Latest news with #backpain
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Strong glutes, healthy body: Why your backside matters more than you think
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dana Santas, known as the 'Mobility Maker,' is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a mind-body coach in professional sports, and the author of 'Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief.' In a culture that tends to equate fitness with appearance, glutes often get more attention for how they look than for what they do. But beyond aesthetics, your glute muscles play a vital role in nearly every aspect of movement, posture and pain prevention. When your glutes are strong and functioning properly, they help stabilize your pelvis, support your spine and generate the power you need for walking, climbing stairs, running, lifting and more. When glutes are weak or underactive, other muscles take over in ways they aren't meant to, which often leads to discomfort, dysfunction and even injury. If you spend much of your day sitting or haven't been training your glutes intentionally, there's a good chance they're not pulling their weight. And that could be shifting your body out of alignment and causing avoidable pain. Your glutes aren't just one muscle: They are a group of three gluteal muscles called gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. Together, they give strength and stability to the hips and pelvis and help maintain upright posture. This muscle trio also provides power, control and alignment during lower-body movements. The gluteus maximus, or glute max, is the body's largest and most powerful muscle. Located in the center of your buttocks, it is responsible for extending your hips. Every time you stand up, walk, lunge or climb stairs, your glute max should be driving the motion. The gluteus medius, located on the outside of your hip, is crucial for stabilizing your pelvis when you walk, run or stand on one leg. The gluteus minimus sits beneath the medius and attaches deeper into the side of your pelvis. The two muscles work in tandem to support pelvic alignment, lateral movement and internal rotation of the legs. Weak or underactive glutes are often behind chronic pain and dysfunctional movement. Without strong glutes to stabilize your pelvis and support your spine, other areas of your body are stressed and become more vulnerable to injury. People who regularly sit for prolonged periods often suffer from low back pain due to posture-related glute weakness. Sitting places the glutes in a lengthened, inactive state that pushes the pelvis forward and puts the lower back at a painfully compressed, mechanical disadvantage, which in turn creates a posture that feels tight, stiff and unstable. Do you suffer from achy knees or ankles? You may have limited hip extension or pelvic misalignment from glute weakness. This lack of muscle strength alters how you stand, walk or run, putting extra pressure on your knees and ankles. When any of the three glute muscles aren't functioning as they should, your body finds other ways to compensate during movement. Your hamstrings (the muscles on the backs of your upper legs), hip flexors (muscles on the front of your hips), quads (muscles on the front of your upper legs) or lower back muscles pick up the slack as a result, increasing strain and decreasing efficiency. Over time, these imbalances and corresponding poor movement patterns contribute to chronic pain, tension and increased injury risk. Even if you exercise regularly, you might not be activating your glutes effectively during workouts. That's why intentional training that prioritizes proper activation, strengthening and mobilizing is key. If you suspect your glutes aren't doing their job, watch for these signs: • You feel most lower-body exercises, like squats and lunges, in your quads or lower back instead of in your glutes. • You struggle to maintain balance during single-leg movements. • Your knees cave inward when you squat or lunge. • You have recurring tightness in your hip flexors, quads or hamstrings. • You experience lower back or knee pain with regular activity. To test your glute activation, try this simple glute bridge: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Press through your heels to lift your hips. If you feel the effort mostly in your lower back or hamstrings — not in your glutes — your glutes may not be activating properly. Poke a finger or two into the muscles of your glutes on each side to check for activation. If your touch is not met with any underlying feeling of tension, that's a sure sign your glutes are under-functioning. The good news is that with consistent, targeted effort, you can reawaken your glutes and regain function. To that end, zero in on these three essential components: activation, mobility and strength. 1. Focus on intentional jumping into traditional strength exercises, reinforce your ability to activate your glutes. To start, use the same bridge position from your glute testing, but turn it into an activation exercise. Here's how: Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart and a block or towel between your knees. Exhale fully to engage your core and press through your heels as you lift your hips 4 to 6 inches off the floor. Hold at the top for a count of five seconds, squeezing your glutes without arching your back. Inhale as you lower down, slowly and with control. Repeat 10 to 12 times. 2. Restore mobility and hips often accompany weak glutes. Targeted hip mobility drills such as the three-way hip flexor release can help open up your hips and position your pelvis to engage your glutes more effectively. 3. Strengthen through compound your glutes are activating well, incorporate compound exercises that strengthen these muscles through functional ranges of motion. Prioritize quality over quantity, choosing three to four exercises that train your glutes in multiple directions with at least one single-leg movement. These could include squats, hip thrusts, step-ups, single-leg deadlifts, step-back lunges, lateral lunges or lateral monster walks (with or without a band). Do 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise for three to five rounds. Start with body-weight exercises, and add resistance with weights only if and when you feel you have perfected your form and are ready to progress. Ideally, add glute-focused training to your workouts two or three times per week, warming up with the glute bridge activation exercise and following up with one or two hip-opening mobility exercises and then your strengthening exercises. Taking this approach will help you safely build strong glutes that support better posture and pain-free movement in daily life. Remember, glute training isn't just about having a better-looking backside — it's about creating a powerful, mobile and resilient body. Whether you're working out, chasing your kids or simply moving through life, your glutes are behind you doing the heavy lifting, so it pays to give them the attention they deserve. 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.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Arthur Fils pulls out of French Open with injury a day after back pains
PARIS (AP) — French seed Arthur Fils withdrew from the French Open on Friday due to an unspecified injury. The 14th-seeded Fils was to play No. 17 Andrey Rublev on Saturday in the third round. Fils spoke about feeling back pain in his second-round win against Jaume Munar of Spain on Thursday. 'Got some issue with the back, but that's since I'm young so I'm used to (it),' the 20-year-old said after that match. 'And also the cramps. A bit of everything. The mix was not very good.' Asked if he would be fit to face Rublev, Fils said, 'I hope so.' With Fils out, there were no Frenchmen left in the draw at Roland-Garros. ___ AP tennis:
CNN
2 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Strong glutes, healthy body: Why your backside matters more than you think
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dana Santas, known as the 'Mobility Maker,' is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a mind-body coach in professional sports, and the author of 'Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief.' In a culture that tends to equate fitness with appearance, glutes often get more attention for how they look than for what they do. But beyond aesthetics, your glute muscles play a vital role in nearly every aspect of movement, posture and pain prevention. When your glutes are strong and functioning properly, they help stabilize your pelvis, support your spine and generate the power you need for walking, climbing stairs, running, lifting and more. When glutes are weak or underactive, other muscles take over in ways they aren't meant to, which often leads to discomfort, dysfunction and even injury. If you spend much of your day sitting or haven't been training your glutes intentionally, there's a good chance they're not pulling their weight. And that could be shifting your body out of alignment and causing avoidable pain. Your glutes aren't just one muscle: They are a group of three gluteal muscles called gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. Together, they give strength and stability to the hips and pelvis and help maintain upright posture. This muscle trio also provides power, control and alignment during lower-body movements. The gluteus maximus, or glute max, is the body's largest and most powerful muscle. Located in the center of your buttocks, it is responsible for extending your hips. Every time you stand up, walk, lunge or climb stairs, your glute max should be driving the motion. The gluteus medius, located on the outside of your hip, is crucial for stabilizing your pelvis when you walk, run or stand on one leg. The gluteus minimus sits beneath the medius and attaches deeper into the side of your pelvis. The two muscles work in tandem to support pelvic alignment, lateral movement and internal rotation of the legs. Weak or underactive glutes are often behind chronic pain and dysfunctional movement. Without strong glutes to stabilize your pelvis and support your spine, other areas of your body are stressed and become more vulnerable to injury. People who regularly sit for prolonged periods often suffer from low back pain due to posture-related glute weakness. Sitting places the glutes in a lengthened, inactive state that pushes the pelvis forward and puts the lower back at a painfully compressed, mechanical disadvantage, which in turn creates a posture that feels tight, stiff and unstable. Do you suffer from achy knees or ankles? You may have limited hip extension or pelvic misalignment from glute weakness. This lack of muscle strength alters how you stand, walk or run, putting extra pressure on your knees and ankles. When any of the three glute muscles aren't functioning as they should, your body finds other ways to compensate during movement. Your hamstrings (the muscles on the backs of your upper legs), hip flexors (muscles on the front of your hips), quads (muscles on the front of your upper legs) or lower back muscles pick up the slack as a result, increasing strain and decreasing efficiency. Over time, these imbalances and corresponding poor movement patterns contribute to chronic pain, tension and increased injury risk. Even if you exercise regularly, you might not be activating your glutes effectively during workouts. That's why intentional training that prioritizes proper activation, strengthening and mobilizing is key. If you suspect your glutes aren't doing their job, watch for these signs: • You feel most lower-body exercises, like squats and lunges, in your quads or lower back instead of in your glutes. • You struggle to maintain balance during single-leg movements. • Your knees cave inward when you squat or lunge. • You have recurring tightness in your hip flexors, quads or hamstrings. • You experience lower back or knee pain with regular activity. To test your glute activation, try this simple glute bridge: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Press through your heels to lift your hips. If you feel the effort mostly in your lower back or hamstrings — not in your glutes — your glutes may not be activating properly. Poke a finger or two into the muscles of your glutes on each side to check for activation. If your touch is not met with any underlying feeling of tension, that's a sure sign your glutes are under-functioning. The good news is that with consistent, targeted effort, you can reawaken your glutes and regain function. To that end, zero in on these three essential components: activation, mobility and strength. 1. Focus on intentional jumping into traditional strength exercises, reinforce your ability to activate your glutes. To start, use the same bridge position from your glute testing, but turn it into an activation exercise. Here's how: Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart and a block or towel between your knees. Exhale fully to engage your core and press through your heels as you lift your hips 4 to 6 inches off the floor. Hold at the top for a count of five seconds, squeezing your glutes without arching your back. Inhale as you lower down, slowly and with control. Repeat 10 to 12 times. 2. Restore mobility and hips often accompany weak glutes. Targeted hip mobility drills such as the three-way hip flexor release can help open up your hips and position your pelvis to engage your glutes more effectively. 3. Strengthen through compound your glutes are activating well, incorporate compound exercises that strengthen these muscles through functional ranges of motion. Prioritize quality over quantity, choosing three to four exercises that train your glutes in multiple directions with at least one single-leg movement. These could include squats, hip thrusts, step-ups, single-leg deadlifts, step-back lunges, lateral lunges or lateral monster walks (with or without a band). Do 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise for three to five rounds. Start with body-weight exercises, and add resistance with weights only if and when you feel you have perfected your form and are ready to progress. Ideally, add glute-focused training to your workouts two or three times per week, warming up with the glute bridge activation exercise and following up with one or two hip-opening mobility exercises and then your strengthening exercises. Taking this approach will help you safely build strong glutes that support better posture and pain-free movement in daily life. Remember, glute training isn't just about having a better-looking backside — it's about creating a powerful, mobile and resilient body. Whether you're working out, chasing your kids or simply moving through life, your glutes are behind you doing the heavy lifting, so it pays to give them the attention they deserve. 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.
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Dr. Kyle Kopicki Named One of Pottstown's Leading Chiropractors by Local Patients
"'My family and I have been seeing Dr. Kyle for years and have loved our experience with him!' — Juliana B. 'Dr. Kyle and the rest of the team are fantastic! My family and I will continue to come here regularly as we always leave feeling amazing!' — Emma R." Dr. Kyle Kopicki has been named one of Pottstown, PA and Limerick, PA top chiropractors, a recognition driven by glowing patient reviews and life-changing results. Known for his integrity, custom care plans, and consistent outcomes, Dr. Kopicki treats everything from back pain to sports injuries. With over 100 five-star reviews, his clinic thrives on reputation, not hype. New patients are welcome to experience the difference at Keep It Kinetic Chiropractic. Learn more at Pottstown, PA - May 27, 2025 - In a powerful testament to trust, consistency, and life-changing results, Dr. Kyle Kopicki has been named one of Pottstown & Limerick, PA top chiropractors — a recognition earned not through self-promotion, but from the most meaningful source of all: his own patients. This community-driven recognition highlights what patients have long known — that Dr. Kopicki stands out not just for his clinical skill, but for the care, integrity, and outcomes he delivers every single day. With over a hundred 5-star reviews, ongoing referrals, and a reputation that continues to grow organically, Dr. Kopicki is becoming synonymous with effective, honest, patient-first chiropractic care in the region. From back and neck pain to sports injuries, migraines, sciatica, and wellness maintenance, Dr. Kopicki's ability to get results where others fall short is a major reason why patients travel from all across Montgomery County to seek his care. 'My family and I have been seeing Dr. Kyle for years and have loved our experience with him!' — Juliana B. 'Dr. Kyle and the rest of the team are fantastic! My family and I will continue to come here regularly as we always leave feeling amazing!' — Emma R. At a time when trust in healthcare providers is more important than ever, testimonials like these paint a clear picture: Dr. Kopicki doesn't just treat symptoms — he earns trust. Whether it's a new mom recovering from pregnancy, a postal worker dealing with repetitive strain, or a high school athlete aiming to get back on the field, the clinic's success stories span generations and lifestyles. His practice is grounded in evidence-based protocols, full spine assessments, and customized treatment plans that evolve as the patient progresses. No one-size-fits-all solutions. No unnecessary long-term treatment plans. Just straightforward care, focused on getting people out of pain and back to living. 'I have been going to Dr. Kyle for years now. Not only is he helping prolong my career by keeping my body aligned and out of pain. He is one of the most personable docs you'll come across. His staff is always kind and smiles on their faces. Always a great experience!' — Vickie E. 'I've been seeing Dr. Kopicki for a few years now and he is awesome. He has vast knowledge about many modalities. Staff are very personable and caring. Highly recommend!' — Lisa T. A Clinic Built on Results, Not Hype What sets Dr. Kopicki apart isn't a flashy ad or a marketing campaign. It's reputation. It's real people telling real stories about how they got their lives back. His clinic's online reviews reflect a pattern: patients consistently mention how seen, heard, and respected they feel — and how quickly they start noticing improvements. This recognition as one of Pottstown's leading chiropractors is more than a label — it's a reflection of the clinic's deep roots in the community and the lives that have been changed along the way. Dr. Kopicki continues to welcome new patients who are ready to experience chiropractic care done right. If you've been told to 'just live with it,' it's time to get a second opinion. MEDIA CONTACT Keep It Kinetic Chiropractic 3254 W Ridge Pike Suite 202 Pottstown, PA 19464 Call (484) 455-4664 Visit to book your consultation today. Media Contact Company Name: Keep It Kinetic Chiropractic Contact Person: Dr. Kyle Kopicki Email: Send Email Phone: (484) 455-4664 Address: 3254 W Ridge Pike Suite 202 City: Limerick State: PA Country: United States Website:
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
The seven health benefits of a daily walk
'Ten thousand steps a day.' It has become almost a religious mantra for anyone embarking on walking as an exercise routine. But you don't need to adhere to this to feel the benefits of getting outside and stretching your legs. And this magic number has less scientific value than you'd think. It dates back to a Japanese marketing campaign from the 1960s designed to promote a commercial pedometer – and for some reason it has stuck, making us feel guilty for not hitting this made-up target ever since. Britain's leading walking charity, Ramblers, says the benefits of walking little and often are not to be sniffed at. 'Walking in the great outdoors is one of the most effective things we can do to improve our health and wellbeing,' says George Salmon, a spokesperson for the charity. 'Even a short stroll around your local park can make a drastic difference.' A growing body of scientific evidence supports this. If you're among the 60 per cent of people who suffer from back pain it might well be time to put your best foot forward. Walking for 30 minutes five times a week can help ward off back pain, according to a new study. The research found that people with lower back pain who took regular strolls remained pain-free for twice as long as those who did not follow a regular walking programme. And if that isn't enough to persuade you to rise from your deskright this moment and go for a stroll, then perhaps the following will spur you into action... Benefits of walking How far should you walk? Walking faster vs walking longer What to wear when walking Tips on getting started Staying motivated FAQs Seven health benefits of walking Walking can have the following benefits: 1. Burns calories It burns calories and contributes to weight loss – but just how many calories does walking burn? It all depends on your: Age Weight Height Gender Walking speed An average 180lb person roughly burns around 100 calories walking one mile at a brisk pace. Increase the pace to vigorous and that figure rises to 130 calories. By accelerating and decelerating the pace of your walking, you can burn even more. A study by engineering researchers at the Ohio State University discovered that mixing up the speed of your walking (which is natural when you're outdoors) can burn up to 20 per cent more calories compared to going at a steady pace (which would most likely be on a treadmill). 'Walking at any speed costs some energy, but when you're changing the speed, you're pressing the gas pedal, so to speak,' explained the study's lead author, Nidhi Seethapathi. 'Changing the kinetic energy of the person requires more work from the legs and that process certainly burns more energy.'
