My quick opinion: This has been one of the best updates I have seen by a shoe year to year. Karhu is a Fleet Feet Exclusive shoe and uses the 3D scans taken in store to design their shoes. The Fulcram through the midsole helps generate some needed motion for some. Overall I’m a big fan of this shoe and their HiVO option is great for people with “tall” feet(High instep Height)
Advertisements
Pros:
Nice hybrid between neutral and stability. The fulcram offers a guidance sensation
The combination of the slight rocker bottom and fulcrum through the midsole creates a unique ride that helps you transition through midstance
Similiar to the Karhu Fusion the Asics Nimbus has support through the midsole. The Nimbus is a slightly more cushioned model, falling into the premium cushion category
Hoka Clifton also has a slight rocker to the bottom of the shoe. This shoe will offer a much more cushioned feel
On Cloud Swift ($150)
Another rocker bottom shoe with a little more cushion. However this will be a slightly snugger fit
Advertisements
Who would I recommend the Karhu Fusion 2021 for?
This is a great shoe for someone looking for a daily trainer. This is a great hybrid shoe as it offers alittle more support than most neutral shoes but not a true stability shoes. Overall if you are looking for a little extra motion coming from you shoe and dont want a carbon plate this is the shoe for you
What drove me into physical therapy was 2 ACL reconstructions when I was 13 and 15. My passion to better understand not only why these injuries occur, how we can prevent them but when they happen how can we rehab them better. Looking back based off of what I know now, I cringe at many aspect of my rehab. I focused on alot of things that werent important and ignored many of the most important parts.
Advertisements
One of the biggest things I was told during my initial rehab my right leg which had received the surgery had countless precautions, I was told to avoid training my left leg as well. The explanation was that it would create an even larger imbalance between the legs than there already would be.
Makes sense…. However, like most things in the human body…. the easy to understand explanation is probably not correct
More and more research has come out to support the idea of crossover phenomenon. Crossover training or education is the idea training the healthy limb while the immobilized or injured limb is unable to train. Crossover training has been shown to improve strength on the injured limb by only training the healthy limb. This phenomenon has been explained by cross activation theory. This explains that working the healthy limb stimulates both sides of the cortical motor areas of the brain. Although, the stimulation is less on the untrained side, it is still receiving stimulation and create connections. Continuing training will also have systemic hormonal benefits
Here is what some of the research has said:
This meta-analysis suggests that unilateral strength training produces adaptations in the opposite limb….there seems to be a direct relationship between the training load applied and the effect achieved
Cirer-Sastre R, Beltrán-Garrido JV, Corbi F. Contralateral Effects After Unilateral Strength Training: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Training Loads. J Sports Sci Med. 2017;16(2):180-186. Published 2017 Jun 1.
Advertisements
Previous meta-analyses and systematic reviews have determined that the average contralateral strength gain from cross education is approximately 8–12%
Lara A. Green & David A. Gabriel (2018) The effect of unilateral training on contralateral limb strength in young, older, and patient populations: a meta-analysis of cross education, Physical Therapy Reviews, 23:4-5, 238-249, DOI: 10.1080/10833196.2018.1499272
What if I told you that the “7 minute killer core workout”, that includes hundreds of sit ups and crunches; is all sizzle and no steak? These exercises do not replicate the job of our core. The core’s main task is to provide stability to our torso and pelvis. Science has defined core stability as: the ability of passive and active stabilizers in the lumbopelvic region to maintain appropriate trunk and hip posture, balance and control during both static and dynamic movement (Reed 2012). The ability to stabilize the core, allows for increased function of our legs and arms. To understand why this is the case, I just have to ask one simple question, “would you be able to squat more weight on a stable gym floor or on an exercise ball. The answer is easy, the more stable something is, the greater amount of power we are able to generate. (To answer my own question with research, Behm et al. reported a 72% reduction in isometric leg extensor force production when going from stable to unstable conditions)
How do we develop core stability?
To develop core stability we must be able to absorb and resist forces from both within our body and from external stimuli that we are exposed to. It is critical for us to be able to resist forces that cause us to go into flexion(bending forward), extension(bending backworks), rotation, and side bending. To optimally develop this ability of absorbing and resisting forces, we need most of our exercises to work with a more isometric and eccentric bias.
In this article, I will be diving into one of the “gold standard” exercises for developing core stability…THE PLANK.
Planks are a great exercise for promoting core strength and endurance that requires activation of the glutes, abs, obliques, erector spinae, shoulder musculature etc.
As I discussed above in order to develop optimal core stability, resistant to forces in all directions must be executed. Planks are one of the best exercises for resisting forces that push us into extension.
Full Body Exercise
Our core is much more than just our abdominals. Instead it includes our obliques, spinal stabilizers, shoulder musculature, back musculature, and hip musculature. The good news is that almost all of these muscles will benefit from planks!
Develop Proper Motor Control
To piggyback off the idea of Planks being a full body exercise; planks require our body to create a “co-contraction”. This co-contraction teaches our muscles how to fire simultaneously and create stability.
The Plank Can Be Beneficial For Everyone
One of the biggest benefits of the plank is that there are so many ways to progress or regress planks. This will make planks a valuable and effective exercise for everyone. Ranging from elite athlete to the sweet 80 year old grandma that I work with in the clinic.
Can Be Done Anywhere!
The plank is a body weight exercise, meaning it requires absolutely no equipment . So hit a set of 30 second planks between your work meetings before you make yourself lunch or once you wake up in the morning. (The 10 minutes after hitting the snooze alarm may be the shortest 10 minutes and the 1 minute plank is the longest minute in the world)
Maintaining proper form is important for keeping yourself safe and ensuring you are targeting the correct muscles. Some cues that you want to focus on are:
Keep the elbows directly under your shoulders
Having a “straight” back
Head in neutral alignment
Focus on engaging your “core”
Research has shown, when focusing on engaging your core the upper and lower rectus abdominis muscle activity increases (Calatayud 2019)
Squeeze Your Butt
Research has shown squeezing your butt and putting yourself in a slight posterior pelvic tilt will increase muscle activation of the core(Schoenfeld 2014)
Breathe
*Form may change depending on the variation of the plank you are performing*
Common Mistakes During Planks:
Arching the low back or lifting hips too high
To correct this squeeze your glutes
*imagine tucking them under your abs*
Holding your breath
Plank Modifications:
Being able to regress an exercise when it is too difficult or causing pain is absolutely critical for training around an injury. If you are suffering from an injury please go see a rehab specialist; my bias is obviously to see a physical therapist.
Listed below is a progression from low level planks to some variations that would test even the best of athletes.
*All of these can be made harder by being placed on an unstable surface*
When I first started thinking about Physical Therapy as a career, one of the selling points everyone told me was “You will never have to worry about not having a job”. For the history of Physical therapy this has been true. However, in a recent APTA Physical Therapy Workforce Analysis they put out that this may not be the case in the coming years.
How should leadership in the profession combat this issue?
Should we limit or halt the creation of new physical therapy programs?
Should we not allow for existing programs to increase number of accepted applicants?
Should we advocate and insert ourselves in greater roles in Emergency rooms(taking the lead for MSK issues, freeing up ER physicians for stuff they are much better at than us), Wellness, Performance training etc.
Will this make Physical therapy better?
Iron Sharpens Iron
Although I never want to see anyone be unemployed. I think this may create a more competitive job market forcing Physical Therapist to step up their game. Forcing more and more Students coming out and existing Physical Therapist to go do residencies, fellowships, take more continue ed courses and get board certification. Hopefully this increased competition will also increase quality of care for our patients.
What do you think our profession and leadership should do to handle this impending issue?
10.5 oz (M)
Compass Performance 