Hi all, my name is Alex De La Campa. I am 27 years old and I am now a retired veteran of the United States Navy. I spent 4 years in Naval special warfare and in 2012 while on active duty I was involved in an accident that resulted not only in the loss of physical but mental and cognitive capabilities. A severe injury to my inner ear and a TBI (traumatic brain injury) left me with little to do but spend a painfully slow 14 month recovery with things like: relearning how to walk in straight lines, closing my eyes without losing proprioception, bed ridden with migraines and neurological impairments. I wasn’t prepared for my time in the military to end so abruptly, I loved my job so when it was time for me to move on I had nothing really to move on to. This transition brought with it it’s own set of unique challenges and up until that point I had always defined myself on my ability to not only meet a challenge but dominate the opportunity to overcome an obstacle. These challenges were different–they are different— and I fight them every day, they continue to challenge me when I least expect it and am most unprepared. I spent a lot of time wringing bottles of Jameson dry and asking myself if I was worth the effort. I’m currently a sociology Major set to graduate in 2016, this is something I didn’t plan on doing before I joined and something I didn’t think I would be able to do after my injury. I am back in the gym and am luckily under the advisement of Dr. Theresa Larson, I have a redefined view on fitness, health and the amazingly resilient structure that is the human body.
What I have come to understand about myself and my one trait that I used to admire, but that I had seemed to loose after my injury and the one I had always defined myself by: My mental fortitude, I found that ability for perseverance and self talk, has actually been the one trait that has gotten me through. So its nice to know I still got the goods. I am still a sucker for being able to fly.
Our knees are the biggest joints in our bodies, and they are super important because they provide stability. Knee pain and injuries are usually a result of bad habits associated with foot, ankle and hip movement. In this episode, we cover knee problem symptoms such as sciatica, knee clicking, behind the knee pain, knee overextension, and more.
“You can never go wrong with building more stability or balance in the joints.” — Dr. Theresa Larson
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Don’t sit for too long — When you sit down, you’re not activating your glutes, which results in weak glutes, which leads to bad mechanics. Squeezing your glutes while sitting is possible, but it’s not comfortable or intuitive, and strong glutes are important for good movement mechanics. If your day consists of a lot of sitting time, make sure you’re stand up often and go on walks.
You need good form even when you are walking — Walking with your feet turned out (a.k.a. duck footing), causes bad hip and knee positions and movement. Even worse, running with bad form, such as heel striking, causes even harsher damage on the body.
Don’t wear cushy shoes — Shoes with thick, cushy soles are not good for your health. Ideally, wear minimal, flat shoes, so you can use your foot and leg muscles correctly.
Don’t wear heels too often — If you are a woman who wears heels often, (for example: to work), make sure you are switching to flat often. Spending a lot of time in heels, causes unwanted toe dominance and bad ankle flexion mobility, which means you won’t be able to squat well.
Slow down your training — Have you ever done a 90 second squat? Yup, 90 seconds. Slow down your training to focus on stability, that will help with your longevity.
“The gym doesn’t need to be this place where we go kick our own ass, every single day, as hard as we possibly can. We can create this balance in our life, where some days we slow down a little bit, some days we are going to lift and try to PR.” — Anders Varner
This week on the Brute Strength Podcast I interview Anders Varner and Theresa Larson,, founders of “The Low Back Fix”. On this week’s episode, we focus on a few topics including rehabilitation, injury prevention, and how to coach proper movement patterns. You’ll also get to learn more about their new CrossFit Specialty Course “Adaptive Athletes” and why you should be doing more unilateral work! Be sure to check out their website for a free E-book and more info on their seminars that will not only help you move better as an athlete, but also how to spot these patterns and deficiencies as a coach.
Theresa is back this week giving an insider’s view on women in combat and how to strengthen your brain-body connection for better mental and physical health.
In This Episode of Harder to Kill Radio, You’ll Learn:
About Dr. Larson’s journey & the illness she faced while deployed
Her thoughts on females in combat & special forces
How seemingly healthy habits can turn into obsessions
What’s the fine line between health and states of illness
How to strengthen the brain-body connection
Why her new book is a must-read for anyone, military or civilian, man or woman
The Lionheart Radio crew sits down with Dr. Theresa Larson to discuss her battle with Bulimia, how she persevered into recovery, and what she is doing now to inspire others to not live in fear. Among other topics, the crew also discusses:
Numerous eating/health disorders, including fitness addiction (yes it exists);
Using the triangle of mind, body and spirit to create a balanced and healthy life;
The power of meditation or prayer in your daily life;
How living in the present leads to a happier and more fulfilled life;
Assessing your current life position and asking yourself “why am I working?” and to remember what you are working for;
Why it is important to wake up the majority of days and be excited about the work your are doing;
The benefits of creating monthly reflections; and
Her new 8 week digital program to relieve lower back pain through strengthening.
