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Laughter is the best medicine

11/06/2020 • General wellbeing, healthy lifestyle, Mental wellbeing, Pain relief, self care, stress • by
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Recently there has been plenty of troubling events happening around us, both locally and worldwide.  Justifiably we are taking these events very seriously.  However, to balance this seriousness and to improve our physical and emotional health and well-being we need to remember to LAUGH!

A good giggle can lighten our mood, reduce anxiety, and help to release muscle tension, leaving us feeling more relaxed and buoyant.  One Korean study testing the effect of laughter therapy on patients in a long-term care hospital showed improved sleep and better general mood.

Laughing helps to increase circulation, lowers blood pressure, increases respiration and oxygen consumption which benefits cardiovascular health.

A hearty belly laugh tones your abs and burns calories.  OK, it’s not as a good as a workout session, but possibly more appealing?

When you laugh your body produces endorphins, the “feel good” hormone, which can boost energy and reduce pain and inflammation.

Seeing the funny side and having a good laugh quickly defuses anger and calms conflict at home and in the workplace.  It helps to put a more positive perspective on problems, strengthens relationships and reduces stress.

By decreasing production of stress hormones and boosting immune enhancing T-cells, laughing can help our bodies be more resistant to disease.  One study showed that people with a well-developed sense of humour lived longer, particularly in those battling cancer.

While there are few studies definitively showing the effectiveness of laughter, they do show positive results with virtually no negative side effects!

So seek out opportunities to laugh and reap the benefits!  Connect with friends who make us laugh, keep funny photos and quotes close by, watch a comedy, sing a funny song.  Keep it appropriate, but just laugh.

If you are feeling too stressed and overwhelmed to find your sense of humour a Kinesiology session could help.  Book online here or phone me on 0414611382

Twenty Seconds of Courage… can change your life

21/05/2020 • General wellbeing, Mental wellbeing, self care, self image, Uncategorized • by
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The adage that confidence only builds after you take action, not before, has underscored much of my life. I can think of situations where I lacked confidence and only after I stepped up and gave it a go, did I feel my confidence start to build.

Waiting for confidence and motivation to arrive, can mean you never begin working on that dream.

Many great business ideas die before they get started.  Healthy consideration of your next move is important for good decisions, but too much thinking and planning may actually mean you give in to fear and anxiety.

Excuses like “I’m too busy”, “the timings not right”, “I can’t afford it”…. undermines our confidence, motivation and inspiration.

In the movie “We bought a zoo”, the main character Benjamin Mee used a motto of “all it takes is 20 seconds of courage” to help him seize opportunities in moments of hesitation where fear had potential to overwhelm him.

These days I enjoy getting started and then going with the momentum.

I also love the title of Susan Jeffers’ book “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway”, which reminds me being scared is normal … but don’t let it stop you.

Over 25 years ago Nike introduced the advertising slogan “Just do it” that became the motivational cry for many successful business and sports people across the world.

Stop waiting for the confidence or perfect moment.  Jump in, get started and sort it out as you go. Gather up your courage and “Just do it!”

Boost your Health and Well-being

14/03/2020 • Exercise, General wellbeing, healthy lifestyle, Nutrition, physical, self care, stress, Uncategorized • by
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Health is when every cell in your body is bouncing with joy.

 

 

Implementing regular habits to maintain good health and well-being goes hand-in-hand with boosting your immune system to build up resistance to, and fight off, a virus or infection.

Here are a few tips.

Read More…

Exercises for back care

23/02/2020 • Exercise, Pain relief, physical, self care, strength, Uncategorized • by
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One of the most common reasons people come to me is back pain.  After immediate treatment, it is my experience that it is important to follow up with regular, gentle exercises and stretches to keep your back mobile.

These exercises can enhance your recovery and help avoid recurrence of pain.  If you have suffered with long term back pain you will know that it requires constant maintenance.

Book here if it’s time for a kinesiology treatment.

Download your PDF copy of Exercises for back care

 

But first…. Look after yourself!

31/01/2020 • Exercise, General wellbeing, healthy lifestyle, Kinesiology, Mental wellbeing, physical, self care, stress • by
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Take time for regular self-care activitiesDuring the holiday season you’re out of your normal routine and it’s easy to put your self-care on the back-burner while you prioritise commitments to family and friends.  Then when you go back to work, you are so busy catching up on the work that has mounted up while you were away, you still neglect your self-care and it can be a while before you start to carve out time for things that benefit your well-being.

Why is self-care so important? Read More…

Eat A Rainbow

07/01/2020 • General wellbeing, Healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, Nutrition, self care, Uncategorized • by
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For the past couple of weeks I have been away, and even though I ate a reasonably ‘healthy’ diet, it wasn’t as high in vegetables and fruit as I’m used to.  Plus, I ate more bread and sugary items than is good for me.  The result: I felt sluggish and bloated, unmotivated to exercise and my mind felt foggy.

After a few days of eating whole plant foods almost exclusively, my mind feels much clearer and my energy has improved.

As I prepared dinner last night I was reminded of a dietary principle from my Kinesiology training: “eat a rainbow” – aim to have a rainbow on your plate at each meal. Foods that are red, yellow/orange, green, blue/purple and white.

An easy way to achieve this is to include a variety of whole plant foods,

By focusing on eating whole foods in a variety of colours you are consuming a broad range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other plant-based nutrients.

Our western diet has become very high in ‘white’ foods.  We love our white potato and refined carbohydrates, consequently we have the health issues associated with consuming a diet with such a limited nutritional range.

Below are some of the benefits of “eating a rainbow”. Read More…

7 tips for staying active

13/11/2019 • Exercise, General wellbeing, goals, Mental wellbeing, physical, self care, self sabotage, strength • by
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I often have discussions with clients and friends about the challenges of staying active.  Injuries, work and family commitments get in the way of establishing a regular exercise regime for most of us.

I rarely feel like exercising when I wake up in the morning, but I generally feel happier and more energised afterwards.  The tips I’m sharing below is how I stay in the habit of exercising, whether I feel motivated or not. Read More…

The gift of receiving

23/09/2019 • General wellbeing, Mental wellbeing, self care, self sabotage, stress, Uncategorized • by
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A few years ago, I was having a tough time with some confronting personal issues. My mother asked who could help and support me. I told her that I had some great friends, but they had their own issues and I didn’t want to trouble them.

Mum went on to give me a new perspective…

“When you help someone, do you feel good?”

“Yes I do”

“Have you ever thought that when you don’t allow someone help you, you are denying them that good feeling,”

I now have a new attitude towards accepting help when it’s offered. I gratefully accept!

I have shared this story with many friends and clients over the years, because accepting help can be challenging for all.

If you have difficulty asking for or accepting help, it can be worthwhile to explore your beliefs about receiving help.

Is it a feeling of being unworthy? The person offering help has already decided you are worthy and deserving in their eyes.

Are you a perfectionist that sees yourself as a failure if you ask for help? Read More…

Dead Butt Syndrome

26/08/2019 • General wellbeing, Kinesiology, Pain relief, physical, posture, self care, strength • by
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Get your butt into gear with Kinesiology!

… over the years I have worked with many people suffering with lower back and hip pain, frequently associated with weak gluteal (“butt”) muscles and tight or over-working hip flexors (the muscles that lift your thigh to move your leg forward).

This syndrome has been dubbed “dead butt syndrome” or gluteal amnesia by mainstream medicine and if these issues aren’t addressed, the chances of long-term relief from pain is unlikely.

Dead butt syndrome commonly occurs in people who sit for extended periods. The glutes aren’t designed to bear weight for long periods of time and blood flow is restricted when tissues are compressed in a seated position. The glute muscles then start to shut down or ‘fall asleep’ and lose the ability to work when needed.

These muscles should be incredibly powerful but when they aren’t working properly other smaller, weaker muscles are called on to do the job. This causes strain on those smaller muscles and associated joints.

The constant flexed position of sitting can also cause the muscles at the front of the hip to become tight. The glute muscles are then unable to move through a full range of motion, causing them to become weaker.

You may be surprised to know ‘dead butt syndrome’ is not exclusive to sedentary people. Read More…

Create some friction!

01/08/2019 • General wellbeing, Mental wellbeing, self care, self image, Uncategorized • by
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A few weeks ago, I watched an interview with Gweneth Paltrow, where she was talking about how being a success at a young age meant that many people came into her life to help smooth the way and make life easy. It wasn’t until her father sat her down and suggested that she was in danger of becoming an A-hole, that she realised that a bit of “friction” in life is a good thing.

She expressed perfectly something I have been thinking about and working on myself. I noticed that when someone achieves success, they sometimes slide backwards (often dramatically) soon after. I wonder if, without the ‘friction’ created by striving for success, these people step back and stop challenging themselves to become better people and to improve and enhance their skills.

The ongoing challenges we face every day can be good for us! Needing to earn an income to pay bills and mortgages means we Read More…

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