What Does A Rossiter Workout Feel Like?

Let's imagine you have pain in your elbow, forearm, or hand. 

Maybe you don't have to imagine!

It's been there a while, maybe started as just some tightness or a dull ache from time to time. You rub it, maybe ice it. Maybe you even have massage, or many massages, which helped. But you can't get massage every day and the pain has gotten worse. You have so much work to do in the garden, but it hurts! You have to practice the trombone, but it hurts! Washing that cast iron skillet is just so much more difficult since you need two hands to pick it up and turn it over to rinse. You can't pick up the milk carton with one hand anymore. You even have some trouble turning the door knob. Definitely cannot open that new jar of tomato sauce! And what's worse, since you use your other hand more, it's starting to hurt too!

You could go see your doctor, maybe you should or maybe you have? Maybe your doctor suggested you have a shot of cortisone to see if that will help. Many do. It is certainly understandable, because you just want to get rid of the pain and go about doing the things you love to do! However, you think there might be some other options and decline the cortisone (good decision, I say.)

If you have decided against the cortisone treatment, you likely have googled other options. Perhaps you have heard of The Rossiter System from a friend, or learned about it on-line. It seems like a hopeful option (it definitely is!) You can read more about how The Rossiter System works here.

You contact a Rossiter coach and schedule an appointment. After filling out a medical history form (confidential, of course) and discuss in detail the specifics of your pain, your coach explains what will happen next. It seems somewhat complicated but she assures you she will guide you through it each step of the way.

She asks you to lie on your back on a mat on the floor. Your arm positioned alongside your body, palm up. She stands on a small stand, holds a pole for balance and lightly lays her foot on your forearm. Initially it feels like massage with a foot as she searches for the 'hot spot'. Then she finds it. and you tighten up and flinch, maybe grimace a bit. She seems delighted! You, however, are a bit skeptical, anxious about the pain. But she eases up and tells you what will happen next. She slowly increases the weight, reminding you to breath and relax. It hurts, but strangely, it's not so bad, (intense is a good word) as she slowly increases the weight, your eyes seem to pop open. It's your decision how much weight to accept, how 'intense' you want it and at that point, you say "stop there" and that is where she maintains the weight. She then guides you in what is called a lock (explained fully beforehand) and asks you to reach, reach, reach and stretch, slowly and deliberately, move the fingers and hands as far as you can go. It's hard work! It's like the big stretch you sometimes do when you yawn, the stretch a cat may do after waking from a nap. 10 seconds, maybe a little more and then she tells you to relax as she lightens up. Once or twice more, whew!

After the workout, she asks you to stand up and walk a little. She asks you to compare the difference, how does it feel? Move your arm around, what has changed from before? How does it compare with the other arm?

Awareness is important.

You probably feel some some good differences, changes that give you hope. Everyone describes it in their own way, but it definitely is relief, likely less pain or no pain. Some people experience relief after a day or so, or after another workout or two. This depends on how long you've had pain, how many weeks, months, or years of stressing the arm.

There are more workouts for the same arm usually right away. You may decide to come back in a day or two after your body processes the changes (there may be many.)

There is homework too!

1. Be aware: is it better or worse the next day, does it start to hurt again and when? does it hurt when you do certain things or move in particular ways? 
2. Walk.  Walking helps to integrate the changes in your body.  A nice strong walk for 20 minutes is best. Daily if you can.

Body Balance Awareness Tip #3

When I first started this blog I started a body balance awareness series. Awareness of our bodies, as we go about our daily lives, and then adjusting, making small changes, can make a positive affect on how we feel. Here you can read Body Balance awareness tip #1 and tip #2.  Time for tip # 3!

Next time you are standing, cooking, talking to someone, or waiting in line for something, check in with yourself. How you are standing? Many of us find that we stand as this first picture shows. For women especially, that hip sticking out is a perfect "seat" for the little child. Did you know that when you stand like this habitually, that it can adversely affect the low back? When we stand like the first picture, with more weight on the left leg, the fascia, our connective tissue, is pulled from the powerful left Quadriceps (your thigh muscles) around from where it is connected in the right lower back. Over time, it causes an aching or chronic pain in your right lower back.

So, if you find you have chronic low back pain on one side, check your standing posture. Get in the habit of checking and adjusting to stand more evenly as in this 2nd picture.

Here is one way to make adjustments. Stand, evenly weighted on both feet and feel your feet on the floor, really connect with the ground. Bend your knees a bit and rock slightly until you find the comfortable place, where there is ease and less work for your body to hold yourself upright. Try it!

And, if you are already in chronic pain in the low back, you can try Rossiter. There is a workout that can fix that!

I am certified!

After hours of training in The Rossiter System, I am now a Certified Rossiter Coach and can help you on your way to a life of movement without pain!

Would you like to be able to move in the way your body was meant to move?

Would you like to be able to walk more fluidly and powerfully?

Would you like to be able to, perhaps even, run?  or to dance?

If so, then The Rossiter System of workouts is for you!  The Rossiter System of Workouts is for anyone, no matter what age, who really wants to improve their flexibility, mobility and balance.  It can work for feet, ankles, calves, knees, hamstrings, hips, low back, hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders and neck.

Are you determined to use your body in the way it was meant to and without pain?

Call or email me for more information, an assessment and/or a free demonstration.

Get rid of pain with Rossiter!

The Rossiter System is a 2 person stretching workout that works on the tight (and most of us are very tight!) connective tissue in our bodies. These workouts get rid of pain! They create space in the joints allowing for freer, easier movement.  This is not a massage session!


How does it work?

The PIC is the "person in charge" and is the one benefiting from the workout.  The Coach guides the PIC.

The PIC stays fully clothed  (loose clothing for easy movement is helpful.)  After listening to the PIC about their pain and what they want to accomplish, the Coach will instruct the PIC in how to move.  Most of the workouts are done lying on a mat on the floor.  Work on a knee is done while resting the leg on a chair.  The Coach uses his/her foot to provide warmth and weight to "anchor your tissue in place while you hunt for pain and stretch your body with power." The Coach will increase the weight placed on the muscle until the PIC tells her to stop. Following the Coaches guidance, the PIC will then actively stretch.  (The more weight and the more intense the stretch, the more relief will be felt.) A stretch generally lasts 10 seconds.  A whole session may last 20-40 minutes.

There are a few rules, including:

• You must be able to get on the floor and get back up on your own.  
• If you have ever had surgery or a cortisone shot on the lower back, you cannot do the lower back work.
• no work is done on broken bones or an area where surgery was done in the last 3 months.

When I first learned about Rossiter, I had been having pain and tightness in my leg that prevented me from sitting cross-legged for the past year or so.  After a 5 minute demonstration, one stretch, there was such a feeling of lightness and ease in my leg.  I felt at least 70% better!  I attended the training to become a coach over the summer and after doing the workouts, I can now comfortably sit cross-legged.


If you have pain and are interested in Rossiter, please call me!  I am happy to answer any questions and do a free demonstration!