Spring Cleaning: Body Edition

After a long cold winter, most of our bodies are ready for some more sunshine to kiss our skin, and more movement and time spent outside, breathing in fresh air. Before you hit the ground running with your Spring activities, consider these "Top 4 Tips for Spring Cleaning your Body" to prepare for this season of renewal. 

1) Water your Internal Garden! 

Hydration is key when increasing your activity level and being outside for longer durations. Not only do we need H2O for all of our cellular processing, but our gut health depends on it for helping to flush out all the toxins from our system. Using a re-usable water bottle is helpful way to transport your water where ever you go. Personally, I use a glass or non-BPA plastic bottle daily and try to keep track of how many times I have filled it up to be sure I am getting the proper amount of hydration in a day. If you need a little flavor to keep you motivated, throw in a slice of lemon, cucumber (or both), or other fruit to liven up your hydration experience. 

2) Walk before you Run!! 

Some of you may be ambitiously planning to participate in a 5K or other type of actual race this year. For others, tackling house cleaning projects or yard work may SEEM as daunting as running a marathon! Regardless of your activities, be sure to actively warm your body up before heading into more strenuous movements. If you are following a "Couch to 5K" program, or working with a coach to train for your races, good for you!! Listen to your body and take breaks as needed as it is much easier to steadily increase the demands on your body than to pick up the pieces after "over-training" injuries may occur! For those of you tackling the home/yard projects, most of them are done in front of the body or "flexed" positions. To counteract all of the sorting, lifting, scrubbing, raking, planting, and pulling positions, be sure to include some Extension activities in your routine: Stand up straight, reaching your leg back behind your body (one leg at a time). Reach your arms all the way up overhead to open your chest and shoulders. These will help to reduce tightness and soreness from the forward flexed postures that are required for your Spring Cleaning tasks. 

3) Wring out your Waists & Wastes!!

Many of you know that our muscles MOVE our bodies from place to place. Did you know that our muscles are also responsible for pumping our Lymphatic Fluids out of the body? The lymphatics are the waste removal system of the body. They rely on the pressure from muscle contractions to serve as pumps for the flow of the waste materials out of the body. Regular movement is required to keep our "pipes" clean. Even more reason to get back in for a session to make sure that ALL of your muscles are functioning efficiently!  Some other ways you can help the lymphatic flow are by dry brushing your skin, or bouncing on a trampoline (also known as rebounding). Since many of our lymph ducts are in our armpits, abdomen and groin, marching in place and bringing your opposite elbow toward your knee will allow your core muscles to massage your internal organs and flush those major lymphatic ducts.  Ask me at your next session to teach you my favorite Lymph blaster, "The Jiggle" as that one is easier to teach (and funnier to watch) in person. Hee hee! :) 

4) "Treat Yourself Well" (TYW) Exercise

My favorite new movement routine is a simple way to open your heart, allow the divine energy to flow into your body and energy centers, and shine that positive light and energy out to our planet as you share your unique gifts with the world.  This activity also helps to undo all of the stuck stress related to excessive forward flexion activities and postures. I've shared this before but it is so worth repeating, and it's so easy to remember and perform no matter where you are: at home, on vacation, at the office, wherever!!  

How to perform the TYW exercise: 

T: Spread your arms out to the sides to make your body look like a letter "T". Feel the opening of your chest as you squeeze your shoulder blades behind you. Spread your fingers wide and reach them back behind your body as you reach them away from the center of your body to feel the elongation throughout your entire arms, chest and torso. Take a few breaths in that position. 

Y: Reach your arms up and out with your thumbs facing backward, as if your body is forming a letter "Y". Feel the chest open again as you drop your shoulders down away from your ears and reach your arms up to the corners of the room. Extend your fingers again to feel the elongation through your entire arm and hand. Take a few breaths in that position. 

W: Bend your elbows with your arms open to each side, as if forming a letter "W" with your upper body. Your shoulders will be externally rotated and your chest is open again. Rotate your forearms so your pinky fingers are facing behind your body and thumbs point toward the front of your body to feel the elongation through your entire arm again. Take a few breaths in this position. 

This sequence can be performed many times per day. Try it while seated, standing, lying on your back, or for a more challenging position, lie on your stomach over an exercise ball or at the edge of your bed. Be sure to stay within your pain-free ranges of motion. Enjoy!! 

Looking forward to helping you MOVE into Spring and beyond!

Keep Moving Well!

Footprints in the Snow

The sun shining on the fluffy, white, snow-covered branches casts a sparkle outside my office windows and reminds me of the beauty present during our southeastern Wisconsin winters. But the COLD... that's something else entirely!! It makes me realize why my parents are snow-birds. These harsh temperatures make it difficult to get outside and connect with nature and take in the grounding, Earth energy beneath our feet. Heck, its even hard to walk from my car through the parking lot and into the building some days!! There is something fun about seeing the footprints in the snow as humans and animals make their way around despite the sub-zero temperatures. Seeing some footprints today gave me an idea that I thought would be fun to share with you! 

This winter, as you nestle inside, take some time to treat yourself well starting with your feet. Your feet are such amazing structures, providing the foundation on which all other parts of your body rely for your balance and stability. Part of living a well-balanced life is to have feet that feel and move well to help you stand, walk, and balance as you move around throughout your day. Whether you have foot pain, bunions, arthritic joints, are still recovering from a sprain or surgery, or want to prevent any of the aforementioned issues from joining your body's party, this post is for you. Because it is too cold here in the Midwest to do this activity outside, unless you're really brave like the person who walked in the picture below, let's get you set up to do a fun self assessment and easy foot treatment right in the comfort of your own home.

Footprint Self-Assessment

What you'll need:  A piece of paper (preferably a colored paper) and a pen

Instructions: After a shower, bath, or Epsom Salt Foot Soak, before you towel off the bottoms of your feet, place your piece of paper on the floor and step on it, one foot at a time so you don't slip. Be sure to hold onto the wall or bathroom counter for support. Place the piece of paper on the counter and use the pen to draw lines around the wet marks, so you can better visualize the outline of your footprints. 

As you look at your footprints, what do you notice? Circle A or B

1. Do you see that all 5 of your toes have left a mark on the paper? (A) Yes (B) No

2. Is your arch lifted off of the paper (A) or is it flat on the paper (B)? 

3. Do your footprints look the same (A) or different (B)?

If you circled B for any of the above, your feet could use some self treatment. Here is an easy one below to get started. If you need more help, I'm happy to see you for even more specific treatment ideas. 

Foot Self-Treatment

Toe Spread and Curl Exercise

Seated: While seated with your knees straight and heels propped on the floor, spread your toes apart from one another creating space between them as you pull them back toward your shin. Hold apart for 5 seconds. Now squeeze your toes as if you are a bird on a wire and point your feet down toward the floor. Hold the curl for 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times with knees straight. 

Now bend your knees and spread and curl your toes again. Hold each position for 5 seconds, repeat 3 times. As you curl your toes and point your feet, your heels will rise up off of the floor. 

Standing: If your balance allows, try this activity while standing. You may want to have a chair back, counter or wall nearby to use for balance if needed. 

This exercise is a great way to get your feet, ankles and lower legs energized; as you improve the function of your toes you will build arch support from within. If you can commit to doing this self treatment 3 times/week until sandal season, your footprints will look much more ideal and your whole body will thank you! 

Looking forward to helping you learn more ways to treat yourself well in 2024!