STRETCH & REST CARE for the wellness warrior |
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).
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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 Did you get to test out any new sleep moves from last month's FIT Blog? Hope so. Besides staying on top of a healthy sleep routine this summer, I've got some tips to help you stay strong AND rested. If you're traveling, they'll help you prep for your next trip so you can be a well-rested travel warrior. 1. Strong Body- use 1 Minute Workouts to stay on top of your strength training when you're short on time. Super Bands* travel easily so you can exercise on the go. 2. Strong Gut- eat a balanced breakfast, drink green juice or powder to get in your veggies, pack healthy snacks, and stay HYDRATED! 3. Rested Body & Brain- breathe, stretch, and move to calm your body as much as possible especially when traveling to help your body & brain heal itself & get stronger. Find moments during the day to relax with naps, nature, or daydreaming. Use your sleep moves to prep your body and the room before sleep. Download the Healthy Traveler Packing List for more immune boosting nutrition & exercise resources. Stay Summer Strong! Mollie P.S. If you’re a caregiver or a healer that's experienced burnout, we’ve got a special program coming soon designed specifically for you! The wait list opens up soon. *indicates affiliate link There is one recommendation I share with all my clients. It doesn't matter if they have a strength or weakness issue. It doesn't matter if they have an ortho or a neuro issue. Or whether we are working on improving their pain, posture, or power. What is it? It's a hip check up. Why the hips? Movement begins at the hips. Your hips don’t lie. Imbalances in strength and flexibility of your hips will cause issues all throughout your body because everything’s connected to everything through your fascia (connective tissue). Fascia is the tough connective tissue that spreads throughout your body in a three-dimensional web from head to toe. It holds everything together from your bones and organs to the nerves, blood vessels and muscles. There are over 10 fascial lines running superficial to deep throughout your body that connect specific muscles. Did you know pain in your foot or neck can be coming from a tight hip? Since your hips are at the center of your body, tightness in your hips will pull on the end of the lines. Imagine pressing on the center of a spider web. What happens? The edges get pulled in. The same thing happens in your body. Tight spots in the body put tension somewhere on the fascial line resulting in stiffness and/or pain. If you find and release the tight spots in your fascia instead of focusing on one muscle at a time, you can improve the mobility of the entire line. Better mobility helps prevent injury, re-balance your nervous system, decrease inflammation/pain and improve your posture no matter your age or how many injuries you've had over the years. Start in the center of your body. Find your tender and tight spots in your hips then work your way down the line toward your head and feet to lengthen the fascia to make lasting changes in your posture and flexibility. Here's a hip spot to target first: Your Gluts! Grab a ball and do a hip check up to help release your tender and tight spots using the following massage & stretch moves. HIP MASSAGE MOVESHIP STRETCH MOVESBe gentle. Go slow, breathe, and let the tissue let go without forcing it before you massage or stretch deeper. Let pain be your guide at first as a sign that you need to back off or for how much pressure or stretch to do. If you find some tender or tight spots on one side, give that side more attention. If you don't feel tender or tight, then you've got healthy hips. Go You! It's pretty common to have spots in the gluts when you sit a lot or are very active, especially if you don't have a daily stretch care routine for recovery. Regardless of what you find, here are 3 more stretch moves that will help you open up and have healthy hips. To Happy Hips! Mollie P.S. Want to get stronger with less effort? Download this 3 minute Active Recovery Yoga Routine to help you train smarter, it's free! Download It Now We do not provide medical advice. You should consult your physician prior to beginning any new exercise program. Happy Holidays! Before you wrap this year up, make sure you go all out & C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E. Have some fun & play time with friends & family, but also take time to celebrate your personal wins. Remember when you connect celebrating yourself with new habits, it increases the chances you'll build new behaviors and and create lasting transformation. It's also a great way to prep for ringing in the new year. Here are 3 simple ways to prep for 2023:
Go celebrate! Mollie & Ender P.S. If having more energy, ease & flow are part of your 2023 wellness priorities, here are some workout & burnout rest tools to help you get started: REST TOOLS: Ho. Ho. Ho. It’s time to Roll. Our favorite foam roller is on sale until 12/31/22. 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*. Stock up on bands to build a strong core: Core Bands* Super Bands* REST CAMPS: Grab your tools then let us show you our favorite massage & stretch moves with them in one of our online camps.
CAMPS WITH A CAUSE: For every camp sale, we’ll make a 15% donation to the Senior Dog Rescue Program at Beagle Freedom Project to help with their medical care. REST YOUR GUT: Get started on your Clean Eating Adventure with The Nutrition Starter Set. It'll help give your gut a bit of a rest break for 30 days by decreasing the toxic load from inflammatory foods and allergens. You'll learn a simple, safe way to detox for better energy, less inflammation, and/or to release some weight. 3 DAY REST ADVENTURE: If you're worn out, burned out, or just in need of a time out, our free 3 Day Rest Adventure is for you. Say Yes To Rest *denotes affiliate link FYI Beagle Freedom Project is a fav organization of ours that rescues and rehomes animals who have been used for lab testing in the United States and abroad. In addition, they also work tirelessly to champion laws and legislation to ban the cruel practice of animal testing nationwide. I've got some sad news to share. Earlier this month, we had to say goodbye to Tyson, our 16 year old Beagle/Boston Terrier mix. Ty was a special blend of fearless, friendly, and funny as hell with a beagle nose that kept me on my toes. Ty was my workout, stretch, cuddle and writing buddy who loved the outdoors as much as mat and nap time. He was my accountability partner for taking walks and rest breaks each day. Rain or shine he got me outside exploring. He did not like that he couldn’t figure out how to join in when I would ride the spin cycle or do Exo Pilates chair workouts. Ty's passing has left a hole in my soul, but I’ll forever be honored and grateful I got to be his mama for so many years. To honor Ty and help you prepare for the holidays, I want to share some of his favs & daily moves for having a blissful life. BLISS MOVES & TOOLS FOR YOUR PUPHere are Ty approved Bliss Moves & Tools to help you and your pup play, rest, & explore together! TO PLAY MORE: Bark Box* - a monthly box of $40 worth of toys & treats with different themes. Love how easy it is to customize the boxes. Excellent customer service. I waited way too long to order these for the pups. Get double the goodies on your first order. TO REST MORE: Best Dog Beds Ever! Best Friends by Sheri: Calming Donut Dog Beds. Their cozy blanket is awesome too. TO EXPLORE MORE: RUFFWEAR has quality dog performance gear for outdoor adventurers. They have great harnesses – we got Ty the flagline harness with a handle to help give him a boost as needed on walks and to get in the car this past year. Side note: Ty was a puller in his teen years. The Freedom No Pull Harness from 2 Hounds Design fixed that issue on walks so we would't hurt his neck. You can find them on Amazon, Chewy, or direct from the company. BLISS MOVES & TOOLS FOR YOUHere are some Moves & Tools to help you be a calm, strong, happy pet parent! FOR BETTER MOBILITY: Ho. Ho. Ho. It’s time to Roll. Our favorite foam roller is on sale until 12/31/22. 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*. FOR BETTER STABILITY: Stock up on bands to build a strong core. Core Bands* Super Bands* CAMPS TO RESHAPE: Grab your tools then let us show you our favorite massage & stretch moves with them in one of our online camps.
CAMPS WITH A CAUSE: For every camp sale, we’ll make a 15% donation to the Senior Dog Rescue Program at Beagle Freedom Project to help with their medical care. If you tell me which Senior you want me to donate to, I’ll make sure to do that in Tyson’s name. COFFEE FOR A CAUSE: GROUNDS & HOUNDS COFFEE CO.- we love their coffee, chocolate, cups, & gifts but mostly that 20% of every sale supports an animal rescue organization. Take advantage of one of their holiday deals or use WELCOME10 for 10% OFF! Happy Holidays & Stay Curious My Friend!*indicates affiliate link Here's a Power Move to make lasting changes to your posture and flexibility: Traction while you stretch. It'll help you overcome the compression forces that gravity, aging, sitting and exercise have on your tissue and joints. Ever feel like you are getting shorter as you age? It's not just a posture issue. Gravity is literally weighing you down. Remember everything’s connected to everything from head to toe through your fascia (connective tissue). When you hold onto a stable object to traction while you stretch, it'll help lengthen your fascia from the inside out to make more space in your tissue (i.e. from the joints to end of the fascia line). Here are my favorite ways to traction while you stretch: 1. Hold onto a wall, sink, or rail and stretch your upper body and upper back. 2. Put your foot on a wall, edge of sofa or use a band to stretch your hips and low back. 3. Use Pilates equipment to stretch and lengthen while you move through the movements. This past week, I accidentally found a new powerful way to traction that felt so good. You've got to try it. Here's a 2 minute overview of what happened. GO PROTest out holding onto different objects to see which one gives you the best release and feeling of lengthening through your body while you do your stretch moves. You never know. It might just be a tree like me! In the future, your goal will be to learn to traction & stretch without holding onto or bracing on something. Pilates or Bands are great ways to help you transition off holding onto or bracing on something to traction while you stretch. Go hang out! Mollie P.S. Want to learn how to traction while you stretch using the wall and bands? Join us in HIP Camp™. Camps For A Cause: For every camp sale we donate to organizations that support the health & welfare of animals, wildlife, & marine life. Two of our favs that help rescue & rehab are Beagle Freedom Project & Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Did you Make Space last month to slow down for rest? If decluttering didn’t help turn on your rest & relax mode, you can try a different strategy: Move Your Body. Movement can help prepare your brain & body for rest. It’s the cue that it’s safe to calm down. Think about a yoga class. Most start with movement poses and end with relaxation poses or meditation. Moving your body first can help it calm & slow down. What kind of movement? It depends. Every BODY is different. You have to experiment and play with different moves to see which ones help you turn on your rest & relax mode. Tune into your body. What kind of movement does it need to slow down? It might need to shake, shout, sing, or stretch it out for just a few minutes before you rest. Or it might need to complete a stress cycle with 20-60 minutes of physical activity. Moving your body is the best way to complete a stress cycle and signal to the brain the threat (real or not) is over and it’s OK to calm down. Find something your body loves moving and doing before resting- running, jogging, walking, dancing, cycling, swimming, rowing, Yoga, Pilates, paddling, rock climbing- anything that feels good & triggers your rest & relax mode. Listen to your body. It’ll tell you what moves it needs to slow down. It’ll not only feel calmer but also help you tap into more of your intuitive, creative, and happiness vibes. Move & Play before you Rest & see how your body responds. Have fun! Mollie P.S. Want 4 more moves to help trigger your rest & relax mode? Check out this FIT Blog. I’ve known what I wanted to share with you this month, but it’s been delayed because you know life… I’ve had to focus on family and taking care of my energy to celebrate my dad’s life as he passed away peacefully with my brother’s and I by his side at the end of July. The more I look at pictures and have memories pop up, it’s becoming clear that dad was a big influence on my love of nature & water which ties into what I wanted to share with you. I grew up on South Florida beaches and lakes just like dad. My dad was a Bass fisherman his whole life. He later became a hunter after we lived in Louisiana, and he spent time with our Cajun relatives. Thinking of when I was younger, it feels like the longest periods of time I spent with dad was fishing on his Bass boat. He even taught us to water ski behind it. So embarrassing! Dad also loved to sit outside in the morning with his coffee and just watch nature. OK, so he was also known to get his BB gun out to scare away squirrels and raccoons from the pecans or bird feeders. But this Vietnam Army vet, who called yoga therapy “yogurt” while at one of his inpatient rehab stays, had his own way of meditating by calming and grounding himself through nature or on the water. He just didn’t know that’s what he was doing. Here are 3 ways you can easily tap into the healing power of water and nature yourself: 1. CALM YOUR BRAIN: visualize or sit in nature or near water and do some Cooling Breathwork. 2. CALM YOUR BODY: try this Qi Gong "Fountain" exercise. It’s a moving meditation to help you get in the flow and “just be water.” It can be done in sitting or standing. Kids love it. It’s a fun one to do when you need a quick break to clear your mind, calm your body, or recharge. Just 7 reps can make a difference and help you find your flow. Watch this short video to learn how simple it is to do. 3. CHALLENGE YOUR BODY & BRAIN: go Stand Up Paddle Boarding to get the benefits of the calming meditative powers of nature AND the core challenge to your balance & coordination from stabilizing on the water. Hopefully this will inspire you to spend more time in nature or near the water. If you’re not able to get outside, you can do the first two inside. And if you’ve never SUP, well what are you waiting for? It’s so much fun and a great thing to try over Labor Day weekend. Go try some "yogurt" :) Mollie P.S. Summer Savings Alert. It’s time to Roll. Our favorite foam roller is on sale until 9/30/22. 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*. Then let us show you our favorite massage & stretch moves with the Rollga in one of our online camps. *denotes affiliate link |
Mollie Miller, PT
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TERMS OF USE PRIVACY POLICY
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.