STRETCH & REST CARE for the wellness warrior |
Happy Earth Day! Earth Day is always great time to explore fun new ways to support nature and the planet. Let's start by celebrating some WINS! There is evidence that some animals like butterflies, whales, and gorillas are rebounding. It appears that the effort to restore the ozone layer is on track to make a full recovery. There are over 60 Dark Sky Parks, Communities, & Reserves. Dark Sky recognition requires dedication to preserve the night sky by decreasing harmful effects that artificial light at night has on humans, wildlife and the environment. We are fortunate to be surrounded by several Dark Sky Communities (Bee Cave, Dripping Springs, Wimberly, Horseshoe Bay, and Fredericksburg) and my old neighborhood (Lost Creek). Now let's celebrate Earth Day! 4 Ways To Support Nature & The Planet: 1. Green Exercise: Make it part of your daily routine to spend some time in nature and add exercise- anything from cardio (walks, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, cycling) to relaxation exercises (breathing/stretching, Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, napping in a hammock) outdoors will give you the health benefits of both exercise and nature. Bonus points if you go explore a National Park sometime soon. 2. Listen to NATURE on Spotify: it helps the Earth receive streaming royalties that go toward conservation efforts. It's no joke. Learn more here. 3. Learn more about the Native Lands you live on: Interactive Global Map. 4. Restore Nature in your area: Plant native pollinators to help the bees & birds. You can find native pollinator plants by state or region here. You can find volunteer opportunities in your area to help restore nature here. You can find more resources and ideas to celebrate Earth Day & support the healing of our Planet on this FIT BLOG. Which one sounds fun to do this week? To Mother Earth! Mollie P.S. Interested in becoming part of Rest Crew #2 for our next round of Rest Camp? Details for SHINE™ are coming soon- join the wait list here. P.P.S. April 22nd is also National Beagle Day! Every Rest Camp sale supports an organization that improves the health & welfare of animals including Beagles. One of our favs to support is Beagle Freedom Project. They rescue and rehome beagles & other animals who have been used for lab testing in the U.S. and abroad. They also work tirelessly to champion laws & legislation to ban the cruel practice of animal testing nationwide.
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Our 13 year old dog, Teddie, got a home exercise program to strengthen his back and hips at his last vet appointment and that, of course, made me think of 2 FIT TIPS to help YOU get stronger. We’d noticed he was having more stiffness and difficulty getting up from the floor or jumping up onto surfaces. Apparently, it’s common for dogs to start to overuse their stronger front legs as they age and start to develop arthritis/pain in their spine or hips. We went deeper into why that is to satisfy my PT brain, but I won’t bore you with that. More importantly, the discussion reminded me of 2 Healthy Aging Moves to share with you. But first, check out Teddie being a good boy doing his homework: 3 sit to stands every day to strengthen his back and hips/legs. Yes, snacks are included! Here's Your Homework (without the snacks):1. ADDRESS YOUR WEAK SPOTSTeddie’s vet visit was a great example of how our brain loves to find the easiest way to move so you’ll automatically default to overusing your stronger muscles even if that isn’t an efficient movement pattern. We all have muscle imbalances in our body based on which hand is dominant, what you do all day, or the sport you play. Full body workouts like Yoga and Pilates are a great way to work on strengthening both sides of your body. Tightness or stiffness can also be a sign you’ve got some underlying weakness in your postural and core muscles. If you’re weak, your body will tighten up in key spots to hold you up against gravity. Finding your tight and weak spots will help balance you out. 2. FOCUS ON YOUR LEGSTeddie’s vet visit was also a great reminder of how important it is to keep your legs strong as you age. Have you ever noticed that some folks have difficulty standing up from chairs/sofas as they get older? It’s related to a variety of things- hip weakness, stiffness in their joints, and/or a fear of falling that can develop due to decreased vision, balance, and flexibility. The fear leads to them not leaning their trunk forward enough to stand up and it just spirals from there. And guess what they start to do- overuse their arms to stand up! Just like Teddie… Left unchecked it'll increase their fall risk. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths for age 65 or older. Having a solid strength training program for your legs is a key component to staying active & agile as you age. Unlike dogs, we can't walk on our hands! Focus on your hip mobility & strength and use these exercises to help you get started. DAILY MOVES: Take Sit to Stand breaks throughout the day. It’ll help counteract all the negative effects sitting has on your posture and joints but also help your heart stay healthy. There is research showing that standing up once every 20 minutes is more effective than walking 15 minutes on a treadmill for cardiovascular and metabolic changes. It’s also more beneficial than standing up 35 times at once. You’ll want to stand up every 20 minutes to overcome the negative effects of sitting. Teddie has to do 3 sit to stands per day but you need to do 3 per hour of sitting.
POWER MOVES: Add these Power Moves to workout routines for stronger legs, hips, and core muscles. OVER TO YOU: Which moves will you start with this week? FYI if you need snacks to get you motivated at first like Teddie, aim for protein snacks (it's OK to sneak in a little dark chocolate too). To Strong Legs! Mollie P.S. Want more help with your tight & weak spots? Our next round of SHINE™ & opportunity to be a part of Rest Crew #2 is coming up soon- get on the waitlist here. Did you know tight hips can make it harder for your core muscles to fire properly? Here’s a stretch to release your low back, hip, and pelvic floor muscles. It’s actually a yoga relaxation pose that is calming to your nervous system. HAPPY BABY STRETCHHOW TO DO THE HAPPY BABY STRETCH:
Make Sure You Avoid:
How To Modify:
How To Intensify:
PRO TIP: Add the Happy Baby Stretch to these 3 Moves to Prep for Better Core Workouts. Staying flexible in your hips will help you have a stronger core which helps improve your posture and performance. The Happy Baby Stretch is a great one to do daily at the end of a workout or your day. Go ahead and add it to your Rest Toolbox. To Happy Hips! Mollie P.S.EXCITING NEWS- our next round of SHINE™ & opportunity to be a part of Rest Crew #2 is coming up soon- get on the waitlist here. It's daylight savings time! Although I do wish we could just leave the time alone, I do prefer more light at the end of the day. It can take a week for our bodies to adjust to the change though. If you struggle with the time change, you can find 2 strategies to help you adjust faster here. There's also something simple you can do each morning to help your day have more ease & flow. I'm not talking about things like: -making your bed -staying off your phone for the first 20 minutes -drinking glass of water -doing a few breathing exercises and stretches -having a meditation practice Those are all great moves to start your day and make part of a morning routine. Slowly warming up over that first 15-30 minutes will help you tap into your intuition and creativity setting you up to have your best ideas and better focus for the day. But first, I want you to try something while you are still in bed. Before you even open your eyes, say to yourself "Today's my BEST day ever!" Set the intention for your day with this simple statement and watch how much smoother your day goes. Rise like the sunrise. Slowly waking up. Start with a positive intention about your day. Train yourself to be mindful of your first thought. Make it a good one. Your body & brain will appreciate the positive vibes. Have a great day! Mollie P.S.EXCITING NEWS- our next round of SHINE™ & opportunity to be a part of Rest Crew #2 is coming up soon- get on the waitlist here. What do you do when you’re feeling stuck in a rut? It doesn’t matter if it’s fear, overwhelm, confusion, or cognitive fatigue holding you back. There is one MOVE that can help you start moving forward again. Move Your Body. It’s the best bang for your buck when you’re stuck. Why? Physical activity is the number one way to manage stress and complete a stress cycle. It’s also going to bathe your brain in BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor). A protein that is essential for the survival of neurons (cells that make up the brain). It protects the brain from ischemic damage (damage from lack of oxygen), degeneration (deterioration) and promotes long term memory. Just 20 minutes of any kind of physical activity can boost BDNF levels and improve learning, energy levels, memory, MOOD, focus, even your creativity. Stop beating yourself up or trying to figure out why you’re stuck. Start moving and your brain & body will know what to do. Although any form of movement works, one of my favorite moves when I’m feeling stuck is to take a walk. POWER MOVE: Make it Interval Walking. Research shows it IMPROVES:
HOW TO INTERVAL WALK*:
MODIFY TIP: If you’re overcoming a lower body injury and aren’t ready for that much walking, then do the same thing on a stationary cycle until you can transition to walking more. FIT TIP: The more you enjoy it, the better it is for you. Add your favorite music and the dopamine will start flowing (your pleasure hormone). Next time you’re feeling stuck, go for a walk. It’ll help your brain & body get back in flow so you can move forward. Your heart will love it too. Get Moving! Mollie P.S. For more on the benefits of Interval Training and some more workout recommendations, check out this FIT Blog: How To Get Stronger in 1 Minute *From the book: The One Minute Workout by Martin Gibala, Ph.D. **For intensity guidance, refer to the Modified Borg RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) Scale from 1 (extremely easy) -10 (extremely hard or max effort). You know that warm, fuzzy feeling that washes over you when you’re in love? That's your LOVE hormone, Oxytocin, in action. It helps encourage us to bond with others. Like a mom & her baby while nursing. Although physical touch is the fastest way to boost your Oxytocin levels, there are some simple moves you can do to get that loving feeling going. Just a 10-20% increase will promote the relaxation response- hello Relaxed Body! Oxytocin increases your mood, empathy, trust, and openness to connect with others. It decreases cortisol, inflammation, the pain threshold, stress, and even withdrawal symptoms. Signs that it’s low include muscle aches, poor sleep, irritability, anxiety, sugar cravings, poor communication, and difficulty achieving orgasm. It definitely has some powerful jobs in the body so let’s get it flowing. 13 Moves To Boost Your Love Hormone, Oxytocin:
Lovingkindness Meditation (say out loud to yourself): May I be happy. May I be safe. May I be free of physical pain and suffering. May I be able to recognize and touch harmony and joy in myself. May I nourish wholesome seeds in myself. May I be healthy, peaceful, and strong. Spread the Love: You can say it for other people you care about as well but only after you’ve said it for yourself first. You can even expand it to strangers or a larger community. When you say it for others, change the word “I” to the name of the person (or group) you would like to say it for. Example: May (name of loved one or group) be happy. May (he/she/they) be safe. OVER TO YOU: Pick one of the Oxytocin Moves above to boost or bring back that loving feeling. See which ones work best for you. You don’t have to be into the hoopla around Valentine’s Day this year, but it's a great reminder to #1 do something that brings you joy and #2 find time to connect with others this week. Ender, Teddie and I will probably do a movie night tonight, but started the week off enjoying that awesome Super Bowl. On Friday, I'm looking forward to a karaoke happy hour I've got planned with some old friends. That'll hit a few moves on the list for me. What about you? Hope you have time to play & have some fun too! Happy Valentine's Day! Mollie P.S. No pet? No problem. Just stare into Teddie's eyes... P.P.S. Want more Relaxed Body Moves to add to your Rest Toolbox? Get started with this 3 minute Active Recovery Workout: Download Now Let’s do a brain energy checkup. You only have so much brain power each day. In the brain injury rehab world, we talk about energy by thinking of the brain as a pie. Your brain controls everything your body and mind are doing. If 50% of your brain’s focus is on pain (i.e. half the pie), then you’ve only got 50% left for every other function. Pain and stress- whether mental, emotional, or physical- can easily leave you with crumbs energy wise as they take up a lot of brain space (or pie). Here are 3 MOVES to help you free up some brain space for more energy & better performance:
Did you notice all these moves are calming by nature? A calm brain is one that creates, performs & learns better. OK your move. Pick one to test & track how much more energy you have each day for work & play. To Better Brain Moves! Mollie P.S. Want 4 more moves to help trigger your rest & relax mode? Check out this FIT Blog. Have you picked your 1 thing for 2024? That one goal you want to focus on? It could be improving your
Whatever it is, let's set you up for success. Use this brain hack to help you create lasting transformation as you develop your new habits: Celebrate Your Wins. If you’re trying to change behavior, you’ll want to celebrate more often. BJ Fogg, Stanford Behavior Scientist, has found that when we connect celebrating ourselves with new habits we are trying to change it’ll help you build a new behavior. When you celebrate a win, it sets off a physiological reaction that releases the happy chemicals in your brain and connects it to whatever you are celebrating. The more you celebrate something and associate it with feeling good, it’s more likely you will do it. Sort of sounds like dog training, doesn't it? Reward the good behaviors and you’ll get more of them. Also some parenting approaches. Since we’re all about Daily Mini Moves to help you have more energy, ease and flow, celebrating your wins to reinforce healthy habits will give you the dopamine hit your brain & body love instead of that bag of chips, the donut, the alcohol, the Netflix binge. Daily practice will get in the brain reps in that are needed to lay down new neural pathways until it’s an engrained, automatic healthy habit, or routine. If you want to go deeper, BJ Fogg’s website is full of resources including his book “Tiny Habits: The Small Habits That Change Everything.” Over To You:
We're here to celebrate your Wellness Wins & help you grow your Rest Toolbox so you can have a Calm, Strong, Rested Body and stay active & agile no matter your age. Cheers to a Peaceful, Playful, Joyful 2024! XO- Mollie, Ender, & Team Core Power We believe Rested Healers, Leaders, & Creators will heal the planet. Let’s Rest More To Heal More. Your Body. Others. The Planet. Have you heard of the Blue Zones? Areas around the world that have a high population of thriving 100 year olds. Ender and I started watching the Netflix series: Live to 100- Secrets of the Blue Zones. Studies are ongoing about their food, exercise, and lifestyles to find any commonalities among these wise souls. Even though it's been 19 years, we both vividly remember an encounter with the most hilarious, sharp witted gentleman in the tiny fishing village of La Sabana, Venezuela where we got married. We ran into him walking on the beach as he did every day. The town elder. Playful and proud of his age. We actually didn't believe it when he told us he was 100. He moved and looked like a 50 year old. I was blown away by his balance on the sand. He had to get another local to back up his story for us to finally believe him. He kept the beach clean and walked all over the town every day checking on and joking with his friends. His diet mostly fish and veggies. He was a character just like the folks you'll see in the Netflix series. In the first episode they brought up one of my top tips for staying active and agile as you age. It's something most people stop doing as they get older. Can you guess what it is? It's a great move and JLO song... Get ON THE FLOOR! Episode one refers to the Sit and Raise Test. It's been researched as a longevity test and tooted as a predictor of how long you will live. Whether or not this test truly predicts how long you'll live, it's a great test to check in on where the tight and weak spots are in your legs. You can try it if you don't have any major joint issues or just pay attention to where you struggle when you try to get up and down from the floor (even if you have to hold onto something). If you can't even attempt to get down on the floor, well that tells you a lot also. It's OK if you've stopped or avoid getting on the floor. Don't beat yourself up about it. One of the reasons I love yoga and pilates is they encourage us to get on the mat (floor) regularly. Unless you practice a religion that prays on the floor, have a job that involves getting on the floor (i.e. working with kids), or are from a culture that eats meals seated on the floor, you'll have to be more intentional about getting some floor time as you age. You need floor time just like babies need their tummy time! The mobility and strength to get up and down from the floor can help prevent falls as you age. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths for age 65 or older. If you struggle getting on and off the floor without using your arms, support or losing your balance, then it's time to start working on your hip mobility and strength. We've got you! Here are 2 ways to get started: Over To You: Grab your mat and get some floor time in this week. Cheers to Healthy Aging (& walking on the beach at 100)! Mollie P.S. Ho. Ho. Ho. It’s time to Roll. Our favorite foam roller is on sale until 12/31/23. It’s like having a PT, Chiro, Massage Therapist in one and the closest we can get to sending our hands home with you. You can find it here*. P.P.S. The waitlist for our new REST Camp is open & Week 2 Rest Moves will help you work on your mobility (moving with ease) from head to toe with your new foam roller. GET ON THE LIST *indicates affiliate link Even though I've worked in health care for over 30 years and know the importance of self-care, I didn't truly become proactive with my own rest "care" until I was introduced to Yoga Nidra in 2018. At the time, I was struggling with the physical, emotional, and mental demands of being the primary caregiver for my father who had a stroke in 2015 that left him with memory and vision issues. He went from living on his own and Commander of the VFW in his retirement to living in an assisted living facility and needing help with everything. I was managing his medical care and life. After his stroke, he had multiple health conditions and cancer diagnoses that had to be addressed. Just when we got one area under control another would pop up. Before his last cancer surgery, we weren't sure if he could get strong enough for surgery or have to go into hospice. For years I'd help patients and families through the similar situations, but when I got on the other side and became the caregiver for the "patient" I experienced a different level of exhaustion and stress. I needed to ramp up my rest care toolbox for sure as my normal coping strategies and mind body practices weren't enough to ride out the waves of his medical crises while juggling a career at the same time. I was at the peak of my caregiver fatigue after helping my dad through 3 cancer surgeries in a year when I was introduced to yoga nidra. That ended up being a turning point in my own self-care journey. It's when I truly started to prioritize rest. It was simple so I could stick with it. I just had to close my eyes and listen to a meditation for 15 minutes. I would get the rest medicine I needed that day. Nothing helped me feel as refreshed, re-energized, and back in balance than those nidra naps. It quickly became a non-negotiable and daily practice for me. Even though my caregiver journey with dad has ended since he passed away last year, I'm passionate about sharing the powerful rest tools I've found over the years with the helpers & healers of the world. They're some of the most high risk groups for exhaustion and burnout. In a culture that values busyness and views rest as lazy, it takes courage and support to prioritize having a Rested Body & Lifestyle. I recorded a podcast with Genevieve Richardson, a Speech Pathologist and owner of Life Speech Pathologies, to share a little bit of my rest story and burnout prevention strategies for caregivers. Genevieve works with and has the Listen For Life Aphasia Podcast for stroke survivors that have aphasia and their families. We discussed Rest and Relaxation Practices to help manage the stress and fatigue associated with caregiving as well as how to set yourself up for success by shifting your mindset around rest, prepping for rest, and building a rest support team. Anyone, not just caregivers, can benefit from the rest tips we shared on this podcast episode (episode 37). The good news is it doesn't take hours and hours of resting or meditating all day to feel more energy, ease, & flow each day. It's all about resets and reps when it comes to calming your nervous system & turning on your bodies healing powers. Listen to the podcast to find which rest move you want to add to your rest toolbox today. Please share with any of the nurturers, caregivers, or stroke survivors in your life. To A Rested Body! Mollie P.S. Want to experience yoga nidra with me? The wait list for our NEW Rest Camp: SHINE™ is open. |
Mollie Miller, PT
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Core Power Health & Fitness, Inc. does not provide medical advice. Consult a licensed physician prior to beginning any exercise or nutrition program.
Copyright © 2015 Core Power Health & Fitness Inc.
Core Power Health & Fitness, Inc. does not provide medical advice. Consult a licensed physician prior to beginning any exercise or nutrition program.
Copyright © 2015 Core Power Health & Fitness Inc.