Move Well

Join me for a free yoga class Tuesday nights 6:00-7:30pm. All levels welcome! 
​Here is the zoom link: Join Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/284954703

Welcome to week 5 of the Be Well Yoga Series. The Be Well Yoga Series is about strategies for coping with COVID-19. The truth is, COVID-19 and other viruses are here to stay and we need to take responsibility for our own health. There are tons of things we can do to stay healthy and build our immune systems. Over the past 4 weeks I have discussed different ways for you to keep your immune system and overall health in tip top shape. This week’s theme is Move Well. Moving our bodies is so important for our overall health.

Did you know that your lymphatic system is a big part of your immune system? Did you know that unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system does not have its own pump. Our lymphatic system relies on proper hydration (which we talked about last week) and movement to function properly.

Moving well is part of staying well. Additionally, moving your body helps to release feel good endorphins which also boost your immune system. Lastly, movement helps the heart circulate your blood and when our circulation system is working well, our cells get oxygenated, hydrated, and nourished well.

Our bodies need a variety of movements at different speeds, intensity, and direction. The more varied our movement, the healthier we will be. Also, when we stop using certain parts of our body, the body stops maintaining those areas. So, it is important to do MORE than just yoga! Yes, you are reading that correctly, your yoga teacher just told you do something other than yoga! Here are some good ideas:

1. Walk, jog, run, hike, swim. These activities can help build cardio fitness as well as bone density if done with some vigor. Yoga generally is not a cardio workout. Sure, you can get your heart rate up in class, but it’s not really a cardio builder.  A nice long walk can clear the mind, especially when done in nature and it can do wonders to relieve stress. A brisker walking pace or perhaps throwing in some hills can certainly improve your cardio fitness.
2. Gardening, cleaning, organizing.  These activities often incorporate functional movements like pulling, lifting, carrying. Depending on how much you exert during these activities, they can also build bone density. The activities I’m thinking about are weeding, raking, shoveling, moving boxes up and down from a shelf, cleaning the bathtub, vacuuming.  These activities move your bodies in functional often non-linear ways. Think of shoveling or raking. You are reaching and pulling from one side (by the way, don’t forget to work both sides!). These movements are different from walking, which is straight forward. Lifting boxes up to a shelf is not an everyday movement, so be careful! Whenever doing these types of vigorous activities, always use proper alignment and engage your core.
3. Lifting weights. The truth is yoga is not very weight bearing. Yes, I can design a class with some weight bearing activity, but most yoga classes do not do a lot of this. Weight bearing activities are important to building strong bones and muscles. Also, both lifting weights and functional movement builds deep core strength, which in turn will often help alleviate back and shoulder pain.
4. Undulating and non-patterned movement. I talk a lot about this in class. Fascia is a thin layer like casing that covers all of our organs, bones and muscles. When we move habitually, our fascia thickens to support those active areas. An example would be the forward head position and rolled shoulders we all get from working on our computers or using our wireless devices. There are definitely some muscular issues there as well, but the fascia is helping to support that position.  By taking time to move our neck and shoulders in non-patterned, non-linear, unusual (for us) movement, we can begin to loosen up the fascia so that when we work those muscles they have a better chance of holding a healthier shape for us. 
5. Yoga … of course!  Yoga is wonderful in part because it moves us in ways we don’t normally move during the day. Take for example Triangle Pose. If you don’t know what that is, just google it and an image will pop up. When was the last time you did a side bend over one leg and reached toward the floor other than in yoga class? When was the last time you stood on one leg, with your foot propped up on your shin like in Tree Pose. In addition to adding novel movement for our bodies, matching our breath to our movement during yoga creates a moving meditation. Meditation is excellent for calming our minds and helping us to build a stronger immune system.
6. Dancing. Dancing is a wonderful way to move your body in novel ways, and music can lift your spirits. Listen to your favorite music list and groove!

If you are new to any exercise activity listed above, GO SLOWLY. Five minutes done well with consciousness will do more for you than a big routine that could cause injury.

Come join me for class on Tuesdays 6-7:30pm, all levels!!

In peace & health,
​Andrea Carvalho