Tag / movement as a means of healing

by tessbrennan

Quick Tip – Rollerskating

There are many activities we do with our children, that with a bit of effort can increase the effectiveness, calories burned, and muscle strength.

Today, I went rollerskating with my daughter, a favorite activity of ours.  My goal is to get my heart rate elevated for a prolonged period of time, sweat a bit, burn some of those calories and even build some muscle.

If you hold your arms out to the side, up in the air, for a second, its easy, same thing when you squat down. BUT, if you keep your arms there for an extended period of time, you will begin to feel the burn as gravity does its work and the muscles begin to work as you are holding them there.  Same thing, with the squat.  So what I do is keep my feet moving and work my thighs by squatting down into the moves and using my thigh muscles to push my feet out and pull them back in, all while maintaining that squat.

Keep moving until you feel the burn, then hold it a bit longer to make it worth it.  I use the burst mentality to make the most of my time.

3-5 minutes of warm up.
3 minutes of stretching muscles.
20 second bursts of movement in the squatted stance with 10 second intervals of relaxed gliding between. (3 minutes 30 seconds total at a time)
3 minutes of cool down.

Today, we were only at the rink for a couple of hours. (1 hour of it that I could skate) So, I did several reps of the above workout.

by tessbrennan

A Magical Exercise that can be Done Anywhere.

So many people frequently tell me they Don’t have Time to work out, their schedule is just so full.  People work many hours, several jobs, have kids activities to attend… so an exercise that they can do anywhere would be very helpful!  Enter stretching AND THE SQUAT!

Last year, at one of our Feel Good Fast Support Group meeting, we heard from Dr. Christopher Green, of the Chiropractic Care and Rehab Center in Estero, Florida, about movement and the importance of movement in daily life.

Dr. Green shared stretches with us and a simple exercise that can be done anywhere to assist with and allow continued mobility in most anyone.  He explained how he believes the perfect exercise is running, (I’m still walking.) and a close follow-up is the squat.

So, here is how Dr. Green explained the proper technique to the squat. (50 per day is idea – you don’t have to do them all at once) You can do these, literally anywhere. These are beginner squats – as you become more comfortable, stronger and balanced, you can do these squats without a chair!

Begin by sitting in a chair, then sit up straight and stand up. (Do NOT lean forward to stand up, just stand straight up.)Congratulations, you are half done!

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Next, hold your hands out in front of you and look up! (This helps you keep your head back and your back straight) And sit back down, gently and controlled.

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You have successfully completed 1 squat!  Now only 49 more to go. Smile  (Start off small – maybe 25 a day – 5 at a time, 5 times throughout the day.  Then begin to work up to that magical number of 50)

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Yes, I AM holding a magic wand from the movie FROZEN.  It was a stipulation for my amazing photographer, CLB.  If I would hold the wand in my hand during the shots, she would capture them for me.  You have to compromise sometimes to work with the best!  (She is after all… almost 7)

This amazing exercise is GREAT for your core, AND to assist in bladder control as well.  (Just a handy little side note for you.)

For more information on simple exercises to make a big impact on your health or for personal coaching, please, feel free to contact me!

by tessbrennan

Why I Feel Like I’m getting old (actually sedentary?)

I’m 43. I’m proud of it, I feel better now than I ever did in my 30’s and I am loving life.  I’ve earned all 43 years.

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This year, I’ve begun having more aches and pains… knee pain, hip pain (as discussed in my last blog) and this morning shoulder and neck pain.

However, I KNOW it is NOT because I am “old.”  When I look at and analyze what has been going on for the last month and a half, (or not going on) it is easy to see why I hurt.

Poor diet choices.  While we were traveling for 11 days, in. the. car…  We ate mostly good food, but it wasn’t the normal attention to all the healthy good foods.

Sitting on my butt, for hours and hours and 3,000 miles, was not conducive to keeping my muscles in shape.  We were so busy running from hospital to care center to homes, to different cities that when we did stop it was to eat, spend a bit of time with family, and sleep.

Playing games on my phone, for hours while my hubby did the driving was NOT conducive to proper posture, body angle, and lends itself to muscle fatigue and aches and pains. Think about it… both thumbs on the phone for optimum game playing, texting, and Facebooking is HORRIBLE posture.

So many of us lead such busy lives. Children, spouses, church, work, etc.   We are SO busy we are getting sedentary. We drive everywhere, sit through recitals and children’s sports, work at a desk all day, when we do find time, we just want to sit and be still.

So, why do MY neck and shoulders hurt?

I work at a desk every day.  I sit at a desk with my mouse up at the wrong angle and my keyboard at less than optimal height, this leads to back, neck and shoulder issues.

I have allowed my recent habit to be “very busy” other than taking the time to stretch, exercise, and move.  My muscles have begun atrophying, much like my father-in-law’s had after a long bout with Sepsis, where he was flat in bed for weeks.

If we DON’T take the time to MOVE, to be ACTIVE, to be as God made us to be, our body cannot take it.  Perhaps this is why the statistic about those who “truly retire” typically die within 5 years.

Genesis 2:15

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

I know, that when I begin to ache or my muscles start to hurt… it’s NOT because I am “old”… it is because of my choices and my NOT moving and working. 

We were put on this earth to move, when we stop moving our bodies begin to die. Sad smile

My solutions to my pain:

  1. I begin stretching and moving more. 

    I begin with range of motion stretches for my neck. My friend, Zoltan, put these together for those of us on the 3-day, but I use them for all kinds of things.

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  2. I go to see my Chiropractor, Dr. Green.  I know that I’ve been sitting in a poor position for days, and that lends to my back not being in optimum alignment, so a trip to the good doc is in order.
  3. I schedule a massage with my LMT Heather Lloyd with Serenity Healing Studio.  I know it will most likely hurt a bit as she works on me, but I also know when she is finished, I will feel amazing!
  4. I eat “clean” for several days.  A few days with no junk, lots of water, fruit, and veggies can help my body eliminate the nasties that have built up and help my body to heal itself.
  5. I will set an alarm, if I have to, so that I can stretch and move about every 30-40 minutes at work. Sitting for hours at the same posture is not good so I make the effort to move around.

Hope this helps.  Don’t LET your body get old!  For more information on healthy choices, please feel free to contact me!

Keep on keepin’ on!

~ Zig Ziglar

by tessbrennan

MY COUCH IS SATAN!

So, I’ve done one training walk since Tampa… The couch Is not my friend… I stepped on the scale last night and I am up 7 pounds (not that that is the end all be all, but I’ve done nothing…)…and this morning was the Jingle Jog…not my typical cushy 5k… This was a true cross country race, and my first ever.

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I am happy with my 39.45 finish in that it was under 40 minutes, but disappointed that I was so out of shape. At the end I was able to push through and finish strong. Even heard my dad yelling “kick it” at the end. 😉 I am excited that I did so well…

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Earlier this week I developed excruciating pain in my left hip. As I evaluated why I was hurting I discovered I was wearing horrible shoes and my hubby was kind enough to point out I’ve been spending WAY too much time on the couch. 😦

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So, Wednesday I started “moving”and wearing good tennies.  I was really nervous about today’s event and the pain in that hip.

Then I started running. Other than being horribly winded and a lovely shade of crimson at the finish line I felt great! The hip pain is gone.

Thank you Bonita Banner

Thank you Bonita Banner

Dr. Green of Chiropractic Care & Rehab frequently talks about movement for healing, today is a testament to this concept. Long ago I would have babied that hip and wondered why it kept getting worse… Today, I know that if I begin moving and working those muscles with care they will loosen up and work better.

I am not advocating that you go out and over do it when you hurt, especially if you have done something to injure yourself. I AM saying if you’ve not done anything too injure yourself and you start hurting in a joint area… Get moving….

Remember… THE COUCH IS SATAN!

by tessbrennan

The exercise you ARE getting–without the credit.

A friend, and client, recently stated, “I would love to hear some non-workout- exercise ideas that don’t require massive sweating or leaving kids to be watched by daddy.”

This got me to thinking…  Many of us get exercise weekly or even daily that we don’t give ourselves credit for.  There was a study done on those working in housekeeping. Perhaps, we need to look at the things we are already doing and give ourselves the credit for what we are doing.

30 minutes of our daily activities can burn some calories for us. Here are some examples and the calories burned in a 30 minute session.

Active Gardening 37 Calories
Carrying a Heavy object 49 Calories
Carrying Groceries 72 Calories
Dance 225 Calories
House Cleaning 34 Calories
Roll in the Hay 17 Calories
Mopping 23 Calories
Mowing the Lawn 51 Calories
Actively playing with your Kids 28 Calories
Scrubbing Floors 34 Calories
Shopping for Groceries 23 Calories
Take the Stairs 43 Calories
Walking 34 Calories (depends on Pace)

 

This is a GREAT way to begin thinking about the things you do on a daily basis and the calories that it burns.  Things add up and your activity level does too.

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Playing at the park, we chase her around on all the apparatus and play too!

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Occasionally we go bowling with friends.

Some other ideas for some “non-traditional” exercise might be…

Park farther from the store.
Take the stairs when you have <5 floors to cover.
Walk around the block while your kids scooter.
Walk to the neighbors, the store, the playground.
Do crunches in your home.
Sign up for B.U.R.S.T.club.com workouts (11 minutes)
Do squats while watching a favorite TV program.
Have a “Dance Party” with your kids
Play Football with your Kids (or soccer/volleyball/etc.)
Swim/Tread water  152-167 Calories in 30 minutes
Challenge your kids to workout with you
Walk the dog
Wash the cars

 

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Daddy & CLB having scooter races in the driveway.

We frequently have dance party in our home, do bike/scooter rides as a family, walk places, and just move about playing tag.  We have friends who get together and ski most weekends in the summer. (Pretty sure that counts as exercise) Just make ways to be more active, change your habits – even dance while you cook dinner – kill two birds with one stone and eat it for dinner!

Erick Flinn

Erick, barefooting. 

What things do your families do to stay active?

by tessbrennan

Are spider webs causing you joint and muscle pain?

As I rounded the corner to 42, I noticed more aches and pains in my daily dealings.  I also noticed times when there were more aches and times when there were fewer.  It has occurred to me that these aches and pains are a direct correlation to my activity levels and my diet.

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When I exercise regularly (that’s walking for me) my muscles and joints in my legs, back, arms and neck don’t hurt as much.  When I take my supplements and choose wise culinary options, I feel GREAT!

However, just as a spider web is built one strand at a time, so do the tight, sore muscles and joints in my body. When I don’t provide the nutrition my body needs its ability to run properly is compromised.

When I don’t get out there and walk or exercise from home in some way for days at a time, each day the aches and pains increase in number and intensity.

So, how do I unravel that web of pain and discomfort. I begin with gently stretching and adding some activity. I recommit to healthful eating. Rather than just eating for the moment, I make the effort to choose more fiber, higher quality protein and foods that support my health. I also opt for a massage from my trusted LMT at Serenity Healing Studio or Dr. Green, my Chiropractor for an adjustment.

Just because I abused my body and avoided healthy choices for years, doesn’t mean I can’t make a difference in my body’s ability to perform today.

Feel Good Fast -Power of 7

Please contact me for more information on how you can begin to unravel that spider web of tight muscles, and aches and pains.

Thank you to Chris Griffith and Life in Bonita Spring for the photo at the top of the page.