Exercise Word of the Day

Diddly Squat

Definition: slang- the least amount.

So far this has been the word of our weekend. Mom says everyone knows it. My nephew says no one knows it. (I told him he now has the theme of his "what did you learn this summer" essay. Could be a generational thing. Or it could be that the young ones really don't know diddly squat.

Squats however may just be the smartest thing you can do to get your body strong. They help you stand up straight. They help you climb stairs. They help you get out of a chair. Contrary to some people's belief they also help to strengthen the muscles that support your knees when done correctly. As Coach Boyle says in the video above there are a lot of ways to help someone squat better.

When your ankle mobility and core stability improve you can work on  pistol squatting ,like Dr. Kathy Dooley,  which will help you get up and down from the ground, especially if you have a broken leg.

In any case, I've enjoyed watching my nephew explore his ability to single leg squat as he heals from his tibial fracture. It's amazing to watch kids learn new motor skills. Sometimes they fail, but the next time they nail it.

It will be a while before my nephew is able to learn an effective double leg squat. The key to squatting is to know how and not be one who only knows diddly squat.

Family

Faith
Ancestors 
Mend
Involved
Love
Yesterdays

The older I get the more I realize how important family is. We are there in good times and celebrations, and we're there when times get tough. We help each other remember that there is something bigger than ourselves that provides everything that we want. We are mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son, niece, nephew, in-laws, cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles. We cherish the yesterdays yet support who we are today.We take care of each other and drop everything to mend what ails us. We listen. We love. We laugh. We cry.

This week my brother and sister in law needed help with my nephew. My sister and I jumped to be able to spend time with him. He lights up our world and the circle of listening to loving laughter is complete.

I have recently seen the intense bond between my sister in law's family and how they have rallied together to find the laughter while lovingly listening.  They are there without question to make sure her family is safe and happy.

We just had the most fun ride up to the lake. We sang songs that made us laugh and probably hurt a few dogs ears. Our stressed out and anxious mood from earlier in the day is gone.

This is what family does.

Sleeeeepppyyy.....

Today was one of the most mentally challenging days I've had in a while. As I sit here finishing up my work at 10 pm I find myself craving chocolate and wanting to snack. Then I yawned and realized that I also had less sleep last night, and minimal water today.

When you've just about had enough from the day, consider going to bed early and drinking a bit more water to stay hydrated. And sometimes a small bit of dark chocolate will also help to make the day better.

As I have none in my cupboard I am choosing to sleep and hydrate...tomorrow is another day after all. We must be rested and healthy to make the most of the day.

And when we're stressed out it's always good to remember that tomorrow is another day, just as Annie sings.

Good night!

Belief

According to Merriam Webster the definition of a belief is 1-a state of mind in which confidence is placed in a thing; 2-something that is thought of as true; 3-conviction of the truth, reality or phenomenon especially when based on evidence.

What we believe can greatly impact our reality.

Believe you have the ability to fly like Mary Poppins and you will take flight, even if you're a non flying penguin.

You have a choice to either hold onto all old hurts and make excuses of why you will never progress. Or you can set you sites on the big adventure, start believing that others can and want to help you succeed and see your self in a new space without dysfunction.

What I know for sure is that by holding onto all of the old hurt, you definitely will not improve. 

A world of love

Every day we have a choice of how we want to see the world.

Only when we actually travel to other lands can we realize how amazing this world (and the people who inhabit it) really is.

Choices

This weekend in June is one that I  traditionally spend at the Perform Better Summit or as a teaching assistant at a Neurokinetic Therapy Course. It is very odd to me that I am not with my colleagues at either course.

I chose not to do either event because Billy just returned home and I really wanted to have time to hang out with him.

Sometimes in life we need to make choices. I do miss being at the Summit and TA'ing the level one course. I also am much less stressed and am happy hanging out with my husband.

I hope you take some time to appreciate the choices we have and embrace them as you go.

Word of the day Friday

Today's word of the day: Rubbernecking

"To twist one's neck and stare with intense curiosity." 

I might suggest that rubbernecking can lead to a whole host of problems. From a 'kink' in the neck from whipping your head to watch with curiosity to what I like to call "stress neck"...caused by paying too much attention to other people, and not taking care of yourself first.

Avoid this!

My advice: avoid the rubberneck and just worry about what you can control in yourself. Easier said than done, I know, but you'll be happy in the end.

Summer Love

Image from Pinterest

The time between June 20 and August 5 is my absolute favorite in the year. It's the time the weather is the best (in the Northeast at least) and even on a stressful day life just seems a bit easier. We walk  more. We laugh more. We cook out almost every night. We enjoy the stars and the crickets from our deck.

This is a really great time to get moving. Try a new activity. Play outside with your kids. Chill out and let your body rest in a hammock. Get enough Vitamin D, but then wear some sunscreen. Laugh with your family and friends while playing a game of Baggo. Take a stroll on a beach. Celebrate the ebb n flow of the ocean while walking barefoot in the sand. Allow your feet to breathe from the oppression of shoes and allow them to feel the Earth below them a bit.

Summer is a time for rejuvenation. It prepares us for those long winter nights stuck inside watching the fire in the fireplace and catching up on Netflix.

Whatever your feeling about the hot weather, I hope you can embrace the happy feel of summer and know that the circle of seasons is just around the corner. 

Focus

Do you ever feel like you are running in circles trying to catch your own tail, but just can't quite get there? I have...and moments when it is so out of control I feel like every inch of hair is on end and I am like a mad woman.

LT...Mad Woman 

I am the queen of doing this. If I have a moment of down time I quickly fill it.

I am not good at sitting down and doing just one task. I frequently have my laptop open while checking an email and also get on my phone to scroll through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. When I ride to my lake house with someone else driving I don't sit and enjoy the ride, but I either hop around radio stations or listen to multiple books/podcasts.

My morning motivations have been guiding me to be more focused. This stresses me out a bit because I don't know what to cut out to help me focus more. I like the recommendations about stopping scrolling, though it is a challenge for sure. Meditation is supposed to help quiet the mind and help with focus. I still struggle with letting my thoughts stop, but I can now go 10 seconds..so that is an improvement. 

I spent last weekend with my mom. Although we ran around a bit, we spent a good 19 hours just chilling out at our lake house. We sat on our deck and played cards. We read. I wrote a bit. I still checked all my social media, but I wasn't scrolling thru my feeds as much. I always feel like life slows down when we're at the lake and that helps me stay focused through the week.

Love my lake

There are a lot of suggestions out there to help us live a better quality life. Getting focused is one I am going to continue to work on. As with all of life, it is work in progress. For now, I will take one task at a time. I will find time for quiet. I will schedule one major task per day. I will aim my focus on what makes me happy and calm.

 If it helps me to be better at making others feel better or to spend more quality time with my loved ones, I am all for it.

Today's gratitude

I promised myself that I would write 50 blogs in the 50 days til I turn 50. I am 4 days in and have no idea what to write about. I wonder where those amazing blog writers get their ideas. To stay committed to my promise, I'm going to send today out with my gratitude list for today.

Every day I am thankful for my life, my home, food on my table, my work, my cousins, my friends, the ability to travel the world, sleeping late, waking early.

 I am so lucky and grateful to have the family I have. My mom and dad. My sister and brother. My mother in law.  My nieces and nephews. My sister and brother in laws. My step mom and step siblings.

I am so grateful to for this guy, the 27 years we've been together, and the life that we have. Most of all, I'm so very grateful he will return home from his bike trip to Scotland tomorrow. I can't wait to hear all about his adventures...and to start planning when we'll make the trek together :)

Connecting the puzzling dots

People often question why I take a long time getting your history, or why I have you move your neck when you came in for your knee. Listening to your complaints, watching your whole body move, and learning where your compensations are help me connect the dots and help you solve the puzzle.

My philosophy and style of treatment revolves around these beliefs.

1. I am not quiet because I don't know what you're talking about. I am quiet because I am listening to you and processing how to respond in a way that you will hear.
2. I won't tell you that I can fix you. You aren't broken. You only need to remember how to move better.
3. I don't prescribe treatments based on your x-rays/MRI's or other tests. I listen to your history. I watch you move. I work with you to find your best movement. 
4. I don't follow a strict protocol per your medical diagnosis. No 2 people are the same. Individual people need individual movement assessments. One person's back pain may be related to sitting for hours in a car, another because their hamstrings are working over time for their core, and yet another may have an oncological problem that needs more than physical therapy.
5. I don't think any exercise is bad for you. I think there are ways to modify everything. 
6. I think it's important for you to keep moving thru your treatment. That means doing work with your uninvolved side or your upper body/lower body etc. while you are rehabilitating your involved side.
7. I know my strengths. I don't always vocalize them. I'm learning I need to be better at that, yet I also know that I am always listening to you, and make adaptations per your needs.
8. I don't think I can fix everything. If I can't help you, I will refer you to someone to get another opinion.
9. I think pain that is due to a mobility dysfunction occurs because of compensation. Sometimes surgery is needed but until you correct the why behind the compensation you will not relieve the pain.
10. I believe the body is connected from head to toe. You may come in with knee dysfunction, but this may be caused by altered mechanics in your core or even your upper extremity. I love connecting the dots to find the why behind your injury.

Just Because

Everything in my world is reminding me that we need to be authentic in order to live the life we want. So here it is. My attempt at authenticity.

Just because..

I'm quiet, doesn't mean I'm shy.

Just because...

I like to be at the party, doesn't mean I don't like to be alone.

Just because..

I drink alcohol, doesn't mean I don't think healthy eating and exercise aren't important.

Just because..
I preach healthy movement and exercise, doesn't mean I'm perfect in doing it myself.

Just because...

I think before I speak, doesn't mean I am nervous about speaking my mind.

Just because...
I argue my point of view, doesn't mean I won't listen to yours.

Just because..
I like to be in comfy clothes, doesn't mean I don't also enjoy getting glammed up.

Just because...
I'm simple, doesn't mean I'm easy.

Just because ...
I enjoy relaxing, doesn't mean I won't work hard.

Just because...
I like the Red Sox, doesn't mean I don't like the Yankees ;-)

Life lessons from the wife of a cyclist

 On June 3, 2007, I had the honor of volunteering at the Ken Herrod Memorial Road Race in Harvard. I am a member of the Minuteman Road Club, who along with the Harvard Firefighters, hosted the race. It was a beautiful day. I was psyched to see so many females in the race. I am in awe of how fit these athletes are, and how tenacious they are at going after their goals.

MRC Cat 4-5 Women at the start

My husband, Bill, is an avid cyclist. He trains through the winter, when it rains, on the road, in the woods, on a fat bike, road bike, mountain bike....and a dirt bike. If it has 2 wheels he is happy. I don't really consider myself a cyclist although I do enjoy riding and try to get out on my road bike at least weekly when the weather is nice.

Bill, 1st on the podium, Mt Snow.

A few years back we were at a mountain bike 24 hour race. I joined a women's beginner group and the lead rider really helped me to appreciate the joy in riding. This past weekend as I was out on my (very late in the season) first ride, I found myself fully enjoying the process and truly appreciate how the events of the road can translate into everyday life.

The following are my "life lessons" that while observed on my bike, can be carried over into any aspect of health, wellness, and fitness.

Great Sacandaga Lake, Northville, NY

1. Be present. While riding your bike or performing any task, pay attention to what you're doing. Observe the scenery. Listen to the birds. Smell the fresh air. Feel the breeze between the heat. I worked with a woman in my PT practice last week who was doing her exercises. I asked how many reps she had done, expecting 10-12. Her response was "I don't know. I just kept going. I was doing my shopping list, and figuring out my kids schedule while doing the exercise." If we can't focus on the task at hand, how can we be expected to make progress? If we can't take the time to focus on ourselves for just 5 minutes, how can we expect to improve our pain or mobility? Riding my bike teaches me that. I have to pay attention to the cars, the potholes, and especially the nature that is around me. Riding my bike gives me time to actually 'be present' in my life. I frequently stop to take in the beautiful views along the way. It doesn't matter how far or how fast you go, only that you go. Start today. Whatever your goal, take action. Show up and truly enjoy the process. 
2. Breathe. When I struggle to ride up a hill I hold my breath. The same happens when I struggle at work or with my daily life. Taking the time to focus on your breathing can not only save you from passing out, but it will engage your core and give you better stability while making your way through tough times. I cue my patients to breathe through their nose and in for 3 out for 6. I try to Crocodile breathe whenever I am stressed because it helps to quiet my nervous system down. Less stress equals better output on the bike AND my life.

   

   Crocodile breathing: breathe way down to your lower back and let your sides expand

3. Change positions frequently. Sometimes I get tingling in my hands as I'm riding. It's common. It goes away. When I change positions I can decrease it. This is true in every day life as well. We get caught up at our desks, on the computer, in a meeting, or watching TV. If we can do a little movement through the day it will save us some stiffness and pain later. Simply fidgeting your whole body can help dramatically. Cogs-like the cogs of a chain ring- can be done in any position and are a great exercise to restore normal movement. In the video below I demo a way that could easily translate to riding.  I learned to call them Cogs from Gary Ward of Anatomy in Motion and the author of "What the Foot?"which you can find here.  

   

   Quadruped Cogs: easy to do while on the bike

4. Warm up/Cool Down. We do it when we lift. Why don't we do it when we ride? Or even when we wake up? I was 3 minutes into my ride when my hips started to talk to me. Luckily they were just squawking at the new activity and chilled out after 10 minutes.  After I got off the bike I realized how tight everything was. This is a quick and easy active warm up which targets the muscles used during bike riding and will prep you for the ride. They also work as a cool down but the first thing I like to do after a ride is to lie on my stomach, get out of a flexed position and catch my breath...so my go to is the Crocodile breathing shown above.
   

   

   Hip flexor/Hamstring active mobility followed by single leg bridge glue activation.

5. Downshift and up shift. It has taken me 6 years to start to understand how to effectively use my gears. I tend to grind it out and then fatigue at the top too spent to go any further. I was taught in a workshop that I should pay attention to how my legs are feeling vs what the hills look like ahead. On this ride I finally felt it. I didn't look and stress about what gear I was in. I paid attention to how I was feeling and when it was difficult I downshifted. When it was easy I up shifted. Imagine if we did this in our life. Sometimes we're going to have major hill climbs. We can stress about it, struggle and fight our way to get to the top. OR we can allow ourselves to down shift a bit, dig in, keep pedaling and breathing and know that the struggle will only last for a bit. When we come over the top, we can coast for a bit, but if we keep the steady pace we can handle anything that comes up. 

Life can be a struggle at times. Finding an outlet like biking to help you let go of the struggle can do wonders at restoring health and balance. Finding the joy in exercise as well as life and learning to ride those rolling hills makes it so much more enjoyable.