Tag: workout

Wednesday, November 3

Today is Wednesday, November 3, 2021. Enjoying beauty in unexpected places.

A quote from Roger von Oech, “Everyone has a risk muscle.  You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day.”

Photo by: Fran Lee

This November, we focus on exploring Novel activities.  Experiencing novel activities fosters personal growth and confidence.  It can provide opportunities to interact with new people, and a time to get to know ourselves better.

Trying new workouts can invigorate your routine to continue to reach your fitness goals. These can be modified for your current abilities. Connect with a workout buddy.

    • Cardio drumming
    • Boxing
    • Yoga or Pilates
    • Dance
    • Rock climbing
    • Seated exercises

Use this Mindfulness Activity to Re-energize your Body and Mind:  

  • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
  • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
  • After taking 3 belly breaths reposition your body.
  • Now shake your entire body and say to yourself, “I am letting go of…”
  • Picture the thoughts falling off while shaking your body.
  • Take 3 more belly breaths and smile to yourself for your courage to let go.

*Recharge yourself and share positive energy when you repeat:  

 “I am [*Name*].  I am open to the positive energy around me. As I connect to my courage, strength, and wisdom, I am open to new ideas and change.  I send loving kindness and compassion to all people including me.  Together, we can do great things.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Wednesday, October 28

Today is Wednesday, October 28, 2020. Appreciating the trees and thinking. In addition to producing oxygen, trees remove pollutants and carbon dioxide from the air, provide food, shelter, and medicine and freely offer shade, windbreaks and flood control. They increase wildlife biodiversity, reduce stress and improve the appeal and value of the area for all inhabitants and visitors.

For the month of October, we share Workout Wednesday. Let’s pick it up.

Strength training is important for longevity and for maintaining independence. In addition to walking, incorporate these 5 exercises to work your whole body. If you are just beginning or new to these exercises, find someone who can show you how to perform these safely for maximum benefit. Work towards doing 10 reps of each of these at least twice a week. Fitness trainers, workout buddies, apps and online resources may be useful here.

  1. Squats (Knees stay over your ankles. Hold onto something if you need support. Squat back slowly, like you are going to sit down and then slowly stand back up driving your ankles into the ground)
  2. Lunges (Toes pointed forward; knees should stay over your ankles. Hold onto something if you need support.)
  3. Push away from your chest (Push in front: push-ups on the wall or floor, chest press with resistance bands or weights. Push up overhead in front of you: push up as if you are putting something on a high shelf)
  4. Pull towards your chest (Pull ups, resistance bands or 1-arm pull back with weights are best. Lat pull-downs work too.)
  5. Crunches (Laying on your back with knees bent, curl your abdominal muscles the best you can and while they are crunched up, curl a bit more by squeezing your ab muscle even more. See how many curls you can do before you have to release and lay back down. Change it up by lifting one leg. Repeat with the other.)

An inspirational Quote from Vidal Sassoon, “The only place where success comes before work is the dictionary.”

Photo by: Zach Reiner

Recharge yourself when you repeat:    

“I am [*Name*]. I am resilient and learning every day. I am part of the global community. I love myself because I have kindness and love in my heart and soul. As I think about those I love and care for, I send loving kindness out to all people. We are all connected. We can be resilient together.”

The Mindfulness Activity to practice this week to create Calm Moments:  

  • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
  • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
  • Thinking of your physical body as your home, where you reside, think of deep breathing as like opening the windows on a bright sunny day with a nice breeze.
  • Become aware of how every breath that fills your body is like having wide open windows, filling your home with fresh, clean air and every breath out clears out and releases so that your home is a refreshed space for you to be in.
  • Experience the happy moment of being in your clean, refreshed home.
  • Smile, knowing that you can take moments to open and be present in this space, anywhere you are. Your body is your home.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Wednesday, October 21

Today is Wednesday, October 21, 2020.   Let’s start with an inspirational Quote from Mary Anne Radmacher “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

For the month of October, we set weekly reminders for Workout Wednesday.

The 1st two weeks covered planning ahead for how to maintain walking daily for 15 (or more) minutes -despite changing seasons and routines, and then, establishing a list and routines for interrupting sedentary time with physical activity to boost your health.  This week, we will focus on connecting your mind, your body and your sensory experiences using physical activity.

Find ways to combine pleasurable sensory experiences with physical movement for an extra brain and mood boost. Allow yourself to immerse yourself in these moments of joy. Examples:

    • Dance to great music. Bonus points if you move your arms and your hips and sing along freely.
    • Walk outside and feel the breeze, see the plants, the color of the sky and smell the outdoors. Bonus points if you take a picture to capture a moment on your walk.
    • Take a cool shower or submerge yourself into a pool after working up a sweat. Bonus points if you really notice the temperature and can gently move and let the water glide around you.
    • Bike and feel the sweat evaporating off your skin. Bonus points if you take time to stretch out your legs and back after your bike ride.
    • Listen to classical or jazz music while standing to cook. Bonus points if you slice, chop, mix, blend and stir everything by hand or exercise while you wait for food to cook.

Photo by: Amar Yashlaha

Recharge yourself when you repeat:    

“I am [*Name*]. I am resilient and learning every day. I am part of the global community. I love myself because I have kindness and love in my heart and soul. As I think about those I love and care for, I send loving kindness out to all people. We are all connected. We can be resilient together.”

The Mindfulness Activity to practice this week to create Calm Moments:  

  • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
  • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
  • Allow yourself to breathe slowly and calmly, pausing after each breath in, and then pausing again after each breath out.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Wednesday, October 14

Today is Wednesday, October 14, 2020. The human body has approximately 640 muscles and 206 bones in an adult. Humans are designed to move.

For the month of October, we share Workout Wednesday.

If you find yourself sitting for much of the day, now is a good time to start creating your list of physical activities you can do that interrupt your seated time to boost your health. Keep the list on your desk, or on the wall so you can see it regularly as a reminder. Pick at least 1 or 2 to include every day. Here are 10 examples to get you started. Keep adding to your list.

    1. Stand up every hour and at every commercial or break. Every time you stand up and sit down, you are squatting.
    2. Every time you pick up your mobile phone, get up. If you talk on the phone, then walk or pace.
    3. In the middle of a long stretch of work, when your mind is losing focus, reset with wall push-ups or push-ups on the floor.
    4. When you grab a tightly sealed water bottle, before opening it, use it to work your arms by holding the bottle and bending your elbows or shoulders in ways that cause you to lift or push the bottle. Do the same number of repetitions on each side.
    5. If you have been at your computer for a prolonged period, get up and walk to a window, roll your shoulders back, palms out, raise your chin and gaze outside.
    6. Use a smaller cup so you have to stand up and walk over multiple times to grab a refill.
    7. Walk to the farthest bathroom or use the one up the stairs.
    8. Before you sit down, bend forward and reach for your toes, stretching out the back of your legs and lower back. Slowly curl back up.
    9. If you have been staring at a screen for a prolonged time, rotate your head side to side slowly and then bring your chin up and down gently.
    10. Stretch out your back by curling your neck and back forward and then open your chest by rolling your shoulders back, and elongate your neck and back.

An inspirational Quote from Jerry Rice, “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.”

Photo by: Mary Deziel, Winterberry in Fall

Recharge yourself when you repeat:    

“I am [*Name*]. I am resilient and learning every day. I am part of the global community. I love myself because I have kindness and love in my heart and soul. As I think about those I love and care for, I send loving kindness out to all people. We are all connected. We can be resilient together.”

The Mindfulness Activity to practice this week to create Calm Moments:  

  • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
  • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
  • Allow yourself to be curious, what sensations do you notice: is the air warm, are the shoulders relaxed? If your mind wanders away from your focus on breathing it is OK, simply note that and then return to your breaths.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Wednesday, October 7

Today is Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Exercise improves sleep, brain performance and memory, and limits signs of aging. The list of benefits is long.

For the month of October, we invite you to our first Workout Wednesday.

If you are already walking at least 15 minutes daily, keep that going and consider increasing the intensity of the walk by increasing time spent walking or by swinging your arms more or by taking longer striders or even adding hills or stairs to your walk.

*If you are not yet walking 15 minutes daily, you can choose to work towards it. You may also choose a different equivalent activity like swimming, dancing, biking, marching in place, etc.

Now, consider the changing seasons ahead. Write out, as many options as possible, about how you will include at least one 15 minute walk (or equivalent*) -every day- despite the weather changes, unexpected events, celebrations, holidays and schedule changes.

Put that list somewhere you can review it easily to remind you in those times you need it most. ***Make it easy to include 15 minutes of movement daily, within your life and with what may be happening around you.***

An inspirational Quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, “When it comes to health and well-being, regular exercise is about as close to a magic potion as you can get.”

Photo by: Tunchanoke Moontrisri

Recharge yourself when you repeat:    

“I am [*Name*]. I am resilient and learning every day. I am part of the global community. I love myself because I have kindness and love in my heart and soul. As I think about those I love and care for, I send loving kindness out to all people. We are all connected. We can be resilient together.”

The Mindfulness Activity to practice this week to create Calm Moments:  

    • Straighten your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down, smile to yourself, & relax your jaw.
    • Take slow deep belly breaths, allowing your stomach to rise with each breath in and relax with each breath out. You may find that each breath gets better and better. Allow your shoulders to relax on each exhale.
    • Focus on progressive relaxation by tightening and then loosening your muscles starting from your toes, working your way to the top of your head.
    • Take additional deep breaths and release your muscles further.
    • This can take as much or as little time as you choose.
    • Smile a huge smile to release your jaw and mouth muscles and continue on with your day or night, refreshed.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP