Pilates: Not Just for Tutu Sporting Dancers Anymore!

For those of you who have worked with me, I am clearly not 6 feet tall. Nor am I a super model in any way, shape, or form. Truthfully, I have been known to forget my moisturizer, I don't get regular mani/pedi's, and I cant wear high heels for more than 20 yards before tumbling to the ground. Yes, feel free to have a chuckle on my behalf.

As PT's, my gals (Jolene and Ann) have an abundance of knowledge on preventative care for an array of conditions. I myself suffer from a spinal condition where one of my vertebra likes to travel towards my bellybutton and cause me pain. The best way for me to prevent this "feisty dude" from irritating me is to do the stability exercises that work best for ME.  Part of this routine often includes movements that are used in Pilates.

This approach to integrating strength and stability leaves me feeling like I am 6 feet tall, tight, solid, and build like a brick house. No joke. No exaggeration. No monkey business.

Ann and I are both trained to instruct pilates with the bonus of integrating all of our rehabilitation know-how to accomplish rehab goals and fitness goals.

We look forward to sharing this with you all.


PS: To all you MEN out there....there is nothing girlie about the reformer. I bet you (a coffee or tea or kool-aid) that we can give you a better workout on the apparatus than you can get in the gym.  Bring it on!

If you have not experienced Pilates....wait until you see this..

	This approach to integrating strength and stability leaves me feeling like I am 6 feet tall, tight, solid, and build like a brick house. No joke. No exaggeration. No monkey business. Ann and I are both trained to instruct pilates with the bonus of integrating all of our rehabilitation know-how to accomplish rehab goals and fitness goals. We look forward to sharing this with you all. PS: To all you MEN out there....there is nothing girlie about the reformer. I bet you (a coffee or tea or kool-aid) that we can give you a better workout on the apparatus than you can get in the gym.  Bring it on!Allegro 2 Reformer : Live Performance at PMA, November 2011	This approach to integrating strength and stability leaves me feeling like I am 6 feet tall, tight, solid, and build like a brick house. No joke. No exaggeration. No monkey business. Ann and I are both trained to instruct pilatwith the bonus of integrating all of our rehabilitation know-how to accomplish rehab goals and fitness goals. We look forward to sharing this with you all. PS: To all you MEN out there....there is nothing girlie about the reformer. I bet you (a cothat we can give you a better workout on the apparatus than you can get in the gym.  Bring it on!

Sun is out, time to get dirty

Ahhhh, Spring! Just saying the word puts a certain skip into my step and a smile on my face. Spring, brings the promise of sun (and often rain) filled days that offer an abundance of activity choices. Just last weekend I spent a lovely day at the park, playing tetherball (talk about a throwback), baseball, and tennis. On Monday, it was a great day to pull weeds and throw sticks into a pile in preparation for laying mulch and planting flowers.

Despite literally never getting my hands in the dirt of the garden as a child, I really feel like I have accomplished something when the beds are clean and full of life (or at least the potential of life). Getting my hands, knees, and feet in the earth felt good for my soul. Almost like a meditation where I am relaxed simply by listening to birds, wind in trees...and cars on Lee Highway :)

I would love to hear from you and hear how you all like to spend your outdoor time...is it a time of reflection? time to sweat and exercise harder? are you exercising or "working" outside?


Cheers!
E

A passion to serve

We often hear about folks wanting to discover their life's purpose, or their passion. By developing and cultivating these we are led to believe that we will be fulfilled and "finally" feel peace. After hearing of this man, Stephen Wampler, who willingly has climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park using only his hands....I knew I needed to assess my view on some things. The purpose of his climb was to raise money for disabled children to attend camp. Please take the time to visit the link above to learn more.

To learn of this mans passion and mission, was a testimony that all things are possible with God, and that to serve others selflessly has a ripple effect along the lives it touches. In an effort to multiply the goodness that has come from his efforts please select one of the following below to make a difference:

1. Donate to the  Wampler Foundation
2.  Hold the door open for someone and flash them a smile; honor the people you share this earth with
3. Call a friend or family member you haven't spoken to in over 3 months. Say hi, and appreciate the sound of their voice, and a brief catch up.
4. Pick up a piece of trash; if we all did this-think of how clean our space would be, and how much the earth would benefit. If you dont know what im talking about, visit The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
5.  Pick a foundation or special interest group to volunteer your time, donate some change, or get involved in some way that you are serving someone else.

Take a deep breath and smile...now doesnt that feel nice?

A more lively liver

It shouldn't be a shock to any one that our bodies abilities to function optimally is correlated with the food we eat. When we consume processed foods, we introduce chemical compounds that our bodies struggle to process, and over time the rhythm of our systems is altered. Scientifically speaking, the receptors in our bodies that respond to hormonal and chemical stimuli can no longer receive their messengers, and hence the reciprocal message doesnt get sent out to up or down regulate the next phase or stage in any given bodily process.

A nice way to reboot your system is to give your liver a vacation, to decrease the tax on your adrenals, and allow your body to return to "all systems go".

Tip #1: Add a cranberry drink before each of your three major meals for 2 weeks.
This includes 6oz of H20, 2 oz of unsweetened cranberry juice (less than 8 grams of sugar), 1/3 of a fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar. You have the option of adding psyllium seeds or husks as well if you want to get your fiber in.

Tip #2: No added sugar to anything for 2 weeks. No splenda, no table sugar, no syrup....no sugar means no sugar. If you are going "all out" on this; please consider no processed food as well which may contain high fructose corn syrup and other hidden sugars which will inhibit your liver from getting back in check.

Tip #3: Decrease your meat intake and increase your veggie intake. Consume mostly vegetables, followed by fruits (1/3d the amount), nuts & seeds.

There are certainly more rigid steps that can be followed, but if you can start with these three...and stick to it for two weeks...you may notice improved energy, ability to burn fat (hooray!) and comprehensive improvement in how your systems work together.

PS: This is a great time to put your smoothie hat on and get those veggies into your daily fuel.

Recipe: One or two ripe mangos, frozen works well too....add a handful of parsley....blend and drink. So simple. So yummy.

Green slime is delicious

The past week I have introduced daily green smoothies for breakfast. I must say that they do give me a burst of energy, ensure that I get my daily servings of fruits and veggies, and they allow me to be out the door and on the road in record time. This week, while peaches are still in season, i add two of them plus a banana into the blender, followed by 3 handfuls of baby spinach and some cold Brita filtered water (plus or minus some protein powder).

The color: BEAUTIFUL....although truthfully not something that evokes a YUM! I cant wait to drink that sludge feeling.

The flavor: Delicious. Tastes exactly like a peach, banana smoothie. Ive found that freezing the fruit the night before gives it a creamy and cool, milkshake consistency so that I dont have to add additional ice which waters down the flavor.

The benefits: Numerous. First of all,  I believe that God has blessed us with all the nutrients we need in food (in its original form, not in the processed junk that comes in plastic wrap, plus a cardboard box with ridiculous marketing ...that doesn't serve our bodies or minds...). In one meal I got over 4 servings of fruits and veggies, making it un-necessary to take additional supplementation if I make sure to include some more throughout the day.  I understand the "quick and easy" route of taking a multi-vitamin.  But if you consider your food as fuel- you want the real deal, right?

Secondly, did i mention how fast it was? I dumped in the goods, flicked the switch, and poured all that nutrient rich goodness into my "on the go bottle" ( an old glass bottle I had lying around-no bpa to worry about, no leaching, and it looks nice)

Third, my skin....in 5 days has been more luminescent and even toned. Could it be hormonal? Sure. Could it be the gallon of water I drink daily? Sure. But gosh darnit: I think the new addition has made and impact as well. Why wouldn't it? Nourishment from the inside out.

There are plenty of "green smoothie" recipes out there. You can substitute kale for spinach if you like. It is a stronger veg...so use with caution as it tends to overpower fruits moreso than other vegetables.


I challenge you to try it...just once. You have nothing to lose.

Cheers!

The Age of Accountability

I received an email from a client of mine this morning, it contained the photograph above.

Funny as it is, the sad reality is that this may be more exercise than most folks get in a day.

Tip O' Thursday: Take a walk around the building you work in throughout the day, to decompress, to breathe, to get exercise, to listen to the sounds of nature (or cars and trucks if you are in Northern VA with me...). Make each day count, and take the small steps. It DOES make a difference. The responsibility is YOURS alone.


Question for you: How do you manage your stress? We all have it....and it is actually good for us. It is how we deal with it that can make or break its overall effect on our health. Send me some of your strategies....  epolis@corewellness.net

A time to play

When I see a child scrape their knee or worse, it is a reminder to me how resilient their growing bodies are. As men and women go through life stages,our ability to recover from injuries decreases. Or does it?

I believe in the body's ability to adapt. Whether through habitual posture, exercise programs, weekend activities and the like; theses are the means by which our body is stimulated to grow, shrink, become conditioned (or de-conditioned if your favorite workout is how long you can sit on your sofa), have good bone density, and so much more. Take a moment and think of your parents. Think of their injuries, possible surgeries, or even tasks they complained about. Now think about their lifestyle choices; did they walk often, do chores around the house, watch a lot of tv, ride bikes, sit or stand at work, play a sport, do yoga or pilates, etc. I know that both of my parents maintained a relatively sedentary work day; with intermittent walking anywhere from desk to car, up to miles around the Columbus Zoo. One parent never set foot in a gym, the other; committed to spending at least 3 days a week combining weight training, flexibility (yoga), stability (yoga, pilates) and conditioning (interval work on cardio equipment and spinning classes). It doesn't take a college degree to guess which one is in better condition, nor to guess which one has more health issues.

The more you play the healthier you are. Making playtime a priority is a must. You have so many things to choose from, be it running, frisbee throwing, handstands, gardening, hopscotch...think like a kid; and look at the world as an endless array of fun and exploration. The more you can diversify this the more healthy you are overall. This means that the more you mix it up, shake it up and swirl it around...the easier it will be for your body to transition through small injuries and bumps in the road. If you are up for the challenge, there are also triathlons of varying intensities and distances that are a prime choice. (Be warned: this is a time consuming, and can be expensive-ease these stressors by doing it with a friend).

Make time to play today. Combine that with a delicious nutritious meal and you are on the road to wellness...one block at a time :)

Check out my colleague Amy Arnold for more information on the wonderful world of Integrated Nutrition and why you NEED her:

Amy Arnold
Vital Self
http://www.vitalself.com/