Category Archives: rehabilitation

MY GYM ROUTINE

GYM SPACE #postureRevolution … 6 am workout

This is one of the most important moments before my day starts… it’s part of the ‘warm-up’ but I prefer to call it ’posture prep’ 

According to my Chiropractor, Dr. Bills 🙌🏼 I happen to be tight in my thoracic spine area and naturally unstable & unsupported in my lower spine/ hip complex 😭 Without attention, this is a recipe for pain and injury (I know this from personal experience from before I started paying attention to movement fundamentals). 

My GOAL rx 

1. stretch the hard-to-reach- deep stabilizing posture muscles. 
2. Wake up/ recruit these muscles so they support the skeleton while lifting weights and pushing my body beyond it’s normal workload. 

EQUIPMENT

With HeadFloater, bungees compress and decompress the skull while lengthening and stretching the neck. I use it to stretch and open chest, shoulder and back muscles.

Parasetter® is a unique foam roller system used for lower back stretches to improve the flexibility of the intercostal muscles (muscles surrounding the ribs), the spine and the deep fascia that is continuous from head to toe. The balance aspect fires up the deep core muscles and preps them for their stabilizing responsibilities. 

Because I have all my clients prepping this way, I created some videos showing exercise with both HeadFloater and Parasetter and you are welcome to them as well! https://ashleybensonfitness.vhx.tv/products

Join my FIT FAM and workout with me online!

FREE GIFT FOR YOU!

Sign up below to get a free HeadFloater tutorial and class!

TYE4® TRAINING – CLIENT WITH POLIO

»»» video below «««

Meet my friend and client Kay Walker. She is 72 years old and was diagnosed with Polio when she was 8 months old. I have the privilege of helping her discover that she CAN exercise! Four years ago she bravely attended my St. Augustine Fitness Retreat.  We worked multiple times a day learning her limits, but more importantly discovering what she COULD DO.  Since then we have spent the past few years personalizing her exercise to meet her lifestyle… which is unbelievably active!!

Continue reading

MUSCLE INJURY REHAB

“Hamstring strain injuries are very common in sports.  They can become chronic, nagging injuries due to scar tissue formation with up to a 63% chance of re-injury.”  Dynamic Physical Therapy & Sports Enhancement

In high school – long, long ago – I injured my hamstring playing sports and have re-injured it many times since.  IT’S SO FRUSTURATING.  

Five months ago I developed a pinched bursa in my left hip → which led to spasms in my gluteus medius  – a TRUE pain in the butt! → and then the problem trickled down into my hamstring… because it will take any opportunity to cause me grief.

theSOLUTION

First, I got K-Laser Therapy from Laser Therapy & Chiropractic Center for my hip.  This started helping immediately and paired with icing for a few weeks, inflammation was reduced without any medication.  Then I started doing pressure point therapy for my butt muscle – basically I would sit on a tennis ball holding for intervals of 3 minutes while crying from all the pain until the spasm released. Thank you Results Physiotherapy, Murfreesboro Tn for the torturous, yet effective instruction you gave me 🙂  And finally I started using a foam roller and Tye4® to rehab that stubborn hamstring.  

IMG_0488

My BFF.  Her name is Foam Roller

The Tye4 has been HUGE in helping me maintain/regain flexibility and maintain/build strength during this time.  Over the past weeks, when my hamstring is being a nerd and causing aches and pains, I have consistently found relieve after using Tye4!  

 I also kicked my nutrition into high gear by supplementing with a few products that the pros use when they are recovering from injuries.  I figure, if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me!  I’ve added Advocare BioTools and Post-Workout Recovery Drink to my daily intake.  This, along with my basic core nutrition, has done wonders for my recovery.  

Here’s one extra tip…
IMG_0483
Tennis ball + wall + back tension = much relief!!!
Give it a try!
When dealing with muscle injuries, we need to have patience, proper resources and common sense while recovering.  I just thought I’d share what’s been going on with me.  It’s easy to get discouraged, but we gotta hang in there and keep going!  
There is too much life to live to quit.