FIT BLOG:
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Do you have some "ME" time scheduled for this Valentine's weekend? It's a great weekend to tap into some "guilt free" rest & pamper yourself energy that our hustle culture encourages around the festivities. The challenge is to give yourself permission to slow down and prioritize yourself and your daily rest practices EVERY day. So tap into that energy this weekend and keep it going because you deserve to be first on your list before nurturing everyone else. If you're not used to slowing down, you might not know what Rest Move to choose. The cool thing is your body will tell you IF you're listening. Here's a simple breathing & short meditation exercise (Cherished Body Exercise) to help you tune into what Rest Move your body needs today: LISTEN HERE Or you can read it to yourself below: Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Hand on your heart or over your belly if you have tight shoulders. Close your eyes. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth. Relax your shoulders. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth. Soften your arms. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth. Let go from head to toe. Inhale through your nose. Exhale. Ask yourself “What would I do if I cherished myself?” Inhale through your nose. Exhale. Listen to your body. “What would I do if I cherished myself?” Keep breathing. "What would I do if I cherished myself?" Keep listening. "What would I do if I cherished myself?" When you're ready. Open your eyes. What came up (a thought, a word, a picture) when you asked your body the question? What does it need to feel cherished or nourished today? How can you schedule that into your day or take one baby step toward adding that to your day? If you didn’t get an answer right away, don't worry. Tune in throughout the day as it'll probably come to you later. You can repeat the Cherished Body Exercise daily to help you tune into what your body needs each day to feel more energy, ease, & flow. Your body knows best so make sure to check in daily. It’ll tell you what it needs to feel, move, perform better. Indulge in the chocolate & flowers but also pick one thing to refresh your body & brain this weekend. Let it be the start to cherishing yourself every day. Be kind to yourself!  P.S. Need ideas on how to cherish yourself daily? Take the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & Reset.
Let the Adventure to a Peaceful, Playful, Powerful Body Begin- Download the FREE Challenge here.
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Did you use the 80/20 rule yet to identify the main activities that’ll give you the best results & maximize your time and energy? You still have time to go through the 80/20 exercise but you can also flip it to help with setting your wellness or fitness goals. It’ll help you take the pressure off when you’re trying to build new habits. It’s important to get your mindset right as you set goals. You’re not going for 100%. It’s about progress NOT perfection. You want to aim for 80% success rate especially for diet or exercise goals. It’s normal to get off track. There may be weeks when you can meet your goals more than 80% of the time. That’s awesome but not realistic ALL the time. It has definitely taken my Physical Therapy brain awhile to buy into this approach to goal setting. My neuro rehab work involves coordinating teams of therapists with different specialties. There is always a battle about what to expect with the patient’s performance of their home exercise programs. The Physical Therapists, typically the most Type A personalities on the team, expect 100% performance of whatever they’ve prescribed for a patient to do outside of therapy NO MATTER WHAT is going on. The Neuropsychologists, the behavior experts on the team, have to constantly remind the "team" (i.e. mostly the PT's) that 80% compliance for home programs is the goal NOT 100%. Deep down I know this is true from my own life and from 30+ years of experience working with all kinds of patients. Even if I give someone just 3 exercises to do. Even if I have the most motivated patient. Even if they’re in pain and get relief from the exercises. Something will pull them off track or off focus from doing their home exercise program. Knowing that’s normal human behavior and not beating yourself up about it is key to getting back on track fast so you can make gradual gains overtime. I’ve finally made the shift in my mindset. It’s your turn. Check in. What kind of expectations are you holding yourself to in regard to your wellness or fitness goals? Take the pressure off. Make the shift. Aim for choosing healthy habits 80% of the time.  P.S. On the verge of Overwhelm & Burnout? Calm your Brain with the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & Reset.
Let the Adventure to a Peaceful, Playful, Powerful Body Begin- Download the FREE Challenge here. Did you get caught up in the rush this month? It’s an easy time to get swept up in the end of the year whirlwind of the holidays, vacations, and finishing projects you had planned for 2024. It’s an even better time to put on the brakes and make some space to slow down and reflect on what you really want to focus on in 2025. There’s ONE rule that can help you get clarity about any area of your life- health, fitness, relationships, finances, or career. It’s the 80/20 rule! It says that 80% of our results come from 20% of our actions. When you know what to focus on, you’ll get better results AND have more time & energy. Here’s how to use it. 80/20 EXERCISELet’s pick one area of your life that you are wanting to nail down the 20% of activities that’ll give you the best results. For this example we’ll use work or business tasks or responsibilities to make a list. Step 1: Write down all the tasks you do at work or in your business on left side of a page. Step 2: Write down your biggest wins at work or in your business on the right side of the page. Step 3: Draw a line from each big win to the task that is directly responsible for that win. Step 4: Circle the tasks that have lines drawn from them. This is your 20% that’s responsible for 80% of your results. These are the activities you want to focus your time on. Step 5: Schedule and block time for your 20% activities. Post them in your work space to remind you of them when you get overwhelmed or distracted with new shinny projects. Step 6: Work on delegating, automating, or eliminating anything that’s not on this list. Reflect each day to see if you’re doing your 20% activities. It’s OK if you get off track. No need to beat yourself up. Make a plan the next day to create some space for your 20%. Over time, you’ll do MORE of what leads to the Big Wins and LESS of what doesn’t give you the best results. Make this list for any of your daily activities that impact your health, fitness, mood, money, or relationships to find the top habits/actions that help you get the best results. OVER TO YOU What area in your life do you need to have more clarity and focus for 2025? What area in your life is draining your energy the most? Take some time this weekend to do the 80/20 exercise for that area of your life. You can do this exercise anytime you need some clarity not just at the end of the year.  P.S. Ready to Boost your ENERGY, Strengthen your JOY Muscles, & Find your FLOW to help Bring out your BLISS? Download your FREE 12 Days Of Bliss Challenge here.
It can be challenging to turn on rest & relax mode especially if you’re drowning in To Do’s or going through a difficult time emotionally. It’s exactly in those times when you need to put on the brakes even if it’s for a few moments. Your brain’s telling you “I’m too busy to slow down” because you're in fight or flight mode. It doesn't think it's safe to slow down. It's your job to give it the cue to calm down. Your Relaxed Body & Brain will bring more clarity and emotional regulation so you can actually be more productive. You’ll feel, move, communicate, and perform better. From Restless To RelaxedHere are 4 Strategies to help you tap into your Relaxed Body and cue your brain that it’s safe to slow down:
Mindfulness is moment to moment awareness without judgment. Start small by paying attention to your breathing, drinking your cup of coffee, or eating a meal. How does it look, smell, taste, or make you feel? Expand into being mindful during cleaning, cooking, or baking activities. You don’t have to practice for hours to get the benefits of mindfulness, but you do have to practice. The more you do it, the easier it is to find your flow. I find connecting with nature to be a great way to practice mindfulness and it always helps me slow down. A walk outside usually does the trick for me. No phone or podcasts. Just exploring the beauty around me. For you it might be gardening. I'm starting to become a birder. Last week we took a group Birding with Virginia from Birdability and we observed 13 species! The Red-bellied Woodpeckers are just gorgeous. Each time I go, I find it more fun and relaxing. Looking and listening for birds requires you to be in the present moment. It definitely helps going Birding with an experienced guide but I’m using the Merlin Bird ID App more on my own walks. It'll tell you what a bird is when you record it singing. I do want to invest in some better binoculars. The fall is a great time to do some Birding if you want to give it a try.  Birding at Richard Moya Park with Virginia from Birdability & my colleagues from Collage Home & Community Rehab. Virginia has a passion for making Birding accessible to all & her programs have spread all over the country. OVER TO YOU: If you struggle to slow down, test out one of the strategies: Make Space, Move Your Body, Music, and/or Mindfulness to help you turn on your Relaxed Body. Listen to your body. It’ll tell you what 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.  P.S. Want more strategies to slow down? Grab your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit here.
Woohoo, we did it! We launched our Texas sized Tandem SUP. Besides being a ton of fun to be back on the water, it felt good to accomplish something we had talked about doing for years. It all started when we saw a group paddling on the lake with these huge inflatable boards that held their dogs, coolers, and 2-3 people on each board. Literally a paddle party! It seemed like the solution to our dogs crying when they were separated on the boards or about wanting all of us on one board. The inflatable tandem board also does better on open water or the rougher water of a Texas lake. Unfortunately, Tyson (our 16 year old dog) passed away before we got it going but this summer we decided it was time to go all in and it would be part of our 20 year anniversary celebration. The weather cooperated and it was a success with only a few hiccups, so it was good we tested it without Teddie (our now 14 year old dog). It’s always exciting & healthy for your body & brain to start something new. Here's a video of the journey so far...  We love SUP because it’s a FULL body workout that challenges both your body & brain. An excellent way to turn on your postural muscles and get into flow. You get the benefits of the calming meditative powers of nature AND the core challenge to your balance & coordination from stabilizing on the water. Tandem paddle boarding requires even more coordination and teamwork. It felt more like sculling as the board is sensitive to our every move. We need more practice before we bring Teddie out but are loving being back on the water. We’ll be taking advantage of the cooler weather over the next few months to get comfortable with the board. It’s a great time to try SUP if you’ve never tried or get back to it if you have before. If you can’t get near a body of water, here are 4 exercises to help you experience the healing power of water no matter where you are. 1. Cooling Breathwork: visualize or sit in nature or near water and do some Cooling Breathwork. 2. The Fountain: 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. Water Meditation: lie down in a comfortable position and visualize a waterfall pouring over you. Inhale In the good healing powers of the water. Imagine absorbing all the “energy” or “power” of the waterfall. Exhale and release anything you want to let go of (i.e. toxic thoughts, pain, etc). Continue for 3 minutes or longer if it feels good to you. You’re letting the water refresh you and wash away anything you no longer need deep into the ground below you. Pro Tip: if you have a hard time visualizing, try this version in the shower. Close your eyes, get present with a few deep breath and feel the water as it flows over you from head to toe. Imagine all the toxins, negative feelings, or events from your day washing down the drain. 4. Soak in the Tub: take an Epsom salt bath with lavender to release toxins and relax your body and mind. These exercises help release toxins, recharge your energy, and even get your creativity flowing. Find time to get outside & refresh near water as much as possible before the winter months hit. Use these exercises to fill in the gaps when you can't get outside. Which one feels best in your body? Schedule regular "water" breaks into your day.  P.S. Ready to find your flow & tap into your creative energy? SHINE™ and info on how you can join the next Rest Crew is coming soon. Get on the interest list here.
Do you have a Meditation practice?
If not, have you tried to Meditate but gave up because you felt too restless or anxious? Meditation is exercise for your mind. You're training your attention muscle. It's a form of Mindfulness or being present in the moment. If 10 minutes a day can sharpen your thinking, decrease your blood pressure, and boost your creative flow, doesn't it seem worth it to find a meditation exercise that works for you? The good news is sitting still is not the only way to meditate. You actually may have developed some meditation skills that you didn't realize you had. Have you ever DOODLED? You know those shapes and patterns you scribbled in a notebook or on paper while in class or on a Zoom call? Turns out it's a form of art therapy or creative self-expression that calms your nervous system and turns on your Relaxed Body. Those repetitive moves signal to the brain and body that you’re safe now. It’s OK to calm down. Besides being a relaxation exercise, Doodling also stimulates blood flow to the prefrontal cortex and reward center of the brain just like chocolate and dancing. Hello Happiness Hormones! Doodling is a form of Mindfulness- it helps you be more in the present moment. It also supports memory, comprehension, and problem solving. Makes me realize why I have a tendency to doodle when I listen to lectures or trainings. It helps me stay focused. One of the coolest things I find about Meditation is that it doesn't have to be perfect. Just the intention to meditate lights up the brain and starts to rewire the brain for better learning, memory, and attention. Obviously the more you attempt to meditate, the more you'll reshape your brain. Other health benefits of meditation include improving your immune system function and sleep, reducing anxiety and depression, decreasing blood pressure, and increasing creativity. Are you ready to bust out your Doodling skills? Here's how you can get started. HOW TO DOODLE:
It's super simple so no excuses. Give it a try this week. Doodling is a MINI Rest Move that you can do anywhere at anytime to help you turn on your Relaxed Body, manage stress, and start to become more mindful. The Practice of Mindfulness helps us get into alignment, calmness, clarity, and improves our emotional regulation so we can be productive, focused, and ready to work/learn/communicate better. Take baby steps. Go for progress not perfection. It all adds up. Doodle your stress away! Mollie P.S. Ready to experience more Energy & Flow? It's almost time for our FREE Summer Workshop & the inside scoop on our next REST Camp: SHINE™! Get on the interest list 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. 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. |
Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
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