Never underestimate the power of exercise when it comes to heart health. In countless studies, it’s been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce insulin resistance, and dramatically improve heart health. Over 800,000 Americans die every year from cardiovascular disease. Over ¾ of these cases are said to be due to poor diet and a lack of exercise – not genetics.

In 1994 I attended my first IDEA conference. I was utterly inspired and moved by what I witnessed. In 1996 I began submitting ideas to become a presenter and share my education and learning to the industry. I've witnessed and have been a part of the ever evolving fitness model.

It seems like the basic fitness philosophies that have been around since the beginning of time would be enough. Eat right, sweat, train hard, and stay muscular should be enough to improve your chances of leading an active, healthy, pain-free life. Alas, it's simply not enough. Consider that there is an ever growing number of fitness enthusiasts dealing with one or more chronic pain symptoms every year, there is something obviously missing.

A few years ago I presented a talk at a prestigious college in Pennsylvania. I was invited to speak about connective tissue research to the kinesiology department and students. I was only a few minutes into my presentation when a man sitting in the second row raised his hand. I was quite surprised that there were already questions when I had barely begun.

IT is done. If you don’t know what the “it” is, well, it’s my own fault that you don’t know. It took three people, one year, 81,000 words, 310 pages, 14 chapters to write a book for the general public. Longer than it takes to have a baby, seemingly more painful, and one extra person to do it... but it's done.

Dr. Gerald Pollack has been doing research regarding water for over a decade. His book, “Cells, Gels, and the Engines of Life” discusses the role of water in cell biology.

In most dissections, cadavers are embalmed. This leaves those of us looking to view the cadaver as a model infinite time to slowly move through the landscape of the human form.

I admit it. I am a bit obsessed with fascia. That's not really accurate. It's more than fascia, in fact, it's not fascia as it is defined in text today that I am intrigued with. I am curious and well versed in the connective tissue system and the collagen matrix that architecturally, psychically, and mechanically supports, protects, and keeps us stable over our lifetime.

Yet another question was asked to me at a training this past week in LA. I was drinking a fresh green juice and one of the girls said to me, “It’s too expensive. I just drink a glass of V8 every morning.” I said to her, “Well, that’s reconstituted fruit juices. It’s not bad for you but you are killing all of the good stuff in the juice when manufacturers boil the juice to preserve it.” Her eyes got a bit wide and she said, “What’s reconstituted fruit?”

It's the dirty little secret of fitness. Those of us who engage in an active lifestyle are often times the ones with the most injuries and pain.