poor breathing patterns and no recovery, it can spike stress hormones and leave you feeling more depleted than energized. That's why it's important to choose exercises and formats that align with your needs and goals — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, too. You don't need to overhaul your workout regimen to make it more mind-body focused. Start by layering in these five simple strategies. Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain. Breath is the most efficient and effective way to influence your nervous system. Use slow, intentional breathing before, during and after your workouts. • In warm-ups: Use diaphragmatic breathing to downshift from your day and connect to your body. • During mobility work: Use your breathing to move your rib cage in ways that support better posture, positioning and rotation. For example, when twisting your upper body to the right, use inhalations to expand your ribs on the right side and exhale to contract your ribs on the left side, to facilitate the rotation. • During strength training: Exhale through the effort phase — as you would when pushing up in a push-up or standing up from a squat — to activate core control and regulate tension. • In cooldowns: Practice extended exhales, which further stimulate the vagus nerve, to promote relaxation and recovery. I recommend doubling the length of your exhales during recovery sessions by practicing a four-count inhale with an eight-count exhale. Mobility training improves flexibility and joint health, but its benefits go beyond the physical. Practicing breath-driven mobility drills, such as the three-way hip flexor release and windmill twist to also sharpen body awareness and support nervous system regulation. Add exercises such as these to your warm-ups or active recovery days, focusing on coordinating breath and movement to build physical control and mental clarity. High-intensity workouts have benefits, but overdoing them can chronically elevate stress levels and impair recovery. To support your nervous system, balance your weekly training with lower-intensity sessions. Activities such as walking, yoga, breath-focused mobility and body-weight strength work help keep you active while promoting resilience, emotional regulation and injury prevention. No matter what type of training you're doing — strength, mobility, cardio or recovery — your mental presence affects how your body performs and adapts. Rushing through reps or zoning out increases the risk of poor form, injury and missed benefits. Focus on the quality of your movement: Pay attention to alignment, control your pace and stay aware of how your body feels. When your mind starts to wander, use your breath to ground yourself in the present and reconnect with your body. Presence turns every exercise into an opportunity to build both physical skill and mental clarity. Before, during and after your workouts, take 30 seconds at a time to assess how you feel. Ask yourself: Where am I holding tension? How's my breathing? What do I need right now — intensity or grounding? These moments of self-awareness turn your fitness practice into a tool for emotional regulation, not just physical conditioning. Here's a sample weekly structure to balance strength, mobility and nervous system support: Two days: Strength training with breath-focused movement prep and mobility cooldown. Two days: Breath-driven mobility or Pilates and low-intensity cardio (walking, light cycling, etc.). One day: A recovery day with breathwork and gentle stretching or yoga. Two days: Mixed training (circuit or flow-style) that blends mobility, strength and cardio. Although having a plan is important, mind-body fitness is about listening to how you feel and adjusting accordingly. Movement can shift your mental and emotional state, but it works best when you begin with awareness and choose what best meets your needs, whether that means calming down or boosting energy. The goal is to support — not override — your system. Remember, a mind-body fitness routine isn't about doing less, it's about doing what serves you more completely. By training with awareness, incorporating breath and mobility, and respecting the needs of your nervous system, you'll not only feel stronger — you'll feel more focused, resilient and grounded in everyday life.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bothered by back pain? Here's how some pro athletes prevent it
Dana Santas, known as the 'Mobility Maker,' is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, and is the author of the book 'Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief.' Whether you're swinging a bat, reaching for your seat belt or simply turning to look over your shoulder, your ability to rotate affects everything from sports performance to daily life. Yet, for many people, rotation is a struggle — leading to stiffness, discomfort and chronic back pain. While professional baseball players train for optimal rotational ability to maximize power and prevent injury, the same principles can benefit anyone. By improving mid-back (thoracic spine) and rib cage mobility, you can enhance your ability to rotate, alleviate pain and move through life with greater ease and lower risk of injury. Many people don't recognize the importance of healthy thoracic spine rotation until they experience low back pain. That's because the lower back (lumbar spine) isn't built for rotation — its primary job is stability. But when the mid-back lacks mobility, the body often compensates by twisting more through the lower back, leading to strain, discomfort and an increased risk of injury. What's often overlooked is the role of the rib cage in thoracic spine rotation. The thoracic spine consists of 12 vertebrae, spanning from the base of your neck to just above your lower back. Because your ribs attach to each of the vertebrae of the thoracic spine, you can't rotate your spine independently of them. This is why breathing mechanics are critical — your breath drives rib movement, and rib movement allows for better spinal rotation. Modern lifestyles play a significant role in mid-back and rib cage stiffness. Long hours spent sitting at a desk, driving or looking at screens promote poor posture, where the upper back rounds forward, compressing the rib cage and restricting movement. Shallow chest breathing further stiffens the rib cage, reinforcing this limited mobility. Athletes aren't immune to this issue either. Repetitive movements — such as swinging a baseball bat or golf club, throwing a ball or lifting weights without functional thoracic mobility — can create imbalances that limit rotation and increase injury risk. In baseball, a player's ability to generate power through a swing or throw depends on seamless thoracic rotation. If mobility is restricted, performance suffers, and injury risk climbs. That's why Toronto Blue Jays Major League head strength coach Scott Weberg emphasizes the importance of continuously evaluating rotational movement. 'We assess our players' rotational patterns year-round — not just during spring training but also during the season and postseason,' Weberg said. 'Each transition presents different challenges and changes to their thoracic rotation and rib mobility that need to be addressed to optimize performance and prevent injury.' Too often, people try to 'stretch out' the tension they feel in their lower back, not realizing that, if they also feel limited in their ability to twist, the problem is likely coming from the middle of their back. The solution is to restore mobility in the thoracic spine and rib cage, so the body can rotate as designed, reducing stress on the lower back. As someone who has worked in professional baseball for 20 years, I've seen firsthand how improving thoracic and rib mobility through breath-driven exercises can enhance performance, alleviate back pain and prevent injuries. 'Breathing mechanics play a crucial role in the mobility of the thoracic spine, allowing the other segments of the spine in the neck and low back to operate as they are meant to — as stability,' Weberg added. These same principles apply to anyone looking to move with greater ease. Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your doctor. Stop immediately if you experience pain. If you only did two exercises for better rotation, these would be the ones I would recommend, as they are foundational in every professional baseball training program I create. They are designed to leverage your breathing to improve rib cage and thoracic spine mobility to unlock better rotation, strengthen core stability and improve posture. If you're familiar with my traditional breathing bridge exercise, the only difference in this version is that you don't lift your hips. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart, holding a foam yoga block or rolled towel between your knees. Place your hands on your lower ribs to guide and monitor their movement with each breath. Exhale fully, drawing your lower ribs in toward each other as your core activates and your rib cage moves down. At the end of your exhale, without inhaling, tilt your pelvis and tuck your tailbone to flatten your lower back against the floor. Hold this position using core strength to maintain contact between your lower back and the floor without arching. Take five long, deep breaths, focusing on how your breathing moves your lower ribs: • On exhales, engage your core to move your lower ribs in, back and down, narrowing your infrasternal angle (the upside-down 'V' space separating your lower ribs). • On inhales, feel your hands expand out to the sides as your ribs externally rotate. Focus on horizontal rib movement, avoiding excessive vertical expansion that overly recruits the pecs, neck and upper traps. Fully exhale each breath, emptying your lungs as much as possible, making your exhales longer than your inhales. Perform two sets for a total of 10 breaths. Why it works: This drill improves breathing mechanics, optimizing thoracic rotation by enhancing rib mobility, core strength and low-back stability. Start standing, then exhale as you squat down and place your hands on your upper shins. Keeping hold of your left shin, inhale as you reach your right arm forward and up, rotating from your shoulder, mid-back and rib cage to open up to the right. Try to stack your shoulders vertically, reaching your right fingertips toward the ceiling while straightening your right leg only. You should feel a stretch in the back of your right leg and across your lower right back. Hold the position and take five long, deep breaths, using your breath to deepen the rotation: • On inhales, focus on expanding the open side of your rib cage (the side you're turning toward). • On exhales, engage your side waist muscles to internally rotate the opposite side of your ribs, reinforcing thoracic rotation. Unwind back to standing, then perform the movement, rotating to the left. If you have trouble squatting low enough to hold your shins, you can modify by placing a forearm on a chair or other convenient, supportive surface. Why it works: This exercise integrates thoracic rotation with breath-driven rib cage movement to improve spinal mobility while reducing compensatory stress on the lower back. Practice these two exercises a few times a week as stand-alone mobility drills or incorporated into your workouts as part of your warm-up. Remember, rotational mobility isn't just for baseball players — it's essential for anyone who wants to move better, avoid pain and reduce the risk of injury. Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
