Distorted thinking...

I love this article shared with me by my mom.  There is a lot of value in looking deeply into the kind of "thinking" we spend our time invested in.  It can really shape our daily lives...  Is it positive?  Is it self-sabotaging?  Is it judgmental?  The article mentions a few types of thinking that I feel are quite relevant to us, especially as dancers:

Filtering

• bringing negative details to the forefront while ignoring the positive aspects 
• allowing one tiny mistake to negate the remaining efforts and your success 

Mind Reading

• you think you know what people think and feel, without them even telling you 
• then you act on it, or react to it, when it isn't even real 

Catastrophizing (I'm not sure that's a real word?) 

• thinking you are always in DANGER! 
• constantly expecting a disaster! (who wants to live like that?!) 

Emotional Reasoning 

• if you feel something, it must be true 
• if you feel ugly, you must be ugly
• stop allowing emotions to flow freely in your head -- sometimes they are just not true! 

Heaven's Reward Fallacy (my personal favorite) 

• making sacrifice while thinking that someone, somewhere, is keeping score 
• living a wonderful life is great, but don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake -- there is no one keeping score, and everyone makes mistakes

Don't let this type of thinking control you... it can lead to a distorted self-image and we don't want that!

Hyperextended knees!

Today's post is for Gillian...

Let's investigate: HYPEREXTENDED KNEES! 

Actual name: Genu Recurvatum 

Some causes: disorder of connective tissue, laxity of knee ligaments, irregular alignment of tibia and femur, difference in lower limb lengths

Problems: the knee will go beyond full extension and with this excessive mobility comes problems like knee pain, muscle imbalances, instability with endurance based movements or jumping, among others

What it might look like:

What to do: many of our strengthening exercises from Dance Conditioning are perfect(!!!) and some others  will work too... 

• hamstrings: pelvic bridge, hamstring curl with a physioball, straight leg hamstring reach 
• quadriceps: single leg extension while seated
• did I mention SQUATS?! 
• foam roll the quads and glutes, and stretch the hip flexors -- which may be tight 

A great reminder for us all is to think about our alignment even while casually standing (at the grocery store, a bus stop, while chatting with a friend...) If you suffer from hyperextension in your knees, soften them ever so slightly to put them into full extension or "neutral" as seen above.  This will reduce pressure on the knees, realign any misalignment in the pelvis (anterior pelvic tilt), and take reduce back pain.  

A new motivation

Thanks to one of our students for posting this great article today:

10 Things I Want My Daughter To Know About Working Out

The author encounters a not so inspiring moment in an exercise class, and it enables her to reformulate her thinking around the motivations for "working out" or being active.  It shouldn't be to "look great for your vacation" or to finally "fit into THAT dress."  It should be for so many other meaningful reasons: 

• Being strong is empowering -- feel great carrying your own suitcase down that long stairway in the airport.  Be proud of your power!  
• Doing "fitness" related activities, like biking or skiing, enables you to get out and see the world!  Appreciate nature, a new city, your family and friends through these meaningful activities.  
• Living a healthy lifestyle will keep you healthy: you will be surrounded by positive habits and positive people to create lasting relationships while keeping in good health. 
• Networking is no longer just inside of the office space -- get out and meet people while being active! 
• Feeling beautiful will make you beautiful :) 

So the main idea is that working out is not merely a way to achieve "looking good".... it's a way to feel good, develop good habits, be a role model for others, meet new people, appreciate the world differently, push yourself farther than you ever thought possible.... the list goes on and on.... and on...   

I just received this awesome new water bottle as a gift and it reminded me of the importance of staying hydrated and ensuring that your body receives it's needed fluids daily.  By the time we realize we are dehydrated or feeling thirsty, it's too late, and the body already feels the impact.  

Why drink water? 

• The body is made of roughly 60% water which aids in digestion, transportation of nutrients, maintaining proper body temperature and other important functions, so keeping hydrated helps to keep this balanced.  
• Water helps to regulate your bowels and prevent constipation while keeping your intestinal tract functioning.  
• Water helps rid the body of its major toxin, blood urea nitrogen, through the kidneys and out through your urine.  If you're in good shape, urine should be light in color and flowing freely.  

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking fluids before AND after exercise.  Drink 17 ounces about 2 hours before exercise and keep drinking throughout the workout to replace water that's lost from sweating.  The Institute of Medicine determined that adequate intake for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) and for women -- 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of TOTAL BEVERAGES (not just water) per day.  

So keep your glasses full to stay healthy and able to perform at your best this summer!  With the hot, hot heat we need even more fluids, so keep it up :) 

When to heat and when to ice?

A great question from one of our students.... 

When should you use heat?  

When should you apply ice to an injury?

It's.... The Great Debate!!!   

ICE, ice baby

• use on injury sites 
• for inflammation, swelling, or if it's red or hot 

Hot, hot HEAT

• use for muscle soreness, muscles spasms
• use to reduce stress  

Some additional tips: 

• when icing a muscle injury (like a strain or tear) use ice the first few days to decrease inflammation, and then switch to heat 
• do not heat a fresh injury -- it will likely make the inflammation worse and cause the site to swell more 
• ice for about 30 minutes and never place the ice pack directly onto the skin (could cause frostbite) 
• a contrast bath (going back and forth from cold to hot) can be used to reduce swelling (not pain)  
• you can repeat 5 minute increments for an injury between cold and hot temps which will open and close the blood vessels to pump out the swelling 

Here's a great tip for a homemade ice pack below!  It really works!