Tag: blood flow

by on

Why Foam Rolling

When it comes to working on improving your flexibility and mobility, there are a plethora of options to try: pilates, yoga, tai chi, gymnastics, dancing, and dynamic rolling/stretching/therapy work (as mentioned in The Primal Blueprint Fitness Pyramid post). Having a foam roller handy is helpful in order to massage muscles and break up knots, those tender spots in your muscles. It has a restorative effect on the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds the bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and organs. Foam rolling helps increase blood flow, which means more oxygen and nutrients delivered to the tissues, along with “waste removal.” As stated in How to Be Well, body alignment expert Lauren Roxburgh “calls foam rolling an essential self-care tool in a world where we are ‘overworked, overstressed, overfed, and overstimulated.’”

When to Foam Roll

Just five to ten minutes at a time is fine. It can be in the morning as part of your morning routine. It can also be before a workout, after exercising, and/or in the evening.

Before a workout, you would foam roll at a fast/rapid rate, targeting a light to moderate depth. This gets your muscles ready to work hard and it up-regulates the nervous system.

After a workout, you should foam roll at a slow rate, targeting a moderate to deep depth. This is a nice way to recover and calm the nervous system.

In Summary

Foam rolling can become part of your life as an easy and affordable option for better health and wellness. You don’t have to feel any pain anywhere to foam roll. It can just be another enjoyable way to relax and unwind from each day’s ups and downs.

Until next time!

References

Goodman, Eric, et al. Foundation : Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence. New York, Ny, Rodale, 2011, pp. 226–29.

Lipman, Frank M D. How to Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life. Houghton Mifflin, 2019, pp. 137-39.

You can also find me on Instagram.

by on


Why everyday movement is a must

We live in a world that is far from the hunter-gatherer life our bodies are designed to experience. That is why everyday movement is non-negotiable if we want to adjust our bodies to the mostly sedentary life that we live. In Move Your DNA, biomechanist Katy Bowman states, “Your body is never ‘out of shape’; it is always in a shape created by how you have moved up to this very moment. It is constantly responding and shifting to a continuous stream of input provided by your external and internal environments, even if that input consists only of sitting still, for hours on end.” Enough movement throughout the day is necessary for proper blood flow to be delivered to the different muscles used, which means more oxygen and nutrients, along with “waste removal.” Enough movement throughout the day (along with other variables) is necessary to ensure proper cellular health.

What everyday movement means

When we have to sit for long periods of time, such as when working at a computer, every 30 minutes or so, we want to get up, stretch, and walk a little bit. The same goes if we are at a standing workstation. We want to incorporate movement throughout the day to nourish our cells. A few squats or other simple exercises can be nice little breaks throughout the day. That way, going to the gym after work can be optional. As a matter of fact, if you think that going to the gym for one hour can make up for a long day of sitting for hours, that is not the case. We want to shape our daily life so that it is as similar as possible to how it was during hunter-gatherer times. And when it comes to movement, it has to be varied motion throughout the day. Taking short walks in the morning, at lunch, or after dinner, whenever you have a few minutes can be a great addition to your daily movement regimen. Whatever fits your schedule best and only implement one change at a time to ensure adherence to it.

My daily stretches

Each day, I make sure I do a certain amount of stretches. I start with the upper cat back in the morning and then, throughout the day, I do various stretches whenever I have a minute: the upper cervical rotation self-mobilization, chin tucks, psoas stretch, piriformis stretch, quad stretch, calf stretch, standing calf raises, tricep dips, pec stretch, and a couple of shoulder exercises. I also add the good morning exercise (a Foundation training exercise). At lunch, I usually do several eye drills to fully work the six eye muscles, followed by a couple of Tai Chi exercises for relaxation. Once home, I like to do the side-bridge and regular plank for the core, and on certain days, some squats, kettlebell swings, and balance exercises. At the end of each day, I stretch the hamstrings and stay in the half-lotus position for a bit. Lastly, I do the cat/cow yoga pose for the lower back. Some days I skip some of the stretches, but this is my usual routine for now. I truly believe discipline allows us to stay grounded whatever we have to face each day. And again, everyday movement is non-negotiable!

References

Katy Ann Bowman. Move Your DNA : Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement. Carlsborg, Wa, Propriometrics Press, 2014, pp. 21, 25, 36–37.

Sisson, Mark. The Primal Blueprint : 21-Day Total Body Transformation. Oxnard, Ca, Primal Blueprint Publishing, 2016, p. 125.

You can also find me on Instagram