#Fitness #DoingItRight #GoodForYou #DoingItWrong #BadForYou #JustDoItRight #NuYuRevolution
Biomechanically Sound Fitness; Correct Functional Performance While Strengthening & Conditioning…
There are a variety of factors that need to be considered when you exercise to make sure it's performed properly, safely and for maximum benefit. Some of these factors are common knowledge; warm up, cool down, correct technique, proper joint and muscle mechanics, amongst other variables, which all boil down to biomechanically sound form.
Building a Foundation With Exercise
The traditional form of exercise has many well-known benefits. It increases metabolism, encourages cellular metabolism, builds bone, joint and muscle strength and releases endorphins, along with countless other physical and mental affects. Many of us struggled with fitness for one reason or another and never developed a healthy relationship with exercise, while others have been active since an early age.
Whether we stuck with a routine or became sedentary when we were kids, where we could jump on a trampoline all day, climb trees and not even get a sore muscle, it is a completely different story now! Our backs are sore after a long day at work. Our knees may still ache from injuries in high school, our hips may bother us from merely sitting at a desk, and our whole bodies can suffer from simply wearing the wrong shoes. But then, we still expect our bodies’ to perform for us even though we abuse it… with poor exercise execution, weak posture, iffy nutrition and loads of stress.
So how do we return, or at least get closer, to those pain-free, efficiently blissful days? Mindful, consistent and biomechanically sound exercise is a good place to begin. The traditional form of exercise, the kind that we all think of when we think of breathing hard and sweating, moving till our muscles burn, does not always address our biomechanical imbalances or muscular weaknesses. In fact, often this type of exercise can exacerbate, or even create, weaknesses and/or injuries. Corrective exercises must be applied to address your issues, strengthening the weaker muscles, relieving the heavy load of the over-worked ones.
The customary forms of exercise will often not address postural awareness, and the proper use muscles necessary to achieve better form during workouts and in everyday life. In fact, as we force through unaddressed imbalances with thoughtless exercise, our bodies will compensate which can create new problems and injuries within our bodies. So once again, the strong muscles will accept the majority of the force and the inhibited ones will avoid it. The gap between the strong and weak muscles will widen, further ingraining compensations and issues with the body will continue to present themselves.
It is these imbalances that create instability in our bodies, uneven wear patterns in our joints, decreased proper functioning in our physical performance creating vulnerability to further injury. Typically biomechanically sound exercises have very low amounts of force involved so that the inhibited muscles will have a chance to recognize the resistance and respond.
Avoiding overstimulation that can force us to resort back into our injury prone compensatory patterns, by dialing it back a notch can create efficient movement and ensure better mechanics. Exercises with this thoughtful focus will help us be more aware of our bodies, how they move and how to maintain it in the best form possible, in and out of the gym. Knowledge is power in correcting our weaknesses and gaining strength throughout our lives, and will give us a better chance of preserving our temples; our bodies to go the distance.
In short, when choosing an exercise program to help resolve our physical limitations and attain our goals, whether it’s running a marathon or simply implementing ongoing fitness into our lives… biomechanical efficiency will affect our optimal performance and longevity.
Learning to use our mental power to join forces with our physical selves so that we can understand what goes where and why is a game changer in how we feel on any given day. Our mind, body and spirit working together, is the solution to many of our weakness. At NuYu Revolution you will learn to understand your weaknesses through awareness and knowledge, therein creating strength that will benefit your body for your lifetime.
If you convince yourself that you can make the time to shower, to get dressed, to run errands, to go to work, to cook, to pay bills, to return calls and emails, to peruse the internet, to walk your dog, to get your car tuned up, to see a movie, to the theatre, to the mall, to grocery shop, to read a book, to watch TV, that you don't have the time to exercise..... REEVALUATE YOUR PRIORITIES!
#YouGetOneBody #TakeCareOfIt #MakeTheTime #FindAWay #NuYuRevolution
INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH
#DailyFitness #HugeReturns #NoGamble #SureThing #NuYuRevolution
Investing in your health is important, and it’s never too late to start to taking care of yourself. If you want to improve your health and wellbeing... with a bit of prioritizing and shifting your mindset, anyone can afford the time to fit fitness into their life.
It all starts with having a "Fitness Plan," which not so different from a "Business Plan," is a map to fitness success. Plans and strategies are crucial to achieve a mind-body connection, and winging it is just a gamble. Starting at the beginning with small, attainable goals and growing from there can lead to big successes.
Being fit looks and feels good, but even better, the health benefits of a long term fitness commitment are astounding. With your vessel /body, healthy, strong and fully functioning, your soul gets a long term shelter that is sturdy and able to go the years.
The word investment is not just monetary! The most valuable investment you can make, is that of your health, quality of life, and family. Being a role model in the health and wellness arena is as simple as putting your daily fitness investments on auto-deposit in your schedule. Those around you will see the benefits, and looking and feeling better is very contagious!
Unfortunately, fitness and general health are missing on many people’s investment list. Many of us put everything else above taking care of ourselves and our wealth of health can dwindle unless we make regular investments in ourselves.
Adopting the attitude that “health is wealth” costs absolutely nothing. Taking care of the one life you have, starts with making a decision everyday to make healthy decisions. Take care of your body so your soul can live abundantly and shine strength, health, happiness and self respect. Invest in yourself the returns are priceless!!!!!
#StayBalanced #BeStrong #APlayer #NotASpectator #NuYuRevolution
Improving Your Mental and Physical Balance...
Strategies and Tips for Good Mental Health:
People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s challenges, build strong relationships, and recover from setbacks. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health. Improving your emotional health can be a rewarding experience, benefiting all aspects of your life, including boosting your mood, building resilience, and adding to your overall enjoyment of life.
What is mental health or emotional health?
Mental or emotional health refers to your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties.
Good mental health isn't just the absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather than the absence of mental illness, mental and emotional health refers to the presence of positive characteristics. Similarly, not feeling bad is not the same as feeling good. While some people may not have negative feelings, they still need to do things that make them feel positive in order to achieve mental and emotional health.
People who are mentally and emotionally healthy have:
A sense of contentment.
A zest for living and the ability to laugh and have fun.
The ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.
A sense of meaning and purpose, in their activities and relationships.
The flexibility to learn new things and adapt to change.
A balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.
The ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.
Self-confidence and high self-esteem.
These positive characteristics of mental and emotional health allow you to participate in life to the fullest extent possible through productive, meaningful activities and strong relationships. These positive characteristics also help you cope when faced with life's challenges and stresses and keep you balanced
The role of resilience in mental and emotional health
Being emotionally and mentally healthy doesn’t mean never going through bad times or experiencing emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress.
The difference is that people with good emotional health have an ability to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress. This ability is called resilience. People who are emotionally and mentally healthy have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and creative in bad times as well as good.
One of the key factors in resilience is the ability to balance stress and your emotions. The capacity to recognize your emotions and express them appropriately helps you avoid getting stuck in depression, anxiety, or other negative mood states. Another key factor is having a strong mentality. Physical strength creates inner strength which is why many people workout.
Physical health is connected to mental and emotional health!
Taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and the body are linked. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. For example, exercise not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that energize us and lift our mood. The activities you engage in and the daily choices you make affect the way you feel physically and emotionally.
Get enough rest. To have good mental and emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in order to function optimally.
Understand more about good nutrition and practice it. The subject of nutrition is complicated and not always easy to put into practice. But the more you learn about what you eat and how it affects your energy and mood, the better you can feel.
Exercise to relieve stress, remind you what you are made of, and lift your mood. Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression. Look for small ways to add activity to your day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going on a short walk. To get the most mental health benefits, aim for 30 minutes or more of exercise per day.
Get a dose of sunlight every day. Sunlight lifts your mood, so try to get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sun per day. This can be done while exercising, gardening, or socializing.
Improve mental and emotional health by taking care of yourself even when it means doing something you don't feel up to. You must rise above the voice that tell you "you can't," to find out that you can!
Taking care of yourself includes pursuing activities that naturally release endorphins and contribute to feeling good. In addition to physical exercise, endorphins are also naturally released when we:
Do things that positively impact others. Being useful to others and being valued for what you do can help build self-esteem.
Practice self-discipline. Self-control naturally leads to a sense of hopefulness and can help you overcome despair, helplessness, and other negative thoughts.
Learn or discover new things. Think of it as “intellectual candy.” Try taking an adult education class, join a book club, visit a museum, learn a new language, or simply travel somewhere new.
Enjoy the beauty of nature or art.
Studies show that simply walking through a garden can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. The same goes for strolling through a park, an art gallery, admiring architecture, hiking, or simply sitting on a bench or a beach.
Manage your stress levels. Stress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it’s important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help you bring things back into balance.
Limit unhealthy mental habits like worrying. Try to avoid becoming absorbed by repetitive mental habits—negative thoughts about yourself and the world that suck up time, drain your energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.
More tips and strategies for taking care of yourself:
Appeal to your senses. Stay calm and energized by appealing to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Listen to music that lifts your mood, place flowers where you will see and smell them, massage your hands and feet, or sip a warm drink.
Engage in meaningful, creative work. Do things that challenge your creativity and make you feel productive, whether or not you get paid for it—things like gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something in your workshop.
Get a pet. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for one makes you feel needed and loved. There is no love quite as unconditional as the love a pet can give. Animals can also get you out of the house for exercise and expose you to new people and places.
Make leisure time a priority. Do things for no other reason than that it feels good to do them. Go to a funny movie, take a walk on the beach, listen to music, read a good book, or talk to a friend. Doing things just because they are fun is no indulgence. Play is an emotional and mental health necessity.
Make time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about the things you’re grateful for. Mediate, pray, enjoy the sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good, positive, and beautiful as you go about your day.
Everyone is different; not all things will be equally beneficial to all people. Some people feel better relaxing and slowing down while others need more activity and more excitement or stimulation to feel better. The important thing is to find activities that you enjoy and that give you a boost.
Supportive relationships: The foundation of emotional health
No matter how much time you devote to improving your mental and emotional health, you will still need the company of others to feel and be your best. Humans are social creatures with an emotional need for relationships and positive connections to others. Have a standard and fill your life with people who add to you rather than suck your energy with dysfunction.
Find balance in yourself by striving to grow, learn, be more, and better today than yesterday. Never lose your balance in life's minutia, because we are way more powerful than that! When you embrace your strength and potential, even the biggest storm won't throw you off balance.
#YourButt #KeepItUp #Engaged #Pumped #Youthful #WorkItOut #NuYuRevolution
Our glutes do more than just help us look good in our clothes. The butt consists of three main muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. They work together to help us move our legs in all directions. Because they're connected to the hips, the lower back, and the legs, strengthening the glutes can help to stabilize the back.
What many of us really want to know is this: Is there a butt workout that can actually help us get those round, lifted, and chiseled derrieres we covet?
If you are a 45 year old mother, and you start doing glute exercises, you're not going to look like a 20-year-old woman who's never had kids.
Fat cells the body has deposited around the hips and thighs are less responsive than in other parts of the body. Progress is still possible, it just takes a lot of attention to nutrition and exercise.
The Butt Workout: Five Exercises for Your Glutes
Aerobically, walking hills is a great butt workout. Indoors, use a 5% to 7% incline grade on your treadmill or in a cycling class. Climbing stairs is another great choice for working the glutes. Find a stadium, or use a stair machine, elliptical, or arc trainer to help define the butt. For variety, dust off those inline skates and hit the pavement.
After working up a sweat aerobically, try these six butt-busting strength exercises:
1. Squats. One of the best exercises you can do for your butt, hips, and thighs is the squat, say experts. Stand with feet parallel and hip-distance apart. Slowly lower your hips, making sure not to let your knees go out past your toes. When squatting, keep knees over ankles; press through the feet and squeeze the glutes as you come up to standing.
2. Lunges. Beginning with your feet parallel and hip-distance apart, take a giant step forward or backward. Slowly lower your body, bending both knees. Bend your knees no farther than 90 degrees, keeping your front knee aligned over your front ankle. Step together and repeat.
3. Bridges. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Slowly peel your spine off the floor from the bottom, one vertebra at a time, tightening the glutes and hamstrings (backs of the thighs) until you've created a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees. Return to the floor slowly, one vertebra at a time.
You can also do a one-legged bridge: Hold the knees tightly together and extend one leg at knee level while in the bridge position. Do all repetitions on one side, then switch.
To take it to the next level, try the bridge on a stability ball. With the head and tops of shoulders balanced on the ball, lift the hips into a tabletop position, level with the shoulders, then lower slightly and repeat.
4. Step-ups. Using a step stool or bench (a step would work, too), step one foot on top, then push through the top leg and glute to lift the bottom leg up and tap the bench. Lower and repeat using the same leg. Add hand weights or a knee lift with the tapping leg for a greater challenge.
5. Leg/hip extensions. Reaching a leg behind your body is a great way to work the glutes. In Pilates, it's done while lying on your side, but you can also do it while lying over a stability ball or standing. Using a slow, controlled motion, extend the leg behind the body while squeezing the glutes and keeping the torso stable. Do three sets of 15 repetitions, switch legs, and repeat.
Having a goal in mind will help you to stay committed to your workouts and enable you to get to the place where you see results. When adding a fitness routine to your lifestyle, weight loss seems obvious, but should only be part of a goal. Getting fit and strong are quality of life benefits, and will make life better as the aging process happens…… and it will!
#FallBlues #FightIt #Fitness #PositiveThought #GoodNutrition #Sleep #NuYuRevolution
STAY POSITIVE & ACTIVE TO HELP FIGHT THE FALL BLUES
We have just gotten used to summer, sun, and heat – and here comes fall, which brings a cornucopia of colorful leaves, chestnuts, rain, fog, and lower temperatures. Shorter days and bad weather suppress the mood of many people but a bad disposition doesn’t stand a chance with activities like movement and fresh air.
The so-called “fall depression”, or “fall blues” as it is called by many, is not a depression in the clinical sense. The blues are caused by a lack of sunlight that causes biochemical changes in the brain. Serotonin – the “happiness hormone” – is being released in smaller quantities while production of the “sleeping hormone” melatonin is increased due to the shorter daylight hours. Physical and mental loss of performance, listlessness, cravings, and bad moods can be the result.
What to do? A healthy mix of fresh air, movement and sensible nutrition may be a successful antidote. So don’t droop, but get out into nature in order to absorb as much light and fresh air as possible. Physical activity improves your mood, reduces stress, provides fitness training and is the best prevention for colds. A balanced diet rich in minerals with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, nuts, and fish is the perfect addition.
You should permanently integrate movement and sports into your daily life so that exercise will be more than just a good intention. Set a schedule and stick to it. Look for something that you like to do and go find some partners. It’s even more stimulating together with others and one’s weaker self trying to talk us into staying at home doesn’t stand a chance. Change the type of fitness classes every once in a while, or the environment in which you move; this will provide diversity and keep you going.
Music also improves the mood through other channels of perception and may even motivate you to get more inner juices flowing.
Important: don’t forget to warm up and go inside where it’s warm and – most importantly – dry for the cool down. A sweaty person standing outside in the cold for too long can risk getting a cold. Pay attention that you consume sufficient liquids. A warm tea after exercise will enliven your spirits and helps your body acclimatize. If you want to give yourself a special treat, spoil yourself with a sauna or massage after your exercise.
Getting as much rest as possible will help too... try not to skimp on you Zzzzz's. If you struggle falling asleep, melatonin and Chamomile are great remedies to name a few, along with restorative yoga, conscious breathing and meditation. Enroll your body and your mind to work together to keep yourself at the top of your mental game.
I am sure you have heard the old saying "you are what you eat," well probably even more true - "you are what you think." Please note that Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that primarily occurs in the winter but often starts in the fall, can be all consuming for some. If we can stay active with exercise, keep a smile on our face, replace feelings of despair with a positive shift in thinking… even when we don’t feel it, we can create a better mental state
If you anticipate that when the fall comes you will feel sad, you will feel sad. It is really rather simple, but does involve a commitment to develop a new philosophy - one that stresses living in the moment. When one commits to live in the moment the seasonal change to the fall becomes easier. This philosophy is very similar to how people can rise above - the "one day at a time" approach. If one stays in the moment they begin to appreciate the subtle changes that come about in a manageable manner.
The mind is a powerful tool - it can lead us into darkness and despair, but it can also deliver us from darkness and despair into a life of happiness. Be aware that you do have the power to rise above, even if you have to drag yourself there.
Stimulate your organs through movement...... #DetoxingYogaPoses#GetHeated #GentleTwisting #ExhaleIntoYourTwists#InhaleThroughTheRelease #AlwaysLearning #NuYuRevolutionDO A LITTLE DETOX FITNESS AT HOME: Contracting and twisting poses stimulate the abdominal organs, including the liver and digestive organs. Below are my six favorite (and the simplest!).
Side-to-side chair twists: Squat down into chair pose, which is basically a squat with the feet and knees a shoulder-width apart. Put your hands together at the center of your chest like you are praying. Twist to the left and touch your right elbow to the outside of your left knee. Come back to the center, and then twist to the other side. Repeat this 5 times.
Wide-legged forward fold with twist: Stand with knees shoulder-width apart, and bend down, reaching your left hand to your right ankle (or as low as you can go!). Reach your right arm up toward the ceiling, lean back slightly, and look up towards your right hand. Take a few deep breaths and repeat on the other side.
Cat to cow pose: Begin on your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips and your arms perpendicular to the floor. Look at the floor and round your spine toward the ceiling. This is cat pose (the rounded back may remind you of an angry cat!). Hold for a couple of breaths. To enter cow pose, let your belly sink all the way down towards the floor and lift your head so you are facing forward. Hold for a few breaths and repeat.
Sphinx pose: Lying facedown, prop yourself up on your forearms, which should be parallel to each other. Press down on your hands and forearms, lifting your chest up and forward. Hold this pose for a few breaths and then relax.
High lunge twist repetitions: Start in a lunge position with your left leg forward, with your toes facing forward and arms out to the side. Twist your abdomen to the left side so your arms are above your legs. Come back to the regular lunge and repeat a few times before moving to the other side.
Supine twist: I typically like to end with this simple pose. Simply lie on the ground with your arms out to your sides. Lift one leg straight up and then allow it to gently fall out to the opposite side, all the way to the floor. Take a few deep breaths and repeat on the other side.
Numerous yoga poses promote cleansing by stimulating circulation and the abdominal organs (including the liver and digestive organs), as well as by moving fluid to the lymph nodes.
Following are four fairly simple detoxing poses:
FULL BOAT POSE: Sit with your knees bent. Tilt your upper body backward and lift your feet from the ground. Extend your arms forward, parallel to the floor, and stretch your feet and legs together so that your legs are between your arms, straightening them if possible. Continue to breathe steadily. Hold for 10-20 seconds, then release your legs.
BRIDGE POSE: Lie on your back with your arms to your sides, palms down, and bend your knees. Push your hips up in the air while keeping your thighs and feet parallel. Hold for at least 30 seconds then relax and come down.
SHOULDER STAND: Be careful with this one and only attempt it if you feel comfortable! Lie down on your back. Bring you knees up to your chest and then push your feet into the air. Use your hands to support your back and keep it straight. Take a few deep breaths then slowly lower back onto the mat.
THREE LEGGED DOWN DOG: Definitely my least graceful pose (hence why I saved it for last!). Go into downward dog (on your hands and feet, bum in the air), and lift one leg up in the air as high as you can go while keeping balance. Easy-peasy. Hold for a few deep breaths then repeat with the other leg.
#VacationFitness #MakeAWorkoutSchedule #StayTrueToIt #RespectYourBody #RespectYourself #NuYuRevolution
READ MORE ABOUT VACATION FITNESS:
Few things can throw a monkey wrench into your fitness progress like a trip or vacation. When you travel, everything changes. Your energy level, schedule, resources and even time zone. Because of these shifts, both your fitness and your vacation can become severely compromised leaving you wondering why you left home to begin with. Here are the essential tricks to having your cake and eating it too while on a trip.
PLAN AHEAD
The first thing to realize is that it’s going to be almost impossible to stick to a super strict and time consuming workout routine. The more time and effort your exercise required while at home, the more it will require on the road. Most of the time, you’re simply not going to have those resources, especially if you are trying to cram as many plans into your trip as possible. Even if you do have a lot of time and energy, you’re probably not going to want to spend it all in a gym and plunk your bottom on an exercise bike.
So go easy on your super strict routine. Plan the trip so it coincides with a few rest days or the de-loading phase of a macro cycle. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t stick to your normal routine. That's just anti-productive and drags your mood, fitness and vacation through the mud. So make a plan and dedicate some time each day (once you're settled in), to your fitness and your body.
PUT ON FITNESS CLOTHES AND WALK FAST OR JOG SLOWLY
Walking to get from place to place should not count as a workout. Putting the time aside to get your "workout" in means that during that time you are dressed for it, scheduled for it, and will reap the benefits from it. 20 minutes is enough to show your body and your mind the respect that you give to your fitness commitment. Taking it for granted, and not making it a priority make it harder to come back when you return home.
BRING AND/OR BE CREATIVE WITH EQUIPMENT
It’s only right to start thinking about bringing or make-shifting equipment on the road. There are many advantages to doing this.You don’t have to make the time to get to a gym, freeing up precious vacation time. Since you can workout anywhere, you can still enjoy the view from your beach house and not settle for the walls of a basement hotel gym. You can exercise while still in the company of those you came to see. Maybe you can talk a friend or relative into working out with you.
PANTYHOSE AS ELASTIC BANDS & WATER BOTTLES AS WEIGHTS
Elastic exercise bands are a very popular choice. They are pretty inexpensive, easy to set up and a synch to use. Since the resistance of elastic bands or pantyhose increases as it stretches, there are many ways to get a good workout with them. Some might see this as a plus, saying that it forces your muscles to work harder as they stretch.
While the bands are a great option, you can also use water bottles, canned foods or even books to mimic free weights. Making small circles with weighted items in various different ways, angles and positions can give you a full upper body workout.
THE TIME INVOLVED
Sometimes we simply don’t have much time to get any exercise at all while traveling. There might be only a few minutes here and there and that’s about it. In this situation, using a technique called chunking is an option. Chunking is when you use a little bit of exercise multiple times a day for an accumulative result.
For example, a simple 10 minute elastic exercise band/canned goods routine might not do or feel like much, but if you can do that 3-4 times in a day it will add up to be quite a lot. The advantage is that chunking won’t require you to shoe-horn a massive amount of time into your schedule. You can have a little here and a little there when you can afford the time and still get your reps in without pushing your vacation out the window.
The last piece of advice is to plan your workouts early in the day. We all know how the daily schedule can take over and impede on workout plans while at home. While on vacation it’s even more difficult to stick to a late day workout schedule due to the freestyle nature of vacation planning.
For this reason alone, getting your workout in during the morning usually makes it easier to be successful with your travel fitness. It might seem like a sin against vacation to get up early, but getting in a workout early in the day will leave you feeling refreshed and energized thus adding some value to your trip. You don't have to get up 2 hours early, just 20-30 minutes can do wonders. Once your workout is finished you can enjoy the rest of the day without worrying about getting it done.
Above all, remember that both your workout and vacation plans can coexist with one another. You don’t have to give one up for the other as long as you stay flexible and plan ahead. Just like you brush your teeth, shower, and put on deodorant, get your workout... YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!
#Fall #September22 #HelpYourBody #SmoothTransition #StayCentered #NuYuRevolution
MORE ON HELPING YOUR BODY TRANSITION SMOOTHLY INTO AUTUMN:
The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and the trees are changing color. Mother Nature is making the transition from the heat of summer to the cooler, windier days of fall. One thing I have learned about staying vital and healthy is that taking a little extra care during times of transition goes a long way in maintaining my immune system and my over all general well-being. Nature won’t adapt to us so we must adapt to nature. Today I would like to share a few simple tips on how to support and nurture yourself during seasonal changes and other times when the body may become stressed.
In Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life and medicine, each season has a quality about it. Summer time is hot and active, fall and winter have a cool, windiness about them, and spring time moves from dormancy to coming alive after a long rest. Taking time to notice the world around us can give us some ideas on how to stay balanced and healthy as we move through our year. Ayurveda says that most diseases are born during the changing of the seasons. Seasonal changes often leave us unbalanced and in need of some self-care and attention. Notice that kids start getting colds as soon as school is back in session at the end of summer/beginning of fall?
The basic thing to understand about our bodies and the world around us, according to Ayurveda (a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing), is that LIKE INCREASES LIKE and OPPOSITES BALANCE. It’s really quite simple. When it is hot in the summer time, we restore balance by staying cool. When we move from the dormancy of winter to the electrified, alive energy of spring, we detox and begin to move our bodies to get in sync with the world around us.
Fall time is characterized as being cold, dry, light, rough, dispersing, moving and quickly changing. And if we consider the basic principles listed above, we would want to balance those qualities out with opposite qualities of warmth, moisture, nourishment, smoothness, slowness, regularity and focus. Transitions are sometimes hard on our bodies, and extra care must be taken to stay healthy and vital.
Tips for Transitioning into Fall
#1 Get grounded:
As the seasons shift, it is an excellent time to begin to cultivate some stillness in your daily life. Take time to connect with yourself. Make it a point to reduce the amount of rushing, traveling, and running around that you are doing. Just like Mother Nature is preparing for a long winter’s rest, begin to draw your energy inward. Start to focus in on your home life. Stay in more. Make your home cozy and warm. This is a good time to take note of how much time you spend watching TV, on your computer, or on your cell phone. Watch what influences you are inviting into your world. Write. Meditate. Practice gentle, restorative yoga. BREATHE!
#2 Focus on a warming, nourishing foods:
The seasons affect us not only in how we react to the outside climate but also by the foods that are naturally available to us. Take a look a round and notice what foods come into season in the fall. Winter squash, pumpkins, apples, sweet potatoes, root vegetables and dark leafy greens. While we may enjoy light salads and cold drink in the summer, fall time begs for highly nutritious, warm, cooked foods and drinks. Adequate protein intake and high-quality oils are essential. It’s good to minimize all dry, rough, cold food. Dry, cold breakfast cereals and raw foods only aggravate the imbalanced going on. Warm, wet, deeply nourishing foods like soups, stews, and properly prepared porridges invite in the qualities we are looking for. Add some warming teas and stewed apples to your diet. Using warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric brings in the qualities we are trying to embody in fall time.
#3 Create rhythm your life:
Sticking to regular meal and bed times can go a long way in creating balance and in helping you feel grounded. Our bodies do best when in rhythm with nature. Go to bed early and rise early. You will feel better. We need extra rest during times of transition. Eat your meals at the same time every day. Have you noticed that the garden is happiest with regular watering? Don’t skip meals. Eats lots of nourishing, nutrient-dense foods throughout the day. If you give your body what it needs when it needs it, you will feel balanced and strong.
#4 Give your skin some love:
Fall time is a common time for the skin to get dry. Ground yourself with daily self-massage. I like to use warming sesame oil in cooler weather. Start with the soles of the feet and work up the body to the head in sweeping strokes along muscles towards the heart, and circular movements around joints. Leave the oil on for 10 minutes then shower/ bathe. Daily massage helps dilate the skin surface, move toxins and keeps the lymph moving. Creating daily self-care rituals is a beautiful way take charge of your own health.
#5 Clean out the old:
A little cleansing and purification is recommended during the change of the seasons. Out with the old to make room for the new. I’m not talking about some crazy detox where you drink nothing but lemon water, honey, and cayenne for 10 days. I’m talking about taking a bit of time to support your liver’s natural ability to remove toxins from the body. The best way to do this is to make sure your digestion is running smoothly. Having at least one healthy bowel movement a day is essential for proper elimination of wastes and toxins from the body. If this is an issue, you may want to take a look at your diet, change the position you poop in, and consider adding a bit of magnesium to your diet.
Keep things moving.
Some other simple things you can do to support your liver are:
Drink water with lemon in it every morning
Add a drop of apple cider vinegar to your morning water
Eat dark leafy greens (arugula, kale, basil, spinach, chard, parsley, cilantro, etc.).
Eat your beets ( a great natural liver detoxifier)
Use a dry brush every day to keep the lymph moving and to remove toxins.
Gently daily exercise
Detox baths (try adding 2 cups of epsom salt or a cup of apple cider vinegar (or both) to your bath for gentle detox)
