Goal Setting Done Right

So, here you are at the dawn of a New Year (I am till in poetic mode after my Shakespeare impersonation).  You have decided it’s time to do something about those ……… (fill in the blanks such as extra 20 lbs., cigarettes, sodas) and you are determined to change. You were a little reluctant because those goals seem to repeat themselves year after year. You start off great, and then you fall off.

Setting goals is great but there is a way to increase the odds of you actually achieving them, and here are some tips:

1.       Write them down and divide them into a long-term (eg. I want to lose 20 lbs. in 6 months) and short-term goals (eg. I want to lose 5 lbs in the first month by walking every day for a total of 20 minutes and decreasing my caloric intake by replacing my afternoon super-size double chocolate thingamajig with a small single chocolate thingamajig).

2.       Share your goals with others, and if I were you, don’t share them with your significant other as this can cause problems beyond the ones you have already ;-). A personal trainer or wellness coach would be an excellent choice.

3.       Tape the goals where you can see them every day. You can even write a subset of them on your daily to-do list if you do such a thing to keep them present in your awareness.

4.       Identify potential barriers and think through strategies how to offset them. For example, where will you walk when it rains so that you cannot go to a park? Is there a mall? Do you have access to a treadmill? Are you getting bored? Have you tried listening to music or a recorded book (my personal favorite)? Do you have a party coming up where thingamajigs will abound?

5.       Track your progress. After a week or two, review what went right and what was difficult. Adjust your short-term plan as necessary. Rather walking every day for 20 minutes, maybe it’s better for you to walk only 5 times per week for 30 minutes each.

Studies have shown that good goal setting can make or break the deal whether you will reach your goal or not. And you do not have to wait for the New Year’s Day to make a resolution. Changing the way you have done things for a long time requires commitment and vigilance. The old habits have not served you well; they have led you to where you are right now.

So try to be SMART as you set your goals.

S pecfic

M easurable

A ttainable

R ealistic

T imely

Happy New Year!

The BIG Question of Making Resolutions

To make or not to make – that is the question:

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous portion

Or to take up arms against a sea of gobbles,

And, by opposing, end them.

Oh Shakespeare, please forgive me.

‘Tis this time of year again. And the question in many minds is whether or not to make a New Year’s Resolution. The biggest argument I hear against it that people know that they will not be sticking to it anyway, so why bother making them in the first place.

Well, that’s one way of looking at it. It is always easy to live up to no expectation at all. If you have not set yourself a goal, you cannot fail at it. And who wants to be a failure ……

I have a favorite quote from one of the most remarkable men who ever lived, Michelangelo. He said “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

With the New Year approaching, I’ll leave you to ponder the question of where you want to set your aim.

Dehydrated in Winter?

As a MELT instructor, I talk about hydration a lot. Water is what keeps the connective tissue happy and in good shape. I suggest to everybody to drink a glass of water after a class, and, from all I can see, everybody trots dutifully to the water fountain to get their fill.

With the latest cold spell, I noticed a change. Water bottles are not as common. To be honest, after a long walk with my dog, I feel more like a hot cup of tea than a glass of water.

But that’s the problem: warmer temperatures make us so much more likely to drink water. So we have to be a little more mindful that hydration is just as, if not more important in the colder days.

And it has an added benefit: everybody complains about the effects of heating on mucus membranes and the skin. So let’s get hydrated and improve all of the above.

Prost! To your health!

Being a Precinct Worker – Survival of the Fittest

Last Tuesday, I spent almost 16 hours at a precinct to help my follow citizens exercise their right to vote. I had done this in the past and have always looked at it as fun, though in a rather twisted kind of way.

The last Election Day was almost too much fun.

I was assigned to the help table and in a very busy precinct. As I was assisting voter after voter with little break, it struck me to which degree physical fitness can help to survive such a day.

We were a team of 10, all women. All of us had been to the mandatory training prior to the election and had been at the polling location the evening before to set up the polling place with the voting booths and all the tables and folding chairs. The morning of the election, we were all there before 6 AM to put the finishing touches on the location before the polls opened at 6:30 AM.

A line had already formed outside the precinct, and at the stroke of 6:30 AM the voters streamed into the polling place.

Being sent to the help table means that something is not as it should be, and people are usually not happy about it.  At best, it means a delay of a few minutes. There can be a line, and it may take a little while to figure out where the hang-up is in the process. The goal of a precinct worker is to help as accurately as possible, and checklists aplenty are provided to ensure that the processes are fully adhered to. There are so many fields to check and to initial! While each process seems straightforward and easy, the unrelenting stream of voters can cause an oversight. As the day progresses and fatigue sets in, one has to call on all reserves to get through it.

Most voters were very appreciative and gracious, some were impatient, some were suspicious, and some did not have a good understanding of the voting process. Well, and then there were a select few who …… well, how to put this politely, were …… not so very nice ………

When the day was over and I was at home, I took a physical inventory. Quite an interesting picture, and not one that I liked a lot. I got my roller and MELTed and also swung my rapid release device into action. Soon, all was well again.

What Makes us Human?

Quite a big questions to contemplate in a blog of a few paragraphs! Volumes have been written. But I will not be intimidated.

I had a spectacular day yesterday. In the afternoon, I went to see the ballet “Dracula” by the Carolina Ballet, and later in the evening I went to the North Carolina Symphony and had the great joy to listen to a concert that had me at the edge of my seat. I am also looking forward to going to the North Carolina Museum of Art to see the exhibit “Small Treasures” of Dutch and Flemish genre painting.

I am not writing this to brag what kind of a cultured person I am. Other people derive equal pleasure from completely different art forms and can only shudder at the list above.

But it makes me wonder whether our appreciation of art and beauty in the eyes of the beholder is not the very essence of what it means to be human.

I look at my dog who has so many qualities that you hope to find in another person. Unconditional love, loyalty and honesty are things you will find in any dog. And as I interact with Mr. Darcy through the course of the day, I appreciate his understanding of my ways which he has learned to read like a book. Yet for all this, I have never seen him react to a beautiful sunset or a wonderful piece of music in any peculiar way.

If this gift is truly unique to us, then we should treasure it as our very humanity and foster the application and appreciation of art in its many forms.

Walking with and for Hope

Today was the Walk for Hope, and I am happy to report that we had the largest team since we first participated in 1996 and raised the most money, about $2000.

The Foundation of Hope raises money for research of mental illnesses. Their support is unique. The foundation gives so-called seed money which enables researchers to do the preliminary work necessary to apply for grants from the CDC for larger studies. That way, a little goes along way, and the Foundation of Hope has, by this method, been responsible for millions of dollars spent on research.

Despite all the progress that has been made, mental illness still bears the stigma of people “just being crazy or making it all up”.  People will happily talk about any other ailment as long as somebody is willing to listen, yet mental health is under an embargo.

Yet, just about all of us know a person suffering from mental illness. It can be difficult to deal with a person thus afflicted. We often lack the right words in the face of physical disability, and mental illness leaves us even more befuddled as to what to do or what to say. So we look away and pretend not to see. Understandable? Yes. But should we not approach this with as much compassion as we have towards those who suffer from a physical illness?

It’s worth a try.

Rapidly Released

Whenever I am coming back from the IDEA World Fitness Convention, I bring something back. I always come back with new ideas and great information. More often than not, it is also something to touch and feel from a small relatively inexpensive gadget to something much larger and much more expensive. This year I was able to combine the two virtues: small AND expensive. But what a thing we got!

At this time already nicknamed the ‘Magic Machine’ it is a tool from Rapid Release Technology. This thing is about the size of a hand-held kitchen mixer and provides a very specific rate and depth of vibration which breaks up scar tissue and adhesions and has a wonderfully relaxing effect when applied to sore necks and shoulders. If you want to find out more, you can go to their website www.rapidreleastech.com.

I am usually suspicious when something seems too good to be true, and before I part with a large amount of money, I need to be convinced that this is legit. When I roamed the expo hall, the people manning the booth hailed me over and asked whether I had a place on my body that hurts. As a matter of fact, I had. There was a place in my neck that had resisted the combined effort of MELT, my rolfer and my chiropractor (even though it had gotten better through all of the above). Within 5 minutes, this spot felt A LOT better. I went back to the booth a few hours later for another dose and then got out my credit card. Had to have it!

It’s been in constant use at the studio ever since we had it. With regular application, this thing can perform minor (and, in my case, major) miracles.  It is a bit on the noisy side which makes it even more surprising that there is another person in the studio who gets a daily dose of vibration: Mr. Darcy, my beloved dog.

An Ode to IDEA

Last month’s conference was probably the 30^th IDEA conference I have attended. I have lost count but it’s somewhere there in the neighborhood.

As I reflect on the impact those conferences had on my growth as a trainer, their value cannot be overstated. There was much I saw and liked and some I saw and disliked. But the main point is that I was exposed to it and could form my own opinion.

The fitness industry has changed dramatically over the last 20 years since I have been a trainer. Some things are still the same, and they also have still validity. If I trained my clients the way I did 20 years ago, I would not do them a disservice. They would get stronger and thus hopefully healthier. But having experienced all the developments and picked the ones that work for me has enabled me to become the trainer I am today. I could not possibly have read myself into that knowledge. Being able to see and feel is what makes the difference.

As such, I am grateful that the founders of IDEA, Peter and Kathie Davis, for their vision of a fitness organization of the kind that IDEA has become over the years. 

HIIT and Run

So! HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is all the rage. I would call it outrageous.

I just returned from the 2014 IDEA World Fitness Convention, full of motivation and ready to continue helping my clients towards better health and fitness. And one thing is for sure: HIIT will not have any place in my programming.

I took two classes; one with a ViPR, the other one with a new machine called CoreStix. Ultimately, the type of device is irrelevant, but the style of training is.

HIIT has made the headlines because it ‘burns more calories’ in a shorter period of time, and, in today’s environment, who would not want a shortcut. The premise is that one does one or a series of exercises for a short period of time as fast as possible to exhaustion, then rest, and repeat. Perfect form, we are told, is actually detrimental because in real life we do not align our bodies in the correct way and move 100 % correct. (And I can see that argument – to a point.)

What I have seen in my two sessions was the following: a room full of fitness professionals all of whom without a doubt in complete knowledge on how to perform exercises well, being cheered on by the presenter and by motivating music to give it their all. And give it they did. As exhaustion set in, form was lost. However, the amount of resistance remained the same. In the heat of the moment, it was not easy to quickly find suitable modifications to make the exercises more appropriate. Fortunately, I have reached a stage in my life where I can leave my ego safely in the coat check and only do what feels right, no matter how much somebody may shout “Faster, faster”.

My conclusion: fast tempo coupled with resistance is a recipe for injury. It does not matter whether it is called Tabata, HIIT or CrossFit. 

MELT Method vs The BioMechanics Method

I love to study and to learn. Recently, I have focused more and more on corrective exercises in the quest to restore ideal alignment and posture and to help people get out of chronic pain as a result of those misalignments.

The MELT Method is a great tool to accomplish this. I love the fact that it based on the concept of self-treatment thus empowering people to do something for themselves and not having to depend on others to administer treatment to them. I also like the concept of self-assessment in MELT because people can learn about imbalances in their bodies because they can feel them.

I have recently studied another method, called The BioMechanics Method by Justin Price who is also a well-known name in the fitness industry. He also starts with an assessment which initially is conducted by the specialist in his method but is almost immediately taught to the client with the goal that they client can understand their imbalances and can feel the changes of the program. The corrective exercises in his method are a systematic approach of myofascial release, followed by stretching and then strengthening.

As an advanced MELT practitioner of 5 years and a newly-minted BioMechanics Method Corrective Exercise Specialist, I will be able to use them both in the shared goal of helping people get out of the chronic pain which is caused by muscle imbalances.

They both have their strong suits. I love the foam roller length techniques in MELT but I also like the myofascial release approach with tennis balls which makes this more portable when people travel. I find the TBMM process more systematic and love the stretching components. The strength components of both methods are great. Some of the individual techniques are better in one, some in the other method.

Bottom line: two great methods with equal value in both of them.

Added bonus: one person (me J) who knows them both.

I’ve been ‘SPARK’ed

Lately, I have been using my treadmill and elliptical trainer with a renewed sense of enthusiasm. The reason? I just finished reading the book “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” by John J. Ratey, MD

I had seen enough statistics over the years that demonstrate how helpful exercise is for just about any condition known to man, be it hypertension, diabetes, heart disease ….. you name it. I had also seen data on the effects of exercise on some mental disorders such as depression and ADHD. But I have never seen all the evidence combined in one place on the profound positive effects that exercise, mainly aerobic exercise, has on brain function.

I grew up with the belief that every cell on our body renews itself except for the brain cells. You are born with so many, and it only goes downhill from there. This has been soundly disproven. The brain can grow new cells and make new connections but it needs some MIRACLE GRO fertilizer, and that fertilizer is EXERCISE.

I cannot recommend this book more. There are some on the Amazon book review who consider this book “really, really boring” since it reads like a textbook. Well …. I could not put it down. There is a line in this book that just struck me:

“If you are not busy living, your body is busy dying.”

Fascinating Fascia

As a MELT instructor for almost 5 years, the subject of ‘fascia’ (sometimes also referred to as connective tissue) has been of great interest to me. I have witnessed firsthand the effects the MELT techniques have on my students, whether they are in my classes as one of many or get instructions from me one-on-one. Yes, I had very few people over those years that I could not reach with MELT but I would put this number no higher that 1 out of 100.

I also like to educate my participants about the properties of fascia, what it is, what it does and why it is so important to keep it healthy. I have come up with analogies ranging from body stocking to orange to panty hose, and I am still searching.

I recently got some unexpected help. Europe, and Germany in particular, is way ahead of the curve in research of fascia, and I was made aware of a broadcast from a German television station on that very subject. Not only does this video (with English subtitles) explain in very simple ways what fascia is, it also shows the possibilities that are opening up for the treatment of many chronic pain conditions.

If you have 30 minutes, please do yourself the favor to watch it. And then just get on your roller or get out those little balls and just make your fascia happy. Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikx-0s8y480.

A Common Sense Approach to Shoulder Pain

A few days ago I attended a short seminar at Duke Raleigh Hospital by the shoulder specialist Dr. Kevin Speer who talked about the aging shoulder.

I had observed that many people are suffering from shoulder problem as they are getting older, often for no apparent reason, and I was looking forward to the talk in hopes of an explanation. I was not disappointed.

Dr. Speer stated that the shoulder will develop bone spurs and a degradation of the muscles and connective tissues as an inevitable results of getting older. That does not necessarily mean that this leads to pain but it often does. Shoulder pain is typically referred pain, meaning that the place where it hurts is not necessarily where the problem is. With shoulder issues, the pain is often down the upper arm or in the front of the shoulder.

He had a number of suggestions for maintaining healthy shoulders to the degree possible. Good nutrition was his first recommendation.  The following list is taken from the www.webmd.com for an anti-inflammatory diet.

·         Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

·         Minimize saturated and trans fats.

·         Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil supplements and walnuts.

·         Watch your intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta and white rice.

·         Eat plenty of whole grains such as brown rice and bulgur wheat.

·         Eat lean protein sources such as chicken; cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods.

·         Avoid refined foods and processed foods.

·         Spice it up. Ginger, curry, and other spices can have an anti-inflammatory effect.

On the supplement list, his recommendation was for fish oil. He also suggested a heat (before exercise) and cold (after exercise) therapy when some pain has already crept in. As an exercise maintenance routine, rotator cuff exercises to strengthen the stabilizing muscles of the shoulder should become part of the workout.

When shoulders are beginning to hurt, he looked at it from two perspectives: the first is whether the pain goes away with rest and avoidance of triggers, the second whether pain starts interfering with a good night’s rest.

In the first case, it can be managed with ice, maybe some anti-inflammatory medication and rest. Some exercises may have to be avoided for good such as overhead presses or push-ups. Downward dogs should be left to the dogs as well. The elbows should always be in the field of vision.

However, when shoulder pain interferes with sleep, a visit to the doctor becomes necessary. Even then, physical therapy may help, and Dr. Speer stated that he was a great fan of it. Only when all else fails, there is surgery which he views as the last option.

Sports Performance for Non-Athletes?

So here I am, a newly minted Sports Performance Professional. I have studied the excellent NASM material to enhance sports performance and am eager to apply my knowledge.

As I read and studied and thought about it, it struck me how applicable and modifiable those concepts are to every client. We all need to generate power in our lives at one point or other. The challenge in training is to stay on the right side of the line where the benefits of the exercises justify possible risks.

I had applied ‘controlled unstable’ environments throughout all my training. I saw it work, and now I see the underlying rationale why that is so. As with training for power, I try to apply the same concept.

My latest and dearest toys are sandbells which I have in ranges from 4 to 12 lbs. in 2 pound increments. Those are now happily flying across the studio. We slam, and we catch, and we bounce them off the Bosu. We work on grip strength by catching with one hand. Some of my clients are standing right in front of a massage table for a security blanket as they are catching a 4 lbs. sandbell. Others have the 10 lbs. one hurled towards them.

And the best part? It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it gives a great deal of satisfaction (after everybody has caught their breath including the trainer who gets thrown back to).

Staying Cool – Signs of Heat Exhaustion

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and we will soon experience the triple H days of summer: hazy, hot and humid.

While a little warm is good, too much of it can be deadly. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke which claims lives every year.

Here is how you can recognize the warning signs of heat exhaustion (taken from the CDC website):

• Heavy sweating
• Weakness
• Cold, pale, and clammy skin
• Fast, weak pulse
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fainting

And this is what you should do immediately:

• Move to a cooler location.
• Lie down and loosen your clothing.
• Apply cool, wet cloths to as much of your body as possible.
• Sip water.
• If you have vomited and it continues, seek medical attention immediately.

If in doubt, call for emergency help.

AND NEVER LEAVE ANYBODY, PET, CHILD OR ADULT, IN A LOCKED CAN FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME.

Facelift? Really?

I am Karin Singleton, and I am a MELT instructor; but I am also a skeptic.

 

I have taught MELT long enough to know that MELT can bring on physical changes in people. I can see it every time when I look over my room of regular students and do not observe those gross deviations that just jumped out at me when I first started teaching. I also hear from people all the time how much regular MELT has become part of their lives and has helped with nagging problems. 

 

But when I heard about an announcement about a 50 second facelift …. It was a “wait and see” for me.

 

I watched the show and tried it myself. Truth be told, I felt more of a difference than I saw one but there was a little more fullness around the cheeks.  I decided to teach it in a class today, and it received a warm reception and a confirmation of my own experience. 

 

Here is a link to more information and the two videos, the 50 second and the 5 minute facelifthttp://www.meltmethod.com/blog/more-about-50-second-face-0. You may need to copy and paste into your browser.

 

The underlying principle makes perfect sense. Gliding and shearing of connective tissue improves the cellular structure by rehydrating it. The locations of the mastoid process (that little bump behind the ear), the temporomandibular joint (after which the painful condition TMS is named) and the temples are locations often associated with stress. How often do we not rub them when we have a headache?

 

I think that this new MELT technique will serve two purposes: it does improve the appearance of the face, but - more importantly – it will help relieve stress in those facial muscles.

 

And that will be twice the reason for a happy smile.

What’s the Big Deal about Posture?

“Stand up straight”, “don’t slouch”! Words of wisdom from mothers across continents, and right they are.

Whether you come to my MELT classes or are working with me one-on-one, the most often used phrases are ‘neutral pelvis’, ‘shoulders relaxed’, ‘good form’ and derivatives thereof. So why is good posture so important even if I disregard the fact that it looks a lot better?

A body in ideal alignment is a balanced body. The relationship in length between muscles is optimal, and movement is effortless because all the players know their role. The central nervous system is like a conductor, and just as in an orchestra, everybody must be well-tuned and know the score to create a harmonious performance.

If a body is out of alignment, then some parts have to work harder and still don’t get it done right. The result is that some parts wear out sooner than others, and this can start a pain cycle that only perpetuates the problems and adds to them. Even though medical science has given us replacement parts and perfected the techniques to implant them, we would do a lot better looking after ourselves as well as if we were our own car.

Did you ever hear of anybody, who would change the tires on their car, not get them balanced but then take the car out on a 1,000 mile road trip with heavy cargo and a hanger? Me neither.

When I start my MELT classes, I describe the position of ideal alignment, and just about everybody raises their hand when asked whether they felt discrepancies. Soon into the class, those discrepancies diminish and sometimes disappear altogether, and my students walk out straighter and often in less pain than when they walked in. After having taught MELT for almost 5 years now, I see permanent improvements after just a few months with regular MELTing.

Aren’t you worth it?

Athletes in Tutus

I have always loved ballet. Even though I never danced myself, classical ballet is my favorite dance art form; the more tutu the better. Living now in Raleigh, North Carolina, we have been so fortunate to having the professional Carolina Ballet since 1997. I had season tickets all those years, looking forward to every single performance.

Even the greater my pleasure when I recently had an opportunity to introduce some of the dancers to MELT.

While watching the performances and the performers, it was always quite obvious to me that all that grace that I admire so much is the result of rigorous training, and I was conscious of the fact that injuries are the inevitable by-product of such training.

Over the last 5 years of teaching MELT, I have seen enough of its beneficial results on many bodies that I knew that its positive effects could be felt equally by a professional dancer as by weekend warrior or somebody recovering after a hip or knee replacement surgery.

So it was not surprising to me on some level to hear the same comments about some of the MELT length exercises that I am used to hear from my more conventional class participants. The sensation of length beyond ordinary stretching which can only be described as ‘hurting so good’.

What I absolutely had to admire, though, was the amazing ability of the dancers to take my verbal instructions and translate them into body movement. Those familiar with MELT know that the greatest impact is often made by the smallest changes in body position, and those require a great deal of body awareness. And while this is hardly unexpected, it is nonetheless astounding to watch.

What a NEAT idea!

Is it possible that a neat person is not a NEAT person? Absolutely.

So what on earth am I talking about? Here is what the National Institute on Health has to say:

“Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. It ranges from the energy expended walking to work, typing, performing yard work, undertaking agricultural tasks and fidgeting. Even trivial physical activities increase metabolic rate substantially and it is the cumulative impact of a multitude of exothermic actions that culminate in an individual's daily NEAT. It is, therefore, not surprising that NEAT explains a vast majority of an individual's non-resting energy needs. Epidemiological studies highlight the importance of culture in promoting and quashing NEAT. Agricultural and manual workers have high NEAT, whereas wealth and industrialization appear to decrease NEAT. Physiological studies demonstrate, intriguingly, that NEAT is modulated with changes in energy balance; NEAT increases with overfeeding and decreases with underfeeding. Thus, NEAT could be a critical component in how we maintain our body weight and/or develop obesity or lose weight. The mechanism that regulates NEAT is unknown. However, hypothalamic factors have been identified that specifically and directly increase NEAT in animals. By understanding how NEAT is regulated we may come to appreciate that spontaneous physical activity is not spontaneous at all but carefully programmed.”

So NEAT is all the moving we do when we are not formally exercising. Even for regular exercisers with 2 hours of exercise every day and 8 hours of sleep, that leaves 14 hours during which we can do nothing or a lot.

Based on information in an NASM publication, I developed a metabolic profile tracker that gives points per hour for activities. It gives -1 for sitting or lying down (except sleep; that gets a 0), 0 for standing, +1 for normal moving, +2 for a little strenuous activity such as housework or a light workout, +3 for strenuous activity such as intense gardening (riding lawnmower does not count) or a strenuous workout, and a +4 when you knock yourself out. It is very revealing to see the times when we hardly move at all. If you would like a copy of this form, please e-mail me at karinsingleton@nc.rr.com.

So now let’s all try to become a neat NEAT person!

Here Comes the Sun …. diddle, diddle

By all appearances, spring has finally sprung. Even though the winter in Raleigh, NC, can hardly be called severe when compared to some other parts of the nation but it seemed to go on longer that it ought to have.

After taking a nice long walk with my dog just in a T-shirt, I came home happy, thirsty …. and a little tanned. At this point in my life, a sun tan is no longer on my priority list and thus I felt that I needed to remind myself (and anybody who cares to read this) what the Skin Cancer Foundation has to say on the subject of the sun and the need for sunscreen:

“Use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher whenever you spend any time outdoors.

• This applies to all outdoor activities: athletics, shopping, picnicking, walking or jogging, gardening, even waiting for a bus.
• Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
• Apply liberally and evenly to all exposed skin. The average adult in a bathing suit should use approximately one ounce of sunscreen per application. Not using enough will effectively reduce the product's SPF and the protection you get.
•  Be sure to cover often-missed spots: lips, ears, around eyes, neck, scalp if hair is thinning, hands, and feet.
• Reapply at least every 2 hours, more often if some of the product may have been removed while swimming, sweating, or towel-drying.
•  Choose a product that suits your skin and your activity. Sunscreens are available in lotion, gel, spray, cream, and stick forms. Some are labeled as water resistant, sweat proof, or especially for sports; as fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, or especially for sensitive skin or children.”

Sitting on the Job

Raleigh has its major snow storm of two inches with some ice following, and we all did what one does under those circumstances: stay home and hope that the power does not go out and that it gets warmer soon.

Our hopes were realized, and we are now gingerly walking around the icy patches left in neighborhood streets while all major roads are clear. Bright sunshine and temperatures around 55⁰ are working away on the rest of the ice and snow.

Since I had an entire day off yesterday AND I also recently got a new computer. This was the perfect day to re-install, modify and generally get acquainted with the new operating system. It also meant that I did what most of my clients do all day long: sit at a computer.

I use an exercise ball as a chair, and that is the way for me. I have a hard time sitting still, and a ball clearly accommodates that need to move. So as I bounced and shifted, it meant that my pelvis and lower back were never locked in any one position. Slouching is also rather difficult on a ball which means that I was sitting pretty much in good posture. I prefer a desktop over a laptop so that my screen and the keyboard are the right height for me.

With all that good setup, I still felt a need to get up and walk around, do something else for a while and went to my studio to MELT a few times in the course of the day. So by the end of the day, I was no worse for wear. Today, I will return to my normal use of a computer.

It gave me an appreciation, though, of the challenges of many people who have to stay at their desk all day long and can only take short breaks.  Here is a link to a very interesting illustration to the long-term health hazards of sitting all day long http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/the-health-hazards-of-sitting/750/.

Sitting is the new smoking.

MELT Length and Strength

Yesterday afternoon marked the first occurrence of a MELT Length and Strength small group class which was dedicated from the onset as such. 

I had been wrestling with the question on how to implement such a format into a group setting. One-on-one is easy, and I had done that long enough. There are a few MELT Strength moves which I had interspersed into my regular class, and then there were those very few occasions when the number of participants was not too great, and they were all pro-MELTers so that I could introduce the greater challenges of MELT Strength.

But this haphazard way did not feel right. Particularly after coming back from a MELT Refresh course in New York last month, I was determined to make it work.

From here on out, I will teach this in a small group of four participants at my studio every Sunday at 4 PM. Being at my studio allows me to advise whether the prospective participant has the base knowledge to make it a good fit. It also allows me to get to everybody and make sure that they are doing it right.

Since MELT Strength is not about barbell pumping, muscle building hypertrophy of pecs and biceps but instead about the re-integration of intrinsic stabilizers of the hip, shoulder girdle and core, it is important not to allow compensatory patterns to take over the small desired movements of the targeted muscles. That’s the reason for the small group.

Tall, Taller, Tallest – Walking in Heels

When I was young, I wore high heels – a lot. Fortunately, because of many recreational interests,  I also wore regular shoes or tennis shoes (that’s what we called it then) very often and have not suffered the foot deformities that I see quite often and which are usually the result of fashion footwear. At this point, let’s not go into all the resulting misalignments of the rest of the body.

Even today, I can be seen in heels. Let’s face it: there are some outfits where a nice set of heels really completes the look. And as long as the function does not include a lot of walking or standing – why not?

With the latest re-emergence (note the closeness to “emergency”) of high heels and plateaus, it’s déjà vu all over again. Apparently with the clear goal of securing the income of future podiatrists, here she comes ……

Recently I was asked to assess the walking style in those heels. Well, it looked rather clunky, and I thought how to communicate a better way of navigate in those stilettos.

So, if you must, try it this way: because heels force the pelvic into an anterior tilt, imagine pushing the tailbone down towards the floor, thus normalizing the excessive arch in the lower back.  At the same time, lift your ribcage up a little, and the gait looks a lot better.

One more thing: carry a pair of comfy shoes as back-up.