FIT BLOG:
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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.
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You never know what you might encounter when you go exploring in nature... I mean crossing the street in Austin, Texas. Check out what Ender ran across recently... I’m not sure how I went from growing up with the dad that everyone knew as the neighborhood’s 'Rattle Snake Killer' to having a husband who stops to make sure a snake got home safely?!?! It was alarming but NOT surprising that Ender decided to jump out of his truck to video the snake. One day I’ll share how we ended up visiting The Snake Whisperer on our Amazon trip in the southern region of Venezuela. Fun fact snakes have more bones than us but no pelvis and have evolved to have no legs. We obviously can’t change our shape as smoothly or as much as a snake but we can work on our mobility by targeting our 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 the bones, and organs to the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles. Everything is connected to everything by your Fascia. How you spend your day effects your play. Your fascia takes the shape of what you do most. If you sit most of the day, your hips are going to be tight in the front (your hip flexors). Your PSOAS MUSCLE is the most popular or well known of your hip flexors. It starts at the front of your lumbar spine (lumbar vertebra) goes under the organs and attaches to the front of your hip (i.e. at the lesser trochanter of femur) helping bring your thigh to your chest (bend your hip).  When the Psoas Muscle is tight, it can lead to low back, hip, groin or pelvic pain. It can also affect your posture and ability to stand up straight. It’s even been called the “muscle of the soul” as it can be tense or tight from holding onto emotional stress (fear, anxiety) and trauma due to being activated during fight or flight stress response. Tight hip flexors can cause your gluteal (buttock) muscles to not fire properly which impacts your power, speed and stability. Stretching your hip flexors daily will improve your posture and performance. ️Here are 3 HIP FLEXOR STRETCH MOVES that go from less to more fascia. The tighter you are, start with the least amount of fascia and work your way to more full body stretches (i.e. supine > kneeling > standing positions). 
OVER TO YOU: Do you have tight hip flexors? If so, are you ready to give them some attention each day? Your low back will appreciate it. You’ll notice you have better posture and more ease with movement and walking kind of like that floating on air sensation when you get a new pair of running shoes. Stretching your hip flexors is a great counter to all the sitting we do now. Make sure to add Hip Flexor Stretches to your Rest Toolbox.  P.S. If you’d like to work on your gluts & get more healthy hips tips, check out this FIT Blog. If you're ready to improve your mobility, posture & fascia fitness, get on the interest list for our next online Rest Camp here. We do not provide medical advice. Always consult your physician before starting a new exercise program.
You're probably familiar with Wall Squats as a leg strengthening exercise but have you heard about other benefits? Research studies show it's #1 Isometric Exercise for reducing blood pressure. And by making one small tweak, your wall squat can also help release stress. So let's spice up your Wall Squats! Here are 3 Wall Squat Modifications that'll help you:
 WALL SQUAT WORKOUTS:STARTING POSITION FOR ALL SQUAT MOVES:
3 WALL SQUAT MODS & MOVES:
And of course, ALL of the above will help you have Strong Legs as well. Staying strong in your lower body as you age will help prevent falls & support good posture. If you haven't already added some Wall Squats to your workouts, it's time! Slide, Hold, & Shake your way to a Strong, Calm, more Balanced Body at least 3 times a week!  P.S. Ready to go from your Stressed Body to your Relaxed Body?
It’s never too late to break the habit of going too hard, too fast- THE recipe for inflammation, injury, & burnout... if you're willing to sprinkle some Rest & Relaxation Moves into your day. Let’s calm your body with daily Rest Moves so you can feel more energy, ease, & flow. Download the Relaxed Body Toolkit & Daily Energy Planner to help you get started. When you need to get focused, grounded, and ready to perform at work or for sports, one of the most powerful breathing exercise you can do to prep your Body & Brain is called: Breath of Fire. This Breath Work not only helps boost performance but gets your blood flowing, turns on your nervous system, breaks through emotional blocks, and stimulates your pituitary gland. Your pituitary gland secretes hormones that impact many body functions like:
Excellent reasons to add this one to your REST Toolbox. Please note: this breathing exercise should not be done while you are pregnant or bleeding during your cycle. BREATH OF FIREHow to do it:
Move with it: Once you have the breath work down, add it to a Yoga Pose. Breath of Fire + Yoga Pose for 1 minute = the same benefits as holding that pose for 1 hour with a normal breath. Boost confidence with it: Breath of Fire + a Power Pose will boost your confidence AND your focus before a Performance! Strike a Power Pose for 2 minutes (think Wonder Woman- feet apart and hands on hips) while doing the Breath of Fire. Then go for it. You'll be UNSTOPPABLE! Start practicing Breath of Fire slowly (during the daytime). If you get dizzy, go slower. It's not one to do before bed. It's to help you get ready to perform. The more you practice Breath Work, the faster you'll feel the benefits in your Body & Brain.  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!
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. Are you a snacker? Food snacks especially protein ones can help stabilize your blood sugar and boost your energy. It applies to workouts also. Exercise Snacks are 1-2 minute bursts of activity that you repeat several times throughout the day instead of one longer workout. They can increase your metabolic health, endurance, and even help your muscles use protein to repair and build strength depending on the exercise you perform. You can pick any activity that’ll boost your heart rate and do it for 1-2 minutes several times a day. Exercise Snacks Examples:
IT ALL ADDS UP! Exercise snacks or movement breaks throughout the day will boost your energy, metabolism, and stamina. They’ll also help with reducing cognitive fatigue (brain fog) and completing stress cycles. The key is to do them consistently throughout the day and overtime so you get the full benefits. PRO TIP: Sitting is so hard on your body that you still need to break up your sitting time with exercise snacks even if you're going to get in a good workout that day. Do some exercise snacks for 2 minutes for every 20-30 minutes of sitting. It can be as simple as standing up and doing a round of squats. Listen to your body. It’ll tell you whether it needs food, hydration, rest, or movement breaks (Mini Moves) to feel more energy, ease, and flow each day.  P.S. Ready to be active & agile at any age? Download your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit to get started here.
Here's Part 2 of how to have a strong, healthy pelvic floor for better posture, power and overall performance. Let's add some Pelvic Floor Strength Moves to your REST Toolbox. 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.  *Gif from Burrell Education- another great resource for women's health programs. PELVIC FLOOR PREP WORKThe goal is to learn how to contract your pelvic floor muscles properly (Kegel Exercise) while having good form (posture) and using diaphragmatic breathing during exercise or functional activities. A proper Kegel is done when you can contract the PF without the rest of your body tensing up. Easier said than done, especially when you start moving your body while you Kegel. GETTING STARTED: 1. Find & Feel your Pelvic Floor Muscles- can you contract and relax the PF (Kegel Exercise) while holding a neutral position of your pelvis? It's a diagonal up, back and in motion. 2. Add Diaphragmatic Breathing-
Can you Kegel & Breathe while having good posture and form? 3. Brace and Move- Prepare for a movement or exercise by turning on your Pelvic Floor Muscles (Kegel Exercise) and lower abdominals then HOLD that posture (Bracing) while you do a movement or exercise. Can you brace, breathe, and move without losing your posture and a pelvic floor contraction? PRO TIP: start connecting with your PF while lying down or seated then progress to standing or moving your body. OVER TO YOU: Start practicing daily & take your time doing the PF Prep Work so you can avoid the more common mistakes when you Kegel. If you're not mindful, you'll just be going through the motions without getting any results. Do a check in while you Kegel. Are you?
If you need some more guidance with the PF Prep Work, check out these Resources: It's never too late to address PF weakness but you'll get better results with a Mind Body Approach to retraining the pelvic floor muscles. Pilates and Yoga Therapy offer many ways to modify and progress a pelvic floor training program. Next up: we'll go over 6 Core Strength Yoga Moves that'll help challenge & address weakness or coordination issues of your pelvic floor and core. To A Healthy Pelvic Floor!  P.S. Want more guidance with your Pelvic Floor & Core using Pilates Rehab? You'll want to check out the updated version of REST Camp: SHINE™... get on the interest list here.
You probably don't think about them much but they play a leading role in your posture, power, and overall performance. If weak, they can lead to leaks. When tight, they can lead to pain. They can be injured just like any muscle resulting in painful scars, trigger points, weakness, or soft tissue restrictions. Injuries are when they get the most attention but never as much as the abs or gluts. It's your Pelvic Floor Muscles. Don't wait for an issue with them. Learn how to care for your pelvic floor muscles now as a part of having a strong, healthy core. Your pelvic floor muscles job is to support and stabilize during functional activities. They need to anticipate movements so they know how much or how fast to turn on (contract). And also have the ability to relax and lengthen for things like sphincter control. That requires a combo of flexibility, strength, AND coordination. If you think of the pelvis like a bowl, the pelvic floor muscles would cover the inside of the bowl as they attach to the pelvic bones. They form the base and foundation of your core.  Healthy Pelvic Floor Exercises: Let's start with upgrading your REST Toolbox with these 3 STRETCH MOVES that will help open up and prevent tightness of the pelvic floor muscles:  Happy Baby Stretch- Lie on your back and grab hold of your feet or ankles. Open your knees and bring them toward your armpits as you rock side to side for 1-3 minutes.  Child’s Pose- Kneel on floor with knees apart. Reach your hands on the floor as you lean forward with your chest on your thighs and forehead on floor as you breathe 3-5 times.  Sink Squat- Hold onto a sink or railing and sit down into full squat with feet apart and turned out slightly. Breathe and let your tailbone sink toward the floor as your head reaches to ceiling. Breathe and shift your hips side to side. Do for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can do these 3 Stretches daily:
Next Up: we'll add some exercises that'll help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. To A Healthy Core!  P.S. Want a strong, healthy pelvic floor and core? You'll want to check out our updates to REST Camp: SHINE™... get on the interest list here.
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 STRETCH HOW 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. |
Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
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