Connor Leichtle LLC at Structural Elements Milwaukee

Struggling with a stiff or painful lower back? Try these out:

1. Banded Lumbar Decompression-When laying down, relax as much as possible to allow the band to create gapping in your low back. Hold for 1 minute

2. QL Stretch-Keep core engaged. Reach arms overhead in a C-shape, driving as much bodyweight as you can into the stick. Hold for 30 seconds

3. Dead Bug-Flatten low back on ground. Move opposite arm and leg away from body, maintaining lower back positioning. Complete 10-15 reps on each side

Looking to get over the hump from nagging knee pain? You may be dealing with a patellar tracking issue. Here are a few simple fixes:

1. Trigger Point Release on Quadriceps-Find 2-3 areas of tenderness and complete 2-3 reps of an active knee bend to free up the tissue

2. Half Kneeling Hip Flexor/Quad Stretch-Maintain a neutral spine, leaning forward until you feel a stretch on the front side of your leg. Hold for 30 seconds

3. RNT Lunge-Anchor a band to a stationary object. Complete a lunge, focusing on maintaining outward pressure against the band, making sure your kneecap doesn't track medially or laterally throughout the movement

Sick of doing situps? Looking to challenge your core in functional ways? Try these out:

1. Pallof Press-Anchor a band to a rack, pole, or door. Step away from the anchor. Maintain a tight core and press away from your chest, keeping your torso straight. For added difficulty, press the band away from your chest, and raise hands above head

2. Weight drags-Set your core and drag weight from side to side. Don't allow your hips or torso to rotate during movement

3. Farmer Carries-Grab two heavy dumbbells. Engage your core and carry the weight as far as you can without allowing your trunk to rotate to either side. For added difficulty, chose two different weights and complete the same exercise

Are you struggling with reaching overhead in the gym or everyday life? Try these simple drills to improve your movement:

1. Subscap Wall Strech-Hold fingers on wall as you squat straight down. You should feel a stretch/pull through your arm pit and outer shoulder. Complete 1 round of 10 reps on each shoulder

2. Peanut Thoracic Spine Mobility-Lay the peanut across your upper middle back. Your spine should be in the groove between the two balls. Keep your chin tucked and lower back flat on the ground. Reach overhead to work to improve thoracic extension. If you don't have a peanut, simply tape two tennis balls together. Pick 3-4 spots on your upper back and complete 5 overhead reps at each spot.

3. Inferior Mobilization of Humerus-Step into band. Place the band just lateral to the tip of your shoulder. Make sure elbow is in line with shoulder, then relax and let gravity bring your shoulder to the ground. Complete 2 rounds of 1 minute holds (See comment section for setup picture)

An overlooked indicator of of overall health is grip strength. Not only is this measurement an indicator of overall strength, but studies have shown a correlation between poor grip strength and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, among other things.

Try out these simple exercises to improve your grip strength:

1. Bar Hangs-With your feet off the ground, hang on to a bar until failure. Repeat 2-3x

2. Bottoms Up Kettlebell Walks-Keep your elbow at a 45 degree angle to your body, maintaining the elbow at shoulder height. This is also a great rotator cuff exercise. Complete 2-3 rounds of 15 yard walks

3. Farmer Carries-Maintain an upright posture keeping your core engaged throughout the movement. Complete 2-3 rounds of 15 yard walks

-Bohannon Rw. Grip Strength:An Indispensable Biomarker for Older Adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2019; 1681-1691. Published 2019 Oct 1.

-Sasaki H., Kasagi F., and Fujita S. Grip Strength Predicts Cause-Specific Mortality in Middle-Aged and Elderly Persons. The American Jourbal of Medicine 2007; 337-342. Published 2007 April 1.

Do you sit at work all day long? If so, this is for you. Remaining hunched over a computer for hours leads to a stiff upper back and rounded posture. Over time, you lose shoulder mobility and increase the strain on your lower back. To begin addressing this issue, try these out:

1. Sidelying Open Books-Have the bottom leg remain in line with the head. Prop top leg to a 90/90 position. As you rotate, follow your hand with your eyes

2. Subscap Wall Stretch-Keep fingers tight on wall as you squat down. You should feel a pull in your armpit/side of shoulder

3. Half-Kneeling Rockbacks-Tuck your toes under your feet. Sit back on heels as you curl your arms. Take deep breath at bottom of movement. You should feel this in upper back and in your lats/triceps

The most rewarding thing as a therapist is watching both current and former patients achieve their goals! Good luck to Ryan Pepiot tomorrow on his MLB debut!

Struggling with low back pain? You may need to improve your lumbopelvic dissocation, meaning being able to move your hips independently from your lower back. If you can't initiate movements from your hips, your lower back is forced to compensate by moving more than normal to achieve your movement goal. Try these out:

1. Cat/Camel-Stack hands under shoulders and maintain a tight core. Hips stay still as you work through flexion and extension in your spine.

2. Quadruped rocking-Maintain a neutral spine. Rock back onto your heels maintaining spinal position throughout movement. If you lose spinal position, stop and return to starting position.

3. Standing anterior and posterior pelvic tilts- Initiate movement from your pelvis while maintaining a neutral spine.