Knowledge Vault

Low calorie meals for weight loss as a dietary concept has been around since the 20th century. Food manufacturers began producing and marketing low calorie meals to meet this demand. Consuming low calorie meals for weight loss is a principle that directs much of public health policy and although, intuitively it makes sense, the reality is much more complex.

In this article, we challenge the status quo of injury prevention in exercise and fitness, by reframing our approach to injury prevention and embracing better first principles we endeavour to empower individuals to reclaim agency over their health and wellbeing amidst a myriad of factors in our lifestyles that are constantly opposing our physiology.

In the realm of training, a fitness boot camp or boot camp training is a popular methodology of working out that people partake in to achieve their desired health goals. This article will delve into the pitfalls of boot camp training, and if there are better alternatives when it comes to training more sustainably and still achieve all your health and fitness goals. 

Focusing solely on lengthening the hip flexor muscles neglects how they are meant to work with your whole system. This article unveils how to find optimal range of motion while strengthening your whole body at the same time.

Glute training has many faces, from glute bridges to lunges. While these approaches may work for the short term, we highlight how to train your glutes and make gains for the long term.

It's important to note that bodybuilding and powerlifting are sports. While they might make participants stronger or more muscular, they don't necessarily help people avoid or reduce pain.

Effective workout plans for beginners, which are truly beneficial, often come with a cost, reflecting their value. It's important to understand that while free workout plans might seem appealing, they could end up costing more in the long run if they lead to injuries or other issues that require treatment.

The body already has a predisposition to be spiraled in one direction, causing an asymmetry in the skeletal structure. While instituting backwards running, this asymmetry will cause the tension associated around the knee to be applied on the posterior chain without addressing why the knee joint is not efficiently absorbing impact from running forwards. 

Certainly, it’s possible microdosing may offer temporary relief from the stresses of everyday life, much like noise-cancelling headphones provide a reprieve from unwelcome noise. However, the fundamental issue remains unaddressed – our lifestyles often do not align with how our bodies are naturally designed to function.

Experts have identified various dietary culprits that could explain the increasing rates of chronic disease in developed nations. This article delves into examples of unhealthy cooking oils and offers some alternatives that support a more regenerative adaptation. 

In the modern day of health and fitness, more and more people are flocking towards personal training and with our fast paced society, the convenience of accessing a training session at your fingertips is all too tempting. These avenues seem to offer potential benefits for individuals seeking guidance in their fitness journeys, but are not immune to challenges, this article sheds light on some of the reasons for their failures.

The FP approach emphasizes that the right kind of movement can be incredibly healing. Unlike traditional gym classes that often focus on isolated exercises, FP advocates for optimizing movements that mirror our fundamental functions.

Understanding the root causes of sleep disturbances is crucial. Factors such as stress, poor posture, and environmental factors in the evening or night can disrupt sleep. FP protocols address these issues by promoting a way of living to reduce physical stressors that impede restful sleep rather than just a lifestyle that varies based on trends.

The critical drawback of stretching for neck pain is that the muscles are put in a passive lengthened position without being followed with elastic recoil. The best stretch is where the whole body is tensioned through corrective exercises to rebound with elastic recoil as seen in elite athlete sprinters at top speeds.

Using the intelligence our body has developed to make our body a more efficient human seems to be one of the best ways to quantify what objective self improvement and transformations may be.

Using abstract language makes it easier for us to delude ourselves and create fantasy worlds in our imagination. When people use abstract terms, they may believe they are communicating ideas or emotions that are challenging to define more objectively, but this can easily become a way of avoiding the work necessary to be more accurate in most instances.

Understanding the biomechanical factors behind muscle tension can shed light on why massage therapy, in isolation, might not offer a comprehensive solution to musculoskeletal problems. Some biomechanical factors include posture, muscle imbalances, and trauma, among many others.

As individuals immerse themselves in Animal Flow, their bodies adapt specifically to these unique movements. However, these adaptations may not necessarily enhance overall fitness or functionality. In fact, these adaptations may be detrimental when they lead to imbalances or weaknesses in specific muscle groups or joints, increasing the risk of injuries.

To start understanding why animal fats should be your primary source of fat intake we need to take a look at the evolution of our species. Before vegetable oils became predominant in our modern world human beings have been thriving on saturated fats derived from animal food. 

It's also worth noting that while devices like sleep apnea mouthpieces offer temporary relief, they might not address the root cause of the condition. If after making lifestyle changes, you're still facing challenges with sleep apnea, it could indicate structural issues within the body that need attention.

The truth is, stress and relaxation, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, are two sides of the same coin. Understanding how to shift your mind and body between the two is crucial for overall health, regeneration, longevity, and wellbeing.

Functional Patterns seeks to improve human movement, as well as the human lifestyle. A major component of this involves living in accordance with natural law. The modern era is the first time in history that humans have been excessively exposed to low-ionizing man-made EMF via the invention of devices with wireless connection and bluetooth transmitters.

Psychedelics are not going to solve our widespread mental health and pain issues. We know entire industries are crafted to profit off of symptoms instead of seeking solutions as to why we have, for example, such high levels of depression, anxiety, and pain in the first place.

Hip thrusts have been lauded as the quintessential exercise for glute strengthening in contemporary fitness regimes. This article explores hip thrusts from the Functional Patterns perspective, providing insights into their true impact on the body.

Exercise snacks or mini workouts throughout the day have been all the new craze. In this article we will discuss how to make ‘exercise snacks’ actually work for you and provide realistic actionable behaviors that will help you lose weight and tone up and ultimately live a healthy pain free life. 

While weightlifting in the sagittal plane is widely acknowledged, it's essential to acknowledge the current limitations on its supposed benefits. Activities such as sprinting, boxing, kickboxing, MMA, football, and basketball go beyond the sagittal plane. In this article, we cover the importance of improving movement in all three planes of motion to stay pain free while improving strength, flexibility, and athleticism.

Trail running has evolved into a captivating fitness pursuit, promising enthusiasts the allure of robust legs and sculpted abs forged through the satisfying accumulation of kilometers. The persistent pounding on the ground and enduring long distances can unveil significant challenges in the form of postural, muscular, and structural imbalances specific to trail running. Join us as we navigate through the intricacies of optimizing outdoor workouts for both physical well-being and symmetry.

The realm of low impact exercises, driven by the need to avoid pain from working out has gotten more popular over time. Learn a more thought-out approach to low impact exercises aimed at optimizing fundamental movements to keep you pain free.

Vegan and vegetarian diets, while popular for ethical and environmental reasons, present nutritional and ecological challenges. This article underscores the need for a balanced diet, including responsibly sourced animal products for optimal nutrition and environmental sustainability.

Since yoga positions are not based upon the gait cycle, the poses held in Flow Yoga stretch the body through ranges of motion that the body did not evolve to undergo. Repeatedly practicing Yoga will result in overly lengthened tissues that have a hard time supporting joints and bones, especially in a dynamic or athletic context.

We advise caution in relying regularly on Ashwagandha supplementation. Our approach emphasizes the importance of endogenous capabilities, or the body's internal mechanisms, over exogenous substances like supplements.

Shadow work exercises may sound good but with respect to resolving past traumas, will likely lead to action faking if incorporated into a routine. The practice of doing non-value, added-work, but making no tangible progress towards a goal is action faking; considered worse than procrastination.

Roger Sperry, the famous neuropsychologist and Nobel Laureate once said: "Better than 90 percent of the energy output of the brain is used in relating the physical body in its gravitational field. The more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy available for thinking, metabolism, and healing.”

Exercising outdoors, particularly in bare feet on natural surfaces like grass or sand, facilitates grounding or earthing. Grounding reduces inflammation and improves health by transferring electrons from the earth to the body.

Whenever a client asks us about something like how to sleep with lower back pain, we always start by improving their movement and thus improving their structure. Athletic, efficient movement, translates to improved posture and improved sleep posture.

We'll say it plain and simple: Caffeine is a drug. In the world of health, there are no quick fixes that don’t also have consequences on your body. The ritualistic aspect of consuming these beverages, often associated with relaxation or a break in the day, can contribute to a psychological dependency and the abuse of caffeine as a coping mechanism.

Focusing on regenerative farming and environmental sustainability holds a dual promise: not only does it contribute to the planet's healing, but it also plays a crucial role in regenerating human health.

The optimal balance between the bacteria in your digestive tract will determine an important percentage of the level of inflammation not only in your stomach area but also in the rest of your body.

RLS is considered to be a neurological disorder, which means that in order for someone to improve their condition, structural, biochemical, and electrical components need to be addressed.

Red light therapy, or photobiomodulation, has been employed to stimulate, heal, and regenerate damaged tissue when used before and after exercise. In this article, we will go over relevant concerns with respect to red light therapy at home, and how to use red light therapy in an effective but less expensive way in order to improve health and performance.

Do toe spacers work? Toe spacers aim to counteract the cramped conditions often caused by modern footwear, which can lead to foot deformities. In this article, we will look at the role of toe spacers and if there are any benefits from the Functional Patterns perspective. 

In this article, we will address the alternatives to chiropractors, addressing the root causes, how an adjustment affects long-term health, and the Functional Patterns approach to correcting these issues, and answer the question does chiropractics help heal the body long term? 

We break down the shortcomings of the Barbell Back Squat and Barbell Deadlift, widely used and recommended by trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and physical therapists. Why your training should revolve around the FP First 4, to include all planes of motion rather than staying in the sagittal plane.

The fitness industry is kind of a wild west, anything goes and anyone can start a “movement” culture, claim it to be scientific and then sell it. F45 training is not exempt from this blueprint, that really has its origins rooted in capitalism rather than in the field of scientific endeavor. When selecting what is F45? Or F45 near me on their website one of the first statements says “It’s innovation”. When buzzwords like these get thrown around, along with “functional”, “science” and “results driven” it muddies the waters for anyone looking to make a decision about which direction to go in relation to health and fitness.

Orange Theory is based on the theory of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which promises increased metabolism and calorie burn long after the workout ends. The theory of maximizing calorie burn and metabolic rate are good. However, it's the application of these principles that make this methodology flawed.

Despite its popularity, the transient benefits of cupping therapy reveal some fundamental flaws. While the use of suction cups on the skin can mitigate short-term discomfort, it falls short of promoting long-term healing, making it an incomplete healing system. The reason is because cupping massagers do not address the deeper factors that contribute to muscular pain.

The solution to these types of movement and muscular imbalances is not to simply strengthen the weak muscle (although that’s important). Instead, it’s to train the muscular weakness in the context of its movement imbalance.

A way to hone into proactive adaptive skills may include making reminders to yourself to reflect on highly emotional times of the day. The goal of this isn’t just mindfulness, rather to problem solve and follow up with finding the root cause of high stress states.

The unique benefits of immersing oneself in more expansive, natural landscapes, away from cities, offers a distinct and irreplaceable dimension to overall health. This can be paramount in enhancing physical and mental resilience.