Jeff Baker, Author at Whole Life Challenge

Do You Have Duck Feet? Why You Need to Address the Problem

Jeff Baker — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 01:30:51 +0000

Reading Time: 6 minutes

If you look at how most people around you move, you will notice many of them walk and stand with their feet turned outward. Sometimes it’s both feet or it can just be one (more often the right foot). This way of standing and walking is known as being “duck footed” or having “duck feet.”

Or maybe you have duck feet — have you checked?…

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Your Quadratus Lumborum and Back Pain: What You Need to Know

Jeff Baker — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 06:30:13 +0000

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The quadratus lumborum, or QL, is a key piece of your core. While technically an abdominal muscle, the QL is located deep enough that it has tremendous influence over the lumbar region in your low back.

If you are suffering from lower back pain, understanding and caring for your QL can be a major factor in finding and alleviating the source of that pain.…

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Why You Need to Test Your Balance (Plus 3 Exercises to Improve It)

Jeff Baker — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 05:30:42 +0000

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Balance is something crucial to our safety in life, yet it is one of those things we take for granted in our youth. And even as we reach the age of 40 and beyond, it still often doesn’t get a lot of attention.

Like most things related to our bodies, it is easier to maintain a skill than it is to build it back up after having lost it.…

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What You Need to Know About Your Pec Minor, Posture, and Pain

Jeff Baker — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 06:30:30 +0000

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In two previous posts, I talked about mobility techniques for your forearms and upper back to help relieve chronic pain connected to the way you sit. Today, we’re going to take it one step further — we’re going to discuss the muscles in your chest and how they’re overcompensating for your poor posture.

The pec minor is a muscle in your chest — the little brother to pec major.…

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What Pigeon Toeing Really Is (and 3 Ways to Improve It)

Jeff Baker — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 15:00:57 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

As a follow-up to my article on how to correct a duck footed stance (one where your feet turn outward while walking or standing), I was asked to address the issue of being pigeon toed. Pigeon toeing is the exact opposite of duck feet. Instead of your feet being turned outward, they are turned inward.

In this piece I’m going to lay out what pigeon toeing is and how it happens.…

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The 4 Core Exercises You Need to Be Doing After Age 40

Jeff Baker — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 15:00:08 +0000

Reading Time: 6 minutes

A strong core is crucial at any age, but it’s something we lose focus on as we get older. This is something I see is many adults over the age of 40. Often, we train less as we get older, and as a result we do fewer core exercises and lack core strength. We may also have a bit of extra weight around the mid-section, and if we already don’t have adequate strength to support our core, then adding extra weight is only going to lead to complications such as hip and back pain.…

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How to Heal Calf Pain, Injury, and Tightness (Free Mobility Plan)

Jeff Baker — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 07:01:40 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The calves are a muscle that get a lot of repetitive use — and are often a source of injury or restriction for many of us. Keeping them in good working order takes commitment, but doing so will also keep you pain free and in great condition for your training or everyday movement.

Since the lower legs are a part of the body we use often, we want to make sure we’re balancing that high use with consistent self-care that will offset the cumulative repetitions we’re putting our legs through.…

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Mobility for Lifters: How to Warm Up, Cool Down, and Lift Bigger

Jeff Baker — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 07:01:25 +0000

Reading Time: 3 minutes

When done properly, weight training puts a healthy stress on your muscles, connective tissues, nervous system, and skeleton. Proper training requires that you get the body sufficiently warmed up before any lifting session and you cool down afterward.

When it comes to mobility for lifters, it’s important to focus on the appropriate muscles and joints for the lifts you’ll be doing in any particular session.…

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How to Injury Proof Your Rotator Cuff

Jeff Baker — Thu, 30 May 2019 07:01:20 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Shoulder injuries are a common ailment among many of us who train frequently — and these days that seems to include younger and younger athletes, as well. We shouldn’t be living in a world where high school athletes are being sidelined due to surgery on their rotator cuff and surrounding shoulder anatomy. We should be doing more for the health of our shoulders before there’s a problem.…

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How to Prevent Shoulder Injury (by Mobilizing Your Teres Minor)

Jeff Baker — Thu, 23 May 2019 07:01:46 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

For athletes whose training includes frequent overhead pressing or pulling, the risk of shoulder issues is high. This is an area that must be constantly maintained so we can avoid down time from our training or, worse, surgery on our shoulders.

In my years as a coach, I’ve worked with a number of clients who had to put training on hold to recover from a shoulder issue.…

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How to Have Healthier Hips and a Pain Free IT Band

Jeff Baker — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 09:00:45 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Unfortunately, whether you train regularly or if you don’t train at all, your hips are likely to become tight and restricted. The hips are designed to move in a wide array of angles, but many of us can’t access a significant amount of that range due, in large part, to our lifestyle and the limited demands we put on our hip joints.…

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How to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis (and Build Strong Feet)

Jeff Baker — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 10:00:04 +0000

In my years as a coach, the most common goal I see clients pick for the new year involves running. And, sadly, that means a lot of people will be dealing with plantar fasciitis before they are too far into the year.

Maybe they’re being confronted with it right around now.

And maybe this describes you (or someone you know).

Lots of people love running, and everyone has their own reasons for choosing running as their focus.…

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What You Need to Know About Knee Pain and Your Patellar Tendon

Jeff Baker — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 10:00:20 +0000

Reading Time: 6 minutes

For those of us who train regularly, knee pain can be a source of aggravation. It results in needing to modify your training, taking time off, and maybe even surgery. And it requires extra time with your physical therapist, chiropractor, and/or massage therapist.

Today, we’re going to talk about one specific type of knee pain — pain in the patellar tendon of your knee.…

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What You Need to Know About Ankle Mobility and Your Heart

Jeff Baker — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 09:00:20 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

I bet you never thought your heart and your ankle mobility could be connected.

It’s a little-known fact, but poor ankle mobility can be a cause of poor circulation. Today, we’re going to talk about why that is — and I’ll show you some practices that will loosen up your ankles and improve your circulation.

The Muscles of Your Lower Leg

First, let’s begin with the muscles in your lower legs.…

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How to Free Yourself From Foot Pain (and Extend Your Life) with Simple Mobility

Jeff Baker — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 09:00:55 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

I think we can all agree that our feet and ankles take a beating throughout our lives. Not only do they have to support our entire body weight as we move about, but they also have to suffer the aftermath of sprains, strains, sports injuries, high heels, tight shoes, and other mishaps. Who among us hasn’t dealt with some sort of foot pain?…

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How to Prevent Low Back Pain with 3 Simple Mobility Practices

Jeff Baker — Tue, 15 May 2018 09:00:32 +0000

About 80% of adults in the U.S. experience some sort of low back pain in their lives and many of them suffer from chronic pain.

The result of this widespread problem is that many people live unfulfilling lives due to pain and limited range of motion. They can’t participate in sports and activities like playing with their children or grandchildren. They are often limited in being able to perform simple chores such as grocery shopping and cleaning the house.…

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Why It’s Critical That You Care for Your Thoracic Spine (and How to Do It)

Jeff Baker — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 09:00:15 +0000

Reading Time: 3 minutes

For most of us, our thoracic spine takes a beating in our day-to-day lives. When you add up all the time we spend sitting in the car, at a desk, and on the couch, the thoracic spine doesn’t get a lot of movement. In fact, it primarily stays in a rounded position that limits its own ability to rotate and allow full range of motion of the shoulders.…

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Relieve Your Wrist and Forearm Pain with Mobility Exercises

Jeff Baker — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 10:00:08 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

In this modern age, tight wrists and forearms are standard issue to all of us who use our hands for work. This tightness can lead to all sorts of aches, pains, numbness, and tingling. But while these maladies are quite common, they are also easily preventable. It only takes a little time every day and you’ll see a noticeable difference in how comfortable you feel while working.…

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This Day Will Never Come Again

Jeff Baker — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 10:00:23 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The title of this article is actually a quotation from the Trappist monk Thomas Merton, a well-known theologian. I first came across his words while reading a book by Caroline Myss (a fantastic writer whose books I highly recommend) and it struck a profound cord with me.

Merton wrote this passage while contemplating the scene of a hot summer day in the country.…

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