FIT BLOG:
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Do you struggle to stay on track with your fitness goals in the Summer or during your vacations? If so, I've got 4 simple moves to help you avoid a Summer slump or help you reset right away. Remember you'll have more success if you can tie any exercise or healthy habit to something you're already doing. For example, getting your walking in while you shop or explore on vacation. And in the Summer make Mother Nature your accountability partner as much as possible... getting near trees or bodies of water will calm & inspire both your mind & body. 4 SUMMER FITNESS MOVES: 1. RECONNECT- use full body movements to stretch and strengthen your core. Example: Yoga Dog Poses- 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. Listen to your Body & do the ones that you can do with good form and still breathe well for a few reps each to a few sets of the entire sequence. Warm up a little before you do them.  2. RESIST- use resistance from weights, water, bands, even sand to help you grow stronger. You can also turn any workout into interval training to get some cardio benefits. Walking is easy to do anywhere. Spice it up by adding resistance- walk back and forth in waist high water OR walk or run in sand to challenge your strength, cardio, and balance. Bands travel easily so you can bust out a workout anywhere at anytime as well. Bands are great because they challenge your stabilizer (postural) muscles with less wear and tear on your joints. They also work well with interval training. In just 10 minutes (1 minute of hard exercise), you can get the benefits of 50 minutes of traditional endurance training & get a stronger brain (mental health) & body (muscles & heart health). Grab a band & get going with this full body BAND workout here. 3. RECHARGE- when your body is tired, rest your body. You might feel heavy or burning sensations in your muscles, sloppy movements or poor posture, decreased balance, or even feeling weakness and/or stiffness in your muscles. Those are signals your body needs a break. Keep it simple this summer and take a 10-20 minute POWER NAP. It'll help with fatigue as well as improve your attention, mood, and focus. 4. REIGNITE- make time for fun, play, & pleasure. Create something- art, gardening, cooking, baking. Get in some deep, belly laughs (soul laughs) with your bestie. Intentionally find something that brings you joy each day. OVER TO YOU What's one MOVE your Body needs most today? You can start with that. If your Body said "all of the above", then practice the following sequence: Reconnect > Resist > Recharge > Reignite = Restore Your Body Morning- Yoga Dog Poses Mid Morning- Walk or Band workout Mid Afternoon- Power Nap Evening- Play You just made your own mini retreat & got in some strength, cardio, & recovery workouts. Keep it short & simple. It all adds up. Do daily check ins. Your body will tell you what it needs to feel, move, & perform better.  P.S. Want more ways to Reset Your Body each day? Get the Daily Energy Planner- it's a FREE Bonus in the Relaxed Body Toolkit- download here.
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Drum Roll... It’s our final step for Balance Work! Step Four of the Better Balance Series = Coordination Moves for your Base. Our balance is impacted by 3 systems: the Visual, Vestibular, and Sensory Systems. Your brain gets information about the environment (Visual i.e. eyes), motion changes (Vestibular i.e. inner ear), and your bodies position in space (Sensory i.e. joints/postural muscles) so we can move, stay upright, and know where we are in space. It allows us to step off a curb, walk on sand, or balance on a boat without falling on our face. All 3 systems are important but if one system goes down you can become more dependent on another. In Step 4 of the Better Balance Series, we’re going to Challenge the Vestibular System. How? By changing the surface you’re working out on. Slowly start to practice exercising on unstable surfaces like Rennie (our puppy) with his Ball Moves. Rennie's Balance Mov  Stable to Unstable Surfaces Examples:
GETTING STARTED MOVES: Walking Challenges- Walk on uneven terrain, grass, sand or even on curbs. You can also be intentional about changing different directions. PRO MOVES: Water Challenges- Go from exercising IN the water to sports ON top of the water like kayaking, rowing, or Stand-Up Paddle Boarding. You’ll get the benefits of the calming meditative powers of nature AND the core challenge to your balance & coordination from stabilizing on the water. SAFETY MOVES: If you can’t keep good form and posture when doing a balance challenge, it may be too advanced. Don’t risk injury or falling by progressing too fast. Use a stable surface like the wall, counter, or back of a chair to help you be more stable. Get creative, mix it up to challenge your balance but listen to your body. Baby steps even with Balance Work. Check out Rennie’s 1st swim day – up next practice balancing on the SUP.  OVER TO YOU: Ready to add Balance Work to your workouts so you can stay active & agile as you age? You can be intentional about sprinkling them into your day or add 10-15 minutes to your workouts a few times a week. 4 Steps To Better Balance Review: Step 1: Check Your Base Of Support - start with a Foot Core Check Up Step 2: Change Your Base Of Support - strengthen your hips Step 3: Challenge Your Base Of Support- strengthen your core Step 4: Coordination Moves For Your Base Of Support- challenge your vestibular system Use these Balance Moves to make your workouts more FUN plus reduce your risk for injury & increase your longevity. You’ll feel, move, & perform better!   Lately it feels like everyone I know has a mom that has fallen and fractured their hip. I'm used to patient's falling frequently in my brain injury rehab work but it's concerning as I know what a slippery slope it can be. Injuries from falls can quickly lead to death especially in those over 85 years old. Men over 65 years old are actually at higher risk for death related falls. Typically women have more non-fatal fall injuries. Heck I've even had two falls to the floor recently while stepping over our puppy gates after my foot got caught. They've happened when I didn't follow my own advice. Both were a few hours after a leg workout. It was late and dark. I was distracted & rushing with my hands full so I couldn't catch myself or use my arms for balance. Slowing down, holding onto the wall/doorway, and having the lights on would probably have prevented my falls as I was tired. Moving the gates would have DEFINITELY prevented them- LOL. The irony here is I actually like having to step over them as it's great balance work. Falls are going to happen but you can reduce your risk with prevention (what I didn't do) as well as challenging your mobility, strength, and agility while you age. Let's keep going with the 4 Steps To Better Balance to help you do that. First Step Review: Check your Base Of Support- start with a Foot Core Check Up Second Step: Change Your Base Of Support After you've given your feet some attention & woken up your foot core muscles (step 1), you can challenge your balance by changing your base of support & strengthening your hips (step 2). >>Strong hips = Better Balance<< Here are some examples of how to change your base of support during exercise:
Leg Lift Moves- Bird dogs (alternate lifting opposite arm and leg while in quadruped), Donkey kick (hip extension while in quadruped), Side Kicks (sidelying or standing hip abduction) Mind Body Balance Moves- Yoga Flow (Downward/Upward Dogs, Warriors, etc), Qi Gong and Tai Chi Flow These 3 HIP BALANCE MOVES will help you have strong, healthy hips for better balance. OVER TO YOU Which Balance Move will you target this week to strengthen your hips (& core)? Add Balance Work to what you're already doing 2-3 times per week. Safety Tips: if you can’t keep good form and posture when doing balance work, it may be too advanced. Don’t risk injury or falling by progressing too fast. Use a stable surface like the wall, counter, or back of a chair to help you be more stable. Get creative, mix it up to challenge your balance but listen to your body. Up next, tune in for Step 3 of the Better Balance Series.  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:  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. |
Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT, CBIS
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