Hello Physio Peanut!

Where has this little gem been all my life?  I recently online ordered a physio peanut from Amazon.com to participate in a mini Instagram challenge for circus athletes.  And...HELLO! I have fallen in love. The physio peanut doesn't look like much, but it certainly works wonders.  I have been using it pre-aerial work lately and have noticed a significant improvement in how I feel post training and teaching classes in the days following my workouts.  My biggest problem area was constant pain in my trapezius and neck muscles.  I've implemented specific exercises that target my lats and pec muscles and have found relief in my common problematic areas.  Below are a few go to exercises I have started to do pre and post workouts courtesy of Dr. Jen Crane of Cirque Physio. I can't believe I went all these years without a peanut.  I have started to recommend this essential tool to all my pole and aerial students. I've always used a foam roller and tennis ball however, the peanut gets into areas that both the foam roller and tennis ball never touch.  It's just not the same in my experience.  The peanut far surpasses the results I've ever been able to get with just a foam roller and tennis ball. While I still use the foam roller and tennis ball, my peanut has been essential for getting a more targeted release response.

Overhead shoulder mobility getting you down 😫?? Try this myofascial mobilization for lats and rotator cuff! 🥜 This is a great drill to do as part of your warm up- it fires up your lats and rotator cuff, and gets them neurologically ready to do WORK 💪 1. Place peanut as shown, over any combination of the x’s. 2. Lie halfway between your side and on your back, so that your weight is directly over the peanut. 3. With your shoulder elevated to 90 degrees, move your shoulder from internal to external rotation. 4. Then, trying to keep your forearm as close to parallel to the floor as possible, move your arm up overhead and back down. ✨ You should feel a “hurts so good” sensation in the muscles directly under the peanut. You should NOT feel numbless/tingling or pain- if you do, move the peanut and try a different spot. It sometimes takes a bit of finessing to find the right spot for your shoulders, so make sure to try all variations of peanut placement! 10-15 reps of each variation on each arm is a great way to decrease muscle tightness in lats and rotator cuff before your workout!

A post shared by Dr. Jen Crane PT, DPT, OCS,ATC (@cirque_physio) on Jun 16, 2017 at 9:27am PDT

Upper traps tight from handstands? Aerial? Sitting at a desk? Traveling? Walking your dog? Existing? 💆 Yeah, mine too. This peanut mobility drill feels AMAZING on cranky upper traps! You can do this in a doorway or against a pole. Here are the steps: 1️⃣put the peanut/lacrosse ball between the meaty part of your upper traps and the doorway/pole 2️⃣ Lean forward, pressing your shoulder into the peanut. 3️⃣ Keeping this pressure, side bend your head towards the opposite shoulder. Breathe in and out, then return to neutral. Try it out, and tag a friend who could use this release, too! Thanks to @sofiegodwin for being my lovely model 💁🏻

A post shared by Dr. Jen Crane PT, DPT, OCS,ATC (@cirque_physio) on Jul 23, 2017 at 8:10pm PDT

DAY 1️⃣ of the #PhysioFlexShoulderChallenge: PEC MINOR! The pec minor is a sneaky little muscle that connects the *front* of your shoulder blade to ribs 3, 4, and 5. This guy gets TIGHT and ANGRY when we sit a lot, do tons of aerial, or generally do anything with our arms directly in front of us- pec minor is part of the reason for the classically bad “rounded/forward shoulders” posture we so often have! Additionally, a tight pec minor causes SERIOUS injury risk, if not addressed before stretching. When it gets tight, and we stretch our arms overhead, we are WAY more prone to rotator cuff impingement and tears, and in general, stretching sessions are LESS productive with a tight pec minor 🙅🏻 For this challenge, you will need a peanut 🥜, lacrosse ball, tennis ball 🎾, dog toy 🐶, or round piece of fruit 🍎 to help release your pecs. 1️⃣ Put the lacrosse ball/peanut in the divot just inside your shoulder and below your collarbone (the part thats extra tender when you poke it!) 2️⃣ Find a door frame. Push the lacrosse ball into the door frame with your body. 3️⃣ Maintaining pressure on the lacrosse ball, bring your arm out to the side and overhead slowly. You can try out a variety of arm movements and see which feels the most productive! You should feel a “hurts so good” sensation with this release 💆🏻 Do this BEFORE stretching your shoulders for a more effective stretching session! Do one set of 15 reps per side. 💪 YOUR TASK: In the next 24 hours, post a video of you doing this lovely pec release! Tag hosts, and use the hashtag #PhysioFlexShoulderChallenge! Then, tell us how you FEEL: did it make a difference in 1️⃣ your posture? And/or 2️⃣ your overhead mobility? Often, you will feel IMMEDIATE improvements in both of these aspects! BONUS points for involving friends, family members, and pets in the video 👯🐶 Want to join us for the #PhysioFlexShoulderChallenge?? It's not too late ⏳ Submit your entry post, and you're IN 🎉

A post shared by Dr. Jen Crane PT, DPT, OCS,ATC (@cirque_physio) on Jul 31, 2017 at 5:09pm PDT