FIT BLOG:
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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.
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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. 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
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Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
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