STRETCH & REST CARE for the wellness warrior |
Do you stretch before or after you run? If not, is it because of time constraints or confusion over which stretches are best?
Since 53-90% of active runners get injured each year, it’s worth taking a moment to consider your running warm up and recovery routine. Running is a contact sport. It’s a series of controlled falls with rotation and the force generated on your knee and foot can be 3-12 times your body weight. Stretching with proper breathing prepares your nervous system for your next activity. If you’re going to run, you need to turn on your nervous system. If you’re going to relax, you need to calm it down. A boxer isn’t going to throw a punch in the ring without warming up on the mitts. If you run, you need to warm up your hips and prepare your legs for the contact. How you spend your day effects your play. Your connective tissue (“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). Are you going from sitting in a chair most of the day to running? How long do you sit in the car before you run? What about after your typical run. Do you plop back into a chair or sofa as soon as you’re done? Tight hip flexors can cause your gluteal (buttock) muscles to not fire properly. The glutes give you power, speed and stability when running. If they aren’t working properly, the hamstrings have to work harder which can lead to hamstring injuries or cramping. Opening up the hips before you run will help turn on your gluteal muscles as well as improve your posture, speed and stride. If you run/jog typically on flat surface long distance (versus a sprinter), we recommend you target the hip flexors (front of hip) before and after you run. The runner’s lunge stretch will help activate, open up and reset your hips. In the video, Ender shows you how simple it is to modify it before and after you run. When stretching always:
Runner’s stretch sequence (shown in the video):
PRO TIP: Stretch with a 2 to 1 ratio- start and end stretching on your tight side to give those areas a little more attention and create more balance in your body. Stretching is one of the best ways to keep your tissue healthy and elastic - bungee cord like not rope like. REMEMBER: Breath and stretch faster before you run. Breath and stretch slower after you run. Always stretch with control and good form. Never force your tissue to release. Do you stretch before or after running? If so, leave a comment and let us know your favorite stretch. Happy Stretching! Mollie & Ender
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You’ve done your research and found your Pilates studio and instructor. You're ready to take your first class but aren't sure which one to start with. Here are some things to consider before you sign up. MAT OR EQUIPMENT CLASS? Pilates exercises are performed on the mat and on equipment. The classical (“traditional”) exercises are divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced exercises. There are traditionally 34 Pilates mat exercises but many ways to modify them for your fitness needs and body type. There are also 100’s of variations for each piece of Pilates equipment (Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Barrel or Spine Corrector as well as additional tools/props). Keep in mind as you join classes that not every piece of equipment is appropriate for everyone all of the time. Investing in an experienced instructor will not only help you build a strong foundation but teach you how to modify the exercises and guide you to the right equipment for your current fitness level. When I started Pilates, I was rehabbing from a back injury so I spent a lot of time on the Barrel and Cadillac. As I healed, I added more exercises on the Reformer which requires more stability. Ideally you'll learn both the mat and equipment exercises. Once you know the mat work, it can supplement your equipment workouts. In order to prevent injury, you should always be encouraged to master beginner exercises before moving onto intermediate or advanced levels no matter your fitness level. Every exercise builds on itself. Aim for 2-3 workouts a week when starting out. You’re going to hear some common cues when you are taking a Pilates class. Let’s decode some of them. Pilates Common Cues to Master
Stop and regroup if you lose your form during your workout. Watch that you’re moving symmetrically. Keep your hips and shoulders even. Make sure you’re not:
I know. It’s a lot to think about. That’s why Pilates is mind body exercise. You have to be mindful while you do the movements otherwise you're just going through the motions and won’t see or feel changes in your body. The more you practice, the easier it is to focus on your form. I recommend you learn to do a head to toe mental checklist while performing each exercise. I actually start at the feet and work my way up to the head during each movement to check that I’m in the correct position. Download this VIDEO to get the sequence I use. Pilates is about quality not quantity. Low reps with good form and a variety of movements will make up a good workout session. When you can coordinate your breath with the movement, you’ve most likely mastered that particular exercise. It’s the more challenging aspect of Pilates but also the most healing. The breath work is calming for your nervous system and gets your circulation going which helps keep your tissue healthy and release toxins. In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body- Joseph Pilates Pilates is an excellent form of exercise to build a strong foundation and a more balanced body but what you do outside the studio can have a bigger impact on your overall posture and performance. Want to truly transform your body and take Pilates concepts and cues into your day, gym workouts, or running? Download this free video on the HEAD TO TOE POSTURE CHECKLIST that I made to help you reset your posture (and identify some of your tight spots) throughout your daily activities. Stand tall! Mollie P.S. Don't forget to share the HEAD TO TOE POSTURE CHECKLIST video download with your exercise buddies.
OK, you’re ready to transform your body with Pilates but not sure how to find a good class. Learning Pilates is like learning a new language. It’s going to be much more effective and beneficial if you go to a great teacher.
Since anyone can call themselves a Pilates Instructor these days, it’s good to know what to look for. How do you find one? Here’s a secret… they’re usually hanging out at great Pilates studios. First, if you’ve never stepped foot in a Pilates studio, don’t panic. The equipment can be intimidating at first glance and remind you a bit of a torture chamber but I promise it won’t feel that way. Pilates equipment has springs that provide proprioceptive feedback to your fascia, muscles, and joints that can help “turn on” more efficient movement patterns. Your body and brain will love it so let’s find the perfect studio for you. 8 step checklist to finding a great Pilates studio:
Be aware if you're allowed to jump into a group class without a private session. Most Pilates studios require 1-3 private sessions for new clients before you can join a group class not only for safety reasons but to get you the best results. This will also include new clients who have taken Pilates before as every studio and instructor’s teaching style is different. Investing in a private session with an experienced Pilates Instructor is totally worth it. Great Pilates instructors typically go to private sessions with an experienced instructor to get regular tune ups. Even though they know the exercises, there’s nothing like having someone’s expert eyes on you while you go through the movements. Your Pilates Instructor doesn’t have to look like a ballerina but they need to know the exercises and be passionate about teaching them. Anyone can teach the exercises but a great instructor will have the ability to design and adapt a workout for you based on how you walk in the door each session. They can take one look and go “OK we need to work on your shoulders today or your hips look tight, let’s do some barrel work.” The great ones also have the ability to speak and cue you in a way that makes sense to you. If their cues aren’t clicking with you, they should be able to give you a different one so you can execute the movement properly. If you’ve ever taken dance classes with a choreographer, this is similar to how it should feel during a Pilates workout with a great instructor. They will guide you through the movements. Your instructor’s cues will help you make corrections, modify the exercises, and progress them as you get stronger. You're always learning in Pilates so it’s important to find a teacher that’s the right fit for you. 8 step checklist for finding the perfect Pilates Instructor:
It’s not about the burn… The goal of a Pilates workout isn’t sore or burning muscles, sweat soaked workout clothes, or vomiting like in a boot camp. It’s about getting in a state of flow, a moving meditation, where you engage your mind and body in a coordinated, graceful way. Yes you’ll feel taller after class but your body should also be “turned on” because you’re more grounded, centered, present, calm yet empowered and energized! The mind, when housed within a healthful body, possesses a glorious sense of power- Joseph Pilates It’s powerful stuff for sure. Once you’ve found your studio and instructor, you need to start learning the language of Pilates or “cues” you’ll hear in a Pilates workout. I’ll decode some of the more common ones in my next blog post. Subscribe so you don’t miss out on the “Head to Toe Mental Pilates Checklist” to help you not only improve your posture in your Pilates class but also when you're running or playing your sport. XO- Mollie P.S. You can download a summary of the 8 step checklist to finding a great Pilates studio and instructor here.
I’ll admit it. I’m a Pilates snob. I’m picky about my instructors, the equipment I use, and the studio I go to.
It all traces back to how I started my Pilates journey in the bottom of an old Houston Firehouse at a time when you couldn’t use the word Pilates. It wasn’t fancy but everyone in the studio was focused and dedicated to their workouts on these archaic looking machines. It was just before the trademark dispute settled in 2000. Studios all over the country were teaching Pilates but couldn’t call it that from 1992-2000 because of a lawsuit over the name. Once “Pilates” was freed up, it exploded. It was everywhere. You know what that means. Overtime, the exercises start to get watered down or adapted. The Pilates Method wasn’t immune to this phenomenon. With the craze of group fitness classes, it’s easy to miss out on the full benefits of Pilates if you didn’t learn it through private lessons in a fully equipped studio with an experienced instructor. Done right, you’ll walk out of your Pilates session a different person than going in. You’ll feel taller, calmer, centered... EMPOWERED. Pilates is an art form like martial arts or dance so knowing the history and purpose behind the exercises will help you experience the full benefits of it. Just like dance, the more you practice Pilates, the more you perfect it. The first step is learning the movement pattern for each exercise then you progress to focusing on your form from head to toe while executing each exercise. The goal is to eventually become your own coach. You can’t do that without having a good instructor to help you learn how each exercise should feel on your body. "Pilates is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace & skill that will unmistakably be reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and in the way you work" - Joseph Pilates PILATES 101
Pilates is defined as a movement system that uses spring-driven machines as well as a series of floor exercises to increase strength, flexibility, stamina and concentration. Joseph H. Pilates was the German inventor of the Pilates exercise method that he originally called “Contrology.”
Joseph Pilates was a sickly child and he believed exercise could heal and keep us healthy. He created his exercise method by combining the mental focus and breath of Yoga with physicality of gymnastics and other sports as growing up he was a diver, skier, boxer and gymnast. He perfected his method and designed his equipment working with injured German soldiers and eventually the NYC ballet. His wife Clara continued his training method at their NYC studio after he died in 1967. “Be in control of your body and not at its mercy”- Joseph Pilates BENEFITS OF PILATES
We all have muscle imbalances from being right or left handed, swinging a tennis racket, carrying a baby on one hip, or holding the phone to one ear that effect our posture, strength, flexibility and make us prone to injury as we age.
Pilate’s exercises are full body movements designed to improve posture, build a strong core, and improve balance and coordination without stressing our joints. The more balanced your body, the more efficient your movement can be. Pilates is not only a fun way to exercise but it can change your body overtime and can be adapted for injuries or sports training. It will improve your performance for fitness, sports or life. How is this possible? Most people think of Pilates as just a good core workout but it’s more complicated than that. Pilates is mindful movement and each exercise involves 6 key principles: breath, concentration, control, centering, precision and flow. PILATES PRINCIPLES
1. Breath- you never want to hold your breath during Pilate’s exercises. Keep it flowing. Typically you inhale to prepare and exhale during the movement.
2. Concentration- As you master the exercises, you’ll become better at performing a mental checklist head to toe for your form noting what is correct and incorrect and fixing it as you move. A Pilates instructor’s cueing is critical when you’re first learning to help you become more aware of the feel for the correct positions and movements. 3. Control- you’re learning how to control your body with your mind which trains you for life or sports and decreases your risk for injury. 4. Centering- in Pilates, all movements flow from a strong center. Basically, you turn on your core first and then move arms and legs with each exercise. This is probably the easiest principle for people to grasp but takes a lot of mental power to do it properly during the entire exercise or workout. You’ll hear the cue “scoop your belly” (or something similar) in your Pilates class but do you really know what you are supposed to feel or do? Let’s break this down since it’s so important. Your core involves a complex series of muscles from arm pits to hips and helps keep the spine aligned during movement. In Pilates, you’re targeting the stabilizer muscles of your core- Pelvic Floor, Transverse Abdominus, hip rotators, and low back (Multifidus). The Transverse Abdominus muscles, your deepest abdominals, run across your lower abdomen from hip to hip and coordinates closely with your pelvic floor muscles. During each Pilates exercise, you want to turn on your core by focusing first on contracting your pelvic floor muscles or doing the Kegel exercise. It’s an up, back and in motion. The Kegel should help the rest of your core muscles fire properly. If I’ve lost you, refer to my blog post on how to do a Kegel. It’s key to building a strong foundation with Pilates exercises. 5. Precision- you’re focusing on perfecting each movement by being precise in your focus and form. 6. Flow- you concentrate on moving with ease and grace during each individual exercise as well as connecting each exercise together like a dance to improve balance and coordination. You avoid jerky motions, holding a position or stopping between exercises. Just like your breath should keep flowing so should your movement. In order to master these 6 Pilates Principles and transform your body, you’ll need to find a good Pilates studio. I’ll share my tips for that in my next blog post. Subscribe so you don’t miss out on my “Finding your Pilates Studio Checklist” then go practice your Kegel! Mollie Besides being hard to pronounce, do you really know what a Kegel is? It’s a strengthening exercise for your pelvic floor (PF) muscles which run from the basin between your pubic bone and tailbone. If you think of the pelvis like a bowl, the muscles would cover the inside of the bowl. During a Kegel, you contract and relax those muscles. Both women and men can do them. A lot of women believe it’s normal to leak as you get older when laughing, jumping, coughing, or running. That’s actually a sign of a weak pelvic floor. And doing a 1000 crunches isn’t going to strengthen them! Most likely your physician has told you to remember to do your Kegel’s at your annual visit. It’s common to have NO clue what you're supposed to feel. Over the years, I've found that most of my clients are doing the Kegel incorrectly and aren’t maximizing the benefits of the exercise. What does the Pelvic Floor do? These important muscles form the base of your "core” and help with sphincter control, supporting the pelvic organs and are involved in sexual sensation. What’s the big deal? When they’re weak, you can have incontinence (leaking of urine or bowel), organ prolapse (bladder, uterus or rectum drops lower) and diminished sexual response (less sensation during sex or weaker orgasms). They can not only be weak but tight or painful like any other muscle. Fortunately, there are exercises and treatments available for all of these issues. Again, the PF muscles form the base of a strong core. Your core is your center from lower ribs to below your hips. All movement begins here in the stabilizer muscles- Pelvic Floor, Transverse Abdominus, hip rotators, low back (Multifidus). The Transverse Abdominus (TA) muscles, your deepest abdominals that are so hard to workout, run across your lower abdomen from hip to hip and coordinates closely with your PF. When strengthening your core, you want to focus on PF first by doing the Kegel exercise. Still not convinced it’s worth the effort? Well how about if you knew it would help you have better sex (i.e. stronger orgasms) or to help flatten your belly? Besides those benefits, a strong core has been shown to improve posture and decrease risk for injury. Before you jump into your next core workout, take a moment to learn how to do a proper Kegel to fully turn on your core. How do you find your Pelvic Floor Muscles? This exercise will help you feel the contraction of the PF muscles, so you know when they are working:
How do you strengthen your Pelvic Floor? Most likely you were not breathing while you did the movement above. It would be embarrassing to pass out from a Kegel. Before you jump into doing a bunch of reps, you have to learn how to breathe while you do the contraction of the PF. Breathe & Hold Exercise:
Keep in mind: if you’ve had back pain or surgery, scar tissue in your abdomen or pelvis, pelvic pain, and even tight hips or low back muscles- it’s going to be harder for your to reconnect with your PF muscles (and TA) BUT it is possible. What’s Next? Get your baseline: Check in as you are doing this exercise and see how long you can hold the contraction. Also, how many can you do before it’s not as strong of a contraction? This is your baseline and you can build from there. You don’t need to do a ton of reps to get stronger but work on increasing how many reps you can do and hold for longer in one sitting. Example: go from 5 reps for 3 seconds to 10 reps for 10 seconds over time. Have fun practicing! Mollie P.S. Want to reshape your body and have better mobility, posture and energy? Check out HIP Camp™. * The “Connect the Dots”(pubic bone dot to the tailbone dot) cue was coined by our friend, Suzi Alderete, and described in her book: The Pelvic Handbook.
The biggest mistake in power training is not focusing on a creating a strong foundation first. Power on an unstable base will lead to inefficient movement and injuries.
You wouldn’t build your house on sand so why would you try to increase power without a strong, balanced foundation? A strong foundation or “core” helps decrease risk for injury, promotes good posture, and improves coordination and power during sports. You’ll walk, run, bike, row, and move better. Simply stated- if you didn’t have your core muscles, you would fall flat on your face. They play an important role in balance, posture and fighting the effects of gravity. If you’re paralyzed from neck down and your core muscles aren’t working, you can’t hold your body upright without external support. A weak core makes it difficult to move your arms and legs efficiently and puts you more at risk for injury. WHAT'S YOUR CORE? It’s much more than just your abdominals. Your core involves a complex series of muscles from arm pits to hips and helps keep the spine aligned during movement. It’s involved in almost every movement the body makes. Your core muscles protect your spine from forces like when walking on ice or the impact of running. They also stabilize/support your spine during dynamic activities so that you can reach for a cup in the cabinet, pick up the laundry off the floor, carry the groceries, walk, run, kick a soccer ball or hit a golf ball. They help you balance on grass or unstable objects like a stand up paddle board or bike. You get the idea. You need them for all functional daily activities and definitely for sports. Don't be fooled by someone with a 6 pack! Those chiseled abs don't mean they have a strong core. They've most likely overdeveloped the outer most abdominals (i.e. rectus abdominis) only. For a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to focus on being functionally strong versus only having strong abdominals. Developing the deeper core muscles with full body movements will help build strength, efficient movement, and prevent injury during all your daily and sports activities. The core muscles also need to be turned on and challenged as it's very easy for the body to start compensating with other muscle groups. We’ve got 3 key fundamental core exercises to add to your fitness plan that will give you the best bang for your buck and can be done anywhere at any time. THE PLANK, PUSHUP AND SQUAT! These are full body exercises that target the core’s ability to stabilize and will help you build strength, power and good posture. The plank will turn on all the core muscles while you hold the position. The pushup will put weight on your arms while the squat will put weight on your legs as you move them on a stable core. Working against gravity in all positions will help build your strength. The longer you hold them, the more you build your core endurance. Ender shows you the sequence in the video below. First a few tips: 1. HOW TO MODIFY Modify these exercises if you're new to these movements or haven’t done them in a while. To modify the plank and pushup, start with your hands on the wall or counter and work your way to the floor. Or you can start them on the floor with your knees down and progress to knees off. To modify the squat, you can do it with some support like against the wall or while holding onto the kitchen sink. Progress to no support and work your way to squatting fully to the floor. You’ll want to modify if you have had a back or neck injury or are post-partum. Consult your health care provider if you need more help with modifications. You shouldn’t begin these exercises if you are pregnant and new to them or have a recent injury. 2. FOCUS ON FORM During all movements, you want to:
3. THE GOAL Add these 3 core exercises to your cardio routine 3 days a week. Start by holding the plank 10 seconds and do 10 reps of the pushup/squats. Do 1-3 sets of each exercise. Overtime build your endurance to holding planks 60-90 seconds and 15-20 reps of pushup/squats (1-3 sets). Now it’s time for you to build a strong core. Click on the video below to get started: 3 key core exercises from Mollie Miller on Vimeo.
Got a running or workout buddy you think would enjoy these exercises? Please share this blog post with them.
BE STRONG! Mollie & Ender 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! Cooler temps. Tailgaters out. The beer is flowing. Welcome to concussion season, I mean football (or futbol) season. It’s in full swing! Hopefully you saw the movie Concussion that shed light on the story of how the NFL finally acknowledged that their players are at risk for some serious brain damage (chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE) from the repetitive hits to the head they endure throughout their careers. The movie told the story well but glossed over how you can decrease the risk for CTE by actually managing concussions in a different way. 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. Ender and I get calls this time of year from our friend’s with kids in sports. A lot of soccer and football parents. The kids seem younger and younger. It’s the same scenario. Their kid got a concussion and was told not to play until they felt better. The parents aren’t sure when to let them go back to practice. Their kid is still having headaches when they try to read or in class, they feel funny when they run and/or they don’t have much energy. Although we don’t offer medical advice, here is some information and resources that we share with them (besides reminding them to always consult their physician). First, they need to advocate for their kid and put aside their concerns about their sports career. They are parents first, coach or manager second. This is a big deal. It’s their kid’s future with or without sports. They don’t want their kid to get another concussion while the other one is healing. It’s not like 1+1= 2. It’s 1 + another one (concussion) = 5. Brain damage is exponential. And keep in mind the brain isn’t fully developed until the mid 20’s (around age 26 for girls). What's a concussion really? A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury. It’s 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 scans/MRI’s because it can be microscopic tears. 90% won’t lose consciousness. It can take 3-5 days to show signs. 50-70% go unreported. More than a third happen in practice. That means you’ve really got to be on the lookout for the symptoms of a concussion. Common symptoms include dizziness, double vision, confusion, nausea and sensitivity to light or noise. Also feeling sluggish, foggy, or down. You may notice they’re more emotional (angry, irritable, or crying), have changes in behavior or personality (an outgoing kid becomes more isolated), moving clumsily, and/or forgetful (in the game, they may forget their position or the score). There are 3.8 million sports related concussions a year. 1 in 5 school athletes will sustain one this year. Cycling is higher risk (25%) for concussion than football and baseball (14%). Did you see Annemiek Van Vleuten, the Dutch cyclist, crash in Women’s Road Race 2016 Rio Olympics? Yikes- please wear your helmet when cycling! Basketball’s (11%) next. There is less than a 10% risk for water sports, power RV, soccer, skateboards, fitness, or winter sports. Athletes with a recent concussion are approximately 2.5 times more likely to suffer a leg injury within 90 days after return to play compared to athletes without a concussion. Why? One reason might be because the brain controls our ability to move properly and whatever side of the brain was injured, the other side of the body could be more at risk for injury while it’s healing. Playing with a concussion also doubles recovery time. A recent study of 12 to 19 year olds playing contact sports found it took 22 vs 44 days to recover if they didn’t rest 24 to 48 hours after a concussion. Bottom line: proper rest after concussion will help you return to sport more quickly. Listen, I get it. The pressure to get back in the game is real. Even though I’ve been in brain injury rehab for over 20 years, I love football and we are UFC fanatics. I grew up in Texas with two younger brothers that were groomed to be the high school quarterback stars from the age 10. My brothers had pressure their whole childhood from our dad and coaches for all the sports they played. Our dad made dance moms look sane. My youngest brother hadn’t even woken up from anesthesia after a surgery to repair a compound fracture to his left leg from a freaky tackle his senior year and my dad was asking the trauma surgeon when he could play baseball. You see my dad was obsessed with him getting a baseball scholarship that he couldn’t even process that my brother might not be able to walk normal much less run. My brothers tell stories now of coaches pulling them out of class to talk about the games or pressure them to choose one sport (in high school). And they were healthy. If you’re an ill or injured athlete, there’s much more pressure to get back in the game or lose your spot. Even on the drill team we had that issue. If we didn’t practice, we couldn’t perform and you might not ever get back in the lineup. In reality, the worst pressure is probably coming from your kid because all they want to do is please their coach and you. They’re going to want to play so it’s your job to know what to look for. You know your kid best. You’re looking for changes in their personality, behaviors, mood, and routines. Until that gets back to normal, they probably shouldn’t practice much less play. Although schools and universities are more aware of the concussion issue, it really depends on what kind of economic resources your school has for how they handle return to play. It’s really up to the athlete and their parents to be on top of their “brain” game. It’s really no different than any other medical or health concern, the more you advocate for yourself, the better. You might need to seek medical help outside of the school. Elite athletes put together a team outside of their agent, manager, or league to take care of their body (and mind). It’s never too early to take this approach to sports. Even if your kid isn’t going pro, they’re going to want to have a healthy brain as they pursue college, work or a relationship. If your kid is playing a sport, figure out if your school has a protocol for concussions and what the return to play guidelines are. Find out if your area has a Concussion Clinic and tuck that into your back pocket. After a concussion, the typical recommendation is to slowly return to normal activities under the supervision of a physician. But honestly what does that mean? THE KEY IS TO GIVE THE BRAIN TIME TO HEAL! Here’s what you can do to assist the recovery if your kid does get a concussion in practice or a game:
SIGNS OF OVERDOING IT: onset of headache, fatigue, irritability, eye fatigue-blurred vision, dizziness, anxiety/worry, insomnia, difficulty focusing and remembering things either during or after activities. THE SOLUTION: If your activities bring on symptoms, the answer is rest and taking breaks. Also keep your physician informed and follow his advice. Notice how you feel the next day after trying new activities. If your symptoms have flared up, you may have overdone it the day before. It’s helpful to keep a calendar with your activities to refer to so you can adjust your pace as needed. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP SOONER RATHER THAN LATER: get professional help if symptoms last more than a month such as ongoing dizziness, headaches, vision issues, sensitivity to light and noise or mood issues. Also reach out if your kid had a concussion in the past and never really bounced back or something just seems off (maybe they are now struggling in school and hadn’t in the past). The sooner you get help, the better. Here are some resources:
THE GOOD NEWS: The brain can repair and heal because of neuroplasticity (ability to create new neurons/connections and compensate for injury or damage) if it’s given the right amount of rest balanced with just enough stimulation. It’s a dance but if you listen to the symptoms, they will guide you on how to pace your activities as the brain recovers. If you need some brain Injury resources for Texas, you can book a consult with me here. Play Smart! Mollie PLEASE NOTE: CORE POWER HEALTH & FITNESS, INC. (“WE,” “US” OR “OUR”) DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONSULT A LICENSED PHYSICIAN PRIOR TO BEGINNING OR MODIFYING ANY EXERCISE, FITNESS, DIET OR NUTRITION PROGRAM THAT YOU UNDERTAKE. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EXERCISE ACTIVITIES INVOLVE RISKS WHICH MAY INVOLVE RISK OF BODILY INJURY OR DEATH, AND THAT YOU ASSUME THOSE RISKS. IN NO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INJURY THAT YOU SUFFER, OR THAT YOU CAUSE TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY, IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE SITE.
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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.