March 2021 Newsletter
Changes burst forth for some. And quietly peek through for others. But either way, change is always at our heels, reminding us we can only move forward. Whether you are welcoming spring in the northern hemisphere or autumn in the southern hemisphere, give yourself a moment to sit contently in the transition. These are opportunities to feel both the resolution of the past and hope for the future.
The Foundation Training team introduced live classes on our streaming app, moving forward with improving and updating our services for you. As our program evolves to meet the needs of our instructors and the community at large, we are excited to roll out more live and pre-recorded classes.
We are continuing to work hard in the background editing (and filming more bits) for the updated instructor certification process. We are hoping to nail down dates for the in-person portions very soon. Check out last month’s newsletter for more details on both the certification process.
As always, please drop up us an email at [email protected] if you have comments, questions, or topic requests. We read all of them and try our best to integrate and implement all that are possible (even if sometimes take a while to see the fruition in the public).
Instructor Highlights
We have instructors all over the world integrating Foundation Training into their practice and finding innovative ways to reach their audiences. Each month we bring you a little snapshot of what they’ve done recently.
Alli Cost is a Level 2 instructor & Core Educator, and occupational therapist based out of New York City. She joined the Foundation Training team full time last year working on planning and project management. Being able to integrate learning, treating, teaching, and writing about Foundation Training has been the best challenge of her career. As an occupational therapist, she utilizes Foundation Training principles with toddlers and their parents, incorporating developmental patterns and the boundless capacity for adaptation at any age.
Pat Helma is a Level 2 instructor & Core Educator, and chiropractor at RallySport Boulder. He has used FT in treating thousands of patients since 2013. A couple years ago he moved to Colorado from Florida to work with Erin Carson and her athletes implementing FT to improve resiliency and increase performance, especially in triathletes. He is now afforded the chance to teach classes with folks from all over the country to all over the world (South Africa, Poland, Germany, Norway and more). Pat will soon be offering classes on the streaming platform with his wealth of knowledge and experience.
Live Classes
Now on streaming
Every week a new workout and a new pearl of wisdom from the creator of Foundation Training. You can now join Dr. Eric Goodman as he teaches live. Simply log onto the streaming app and click on the workout in the “Upcoming Livestreams” category.
The live class offering are going to continue to grow in the upcoming weeks and months There will be teaching classes and workouts scheduled on different days at different times with different instructors. And all will be recorded and available on streaming for you to watch afterwards.
We are excited to be able to provide more workouts and lessons per month than we’ve ever been able to do before. With the opportunity to integrate more topics, we will expand our library to include the symptoms, diagnoses, ages, and sports you have been requesting (yes, we have been listening and keeping track!). Stay tuned and on the lookout for what’s to come.
6 Week Challenge
Winner
Our 6 week Decompression Breathing Challenge concluded last month with Chris Conlon, @ft.movebetter, winning the grand prize of 1:1 sessions from both Dr. Goodman and Jessie Salas. He showed a sustained commitment to daily practice and often shared the experience with his family. The timing worked out so that this challenge was directly ahead of a total hip replacement he just had. Chris said the “prehab like Foundation Training is key to success and has made this recovery so manageable and allowed me to truly soak up the experience.”
We want to thank all of you who participated. We’re fairly sure Jessie is enjoying not having to wake up for 5:30am IGTV live every day. But it was really great to meet the community who was with him each morning. These challenges are a wonderful way for us to connect to our Foundation Training family, both new and seasoned. We can’t wait to see you for the next one.
Speciality Application
Transitions
When we think about form, we are most often driven to a concept of appropriate body placement and movement when we exercise. But how do you move between poses? How do you get up from the ground? These moments further ingrain patterns into automatic movement. Transitions matter.
These in-between moments form a solid part of our activities of daily living. Daily living is basically everything you do from getting dressed to working on your computer to picking your dog’s toy off the ground. These activities take strength, balance, coordination, and endurance. We don’t usually consider them effortful unless we get hurt and can’t do them. But they impact our health.
Just because you successfully brushed your teeth does not mean you effectively used your body. Foundation Training builds patterns to create strength during and between tasks. Apply the FT principles with a workout focused on efficiently getting up from and back down to the ground with appropriate tension. Do a couple rounds and notice where you feel most connected and strong.
- Prone Decompression
- Quadruped
- Kneeling Founder
- Kneeling Spiral
- Standing Decompression
- Founder
- Kneeling Spiral (other leg)
- Kneeling Spiral
- Quadruped
- Prone Decompression
Resilient Firefighting
By Evan Halquist
(Evan Halquist is a firefighter with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and L2 certified Foundation Training Instructor & Core Educator. Below is an excerpt from his article, Health & Fitness: Resilient Firefighting in Firehouse Magazine)
The dictionary defines resilience as “able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.”
When it comes to firefighters, I believe that the single most important thing that we can focus on in regard to our health is to become more resilient. The reality is, because of the demands of the job and life, it isn’t a matter of if you will be injured or become sick, but when. Thus, how will you withstand or recover?
Seven years ago, I was told by an orthopedic surgeon that I needed back surgery. Luckily, I learned of the Foundation Training (FT) program. I didn’t get the surgery but instead used FT to help to recover from my injury.
I have been fortunate to work with hundreds of people at Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) as an IAFF peer fitness trainer. From new recruits to 30-plus-year firefighters, I have seen a countless number of people who were in pain. More importantly, I have seen a countless number of people get out of pain and increase performance using FT….
Feed the Wolf
A monthly mental snack to feed personal development.
“Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow.” -Mary Anne Radmacher
Persistence is not an unwavering full speed forward. It’s learning, resting, adjusting. There is an exhaustion that comes from bombarding our mindset with enthusiasm. Sometimes things suck. There is no need to sugar coat or give it a positive spin. It just sucks. Breathe, Take care of yourself. Rest is not a privilege once you have met your goals. It is an essential ingredient to getting there.