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How's it going using the CORE FLOW MOVES to start your day or prep for workouts? It's been about 2 weeks so you should be feeling more connected throughout your core if you've been doing them at least 3 times a week. Your core muscles like and need regular reminders to turn on. They can struggle if you've had any previous injuries to the area. Pain or tightness in your shoulders, spine, and/or hips can make it harder on your core muscles as well. If you find yourself holding your breath or you feel tension or clenching in your neck or glut muscles when you do core exercises, then you'll want to prep before your core workouts. Start with a Pelvic Floor Check In. Remember your Pelvic Floor Muscles (PF) are the base and foundation of your Core. When strong and healthy, they coordinate with the diaphragm and abdominals as you inhale and exhale during physical activity to support and stabilize the spine. If you've got PF weakness, it might show up as
You may not have issues with a cough or sneeze (forced exhalation) but leak after running 20 minutes (dysfunctional breathing or endurance issue). If you're having signs of PF weakness, it's time to do some Pelvic Floor Prep Work. These FIT Blogs will walk you through it: PELVIC FLOOR STRETCH MOVES PELVIC FLOOR STRENGTH MOVES If you're pain-free, you can jump ahead to this FIT Blog for some core prep tips. PREP FOR CORE WORKOUTS OVER TO YOU Work through these PF and CORE PREP MOVES to address any weakness in your fascia and to strengthen your postural (stabilizer) muscles. A strong core helps decrease your risk for injury, promotes good posture, and improves coordination & power during activities especially sports. Next up, I'll share some CORE POWER MOVES to challenge your core. In the meantime, keep going with the CORE PREP & FLOW MOVES. You'll feel and move better if you do them regularly.  
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It's time to give your CORE muscles some love and attention. Your CORE muscles are a complex series of muscles from arm pits to hips that help keep the spine aligned during movement. They're involved in almost every movement you make. You need them for all your daily activities and definitely for sports. They protect, support, and stabilize your spine helping you have better posture, power, and overall performance. Your core muscles need to be turned on and challenged regularly so the body doesn't start to compensate with other muscle groups. Here's a sequence that'll help you do that.  FOCUS ON FORM During all movements, you want to:
>>There should be no pain especially in your wrist, neck, back and knees when doing these exercises properly. STOP if you feel pain. You can get sore from them but sharp pain is never OK. If you have pain, modify and look at your form. If that helps, keep going. If it doesn't, STOP. CORE MOVES: 1. TWIST & GLUT STRETCH- do on each side; if you need instructions on how to do them - go here. Hold for a few breaths each side. 2. BRIDGE- lift hips up and down while lifting your belly up and in. Keep hips level and neck/shoulders relaxed. Have equal weight on front and back of your feet. Modify- legs together or with a ball between knees Do 8-10 reps. 3. PLANK- Hands shoulder width apart and feet hip width apart. Press your hands down into the floor, slide your shoulders down toward your hips, scoop your belly and tuck your booty. Gaze at the floor slightly in front of your hands. Modify if needed on elbows and knees. Progress to straight arms and legs. Hold 20-60 seconds. 4. DOWNWARD DOG- Move into position from the plank- press chest toward your thighs and imagine your inner thighs connecting as you reach long through your head and heels thru the floor. Hold 10-20 seconds. 5. PLANK- move back into a plank position. Hold 20-60 seconds. Repeat Plank into Downward Dog into Plank at least 3 times 6. PIGEON STRETCH- when ready- end with a pigeon stretch on each leg.  OVER TO YOU You can use these CORE FLOW MOVES to wake/warm up your core muscles at the start of your day or before workouts for better posture, power, and overall performance. If you've had a back injury or have really tight hips, slow down and spend more time on the Twist and Glut Stretches. Start and end on your tight side (i.e. tightest side gets 2 stretches for every 1 stretch on the other side). You may also want to use the trigger point massage ball in your glut before you begin the Core Flow Moves. Listen to your BODY. It'll tell you what it needs to feel, move, & perform better.  Spring is a great time to do a check in on how “aligned” you're feeling in different areas of your life. What's blooming (or not) so far this year for you? Remember you’ll feel ease, flow, & relaxation in your body (& life) when you’re in alignment whether it’s for your posture or your purpose. It's never too late to course correct if you're off track or took an accidental detour on your fitness goals. When it comes to your posture, you want to start with creating space. You need to overcome the compressive forces that gravity, aging, sitting, and even exercise have on your tissue and joints. How? Through daily stretch moves that help you lengthen through your fascia (connective tissue) and spine. A great stretch tool for this is an exercise ball. The surface can support your spine while you stretch up and over it. You can also add some gentle rocking motions while you stretch with it which is super calming to your nervous system. Use these 3 BALL STRETCH MOVES to help open up your shoulders, hips, and low back for better posture & core mobility.  You can do the STRETCH MOVES for a few breaths to a few minutes. Add gentle rocking if it feels relaxing. Child's Pose on the Ball is a great one to do before bed. Move the ball slowly to each side to get a deeper stretch through your lat and core side muscles. Caution!!! *always protect your neck- you may need to support your head/neck with your hands like you would for an abdominal crunch especially if you have had a neck injury. Imagine a string pulling from the top of your head so you keep your neck long (not crunched). *if you get dizzy in any of the positions, support your head/neck with your hands and make sure you aren’t holding your breath. Stop if that doesn't help relieve it. OVER TO YOU Remember our fascia takes the shape of the thing we do most during the day. Do these BALL STRETCH Moves after sitting long periods or at the end of your workouts or day. You can also use these BALL STRENGTH Moves before you stretch over it. Find more ways to traction while you stretch here so you can make lasting changes to your posture and flexibility.  P.S. Want a full body daily massage & stretch routine that takes less than 10 minutes? Check out MINI Massage Camp here.
Do you know what activity will help your brain stay younger? Nope it’s not sleep, exercise, or what you eat. Yes, they're all healthy brain habits but PLAY has been shown to decrease your brain’s biological age by 6 years! What kind of PLAY? This research study involved doing or learning a creative, skilled based activity. Dancing the Tango, singing or playing an instrument, drawing, or playing real time strategy video games specifically were types of play studied that showed they helped your brain stay younger by improving your overall cognitive function. PLAY taps into your superpower- Neuroplasticity or your brains ability to create new pathways for better movement, focus, mood, and creativity. It helps you regulate your nervous system and can move you into a flow state- fully present, focused, at ease, and in your creative zone. Where time seems to slow down. Movement, Meditation, Exploring, Journaling, Music, or creating Art can all help you get in flow and tap into your Peaceful, Playful, Powerful Body. Unfortunately, we all typically play less as we age. Even dogs stop playing as much as they get older. We have to be more intentional about adding creative PLAY time into our days if we aren’t professional musicians or artists. The busier you are, the more you’ll have to block off some PLAY time each week. OVER TO YOU: Do you need to add more PLAY into your life? If so, what sounds fun to start in January? Ready to sign up for some Tango classes? Always wanted to learn the Banjo? Do it. It's time. I want to start playing piano again and I'm working on getting a keyboard. For now, I’m going to bust open this animal watercolor book and pens I got recently. Pick one PLAY Move to do and see how your Body & Brain respond. At a minimum you’ll feel more energy, ease, and flow but overtime your helping your brain become younger & healthier.   P.S. Ready to Boost your ENERGY, Strengthen your JOY Muscles, & Bring out the BLISS?
Use the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & anytime you need a Reset. Download the FREE Challenge here. Have you caught the buzz? I couldn’t ignore the research coming out about it. And since I’d started lifting heavy*, it seemed like the perfect time to make this change as well. I’m referring to the benefits of taking Creatine daily vs only with heavy workouts. It’s been 5 months since I started taking 3-5mg per day. I know it’s part of the reason I feel stronger. What’s more exciting to me is how it impacted my mood and cognition. Like less brain fog. I think it’s even helping my memory. I just feel better overall since starting it. I’ve tried to make one change at a time this year to see how my body responds but of course it’s all building on each other. And sure, it could be the consistent exercise and cleaning up my diet but there was a change in my mental health that I hadn’t felt before I started it. It’s hard to describe but it’s like a shift in my level of optimism about everything. Creatine is undeniably good for your gut, heart, brain, muscles, & bones. What’s so cool are the studies on all ages and women showing that Creatine helped improve memory (short term, working, reasoning) and cognitive processing (how clear and fast you think/respond) even when under stressful conditions like lack of sleep. Higher doses (10mg+) of Creatine have been shown to help older adults maintain their mental sharpness and improve depressive symptoms. Do you see why I had to test it out for myself? You can get Creatine in certain foods like meat and fish but it’s worth deciding if you want to supplement daily considering all the health benefits, especially if you’re over 40 years old & female. 6 Tips For Taking Creatine Daily:
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You’ll get the best results when you combine it with resistance training. I've not experienced any weird side effects or symptoms. My labs look good & I feel good so I’m keeping this one going. I aim to take it daily, but I do miss occasionally. I take it around my workouts since I do a lot of resistance training. I want to maximize my muscle building and recovery. It also helps me remember to take it. It’s OK if I miss a dose. Remember it’s about progress not perfection. I’m aiming for 80% consistency each week with all these healthy habits I like to do for my Body & Brain. What about you? Do you want to Feel Better, Have More Energy, Strong Bones, & Build Muscle Mass? If YES, then your recipe for success is…. Protein + Resistance Training + Creatine!  You probably know someone that has had a concussion at some point in their life, but did you know it’s considered a mild brain injury? In honor of National Concussion Awareness Day, I’ve got some prevention & recovery tips to share with you. Can you guess the #1 cause of brain injuries? It’s not sports or motor vehicle accidents. It’s FALLS especially in our youngest (0-4 years old) and oldest (over 65 years old). What do both age groups have in common? Balance issues! 75% of brain injuries fall into the mild category each year. Males are higher risk for brain injuries due to sports and higher risk-taking behaviors. Brain injuries related to motor vehicle accidents are highest in ages 20-24. 67% of females have symptoms of traumatic brain injuries due to domestic violence. Concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries are caused by a jolt or blow to the head causing the brain to bounce around inside the skull. This stretches and damages brain cells and is sometimes referred to as shearing. It’s not going to necessarily show up on CT scans or MRI's because it can be microscopic tears. 90% won’t lose consciousness. It can take 3-5 days to show signs. The brain is not a muscle, but it bruises somewhat like a muscle does when injured. Sprain your ankle and it bruises, swells, hurts. You can’t put weight on it, so you don’t walk. You slowly put more weight on it as it heals. What bruising looks like in the brain is headache, dizziness, nausea, difficulty reading, irritability in noisy environments, light sensitivity, memory issues, confusion etc. While it’s healing, the brain needs to avoid taking another hit. It needs time to recover. REST is key. Unlike a sprained ankle, you can’t see it so it’s hard to decide when it’s safe to go back to normal activities. Headaches with exertion are the main reason people go to the doctor after a concussion. <<BTW always go to ER if you have a headache after a brain injury>> Most concussions resolve within 1-2 weeks but 10-15% of people will have symptoms for longer. After a concussion, you can have physical, cognitive, behavioral or emotional issues. You might see changes in personality, behaviors, mood, and routines. PPCS or Persistent Post Concussive Symptoms refers to symptoms lasting > 4 weeks. In my Rehab Work, these patients have difficulty returning to work or school due to ongoing issues typically with dizziness, brain fog, decreased concentration, fatigue, anxiety, vision issues, and/or headaches. The Beauty of the Brain is its ability to rewire and heal (neuroplasticity) but it can heal in a chaotic way without the right guidance in place. It’s important to get support from a neurologist or neuro trained therapists as early as possible in order to get strategies for managing the symptoms of PPCS. You’re higher risk for PPCS if you’re:
I previously wrote a FIT Blog with tips for return to play (sports) after concussion that apply to anyone dealing with a mild brain injury or PPCS. I would emphasize that Rest & Relaxation are KEY when recovering from a concussion (mild BI). You CANNOT get too much rest. It takes time for the brain to heal. So remember to get plenty of NAPS and pull out the APPS for Relaxation Exercises to help your brain recover. Stress will SLOW and can even HALT brain healing after injury. Check out the blog post for 10 Things To Help Heal After A Concussion that’ll walk you through how to avoid stressing your brain & for tips to help support the healing process. And since dealing with a brain injury is no fun, let’s talk PREVENTION for a second. Although helmets and seatbelts are really important prevention tools, FALLS are #1 cause of brain injuries. What can you do to prevent falls? I’m so glad you asked. You want to do regular MOBILITY & AGILITY exercises especially as you age. That includes all the fascia body work, resistance band work, & balance work that I share regularly on FIT Blog, in my weekly newsletter, and in my online camps to help build your REST & RECOVERY Toolbox. In terms of fall prevention around your home, keep your paths well lit & clear of clutter. Also make sure you can handle the shoes you wear especially if they don’t have heel support (i.e. flip flops, slippers). And finally, be careful around little ones- pets & kids. Staying active & agile as you age will help prevent falls & reduce your risk for all kinds of injuries including brain injuries. If you take a hit to the head, take it seriously. Get support if you’re having symptoms or just don’t feel like yourself. It’s in your head, literally. Your brain needs support healing just like an injured muscle does. Reach out if you’re stuck or check out some additional resources below.  P.S.
--For tips on Return To Work or Sports after Concussion, check out this FIT Blog. --If you need some Brain Injury Resources for Texas, you can book a consult with me here. --If you're ready to start working on your mobility & agility, check out Mini Massage Camp. Guess what regulates both the temperature of the Human Body and the Earth? WATER And water can help your Body with Recovery, Rehab, or Relaxation depending on its temperature. For Recovery (cold plunges/ice baths), you want the temperature between 46.4-59°F (8-15° C). For Rehab (aquatic therapy), water temp needs to be greater than 89°F with the sweet spot typically around 96°F (33-38° C). For Aquatic Exercise (swimming or aerobics), it can be cooler 83-86°F (28-30° C). RECOVERY You may wonder why ice baths are so popular right now. There has definitely been a progression from using them post workout for speeding up muscle recovery to using them on a regular basis for the other health benefits. Benefits of ice baths: increased fat burning, immunity, & resilience (toning the vagus nerve to handle stress better). They can also help improve sleep, reduce inflammation & migraines, and be good for your skin. You’re wanting it cold enough to elicit a shiver which switches your body into burning fat for fuel. Note that new research shows women may not need to get as “cold” for the ice baths due to having a more sensitive vascular response to cold than men. Caution with ice baths: you need to build up slowly if you’re doing it on your own and new to it. Unless you are training heavily every day in a particular sport, full body ice baths aren’t something you typically do more than a few times a week or max of 11 minutes total per week. **None of the extremes temp wise are safe for those with cardiac issues unless cleared by a physician. Those with Raynaud’s phenomenon should avoid extreme cold temps. REHAB We use aquatic therapy for both ortho and neuro patients. It’s wonderful for pain relief from arthritis to spasticity. It’s fabulous for working on flexibility, balance, core strengthening, and pre-gait activities. You can unload joints and decompress the spine depending on the depth of the water. At waist deep, you unload your body weight by 50%. At chest deep, by 75%. At neck deep, by 90%. You can change the depth, the position (supine, prone, sideways, kneeling, standing, one leg), and balance in or on the water using mats/noodles/boards. In fact, I used to work on balancing in the pool using therapy mats way before I did SUP on lakes/oceans. We have a ton of pool tools we can use to challenge patients. Remember water can assist or resist you as you move. You can work on walking all directions or jogging at all depths. As you can imagine, pedi patients love it. It brings out playfulness in adults too and gives them so much freedom of movement and pain relief. So good for mental health especially for those dealing with chronic pain. Insurance will cover it under outpatient physical therapy or occupational therapy if you have a medical diagnosis and the therapist has aquatic certification. RELAX Floating in water is probably the most relaxing way to enjoy it. One of my favorite Relaxation Bodywork in water is called Watsu. Watsu is a form of Shiatsu (bodywork) in the water that involves a therapist moving you through different positions to stretch & massage for relaxation, pain relief, and improved mobility. You’re floating & moving slowly through the water. Imagine that calming sensation you get swinging in a hammock, resting on the front of a catamaran or enjoying a piece of chocolate melting in your mouth. Ah, feels so good! BTW Ender is great at this technique. *Hot Tub Temps are great for Recovery & Relaxation- can really help with spasms and pain. *Contrast baths where you alternate cold and hot temps on an injured body part. Helps with swelling, injuries, inflammation and pain. OVER TO YOU Water has so many therapeutic benefits. Match the temperature to what you need it for- recovery, rehab, or relaxation. Find some ways to add it to your Rest Toolbox and remember it if you get injured or are dealing with some chronic pain issues. You can resume exercise and movement a lot earlier in water than you can on land. And don’t forget there is aquatic therapy for your pets too, if they have arthritis or need some rehab from an injury.   *If you have diabetes or cardiac conditions like uncontrolled hypertension, you'll need clearance from your physician to exercise safely in water. P.S. Can’t get in the water or it’s not time for a vacation yet? Use the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & anytime you need a Reset. Download the FREE Challenge here.
**Note- I'm delaying the final blog post of our Water Exercise Series to share some Rest & Recovery Tools I shared with our newsletter community after the devastating 4th of July floods in Central Texas. We are sending so much love to all of those impacted by this tragedy & gratitude to all of the responders who continue to support these communities. XO- Mollie & Ender It’s been heartbreaking to see how many lives have been impacted by the extreme flooding in the TX Hill Country this past weekend. We're grateful for the fast emergency response to help victims & the heroic efforts of the young camp counselors who responded so bravely to a horrific situation in the middle of the night. July 4th weekend is THE busiest time of the year for Texans to head to our rivers for camping & tubing. It’s just what Texans do for fun but also to survive the summer heat. You really aren’t a true Texan unless you’ve floated along the Guadalupe River at some point in your life. It’s hard to fully comprehend how much joy the rivers bring with how much devastation they're capable of. If you’re connected to anyone that has been directly impacted, please know we’re sending you all so much love. It’s times like these where your body needs extra loving care to support processing the emotions, stress, and trauma it’s experiencing. It needs more Rest & Recovery to remind it to calm down even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time. If you’re not sleeping or physically exhausted (i.e. heavy or burning sensation in your muscles, sloppy movements or poor posture, decreased balance or coordination, or feeling weak or stiff in your muscles) from the stress, your Rest Rx is to take NAP BREAKS. 3 Types of Naps:
If you’re sleeping OK but showing signs of stress (i.e. restlessness, anxiety, worry, heart or mind racing, rapid breathing, difficulty concentrating, numbness, or muscles tension in your neck/shoulders/hips), your Rest Rx is to take RELAXATION BREAKS. 6 Stress Cycle Busters (Relaxation Breaks): When you’re stressed, your brain goes into protection mode. It signals to turn on your sympathetic nervous system (i.e. fight, flight or freeze mode). It’s the opposite of your healing mode. You can help your body complete the stress cycle by giving it the cue that it’s safe to move back into relaxed mode & calm your nervous system by using any of these strategies as Relaxation Breaks:
You don’t have to do all of these to help your body recover & reset during stressful times. Start with one that sounds soothing & doable. Check in with your body. It’ll tell you what it needs to calm down & feel better. You'll know you've turned on your Relaxed Body when you feel a shift - sense of relief, yawning, goose bumps, a deep breath are all signs you've completed a stress cycle. Be mindful of how much news & social media you’re taking in right now about this tragedy. It’s likely triggering a stress response in your brain & body. Definitely limit it a few hours before bed as it can disrupt your sleep. If you want to do more for the areas impacted, World Central Kitchen is on the ground feeding Central Texans and the search & rescue crews. You can donate to support their efforts here. Be extra kind to yourself right now! I found comfort in this story about Hazel, the Camp La Junta dog, that scratched on the door of a cabin to alert the campers of rising water and waited with them until they were all safe (Texas Monthly shared about it). It's not a common dog name but it's my mother's name (who passed away in 2003). Grieve the loss but always find the hope, love, & helpers out there as well (even if it's coming from our furry friends).  P.S. Want more strategies to go from your Stressed to your Relaxed Body? Download the Relaxed Body Toolkit & Daily Energy Planner here.
**Note- We shared this blog post about a week before the devastating 4th of July floods in the Texas Hill Country. We are sending so much love to all of those impacted by this tragedy & gratitude to all of the responders who continue to support these communities. If you need some Rest & Recovery Tools to help you manage the stress or trauma of this event, the next blog post has resources for you. You can find it here. Be extra kind to yourself right now. XO- Mollie & Ender We’ve all seen the power of water by what happens in flash flooding events. Trees, cars, buildings are no match. Water will WIN every time. We can take advantage of that force when we exercise IN water. Water provides 12-14% more resistance than on land. The more you push, the harder the water pushes back. Exercise IN water is not just for cardio workouts like swimming. You can get a full body, low impact, strength training workout IN water. A gentle yet challenging way to workout. It’s great to build strength AND work on your posture and balance. It’s a safe place for you to exercise if you have pain or arthritis. Anything you can do on land exercise wise, you can do in the water. The water can assist or resist your muscles. 30 minutes of pool exercise can give you the benefits of closer to a 2 hour land workout. Less time, same or better results. You can change the intensity by moving:
You can add weights or bands to increase resistance or just use the water itself. When you change the shape of what you’re pushing or moving through water, it changes the resistance (i.e. hand closed vs open or with a fin vs without). You can do your arm or leg strength workouts in the water- punch, lift, kick, squat, lunge. Walking in water is a great full body workout for your strength, cardio, & balance. Walk forward then turn around and walk through the current you just made to increase the resistance and intensity. Do that all directions (front, side, back). Kick Boards are great for pressing through the water to workout your core and arms or across the water to workout your core and legs. Group exercise classes in the water are getting more varied lately as well. Some classes might focus more on strength training vs cardio or do a combo of both. I’m seeing more Mind Body Exercise classes pop up especially at the YMCA. Yoga Aquatic classes or even ‘Ai Chi’ classes that involve breathing & resistance training to relax and strengthen your Body using Qi Gong and Tai Chi Movements. Water exercise can make your strength training more fun, varied, and full bodied. Remember to Start Slow! If you aren’t used to water exercise, start with 15 minutes and build up slowly overtime especially if you have an injury or chronic pain. Monitor how you feel into the next day to see if you overdid it or not. Aim for 2-3 times a week of strength training whether it's on land or in water. NEXT UP: I’ll share how to use water for recovery or rehab. In the meantime… jump in. The YMCA is one of the best places to find an indoor pool. If it's Summer where you are right now, you should be able to find an outdoor pool to exercise in.   *If you have diabetes or cardiac conditions like uncontrolled hypertension, you'll need clearance from your physician to exercise safely in water. P.S. Ready to be active & agile at any age? Download your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit to get started here.
It’s no secret I love to talk about the power of water for healing, relaxing, and challenging (i.e. Stand Up Paddle Boarding) your Body. I realized recently those are all ON top of the water and I haven’t really shared about the benefits of being IN the water. Kind of funny considering it’s one of my favorite things to recommend to clients. If you’ve got chronic pain and inflammation especially in your joints, water is one of the safest places for you to exercise. Why? There are many reasons but one of the most amazing benefits of water is something you can’t get on land: HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE This is the compression that water has on your body when you are IN it. What’s the big deal? Well, plenty… Compression has a calming effect on the Body and can help reduce pain in your joints and muscles. The pressure water provides also helps your:
As we age, one of the things that happens is our blood vessels stiffen and this leads to elevated blood pressure. So not only can you work on your joint flexibility and range of motion in the water, you’re actually helping your blood vessels do that too! You don’t even have to move your body to get the benefits of hydrostatic pressure. You just need to be standing or sitting in the water. Of course- if you exercise, you’ll increase these benefits. All this pumping of fluids while IN water is why it’s important to drink lots of fluids when you get OUT of the water. It’s just like when you get a massage and you’re encouraged to hydrate after it to help the body flush all the toxins. Ever notice you have to pee when you get out of the pool or lake? That’s from all the pumping of fluids that your Body is ready to let go of. Hydrostatic Pressure isn’t the only benefit of exercising IN water. NEXT UP- I’ll share why water isn’t just for cardio workouts. In the meantime… you can soak in your tub with some Epsom salt (& lavender) if you don't have access to a pool right now. It’s not as intense as the pool but it’s still providing compression to your Body and gives a boost to your circulatory and lymph systems.  P.S. Ready to be active & agile at any age? Download your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit to get started here.
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Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
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