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CHEK Institute

@chekinstitute

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The CHEK Institute trains elite health and fitness professionals through the most advanced, integrated learning path available anywhere. 💙🌀☯️

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Here I am taking Norm through a standing 90/90 stretch. I wanted to help Norm drop some lower back pain by creating length in his piriformis. It took us some quality time and assessments to get to this point, but Norm went from a 7/10 pain down to a 3/10 👌🏼 by @chekinstitute

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2 years ago

“You are what you eat” 🧠🌱

@paul.chek discusses the connection between your diet and overall well-being.

🎥 @jo_rushton_

#nutrition #youarewhatyoueat #organicfood #organicfarming #healthyeating taken in CHEK Institute by @chekinstitute

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3 years ago

Today I’d like to show you the lower abdominal exercise which is usually the most important exercise to do if you fail the lower abdominal test outlined in How to Eat, Move & Be Healthy, HLC 1 & IMS 1

1. Lie on your back with your knees fully bent.
2. Place one hand under your lower back (or both if more comfortable),
then bring your feet off of the floor.
3. Tilt your pelvis backwards and flatten your back against your fingers.
4. Hold pressure, keeping the bony prominence of your spine on your fingers as you lower your feet to the ground.
5. Pay attention to the bones of the spine as they press your fingers, not the muscles, for accurate testing.

If you cannot maintain the pressure of your spine on your fingers as you lower your feet to the ground, you’ve lost the ability to coordinate pelvic stabilization along with leg movement. This is a common cause of low back pain.

Follow @chekinstitute and I for more!

Love and Chi
- Paul taken in San Diego, California by @chekinstitute

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3 years ago

**Why does a tennis player develop differently on one side of the body, or someone who habitually stands on one leg gradually develop an asymmetry? Matt Wallden explains that your body adapts specifically to what you repeatedly ask it to do.**

This is known as the **SAID principle: Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands.**

If you consistently place greater demand through your left leg, for example, Matt explains that the tissues on that side adapt to accommodate that repeated load. Similarly, a right-handed tennis player repeatedly exposes the dominant arm to demands that the opposite arm doesn't experience to the same degree.

The important word is **specific**.

Your body doesn't simply recognise that you've exercised and strengthen everything equally. It adapts according to the particular loads, movements and demands you repeatedly impose upon it, which helps explain why different sports, occupations and everyday habits can produce recognisable patterns of development and asymmetry.

But those adaptations aren't necessarily permanent.

Matt also explains the principle of **reversibility**. Change the demand and the body begins adapting again. Stop training altogether and previously developed qualities can gradually decline, which is why strength and conditioning have to be maintained rather than permanently acquired.

For practitioners, this makes understanding someone's history particularly important because the body in front of you reflects what that person has repeatedly done.

**Training creates adaptation, but the adaptation you get depends on the demand you impose.**

#PaulChek #MattWallden #CHEKInstitute #CHEKPractitioner #SAIDPrinciple #SpecificAdaptation #StrengthTraining #SportsPerformance #MovementScience #Biomechanics #Asymmetry #ExerciseScience #Conditioning #FunctionalTraining #IntegratedMovement by @chekinstitute

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2 days ago

**Once you've developed good squat mechanics, how do you progress the movement towards greater speed, power and athleticism? Ashley Mazurek demonstrates the Renegade Squat.**

This advanced squat variation takes a familiar movement pattern and adds an explosive component, requiring you to generate enough force through the ground to propel the dumbbell upwards before catching it and controlling the next repetition.

Ashley demonstrates how the exercise can also be adjusted according to the individual.

Adding risers increases the available squat depth, creating an opportunity to work through a greater range and increase the demand on the gluteus maximus. The position of the elbows and chest can also be modified to encourage greater extension through the movement.

Ashley additionally demonstrates using greater external rotation through the hips and adopting more of a sumo stance, which she explains can provide a more secure position around the SI joint for the exercise.

What makes the Renegade Squat interesting isn't simply throwing a dumbbell into the air.

You first have to control the squat, maintain your position under load and then rapidly transition from absorbing force to producing it, before catching the weight and repeating the movement.

That makes this a progression rather than a starting point.

**Build the movement pattern first, then earn the right to add speed, load and explosive power.**

#PaulChek #AshleyMazurek #CHEKInstitute #CHEKPractitioner #RenegadeSquat #Squat #SquatTraining #ExplosivePower #PowerTraining #GluteTraining #AthleticPerformance #StrengthTraining #FunctionalTraining #MovementTraining #IntegratedMovement by @chekinstitute

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3 days ago

**Most people flush the toilet without giving it another thought, but Matt Wallden says what you see in the bowl can provide useful clues about how well your digestive system is functioning.**

In *How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!*, Paul Chek introduced the memorable **Poopy Policeman and lineup of Poopy Criminals** as a simple visual tool for recognising different stool characteristics and becoming more aware of changes in digestive function.

Matt explains that stool is only one part of the picture.

Persistent bloating, abdominal discomfort, excessive belching or flatulence and changes in bowel habits may all warrant closer attention, particularly when they occur repeatedly rather than as an occasional response to something you've eaten.

He also encourages people to notice patterns that may initially appear unrelated. Does discomfort consistently appear after particular foods? Does bloating coincide with other symptoms? Are you regularly constipated, fatigued or struggling with concentration?

Matt discusses how altered digestive function, the gut microbiome and poor nutrient absorption may contribute to symptoms beyond the obvious digestive complaints. He also describes constipation as particularly important to address when it becomes persistent rather than occasional.

The objective isn't to diagnose yourself by inspecting the toilet bowl, and symptoms such as persistent abdominal pain, significant changes in bowel habits or unexplained pain should be appropriately investigated.

Instead, the lesson is to become more observant.

**Your digestion gives you feedback every day. The question is whether you're paying attention to it.**

So next time you go to the bathroom, before you flush, take a look: **did you get the Poopy Policeman or one of the Poopy Criminals?**

#PaulChek #MattWallden #CHEKInstitute #CHEKPractitioner #GutHealth #Digestion #DigestiveHealth #Bloating #Constipation #Microbiome #BowelHealth #Nutrition #IntegratedHealth by @chekinstitute

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4 days ago

What does a CHEK assessment look at annd why?

From posture and breathing to mobility, core function, and coordination, we explore how your body works together. We also look at sleep, stress, nutrition, and daily habits to understand what supports your recovery.

The goal: a personalized plan to help you move better, feel better, and do more of what you love. by @chekinstitute

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4 days ago

**What you consume immediately after training can influence the recovery process, but Matt Wallden says that means thinking carefully about what you eat AND what you drink.**

Matt explains that the period following exercise is an important opportunity to begin replacing nutrients used during training, which is why he recommends eating relatively soon after finishing rather than leaving recovery nutrition until much later.

While nutrition should ordinarily be balanced towards the individual, Matt explains that immediately after exercise may be a useful time to include additional carbohydrate alongside protein and fat.

His reasoning centres on insulin. Carbohydrate stimulates insulin release, helping facilitate glucose uptake as the body replenishes carbohydrate stores, while also supporting the movement of amino acids into cells as part of the recovery process.

But this is where Matt makes an important distinction.

Replenishing carbohydrate doesn't automatically mean reaching for the brightly coloured sports or energy drink at the gym.

Many of these drinks can contain substantial amounts of sugar, caffeine and other stimulants. Matt explains that although caffeine may temporarily support harder or longer exercise by increasing stimulation, consuming stimulants after training can be counterproductive when the objective is to move away from a highly stimulated state and begin recovering.

This becomes particularly relevant for someone who is already carrying a high overall stress load.

**Training is only half of the equation. What you do immediately afterwards can either support the transition into recovery or continue adding stimulation when your body may need the opposite.**

So before automatically reaching for the post-workout drink, Matt's advice is simple: **think before you drink.**

#PaulChek #MattWallden #CHEKInstitute #CHEKPractitioner #PostWorkout #WorkoutNutrition #SportsNutrition #Recovery #Protein #Carbohydrates #Caffeine #EnergyDrinks #Nutrition #ExerciseRecovery #IntegratedHealth by @chekinstitute

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5 days ago

**If you're trying to correct rounded shoulders by stretching your chest and mobilising your thoracic spine, Nicole DeVaney says there is another muscle you shouldn't overlook: your lats.**

The latissimus dorsi attaches to the upper arm and has extensive connections through the trunk, which means restricted lats can influence the position of the shoulder complex and the way you compensate when raising your arms overhead.

Nicole demonstrates a simple wall test that can help identify whether your lats may be contributing to the problem.

Flatten your back against the wall by posteriorly tilting your pelvis, turn your palms upwards and slowly raise your arms overhead towards the wall.

Now watch what happens.

If your elbows begin turning out, you struggle to maintain the required arm position, or your back lifts away from the wall as you attempt to reach overhead, Nicole explains that restricted lats may be contributing to the compensation.

Rather than simply forcing the arms further, she demonstrates a Swiss-ball lat stretch that combines reaching the arm across the midline with spinal flexion to create a deeper stretch through the lat.

The bigger lesson is that rounded shoulders shouldn't automatically lead to the same generic prescription of stretching the pecs.

**If you don't assess which structures are actually restricting the movement, you may spend months stretching the wrong thing.**

#PaulChek #NicoleDeVaney #CHEKInstitute #CHEKPractitioner #RoundedShoulders #Kyphosis #LatissimusDorsi #LatStretch #Posture #PostureCorrection #ThoracicSpine #MovementAssessment #CorrectiveExercise #Mobility #FunctionalAnatomy by @chekinstitute

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6 days ago

I recently had the opportunity to share my story with @voyagelamag and the timing feels pretty fitting with so many new people finding this page lately.

If there’s one thing I hope people take from the article, it’s that you don’t need to have your whole life figured out to be moving in the right direction.

For those who are new here, I’m Jessy. I’m an Integrative Health Practitioner, movement educator, and the founder of Holism Prism. But outside of the titles, I’m someone who has spent most of my life learning through experience. Through movement, adventure, relationships, mistakes, challenges, and constantly questioning what it means to tap into our infinite potential.

My work today is really an extension of that curiosity. I love understanding the body, understanding people, and helping others build a deeper relationship with themselves and their health. I’m still very much a student myself.. and always will be.

A lot of the experiences that shaped me didn’t make much sense while I was going through them. Some seasons felt like progress, others felt like I was completely lost. Looking back, I can see that all of it had something to teach me.

I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to know exactly who we’re supposed to be, what we’re supposed to do, and where we’re supposed to be going. But sometimes you find your path simply by continuing to follow what feels meaningful, staying curious, and being willing to grow as life changes you.

So whether you’ve been here for years or just found this page, welcome. I’m grateful you’re here.

If you want to know a little more about the person behind this page, check out the full article.

You can read the full article through the link in my bio.

#health #wellness #coach #life #journey Portrait of integrative health practitioner and movement specialist Jessy Ware smiling while outdoors near a rock climbing area. Screenshot from a VoyageLA feature introducing Jessy and his journey into holistic health, movement, coaching, and wellness. by @chekinstitute

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6 days ago

We often underestimate how much power we have to change our experience of life. Perspective is what opens the door to seeing things differently.

The more you focus on what you can learn, what you have to be grateful for, and what you can bring to a situation, the more life begins to change.

It’s a never-ending practice. Most of the time, you can’t immediately change what’s happening around you, but you can change how you respond to it. And over time, that can change everything.

Life is going to give you things you didn’t “choose”. But you still get to pick what you make of them.

You can let a moment define you, or you can decide what it will teach you and who it will help you become.

Unfortunately, most of us use our power against us. We’ve programmed our perspective to make things worse rather than better..

The first thought after something painful is not always the whole truth. The mind can turn one mistake into a verdict on a life, or one ending into a fear that nothing beautiful will come again.

Perspective is the pause that asks what else might be true. It cannot undo what hurt, but it can stop one moment from deciding everything that follows.

#health #perspective #lifestyle #mindfulness #reality Outdoor rock climber standing high above a green valley with climbing ropes and gear, overlooking the landscape. Yellow text reads “The Power of Perspective.” A visual about perspective, mindset, personal growth, and changing how we experience life. by @chekinstitute

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7 days ago

**A steak and a protein shake might both give you 30 grams of protein, but does that mean your body is receiving the same thing? Matt Wallden argues that looking only at the protein number misses much of what comes with the food.**

Compare an organic steak with a highly processed protein powder.

The steak doesn't provide protein in isolation. Matt explains that it comes packaged naturally alongside fats, vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and other nutritional components involved in digestion, assimilation and normal physiological function.

A protein powder is very different.

It has been manufactured specifically to isolate and concentrate particular nutrients, which can make it a convenient source of protein, but Matt's argument is that convenience and protein content shouldn't automatically be confused with the nutritional complexity of whole food.

He also challenges the assumption that large amounts of dietary carbohydrate are essential simply because someone is exercising, explaining that the body can manufacture glucose from non-carbohydrate substrates through processes including gluconeogenesis.

That doesn't mean Matt is arguing that everyone should eliminate carbohydrates, nor that a protein shake can never be useful.

The bigger lesson is about **reductionist nutrition**.

If we judge foods purely by a single macronutrient — 30 grams of protein here versus 30 grams there — we can overlook everything else arriving with that protein and the degree of processing required to produce it.

**The numbers on the label might look similar. The foods they came from are anything but.**

#PaulChek #MattWallden #CHEKInstitute #CHEKPractitioner #ProteinShake #ProteinPowder #Steak #Protein #WholeFoods #SportsNutrition #Nutrition #PostWorkoutNutrition #HealthyEating #HolisticNutrition #IntegratedHealth by @chekinstitute

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7 days ago