Post Surgical Back Pain to Mission Trip

I first met this amazing lady named Sylvia 3+ years ago. When we first started working together, she was quickly losing her ability to walk because of back pain (post surgical back pain). She could barely walk to her mailbox and was getting used to the idea of using a walker and wheelchair.

A few months after she started training with me her pain greatly decreased and she got her ability to walk back. Sylvia was so happy to stand on her own two feet again! She turned into a long term client and continues to progress in her fitness despite some setbacks and challenges.

She is now fit enough to pursue one of her dreams. Sylvia went on an international mission trip.

I received this email when she was out of the country:

“We are back from building our first house! I want you to know I kept up with everyone! I’ll have pictures when everyone shares their photos. We carried all the tools hat we needed to build the house: two ladders, three drills, chain saw, skill saw, hammers, shovel, three post hole diggers, hammers, nails, etc. The tin and wood were already on site. The hill was a “road” with LOTS of deep ruts, very slippery, it had poured the night before, 200-300 yards long, VERY steep. The guys said it was probably longer that two football fields. I carried a hoe/pick about 6 foot long, which helped me from slipping. It must have weight 10-20 pounds. This was going down. I didn’t carry anything but my back pack climbing back up, It was harder to breathe coming back up, then I learned we were 7,000 ft about sea level! But I kept up with everyone pretty good. I recovered quickly anyway!
I would never had made it without your exercises! Thank you for that!
The first day it poured going to the mission house about 1:30 drive. And like normal, in a third world country, when it really storms the power goes out, so we could not shower, flush toilets, no WiFi, etc. But it came on about 2:30 in the morning. WiFi came on a little later. Supper is ready for us now, we have WiFi here at the mission house.

Hi to everyone!”

Fitness is freedom. It is hard to live one’s life purpose without strength, health, and energy!

Are you ready to pursue your goals? Contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.

Tom Gets His Strength, Flexibility, and Balance Back

When I first met Tom, he was stuck in a routine that was not producing great results. Much of what he did was seated weight machines. He did get stronger, but he did not improve his flexibility and balance. In addition, the type of strength training he was doing did not transfer well to real life (functional strength).

I find that people that do have the motivation to go to gym on a regular basis often get stuck in a routine, which limits their progress. Breaking habits wins the day again when you want results!

Tom has been training in my Real Age Reduction large group for over a year. It has been a pleasure watching him and his wife gain much better fitness over time.

If you want to get your fitness back, contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.

Karen's Back Mechanics Lesson

Back pain…it is an energy vampire. Having health and fitness requires a back that is conditioned to accept movement, load, and life. The large majority of adults will experience back pain sometime in their life. For some people their pain becomes chronic. It starts to greatly effect what they can do both inside and outside the gym.

Luckily, a great deal of time and research has been done on the biomechanics of back pain. I find that when clients learn the reason why their back hurts and what causes their pain everything changes. The thought of their pain mysteriously “coming and going” is replaced with an understanding of pain triggers and how to avoid them. In this video a client talks about modifications we made outside of the gym so she could get out of her back pain woes and start working out again. Building strength and fitness on top of a happy back has changed her life!

If you need help with your back and how to navigate fitness with back issues, contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.

Ken's Back Pain Story

Here is Ken’s story about how he has overcome much of his back pain through exercise and the science of biomechanics.

Ken has lived in the Auburn, AL area for many years. He first sought me out because he was desperate to not lose any more function and strength. Training with me was his first experience working with a personal trainer and medical fitness specialist.

It has been amazing to see the changes in his strength, pain level, and abilities over the past 2 years. In addition, he continues to see further improvements after every 2 months or so (improvements slow down when you are 80-90% better). Since shooting this video, his back pain and function has gotten even better.

If you need help with your back and how to navigate fitness with back issues, contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.

Diets That Actually Work

2019 is here! The sales of diet books, diet plans, weight loss clinics, fat-burning potions, and supplements are seeing a sharp increase.

People love to hear about (and buy..spending lots of $$$$) on quick fixes for weight loss. However, everyone knows at the deepest level that there is no easy way to lose weight and keep it off. Many deny this obvious truth and would rather be swept up in emotional sales pitches. Truth and hard work have never been hot sales tactics. However, getting results always turns heads.

I would like to share what diets actually got real results for my clients in 2018.

Here is my criteria:

-The diet plan was sustainable for life (this means my client would be happy doing the diet 80% of the time for the rest of their lives…except in the case of some anti-inflammatory diets that may only last for a few weeks or months).

-Clients got most of the results they were after…they met their goals or are on a progressive path.

-The diet was healthy and balanced for the client’s biology (no spikes in cholesterol, loss of lean body tissue, or other negative consequences).

When I work with clients I love going through the process of guiding them towards or supporting them on a diet strategy that works for them. It is always individual. Factors like social and family support, stress levels, time, biology, will-power, and food preferences are all factored in. Once the right fit is made long-term deep changes and real results can be achieved. For some trying to find a way to lose weight has been a long road.

Here is what I have seen work in 2018:

The Low Carb Diet:


The classic low carbohydrate diet. On this diet people typically aim for 50-120 grams of carbs a day. All other calories come from protein and fat. I have seen this dietary approach work well long term for many clients. It seems to especially work for men. On this diet I always recommend that individuals maximize their consumption of low carb veggies. The best part of this diet is that it reduces hunger due to the high amount of protein. In addition, it can greatly aid in blood sugar issues. I have seen people get off diabetic medication from adopting this diet along with adopting exercise and getting better sleep.

The Anti-Inflammatory Diets

(Whole 30 and Elimination Diets Included)

A diet that reduces the amount of pro-inflammatory foods (like sugar, fried food, wheat, dairy, nuts, nightshade veggies, high histamine foods, etc) and greatly increases the amount of anti-inflammatory foods (like colorful fruits and veggies, organic food, ginger, turmeric, herbs, real food, etc) can dramatically change a person’s life. People that struggle with autoimmunity, fibromyalgia, irritable bowl disease/ syndrome, chronic inflammation, and other chronic health challenges benefit the most from these types of diets. Why do these diets work? The human intestinal track is constantly exposed to foods, chemicals, dyes, artificial substances, more chemicals, and waste products and more. For some people the immune system becomes over-reactive to some of these constant exposures. In addition, the tissues of the GI track become chronically inflamed. Giving the body a break from irritating foods and substances can be transformational and some people experience weight loss for the first time in decades.

Ready To Eat Meals

What if you had a personal chef prepare 2-3 meals a day, measuring out calories and portion sizes? That would be great…but I have no experience with this (though it would probably work well). What I have seen work is the use of meal prep services and high quality frozen food. I have seen this work best for people with limited time, portion control problems, lack of skill or desire to cook, and healthy food choices. Options for healthy meal prep services are becoming more abundant. Not only are there good local options for meal services but many healthy nation wide companies (like Blue Apron) are springing up.

Healthy Gut Diets

(Low FODMAPS, Fast Track, Low Residue Diet)

Similar to the anti-inflammatory diet, healthy gut diets aim to cut inflammation with the central target being the gut. Many people struggle with gut issues (constipation, diarrhea, GERD, reflux, IBS, IBD, fermentation syndromes, etc.). Inflammation in the gut often causes gut specific symptoms and./ or systemic problems. An inflamed gut can drastically slow down or halt weight loss and fitness goals. The most interesting part about healthy gut diets is that they can take away peoples chronic GI issues that they believed were normal.

Bars for Breakfast

As simple as it might sound, I have seen forming the habit of only eating a breakfast bar or a breakfast bar plus fruit and veggies change the scales for some people. This makes since when someone is accustomed to having a high carb breakfast with 600 calories of bread and sugar (think pancakes or toast and jam….perhaps cereal and orange juice). Sometimes weight loss can be simple.

Intermittent Fasting and Time Restricted Eating

I have seen some people thrive from fasting for a large portion of 2-4 days a week or skipping breakfast most days and having a late lunch. This goes back to the principle of giving the gut a break to allow the body to rest. The immune system gets a chance to cool off. What is interesting about this diet is that our ancestors were forced to fast often, especially during the winter. It is rare for people to fast today. We have access to food year around. In fact, for the first time in history people can live in Iowa during a snow storm on December 22nd and eat a banana from the jungle. Bottom line: people will get a reduction of inflammation and will probably see a decrease in appetite as their body gets used to burning fat as fuel (this happens with fasting).

The Mediterranean Diet

The best part of this diet is that it offers a large range of very healthy foods and recipes in an easy to understand package (as long as clients are willing to cook). The Mediterranean diet is a well researched diet and lifestyle that cuts inflammation, is heart healthy, and has great variety in foods and flavors. From a nutrition standpoint, a properly done Mediterranean diet blows the SAD diet (standard American Diet) out of the water. I have seen this diet work very well for a few clients who have decided to eat only Mediterranean style food 80-90% of the time.

Fasting-Mimicking Diet

The fasting-mimicking diet was researched and created by longevity researcher Dr Valter Longo. The basics of the diet are this: for 5 days you consume only about 800 calories. These calories are made up of highly nutrient dense plants and fruits. The goal is to get high amount of some specific polyphenols (plant chemicals) in your body while almost being in a fasting state. The results can be profound. Not only is inflammation cut down, but many systems in the body regain better function through cellular clean up (this diet is low protein, so the body does some clean up work). Interesting, right? I have had 2 clients do this with life changing results. This process is repeated a number of times a year based on a persons’s needs.

What Will Work For You?

Finding what diet strategy works for a person is always an individualized process. A good place to start is looking at what approach has yielded success or partial success in the past. Current stress, support, health needs, and other health conditions are also major factors. Above all, people have to be honest about their willingness to change and accept how this can change from day to day. If motivation is low, something has to be done about motivation before addressing dietary changes. As many clients tell me, many people know what to do, but fail on sticking with changes long enough to turn them into habits. Being stuck in a rut is the number one killer of new year’s health goals!

Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program. The content of this blog is for educational purposes only. You are responsible for the outcomes for the use, misuse, or lack of use of the information presented in this blog.

Reclaiming Your Squat Part 2

If your body is prepared for deep squatting, it is time to train this movement.

The best way to progress your deep squat prep from the quadruped position (on hands and knees) to a vertical deep squat is to start with a partially loaded squat. Here is how you do it.

Hang onto something that is fixed like rails, a pole, or anything that can help you up and down. After you have found a good and safe fixed object it is time to position yourself carefully down into a deep squat position. If your body is unaccustomed to this position, only spend 10-30 seconds in the deep squat. After you are done pull yourself up with mostly your arms.

Another tip is that you need to position your feet forward to make your lower legs (shins) as vertical as possible. This takes the mechanical load off your knees. Sparing the knees is very important for beginners.

Worried about foot position? Don’t be. Everybody has variations in their anatomy (there are several different shapes the human pelvis can take on). The shape of your pelvis, the amount of rotation in your leg bones, and a few other factors will determine your ideal foot position. For now, just get comfortable.

If you are able to do a deep squat as discussed here today start with a round or two a day. Stay down in your squat for 10-30 seconds. As the days go on add a bit more time or more rounds throughout your day. In time, your joints, ligaments, cartilage, and muscles will adapt and become stronger (as long as good progression is used and severe injury is not present).

When practicing be fully aware and present with your body. Try to determine if this level of deep squat works for you or if it is too much. If your body does not accept it, go back to the previous level as discussed in part 1.

Next blog: how to take the deep squat one step further. Practice and be ready! Remember that deep squatting has been a health promoting normal part of human existence until we put furniture everywhere.

Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before you being any exercise program. The content of this blog is for educational purposes only. You are responsible for the outcomes for the use, misuse, or lack of use of the information presented in this blog.

Reclaiming Your Squat Part 1

How many people do you know that have gone through a hip replacement? How about anyone with a pelvic disorder or low back pain? I know a few….ok dozens and dozens…. and I have worked with many both before a surgery and long after any produce.

I am often told by new clients or I hear them comment that their pain or dysfunction is “just part of getting old”. Most people hold the idea that more birthdays equals painful joints and are surprised when this common narrative is challenged. As I remind everyone I coach, both young and old, time on this planet is only ONE factor that leads to degeneration and dysfunction. This is good news. When thinking about the causes of modern day joint issues, behavior and what a body is asked to do (or asked not to do) is the BIGGEST driver of joint health or dysfunction.

Why do many hip joints and therefore body’s break down? One major factor is most people have lost their squat, especially their deep squat abilities. With the loss of the squat, which has been a basic human movement for our entire existence until very recently, our wonderful and powerful hip joints have lost a vital nutritious movement.

Did you know that joints get nutrition through motion and load?

Most modern human hips are squat deficient. It is like how vitamin d deficiency can lead to a dysfunctional immune system.

As a consequence, the pelvis and some aspects of the cartilage, ligaments, and muscles atrophy. The wonderful human pelvis becomes weak and breaks down. The human body has never lived in a time when it did NOT have to squat. Furniture, chairs, and seats placed everywhere in our culture has allowed our hips to do so little throughout the day.

Good new: Your hips are a living part of you and can respond to stimulus.

Ready to take action and reclaim your hips? They are likely crying out for squat nutrition.

Beginners can start here:

Start by going to your hands and knees with a nice knee pillow:

Next: rock back until your butt touches your heels. Go to the point where it feels restricted or that you feel a stretch. If this position is a challenge for you, the goal is to spend 10-20 minutes a day in this position. If you feel that you are very “out of shape” start with 1-3 minutes. Others could start by spending about 5-10 minutes in this position a day. Do what works for you. It is OK and expected that you break up your time throughout the day. I would also expect that you do something else while being in this position. Talk on the phone, listen to a podcast or music. watch TV, read, or whatever. Do what you like to do with your time but do it in this position.

Was this position too hard or perhaps it didn’t work for your knees or hips? Try the same pose on your back instead:

The goal of this position is to achieve a squat position from your back while not trying to flatten your back (this is not a back stretch). In fact, you can even put a small support (rolled up towel) to hold your low back up in place. Same goals apply to this position as mentioned above. Slowly increase the time you spend in the position.

Try these positions out if you want to better the health of your hips. These are the beginning position for hips that have lost their ability to squat. If you already have replaced hips or knees, these poses may not be suitable for you. I often use a different tactics for people with replaced joints which I will not go over in this blog today.

Next time I will write about how to progress the squat pattern or what to do if you can still squat from your feet.

Enjoy and reclaim your squat.

Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program. The content of this blog is for educational purposes only. You are responsible for the outcomes for the use, misuse, or lack of use of the information presented in this blog.