Fit and Focused

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Written by: Donna Ann Peck 538 views

Learning to balance on-time with down-time confounds most creative professionals. We all like to keep working while the iron is hot. Then comes the crash. After a big project, it takes a long time to recover. Our life force or prana, as my yoga teacher calls it, is depleted. How do you protect your most valuable resource, your body’s vital energy? Before things start going south, be alert to the following symptoms.

Symptoms: pain and inflexibility

Diagnosis: overused and tight muscles

Prescription: massage therapy

Start at square one. Find a massage therapist who specializes in deep tissue massage. This massage relieves aches and pains in tissue layers of tight or overused muscles. This treatment can improve flexibility, increase endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers), and speed recovery from injuries. Swedish massage creates a total state of relaxation as your body is gently lubricated with essential oils. Ancient Indian massages—also with warm oil—can send you into bliss. Both are very effective if you need to de-stress. At the every least, you can get a head, neck and scalp massage to relieve stress. My personal quick fix from a hectic schedule is reflexology. This massage targets the thousands of nerve endings in the soles of your feet.

Symptoms: unfocused and tired

Diagnosis: stressed

Prescription: yoga

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Yoga has an instant impact on your well-being. People who regularly attend yoga classes have toned muscles, sleep deeply, and have increased mental focus. If you need to stretch, check out health clubs in your area that offer yoga. Some offer introductory workouts for stiff guys who, with a little practice, can move into yoga poses and regain a full range of motion.

Symptoms: low energy and motivation

Diagnosis: lack of exercise

Prescription: private training

New to training one-on-one? A private trainer can help make your workouts more fun and your body less injury-prone. Whenever I ran the trails, my knees ached afterwards. Rather than give it up, I decided to work with a private trainer to learn how to run without injury.

I was amazed by the knowledge of the fitness trainers at my club. I had two sessions with Charlie Reid, who has a B.S. in Kinesiology and certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. He introduced me to the Egoscue Method.

He watched me run, then taught me the Egoscue exercises. The exercises improved my posture, so I was able to run as light as a feather with the correct alignment. Watch Egoscue in action: exercise videos.

In the warm summer weather, take some of your workouts outdoors. Charlie shares these tips if you are starting a new routine outdoors:

Use city blocks, light posts, or trees in the park for interval training during runs. Fifteen city blocks is approximately one mile.

Use a park bench to stretch and train. Benches are ideal for exercises such as step-ups, push-ups, and arm dips.

Be careful of the heat when you exercise outdoors. Start early or late while it’s still cool out, and be sure to stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen and a hat.

Eat for energy. Here’s a recipe from my health club juice bar for a protein, berries and fiber smoothie: