No bones about it: Yoga is amazing!
By now I’m sure that you have realized that Yoga has a long list of benefits! But did you know that it helps you build strong and healthy bones too?
Pretty awesome right?
In the poses we are placing our joints in a variety of positions which helps to circulate their fluid and stimulates renewal of cartilage, tendons and ligaments.
Simultaneously, the bones are isometrically subjected to forces many times those of gravity, which causes them to grow stronger.
Yoga uses such a variety of positions that it stimulates the muscles and joints from all sides! Which is also fantastic for building strength AND maintaining flexibility.
This signals the mechanosensor cells within our bones called osteocytes, which then recruit osteoblasts, the cells that build new bone, telling them it’s time to get to work.
Within 10 seconds of being under load, the bone begins to remodel itself to strengthen to resist the load more effectively!
AMAZING RIGHT?!
This is key because bone mass begins to decline gradually with age so it is essential that we are doing things to maintain it.
Research shows us that the best way to fortify our bones is by doing weight bearing exercises, like Yoga.
Since it is zero impact, Yoga is a valuable tool for maintaining healthy strong bones to ward off osteopenia (bone weakening) and osteoporosis (fragile, brittle bones) without jarring impact.
Bonus points for Yoga because because we are also simultaneously improving our balance, strength, coordination and range of motion.
YAY FOR YOGA AND HEALTHY BONES!!
Want a pose you can do right now at your desk to build healthy bones, strengthen and tone your legs, glutes and back muscles? Click HERE!
Want to strengthen your team from the inside out? Yoga at Work sessions are a great way to empower your team with tools to stay healthy and happy, boost focus and productivity, and are a fun team building experience! Learn more about my Workplace Wellness services HERE .
Contact me to book a complimentary onsite demo to see if they are a good fit for your team! Sessions are all level and can be done in a variety of spaces in work clothes, with no extra equipment.
Under pressure: How slouching is taking a toll on us and what we can do about it right away!
It’s hard to avoid. We may not even realize we are doing it. It’s far more common that you might think.
What am I talking about?
SLOUCHING!
We have only to look at this very telling photo to get a clear picture of what is happening to our spines when we slouch.
On the right we have Mr Blue, a shining example of strong posture. Notice how well aligned he is: ears over shoulders, shoulders stack over hips. This is the natural alignment of our spine; the one that allows easy movement, support for the spine, free flow of oxygen and energy.
On the left we have Mr Green: in the classically rounded over computer position. Notice how far forwards his shoulders are, not to mention his head! In a slouched C curve like this the amount of pressure on his lower back is 185 mm and his head is so far forward it is probably weighing in at 45 pounds. Likely rather uncomfortable to say the least!
So what can we do? Take regular movement breaks throughout the day, making sure to incorporate stretches and exercises that take us out of the C curve and back into the S curve of a neutral spine! Not only will they help us return to natural alignment, but they simultaneously strengthen the muscles that hold us there. Hooray for multitasking!
Sitting and standing tall is also great for:
- reducing the load of pressure on your lower back
- helping you breathe deeply since your diaphragm can move freely
- promoting the free flow of energy and oxygen throughout your whole body
- lifting your mood and confidence and reducing your risk of feeling of depression and anxiety since they are directly impacted by posture
Try out this move that you can do anytime right at your desk!
Empower yourself and your team with tools to stay healthy and happy with my online Yoga at My Desk Course! Each session is only 10 minutes or less and can be done at your desk in work clothes to help you ease tension so you are energized to have more focus and less stress. Try out a 10 minute video to ease neck and shoulder tension here
On Maui and want to learn more about my in person Workplace Wellness services for your team? Click here!
August Special: Save 10% on Yoga at Work Sessions
Are you dealing with nagging aches and pains from working on the computer all day?
Or maybe you have so much on your to do list that it’s hard to fit in time to stretch or de-stress?
With long to do lists at home and at work it’s often hard to make time for ourselves!
However, as stress and tension levels mount people are found to actually be less productive, get sick more often and have are more likely to struggle with emotional challenges like anxiety and depression.
Are you looking for ways to help yourself and your team:
-have better focus and concentration to get more done in less time
-ease the tension that long hours of desk work can cause and be at less of a risk of getting hurt
-have stronger immune systems and sleep more soundly
-be happier and get along better with team members
Then it’s time to take a YOGA BREAK! Yoga has a long list of benefits, including all those listed above and more because it effects us positively on all levels, physical, mental, and emotional. Onsite Yoga at Work sessions are a the perfect way to give your team a break to move, stretch and breathe.
You can feel good about it too knowing that the sessions will ease tension, lower stress levels and boost their focus and concentration!
My clients say that our Yoga at Work Sessions are:
- fun and energizing
- as fun as recess used to be
- a great start to the day or midday break
- fun activity to do as a group
Check out what the team at Maui County Federal Credit Union has to say about our weekly sessions HERE.
To learn more about my Workplace Wellness Services head over HERE
Contact me to set up your complimentary 20 minute onsite Yoga at Work demo to see if these fun and interactive sessions are a good fit for your team!
Take advantage of the August Special and save 10% the first month of Yoga at Work Sessions. Offer valid for new clients, on packages of 4 sessions or more until August 31st.
Does working a desk give you lower back pain? Then it might be time to lunge and squat!
Spending a significant portion of our day seated can take a toll on us in many ways. One area of our body that is often effected is our lower back, that can get stiff and painful without regular movement.
Couple this with tension in the surrounding muscles: hip flexors, hamstrings and lower back muscles plus the extra pressure on the spine when seated and we could have a problem on out hands: LOWER BACK PAIN!
So what can we do?
SQUAT!!
Research shows us that doing hip flexor stretches combined with holding a deep squat is a powerful way to maintain lower back, hip and ankle mobility.
In just as few as 10 minutes a day we can go a long way towards keeping our spines healthy and pain free!
Mobility expert Kelly Starrett suggests that we start with 10 one minute squats every day, working our way up to a 10 minute hold.
Eventually, we want to work our way up to a more balanced ratio of time spent sitting, to time spent mobilizing our body….but we have to start somewhere right?
Combining these squats with hip flexor stretches such this lunge stretch is a great pairing. Make sure to do both legs in the lunge stretch and then do a squat.
To do the Lunge Stretch:
- Stand up tall, abs engaged, shoulders back, chest broad and chin level with the floor
- Take a few deep belly breaths
- Step your left foot back so that your heel is lifted
- Keeping abs engaged and spine tall, bend your right knee forward until it is stacked on top of your heel
- Straighten your left leg behind you
- Stay for 5 breaths and then repeat on other side
When you first start out your squat may not look like this:
But that is the eventual goal!
Here some important tips to remember when you do the squats:
- Keep a neutral spine (i.e don’t tilt your pelvis forward (anteriorly) or back (posteriorly))
- Keep knees in line with your toes
- Keep heels on the ground
- Keep torso as upright as possible
- Work towards getting your hips below your knees (stop if there is pain)
- Stay engaged (*ie: pay attention and work the pose!)
Try a few a day to let your body get used to it! Then work towards 10 minute squat hols a day until you can hold the squat for 10 minutes!!
Want to help your team stay healthy and happy at work? Help them learn stretches to ease tension, strengthening exercises to stay strong and relaxation techniques to stay calm and focused with my Yoga at Work sessions! Contact me to book a complimentary onsite 20 minute demo to see if it’s a good fit for your team. Learn more about my Workplace Wellness services here!
Try this easy move you can do at your desk to ease neck and shoulder pain
Do you upper back or neck pain when working at your desk? So many of us do!
Part of the reason for this is because when we are working on the computer we tend to slouch: letting our shoulders and head roll forward. This takes us out of the natural S curve of the spine into a rounded C curve. When this happens our muscles have to work harder to hold us upright and our head gets heavier and heavier.
In fact, for every inch your head moves forward of your shoulders it’s weight increases by approximately 10 pounds!
This extra weight means the upper back and neck muscles have to work extra hard leading to extra tension and discomfort. This extra work can drain our energy and zap our productivity. This makes it extra important to take Yoga Breaks throughout our day to reset our posture and ease the impact of sitting. Click here to learn more about the effects of sitting on our bodies, minds and spirit.
Click here to watch a short video to learn a move that you can do anytime anywhere to help you strengthen your posture, sit taller, feel more energized.
This effective move will simultaneously stretch your chest and shoulder muscles while activating your upper back and arm muscles. This is key for helping you hold stronger posture for less pain instantly and long term.
Another amazing thing about this move is that it will instantly help you feel more alert and present. When we shrink into the rounded, computer posture we are closing in ourselves which immediately impacts our mood and emotional state.
Thankfully we have moves like this one to help us lift our hearts and feel bright and awake. Posture has a direct impact on our mood and vice versa, so taking posture breaks like this one are a great way to help ourselves stay in a happy place emotionally.
Want to learn other ways to turn your workstation into a wellness station? Check out the Yoga at My Desk Course here and learn how to move, stretch and breathe your way to more vitality at work.
Celebrate Posture Month with 50% off the ABC’s of Strong Posture Workshop
Sit up straight, stand up tall….you’ve probably heard this advice SO many times right? And for good reason! Posture is so important, so important that it now has its own month, May! May is Postural Awareness Month, so I’ll be sharing lots of tips and tricks to help you strengthen your posture.
Want to learn more about posture and why its so important? Check out this short Facebook Live I did on the topic!
Happy posture month🚶🏽♂️🚶🏼♀️Strengthen your posture at work by taking little Yoga Breaks!👩🏽💻👨🏾💻Got friends who work on a computer a lot? Thanks for sharing this video with them!
Posted by Vitality Wellness Maui on Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Slouchy sitting and bad tech habits are a common cause of back and neck pain, as well as headaches, and are a major drain on your energy. So what can we do about it? Learn the ABC’s of Strong Posture in my fun and interactive workshop!
From May 1-30th I am offering 50% off this fun and interactive workshop that will teach your team:
- the key elements of posture so they can sit taller with less pain and tension
- how to use their breath to lower stress and boost energy
- tools and tips to integrate into their workday immediately
Book your 30 minute workshop for only $75 plus tax by emailing me!
Why should you do stretching exercises at your desk? To prevent sitting disease!
Did you know that the average American spends about 55% of their waking hours every day sitting???
This adds up to almost 8 hours everyday sitting, and this finding is on the low end, with other studies that many people are sedentary (ie: not moving) for 12 or more hours everyday. WOWZERS!!
So what does this all this sitting mean for your health?
Remember how we talked about how Sitting is the New Smoking ie: how all that time parked in a chair is not only wreaking havoc on your derriere, but also your health? Well unfortunately, it’s true and it even has its own name: SITTING DISEASE! “The growing body of research on sitting disease has found a strong correlation between long periods of sitting and elevated risk of illness or injury.” YIKES!!!…..like what you might be asking yourself????
It turns out that sitting for so long everyday puts someone at a higher risk for:
- weight gain (especially around the midsection where it poses a higher health risk)
- high blood sugar
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol (LDL)
- low levels of the good cholesterol (HDL)
All of these symptoms combine to make up what is called Metabolic Syndrome and put someone at a higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke and other health issues.
I know these facts are scary, but thankfully there is good news!! This same research is showing us that by taking regular movement breaks, to stand up more and sit less we can shift the odds in our favor and reduce the effects of chronic sitting. WHEW!
So what can we do? Stand up more often and do some stretching exercises!
Standing up and taking short breaks to move, stretch and breathe is an excellent way to:
- tone and strengthen your muscles, which boost your metabolism so you burn more calories
- keep your bones, joints and organs healthy
- deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your brain so you feel more energized and alert
- improve your circulation and improve your heart health and cholesterol levels
- boost awareness for greater concentration and productivity
- improves your posture so you have less tension and pain
- gives you a natural energy boost!
So set yourself a timer for 30 minutes and when it goes off STAND UP AND MOVE! If you have the set up to work standing you can do the next thirty minutes of work upright!
Want to learn how to do stretching exercises right at your desk with no extra equipment in a short amount of time? Join the FREE 5 Day DESK YOGA challenge starting Monday April 22nd!
Make sure that you Sign up by HERE:👇🏽
FREE 5 day “Desk Yoga” Challenge starts April 22nd!
- ease the chronic tension in your neck and shoulders
- strengthen your core muscles for better posture
- balance the effects of chronic sitting
- lowering your stress levels
- keeping your brain alert and sharp
- boosting your creativity and focus
Remember how much fun recess was as a kid? It turns out adults need them too!
Do you remember how much joy you felt when you heard the recess bell sound? Hooray, time to go outside to play!
And within an instant everyone would grab their snacks and head outside to skip, play ball, talk, whatever. Wasn’t it fun?
Spoiler alert:
It turns out that recess really wasn’t all fun and games, it actually serves a purpose!
According to research from Georgia State University, the brain can only focus for 45-50 minutes at a time. In order for it to regain focus, it needs novelty and downtime to process information at high speeds again.
Interesting right?
While you thought you were just out there having fun you were actually:
- increasing oxygen and blood flow to your brain
- improving your balance and motor function
- building healthy muscles and joints
- lowering stress levels
- enhancing your hormonal balance and overall well-being
When you returned back to class after this “brain break” (aka: recess ;)) research shows us that you were likely more alert, productive and present.
So where am I going with this?
While a few decades may have passed, the fundamental structure of your brain and chemistry remains consistent. In order for you to perform on your highest level you need to be taking “brain breaks”.
And what is great way to take a break that oxygenates your whole system, strengthens your muscles, challenges your mind and energizes your spirit?
YOGA!!
Taking regular Yoga Breaks throughout the day is a great way to integrate brain breaks into your day so that you are alert and productive. Even just a few minutes of movement, stretching and conscious breathing are extremely powerful for helping you to ease the chronic tension that accumulates when working on a computer, activate and strengthen core muscles to improve your posture, lower stress levels and feel more alert and productive.
I am excited to announce that I will be running a FREE 5 Day “Desk Yoga” Challenge starting April 22nd in my Yoga at My Desk Tribe. You can sign up for the challenge HERE .
Each day will focus on a different area of the body commonly effected by computer work and teach you a stretch to ease tension, a move to increase stability in the area and a breathing exercise to ground you.
I would love for you to join us, its going to be fun and supportive! I will be going live everyday at 7am HST to walk you through the moves for the day. Plus there will be bonus material and prizes! Sign up for the challenge HERE .
A powerful question to ask yourself anytime, anywhere
Want a simple yet extremely powerful way to ground yourself and return your focus to the present moment?
Ask yourself this question:
And then pay attention:
Where do you feel your breath? What is the quality of it?
Often when we are feeling stressed out or paying attention to things around us our breath is short and shallow and mostly in the chest and shoulder area.
Not only does this increase tension in this area because these muscles are not meant to be our main breathing muscles, it also triggers more stress in our bodies because it is the fight or flight breathing pattern.
As soon as you shift your focus to your breath and begin to pay attention to it you will notice a shift within yourself. As you tune into the flow of your breath, the feeling of it and the quality of it you will feel yourself becoming more relaxed, grounded, and present.
Tuning into the subtle rhythm of the breath is the easiest way we have to bring our attention into our body and into the now.
Try this periodically throughout your day to take a moment to center yourself. Not only will it help you bring your stress levels down, but it will help you concentrate and focus.
Take it to the next level by taking a short breathing break.
- Sit tall, rolling your shoulders back and down to lift your chest.
- Relax your neck, shoulders and jaw as you close your eyes.
- Rest your hands on your legs.
- Begin to take slow deep breaths, filling your belly as you inhale
- As you exhale feel yourself sitting taller.
- Take at least 5 deep slow breaths
- Be aware of any mental distractions and stay focused on your breath as much as you can
- Enjoy!
Learn more about how breathing impacts our health and vitality at my upcoming free workshop: Deep Breaths for Less Stress on April 13th @10 am at the HMSA Center in Kahului. Learn more about this free workshop here.
Want to take a longer Yoga Break? Click here to try a 10 Minute session designed to ease your Neck and Shoulder tension that you can do right at your desk!
With the Yoga at My Desk Online Course you will learn how to take Yoga Breaks right at your desk, in work clothes, with no extra equipment. Learn how to release tension, activate and tone, boost energy naturally and lower your stress levels by integrate the powerful tools of Yoga into your workday! Each lesson is only 10 minutes long so you can easily incorporate them into your schedule, whenever it works best for you.
