Have You Found The Lifestyle That Works For Your Body?

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

Tags

Deep Breathing, Feldenkrais Method, Healthy Body, Healthy Diet, Healthy Lifestyle, healthy-living, maintaining weight loss, Meditation, Metabolism, Movement, Obtain and maintain a healthy body weight, Physical Activity, Prevention of Diet Related Diseases, Relaxation, Sleep, Water, Whole Grains, Yoga

Many components make up a healthy body, including what we eat and drink, how much we sleep, some physical activity and relaxation.

Let’s look at each one:

1. What we eat and drink: A healthy diet, made up primarily of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lentils has been shown to prevent and reverse diet related symptoms and diseases. Also, since our bodies are made up mostly of water, it makes sense to make this our “beverage of choice.”

2. Sleep: Recent research has shown how important sleep is for our basic functioning and the ability to reach and maintain a healthy body weight.

3. Physical Activity: Movement helps with circulation, burning calories, increasing your metabolism, building agility, stamina and strength. It can also improve mood, blood pressure and build a strong core and back.

4. Relaxation: For some people a regular practice of meditation, deep breathing, Feldenkrais or yoga serves as a way of relaxing the body and the mind.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Do You Consider Yourself An Athlete?

14 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Athlete, Athletic, Athletics, Bike Riding, Exercise, Fitness, Half-Marathon, Healthy Body, healthy-living, inner athlete, Physical Activity, Running, swimming, Training, Walking, Yoga

The dictionary defines an athlete as a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

Our bodies were designed to move. We are all athletes and capable of often doing more than we think we can or actually do, myself included. Let your inner athlete out. If you like to walk or run, join a team or training group. Did you know that a large percentage of people completing half-marathons walk them?

Competing is one way of getting regular physical activity. Another might be going to the gym a few times a week, bike riding, swimming or doing yoga. Remember the definition of an athlete is a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

If you choose to challenge yourself keep it fun, and gradually build up to doing more.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Recovering from Back Pain

10 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Back Exercises, Back Injury, Back pain, Body Weight, Chiropractor, Core Strengthening, Feldenkrais Method, Personal Trainer, Physical exercise, Physical Therapy, Restorative Yoga, swimming, Walking, Yoga

It’s estimated that 80% of adults will experience back pain at some point. Most of us don’t learn how to take care of our backs until we have a back injury, myself included.

When I was in my late 20’s, I was pushing a shopping cart full of groceries with my 4-year-old daughter in it. We were in a new area and I didn’t see the potholes in the parking lot. The basket started to tip, and the next thing I knew, I had a severe back injury. I was in pain for almost two years, then was referred to an orthopedic surgeon who gave me a booklet of back exercises, and a week later I was pain-free. I have always wondered if I had these exercises earlier if I wouldn’t have had to suffer so long.

Here are some tips to help you recover from and prevent back pain:

1. First, get an assessment of your back pain or injury so you know what you are dealing with. Then if given the okay, try specific back exercises. For photos and instructions click here. Once on the website scroll down to the photos. You can also ask your doctor, chiropractor, personal trainer or physical therapist, for back and core strengthening exercises.

2. Get regular exercise. Do low-impact activities, like walking or swimming, to get more blood flowing to your back muscles and to loosen them up. People who exercise regularly tend to have less back pain.

3. Take basic or restorative yoga classes, or Feldenkrais awareness through movement classes.

4. When lifting, bend with your knees, not with your back. Hold objects close to your body, it puts less strain on your back. And when in doubt, ask for help.

5. Take a stretch break every 30 minutes from sitting at the computer or on the couch.

6. Maintain a healthy body weight. Carrying excess pounds puts strain on your back. If losing weight is your goal, aim to gradually lose 1-2 pounds a week.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Movement and Focus

12 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by creatingahealthylifestyle in Healthy Body

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Awareness through movement: Health exercises for personal growth, Breathing, Feldenkrais Method, feldenkrais practitioners, Flexibility, Focus, Health Benefits, healthy-living, Improved Athletic Ability, Improved Coordination, Jogging, Mental health, Mindfulness, Moshe Feldenkrais, Movement, Nervous system, Posture, Reduced Pain, Running, Walking, Well-being, Yoga

Movement and focus are two aspects, that when paired together can provide the benefits of calming your body’s nervous system, leaving you relaxed and centered. The use of movement and focus, takes us from over thinking or being on auto-pilot, to a new awareness as we are mindful about how we are positioning or moving our body. This can have a profound calming affect on your body’s nervous system, decreasing stress and anxiety, and increasing your feeling of well-being.

In yoga the focus is on holding positions and breathing. I have tried yoga a handful of times and have had difficulties with the positions, yet loved the focus on the breathing. The alternative I found almost 10 years ago is The Feldenkrais Method, created by Moshe Feldenkrais in the 1950’s. With Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement classes, the focus is on the movement and sensing the movements, this can also include sensing your breathing. There are Feldenkrais practitioners teaching this method throughout the U.S., Canada and around the world. If you don’t find a class or practitioner in your area you can visit the online bookstore for books, CDs and DVDs. I highly recommend the book Running With the Whole Body, by Jack Heggie. The lessons in it are great for anyone who walks, jogs or runs.

Both yoga and the Feldenkrais Method provide additional benefits such as, better movement, posture, flexibility, coordination, athletic ability, and in many cases reduced pain.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis

Creating a Healthy Lifestyle

Tag Archives: Yoga

Do You Consider Yourself An Athlete?

Recovering from Back Pain

Movement and Focus