As an athlete our number one priority should always be the capability to move functionally. This is the backbone of strength & conditioning! Moving functional means that the joints are capable of moving with strength and control through all the necessary ranges that our specific sport demands. It also means that the base movement patterns, such as running, lifting, rotating/pivoting, throwing, jumping, and more are done so using efficient biomechanics that effectively integrate the entire body into each movement. Each of our muscles must play their part in a balanced way! And to top it all of this, we need this to be habitual or second nature. When movement becomes dysfunctional, or simply if range of motion displays differences between sides, then any time spent developing strength & conditioning as well as simply playing/training your sport has a risk of locking in dysfunction further, leading to aches, pains, and injuries that could have been preventable. Sound movement is...

Qi is an abstract term. It only achieves a concrete or objective definition once it has been affixed to a second term providing context. For this reason, qi often plays the same role as ‘god’ does in spirituality. It can be used to unproductively describe spiritual phenomenon. On the other hand, its abstract nature has the ability to pragmatically group phenomenon that relate in ways outside of our current material-scope. On its own, the word qi signifies a rough aggregate similar to our english words “energy”, “vibe”, “spirit”, “feeling”, and “immaterial”. A word used to describe an immaterial feeling or sensation. To define it with latin & greek terms, maybe something along the lines of the affixes “ -ous”, “-ness”, “-y” or “-ity” would be our best translation. For this reason I tend to steer clear of the term as much as possible. If I am able to specify the qi factually, precisely, or in a way that is more familiar to northwestern hemisphere conventions, then I never hesitate t...

We often hear the term homeostasis tossed around when discussing matters of health and medicine. This term refers to the balancing act of health. Too much of either extreme will contribute to disease and dysfunction, and homeostasis is our body's ability to regulate itself and find balance with the extremes that life throws our way. It could be compared to the thermostat in our home in that it carefully senses changes to the environment and then uses what's called a ‘negative feedback loop’ to correct the changes returning us back to our desired state of balance. Homeostasis is a Latin term that literally means 'staying the same' and that 'same' we're speaking of is our state of health. Homeostasis sounds to be quite the static term but in actuality it's quite the opposite. It is a dynamic flux continually seeking health in relation to its environment and is constantly making adjustments every second of our day. When the body is healthy the sensitivi...

Everybody has a hero… That hero might be a family member or friend, or it might be a celebrity. It may be a sports star or public figure, or it may be a figure of fantasy such as a character in a movie, cartoon or comic book. Whoever, or even whatever, your hero may be does not matter so long as they are your hero. Now what makes a hero? A hero is a role model; someone who embodies and exhibits desirable character traits which inspire growth, discipline and the committed dedication towards a particular set of goals. The simplest way to describe a hero is someone that is looked up to and highly desired to be emulated. At Hero Performance Health defining your hero is the most important aspect to improving health and quality of life. We believe that without a clearly established image of who we wish to become, our tendency to achieve our goals is already imprecise and distant. We see it time and time again, those who are unhappy with their health experiencing symptoms and disease,...