Sports Specific Training

If you've been thinking of running a 5K, you should: Running just might be the most convenient workout going. You don't need to be a skilled athlete, and there's no fancy equipment involved; just lace up your sneaks and go. It's also one of the most efficient ways to blast fat and burn calories——about 600 an hour.

Sure, walking has its benefits, but research shows that running kicks its butt when it comes to shedding pounds. One study of 47,000 runners and walkers, from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., found that the runners burned more calories and had a far greater decrease in BMI over a six-year period. The joggers who started out heaviest (those with a BMI over 28) lost up to 90 percent more weight than the walkers did.

Dropping pounds and toning up are hardly the only benefits of this killer cardio workout: You'll also reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, boost your mood, temper stress, and build muscle, especially in the lower body and core. You don't even need to dedicate a lot of time to reap these rewards; do 20 to 30 minutes, three to four days a week, and you'll see significant improvement.

Last nights Super Bowl victory by the New England Patriots was one for the record books! Tom Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in sports history lifting New England from a 25-point hole to the Patriots’ fifth NFL championship in the first Super Bowl overtime.

Nothing that Tom Brady has said about chiropractic care will come as a surprise to Dr. Michael Miller, a graduate of the prestigious Palmer College of Chiropractic, who has been the chiropractic team physician for the Patriots for the past 30 years. He works with anywhere from 30 to 40 Patriots players before each game and is available for specific injuries during the game. He has been to seven Super Bowl games with the team and is the proud possessor of three Super Bowl rings and four championship rings. Miller was the first chiropractor to work for an NFL team 30 years ago, but now every team in the NFL has at least one chiropractor on its full-time staff.

Last evening, Dr. Miller won his fifth Super Bowl ring, along with Tom Brady and the whole Patriots team, making him the only chiropractor in the world with such an extensive collection. It’s another symbol his role on the team: an important member that contributed to the success of these elite athletes.

Dr. Michael Miller is the Team Chiropractor for the New England Patriots Super Bowl-winning football team. He has served as the Patriots’ team chiropractic physician since 1982.



Miller originally went to medical school with plans to become a medical researcher. But during his training, the neurophysicists he worked with suggested that chiropractic might be a better choice because it focuses on the cause, rather than the symptoms, of disease.

As a chiropractor, Dr. Miller specialized in sports and rehabilitation and developed a private practice that cares for patients of all kinds, including many professional athletes. “You can be your own boss, have your own practice, and have your own independence,” comments Miller.  “I enjoy that.”

He explains that there is a difference between working with professional athletes and his “regular” patients, but the reward is there either way. “It’s a special feeling when you get recognized by your patients,” says Dr. Miller.

Chiropractic is a natural form of therapy that’s a great fit for elite athletes, who are in a sense like high-performance racing cars. They’re fast, but their bodies are also subjected to tremendous forces when they perform, both during training and competition.These athletes simply can’t rely on drugs to keep playing and most wouldn’t even if they could.

Much of Dr. Miller’s work is done pre-game, making adjustments to players’ knees, shoulders, ankles, and backs to help them avoid injury. As he says, “Their job is to get banged and be tackled. They are basically getting beaten up each game. They understand the importance of a chiropractor and see how it allows them to play longer.”

Many athletes in many sports have joined Tom Brady in telling their own stories and offering their endorsements. They recognize that chiropractic care has helped them be more injury-free and kept their bodies performing more optimally, which has made them better at their sport over the course of their careers.

Back pain can be relieved by controlled weight loss and a healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and exercise.

Chiropractic ranks among the most popular and effective treatment options available today for back pain. Through the chiropractic adjustment, chiropractors not only help ease the pain but also work toward correcting the problem. According to chiropractors, spinal adjustments can deliver even better results when combined with weight loss.

Obesity prevents individuals from engaging in everyday physical activities, as well as healthy exercises. These are essential for strengthening the core muscles. A stronger core can take some of the burden away from the back, thus making back pain less likely.

The health benefits of weight lifting go beyond big muscles.

Strength training for building and maintaining strong muscles has many advantages for the health of a variety of people, particularly men and women as they age. The pursuit for greater fitness and wellness should be a priority for those people looking to achieve their optimal muscle strength.

From weight loss, heart health, and joint protection, building stronger muscles through strength training can help a person burn more calories per exercise as well as improve their metabolism. Some workouts can burn calories long after the physical activity has finished if an individual has strong muscles. Building strong muscles can also help keep a good blood pressure for optimal heart health. 

Overall, strength training for muscle building gives people a mental boost. Getting a good workout routine can make you feel more energized as well as improve your self-confidence. 

Thinking of training for a 10K race? This plan is perfect for you if you've already mastered a 5K race and you're a "sometimes" runner who is able to do at least three miles without stopping a couple of days a week, most weeks. The goal for this 10K training plan, which was developed by developed by running coach Paula Harkin, co-owner of Portland Running Company in Oregon, will be to increase your endurance, run for an hour straight, and tackle a 10K by the end of 6 weeks.

The 10K training plan: This program incorporates a combo of tempo (effort of 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10), and longer runs (effort of 5 or 6 ) to build endurance. "Combining these workouts will help you get faster while also making sure you can cover the distance," says Harkin. Do a combination of running and cross-training on alternate days. As the weeks pass, alternate between building up the speed bursts and balancing out the recovery time. Focus on covering the distance, not your pace. Kick off with an easy 2 to 3 mile run. Over 6 weeks, try to work up to running 6 miles.

How Chiropractic Care Has Helped Me: Introducing Usain BoltBy Dr. Aaron Martin 

Usain Bolt has been declared the “fastest man in the world.” While this hasn’t always been technically true, he has won so consistently at the 100 meter distance throughout his career that the nickname “lightning bolt” seems like a pretty good fit. He has won 6 Olympic gold medals, never placing for silver or bronze. In other world championships, he has collected 8 first place wins and 2 second place finishes. During his time competing In youth championships, he regularly took first place, rarely second, and never third.

For the tiny island nation of Jamaica, Usain Bolt is a hero. He’s confident. “I told you all I was going to be No. 1, and I did just that.” While he’s a supremely confident competitor, he’s also humble and cordial.

“Manners is the key thing,” said Bolt. “Say, for instance, when you’re growing up, you’re walking down the street, you’ve got to tell everybody good morning. Everybody. You can’t pass one person.”

But his success on the track and his international stardom has not come without challenges. As a young man, Bolt suffered from scoliosis.

“When I was younger, the scoliosis wasn’t really a problem. But you grow and it gets worse. My spine was really curved bad. The early part of my career, when we didn’t really know much about it, it really hampered me because I got injured every year.”

Instead of using a brace or enduring dangerous surgery to correct the abnormal curvature of his spine, Usain Bolt used chiropractic treatments. “I’ve worked hard over the years. I’ve been injured and I’ve worked hard through it, and I’ve made it.” Bolt uses chiropractic not only to bounce back more quickly from injuries, but also to enhance his performance while healthy. “As long as I’m in great shape, nobody beats me, for sure.”

Dr. Michael Douglas has worked with Bolt for many years. As founder of three South Florida Douglas Rapid Rehab Centers, he is also the Jamaican Olympic Team’s official chiropractor. He has held that position since 1996 and retains a certificate in Chiropractic Neurology. He combines traditional chiropractic techniques with sports injury rehabilitation to keep the Jamaican team in top condition.

Like all world champions, Usain Bolt realizes that his work is never done. “For me, I’m focused on what I want to do. I know what I need to do to be a champion, so I’m working on it.”

For Usain Bolt, chiropractic care has been—and continues to be—an essential part of his overall strategy for remaining healthy and competing successfully.

Story Told.  Athletes at the highest levels have understood for centuries how unencumbered motion is a paramount secret to their success.  Today, the highest performing athletes are seeking out experts in biomechanical sciences to help keep their bodies performing at high levels thought the on and off season. Usain Bolt is another example of the type of athlete willing to seek out the best quality care in joint health.  To reach the highest competitive levels it takes the teamwork of multiple sciences working in tandem to assist in these dreams. Orthopedist, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist and other related biomechanical sciences are collaborating for the betterment of  simple dreams all the way to Olympic Dreams.

Chiropractic treatment is used to treat soft-tissue injuries or conditions by rehabilitating the body naturally to its original state and function as well as relieving pain and other symptoms. For chiropractors, teaching individuals how to prevent injuries and maintain their health is an important element towards achieving overall wellness. 

Before starting any form of physical activity, its essential to warm up and stretch the body. A simple routine consisting of low or no impact exercises and stretches will help heat up the muscles and increase your heart rate in preparation for the next workout. Also, choosing a proper pair of footwear is important before starting any form of physical activity. A suitable pair of shoes should provide good stability, flexibility, and comfort for the individual. Being able to correctly perform a series of exercises by improving or maintaining a proper posture is especially important for individuals to prevent the development of injuries or conditions and building strong muscles can help. 

When participating in any sport, core strength is crucial towards an athlete’s overall performance. The body’s core consists of the back and the abdominal muscles and for many athletes, this area can be a weakness. In runners for example, a strong core can prevent injuries to other joints including the hips and knees. Essentially, having a strong core helps stabilize the body to allow the individual to perform to their fullest capacity. 

Increasing core strength to improve performance for any sport is not difficult, in fact, a regular routine of crunches together with several other basic exercises can help. Planks are another common core strength exercise. A side plank, also used to increase core strength, is similar to a plank except its performed by turning the body onto its side. When participating in core exercises, always be sure to not over-exert your body as many athletes commonly experience injuries from forcing greater repetitions especially when their core is not properly contracting. 

Occasionally, an individual’s core muscles might not contract properly due to a possible complication of the spine that could be causing nerve compression or damage. Individuals who’ve previously suffered from chronic back problems or had a recent back injury can experience difficulty exercising their muscles to their fullest potential. A chiropractic doctor can help determine where the spine is impacting your muscle strength.