Celebrate Independence and Freedom to MOVE and Balance

As Americans, we are truly blessed to have the independence and freedom to be, do, and say what we want. Being free to move around to enjoy all that this country and our world has to offer is a privilege. Being free to MOVE is a privilege in itself. We often take that privilege for granted until something happens to our body that takes away our ability to move around comfortably. Losing our independence and having to ask for help can be a major challenge. 

Imagine the frustration of not being able to bend down and put on your pants, socks, or shoes, or having to avoid stairs due to knee pain. Losing the freedom to reach up into the cabinets for ingredients, dishes, or pots/pans, or reach down into the dishwasher or lower drawers makes it challenging to perform kitchen tasks and prepare meals. Sitting and driving with chronic back, hip, or knee soreness can impede upon comfort during work or rest times, or when taking longer road trips.  A nagging, or sometimes sharp, painful sensation on the bottom of your foot makes standing or walking around uncomfortable. Sometimes these challenges can pop up seemingly overnight and really change the way you move about your day. 

As a Physical Therapist for over 25 years, it has been my privilege to help people regain their independence and restore their freedom of movement when pain and limitations have set in. Even though accidents happen, there are many things we can do to prevent injuries and stay OUT of pain. My book "MAGIC in Motion: Foundations for Functional Fitness" highlights 8 foundations for living a well-balanced life, including guidance on how to "Treat Yourself Well,” maintain your ability to independently perform your daily functional activities, and extend your “health span" throughout your lifespan. 

Have you ever stood sideways next to a mirror and noticed that the reflection of one side doesn't look exactly like you? Humans are relatively symmetrical, from side to side, but not exactly. We have one dominant, more developed side, and because of the asymmetrical sizes and placement of our internal organs, the deep hip flexor muscles (Psoas Major) and connective tissues (fascia) are slightly different from side to side. These asymmetries cause our pelvis to shift slightly forward on the left side, and we bear more weight onto our right side. Add in repetitive movements, stresses, traumas and resulting scar tissue, and bodies are certainly not perfectly balanced. Despite these subtle differences and imbalances, your body works best when you can achieve as symmetrical alignment and range of motion as possible from side to side. 

Having a regular self-care practice to assess your unique alignment, full body movements, and any asymmetries is valuable so you can maintain your pain free functions, or seek help to address any concerns as they arise. The MELT Method is a gentle, self-care system using soft rubber balls to treat your hands and feet, and rubberized foam rollers for larger body parts. These treatments help you reconnect with your internal body sense and awareness, calm and rebalance your nervous system, release stuck stress and tension in your body, and rehydrate your connective tissues. Having these gentle tools at home is helpful to independently address your unique imbalances. 

Balance and stability exercises are in important addition to your self-care and fitness routine. These can include moving through full, pain-free range of motion for each joint (head, neck, shoulders, elbows, wrist and hand, torso, pelvis, hips, knees, ankles and feet) to assess the mobility available, and to notice any difficulties moving into certain positions. Performing exercises for the foot, hip, and core will have a positive impact on balance reactions. Standing on one leg at a time is an important foundation for functional freedom, including walking, dressing, and certain hygiene activities. The whole body has to work together to make that happen efficiently.  Moving your head into various positions, as well as closing one or both of your eyes, will challenge your vestibular system involved with your balance. Building strength and stability through your spinal and scapular (shoulder blade) areas will help you achieve a more balanced posture and be able to stay upright against gravity to perform your daily functional activities. 

Contact me today for your copy of Basic Balance Challenges, whole body exercises to try at home. These activities will enhance your overall stability and reaction time, and maintain your functional freedom and independence. www.1212bodyworks.com Call/text 414-405-3956, Email 1212bodyworks@gmail.com

This blog was written for the Humble Warrior Wellness and Yoga organization's newsletter. This 501C-3 non-profit organization supports and benefits Women Veterans and First Responders. These servicewomen have done so much to help maintain our many freedoms, so the women of Humble Warrior are giving back with wellness offerings, workshops, and retreats. I had the pleasure of teaching a Balance & Stability class, working alongside and serving these fantastic women at the Lake Life Retreat (June 2025) in Valders, WI. To support them yourself or make a donation, click on the link above. Thank You! 

Love the Sun, Protect Your Skin

 

Love the Sun, Protect Your Skin

Sunscreen and Whole Body Health Considerations

Summer is fast approaching and the sunshine will be consistently emitting its rays upon us very soon! According to the Skin Cancer Foundation website, “1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.” Since skin is the human body’s largest organ, we need to protect it and keep it healthy to allow us to keep moving comfortably and enjoying our everyday activities and daily functions. 

The skin interfaces with the connective tissue, or fascial system, which surrounds every cell, organ, muscle, and joint and holds us all together. As described in my book “MAGIC in Motion,” what we put on the outside of our body gets absorbed by the skin and becomes part of our internal environment. We need to be mindful of when and what we are putting on our skin so that we are protected from the elements when needed, while not adding unnecessary toxins to our body. The "C" in the MAGIC acronym refers to our muscles' ability to "Circulate" Lymphatic fluids. We want to ensure that our body works and moves efficiently from head to toe to pump those waste fluids out of our body.

In an article by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the constituents of a good sunscreen are highlighted. “A good sunscreen should provide equal broad-spectrum protection, against both ultraviolet, or UV, A and B rays. But the SPF value primarily reflects how well a product will protect from UVB rays, the main cause of sunburn and some skin cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma. Sun protection products originally aimed to reduce sunburn. Today, it’s known that some UV rays, such as UVA, don’t cause sunburn but can lead to health harms. UVA rays, which penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays, are associated with skin aging and cancer, such as melanoma.”

To learn more about skin care and sunscreen, I consulted my favorite skin care professional, Nova Zynski, Aesthetician and Owner of “Skin Care by Nova Z” in Brookfield. One of the reasons I love to work with Nova is that part of her treatment process includes a wonderful head, face, neck, upper chest and shoulder lymphatic massage. She is able to really get stagnant fluids moving to de-puff and sculpt your face. Her techniques feel amazing and your skin truly glows! Nova has done a lot of research and is a master of her craft. I asked Nova to share her expertise to help us make sense of how we can best support our body’s health and safety this summer. Here is part of our conversation. 

E: Should we be using sunscreen every day? 

Nova: Not necessarily on a daily basis. If you're just in and out doing a few things, you need to be getting the sunshine on your skin.  Sunglasses are an issue too because people wear sunglasses too much, and to really get your vitamin D, sunlight needs to come through the eyes so the combo is important. Now, if you’re a truck driver and you have the sun on you all day every day that's different. Also, if you're sitting at your desk by a window in front of a computer all day every day, yes you should have sunscreen on, but you also want one that's going to protect you from the blue light. 

E: As an Aesthetician, what are the signs of sun damage that you see the most frequently with your clients? 

Nova: I see dark spots (hyperpigmentation) and light or white spots (hypopigmentation). Excess sun exposure accelerates the natural, gradual process of breaking down of the elastin bands in the skin. Skin becomes more lax faster, and overtime the skin becomes super thin. Also, some people’s skin will get really tough overtime because it's trying to compensate for what's been done to it. Their skin will have a lot more lines, and is sometimes really wrinkly looking, but really tough at the same time. It's not soft, supple skin anymore. 

E: What are some of the things we should be looking for in a good sunscreen?

Nova: Eminence, the Organic Skin Care line that I use with my clients, has a Radiance Protection SPF, which is also a moisturizer, and has botanicals that are good for the skin. This contains niacin-amide which has B complexes that help reduce pore size, help retain moisture levels, and build the moisture barrier. Zinc Oxide is another good ingredient to look for in sunscreen. There are many products available now that are not as thick and chalky as they used to be, and won’t leave the white film on your skin. 

E: Do you have any specific cautions regarding sunscreen? 

Nova: You want to use a “clean” product that doesn’t contain toxic ingredients. We want to steer clear of hormone disrupting chemicals. We also need to be careful of “nano-technologies” where the molecular sizes of certain ingredients are extremely small, and they can pass through the blood brain barrier. Sometimes certain chemicals in sunscreens can actually cause dark spots and do the opposite of protecting your skin. Also, even if a product is labeled “organic,” it could still have a few ingredients that you really don't want in there. It’s a misconception people have that if it says organic, that everything in there is good, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it is.  

I did a little extra research on some of the specific toxic chemicals to avoid in sunscreens. According to an article by Thais Alibadi, MD, “here are 6 questionable common chemical sunscreen ingredients:

• Oxybenzone, known as benzophenone-3, a hormone disruptor

• Avobenzone, also a benzophenone

• Homosalate, another hormone disruptor

• Octinoxate, known as octyl methoxycinnamate, a hormone and endocrine disruptor

• Octocrylene

• Octisalate, which stabilizes avobenzone”

Be sure to read your labels and avoid any of the above ingredients and lean toward using the products that are hydrating and safe for your skin, while protecting your body from excessive sun exposure. Enjoy your summer, but protect your skin and body from harmful rays and unnecessary chemicals. 

To learn more about Nova Zynski and her Skin Care Services, check out her website: 

Skin Care by Nova Z

To purchase your copy of “MAGIC in Motion: Foundations for Functional Fitness,” or purchase a copy for a friend or family member, learn more ways to keep your body healthy, and “treat yourself well” from the outside in and inside out, click HERE. 

To uncover your unique, bio-mechanical blockages that zap your energy and keep you from moving how you used to, or to enhance your whole body's communication and immune boosting circulation, schedule a session today: click HERE, call/text 414-405-3956, or email 1212bodyworks@gmail.com.

I'm Grounded!! (No, I'm not in trouble...)

When I was a kid, being "Grounded" meant something entirely different than what I've learned it to mean now. Being connected to the Earth's healing frequency is "grounding" to the body. The Schumann Resonance, or 7.83 Hz, is the electromagnetic frequency of the Earth that serves as a "ground" force. By being connected to this frequency, our body's voltage will decrease, bringing us back into a more balanced, regulated state where rest, relaxation, and healing is possible. The higher our body's voltage, the more likely we are to be sick or sore, so lowering our voltage is an important wellness consideration. 

Proven Benefits of Grounding:

• Reduced Inflammation
• More restful sleep
• Reductions in Chronic pain
• Improved blood flow
• Reduced stress/anxiety
• Reduced EMF interference
• Normalized Cortisol Rhythms
• Increased energy 
• Improved mood
• Decreased Muscle Tension
• Reduction in PMS symptoms
• Reduced Headaches
• Speeds up Wound Healing
• Slows free radical damage associated with skin aging
• Reduced Muscle soreness
• Alleviation of arthritic symptoms
• Stabilized blood pressure
• Less wakefulness during sleep
• Reduced time to fall asleep
• Enhanced digestion and metabolic function
• Reduction of facial puffiness
• Enhanced nutrient absorption
• Balanced Hormonal Rhythms
• Improved Cardiovascular health
• Improved HRV (Heart Rate Variability)
• Enhanced Detoxification processes
• Balances Bone Calcium metabolism

The best way to connect with this beautiful, healing frequency is to go outside barefoot and walk or sit on the grass. Swimming in a lake, river, or ocean is another way. Walking along a sandy beach is yet another option. Living in Wisconsin and working indoors, most of us don't have the luxury to do these activities often, so luckily there are some products available to help us receive this healing frequency other ways. 

We purchased fitted bed sheets from Grounding Official (Enter coupon code 1212BW to receive a 15% discount) for our bed, and I have never slept better! My sleep quality had been spotty over the years, especially as I venture into peri-menopause, and since sleeping on these, it has become much more consistently solid. Thank goodness!! With the purchase of our King size fitted bed sheets, they offered a special deal on the non-fitted sheet, so I went ahead and purchased it for our son's bed. That one is not convenient since it doesn't have fitted corners, but is just a strip that goes across the bed. It doesn't stay in place well, so I wouldn't recommend those products, personally. Now, I just need to buy some pillow cases and we'll be all set! 

I bought some grounding mats also, to go underneath our desks. These came from a different company called Grounding Well. (Enter coupon code GW20 to receive a 20% discount). When we first opened the packaging, there was a very strong odor, but we out-gassed them in the garage for a few days and they're fine now. I now have some in my office, one underneath my desk, and one for you to enjoy during your treatment sessions. I'm excited to see how you like it!  

With both the sheets and the mats, there is a wire that snaps onto the product, then is inserted into the ground part of the outlet (the small hole at the bottom of the 3 openings). It is really simple. The sheets came with a tester for the outlet to make sure that is indeed grounded. 

For book lovers, the "Earthing" book by Clint Ober, one of the leading researchers involved in the Grounding movement, is a wonderful resource where I really took a deep dive into learning more about Grounding before investing in some of the products above. The Earthing website offers many more other products. You can also watch a documentary movie about Grounding from this website, or on YouTube. 

So far, I can honestly say that by simply sleeping on the grounding sheets, my sleep quality has improved greatly! I can fall asleep much faster, sleep more soundly, I awaken much less frequently, and am able to resume sleeping if I do wake up in the night. I love having the mat under my desk in my office so I can enjoy the benefits while I'm sitting, which I don't do very often. Since the weather allows it these days, my favorite way to ground is still to go outside and lay down, stand, or walk on the grass. 

Looking forward to spreading the word about this natural healing treatment that is easy to implement, especially now in the late spring, early summer, and hearing about how you and others benefit from this on your wellness journey. Now, I'm heading outside to stand in the yard. 

Freedom of Movement & Independence

 

We may not all agree on who is in charge of making the decisions for our country or how our hard earned tax dollars are spent, but as Americans, I think we can all agree on the fact that our independence and freedom is something to be celebrated! Imagine how different our country would be if we were limited from living the way we want to live. As humans, our ability to live independently and have freedom to move is also something to be celebrated! It's often not until we lose the ability to use our body comfortably that we appreciate all that it does for us. Each one of us is in charge of making the decisions for our own body that will make us feel good and thrive, or feel yucky and decline. It's not always easy to prioritize our wellness and take proactive steps to keep ourselves feeling and moving well. Sometimes it feels easier to stay on the couch, reach for the ready-made processed food, or put off our wellness routine until tomorrow. Often, our focus is set on the things we can't do as well anymore, or the area of the body that is feeling pain. Celebrating our body for all of the freedom of movement that it is still capable of, despite the pain, is so important! Our independence relies on us learning to treat ourselves well, if we want to keep moving forward.  I'm so excited to share a new way to help you recover and maintain your freedom of movement and independence!! When I first learned about this simple, self-care system, it stopped me in my tracks, and I couldn't wait to try it! After I felt immediate results, I started sharing it with my clients, family, and friends.  The MELT Method is a self-care technique that enhances mobility, stability, and performance and is clinically proven to reduce chronic pain while restoring overall well-being. Using specially designed soft balls and rubberized foam rollers, you can rebalance your body's nervous system and rehydrate the connective tissue system.    It has been amazing to witness the changes in the clients who have adopted this method as part of their home wellness program! One client, who had a neck fusion surgery several decades ago, has noticed much less pain and presents in my office with much more stability in his neck and shoulders since he committed to using the tools & techniques at home. Another client says she is sleeping so much better now that her body has a way to "undo her day" each night. One client even told me, "I barely even noticed that I woke up" when first moving around in the morning, now that her body is so much better hydrated!  Because of the success that my clients and I felt immediately, I chose to embark on a 3 month training process to become a MELT Method Instructor! Now that I'm certified, I can't wait to share this life-changing method with as many people as I can. Let's get rolling! :)    Join me for my first MELT Method Hand and Foot Workshop on Wednesday July 12,  from 10-11:30am at 1212 Bodyworks, Brookfield. You'll learn a gentle, self-treatment for your hands and feet, using the MELT soft ball system, that will feel good for your whole body!   $49. Space is limited, so be sure to click the link above to register.                        Have you been feeling less than independent with your daily activities because of pain or limited movement? Curious about a custom MELT Method treatment session?  Or, just need a reboot to get your body back into balance? Simply call, text [(414) 405-3956] or email [1212bodyworks@gmail.com] to schedule your next session. I'd love to help you restore your independence and freedom of movement!    Keep Moving Well!  -Emily-