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Wednesday, February 22, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Snow delays
Oregon
wolf count,
management
plan update
SALEM (AP) — Heavy
snow in Oregon in recent
months has caused prob-
lems for wildlife officials in
charge of tracking the state’s
wolf population.
The Capital Press reported
Wednesday, February 15,
that the Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife says
winter weather in northeast
Oregon, the region in which
most of the state’s wolves
live, has delayed surveys of
wolf packs. As a result, the
annual wolf report will be
delayed a month.
The report will be
delivered to the Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wi l d l i f e C o m m i s s i o n
on April 21. It is usu-
ally released in March and
includes updates on wolf
population numbers and
information on breeding
pairs in the state. That infor-
mation helps inform the
state’s Wolf Management
and Conservation plan.
ODFW spokeswoman
Michelle Dennehy says
the heavy snow may have
delayed surveys, but it
likely did not hurt the
wolves.
Fit For
Sisters
Andrew Luscutoff
Columnist
Which four
exercises?
Recent banter between
a colleague and a fitness
enthusiast led to the ques-
tion: If you could only do
four exercises, which ones
would be chosen? Interesting
question.
Some local experts in
the field were asked this
question to get a variety
perspectives.
Jason Gully, DPT, Green
Ridge Physical Therapy:
• Squats: They use a large
amount of lower extrem-
ity muscles and functional
movement patterns.
• Single-leg exercise on
an unstable surface: Whether
you are a high-level athlete
or a sedentary individual, we
can always improve balance.
• Seated row: Too many
people tend to overuse the
anterior muscles, causing a
rounding of the thorax and
shoulders.
• Running or walking:
This is a very efficient way
to improve lower-extremity
strength and cardiovascular
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Seth Wilkie, DPT, Step &
Spine Physical Therapy:
• Single-leg squat:
Promotes balance and stabil-
ity on a single leg, excellent
for knee health.
• Prone shoulder exer-
cises: In a world where our
posture is always being
affected by sitting, these
reverse those effects. This is
a sequence of exercises from
a face-down lying position.
The arms are raised from
above the head, to the side,
and from above the head
to pulled-down position by
bending the elbows.
• Side plank: Core sta-
bility is essential to back
health, this exercise asks the
lumbar area to brace itself
in a stable position, which
strengthens the back more
effectively than common
core exercises.
• Scapular stability push-
up: Commonly, people lack
functionality of the scap-
ula, this exercise builds
strength from the mid-back
and allows mobility of the
scapula. This exercise is
performed with the shoulder
blade being pushed forward
at the end of a push-up, think
of pressing your chest into a
rounded concave position.
Daniel Ketchum, CSCS,
Sisters Athletic Club:
Squats: One of the most
effective and efficient ways
to build strength in the lower
body.
• Romanian deadlift:
Squats focus mainly on the
front of the thighs, whereas
deadlifts are working on the
reverse, this helps with low-
back health, and balances
the squatting. The Romanian
deadlift is performed as a hip
hinge, the knees stay fixed
and the exerciser grabs the
weight in front of the body
from a shin level, keeping
their back straight, they use
hips and hamstring muscles
on the back of the thigh to
stand up straight, all the
while the back is held in a
neutral flat position without
being rounded.
• Pull-up: This exercise
works on all the muscles of
the back, in a very efficient
way. There are many varia-
tions to perform this exer-
cise for any ability.
• Push-up: Requires a
bit of core/shoulder stabil-
ity. It works on the opposing
muscles of the pull-up. It’s
an important movement for
many day-to-day activities.
• • • •
If a person starting exer-
cise took after learning and
mastery of the above exer-
cises, they would have an
exercise program to build
strength and live day-to-
day with better fitness.
However, we don’t often
see gym-goers using these
movements. In the age of
“more-is-better” and making
simple things complicated,
people often think they need
an engineered machine,
technical exercise manual,
and the latest and greatest
secrets to blasting belly fat.
If “simple and effective”
means anything, the above
would be a good place to
start.
Note that all three agreed
that lower-body muscles are
important to train from a
squatting position. Another
common thread is the bal-
ance between muscle groups.
The shoulders, back, hips,
and thighs were included
in each of the examples.
Both of these are essential
to foundational fitness, and
an unbalanced musculature
leads to dysfunctional move-
ment patterns and injury.
Before embarking solo
on a crusade to adopt these
exercises, seek the knowl-
edge of proper form and
technique. There is a certain
amount of competency that
people need to have before
beginning a strength train-
ing program. The proper
muscle engagement with
the right movement pattern
will prevent injury as well as
improve other movements
outside of the gym. There
are several ways to do this,
and many local experts to
help.