Marvelously Mad Fitness - Aligned and Well

For as long as I can remember I've had problems with my back - probably genetic! Through-out my younger years I sought treatment from chiropractors, which seemed to work well for me then. 

During my pregnancy with my second child I developed intense hip pain, to the point where at the end I could barely walk. I certainly could not walk straight - more like the old wicked witch from Snow White! My chiropractor recommended a walking frame, as he was worried I could fall. It was not fun! I was hoping that it was the result of this precious child just pressing on the wrong spot and that it would all disappear once she was born.

Well, for about 2 months after the birth the pain did decline. But, unfortunately, it was not to be permanent. Some days are good, some days are not :( Living with constant pain does take its toll, on your health, on your emotions - it is exhausting!

The chiropractor helped as much as he could, but it did not relieve any of my pain, so I decided to seek alternative treatment. Yoga was first, and it has been awesome. But I also did extra research and found this awesome site - Aligned and Well.

Aligned and Well concentrates on proper alignment and how to achieve it. Analyzing human movement (biomechanics) was typically reserved for athletes and special populations, until biomechanical scientist Katy Bowman decided to apply these same engineering principles to the every-day use of the HUMAN MACHINE for the purpose of reducing common disease.

They have a series of exercise videos for purchase that target specific problem areas. After much thought and observation of what may be causing my pain I decided to purchase both the Fix Your Feet video and the Knees and Hips video.

Both provide simple, yet very effective exercises that will help strengthened and protect these body parts. Some of the exercises (like the toe raises) were surprisingly difficult to do at the start. But with consistent practice I have noticed a huge difference in my ability to do the exercises, and my decrease in pain! AWESOME!

Aligned and Well is also on Facebook and Katy has a great blog - Katy Says Alignment Matters with a lot of information on there too. Very worth checking out, even if you do not have any pain. Good alignment is important to your health :)

Here are a couple of links:

Perfecting Your Posture to Relieve Chronic Pain

Relieve Your Sore Feet in 15 Minutes