Ah, (insert a big, breathy sigh), our enemy called rest. Don't worry, I'm not going to attempt a lecture on it. I'm not qualified. However, I do know how to make my body and my brain think it's resting. The majority of the steps I take to accomplish this have more to do with NOT RESTING so I'm sure this is something you can do, too. There are 3 parts:
That's all there is to it. Here's why those 3 steps deserve your attention. It takes as little as 10 minutes out of your day to stretch and you WILL burn extra calories, you WON'T break a sweat, and you'll see your doctor less. Most importantly you WILL relax. Again, I won't begin a lecture on how our overwhelming and sedentary lifestyles are jeopardizing our long term health and longevity but, if you don't mind, I'm just going to throw something else out there. If you happen to be dealing with any amount of "lowness" right now, such as illness, depression, you've lost your job or a loved one is not doing well, or even for no reason at all... ...then I know how much harder it is to take care of yourself because everything is just extra difficult during this time. But try, with all your might, to get through your crazy day and at some point stretch a little (or a lot). Then, at the end of the day when you have a moment to breathe... ...breathe and rest with a heat pack. This is not about sore muscles necessarily! It just feels good to hold it in your hands. To lay it on your belly or place it behind your shoulders and neck. I guarantee it that you WILL relax. Still not convinced? Our very own Dr. Clark, from East County Chiropractic, has a few thoughts on the matter. "Using heat to soothe is not only great for the physical body but also for the mind. To me, when I think of the term "soothing" I think of mental health. Heat simply feels good. It's calming. In addition, it increases blood flow and nutrient exchange, which allows for cell health. In the case of injury it's allowing cell tissue to recover quickly. In the case of poor posture, which most people suffer from, it will also do the same. What's so incredible about heat is that the treatment feels better than anything you can imagine and has nothing but positive side effects. Add deep, rythmic breathing to full body stretching and you'll feel the healing results immediately." Dr. Trevor J. Clark | East County Chiropractic So there you have it. If you need resources for a non-electric heat pack or some simple stretch routines I've got you covered. Stretching: If you suffer from low back pain this video is perfect. Or this one for sciatic nerve pain. All of the videos are free and there are tons of options for super basic and short stretches. These videos are called "Yoga with Adriene." We highly recommend them. Heat Packs: The popular shopping website for handmade goods, Etsy, has many options. From the most basic designs to the fanciest. We like basic because that's really all you need. Here are a few ways to get your hands on one. Etsy, or make one yourself or get one for cheap from Clark Homestead & Produce (at our booth this Saturday - we'll be on Cedar Street if you come by). You literally could heat them multiple times per day, every day, and they'd never stop functioning. Just throw it in the microwave until the desired temperature is reached. Easy and AMAZING. You won't regret it! Soooo, try it out for yourself and, if you find this information helpful, please share it on Facebook or forward it to a friend! We'd love that!
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