STRETCH & REST CARE for the wellness warrior |
Did you know your brain can release pain relieving hormones that have a stronger effect than morphine on your body? It's true. If you've had a baby or run regularly, you know them well- it's your Endorphins! There are over 20 types of Endorphins which are pain and stress relievers created by the Pituitary Gland & Hypothalamus that attach to the brains reward centers (opioid receptors). They trigger the release of Dopamine and increase our feelings of pleasure and well-being. Signs that you may have low levels of Endorphins can be depression, anxiety, muscle aches, sleep issues, chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia, and even exercise addiction. Although Exercise is one of the best ways to boost Endorphins, there are additional simple moves you can do to increase your levels. My favorite way is through Fascia Stretching and Massage. It's my go to pain management strategy for clients (and myself). I'll never forget the "Endorphin High" I got during the 3 day upper body Fascia Stretch Therapy certification training Ender and I went to years ago. My arms were so tight from all the years of doing manual therapy on clients so by day 2 of just stretching the arms, my lab partner and I could NOT stop laughing. We felt drunk from stretching. It was wild & a bit embarrassing until eventually other classmates had similar reactions. Fascia Stretching is one of the most powerful tools I've found to improve pain, elasticity, & mobility in the body. As a bonus it's a mood booster. It's the foundation to all my camps and coaching programs for a reason. You can also BOOST your Endorphins & Mood with any of these pleasurable activities: 1. Create Art 2. Laugh or vent about stressful situations 3. Dance 4. Eat dark chocolate or spicy foods 5. Drink red wine 6. Have sex Aromatherapy, Acupressure, and Acupuncture are additional therapies that can help increase Endorphin levels. It's possible you've already identified from this list what your body craves on the regular. Can you see how it's telling you what it needs to boost hormones like your Endorphins? If not, pick an Endorphin Booster & be mindful of how your body feels after doing it. Figure out which ones your body likes best & sprinkle them into your daily routine. When you're in pain or need to boost your mood, get some Endorphins flowing. Enjoy the high! Mollie P.S. Ready to learn Fascia Stretching & Massage for daily self-care & pain relief? You'll want to join us for our next round of Rest Camp! Details for SHINE™ are coming soon- join the wait list here.
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Happy Earth Day! Earth Day is always great time to explore fun new ways to support nature and the planet. Let's start by celebrating some WINS! There is evidence that some animals like butterflies, whales, and gorillas are rebounding. It appears that the effort to restore the ozone layer is on track to make a full recovery. There are over 60 Dark Sky Parks, Communities, & Reserves. Dark Sky recognition requires dedication to preserve the night sky by decreasing harmful effects that artificial light at night has on humans, wildlife and the environment. We are fortunate to be surrounded by several Dark Sky Communities (Bee Cave, Dripping Springs, Wimberly, Horseshoe Bay, and Fredericksburg) and my old neighborhood (Lost Creek). Now let's celebrate Earth Day! 4 Ways To Support Nature & The Planet: 1. Green Exercise: Make it part of your daily routine to spend some time in nature and add exercise- anything from cardio (walks, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, cycling) to relaxation exercises (breathing/stretching, Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, napping in a hammock) outdoors will give you the health benefits of both exercise and nature. Bonus points if you go explore a National Park sometime soon. 2. Listen to NATURE on Spotify: it helps the Earth receive streaming royalties that go toward conservation efforts. It's no joke. Learn more here. 3. Learn more about the Native Lands you live on: Interactive Global Map. 4. Restore Nature in your area: Plant native pollinators to help the bees & birds. You can find native pollinator plants by state or region here. You can find volunteer opportunities in your area to help restore nature here. You can find more resources and ideas to celebrate Earth Day & support the healing of our Planet on this FIT BLOG. Which one sounds fun to do this week? To Mother Earth! Mollie P.S. Interested in becoming part of Rest Crew #2 for our next round of Rest Camp? Details for SHINE™ are coming soon- join the wait list here. P.P.S. April 22nd is also National Beagle Day! Every Rest Camp sale supports an organization that improves the health & welfare of animals including Beagles. One of our favs to support is Beagle Freedom Project. They rescue and rehome beagles & other animals who have been used for lab testing in the U.S. and abroad. They also work tirelessly to champion laws & legislation to ban the cruel practice of animal testing nationwide. 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 STRETCHHOW 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. It's daylight savings time! Although I do wish we could just leave the time alone, I do prefer more light at the end of the day. It can take a week for our bodies to adjust to the change though. If you struggle with the time change, you can find 2 strategies to help you adjust faster here. There's also something simple you can do each morning to help your day have more ease & flow. I'm not talking about things like: -making your bed -staying off your phone for the first 20 minutes -drinking glass of water -doing a few breathing exercises and stretches -having a meditation practice Those are all great moves to start your day and make part of a morning routine. Slowly warming up over that first 15-30 minutes will help you tap into your intuition and creativity setting you up to have your best ideas and better focus for the day. But first, I want you to try something while you are still in bed. Before you even open your eyes, say to yourself "Today's my BEST day ever!" Set the intention for your day with this simple statement and watch how much smoother your day goes. Rise like the sunrise. Slowly waking up. Start with a positive intention about your day. Train yourself to be mindful of your first thought. Make it a good one. Your body & brain will appreciate the positive vibes. Have a great day! 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. What do you do when you’re feeling stuck in a rut? It doesn’t matter if it’s fear, overwhelm, confusion, or cognitive fatigue holding you back. There is one MOVE that can help you start moving forward again. Move Your Body. It’s the best bang for your buck when you’re stuck. Why? Physical activity is the number one way to manage stress and complete a stress cycle. It’s also going to bathe your brain in BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor). A protein that is essential for the survival of neurons (cells that make up the brain). It protects the brain from ischemic damage (damage from lack of oxygen), degeneration (deterioration) and promotes long term memory. Just 20 minutes of any kind of physical activity can boost BDNF levels and improve learning, energy levels, memory, MOOD, focus, even your creativity. Stop beating yourself up or trying to figure out why you’re stuck. Start moving and your brain & body will know what to do. Although any form of movement works, one of my favorite moves when I’m feeling stuck is to take a walk. POWER MOVE: Make it Interval Walking. Research shows it IMPROVES:
HOW TO INTERVAL WALK*:
MODIFY TIP: If you’re overcoming a lower body injury and aren’t ready for that much walking, then do the same thing on a stationary cycle until you can transition to walking more. FIT TIP: The more you enjoy it, the better it is for you. Add your favorite music and the dopamine will start flowing (your pleasure hormone). Next time you’re feeling stuck, go for a walk. It’ll help your brain & body get back in flow so you can move forward. Your heart will love it too. Get Moving! Mollie P.S. For more on the benefits of Interval Training and some more workout recommendations, check out this FIT Blog: How To Get Stronger in 1 Minute *From the book: The One Minute Workout by Martin Gibala, Ph.D. **For intensity guidance, refer to the Modified Borg RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) Scale from 1 (extremely easy) -10 (extremely hard or max effort). You know that warm, fuzzy feeling that washes over you when you’re in love? That's your LOVE hormone, Oxytocin, in action. It helps encourage us to bond with others. Like a mom & her baby while nursing. Although physical touch is the fastest way to boost your Oxytocin levels, there are some simple moves you can do to get that loving feeling going. Just a 10-20% increase will promote the relaxation response- hello Relaxed Body! Oxytocin increases your mood, empathy, trust, and openness to connect with others. It decreases cortisol, inflammation, the pain threshold, stress, and even withdrawal symptoms. Signs that it’s low include muscle aches, poor sleep, irritability, anxiety, sugar cravings, poor communication, and difficulty achieving orgasm. It definitely has some powerful jobs in the body so let’s get it flowing. 13 Moves To Boost Your Love Hormone, Oxytocin:
Lovingkindness Meditation (say out loud to yourself): May I be happy. May I be safe. May I be free of physical pain and suffering. May I be able to recognize and touch harmony and joy in myself. May I nourish wholesome seeds in myself. May I be healthy, peaceful, and strong. Spread the Love: You can say it for other people you care about as well but only after you’ve said it for yourself first. You can even expand it to strangers or a larger community. When you say it for others, change the word “I” to the name of the person (or group) you would like to say it for. Example: May (name of loved one or group) be happy. May (he/she/they) be safe. OVER TO YOU: Pick one of the Oxytocin Moves above to boost or bring back that loving feeling. See which ones work best for you. You don’t have to be into the hoopla around Valentine’s Day this year, but it's a great reminder to #1 do something that brings you joy and #2 find time to connect with others this week. Ender, Teddie and I will probably do a movie night tonight, but started the week off enjoying that awesome Super Bowl. On Friday, I'm looking forward to a karaoke happy hour I've got planned with some old friends. That'll hit a few moves on the list for me. What about you? Hope you have time to play & have some fun too! Happy Valentine's Day! Mollie P.S. No pet? No problem. Just stare into Teddie's eyes... P.P.S. Want more Relaxed Body Moves to add to your Rest Toolbox? Get started with this 3 minute Active Recovery Workout: Download Now Let’s do a brain energy checkup. You only have so much brain power each day. In the brain injury rehab world, we talk about energy by thinking of the brain as a pie. Your brain controls everything your body and mind are doing. If 50% of your brain’s focus is on pain (i.e. half the pie), then you’ve only got 50% left for every other function. Pain and stress- whether mental, emotional, or physical- can easily leave you with crumbs energy wise as they take up a lot of brain space (or pie). Here are 3 MOVES to help you free up some brain space for more energy & better performance:
Did you notice all these moves are calming by nature? A calm brain is one that creates, performs & learns better. OK your move. Pick one to test & track how much more energy you have each day for work & play. To Better Brain Moves! Mollie P.S. Want 4 more moves to help trigger your rest & relax mode? Check out this FIT Blog. Have you picked your 1 thing for 2024? That one goal you want to focus on? It could be improving your
Whatever it is, let's set you up for success. Use this brain hack to help you create lasting transformation as you develop your new habits: Celebrate Your Wins. If you’re trying to change behavior, you’ll want to celebrate more often. BJ Fogg, Stanford Behavior Scientist, has found that when we connect celebrating ourselves with new habits we are trying to change it’ll help you build a new behavior. When you celebrate a win, it sets off a physiological reaction that releases the happy chemicals in your brain and connects it to whatever you are celebrating. The more you celebrate something and associate it with feeling good, it’s more likely you will do it. Sort of sounds like dog training, doesn't it? Reward the good behaviors and you’ll get more of them. Also some parenting approaches. Since we’re all about Daily Mini Moves to help you have more energy, ease and flow, celebrating your wins to reinforce healthy habits will give you the dopamine hit your brain & body love instead of that bag of chips, the donut, the alcohol, the Netflix binge. Daily practice will get in the brain reps in that are needed to lay down new neural pathways until it’s an engrained, automatic healthy habit, or routine. If you want to go deeper, BJ Fogg’s website is full of resources including his book “Tiny Habits: The Small Habits That Change Everything.” Over To You:
We're here to celebrate your Wellness Wins & help you grow your Rest Toolbox so you can have a Calm, Strong, Rested Body and stay active & agile no matter your age. Cheers to a Peaceful, Playful, Joyful 2024! XO- Mollie, Ender, & Team Core Power We believe Rested Healers, Leaders, & Creators will heal the planet. Let’s Rest More To Heal More. Your Body. Others. The Planet. Have you heard of the Blue Zones? Areas around the world that have a high population of thriving 100 year olds. Ender and I started watching the Netflix series: Live to 100- Secrets of the Blue Zones. Studies are ongoing about their food, exercise, and lifestyles to find any commonalities among these wise souls. Even though it's been 19 years, we both vividly remember an encounter with the most hilarious, sharp witted gentleman in the tiny fishing village of La Sabana, Venezuela where we got married. We ran into him walking on the beach as he did every day. The town elder. Playful and proud of his age. We actually didn't believe it when he told us he was 100. He moved and looked like a 50 year old. I was blown away by his balance on the sand. He had to get another local to back up his story for us to finally believe him. He kept the beach clean and walked all over the town every day checking on and joking with his friends. His diet mostly fish and veggies. He was a character just like the folks you'll see in the Netflix series. In the first episode they brought up one of my top tips for staying active and agile as you age. It's something most people stop doing as they get older. Can you guess what it is? It's a great move and JLO song... Get ON THE FLOOR! Episode one refers to the Sit and Raise Test. It's been researched as a longevity test and tooted as a predictor of how long you will live. Whether or not this test truly predicts how long you'll live, it's a great test to check in on where the tight and weak spots are in your legs. You can try it if you don't have any major joint issues or just pay attention to where you struggle when you try to get up and down from the floor (even if you have to hold onto something). If you can't even attempt to get down on the floor, well that tells you a lot also. It's OK if you've stopped or avoid getting on the floor. Don't beat yourself up about it. One of the reasons I love yoga and pilates is they encourage us to get on the mat (floor) regularly. Unless you practice a religion that prays on the floor, have a job that involves getting on the floor (i.e. working with kids), or are from a culture that eats meals seated on the floor, you'll have to be more intentional about getting some floor time as you age. You need floor time just like babies need their tummy time! The mobility and strength to get up and down from the floor can help prevent falls as you age. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths for age 65 or older. If you struggle getting on and off the floor without using your arms, support or losing your balance, then it's time to start working on your hip mobility and strength. We've got you! Here are 2 ways to get started: Over To You: Grab your mat and get some floor time in this week. Cheers to Healthy Aging (& walking on the beach at 100)! Mollie P.S. Ho. Ho. Ho. It’s time to Roll. Our favorite foam roller is on sale until 12/31/23. It’s like having a PT, Chiro, Massage Therapist in one and the closest we can get to sending our hands home with you. You can find it here*. P.P.S. The waitlist for our new REST Camp is open & Week 2 Rest Moves will help you work on your mobility (moving with ease) from head to toe with your new foam roller. GET ON THE LIST *indicates affiliate link |
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.