Matt's Movement Log

[Matt Chung]

14 hours ago, Kit_L said:

Dear @Matt Chung: you are overthinking all this. Q. answers to your questions:

Yes. So I've been told 😆  And at the same time, the questions I post here are sparked by curiosity and love both experiencing these muscles stretches and given years of unfamiliarity with my own body, I'm excited at the idea of being able to articulate what parts of my body that I'm feeling. The questions I ask here also serve little crumbles for myself as I learn more about my own body and anatomy in general and of course I welcome responses. And ultimately, I'm trying to strike a balance between the thinking and feeling.

> Keep going, and in any exercise, try to keep any parts not being used as relaxed as you can. The general rule? No unnecessary tension.

Good reminder to relax other parts not being used. I feel like this – and other cues ("is your belly relaxed", "are you breathing") — will eventually become second nature and until they do (for me), I rely and appreciate on the verbal cues in the videos.

[Matt Chung]

On 7/31/2024 at 11:34 PM, Kit_L said:

Do let us know how the consult goes.

Reporting back on the consultation from last night with Katie. May be interesting for others however I suspect most of the members on this forum will consider the below as potentially obvious (especially regarding connection between hip flexors and feet in the flat feet thread) . Anyways, while still fresh in my head, here is a recap and the main highlights

My Biggest Take Away

• I became aware of the connection between internal hip rotation and (over) pronation of feet/ankles

Main Highlights

• My lack of flexibility / mobility in internal hip rotation (consistent with what I felt when I started Stretch Therapy) as well as the hip flexors (same here) contribute to the over pronation spotted during the gait analysis (footage below)
• Though it appears that I have sufficient range of motion (ROM) for dorsiflexion, she found it surprising that I was barely dorsiflexing while walking
• Suggest the following exercises:
  • hip internal rotation (lying down)
  • iloposas stretch
  • windmill
  • ball rolling plantar fascia
  • top of foot stretch
  • soleus stretch
  • toe yoga (small toe grounding focus)
  • active hip flexor lengthening and stretching
• Suggests to continue the stretches I'm already doing via Stretch Therapy (e.g. elephant walk, standing quad stretch) plus foam roll of glutes / tfl / quads

Footage that was analyzed

References

Below was extracted from the report sent over to me following the consultation

MOBILITY

Excellent general mobility noted with functional patterns: squatting, heel raise, dorsiflexion, and great toe extension though gait reveals possible loss of hip extension and proper dorsiflexion and push through big toe.

 

STABILITY AND RE-PATTERNING 

Finding hip extension is a non-negotiable and also being able to isolate this movement without lumbar compensation. Assessment of hips reveal decreased hip internal rotation. Loss of hip IR/ Extension keeps us in a more supination/ externally rotated posture in gait.

 

Hip extension will be addressed via hip flexor stretch in half kneel position as well as quad lengthening via standing quad stretch. As noted the hip flexor (psoas) is currently shortened. To lengthen this we need to put it in an elongated position while working it.

There is a loss of big toe grounding and finding dissociation between big toe from lesser toes. This can be tied into the loss of hip IR and extension.

 

POSTURE AND GAIT ASSESSMENT

Loss of hip extension in gait with loss of ankle dorsiflexion, however there is normal dorsiflexion when tested. Decreased ankle mobility in gait may be secondary to loss of hip extension. When the hips aren’t extending they are also not rotating as much as necessary for efficient gait. 

 

Gait re-ed will begin with big toe grounding and finding more hip internal rotation. Combining these two movements together will improve the foot to hip connection as necessary with gait.

 

FUTURE GOALS

Combine hip extension exercise with gait training

Combine more hip IR and great toe flexion/ grounding

Progressing walking gait into more dynamic activity

 

[Kit_L]

Deep stretching of the hip flexors (you will need the partner versions; all on our YouTube channel) plus the feet strengthening exercise from the thread you've posted on will change this relatively easily, @Matt Chung.

Partner HF stretching needs only to be done once a week. It is transforming (everyone in the Advanced class at the ANU said this many times). It took a year for most people to get most, and for many, all of the front of the back leg on the floor. 

I have not mentioned this recently, but for flexible people the last place that they can still hold tension (physical and psychic), is psoas and iliacus because no one is loose enough in rectus femoris to really stretch these deeper muscles properly. Once you can, the sensation of transformation in the body is tangible, and whole-body tension drops dramatically in many cases. We have seen this happen on many workshops with simply a single iteration of the partner stretch on both sides.

[Matt Chung]

On 8/3/2024 at 10:56 PM, Kit_L said:

Deep stretching of the hip flexors (you will need the partner versions; all on our YouTube channel) plus the feet strengthening exercise from the thread you've posted on will change this relatively easily, @Matt Chung.

Thanks for the suggestion regarding the partner versions. I'm meeting up with a Devika in London for a 1:1 stretching session and going to try out the partner hip flexor version and will report back. I feel more confident and safe in her hands, given she's an ST instructor. I considered asking my 5 year old daughter to help but going to put that on the back burner for now 😆

 

On 8/3/2024 at 10:56 PM, Kit_L said:

Partner HF stretching needs only to be done once a week. It is transforming (everyone in the Advanced class at the ANU said this many times). It took a year for most people to get most, and for many, all of the front of the back leg on the floor.

The Partner HF sounds appealing and hope to at some point (still transitioning from Seattle to London) build a social network here where I can squeeze in partner stretches weekly.

[Matt Chung]

Day 82, August 04, 2024

Program 11 (second pass): cat sequence, elbow backbend, half-bridge, squashed frog, standing legs apart

Summary

• Surprising nerve pain running through bicep and pec when getting into the cat sequence position
• Video footage helpful since reviewing the session, recognize how limited range of motion I have during the half bridge
• "No victory too small" with elephant walk stretch and not feeling sciatic nerve pain (constant reminder to self: bend knee as much as possible AND have the tummy contact the upper thighs)

Exercise 01: cat sequence

• Uncomfortable nerve sensation running through bicep when I initially got into the position - similar to the sciatic nerve pain that I can experience if/when attempting to toe touch with legs straight. I recognize this nerve sensation in the bicep (and sometimes pec) has probably been lingering around for YEARS

Exercise 02 - Elbow backbend

• Required deliberate relaxing (i.e. "Matt, relax the lower back" voice in my head) of the lower back because initially getting into the position, felt excessive tension in back and tiny spasms

Exercise 03: Half Bridge

• Upon reviewing video footage, surprised of how limited range of motion I achieved
• Couldn't go higher into the position without compromising the glute engagement

Exercise 04: Squashed Frog

• Really enjoyed the sensations of this stretch
• During the stretch, was aware of how stiff I was and didn't want to push further into the stretch because doing so would've required me to compromise the pelvic tilt position

 

Exercise 05: Legs spread elephant walk

• Another win: avoided nerve pain by bending knees as much as possible - was watching some other ST videos and in the single leg squat progression, the quote "no victory too small" resonates with me here
• Reminder of the importance of cue to relax head and neck - note for self: when doing this exercise in the future without the follow along, write down the cues before hand

Bonus

Just sharing one image from my own personal vision board. My aunties and 66 year old dad can squat in this position (they grew up doing this) and a position I aspire to hold one day, mainly so that I use the squat as a rest position and eat along side friends and family in Vietnam.

Recap Video (mainly for Instagram friends and family)

 

 

[Kit_L]

@Matt Chung: Lovely image of the women squatting—you will definitely get there. 10' minutes in the deepest position you can is the goal.

Re. that nerve pain in the cat sequence: look up pec. and biceps wall stretch on the YT channel, and do that before the cat poses.

 

 

[Matt Chung]

Quick one: my first (somewhat related to stretching) injury after a 1:1 Yamuna private last night where we focused on opening up the chest and shoulders. About 2 hours after the session, I was sitting at dinner with my daughter and was like, "what the f*ck, my chest hurts". When we got home, I took off my shirt and when I looked in the mirror, was surprised to find these (presumably stretch mark) lines across both my best and (right) shoulder.

In any case, haven't experienced any sort of pain (especially in the chest, which is causing me to sit/stand hunched over) due to stretching related / Yamuna ball work.

Will pick back up stretching in a couple days (or however long it takes to heal my upper body)

 

[Matt Chung]

21 hours ago, Kit_L said:

Re. that nerve pain in the cat sequence: look up pec. and biceps wall stretch on the YT channel, and do that before the cat poses.

🫡 Will try that out, thanks for the suggestion @Kit_L

[Kit_L]

Yes, stretch marks. Deep rolling moves the fascia ('superficial fascia') immediately under the skin. Where it is adhered, these marks can form. Usually painless, and the marks will fade quickly. Note that all are on the anterior surface of the body: this is likely from all your years of programming, and the positions this entails (tight, stuck fascia, in the shape of your old body!).

No problem, keep going!

[Matt Chung]

Though this thread is mainly intended to track my exercises, progress etc I thought I'd share this short reel that I had created this past weekend that I made after my daughter and I jumped around at the trampoline park. For me, this is ONE of the primary motivators for stretching and mobility and strengthening work. In the video, half way through our 1 hour  jump session, I became aware of how grateful I was of the work I've been putting: "I'm really grateful for all the stretching I've been doing and mobility work because I am able to bear crawl around with Elliott (in the soft play area) without much joint pain so things are starting to pay off"

In short, continuing to reap the benefits of stretching.

 

[Matt Chung]

Day 83, August 06, 2024

Program 12 (second pass): wall calf, squat, quads, toe point, sit on heels

Summary

• I'm a big fan of C+R (contract and release) method and outside of daily limbering, will continue using them for increasing both ROM and strength
• Overall, sensing more increased range of motion across almost all muscle groups
• Cues never get old (e.g. "maintain the tail tuck")

Exercise 01 - wall calf

• Loved the increased intensity when performing the C+R (ball of the foot)
• Since doing Toe Yoga, I'm more aware that I was previously pressing the toes into the ground during the C+R, not the ball of the foot
• Feels like relatively short range of motion (ROM) when transitioning to the bend knee version, which I think ends up targeting the ankle mobility more
• Sensing increased range of motion in this stretch, particularly in my soleus muscle

Exercise 02 - (chair) squat

• I feel that I'm able to grip the chair with less force this time around
• I'm starting to (outside of the stretch therapy routines that I'm following) just squat for extended periods of time and often feel the most intensity in my psoas

Exercise 03 - quads

• C+R of straightening the leg increases the intensity remarkably and the increased intensity is pleasurable
• Compared to the left side, my right leg felt more tight and I felt a slightly sharp pain in the knee region of the right leg only
• I also warmed up my quads before hand for about 30 minutes using the Yamana ball

Exercise 04 - toe point

• Started off stretching on the hardwood floor but pain in the toe joint against friction of hardwood floor required me to use my Pilates mat
• C+R of dragging toes (like other C+R above) increased intensity and of course range of motion
• The cue of "maintain that tail tuck" was a useful reminder because it's easy to forget about maintaining that position
• Ankles were on fire and I felt burning sensation in my quads

Exercise 05 - sit on heels

[Matt Chung]

Last night went to a dance session (after taking 2 weeks off due to foot injury) and woke up this morning with pain that I'm all too familiar with, a difficult to describe sensation (sort of like muscle soreness but more of a burning senstation) located on my left side, and I think it's either the TFL or glute min (cannot quite tell to be honest).

Some additional observations

• I am aware of the left hip / TFL / min glute pain even when when standing in a static position however when I engage my left pinky toe and flex my left glute, the pain abates
• I suspect this the underlying issue has multiple causes but suspect its largely related to pelvic instability
• The left hip / TFL / min glute gets aggravated most when I sway my hip to the left but again, when flexing my left glute, the pain subsides during the movement
• The below dance move  almost always triggers the pain so I tend to avoid doing during dance classes (for now, until I ultimately sort out the recurrent pain)
• As I write this out, I wonder how much of this is also biomechanical and if I need to "reprogram" my brain and body such that when I perform certain moves, I engage the glute?

[Kit_L]

@Matt Chung: I cannot answer that question from here, sorry, and I can't see how that relatively simple move shown in the GIF above would provoke that response—not to mention 

18 hours ago, Matt Chung said:

when I engage my left pinky toe and flex my left glute, the pain abates

My only suggestion is to avoid that move for now, and see if that Yamuna ball or something similar can target the pain spot. Good luck!

[Matt Chung]

Day 85
Program 13 (Second Pass): floor biceps + leg behind, "reverse chicken", lying rotation, chest + biceps
August 09, 2024 (Friday)

Summary

Overall, I felt that the the exercises in this program, the ones targeting the bicep, were much more tolerable and accessible compared to previous exercises in the prgoram. In particular, normally when doing the "wall" version of the bicep stretch — where the arm stretches out at 45 degree angle – the pain (due to chronic shoulder rotator cuff injury) is somewhat intolerable and notice a burning senstation in the right trap (tends to flare up during the "shrug" motion that I am trying to stop rehearsing). Finally, interesting observation that when, performing the lying rotation, I noticed a significant discrepancy in what muscles were firing up. When rotating to the right, I felt tension in both my psoas and piriformis; when rotating to the left, only in psoas.

Exercises

Floor Biceps + Leg Behind

• Observation: right shoulder and bicep considerably stiffer than left side
• Currently too tight to position one leg behind the other
• Found the C+R of dragging arm through floor increased stretch dramatically
• Cues are similar to that of Yamana Body rolling philosophy, "Relax into your weight"
• Compared to the wall bicep version, the floor bicep exercise is more accessible, less pain that I feel in my right trap when lifting the right arm up at about 45 degrees

Reverse Chicken

• Very tight line
• Barely able to reach arm across chest to grab elbow
• Sensation location subtly different than the usual "rotator cuff" pain deep in the anterior part of shoulder

Lying Rotation

• First (right) leg felt much more tension in both my psoas and piriformis
• Second (left) leg increases range of motion (compared to right). Did not feel tension in piriformis, only in psoas

Chest + Biceps

• Strictly felt sensation in bicep
• No contract and relaxation

[Kit_L]

11 hours ago, Matt Chung said:

• Barely able to reach arm across chest to grab elbow

Use the wall instead of trying to hold the elbow. Turn the body towards the arm to apply force to the elbow on the wall. Do this more accessible way first, then try the 'grab elbow' version. Move slowly!

[Matt Chung]

On 8/13/2024 at 10:47 PM, Kit_L said:

Use the wall instead of trying to hold the elbow. Turn the body towards the arm to apply force to the elbow on the wall. Do this more accessible way first, then try the 'grab elbow' version. Move slowly!

Thanks @Kit_L just tried this version out and its much more accessible; I now recognize that inability to grab the elbow was hindered by both 1) limited ROM in the arm reaching around due to pec and 2) limited ROM in the shoulder positioned in reverse chicken. The wall version allows me to focus on the latter without hindrance from the former.

[Matt Chung]

Second pass at Program 14
August 12, 2024
Day 89 of stretching and flexibility journey

Summary

• Video footage / photos help me gain insight since it helps shine a light on limited range of motion (ROM). For instance, during the Piriformis cross leg. It felt as though I was leaning ALL THE WAY forward however upon watching the footage, I actually moved very little.
• There are times where I feel so stiff and yet, the footage reveals that I was able to move beyond the range I thought I was limited by. Finally, I found it interesting that performing the piriformis stretch reduced the pain in what I thought was my TFL (maybe it is, maybe it's the glute min, unsure and that's okay).
• Significant discrepancy between tension in right side (more tension) of neck vs left side

Exercise 1 - Piriformis Cross Leg

• At the end of this exercise, I felt release in what I thought was my TFL (perhaps min glute)
• I'll likely add this stretch to future programs of mine
• Enjoyed the Contract and Relax (push foot into knee, drag out)

Exercise 2 - Spinal

• felt stretch in spine, particularly during twisting portion
• surprised when reviewing footage how limited ROM I had (often I feel like I have more but video/photo reveals otherwise)

 

Exercise 3 - Chair Forward Bend

• I had anticipated feeling pain in my right shoulder rotator cuff but didn't (this was surprising)
• Overall wasn't able to really "feel" the stretch in my shoulders
• Unlikely to add to my own list of custom programs

 Exercise 4 - Neck stretch

Significant difference in tension - looking to the right and tilting head to the left produces very tight tension along right side of neck

 

[Kit_L]

One of the great virtues of following a program is that you get to discover all sorts of a symmetries in yourself that your normal daily life movement patterns literally hide (we unconsciously adapt to them). There's no hiding here! And redressing these symmetries will provide you with a phenomenal sense of grace and ease in the body.

Bear in mind that old saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day". All of these changes take much longer than we want them to, but they are all changing right now even if you can't feel it directly. Keep going.

Edited August 15, 2024 by Kit_L
Why doesn't dictation work better?

[Matt Chung]

19 hours ago, Kit_L said:

One of the great virtues of following a program is that you get to discover all sorts of a symmetries in yourself that your normal daily life movement patterns literally hide (we unconsciously adapt to them). There's no hiding here! And redressing these symmetries will provide you with a phenomenal sense of grace and ease in the body.

I'm sure others have experienced something similar but since starting stretching (almost 3 months ago — a tiny victory), I'm becoming more aware of these (previously unconscious) adaptations. For instance, over this past week — since the second pass on the program 14 (about to post a comment in this movement log) where I focused on my shoulder mobility — I've noticed that when sitting behind the computer and typing, my right shoulder and traps tends to lift up (for whatever reason), tension held. And I continue to mindfully (and as compassionately as possible, despite continuing frustration) and gently relax my shoulder back into a resting position. I'm certain there's a reason adaption however at least 12 times throughout the day — that I'm aware of — I find my body holding the shoulder in this tension filled position. Ultimately, I am appreciative (and a little frustrated at times) of this increase awareness and recognize I probably been holding on to this habit for decades (as a keyboard warrior).

[Kit_L]

Tiny victories: these are the best! I remember my friend Ryan Hurst, from GMB, who once said experts are just people who are better at the basics. It is absolutely accurate. And becoming aware of a habit that you know doubt have had since you started work, if not well before, is a truly wonderful thing. Awareness is like this: once you know something; once you feel something, you cannot unlearn it. In other words you're on a one-way road now and you're on that road because you started doing some very small things some months ago. Keep going! 

Another note that might help. Any time you feel yourself feeling frustrated, particularly at the re-occurrence of a habit that you've had per very long time, internally smile and say,  'there's that thing again!' and really actually smile. It will be an effort in the beginning, but that frustration will literally melt away. As well, let your tummy go completely soft. It's just your mind doing what it's programmed to do, which is to create suffering. If there's no suffering, there's no spur to wake up.

When you have the time you might consider watching the very long (nearly 2 hours) program on our YouTube channel recorded with Dr Yusuf Smith, called "Why your meditation is not working." Thanks so much for posting these little gems so regularly. They are gold.

[Matt Chung]

22 hours ago, Kit_L said:

Tiny victories: these are the best! I remember my friend Ryan Hurst, from GMB, who once said experts are just people who are better at the basics.

The universe is truly weird. I've been getting targeted ads on Instagram — which are quite effective I must say — for GMB Fitness. I suspect the uptick in ads has to do with me posting stories around flexibility and stretching (i.e. my progressions going through the Stretch Therapy Starter Course). And wanting to learn more about GMB Fitness, I typed in "Ryan Hurst" into this forum's search menu and after hitting enter, the top result lead me to this movement log. Fascinating. In any case, I have a tendency to bite off more than I chew and had the thought of wanting to sign up for GMB Fitness since one (of many) goals of mine is to perform certain movements that I can incorporate into my dance and some of the moves look quite similar to the movements in the GMB Fitness program. That being said, I'm going to hit pause on signing up for any more courses, since I want to double down on repairing my shoulder (more on this later but I met with Devika in London for partner stretching and she helped tremendously).

 

22 hours ago, Kit_L said:

When you have the time you might consider watching the very long (nearly 2 hours) program on our YouTube channel recorded with Dr Yusuf Smith, called "Why your meditation is not working." Thanks so much for posting these little gems so regularly. They are gold.

Thanks for re-sharing. I had started watching this about 2 months ago and never completed it so appreciate the reminder. Some good nuggets in there, from both Dr. Yusuf and yourself. Will probably extract a few snippets and make a short similar to this one:

 

[Matt Chung]

Second pass at Program 15: fingers, hands, wrists & forearms
August 15, 2024
Day 91 of stretching and flexibility journey

Summary (short and sweet)

• Similar to almost every other muscle, I didn't realize how stiff my fingers, wrists, and forearms really are
• I anticipate these exercises will come in VERY handy for several reasons, including 1) Like many others, I type at the keyboard for most of the day and 2) Some of the floor based dance moves I do require finger mobility and I've been hesitant to perform them out of fear of injuring my fingers
• Though I feel the stretch deeply in both forearms, my right (dominant) forearm feels extra tight
• In general, I follow the advice of moving slowly out of stretching (i.e. when we think the remapping occurs) and I'm move EXTRA EXTRA slow during the wrist exercises since I had broken both my wrists (about 2 years ago in a motorcycle accident)
• All of the exercises included C+R and I'll include them in my upcoming tailored made (for me) group of exercises (sneak peek: I'll be focusing on shoulders and ankles and hips for the next 6 weeks after I finish the second pass - 3 more programs to go)

 

 

[Matt Chung]

I unexpectedly spent 90 minutes last night performing myofascia release with the Yamana ball and experienced what I consider a temporary state of euphoria. I was totally surprised by how much time flew by; I was in this deeply relaxed state and that level of relaxation (for me) is typically elusive therefore despite only intending to initially stretch for 20-30 minutes, I just leaned into session and as a result spent 3 times as long.

Side note: After finishing this second pass of the program (about I'm on 17 of 21) — wrapping up in the next 1-2 weeks – I will begin focusing my attention on my shoulders, ankles, and hip flexors (more on this in the following post)

 

[Matt Chung]

Yesterday (Sunday, August 18) I met up with Devika (certified Stretch Therapy instructor) in London. This is the second time we've met in person and initially the intention of yesterday's meeting was to do some partner hip flexor stretches. However, we ended up not doing any hip flexor partner stretches (totally okay with me) and instead, discussed some of my chronic pains (i.e. shoulder rotator cuff) and some of my long term goals (see vision board below) so that we could work backwards from that.

Starting with the pain, we worked on shoulder stretches (many of which I've done thanks to the starter program) and then towards the tail end of the 1 hour session, I pulled up one of my vision boards and cherry picked two near term objectives (many of the others are aspirational and will take years): the Seiza position and forward fold.

For the Seiza position, she helped me raise awareness of some restrictions preventing me from getting into the position, most notably the lack of ankle flexibility. Coincidentally, the exercises she showed me yesterday were the exact same ones that I just did a few minutes ago as part of the Program 17 in the starter course.

Finally, for the forward fold, she helped demystify and clear up some confusion I had. I had originally thought that the forward fold predominately was a hamstring stretch but in reality, though it plays a part, the stretch is mainly of the lower back.

Anyways, having someone in person to geek out with has been both fun and insightful.

 

Ankle Stretch we did we is very intense and lovely

[Matt Chung]

A couple tiny updates unrelated to the starter program journey:

• (Finally) Started daily meditation practice - after watching that 2 hour YouTube video Kit mentioned, I'm a bit more motivated to return to the practice, something I used to do in my 20s ritually and fell off the band wagon after a few years
• Started strengthening exercises in order to work towards being able to stand up (like my 5 year old daughter below) without the use of hands - did a couple repetitions of assisted (and very very slow) get up / reverse squat and tibialis anterior were SCREAMING (probably due to lack of ankle mobility); will probably practice the squat with an assist (I stumbled upon Olivia's squat video where she suggests using an assist as to avoid tibialis anterior spasms)

Also, sharing  @Kit_L advice that he provided over email back in May, before I had discovered the forums:

"The secret to that move is to reverse it—squat, with hands assistance as required. Get up any way you can. Once you’ve done this a few times, slow it down. This then becomes a strengthening exercise. Then, when everything feels like it might be strong enough, try getting up the way she does. And you can help this by letting yourself roll onto your back, then roll into the squat position with speed—and in time that will be enough to get onto your feet.

She (at her age) has the advantage of a long trunk and short, flexible legs and flexible ankles (look at the angles) and her knees are 100% flexed, so has no trouble pulling her feet far enough under her to put her mass in front of her balance point. Most adults can’t do this; I’ll explain why if we get a chance to talk some time."