Wednesday Wellness: Thai Yoga Massage

It probably doesn’t surprise any of you to find out that I love massage. I’m not the kind of gal who spends money on haircuts, facials, pedicures, and such; however, if I could afford to have a massage every day, I would. I love what it does for me mentally and physically.

I had my first experience with Thai yoga massage last week. Unlike other forms of massage, Thai yoga massage is done fully clothed, and no oils are used. It is also active, as the therapist moves around the recipient in order to move the recipient’s body into different stretches. The session I had was 90 minutes of deep breathing, supported poses, and intense stretching.

I received my massage from Diego who works out of MassagEscape in South Austin. I had purchased the session from a group buy site, as I was unsure whether I’d enjoy this type of massage or not. Diego was outstanding. He gave me a clear explanation of what to expect, and he moved my body with care and intention. When I needed to move to help align my body differently, Diego spoke softly to honor the calm environment.

Because of the active nature of the massage, I didn’t find it particularly relaxing. Don’t get me wrong: it felt fantastic. There’s just no way to doze off when someone is bending your body and your muscles are being deeply stretched. After I got home, though, I felt incredibly relaxed. It was such a treat to have someone help me stretch, and I felt the benefits of the Thai yoga massage in my runs later in the week.

I definitely recommend Thai yoga massage with Diego. I’m glad I tried this new (to me) massage modality.

Good health and great happiness to you.

Neither Diego nor MassagEscape compensated me for writing this blog post.

Ten Ways to Say: Happy Active Mother’s Day!

1. There are fun runs and road races all over the country dedicated to moms and families. It’s not too late to find one and join in the fun.

2. Tell your kids to take a hike…but go with them!

3. My Monkey’s preschool has a family campout on Mother’s Day weekend. The great outdoors, other kids to entertain yours, and other moms to chat with is a great combination.

4. If you’re in a warm climate, find yourself a raft and float in the pool. Let the kids splash and play while you envision yourself on the ocean in Hawaii.

5. Have your kids set up a backyard obstacle course. You can either join in the fun or act as the official timekeeper as they race.

6. Take a new-to-you class. Always wanted to try yoga, pilates, spinning, rowing, or running? Take some time for yourself to learn a new modality.

7. Skip the brunch and pack a healthy picnic. Bonus points if you go to a playground and challenge your kids to the monkey bars while you’re there!

8. Find a pick-your-own farm, and discover the fun of getting fresh food right from the source. Options depend on your location, but there’s something fresh near you!

9. Go on a family bike ride. It’s a classic family-friendly activity. And if you’re the one who pulls the little one(s) in a bike trailer (like I am in my family), it’s a great workout even at a kid-friendly pace.

10. Take a nap! Rest is a key component of any well-rounded fitness program. And let’s face it: You’ve earned it, Mama!

Sneaky Workout: Stairs

In case you’re new to the onbalance blog or missed my guest blog post on The Work At Home Woman last week about sneaking in exercise while the kids are at the playground, I’ll let you know that this idea of finding bits of time for fitness is central to my well-being and my work.

You won’t be surprise, then, when I found myself with a spare half-hour today between a client appointment and a doctor’s appointment* and knowing that I had a high-intensity workout on the schedule for today, I thought that I could make good use of the time between appointments. I first thought about going for a run, but I was dressed in long pants and had on a regular bra, so running in the already-70 degree-plus weather was not an option. As I pulled into the parking lot, I realized that the building where my appointment was located was several stories tall. Add in the basement, and I had five floors of fitness at my disposal. It was time to do a stair workout.

There are some logistical considerations when choosing to do a stair workout:
First and foremost, make sure that you will be able to reopen the stairwell door once on the inside. I simply asked someone in the hallway to let me out if I couldn’t get the door back open as a test.
Next, walk up a few flights to gently warm up the body. You’ll also find a landing between floors on which to stash your bag so you don’t have to carry it with you or worry that someone will dash off with it.
As you climb the stairs, make sure to step fully on each riser, with as little of the heel hanging off the back of the step as possible. Doing so will prevent seriously sore achilles heels and calves the next day!
While you may want to pump your arms as you ascend the stairs, I strongly suggest holding the handrail as you descend. As your legs get more tired and your heart rate increases, trying to move quickly down the stairs can turn into a disaster if you lose your balance. The handrail can prevent a fall.

There are several ways you can approach doing the stairs as a workout. Certainly, a straightforward single-step-at-a-time method will give you a good workout. To increase the cardio intensity, try jogging up the stairs. Or if you want a strength workout that will also get your heartrate up, ascend the stairs two-at-a-time and then jog single stairs back down to the bottom. You can, of course, mix up these strategies to keep things interesting. Just keep moving!

For those of you who think this is a crazy idea, perhaps you’ll feel better knowing that in the twenty-five minutes I was in the stairwell, not a single other person used the stairs. (Which is, quite possibly, the reason we need lots of multi-story medical buildings….but I digress…..) When I finished my workout, I popped back out into the hallway, found a water fountain for a drink, then went back outside to stretch and cool off for five minutes. At the end of that five minutes, my heart rate was lower but not fully recovered, indicating I got a really good workout in my “downtime.”

Sneaky exercise saves the busy mom once again!

*I now know that despite the awesomeness of this workout, it is ill-advised to do it just before a mammogram. It is very difficult to stand perfectly still and hold one’s breath after such a high-intensity cardio workout. My jello legs were not doing me any favors, either. But onward and squishward went the mammogram machine anyway, and I’m hopeful for a clear report next week.

Thinking Happy Thoughts

I’ve been working consciously lately to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. I’ll be honest: as a natural-born cynic, this does not come easy for me. But after seeing how many people go through life either crabby or blowing sunshine, I’ve come to understand that being happy is a choice.

We live in a hyper-critical society. Being happy is not the norm. It’s no wonder so many people focus on their shortcomings rather than their successes. I am encouraging my clients to reframe the way they view their fitness progress by making positive statements. Rather than thinking “my stomach is still flabby even after six weeks of hard work”, it is much more rewarding to consider “I can do twice as many crunches in one minute as I could just six weeks ago!” Celebrating strengths rather than dwelling on weaknesses generates a spirit of positivism that affects not only the person with whom it originates but everyone with whom that person comes in contact. Powerful!

I am giving myself a real challenge and have decided that being grateful (happy’s older, more sophisticated and wise sister) is an important part of my overall wellness. Recognizing the sources of my happiness and acknowledging it/them for the goodness they bring to my life improves my overall wellness. With this attitude of gratitude, I feel unstoppable. And the more goodness I acknowledge, the more goodness I see. Again, powerful!

I challenge you to think–right now–about five people for whom you are grateful. Write down their names. And in the next 24 hours, call, email, text, or Facebook those people and let them know how important they are to you. In doing so you will not only make their day, but you’ll be cultivating a generous sense well-being for yourself. I dare you to tell me it does not lighten your heart and change your outlook on life.

Good health and great happiness to you.

Why I hate “bootcamps”

Despite the huge-and-growing popularity of bootcamps as a group fitness option, I must admit that I hate that term. For me, the image of a bootcamp includes a sergeant who is a) shouting, b) in your face, and c) trying to make you hurt. I certainly understand why the military uses this form of communication, but what I don’t understand is why so many civilians find this style motivating.

Since I’m being honest here, I’ll say that the very last thing I want to do at 6am (or any other time) is yell. Maybe I’m lazy; maybe I’m the one who needs a kick in the pants. Or maybe I’m cut from a different mold. While some people may find it motivating to be hollered at, I find it demeaning. I believe that if you need to be yelled at to exercise, your issues are far greater than what I am capable of handling within the bounds of my profession.

So how can I be a results-driven trainer who expects her clients to put forth quality effort every class or session? Easy. I believe that people who get up in the wee hours of the morning to arrive at a 6am circuit training class (please, oh please do NOT call it a bootcamp!) are already motivated. All I have to do is encourage them– give positive cues, offer affirmations when appropriate, and comment on achievements– and my participants and clients motivate themselves. And isn’t that a better benchmark of wellness? When we don’t need someone in our face to bark commands because the desire to succeed comes from within?!

Many of my class participants have commented that it is because of my kinder, more positive approach that has contributed to their adherance to the class. They come back because of the variety of workouts (which are programmed in the same interval style as hard-core bootcamps), the comeraderie of the class community, and the fitness results that they continue to see month-after-month. I want my participants to feel valued. After all, helping people find ways to integrate exercise into their lives on a daily basis for their whole life is at the heart of why I am a personal trainer.

If you’ve been looking for a place where your fitness level will be honored and your achievements celebrated, please do join us. I promise a friendly face, a smile, and cheering using my inside voice.

Good health and great happiness to you.

What’s Your Plan?

With Spring here, it’s a great time to think about setting some new fitness and wellness goals. Maybe you have a new year’s resolution (or three) that has fallen by the wayside; maybe you have a friend who has signed up for an event that sounds like a lot of fun; maybe you’d just like to get outside more while the weather is really nice.

Regardless of your goal, making a plan will help you achieve it. Just like goal-setting in any other part of your life, defining a fitness or wellness goal should be specific and achievable. Having mini-goals along the way can help by providing useful checkpoints along your journey. Finding someone else to work toward the goal with you can keep you motivated while also providing accountability. Most importantly, remind yourself daily why you chose the goal and the feeling you anticipate having upon reaching it.

After your decide on your goal, checkpoints, and accountability, think about how you are going to get there. What concrete steps do you need to take in order to reach your goal? Are these steps required daily or weekly? Is your timeline realistic? Get out your calendar and check! Do you need help or guidance from someone else so that you stay injury-free? Do you own the necessary equipment already, or must you purchase something new? These questions will help ensure that your goal is achievable.

By committing a fitness plan to paper (or pixels), you demonstrate a commitment to your goal. Although you should allow yourself the flexibility to deviate from the plan when necessary, having a plan anchors you should life interfere. Keeping a workout log is a great way to track your progress and provide feedback to yourself about how you feel about your workouts. Know that steady work toward your goal will be rewarded.

Good health and great happiness to you.

Being Present

You may have noticed a lack of blogging on what most would think is a personal trainer’s sure-fire topic: New Year’s Resolutions. This is because I’m working hard every day, not just in January, at being present with what I am doing. This approach manifests itself in various ways as I try to live a fit life.

One way I was present with myself was by listening to an inner voice that told me I wasn’t yet done with my ultramarathon training. Despite being pleased with my achievement of running a 50K on trail in December, I knew that I could go faster. I really wanted to push myself, and by voicing that desire– and the belief that I was trained well enough to run much faster– my dad told me that there was a 50K in Dallas last Sunday.

Once again, I piled the family into the car and hit the road. On Sunday morning, my dad and I gathered with 10-12 other runners at White Rock Lake’s Big Thicket cabin to begin the Recover From The Holidays 50K. We set out with a plan to run for 5 minutes and walk for 2 minutes, and that’s what we stuck to (more or less) the entire way. Five hours and twenty-one minutes later, we finished. That’s 78 minutes faster than the 50K we did just three weeks before. Being present, listening to my thoughts, and acting on them really paid off!

Another way I’m being present in my fitness efforts is to realize that, just like in other parts of my life, when I look good, I feel good. I hadn’t been giving this too much credence lately, but when Michelle Rodriguez asked me to contribute to her Well-Styled blog, I was again confronted with that truism. I’m now committed to revamping my workout wardrobe to wear items that a) fit, b) are appropriate for the activity, and c) wouldn’t embarass my mother if she knew I was wearing them out of the house. If you’re in need of workout wear but don’t know where to start, Michelle is leading a guided field trip at Title Nine later this month. Look good, feel good, want to be healthier, take better care of yourself, look even better!

Many of my workouts are done with others, and I enjoy the social interactions I have while exercising. While I don’t want to eliminate those workouts completely, I want to return to doing a few workouts a week by myself. I want to enjoy the simplicity and primal nature of moving my body. I want to listen to my body as it works. I want to acknowledge my thoughts as I have them. I can do a better job of being present if I can focus only on myself.

I am also working to be present when I eat. No more eating in the car or while wandering around the house. I want to sit down, chew, and taste. I want to be grateful for the food I have available and the ways in which it nourishes my body. All too often, even when eating with the family, I’m too focused on other things to really be mindful of the food I’m consuming.

Being present is an ongoing challenge for me. But I believe it is a key to wellness, as it requires me to slow down and give thanks. Doing so can only be beneficial.

Good health and great happiness to you.

Five Minutes of Reflection

Need a few minutes to relax? Want to make sure you’re on the healthy track?

Take a deep breath and five minutes to think about:
1. What you have done well today.
2. Your favorite workout you’ve done recently, how it made you feel, and when you plan to do it again.
3. Three people for whom you are grateful.
4. How you will nourish your body to stay healthy.
5. How you will continue to live intentionally, positively, and heathfully through the harried end-of-year rush.

Good health and great happiness to you!

Log Book vs. Journaling

 

Most fitness resources state the importance of keeping a log of your workouts as a way of maintaining adherance to your fitness program.  While the log book is a useful means of recording the facts of a workout, for most people who struggle with fitness and nutrition emotions play a huge role in success or failure.  As a personal trainer, I often recommend that my clients journal both exercise and eating habits.  The key, however, is not just to write what type of exercise was done or what foods were eaten but to journal about how the activity and the food made you feel.  By connecting the activities to the emotions, you can start to see patterns develop that will help you adhere to your resolutions.

For example, someone may have a strength training routine and the journal entry would read: “really difficult upper body session.  More reps than I have done before.  Thought my arms were going to fall off.  But felt AMAZING and proud of myself afterwards.”  That way, when they know they have another difficult workout to do another time, they have the proof that they can get the work done and feel great about it afterwards.  Similarly, with eating, a habitual fast food eater may write: “caved and got a burger and fries for lunch.  Tasted delicious and salty while I ate it, but that was three hours ago and it’s a rock in my stomach.”  Perhaps that entry will help change habits the next time someone wants to grab a quck but unhealthy lunch.

The other aspect of journaling that I feel positively influences adherance is that it is private account.  I do not review my client’s journals.  The feedback I have received from operating this way is that people feel more free to be truly honest about how their workouts and eating are affecting their lives.  In the end, even though people hire me to help improve their physical fitness, I know that the key to achieving that goal is in making lasting behavioral changes.  Those changes can be made only when confronted with a willingness to admit human faults and the courage to try again.  The journal also becomes a place where patterns of past behavior then translate into future goals.

When fitness and nutrition are understood as components of a wellness journey, the changes that one can make are broader and deeper than ever imagined.

Good health and great happiness to you.

Routine Wellness

It’s that time of year when all the parents I know are talking about routine.  Summer is winding down quickly, and the school year is fast approaching– just one more week for those of us in Austin.  It’s time to end the long, leisurely days of summer and start thinking about how in the world we’re going to have everyone up and at ‘em for the 7.45am start of the school day.

I’m encouraging my clients and friends to use this opportunity to insert more conscious wellness into their daily routines.  Even if it’s something as simple as waking up 10 minutes earlier so healthy lunches can be prepped and packed– not just for the kids, but for the parents, too– you’ll be making a positive start to the day.  After school time should include a healthy balance of activity, rest, and homework.  Just because kids these days have a lot of scheduled activity lessons (soccer, t-ball, gymnastics, etc), don’t underestimate the physical and mental value of free play in the backyard or on a playground.  You could start an after-school ‘welcome home’ routine for your kids by putting on some silly music and dancing together for a few minutes.  My family likes to take a post-dinner walk (or bicycle ride) around the neighborhood after dinner during the school year.  It may be only 15 minutes or so, but it’s an important part of our family time.  When thinking of your evening and winding down the day, what about adding some simple stretching and deep breathing to the jammies-teeth brushing-read books routine? 

I’d love to hear any other free, easy-to-do ideas for families to have a healthy, happy school year.

Good health and great happiness to you.