FIT BLOG:
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It's time to challenge your CORE muscles so you can have better posture, power, and overall performance. Hopefully you've been using the CORE FLOW MOVES to wake/warm up your core muscles at the start of your day or before workouts. Here's a sequence that'll help you keep building a strong core.  GETTING STARTED: During the exercises:
6 CORE POWER MOVESWork through these 6 CORE POWER MOVES in the following sequence: 1. Planks- 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 30-90 seconds. 2. Push Ups- Drop knees to floor and hands slightly wider than shoulders and closer to chest level than the plank position. Scoop your belly and lower your chest toward the floor. Press back up into starting position. Modify if needed with hands on incline (like edge of sofa, bench or counter). Progress to the floor with knees bent then with knees off the floor. Repeat: 10-20 reps. 3. Bird Dog- Reach opposite arm & leg (right arm and left leg) while keeping your spine and hips steady. You can slide or reach your hand and opposite foot on the floor vs off the floor to modify the pose. You can also just reach your arm or leg to modify then progress to both at same time. Do 5-10 reps or hold for a few breaths on each side. Slowing it down and holding is more challenging to stabilize than lots of reps. Progress to making small (orange size) circles with hand and foot each direction while reaching & keeping spine and hips steady. 4. Dead Bug Leg Lowers- Lie on your back. Knees bent. Engage your belly muscles and lift legs to table top position. Arms reaching to ceiling. Slowly lower one foot to the floor as you reach the opposite arm overhead. Switch sides. Inhale to prepare to move. Exhale and move/lower/reach leg and arm. Modify - do one leg or arm at a time. Progress to lowering a straight leg. Only go as far as you can without losing neutral spine position. If you pooch your belly, you are going to low or fast. Slow down and do small controlled movements. Do 5-10 reps each side. 5. Side Plank- Line up head, shoulder, hips, feet on one side. Place your forearm on the floor and lift hips toward the ceiling. Modify- legs bent. Progress- legs and/or bottom arm straight. Hold 10-30 seconds. Switch sides. 6. Downward Dog- Move into position from a plank position- 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. >>Reminders:
OVER TO YOU Add these 6 CORE POWER MOVES to your workout line up each week. They'll help challenge your core and stabilizer muscles to decrease your risk for injury, promote good posture, and improve coordination & power during functional activities especially sports. Listen to your body. It'll tell you what it needs to feel, move, perform better.  P.S. Want more support with building a Strong, Balanced Core? Check out Hip Camp: 
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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.   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.  Do you ever have trouble falling asleep? It can be so frustrating when you do ALL the things to prep for sleep and get in bed on time to make sure you get enough hours only to lie down and nothing happens. And the longer it takes to fall asleep, the more anxiety can start to creep up. If this ever happens to you, I've got a relaxation tool to add to your REST Toolbox for sleep support. It's been a game changer for me. I got this sleep tip from a Yoga Therapist and OT who recommends it for all her clients to help them relax and fall asleep. She recommends using a weighted eye pillow with some breathing exercises in bed to help with falling asleep (or back to sleep). I honestly forgot about my awesome eye pillow that I've used in the past for naps and meditation. So I dusted it off and tested it out. OMG- it's been A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I've been falling asleep faster and sleeping deeper. In all fairness, I've been doing all the things to improve my sleep quality. I've shared those things in this FIT Blog but adding the eye pillow to the breathing exercises in bed has definitely led to a deeper relaxation response in my body. Here's the eye pillow I use and recommend:  How it works: The eye pillow needs to be weighted as this the pressure over your eyes helps stimulate the Vagus Nerve and the relaxation response. Mine has a lavender scent which is calming to the nervous system as well. I recommend the "Happy Wraps" brand. They come in sets of 4 so you can give them as gifts to family & friends. Add it to some Breath Work: Here are 3 breathing exercises you can trial with your eye pillow to help you relax your body & fall asleep faster (or help you fall back asleep if you wake up in the middle of the night). 1. Belly Breathing:
2. Military Method Breathing Exercise: You’re going to breathe slowly as you relax from head to toe. With each breath, focus on letting your body feel heavy. Picture your body sinking down into your bed.
3. Chanting "OM"- this sound creates a vibration in your throat that relaxes you by stimulating the vagus nerve through its auricular branches.
Note: You don't have to sleep all night with the eye pillow. It'll naturally fall off as you roll to your side or change positions. For the Kiddos: All of this would be great to do with kids for sleep support also. You can add a breathing buddy (stuffed animal) to their tummy to help with the belly breathing. I won't tell if you need a breathing buddy too. OVER TO YOU: You can use your eye pillow to relax for sleep and also during the day when you need a relaxation break or nap. Test out the eye pillow with each breathing exercise to see which one your body likes best.  P.S. Feeling burned out? 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.
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.
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.
Today's the day! Time to Celebrate Earth Day AND National Beagle Day! Beagles & Nature- 2 of my favs that bring me so much joy. Here are 5 ways to tweak how you SHOP so you can make healthier choices for not only your Body & Home but also Animals and the Environment: 1. Shop Cruelty Free: Look for the BUNNY LABEL to find brands that don’t do testing on animals especially beagles & rabbits. Download the cruelty cutter app to make it easier to shop cruelty free. Check that all your skin care, cosmetics, and household cleaning products have the bunny on them. 2. Shop with Certified B Corporations™: B Corps are for profit businesses that commit to balance both profit and purpose. These brands meet legal standards to consider not only the needs of their customer and employees in their decision making but also the environment and larger global community. Check the labels of products you already buy from and see if they are one. 3. Chemical Free Home: keep chemicals, plastics and pesticides out of your home.
4. Clean Eating:
5. Donate: Find organizations that help the environment & find their brand partners (like seatrees.org has on their webpage or Climate Neutral and 1% For The Planet). The brands you choose matter for not only you and your home but our planet. OVER TO YOU: What's ONE thing you can change about how you SHOP that'll help support your Body, Home & the Environment? BONUS MOVES: In honor of National Beagle Day, add some Yoga "Dog" Poses to help you stretch and strengthen your core. You can do all of these on a counter or wall if you don't have the shoulder range of motion to do them on the floor. Warm up a little before you do them. Listen to your Body & do the ones that you can do with good form and still breathe well. You can either pick one move & do a few reps of it or do a few sets of the entire sequence.  Now get outside & celebrate this beautiful Earth (& National Beagle) Day!  P.S. Every sale of our online Rest Camps support organizations that improve 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.
Get on the interest list for our next online Rest Camp here. It's not looking so hot for the wildflowers in Central Texas this year. In fact, the nights have been dropping into the 40’s. I’ve seen a few patches of bluebonnets, but they don’t seem as vibrant as last year. Kind of a bummer so far. Despite this wild Spring weather, the trees are coming through and doing their job. Now it’s our turn. Consider this your early April warning that Earth Day is coming up on Tuesday, April 22nd! The 2025 theme is “Our Power, Our Planet™.” I’ll be sharing some tips to help you explore fun, new ways to support nature and the planet. Let's start with how you can help Restore Nature: PLANT
I was super pumped to learn about Seatrees when we purchased our Tandem SUP. It's incredible to see that over 4.7 million seatrees have been planted and restored around the world. You can get involved directly through as little as a $5 donation or by purchasing from a brand you love that donates to them. When you’re done finding a way to PLANT & Restore Nature, here's a Yoga Pose to help your BODY get grounded and centered.  HOW TO DO TREE POSE
MODS: Adjust your bent leg and arm position to your level of strength and balance. *Foot position: The higher you bring your foot up your leg, the harder it is on your balance. *Knee position: The more you open your knee out to the side, the harder it is to keep your hips aligned. Imagine you have flash lights on each hip bone. Keep the light shining in front of you equally (i.e. if you twist your hips one way, the beam of light would be facing that way vs straight in front of you). *Hand position: The higher you raise your hands, the harder it is to balance. **Don't forget to check that the foot you're standing on has equal contact on the floor/ground at the ball of your foot and heel with toes spread as much as you can. Think of growing roots into the ground like a tree to help you stabilize and ground yourself. OVER TO YOU: Which one of these Nature Moves sounds fun to do? I know it can be overwhelming to think about climate change. Remember it all matters. Small moves from all of us add up just like it does when you make healthy choices for your body each day. Baby steps my friend. Find small ways that are exciting to you to support the Planet. Don't forget to BE in nature as much as possible this Spring!  P.S. Ready to go from Stressed to your Relaxed Body? Download the Relaxed Body Toolkit & Daily Energy Planner here.
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!
If you've ever taken a yoga class, you're gonna be familiar with this yoga relaxation pose: CHILD'S POSE. What you may not realize is how many benefits it provides besides being calming to your nervous system. It's a great Rest Move to add to your REST TOOLBOX for breaks during the day, recovery after a workout, or before bed for better sleep.  BENEFITS OF CHILD'S POSE1. The forward folded position cues your nervous system to calm down which can help with pain and stress relief. 2. The pressure on your forehead can help with headaches, eyestrain, and allergies. It also activates your endocrine system which releases hormones to manage metabolism, energy, reproduction, growth and development as well as your bodies response to injury, stress, and mood. 3. The leg position helps open up your hips, pelvic floor and low back muscles. 4. The chest position helps expand the diaphragm and rib cage which encourages calming breaths. HOW TO DO CHILD'S POSE
If you've got issues with your pelvic floor like pain or tightness, add Child's Pose along with Happy Baby to your daily stretch moves. HOW TO MODIFY CHILD'S POSEIf getting on the floor isn't an option due to back or knee issues, you can do Child's Pose seated in a chair.
Always modify as needed depending on your particular health conditions including pregnancy. The seated version of Child's Pose is a great way to take Rest Breaks during the day when you can't get on the floor or if you have a headache or eye fatigue from work on the computer. Day or night, Child's Pose will help trigger your Relaxed Body so you can feel more grounded, calm, and centered. Give it a try before bed tonight to see how your body responds.  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. |
Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
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