Humans naturally move in many different planes. Yet, today, most of us live and train only in the front-to-back, and occasionally side-to-side.
In this episode, Ben and I chat about some of the reasons that the most resilient humans train the other planes and the injury-prevention and performance benefits of doing so.
Episode highlights
Modern humans bounce from one stabilized environment to the next and we lose our ability to cope with discomfort Share on XPushing yourself to the brink of injury is far more detrimental than skipping any one, five, or ten workouts Share on XIt's not one workout that will make or break your fitness, but rather the cumulative effect Share on XLearn to enjoy mild discomfort Share on XHanging on a pull-up bar is a simple and accessible way to balance flexion and extension Share on XWe like to think that we do things evenly, but we're all very asymmetrical. Counter by bringing consciousness to your movement patterns Share on XWhat you do now sets you up for the activities you can do with your grandkids in 30+ years Share on X"Movement needs to be a lifestyle, not an activity" Share on XPodcast Sponsor Banner
About Ben
Ben Reuter is a faculty member at a regional university. He is an exercise enthusiast with certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). Ben has interests in injury prevention/performance enhancement for endurance athletes and uses movement to enhance quality of life. After travels through Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Florida for school and work he has been in the Pittsburgh area since 2004. As part of his travels, Ben realized movement is a lifestyle, not just an activity because movement is part of what makes like complete. He promotes this via his two podcasts- Moving2Live and Fitness Lab Pittsburgh aka FitLabPGH
Top things you’ll learn from Ben
- How to use biometrics
- Compare against perceived sleep quality
- Check resting heart rate (RHR)
- Key to overall feeling good: respirations per minute
- Allergies can show up in biometrics
- Biggest pillars for athletes to optimize
- Sleep is highly under-rated
- Daniel Caulfield track coach at Cal U
- Sometimes the healthiest way to enhance healthspan is a simple outdoor walk
- Benefits of walks
- Boosts mod
- Stabilizes energy levels
- Clears mind
- Generates ideas
- Allows us to be more active later in life
- The best exercise should feel like play
- Clearing brush
- Walking on road barrier
- Figeting highly correlated with long lifespan
- Frontloading movement leads to overall more movement throughout the day
- Some of the best walks have been in the rain, snow, etc
- The simple difference between elite runners and good runners
- Extreme temperatures stimulate heat shock proteins and cold shock proteins which increase longevity
- You can easily build a solid home gym with minimal investment
- Standing desk
- Several kettlebells spread throughout house
- Suspension Trainer
- Climbing board
- Stahl bar
- Gymnastics rings
- Bosu ball
- Adjustable dumbbells
- Indian clubs (lighter is better)
- Pull-up bar
- Try a variety of movement practices to find what you enjoy and what will stick
- Why Nick doesn’t like large group yoga classes
- What led Ben to build a collection of maces
- Move nat basic movements for functional life fitness
- Stork stand
- Lifting arms above head
- Why we shouldn’t hold any position for more than 20 minutes
- Stand too long and back gets sore
- Add small blocks of micro-movements into daily routine
- Train multiple planes of movement to build stabilizers and proprioception
- Balance mobility and strength to avoid problems
- Low-intensity movement is relaxing and induces calm
Resources mentioned
Books, Videos, Information, & Resources
- The Foxfire Series for vital life skills
Tools, Gadgets, Gear, & Technology
Connect with Ben
This podcast is brought to you by
Nick Urban is a Biohacker, Data Scientist, Athlete, Founder of Outliyr, and the Host of the Mind Body Peak Performance Podcast. He is a Certified CHEK Practitioner, a Personal Trainer, and a Performance Health Coach. Nick is driven by curiosity which has led him to study ancient medical systems (Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hermetic Principles, German New Medicine, etc), and modern science.
Music by Luke Hall
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