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Peeling The Heel on the Original SANDDUNE™
“PEELING THE HEEL” ON THE ORIGINAL SANDDUNE™
As we age, our bodies change and we must learn ways to continue to function independently by learning how to work with change. This includes how to listen to the body, sense change and noting where you are in space. By preparing for change and understanding where the center of gravity is through balance and alignment training and by strengthening the body’s core, daily function becomes a much easier part of life. Being able to find and sense the feet/ankles without always looking down when they are in an unfamiliar surrounding will increase your ability to balance more readily.
Learning to ground is sensing the entire foot working on the floor and being able to sense the body’s center. We call this mindfulness on the SANDDUNE. Learning to “Peel the Heel” is the ability to incorporate the whole foot in exercise thus strengthening it. One is able to learn to lift the knee and foot, higher, together facilitating easy of walking without stumbling or shuffling.
Men ~ Sitting too much may be deadly.
Shared post from Kaiser Permanente courtesy of Houston Medical about the dangers of
sedentary lifestyle in men.
Sedentary Behavior and Low Physical Activity Linked to Heart Failure in Men
BEFORE YOU START, CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
Walking is always a great way to start to get back into the habit of exercise or as some prefer calling it, “the swing of things.”
As one exercise regimen to consider, we suggest 15 minutes twice a day on the Original SANDDUNE™ for 30 days to help you get back on the path to building your healthy lifestyle.
What ever you choose, begin TODAY, on your path to health and wellness.
Call Cynthia more information @ 714-264-7896.
Why do I keep falling?
As we become more aware of fall prevention across the country and around the globe, it has become apparent that once someone has fallen, more specifically in the 50+ age group, the fear of falling increases and walking properly becomes an issue.
Sometimes the resulting fear of taking another spill can create what I call the “ground watch” posture. We have all seen or know someone with the stooped or slouched upper body, the gaze fixed on the ground, and their arms barely swinging if they are not using a cane or walker. It makes it tough to walk when the knees hardly bend enough to lift feet clear of the ground or thinking that shuffling feet anchored to the ground will prevent a fall. In short this means their mechanism for reacting to shifts in walking surfaces is not used and is now severely diminished.
One may not realize that they are not lifting their feet off the ground when walking nor properly using their upper body when turning around to look behind themselves or to the side for fear they might trip. Poor reaction time makes them at risk for falling.
All of these newly developed “habits” make falling more probable which may be why so many seniors begin to fall more often. This gradually acquired way of walking becomes the “norm” instead of the natural activity of an “active,” upright upper body with swing arms that engage the hips as they work to lift the knees giving us our wonderful mechanics of walking or running. Get to a balance class and learn to use your body again!
Exercise in the pool is a great way to begin, too, since you are building your body by doing resistance training with water! How many people do not pass driving tests because they depend on the rear view mirror to tell them what is behind or beside them and will not turn and look when changing lanes?
Exercise on the Original SANDDUNE™ will help you restore diminished leg and core strength whether due to chronic illness like diabetic neuropathy, Parkinson’s or MS, stroke recovery, surgery (ie…hip or knee replacement) or a sedentary lifestyle. It provides a comforting and enjoyable way to get back on the fitness bandwagon!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
AS THE NEW YEAR DAWNS
THE ORIGINAL SANDDUNE™ WISHES YOU A
BALANCED, HAPPY, HEALTHY & PROSPEROUS
NEW YEAR IN 2014!
COG – Center of Gravity
When you begin to learn about the Center of Gravity or COG whether you are standing or sitting, you will learn how many small movements contribute to your COG and how they awaken the spine and your feet as the foundations for your COG.
You learn:
- how to sit properly on your sit bones vs. slouching and how this affects your posture both sitting and standing. If you slouch when you sit, you will most likely slouch when you stand. This
means learning to keep the belly button pulled in, shoulders square, a long spine and open chest (no slouched shoulders or shuffling when walking). - the importance of eye and head movement to sound balance. Most people do not “think” about how eye and head movement affect the body’s everyday functioning. This is especially critical as we age.
- the relevance of sensing your ankle, arch, heel pad, the ball of your foot, and be able to differentiate and move the five toes, which many people never think of doing.
Because the feet are the Foundation for the COG, weight shifting – both standing and dynamic (walking, running, cross training, etc), and learning to work your 
heels and toes together are paramount to healthy gait and balance. This applies whether one is aging, recovering from an injury/surgery or extended time off of the feet due to illness.
Understanding this leads to the comprehension of how these individual systems tie into “proprioception” or knowing where your body is in space. The sensors engaged by this proprioception are in each joint, the bottoms 
of the footpads, the visual and vestibular (inner ear) system as well as touch. For example, proprioception not only helps with daily direction-finding, but also is essential to becoming a beautifully expressive dancer or gymnast, successful professional golfer, or runner.
Together these sensors help to provide information about the environment that we see daily and that the muscles are engaging in judging the height of 
a step, the distance to the rail or ball, the depth of the curb, or the placement of the foot as a turn or a yoga stance is executed.
Learning to stretch and strengthen these muscles, their respective systems and their correlating movements on the non-compliant surface of an Original SANDDUNE™ makes it easier to do on solid ground. Why is it easier? You are not trying to balance your body on the ground as you do on the mirror resisting exercise produced by the Original SANDDUNE™. Referenced from Miriam Tate’s findings and class development.
Happy Thanksgiving
The staff of the
Original SANDDUNE™
wish you a
plentiful and joy filled
Thanksgiving Day.
“The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.”
— Dr. Robert Holden
*United States Armed Forces Original SANDDUNE™ Offer*
- ~ From Memorial Day, May 27, 2013 thru Labor Day Weekend 2013 ~
Original SANDDUNE™ is
30% off the regular price of $279.00 to US Veterans.
Fall Prevention *Call to Action*
Granny @ 86 yrs Young!
Our goal is to provide people who are “at risk” for falling, a unique device that WILL adds a valuable new dimension in your desire to help others or yourself, achieve greater balance, coordination and strength as a greater confidence to participate in life with less fear of falling is realized.
With more nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities reporting increases of people being admitted who have fallen, this fact is creating a “call to action” nationwide, to develop Fall Prevention and fitness programs that are effective and enjoyable while creating a community of support for those who need to embark on a renewal of fitness and vitality.
Letting physical vigor and productivity drop because you have retired, and ignoring the signs of loss of balance and strength can lead to falls and the chances escalate that you will continue to fall without some sort of intervention in the form of a fitness program to strengthen balance, gait and flexibility. Look for signs of everyday activities that require sitting and standing as a normal part of day, becoming more challenging. 
With over 8,000 people per day turning 65, it is alarming that one-third of this demographic are injured due to falls. Make it a personal “call to action” to start a fitness program or keep your fitness on a level that is compatible with your capabilities, age and health.
Create a list questions for discussion with your doctor to develop an exercise regimen and review diet. Join a club or a group to help motivate and energize you as you begin your new path of better fitness and vitality. Get Moving Again Get Back Into Living Life with Zest and Zeal!
Sports-Neuromuscular Stimulation & Mirror Resistance
Neuromuscular stimulation provides your strength, coordination, reflexes, and balance. If this system is lacking you will not have these capabilities in daily living or athletics. The neuromuscular stimulation and feedback loops are highly responsive to high frequency contractions which occurs during the rapid compression movements performed during cardio burst workouts. These feedback loops are referred to as Mirror Resistance.
Squat Run beginning position. You may want to try dropping closer to your heels to increase the muscle activity. As you run or pad in and out of the squat, try touching the foot pads when in full squat. Give yourself that extra challenge building your cardio and strength.
The SANDDUNE’s Goal
Our goal at the Original SANDDUNE™ is to provide orthopaedic and neurological patients of all ages from kids to grandparents, as well as dancers, golfers, and athletes from other sports, the benefit of working out on this challenging and effective apparatus. It will add a valuable new dimension to the goal of helping reestablish greater balance, coordination and strength to those coping with the fear of falling due to injury, illness and recovering from surgery.
The distinctive properties of the SANDDUNE also lends itself to athletes striving to increase coordination, greater flexibility in their joints, core strength, a more responsive musculature, and balance components critical to sound fitness and successful athletic performance.
Jack’s 5 minute testimony
Mighty Dancer!
Cardio Burst Squat Run
Original SANDDUNE™ 