The Joint Ventures' Blog

Do you want to be more explosive so you can jump higher, run faster, be more agile, improve overall fitness, and help decrease your risk of injury? If you do, you may benefit from plyometric exercises. Plyometric training is a very specific mode of exercise, but it has a broad applicability to any activity that requires deceleration or acceleration of the body or the exertion of forces against the ground or an object. This is true with many athletic activities including running, jumping, throwing, and changing directions, but also with many daily activities.  

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Today marks the start of a well-deserved vacation. At the airport, as you bend forward to lift your bag, your back quickly tightens up and your big week abroad flashes before your eyes. What do we do when our back starts talking to us? 

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Spring seems to be the overhead athlete season. It marks the beginning of baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and the CrossFit open, among others. Great demands placed on the shoulder, scapula (shoulder blade), and thoracic spine (middle of the back) during these sports often brings on the onset of shoulder pain. However, not all shoulder pain is directly related to the shoulder, and may in fact be a combination of shoulder, scapula, and spine coordination.1  

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Words do matter, a lot. Language shapes the way we think and perceive our worlds, including our very own bodies and health. While the mind can seem separate from the body, it’s rather the opposite. Advancements in neuroscience research allow us to now confidently say, how we think, what we hear, and what we say can directly affect our health, pain, and function. 

People often exchange the terms "strength" and "stability" as if they are one and the same. That really is not true. It’s important to understand the differences between the two, as well as know how to improve both areas to create a better overall platform for performance. 

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In this season of resolution making, it's important to spend a bit of time reflecting on what real changes would benefit your health and wellness.  

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Ice skating is a wonderful activity to take part in, especially as the cold winter months approach. But a few things need to be addressed before you hit the ice to ensure you have a good time and ice skate safely. First, you need to make sure you have proper balance standing on flat, level ground. On ice, your base of support is constantly moving and changing. Without proper balance, ice skating will present a new set of challenges for you that could potentially lead to injury. A good way to check your balance is to practice standing still on one foot for 5-10 seconds without disturbances.                                                         

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It is important to maintain the neutral alignment of these curves to assist with cushioning the spine from excessive stress or strain. The natural curves of the spine are caused by muscles, ligaments and tendons that are connected to the vertebrae of the spine, by Keith Foley, MSPT 

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Exercise for hip strength and mobility, by Jennifer Washkevich, DPT 

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