LYT

Category: Monthly Motivation

  • 514. Stretching Out the Hamstring Myth

    One of the most common myths about the body is this idea that we should constantly be stretching our hamstrings. It’s really common for your hamstrings to feel tight. Most people feel this and assume that they need to stretch them out. That’s the myth. A feeling is not the same as actual, structural tightness, so stretching often won’t solve the problem. What should you do, instead?

    It comes down to joint mobilization and stabilization. Working the right muscles will help alter your perception of tightness where there isn’t any. Ultimately, tightness is just an opinion your brain has, and sometimes it gets it wrong. Listen to hear what you really need to be doing to address your hamstring tightness.

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  • 511. Self-Compassion & Learning to Love Yourself

    With Valentine’s Day, it’s time to make sure you’re remembering to extend love to yourself. Self-compassion is incredibly important and we now know that it leads to better mental health overall. In this episode, I share a handy acronym to remind you to send some love inward as well as to those around you.

    S: not selfish

    E: emotional intelligence

    L: leads to self-esteem

    F: find community

    These are the steps to building your self-compassion and becoming a stronger, healthier person in the process. To find out what each one means, listen to the episode now.

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  • 508. The Benefits of Getting Your Blood Pumping

    You’ve probably heard this before, but sitting is the new smoking. One of the single greatest things anybody can do for their health is simply standing and moving around to get their blood pumping at short, regular intervals. It’s more important now than ever with so many of us living sedentary lifestyles, and it’s so easy to fix. 

    A trick to doing this work is to find exercises that you actually enjoy. You’re far more likely to keep up a practice with regularity if it isn’t a chore. But there are so many other things you can try, from getting friends and family members to hold you accountable, to turning your housework into an exercise routine. We share a few other interesting ideas in today’s episode, streaming now. 

     

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  • 505. What Is Ergonomics and How Can it Help?

    Ergonomics is so important for our long term health, yet it’s something we so rarely stop to think about. More than a third of all lost workdays are due to musculoskeletal disorders, and you can bet that, more often than not, these things are caused or exacerbated by bad ergonomics in the workplace.

    These days, most of us work either at home or in an office, and a lot of these workplaces are suboptimal for our bodies. We need to start thinking about things like repeated posture in order to reduce strain on our bodies and improve both health and productivity. 

    I’ve been hired by companies to set up offices with these principles in the past, so here are some tips to keep you fit and healthy when at work. 

     

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  • 502. Decoding Lower Back Pain

    Lower back pain is the problem I’m asked about the most. Something like 60-70% of people have it – and some people deal with it chronically. It’s easy to feel like it’s something beyond your control. Many people give up and accept it as part of aging. But, you can do something. In fact, in many cases, you can cure it altogether.

    Thanks to new work-from-home conditions and our increased time spent on phones and computers, this is a bigger problem now than it’s ever been before. Even if you don’t suffer from back pain today, that’s all the reason to make sure your posture isn’t going to cause it to flare up later in life! 

    Listen to this episode for the science of back pain, and a simple exercise that can help you assess how you hold yourself and make changes for the better.

     

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  • 499. Combating Despondency By Owning Self-Care

    This Monday Motivation is all about, well, motivation. It seems like a lot of people are dealing with despondency in their lives right now, so let’s take a look at how we can turn the tides with a few simple tips.

    Despondency can take hold for any number of reasons. Simple causes like not getting enough sunlight, not moving your body during the day, or eating poorly are more common, and consistent, than they’ve been in decades. Between lockdowns and working from home, it’s never been easier to neglect the things our body needs to stay happy and healthy.

    The answer to it all? Self-care. Listen to learn more.

     

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  • 496. Building Your Capacity to Bite Off as Much as You Want to Chew

    Let’s build on the new year’s momentum while you put your carefully laid plans into action. But before we expand too far, remember, we only have the capacity to do so much. In this episode, we discuss how you can grow your capacity in order to take more on without sacrificing your health or sanity.

    It comes down to forming good habits. Doing so can increase your ability to hold onto anything you want, be it energy, your commitments, your strength, and more. Being able to remain calm, clear, and centered through life’s ups and downs is so helpful – especially considering all of the ups and downs we encounter these days!

     

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  • 493. LOOSEN Up with a Different Kind of Resolution

    Happy new year! It’s that time of year where we look to the future and make new year’s resolutions. The word “resolution” comes from the Latin “to loosen,” so I want to help you achieve your 2022 goals and ambitions with another acronym. Remember to L.O.O.S.E.N. and you’ll find embracing the year ahead that much easier!

     

    First, the “L” is for “let go.” Drop your preconceptions and embrace the new. 

    The first “O” tells us to “operate from a full deck.” 

    The next “O” is a reminder to “open our minds.” Let’s make sure we’re fully ready to embrace our new potential. 

    “S” can stand for so many things: “sleep,” or “sweat,” or “sip,” or “snuggle.” This letter is our reminder not to neglect our physical needs.

    “E” is for “execute.” We have to remember to actually put the things you want into place. 

    And, finally, “N” is for “new.” This can be a new year, a new you, or just embracing the concept of change in general.

     

    Listen now and get ready for your best year yet! Remember, I’m always pulling for you. 

     

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