Some Assembly Required

Throughout the month of December, we have been giving our fitness studio a serious facelift. We replaced the office type flooring with light rubberized gym-flooring and painted the walls and ceiling. While we had everything out and about, it was a good opportunity to re-think the layout of the equipment which resulted in some rearranging of the larger machines.

And then there is the small stuff which – in a small studio – you don’t sweat but cherish. Unfortunately, over the years, we put some here and some there, and while it never became a mess, it started looking a little untidy.

So we bought two large shelf units which can hold 800 lbs. (!) each which came in two large and very heavy boxes. While I needed help getting them into the studio (they are over 100 lbs. each), once they were in place, I was in my element. I have always loved putting things together, and the words ‘Some Assembly Required’ hold more promise than threat for me.  So I rolled up my sleeves and went to work. After an hour one unit was put together, and now the studio is all shiny and organized.

I keep thinking about the satisfaction that I get from actually creating something with my hands. Something that I can hold and look at, point to (and brag about). Many people tell me the same thing; it must be part of human nature to have that desire to create things (even something as mundane as a shelf unit).

As my mind was meandering from gym flooring to shelf units to the workings of human nature, it struck me that it is our own mind that gives meaning to things. And after I floated a little while on the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I remembered that there is still a pile of ‘stuff’ outside of the studio which will need a home inside. Once that is done, I can get back to floating.

I wish everybody a very happy and healthy New Year 2013!

Shouldering Up

This week, my husband and I attended a fabulous presentation by Dr. Eric Oestmann on Rotator Cuff Disorders. While designed as continued education for physical therapist, it had plenty of information for our use as personal trainers.  We see shoulder problems more often than we like, and I myself am intimately acquainted with impingement syndrome, shoulder surgeries and a frozen shoulder.

Most interesting for me were the assessment modalities to determine range of motion of the two shoulder joints. Yes, indeed, two! Not just right and left but two per side. The one we always think of is the one of the arm called glenohumeral joint. The other one is a little more obscure, and we may not even think of it as a joint: it is called scapula-thoracic joint and is the movement of the shoulder blade against the rib cage. The movement of those joints can be assessed individually, and the result can give valuable information as to what needs to be stretched or strengthened.

What struck me during the presentation is how much overlap there is between physical therapy and personal training. For me, manual manipulation is off limits; won’t do it, it’s not in my scope of practice. At the same time, I can instruct people in the use of the foam roller with MELT thus empowering people to mobilize their connective tissue. And while I must not and cannot diagnose and treat a problem, it is within my scope of practice to identify muscular imbalances and address those.

As I listened to Dr. Oestmann who approached from the field of physical therapy, I realized how lucky I am to be a personal trainer. I only see people who actually WANT to exercise and don’t have to give a second thought to those who don’t. Physical therapists are also limited in time and often must be done after a given number of visits whether their patient is sufficiently better or not.

One take home assessment immediately became a challenge to the students in my MELT class the following day. It is called clock exercise and goes as follows: lie on your right side, right leg almost straight, left leg bent and left knee touching the floor. Put your left hand on a straight arm on the floor near the left knee.  Keep your left arm straight and your knee on the floor as you circle your arm around your head and to the backside of your body. The goal is to keep the hand in touch with the floor at all times. Repeat on the other side. This should indeed be possible, and it would be an indication of ideal shoulder range of motion.  We did this at the beginning of the class as an adjunct to the MELT assessment. After some serious MELTing, we checked the same assessment again and – voilà – it was improved for many participants. 

Thanksgiving Skydive

It’s the old question: “Why would anybody jump out of a perfectly good airplane?” Well, I have an answer now: “It is exhilarating!”

I came to this piece of wisdom yesterday, November 24, when, after several weather-related re-schedules, my day had come and I went up in an airplane, jumped out and landed a few minutes later. Mind you, it was a tandem jump. I was perfectly secured and strapped onto an experienced instructor and had nothing else to do but to enjoy the ride. But enjoy the ride I did.

When my assigned time came, I was first strapped into a tight harness over a jumpsuit (that’s where that word comes from), talked with the instructor for just a few basic instructions, and then into the airplane we loaded. The first time ever that I went into the backdoor of what looked like a cargo hold. We sat like sardines on the benches along the side with additional jumpers squeezed in the middle.

When it was time to prepare, Greg repeated the instructions and then attached my harness to his. Once I was secured, the backdoor opened again, and reality hit: that was my way out. At an altitude of 13,500 feet (that’s over 4,100 meters for the rest of us), the individual jumpers just left, and I was the first of the tandem jumpers. Before I even had time to wonder whether I was afraid or not, I was already out the door.

The sensation is difficult to describe. I did not even have the sense of falling. Rather shortly after the exit, I found myself in the proper position with arms and feet out as if face down. It must have been Greg’s doing because I would not have known how to get there. He got us into a spin at which time I was glad to have chosen a light lunch. Next thing I know, Jeff, the videographer, came flying toward us. Eventually, we locked hands and did a few circles. It must have been awfully cold up there but I didn’t notice any of it.

After about a minute (as I was told afterwards) of free-fall, Greg deployed the parachute, and all of a sudden it got very quiet. It’s amazing how these big chutes can be controlled in terms of speed and direction.

Landing was as easy as the rest of it because I only needed to do as I was told, and that is: “Keep your feet up until your butt has come to a complete stop.”

I now have memories of an amazing experience. I also got a certificate of the jump which I will keep with my ‘important’ papers. And I have a video which will give me a chance to relive the moment. And if you are interested to see it as well, here is the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu45MbMPLuw&feature=youtu.be

Turkey Alert

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. Even though I have lived in the US now for well over 20 years, I have not yet quite warmed up to it.

Befuddled is probably the best way to describe my reaction. I understand the tradition of family getting together. I also understand that, at its beginnings, having one day of the year where food is abundant must have felt nothing short of paradise. I realize that those poor pilgrims, sitting there with the Indians and sharing a meal, had no guarantee for another good meal for some time in the future.

That was then. And where are we today?

Sadly, I realize that there are people even here in the US who go hungry and who do not know where their next meal will come from. I also must say that I personally do not know a single person who fits that description. Quite the contrary; almost everybody I know keeps a keen eye on the bathroom scale in the effort to reduce or maintain.  

So why do look at the entire holiday season as a gigantic feeding trough as if we were still stuck in the days where you eat when you can, and as much as possible at that, just to have some reserves for the lean times that used to lie ahead?

I want to appeal to everybody reading this to give it just a little thought before sitting down for a huge meal. Take your time to enjoy every bite of it. Usually, even the best meal loses its initial appeal after the first few spoonfuls.

I wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving!

Taking a Stance: I Voted for Obama

One more time, I’ll use this blog for a non-fitness related subject to be on record with my political view.

I have many reasons but want to focus on the one part that is the closest to my heart, and that is healthcare.

I am from Germany and did not come to this country until 1989. During the first 5 years, I was an international assignee working for IBM, and thus I was in an environment where all my colleagues had healthcare and I did not give it any thought because, to me, that’s the way it is supposed to be. After I got married, decided to stay in the US for good, and changed careers to be in the fitness industry, I began to look around my new home in North Carolina. That’s when it started dawning on me that a significant percentage of Americans do not have healthcare coverage, that pre-existing conditions can be excluded from policies, and that preventive care does not seem to be a priority.

When the debate over healthcare raged, many arguments were made on either side, and I was dismayed to listen to people who used countries like Germany, France or the UK as a negative example. I have lived in a country with comprehensive healthcare, and I still have many friends there. I love the country I am living in right now. I became a citizen because this is my home. But the lack of health access equality to every other of my fellow citizens was always a source of pain to me. I cannot truly be happy about my own healthcare access knowing that others do not have the opportunity.

I was elated when legislation was passed towards achieving this goal, and I was grateful when it was upheld by the Supreme Court. If it was on this one issue alone, I could not vote for anybody who promises to repeal it.

Here I stand!

MELT away Stress

I am currently glued to my DVD player watching a series of 24 lectures by Robert Sapolsky Ph.D. about stress and its impact on the body. The ramifications are truly frightening; there is not a function in the body that is not negatively influenced by the mechanisms of stress. And what is even more notable is that most of the stress originates from thoughts and feelings that are far removed from the initial scenarios for which stress was designed.

The processes that happen when we are stressed are designed to get us ready for the proverbial ‘Flight or Fight’ response in matters of life and death. As a species, we are the only ones capable of conjuring up frightful scenarios to which we then promptly respond as if we were in actual physical danger.

And there are a lot of things that people get stressed about: the weather, the traffic, the boss, the colleagues, the favorite teach losing, global warming, people disputing global warming. Right now we have enough people stressed about the outcome of the presidential elections on either end of the political spectrum.

What has all of this to do with MELT?

One thing I love when I teach a MELT class is the complete silence at the end of the class. After an hour of MELTing, the participants seem entirely removed from all the worries of the world. The inward focus of MELT quiets the stress response, and the change is palpable in the room. Being able to break the stress cycle is important because it enables the body to return to the repair mode that comes along with improved sleep.

MELT is not a cure-all, particularly if people insist on getting stressed and prefer to keep their stress levels up. I have heard people talk quite proudly about their type A personality. We cannot protect people from themselves.  But MELT is a great modality to improve where we have control, and that are our thoughts and our frame of mind. 

No Place like Home

Even though I teach classes at a wellness center, I do not work out there myself. The main reason is that there are many members who know me and like to talk to me. I love to talk to people but it does not make for a very effective workout.

Instead, I work out at my own studio where I have my own equipment, and the only distraction is my dog.

But the other day, I got some guest passes to another fitness club in town, and today I decided to go there just to see how I would like it. It was a very familiar location; years ago, I trained clients there for a short period of time. It had changed hands numerous times since but in many ways was still very much what I remembered.

As I walked in and presented my guest pass, I was immediately sized up as a potential member, and before I knew it, a very friendly young lady came out of nowhere willing to show me around. I marveled at her attire with dress and heels which did not seem to point to a fitness club. But she was perfectly happy to leave me alone when I told her that I really just wanted to work out.

As I meandered through the club, I made a mental note of the improvements in the technology of weight training machines. Remarkable as they are, I never took a shine to them and instead decided to entertain myself with a cable tower which pretty much allowed me to do anything I wanted to do (and which I could just as well have done at my studio where I have this apparatus). Next I spotted some balls and Bosus, great favorites of mine. My plans came to nothing, though, because the balls were soft as marshmallows.  All the while I was there, music was playing, and it was not as much background as I would have liked it to be. Granted, my love for classical music makes me an outsider in fitness clubs. After having a really good time at the True Stretch, I left.

I realize how fortunate I am to have what I want right here in my basement, complete with dog and classical music playing in the background. Fitness clubs and wellness centers play an important role, and much good comes from them (as long as people use them).

But still….. for me, there is no place like home.

Correcting through Exercise

Well, after months of studying, I am now a newly minted ‘Corrective Exercise Specialist’.  I signed up for this certification in July thinking that it would be easier than the fitness Nutrition Specialist certification that is also issued by NASM and which I had passed just weeks before.

BOY, WAS I WRONG!

It was not that I have learned new tricks but have added a lot to the arsenal that I already have. The NASM CES certification is great to sharpen skills of static and movement assessments, and in my very first assessment after this certification, I identified a compensation that would have escaped me before in the initial assessment.

I love the fact that I can now merge MELT and CES into one comprehensive package, and it is my expectation that I will be able to help my clients and class participants get on the path to better well-being and health even more effectively.

Standing Tall

When I teach a MELT (Myofascial Energetic Length Technique) class, I always begin by talking the participants through an assessment where I describe ideal alignment, and the participants are encouraged to evaluate by comparing their self-perception to the ideal. I recently had a question about this. Here it is:

“Why is it so important to be in ideal alignment?”

Sure, it looks look when somebody has good posture but that is not the main reason.

When we are in good alignment (i.e. have ideal posture), we have proper relationships within our musculoskeletal system and move the ease and efficiency. Even slight deviations compromise this efficiency. For example, if our head is a little forward, something in our body has to go backwards to maintain the center of gravity. Thus we have shortened a muscle somewhere and lengthened another to compensate. If we always return back to ideal posture, then those relationships are restored to their proper length but that usually does not happen.

We often stay in less than ideal alignment, and the result is that compensations become permanent. The detrimental effects are not immediately obvious, particularly when the deviations are slight. When we notice it a lot is when we have an injury which causes us to limp for a while or if we are immobilized in a cast. For one, it costs a great deal of effort to get from point A to B. And it usually does not take long, and we notice that other parts of our body begin to hurt. The lower back, for example, is often a victim of an ankle sprain.

It is my belief that bad posture often starts as a bad habit. Habitually carrying heavy objects on just one side (which includes small children on just one hip), sitting in front of the computer with the head jutting forward and slouching instead of sitting upright are just some examples.

So: what can you do about it? First, notice it. It’s half the battle. I am biased and believe that a MELT class is a great place to learn about your posture.  But a skilled fitness professional can also help you identify imbalances and compensations and design a program that can address them.

And now: head up, shoulders back and abs tight – just as your mother always said!

In Knead of MELT

Last Wednesday, I had another opportunity to talk to a group of massage therapy students. It was about one of my favorite subjects, MELT (Myofascial Energetic Length Technique).

There are many professions, massage therapy being one of them, where the professionals have to rely on the effortless functioning of their bodies in order to pursue their careers. Sue Hitzman, the creator of the MELT method, is a manual therapist herself, and she developed the MELT hand treatment in response to her own problems from overworked hands.

Just looking at the effects of the MELT hand treatment itself, the benefits are great, whether people sit at their computers all day long or are in a profession where the use of hands is a main part of the job like massage therapy and hair styling or recreational activity such as arts and crafts. Taking just 10 minutes a few times a week can help maintain the health of the hands as well as have beneficial impact on structures higher up the arm lines like shoulders and necks. 

Mulling over Movement

I recently had the privilege to review a manuscript which tries to address the question which we are all asking: considering the well-known risks of not exercising and excess weight, why is it that we – as a nation – are getting more unfit and heavier at the same time.

To start with my punch-line; this may feel like a downer: I do not have the answer either.

The excuses are legend and rarely justified: no time, too tired, family first, and many others. It is usually not lack of knowledge. Many preface their excuses with a list of what they ‘should do’ before starting in on the ‘buts’.

It is not possible to scare people into healthier behavior; who wants the stick? And a carrot does not seem such an alluring option if you can carrot cake with frosting, maybe even à la mode.

I also watch with pharmaceutical advertising with concern. Controlling diabetes or hypertension with a pill makes the person still diabetic or hypertensive even if the blood work is good and the blood pressure reading is normal. Yet, somehow we have convinced ourselves that it is not there if we cannot see it.

For me, moving is about the freedom to do what I want. I love walking and am fortunate enough to have a faithful canine companion who shares my enthusiasm. I never thought of movement as exercise that I do apart from my life. Our bodies were designed to move, to push and to pull, to reach and to extend.

I know that many feel like I do. I also know that many more do not. I feel sorry for them because they are missing out on a sensation of well-being they have never known.

And even though we can only lead a horse to the water, we should still do it over and over again at the odd chance that it will drink one of these days.

IDEA World 2012 – Perspiration and Inspiration

30 years of IDEA … I have been part of the last 17 of it. I can say without exaggeration that the conferences I have attended have very much shaped what I do as a personal trainer. Being exposed to so many ways of looking at the body and being able to pick my own vantage point has made me the trainer I am today.

This IDEA was no different in offering opportunities to perspire while being inspired. There is something to be said for a conference when – as a trainer who prides herself on good posture – I could not wait for the last lecture of the day where I was able to slouch in a chair after having spent the entire day on the floor

There is no more doubt that the industry has indeed discovered fascia. Everybody talks about it but few do something for it. MELT is one example but another is ViPR training which uses a log reminiscent of the Scottish Highland Games to move it ever which way. As I watched and tried, I was reminded of my very colorful Haberman’s Sphere which I love to use as an illustration of the interconnectivity of fascia. I could just see it employed in extensibility and creating a gentle external force on the entire system.

While this stands out for me, there were many other interesting sessions. The one on protein research was informative. It appears to be of benefit to level the protein intake out during the course of the day even if the same total amount of protein is consumed. I also really enjoyed one about corrective shoulder exercises. Since I am the proud owner of two surgically altered shoulders, I had a primary interest in anything ‘shoulder’. During that session, I learned quite a few new things, and I am very anxious to throw myself into the study of the NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist curriculum from which that material derived.

I enjoyed the workouts I signed up for. I started off with Pole Dancing (yes, you may trust your eyes) and have garnered a healthy respect for it. Very suitable for gymnasts and dancers – for everybody else I would suggest: if you want to get from one side of the pole to the other, just walk around it.

I also took a Yoga / Tai-Chi fusion class from my favorite instructor Lawrence Biscontini. He always makes me feel as if I can actually do that stuff. His radiant personality and in-depth knowledge combine for a wonderful experience.

Last I took a workout called 3 D Pilates using both a Bosu and a ballast ball. Since we have both at the studio, I will certainly include some of the exercises that I learned even though I will leave the parlor tricks alone.

In summary: Happy Birthday, IDEA. I am glad to be a part of it.

Newton was Wrong

Newton’s first law: Every object continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless compelled to change that state by external forces acted upon it.

That may look like a bold statement from a personal trainer in the 21^st century, and maybe Newton meant to have excluded humans from that statement. All things considering, I suggest a modification applicable to humans:

Karin’s first law: Every human continues in its state of rest, unless compelled to change that state by internal forces acted upon him/her.

As a personal trainer, people come to me to get guidance for exercise after they have already made up their minds that they want to exercise. Picking up that phone and crossing the threshold to my studio are often the biggest steps a person will make. All following steps are small in comparison.

We in the fitness industry are often lamenting that we are not reaching out enough to the sedentary population. The results of lack of exercise and bad eating habits are in plain sight. I do not know of anybody who is not aware that this is detrimental to your health.

So: what can we do?

Maybe we should consider what we should not do: stigmatize those whose appearance makes it obvious that they have made some unfortunate choices.  Let’s declare a peace treaty on the ‘War on Obesity’ because they are not our enemies.

There is no external force that can make somebody do anything. Only internal motivation can accomplish that. And such internal motivation can grow much easier on a soil of understanding and compassion.

Of Carbs and Men

As of Sunday, June 10, 2012 I am the proud owner of the title ‘Fitness Nutrition Specialist’ which is a certification through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). As such, I can voice my opinion on food choices and vitamins and supplements with greater depth of knowledge than I could before.  I have studied for several months, biting my way through a nutrition textbook of prodigious dimensions while having a few reminders of my organic chemistry class in school.

While the science of nutrition over the years has discovered just enormous amounts of knowledge of how the body works, there is still a lot that is not known yet.

Particularly when it comes to fruits and vegetables, there is simply more to any variety than is yet discovered. We know about fiber, the carbohydrates and the vitamins and minerals but there is a whole additional world called ‘phytochemicals’ which have the following definition according to Wikipedia:

Phytochemicals, chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants (phyto means "plant" in Greek), are responsible for color and organoleptic properties, such as the deep purple of blueberries and smell of garlic. The term is generally used to refer to those chemicals that may have biological significance but are not established as essential nutrients.  Scientists estimate that there may be as many as 10,000 different phytochemicals having the potential to affect diseases such as cancer, stroke or metabolic syndrome. Although certain phytochemicals are available as dietary supplements, some scientists speculate that potential health benefits of phytochemicals may best derive from consumption of whole foods.

So: an apple a day keeps the doctor away after all.

Stress is an Inside Job

We believe that we in our modern lives are under a lot of stress.  Is that really true?

I was at a restaurant a few days ago when the waiter told us how an earlier customer had stressed him out (so much so that he had hopelessly bungled our order). I pointed out to him that this person was obviously in a very crappy state of mind but whereas the waiter only interacted with him for about 45 minutes, the customer had to live with himself for the rest of the day.

There are people that always see the glass half-full; other see it always half-empty. They both choose how they want to evaluate the same situation and walk away with different conclusions. I realize that there are circumstances when it is difficult to see the positive but they are rare. Most situations where we choose to get upset are trivial; I feel that only then do we hand power over to somebody else when they succeed in making us feel bad.

I believe that it is possible to practice to see the glass half-full. It is also possible to decide not to look at certain glasses at all.

I try to do as I say. I know that there are things I cannot change that upset me. I try not to expose myself to those, hence I watch TV rather little. It’s not sticking my head in the sand.  My getting upset does not help anybody, my maintaining my positive frame of mind may impact those around me to adopt a more positive attitude themselves. And – who knows – that way I may be able to change the world after all.

Will you help me?

MELT or Stretch

A few days ago, an article appeared in our local newspaper on stretching which stated – quite correctly – that the recommendations now are to stretch at the end of a workout. What had me just about jump out of my skin was that the pictures for the article were taken in my MELT class but no further reference was made to MELT.

After both blood pressure and heart rate had returned back to normal, I went ahead and wrote a letter to the editor explaining the difference between stretching and MELT.

I started off by saying that writing an article on stretching while showing a picture from a MELT class is like writing an article about apples and showing oranges.

One of MELT’s goals is to bring the body into better alignment using various decompression techniques (for example for the neck and lower back) after self-evaluations by the participants. The MELT techniques rehydrate the connective tissue (aka fascia) system of the body. Many participants comment after a class that they feel as if they had a massage.

MELT can be done at any time; the recommendations are to MELT after cardiovascular exercises but BEFORE strength training. The last part is particularly important. Strength training is more effective and a lot safer if the exerciser is first aware of the body’s alignment and has taken steps to improve it. The best comparison is to car maintenance. If you notice uneven tire wear, you get it balanced and aligned. Surely, the body deserves no less.

After the workout stretch all you want.

Amendment One

I had not intended that this blog would go beyond things relating to fitness but it is a deep desire on my part to be on record about a subject that is currently hotly discussed in North Carolina.

Amendment One is a proposed constitutional amendment which, if passed, would codify into the constitution of North Carolina that the only legally recognized relationship between two people is a marriage between a man and a woman.

While obviously aimed to enshrine a ban on same-sex marriages (which are not allowed in North Carolina under current law already), the wording of the amendment could possibly exclude any other forms of domestic partnerships and thus even complicate opposite-sex relationships outside of marriages.

There is something about this proposed amendment that is deeply troubling to me. If I turned the clock back just 42 years to the year 1970, my marriage would not have been possible under the laws of North Carolina at that time. My husband is black, and I am white. The first legal interracial marriage did not happen here until October 6, 1971.

If anybody would have proposed then a constitutional amendment to ban interracial marriage, it may have passed with flying colors, supported by the same arguments that are now used to vilify another segment of the population.

I realize that my opinion may be offending to some, and I am sorry for them.

Taxing Times

Today is April 15, the day dreaded by many, if only on principle. That date was established in 1955, and it is hard to imagine that there would be anybody who does not know of it. This brings me to my subject of this blog: time management and its sibling stress management.

Stress is an interesting thing as it is always internal and manifests itself in our response to external circumstances. That’s why I find it strange that people even create the stress-inducing external circumstances by procrastination. This can be tax day or any other deadline which is well known in advance. Yet, there are those who claim that they work the best under pressure.

It is true: stress hormones prepare the body for action and can heighten awareness. But those hormones prepare for PHYSICAL action; the movement of fingers on a keyboard does not count.

Long-term effects of stress impact the entire body: the cardiovascular, digestive and immune system. Sleep becomes an issue thus compromising the body repair and restore function.

People who are chronically late have probably already been told of any time management known to man.

What I want to suggest here is to take a MELT class. MELT quiets the stress reflex and brings the body to a more aligned and natural state. My regular MELTers have been telling me that they also see an improvement in sleep which is the body’s way of restoring health.

Pollen meets Neti Pot

I love this time of year in Raleigh, North Carolina. The dogwoods and azaleas are blooming, and the trees have this freshness of new green.

And then there is the YELLOW! It turns all cars into a uniform color of yellowish-green and covers the entire city. I drove down the highway at dusk and suspected that there must be a fire somewhere. And then I realized that the haze was created by pollen.

Personally, I am fortunate. I sneeze a few times and am done with it. My poor dog Mr. Darcy has a more intimate relationship with the pollen because he does what dogs do – sniff. I am sure he’ll be glad when it’s over.

For those suffering from allergies, the beauty is lost when you try to view it through watery eyes.

I know that there are enough medications available but I want to talk about a device that I have personally used for years: a Neti Pot. It is a little porcelain pot, looking like a mini watering can, and it is used for nasal irrigation. I started using it upon the recommendation of a friend. I had had a very bad cold and was completely stuffed up. Well, that cleared it out like nothing ever did.

Neti Pots are not new inventions. They come from ayurvedic medicine and are centuries old. If you google ‘Neti Pot’, you’ll easily find recommendations from WebMD to the Mayo Clinic. You can also find Youtube videos that show you how to use one.

I want to add my own endorsement as a regular user: ever since I began using one, I rarely had a cold, and I always have the great sensation of freedom of breathing because my nasal passages are clear. It may seem a little strange at first, but I believe it is worth giving it a try.

Sleepy Head

It happened again: daylight savings struck; somebody stole an hour of sleep from me and I have only now adjusted to it. I love daylight savings time with the extra hour of daylight in the evening but I need a week to get used to it.

That prompted me to reflect on the importance of a good night’s sleep. It’s not that easy to come by, it seems, judging by the amount of sleep medication that is prescribed nowadays.

While there are disorders that interfere with sleep and need medical intervention, there are habits you can develop, and here is what the Mayo Clinic suggests as a first line of help:

No. 1: Stick to a sleep schedule

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. There's a caveat, though. If you don't fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you're tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.

No. 2: Pay attention to what you eat and drink

Don't go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.

Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine which take hours to wear off can wreak havoc with quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

No. 3: Create a bedtime ritual

Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book (personally, I suggest Henry David Thoreau), or listening to soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed. Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness.

Be wary of using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media use before bedtime interferes with sleep.

No. 4: Get comfortable

Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.

Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they sleep with you — or insist on separate sleeping quarters.

No. 5: Limit daytime naps

Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep — especially if you're struggling with insomnia or poor sleep quality at night. If you choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes and make it during the midafternoon.

If you work nights, you'll need to make an exception to the rules about daytime sleeping. In this case, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight — which adjusts your internal clock — doesn't interrupt your daytime sleep.

No. 6: Include physical activity in your daily routine

Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep. Timing is important, though. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.

No. 7: Manage stress

When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace to your life, consider healthy ways to manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend. Before bed, jot down what's on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.

Know when to contact your doctor

Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night — but if you often have trouble sleeping, contact your doctor. Identifying and treating any underlying causes can help you get the better sleep you deserve.

Postural Reflections

I just came back from listening to a wonderful concert by the North Carolina Symphony.

As I was ambling around in the lobby before the concert and during intermission, then watching my fellow concert-goers in the concert hall itself and looking at the musicians on stage, I began the think about good posture of the human body.

While there is a concept of ideal posture as shown in anatomy books, each person has the capacity to have the best posture possible within the framework of his/her body. As those thoughts crossed my mind, I looked around.

There are the seats on the concert hall which make it almost impossible to sit upright. Just about everybody I watched was in a posterior pelvic tilt, forward rounded shoulders and a head that was jotted forward.  In this position, you can’t take a full and deep breath. I remembered reading that shallow breathing can alter blood chemistry because of the relative lack of oxygen.  This can lead to many problems, including depression. When we see somebody who is really upset and we try to calm the person down, we usually suggest to relax and to take a deep breath.  

I also thought how much of this position I was watching in the concert hall was the normal position for many people for the greater part of the day. So it was little wonder that standing postures were not much better. There was still the pelvic tilt, the forward rounded shoulders and the head-forward position.

So: what can you do about it? It is my firm belief that bad posture starts as a bad habit and that much ban be corrected through awareness alone.

So stand up straight and take a deep breath.

That was a good IDEA!

Just came back from the IDEA Personal Trainer Institute in Alexandria, Virginia.  As with the many IDEA conferences I attended before, this one provided interesting sessions by world class presenters. I returned home with food for thought, 12 foam rollers, 1 Bosu (already spoken for) and 2 Lebert Equalizer bars.

As is always the case at IDEA conferences, it is an opportunity to renew acquaintances, to network and to exchange ideas with other trainers. It was fun to contrast this conference to IDEA World Fitness which is larger in scope and attendance and also focuses on group exercise. The dynamic of the (mostly) younger instructors makes IDEA World Fitness noisier, and the large international attendance has always been fun for me. But I also appreciated the lower key of the Personal Trainer Institute. It felt like a conference for the grown-ups J

The thing that struck me this time was the increased focus on stress reduction strategies which were discussed in several sessions I took. Of course, there is MELT with its application to quiet the stress reflex. But I also learned about the correlation of breathing and potential weight loss and nutrition consideration to reduce inflammation. The nervous system is beginning to be a more prominent player in the fitness consciousness, and the central role of the enteric nervous system (of the gut) is included in the discussion. Funny that I just finished reading an entire book about the enteric nervous system! It made comprehension of those concepts so much easier.

Now I need to digest the information without letting myself get stressed about it J

A Gut-Reaction to Antibiotics

Reading is a great pastime for me, and right now I am learning about the enteric nervous system which is that part of the nervous system that regulates the entire digestive tract. The book is called ‘The Second Brain’; it is by Michael D. Gershon, MD.

What caught my attention was the fact that our digestive system, particularly the colon, is host to a myriad of bacteria, all in perfect balance so the good guys are controlled by the bad ones. I had been reading about the concern about the extensive use of antibiotics but I had not understood to consequences as well as I do now. We all know that it takes quite some time to create a new antibiotic; but a bacterium can reproduce after about 20 minutes! No wonder that they can be resistant so quickly! You may think that this is not a problem if you rarely, if ever take antibiotics. However, it you eat meat and chicken, chances are that you are ingesting antibiotics after all because many farm animals get that added to their feed because of the farming conditions in which they are kept.

I do not mean to spoil anybody’s appetite, and I am also not suggesting that you become a vegetarian (which I am) but it may be wise to look for meat and chicken that has been raised without the use of antibiotics. It may cost a little more but this could be a small price to pay in the long haul.

Turning Back the Clock?

On my forays into the audiobook section at my local library, I recently stumbled into the book “Counter Clockwise: Mindful Health and the power of Possibility” by Ellen J. Langer. As I listened, I was more and more intrigued by the findings.

The Romans already declared that there is a healthy mind in a healthy body (mens sana in corpore sano), some believe in “Mind over Matter”, and the researchers are looking into the relationship between mind and body.

The subject of Ellen Langer’s book explores this relationship, and she does so from an interesting angle. Henry Ford observed quite correctly: "Whether you believe you can, or you can't, you are right", and it appears that this statement extends well beyond academic accomplishment.

Ellen Langer demonstrates in an experiment that it is possible to turn back the clock. She took nursing home residents and placed them into an environment reminiscent of a time many years earlier, and – in a way – people were told to role play for the duration of the study. And – guess what – at the end of the study, the participants had many significant improvements on a vast array of measurable parameters.

Ellen Langer also looks at language and how it can empower or disempower. This struck a chord for me because – as a trainer – I always like to challenge my clients to do new and different things even though I am careful to only pick things that are within their reach. I sometimes encounter clients who initially will state that they do not believe that they can do it. Usually they then proceed to do the ‘impossible’, and this budding believe into their own abilities then feeds on itself.

It is not possible to do this book justice in just a few paragraphs. I want to encourage you to read it for yourself. You may just end up being several years younger at the end of it.