Do your daily activities cause you pain?

Let’s take a look.

Time spent standing, sitting and even sleeping can be causing you pain. It’s the cumulative hours you spend in these positions that can lead to prolonged damage to both your muscles and fascia.

If you go to a professional who works in the field of corrective exercise, you’ll get help alleviating some of the problems caused by improper seated, standing, and sleeping postures. But there are also some simple adjustments you can make yourself.

Sitting:

Your body is designed to be upright and weight bearing on two feet, with your hips, torso, and head in good alignment. We spend way too much time sitting!

Get out of your chair several times a day. This helps keep your hips, legs, and spine extended. If you can, convert your work space into a standing desk or walk instead of always driving places.

Change chairs and positions often or alternate between sitting and standing when you work.

I’ve mentioned before that I work mostly standing up and use a counter as a workspace. I also have two different chairs I sit on when I read or write but mostly I sit on the floor. As I write this I am sitting on the floor!

Standing:

Sitting too much can weaken your arches. When this happens, your feet are less able to accept your body weight and your arches collapse. Notice if you often shift from side to side when you stand. You are trying to redistribute your body weight and get more comfortable.

Besides examining your shoe choices (which is a big topic that we’ll cover in another newsletter) eliminate, or at least reduce, the time your spend in high heels.

Pay attention to your upper-body position when standing. Do you cross your arms, talk on a cell phone a lot, carry a bag on one shoulder or constantly have your hands in your pockets? All of these will over time create tight muscles and fascia. Paying attention to how you stand is the first step.

Sleeping:

If you have chronic tightness or muscular imbalances from sitting too much or standing with poor posture, sleeping is often uncomfortable too. Adopting better sleeping positions will help reduce pain.

Sleep on your back. Make sure your bed is firm enough so that neither your lower back or thoracic spine sinks into the mattress. Sometimes putting a wedge or pillow under your knees makes you more comfortable. Start off in this position for just a few minutes each night and gradually increase the amount of time you spend like this. As your spine adjusts, the use of the pillow can be reduced.

Choose a pillow that supports your head so that your eyes are in a position perpendicular to the ceiling. And make sure your pillow thickness doesn’t push your head too far forward.

If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your knees. This keeps your knees in line with your hip socket.

Avoid sleeping on your stomach. That over arches your lower back and puts too much twist on your neck.

We all have to sit, stand, and sleep so it’s important to do them in ways that don’t cause PAIN!

shelli

More and more studies are confirming that mindfulness practices increase gray matter. These studies measure neurological changes in the brain.

Participating in a mindfulness based practice for 8 weeks for stress reduction will increase gray-matter density in areas of your brain involved in learning and memory, and emotion regulation.

People in these studies report improved psychological well-being, as well as symptom reduction in a number of disorders including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and chronic pain.

But what can I do with this information?

Glad you asked.

Consider Yoga. Yoga helps calm your mind and relaxes your nervous system.

Tai Chi can not only be a mindfulness practice but studies also show it provides arthritis pain relief. Studies show that practicing Tai Chi two times a week improves fatigue, stiffness and increases a feeling of well-being.

Walking boosts your brain health and increases gray matter.

How much walking? 6-9 miles a week.

So there you have it. Three choices with plenty of evidence to back them up as good options for you if you want to retain your brain tissue and retain your memory well into your later years.

Once again an active and engaged lifestyle is the way to go!

Are you ever tempted to curl up in the middle of your daily chaos, wherever you are, and take a nap?

Is that a silly question or what?

Well, rest easy! For a while now science has been giving the nod to nodding off.

I recently read that 100 million Americans self identify as sleep deprived. That’s a lot of folks.

Regular naps can enhance alertness, memory, creativity, concentration, mood and energy. Also, naps decrease the risk of stress-induced hypertension and heart attacks.

Roughly 8 hours after waking everyone has a drop in alertness. For most people who wake between 6 and 8 AM that would be between 2 and 4 PM. Sometimes, rather than ignoring it or turning to a cup of coffee, try to get between 15-20 minutes of sleep. No more than that! You will sink into a deeper sleep which can interfere with your nighttime sleeping.

The reason short naps are rejuvenating is that they ensure you get just the beginning of the slow-wave sleep, which is the most restorative kind. Any more than that and you’ll likely feel groggy.

Trying to nap only on weekends isn’t as effective. It’s hard to play catch up when you’re sleep deprived all week long. A regular nap schedule works better.

If you work outside your home and it’s possible, close your office door so no one will disturb you. I recently spoke with someone who works for Microsoft and he told me that they have lounges with recliners for napping! Remember to set an alarm.

At first, learning to fall asleep at your scheduled nap time may be difficult, even if you’re exhausted. But like many things, napping takes practice. Often deep breathing helps relax you so you can nap. You can use eyeshades, white-noise machines, or whatever turns on that OFF switch.

Napping is still very much a practice for me.

Just the other day I decided to take a nap and the alarm went off after ONLY five minutes. Then I started questioning whether or not my alarm was even working properly. I was so nervous about oversleeping that my mind would not let me relax. I got up, had a good laugh and went back to work.

OH well, at least I’m still trying to nap! How about you?

shelli

This week I have a fun article for you. I may be dating myself a bit, but so what!

Here are MOVIE MUSIC ideas to MOVE to!

I love to dance. I must admit that I dance around the house when no one is looking and sometimes even when people are looking! My dog usually runs and hides because it often means I’ll pick him up and do the lindy hop with him. Just when I can see he’s getting nauseous, I put him down again.

Where was I? Yes, movie music!

So here’s my list of some great movie soundtracks to sing and dance along with.

1. Saturday Night Fever. Disco Inferno from the 70’s, what fun. How can you not get up and dance to “Stayin’ Alive” or “More Than A Woman”?

2. Footloose. Dance with Kevin Bacon to “Let’s Hear It For The Boy”.

3. American Graffiti. “Party Doll” and “All Summer Long” make me remember how much fun drive-in movies were.

4. Dirty Dancing. Patrick Swayze as a dance instructor? Sign me up! “I’ve Had The Time of My Life” always makes me get up and dance and sing at the top of my lungs.

5. The Big Chill. How can you not love Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and my personal favorite, ARETHA! I’ve often written about how I love to workout as long as Aretha keeps me company!

6. When Harry Met Sally. Harry Connick, Jr. croons his big band numbers which provide a nice dancing cool down period in between all the wild and crazy disco dancing.

7. Grease. No song from the soundtrack gets left out when you want to have fun dancing. You can start by using “Hopelessly Devoted To You” as a warm-up and end with a heart pumping “You’re The One That I Want”.

Do you have any soundtracks that you’d suggest??? Let me know and I’ll pass them along.

And, if anyone out there has the technology to make a copy of these songs on a dance CD and sends it to me, I’ll gladly gift them a copy of one of my products.

shelli

Here are 5 tools for 8 hours of energy-boosting sleep.

If you want the kind of sleep that will boost your energy and slow the aging process down (and who doesn’t right?), you need to build your sleep from the BED up.

1. How’s your mattress?

Have you ever noticed that when you travel and stay at a hotel or stay at a friend’s house, you sleep better on their mattress.

I’m sorry to report that has happened to me quite a bit. Most recently while staying at a friend’s house, I thought his mattress was heavenly. He got it from Costco of all places. Heck, I’ve even slept on air mattresses that were more comfortable than my own mattress. Not a good sign!

If this happens to you, GET a new mattress! There are no right and wrong answers to what will work for you, but if you’re not sleeping well do start by assessing your mattress.

After all, you spend 56 hours a week on it and it should produce the results you need, which is the kind of sleep you rave about!

2. What about your sheets?

Again, I have a confession to make.

I get overly attached to sheets and keep them for way way too long.

I recently got two brand new sets from Macy’s and am really enjoying them. Color is important as well as fabric. I pay more attention to how a sheet feels rather than the thread count because the thread count is a marketing ploy. From what I’ve read you can’t get more than 500 threads into a square inch!

Go with natural fibers because they are more absorbent. Over the course of an evening you can release close to a half gallon of sweat and oils.

3. How old is your blanket and what kind of shape is it in?

I use this blanket called my million dollar blanket. I named it so because  years ago after I had surgery I laid for weeks on a couch wrapped in this blanket and I’ve somehow given it magical healing powers!

If you think of the best sleep of your life you probably don’t recall that it was when you were only hours old. One of the reasons infants are born to sleep is because they’re swaddled in blankets, which gives them the secure sensation of being in utero.

How do you get that as an over tired adult? Crawl under a variety of fabrics filled with a range of insulations and you’ll discover your million dollar blanket! If you’re sweating, you’re not going to sleep well, so keep this is in mind as you test out blankets.

4. Let’s talk pillows!

For sound, comfortable sleep, you need a pillow that will keep your neck aligned with your spine.

I have a pillow that I bought thinking I’d like it. I used it one night and couldn’t adjust, so I put it in the closet to be used for guests. Turned out that every guest I gave it to LOVED it.

Strange, huh?

After hearing raves from multiple guests I decided to give the pillow another try. That was almost three years ago and I still love my pillow.

I travel with my pillow (I know, I’m weird) and quite a few friends, after laying down on my pillow, have gone out and bought their own. Let’s just say I’m VERY picky about pillows. Maybe in my next life I’ll be one of the lucky ones who can sleep anywhere, on anything and with any pillow, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Back to the keeping your spine aligned issue, the more neutral your neck’s position, the wider the nerve passageways running through it will open. The result is that you’ll reduce your risk of neck pain and enjoy a more restful sleep.

5. Thinking of trying a sleep supplement?

I don’t use them, but in researching them for this article it seems that only valerian root results in people feeling refreshed. This root contains two chemicals that have powerful sedative properties.

Be careful with over the counter meds for sleeping. They shorten the time you’re in the deep stages of sleep, leaving you exhausted in the morning and often people feel fuzzy even after they wake up.

So there you have it. Maybe not exactly the 5 tools for energy boosting sleep you thought I’d suggest, but heck, they are all very important and you even got a few personal confessions from me, as well!!

shelli

With so many of us leading demanding nonstop lives, it’s difficult not to peter out as the day goes on.

Here are some ideas to outsmart your energy slumps.

1. Between 1 and 3 PM we often feel dazed. There’s a natural mid-afternoon circadian lull often dubbed the “nap zone” because we have this urge to (if we could) take a nap. When you feel this, use a circular motion to massage the webbed area between your thumb and index finger. Do this for three minutes. This acupressure move stimulates the nervous system, boosting alertness.

2. Between 3 and 6 PM we also tend to feel sleepy. A demanding day elevates levels of the stress hormone cortisol, keeping it high for several hours. This leads to feeling worn down.

Try this breathing exercise. Stand up straight with one hand on your lower belly. Inhale deeply and feel your abdomen fill with air. Exhale and watch your hand drop back in towards your body. This simple belly breathing exercise is proven to reduce cortisol levels, and you’ll feel more alert, productive, and happy. A round of three to five cleansing breaths like this is all it takes to feel refreshed.

3. Between 6 and 9 PM is not quite late enough to be bedtime, but in the early evening your core body temperature naturally drops and sleep-inducing melatonin levels rise.

Try this wall roll-down move. Stand with your back against a wall, arms raised overhead and feet a few inches forward. Pretend the wall is sticky and slowly peel yourself away from the wall by rolling forward into a U shape. Unfold back up bit by bit. Bending over like this stimulates the flow of fresh blood and oxygen to your head, which refreshes your mind and body. Don’t worry, you’ll still be plenty tired when your bedtime comes!

You can of course use these any time of the day, but in particular during the times I’ve mentioned. I know it may seem easier to reach for that caffeine, but learning how to energize and refresh naturally is a good thing too!

shelli

I turned on the defroster in my car the other day and I thought to myself,

“Sure would like to have a DEFOGGER for my brain today!”

I just felt like my mental edge had gone to sleep. So here are 4 simple strategies you can use to boost your memory and say FOG be gone!

1. Get your vitamin B’s

Vitamin B is essential to clear thinking, but as you age your body has a harder time extracting if from foods like milk, meat and fish. You can take a daily B-complex supplement containing 1000 micrograms of B12. Make sure it has at least 400 mcg of the B vitamin folate, which can improve mental speed.

2. Get your Z’s

Low quality and low quantity sleep can seriously drain your mental clarity. The brain moves memories into long term storage during deep sleep. Anything that disrupts this process can interfere with the ability to retain this information.

Stick to one bedtime and keep your room quiet, dark and cool. Limit caffeine, night-lights, naps and alcohol, all of which can interfere with sleep.

3. Get your M’s

Get MOVING! Boosting your activity level can increase brain volume and enhance cognitive function. Exercise increases the flow of blood to the brain, and it controls insulin and other chemicals linked to cognitive problems. Even a little exercise is better than nothing. The idea is to do more than you’re doing now.

4. Check your medications.

A variety of medications can cloud your ability to concentrate. Particularly if your difficulties concentrating coincide with a new drug you’re taking, talk to your physician. It’s a smart move to be aware of mind and memory changes and look in some obvious places first, like your medications.

So here’s to kissing those foggy times goodbye!

shelli

Detoxification is an interesting, important topic, so I thought I’d tell you about 4 ways to increase your deep-tissue detoxification.

From pesticides, pollution, plastics, fragrances and other sources, our bodies are bombarded by so many chemical toxins in our environment, we can’t possibly get rid of them all. Some of these end up incorporated into bodily tissue, where they can stay for decades.

Here are steps you can take to help your body release and repair from those toxins.

1. Add more fiber to your diet.

Fiber binds to toxins and carries them out of the body. Twenty five grams per day is the recommended fiber level for women (38 for men). You can also use fiber supplements like psyllium seeds.

2. Get adequate exercise.

Getting your blood pumping improves the movement of lymph though the lymphatic system. This helps lymph fluids circulate throughout the body, removing toxins and other harmful materials. Exercise helps reduce overall body fat, which helps the body release stored toxins.

3. Saunas assist the body’s adipose tissue in releasing toxins through a process called heat depuration.

Infrared saunas are often recommended for two reasons: the temperature doesn’t get as high as air saunas, and the infrared rays penetrate deeper into the skin to better target fat tissues.

Try starting with 15-minute sessions, and be sure to stay properly hydrated. If you have high blood pressure, check with your health practitioner before using a sauna.

4. Chelation is a process in which certain agents are used to rid the body of toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

The chelation molecule has the ability to make these toxins soluble in blood, allowing them to be eliminated. Most of this is done under the supervision of a health provider.

OK, I’ll throw in one more to the detoxification helper list.

Did you know that Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, found in flax and fish oil, have the ability to be incorporated into cellular membranes, improving cell function and assisting in detox?

See, those fatty acids and their benefits somehow sneak their way onto almost every what’s-healthy-for-you list!

Detoxification is important, so give your body the help it needs by including these detox methods.

shelli

What would you answer if I asked you this question?

What is the #1 exercise in the world that you can do in 12 minutes?

Let me give you a hint.

You can practice it most anywhere and anytime: in your work clothes, your gym clothes or even in bed.

It’s simple to do and takes little time. Just 12 minutes would be enough.

If you want to quickly improve your health and happiness, this practice does it. The best part is it takes very little effort. Paradoxically, the less effort you exert, the more benefit accrues.

Any guesses what it is?

It’s meditation.

Over the years, I ask people who don’t do it, why not?

Many people say they still believe meditation has religious connotations. While it is true many devout people invoke this technique when they pray, you do yourself a disservice if you think about meditation only in religious terms.

Yes, the physiologic process of meditation happens during quiet times and times of prayer, however you don’t have to practice any specific religion (or any religion at all) to enjoy the health benefits of this process.

In the 1970’s, a cardiologist named Herbert Benson studied meditation and wrote a book called The Relaxation Response. The ‘60s and ‘70s began a new era in health. It was a time when medicine and its scientific method wrestled with the world of alternative and complementary healing. Back then, meditation was something done by strange, bearded men.

At that time, the concept of personality led researchers like Benson to uncover statistical correlations between so-called “type A” people and heart disease. But as medicine and science advanced in the 1980s, few leaders in health care investigated a natural, simple, cheap solution to help these folks. The focus of medicine was on finding silver-bullet pills to cure disease, and pharmaceuticals were thought to be the answer to most every question.

To my way of thinking, this is a lazy way of looking at science and potential cures. As one of history’s greatest inventors, Thomas Edison wrote years ago;

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human body, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.

A century later, his message is still true.

Swallowing pills and medicines are not the answer to everything. Many simple, common-sense activities promote good health and prevent disease.

That’s where meditation comes in.

The power of meditation comes from the “relaxation response” it elicits. Meditation actually changes our physiology.

During meditation, our brain waves convert to a pattern that is as deep, and in some ways deeper than sleep. It is also more restful and recharging than a nap.

Meditation releases chemicals that are the direct opposite of the so-called “stress hormones.” These chemicals and hormones trigger pathways of healing and regeneration.

A regular meditation practice lowers your heart rate and increases both your blood’s oxygen saturation and the delivery of oxygen to tissues. This is the exact same benefit of exercise.

A Scientific American article from 1963 showed yogis can actually lower their heart rates to one or two beats a minute by invoking this “relaxation response.” Now that’s what I call relaxed!

Perhaps the best part is that meditation has benefits identical to exercise but without the wear, tear, and stress on your body that comes with training too hard. Meditation can also:

• Increase your powers of concentration
• Help you live longer
• Improve your fertility
• Boost your immune system
• Increase your serotonin (the chemical that counters depression)
• Lower blood pressure more than any known drug

Of course, as with any lifestyle change, it is only effective if you do it!

There are many forms of meditation.

Twenty years ago many people first learned to practice meditation by studying Transcendental Meditation (TM). Since then many variations of TM have emerged and you can find out about them by reading about meditation, relaxation, and awareness.

You can look at the works of writer Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is famous for popularizing the phrase “Mindfulness Meditation”.

Again, to reemphasize some of the benefits, just like exercise, regular meditation improves your body’s ability to use oxygen and actually lowers your resting heart rate, too.

Meditation even increases the serotonin in your brain. This is the chemical that antidepressant drugs try to increase.

I encourage you to start today and do it every day for 10-15 minutes. After a week, I guarantee you’ll feel better.

Here’s what I do:

I sit upright in bed, or on the floor. Prop yourself up with pillows if you need to, but don’t put one behind your head. I try to keep my head nearly perfectly balanced on my neck, so that if I’m absolutely relaxed, my head won’t tip over.

Next, I begin saying a mantra. Choose any two-syllable word and repeat it silently to yourself throughout the process. I try to time my breath with each syllable. Inhale with one and exhale with the other.

Stay focused on relaxing and letting your breath slow down, but also stay lightly focused on the mantra sound.

I find that suddenly my mind will wander to all the things I need to do, or things I’ve forgotten to do. When those thoughts flood in, I slowly turn my focus back to my breath and the mantra.

Soon after a few attempts, I find my breath and thoughts slowing. Occasionally, I find myself taking a super-deep, slow breath.

Yet again, I’ll turn back to my breath and my mantra.

After 15 minutes or so, I quietly and slowly take a few minutes to start to move my toes and fingers and then arms and legs as I come out of the “relaxation state.”

That’s it… It’s that simple.

You can take a class if that better suits you. A teacher will show you how to meditate and give you a specific, personalized mantra to get you into your state of meditation.

So enjoy adding meditation to your healthy lifestyle routines, and let me know how it goes!

shelli

“We hear voices in solitude, we never hear in the hurry and turmoil of life; we receive counsels and comforts, we get under no other condition.”

Amelia E. Barr

Lately I’ve been thinking about solitude.

Seems to me there are different types of solitude. There’s the doing type and the being type.

Ask yourself this questions: “Do I enjoy doing things alone?” “Do I enjoy my own company?”

Most of the time I am able to do things alone while enjoying my own company. I can go to a movie, eat, take long walks or swims and even play a round of golf by myself.

I think, though, that the practice of solitude that Amelia Barr refers to in her quote is the being type of solitude. It’s a time for getting in touch with your feelings, and this can be a very powerful activity.

Have you ever practiced solitude? Most people haven’t.

Most people never sit down quietly by themselves for any length of time. People are so busy doing things that it’s rare for them to simply sit and do nothing.

Catherine Ponder, the author of many inspirational books, says, “Men and women begin to become great when they begin to take time quietly by themselves, when they begin to practice solitude.”

What would a solitude practice look like?

To get the benefits from your periods of solitude, sit quietly for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. If you haven’t done this before, it will be a challenge. It might even take the first 25 minutes or so for you to stop fidgeting.

You’ll have the urge to get up and do something! You’ll practically have to force yourself to stay in your seat. Be persistent!

Sit quietly and still, back and head erect, eyes open, without any interruptions for at least 30 minutes. An hour is even better.

Become completely relaxed and breathe deeply. Just let your mind drift. Don’t try to think about anything. The harder you “don’t try”, the more powerfully this works.

After 20 or 25 minutes you’ll begin to feel deeply relaxed. You’ll begin to experience energy coming into your mind and body. You’ll have a tremendous sense of well-being. At this point, you’ll be ready to get the full benefit of these moments of contemplation.

When this kind of solitude practice is done correctly, it works about 100 percent of the time. While you’re sitting there, a river of ideas will flow through your mind. You’ll think about countless subjects in an uncontrolled stream of consciousness.

Relax and listen to your inner voice. Often the solutions to the most important challenges facing you will emerge quietly and clearly. The answers will be so clear you’ll wonder why you hadn’t thought of them sooner. Often you’ll experience a deep sense of gratitude and contentment.

Often when you follow the guidance you receive in solitude, it turns out to be exactly the right thing to do. Things work out for the best……just try it and see for yourself.

Getting in touch with your feelings and listening to your inner guidance does require that you learn to trust yourself.

Listen and learn about what’s making you happy or unhappy, and what feels right or wrong. Too many times we compromise on what that inner voice tells us to do.

Develop the habit of listening to yourself and then acting on the guidance you receive by using a solitude practice. It’s a useful type of solitude to cultivate, so I hope you’ll give it a try!

shelli