DailyOM: What kinds of knee and hip issues does this course cover?
Tristan: While this course is not a substitute for medical care or an alternative to treatment, it can help support anyone who is currently experiencing, or in the past has experienced, general knee pain and stiffness, Runner's Knee, Patellar tracking, Patellar Tendinitis, to name a few conditions. This course is knee replacement safe and built to layer into any current lower body strengthening program or physical therapy home exercise program for knees or hips.
DailyOM: Tell us how you designed this course and the exercises you teach. Do students need any specific props?
Tristan: The course is to be completed over 10 weeks: 5 weeks for the knee and 5 weeks for the hip. We focus on one set of exercises per week that the student completes 3-4 times that week before moving on. The reason why I designed the course this way is because muscle tissues need time and consistency to gradually develop muscular strength and endurance, and to be frank, our bodies need time to adjust and heal, but consistency is key to results.
The exercises within the course are simple to perform for any student, whether a beginner or a more experienced exerciser. The goal is for the student to build a knee and hip program that feels achievable and continues to provide results for a lifetime. As for props, students will need: a chair with no armrests, hand towel, belt or strap, step stool or yoga block, pillow, plastic grocery bag, elastic resistance bands (any variety will do that offer multiple levels of resistance from light to strong).
DailyOM: You teach about fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. What are they? Why are they important?
Tristan: Fast and slow twitch fibers in your muscles build stability and strength, in addition to agility, power, and responsiveness. Fast-twitch muscles are divided into two categories: moderate fast-twitch, which are thicker and quicker to contract, wearing out more rapidly; and fast-twitch, the most powerful yet lowest in endurance, which are activated when the body nears maximum exertion.
Slow-twitch muscles help enable long-endurance feats such as distance running, while fast-twitch muscles fatigue faster but are used in powerful bursts of movements like sprinting. There are significant benefits to working to the point of temporary fatigue — and therefore ensuring the recruitment of fast-twitch fibers. These fibers increase muscle mass and improve strength. On the contrary, aerobic exercises that recruit slow-twitch muscle fibers are known to increase oxygen capacity of your muscles and improve stamina, thus allowing your body to burn energy for longer periods.
DailyOM: What kinds of results and benefits can students expect after taking this course?
Tristan: Just like the old saying, "You're only as strong as your weakest link," when a portion of your body is not functioning properly it will communicate up the entire line affecting the rest of the structures above. This can disrupt the natural balance of our tissues and musculature, eventually resulting in pain and injury. The first part of the body that hits the ground when we walk is our feet.
Therefore, if you correct faulty lower body alignment, stiffness in the feet and ankles, and other mobility or strength deficits, you eventually affect the rest of the chain to begin to solve your knee and hip issues. This entire course will emphasize the lower kinetic chain — comprising your toes, feet, ankles, lower legs, knees, upper legs, hips, pelvis, and spine — and gently remap how you support your entire body from the ground up.
DailyOM: What are your two most important tips about maintaining healthy knees and hips?
Tristan: The most important tip is staying active and moving. The biggest mistake that people make is stopping exercise and avoiding moving because there is discomfort or pain present. If someone is experiencing increased pain during movement, I then would highly recommend they go for an evaluation by a health care provider to get to the root of their pain. However, if there is some discomfort at the beginning that eventually improves as they continue moving, then this is a good sign that these specific movements or exercises are helpful.
It's important to maintain movements like consistent walking, recumbent bike, or gentle yoga that keeps pain at a minimum and is low impact. My tip or bit of advice is to just be kind to your body and know your limits. Really tune in and listen to what your body is saying to you. It's a very smart machine. Pay attention to your limits and think of your movement as self-nourishment instead of self-depletion. As I always say, "Motion is lotion."
DailyOM: Thanks, Tristan! This highly practical and useful course is for anyone who has experienced knee or hip pain and problems, and for those who want to protect and keep their body functioning at its best. Tristan's exercises are great additions to add on to your exercise routine or as stand-alone exercises for strengthening. Until next time, be well.
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