TFC Day 8 - Don't Quit and Don't Hurt Yourself

The Marines have a saying: “Improvise.  Adapt.  Overcome.” Please notice that improvisation and adaptation are the tools to overcome. This week’s goal is to learn to modify—improvise and adapt—activities so they are suitable for your body. Remember what you learned from last week’s exercises, like your range of motion and ability to engage your core, and use that information to determine if and how to change the assignments this week.

For today:

1. The breathing assignment is to extend your exhale slowly so that it is twice as long as your inhale.  Lengthen your exhale in increments, taking several breaths at each count level before progressing to the next.  For example, if you inhale for a count of 4, start with 3 breaths exhaling for a count of 4, then 3 breaths exhaling with a count of 5, the next 3 with an exhale count of 6, then 3 breaths exhaling for 7, then getting to a breath ratio of 4 counts on inhale and 8 counts on exhale.  Maintain this ratio for several more breaths before slowly reduce the exhale by 1 count each time until you get back to a balanced breath.  Notice how this affects your energy and mood.  If you feel anxious at any time, shorten or stop this breathing exercise. 
2. Review the intentions you wrote on day 2 and modify them based on what you’ve learned and accomplished so far.  Rewrite them even if you don’t make any changes. 
3. Work on your core.

• If you gave the core exercises from day 4 a thumbs-up and feel like you could do something a bit more difficult, do the Therapeutic Aerobics. However, remember to improvise and adapt when needed. For example, if your neck gets sore, stop lifting your arms. If your back gets sore, don't go to the end.

• If you gave the core exercises from day 4 a thumbs-up and feel like they were difficult for you, do them again and modify where necessary.  Feel free to stop at any time.
• If you gave the core exercises a thumbs-down rating, do the alignment exercise video.

 

TFC Day 7 - Rest and Reflect

Fitness is not all about doing stuff. The body, mind, and spirit need down time to repair, heal, and prepare for increased capacity. Today’s challenge is to rest and get ready for the second week of the challenge. Do take one minute to evaluate the physical exercises from this week:

• Wall Sit
• Aerobics/Cardio exercise from day 2
• Stretches
• Alignment exercises
• Core exercises
• Undulation compilation
• Aerobics/Cardio exercise from day 5
• Sun salutation seated
• Sun salutation hands-and-knees
• Sun salutation standing at the wall

Which ones need to be modified if you do them in the future?

Which ones will you not do in the future?
Which ones are on you’re A-list of exercise?

Take time to relax today. Tomorrow we start to build on this week’s assignments.

TFC Day 6 - Therapeutic Sun Salutations

Years ago I thought of this Fitness Challenge as a Therapeutic Boot Camp, but never went through the logistics to find a class location. I recently was inspired by the Yoga Journal's onlineYoga Fitness Challenge to do this program online. And today we have one of the most popular yoga practices, Sun Salutations also known as Surya Namaskar, modified into therapeutic versions with breathing exercises before and after. 

I have created three versions: one seated, one on hands-and-knees and one standing.  Start with the seated version.  If your body feels good, go on to the hands-and-knees and/or the standing versions.  The hands-and-knees version includes lunges, which can exacerbate any sacrum or low back problems. So if that is an issue for you, or if you can’t be on your hands and knees, skip the second version. Feel free to repeat the salutation(s) that feel(s) the best to you. 

The breathing and mind assignments are built into the Sun Salutations. Link your breath to your movements and be as aware as possible when doing the video. This is useful multi-tasking.

After the sun salutations, lie down in a comfortable position and be aware of your bodily sensations for 3 to 5 minutes.  Try to feel without any judgment, just notice.

And remember to stay hydrated and keep track of activities that are helping you and those that cause you pain so you can limit symptom causing movements in the future.

Feel free to post questions and comments on the Undulation Exercises Facebook page if you like.

TFC Day 5 - Undulation, the Fountain of Youth

How are you feeling today? Please make note of any activities from yesterday that go on your “good, as-is” list, “good, but need to modify” list or “bad” list.

Assignment #1: When we were kids we didn’t have to exercise to stay in shape. We stayed fit through being present and including a great variety of movement. Today’s assignments hope to revive this youthful spirit within you. The video practice is a compilation of different undulation exercises. If you are new to undulation, you may be surprised at how little effort and movement is needed to mobilize stuck segments in your spine. That’s because small and slow movements engage the smaller, more core muscles; muscles that many traditional exercises neglect. Be cautious with (or skip) the Happy Dog and Hip Hiker undulations if your low back is easily aggravated. Remember that kids have little patience for uncomfortable activities. Also, if you can’t do exercises on your hands and knees, you can do those ones standing with your hands on the wall instead.

Assignment #2: Make breathing fun. Remember how you used to challenge yourself to take a big, deep breath when driving through a tunnel or swimming across the pool? Take 10 very big breaths as big as you can. Make sure you extend your exhale with each one, too.

Assignment #3: Get some cardio exercise at your target heart rate for 15 minutes. Do something fun and safe.

Assignment #4: This isn’t a kid’s exercise; meditation requires a mature brain. The benefits of meditating include increased pain tolerance, lower anxiety, and greater presence. The assignment: Watch your thoughts for 5 minutes. Don’t try to change your thoughts, just notice what you are thinking. Notice when you get caught in the thoughts and stop noticing. Then begin noticing again.

TFC - Day 4 for the Core

A strong core is key ingredient in the recipe of preventing injury.  The core muscles maximize strength in the back, which is essential to lift anything heavy. The core also keeps the body in good alignment and the nervous system out of “fight or flight.” That’s why today’s assignments focus on building your internal powerhouse. Unfortunately, many supposed core workouts only strengthen the core if you already know how to use it. The practice below uses a progression to be sure you know where your core is.

Please remember: This program is not intended to replace professional medical care nor contradict medical advice you may have received.  If you experience physical discomfort or anxiety, stop and consult your medical advisor.

Core practice

The breathing assignment today is a combination of the breathing exercises from day 2 and 3: Breathe through your nose combining chest and abdominal expansion on inhale and extending your exhale until you develop a comfortable maximum breath. Note how your core engages on the strong exhale. Sustain this breath for 10 more breaths then let your breath return to its natural rhythm.  Notice the difference in your energy and awareness compared to when you started.
 
Sit and feel the sensations in your body.  Describe them with adjectives, nouns, verbs, and/or adverbs.  Say them out loud or write them down and save the paper. (Does this assignment seem boring or useless? Bear with me, please. Being able to sense and name the sensations in your body is another key to avoiding injury and developing strength.