18 minute read
Health & Wellbeing
Four-point lower and lift
The Morning Routine
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“Win the morning and you’ll win the day”, is a quote from American Entrepreneur, Tim Ferris. Now, as much as I truly love this quote and couldn’t agree more, I have to say, I, like so many of us, just don’t have this disciplined mindset. There, I said it. A ‘wellness professional’ is confessing that she’d rather stay in bed. I find the quote that aligns far better with me when it comes to a morning routine is: “I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.” Well isn’t that more like it?!
Now don’t get me wrong, I love doing Pilates, but our brains have a funny way of finding all the reasons not to do something, rather than jumping in and just doing it –even when it’s the best thing for us. You may think it comes down to having the motivation to do a class in the first place, whether that be taking a moment out for ourselves, connecting back to your body after a long period of not exercising – or dare we dream – toning for an exotic holiday. It’s normal! But I believe motivation often starts once we’re already on the mat, not before and a lot of the time our stumbling block is the M word. We’re kind of obsessed with it. But seeing as so many of us aren’t fuelled by motivation to exercise, how do we tell it to bog off so we can simply roll out the mat and get started before our brain can tell us otherwise?
The concept of having a morning routine isn’t new, but with so many of us now having more time at home since the pandemic, one thing it has allowed us is some extra time to set aside for ourselves, instead of dashing for the 7am train to Waterloo. A 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that morning exercise improves attention, visual learning and decision-making, plus I can certainly vouch that it boosts your mood for the rest of the day.
What’s helped me most in recent years is changing the narrative of how we should exercise. I don’t know about you, but I used to think if I didn’t have an hour spare to exercise, then I didn’t have time to exercise. But this simply isn’t true. The game changer for me was the realisation that short and sharp, but more frequent classes were the key to success when it comes to having a morning exercise routine. So slowly I built up the frequency of me hitting the mat in the morning until it became a habit – and yes, my brain still has no idea!
Keen to see how it can work for you? Well firstly we need to rethink how we see exercise. I often hear people groan or sigh at the thought of exercising. We know it’s essential, but because the media has made us believe we have to punish our bodies to get results we often see it as something that hurts, makes us incredibly sweaty and makes our knees as cranky as can be. This shift in perspective is what I promote a lot on my online Pilates Platform Haus Pilates Co. We’ve been made to believe ‘no pain, no gain’ is the key to get results, which not only is damaging to our joints and stressing our bodies, it’s also not great at connecting ourselves to our breath, which helps with our mental wellbeing. So, although we can trick our brain into not knowing what’s going on for our early dose of movement, we do need to rewire it to get us out of this dated mindset. With that in mind, I’ve created a morning challenge based on my ‘Quickie Pilates’ classes on Haus Pilates Co that will allow you to roll out your mat and get your morning routine off to a flying start.
Cat
This has got to be one of my all-time favourite morning movements. I like to keep my eyes closed during this one to really feel my body move freely in space.
• Now you are on all fours. Check that your hands are directly underneath your shoulders and your knees are under your hips. • Take a deep inhale and at the same time begin to draw your tummy button toward your spine as you begin to arch your back into a flexed position and gently take your chin to your chest. • Slightly press your hands into the mat as you do so and evenly distribute the weight between your knees. • As you exhale, slowly come back through your start position and slightly extend your back the other way without flexing your neck too much. • Repeat this 8-10 times.
Four-point - lift and lower into circles
This exercise seriously tones the glutes and gives you what I like to call that satisfying Pilates burn.
• Staying in four-point kneeling, begin by extending your right leg behind you whilst keeping your toe connected to the mat. • From here, keep your leg straight and lengthen all the way from the hip to the big toe. • Keep your hip parallel to the mat and begin to lift and lower your right leg ensuring it stays straight at all times. • Do this 10 times and on the last one, keep the leg lifted behind you. • With the leg remaining lifted, begin to slowly draw small circles with your big toe in a clockwise direction 10 times and then anti-clockwise for another 10 repetitions. • Repeat on the other side.
Single leg stretch
This is a great exercise for our core. It not only builds core stability but is great for coordination. Remember we’re tricking the brain, keep it busy!
• Start by lying on your back. Knees bent and feet flat on the floor with your arms long by your side. • Engage your core and begin to float your right leg and then left leg into a double knee fold with your toes touching and knees pointing slightly out towards the sides of the room. • Take an inhale and as you exhale nod your chin towards your chest and peel your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, placing your hands onto the sides of your shins. • Begin to extend your right leg and at the same time gently draw your left knee
towards your chest, clasping your hands around your knee. • Begin to alternate making sure you fully extend the leg that is going away from you and pointing your toes. • Repeat this 15-20 times.
100’s
At Haus Pilates Co I like to call this the beast of all Pilates exercises, as not only does it target the core and build stamina like no other, it also is going to give you a serious energy boost too.
• Begin by lying on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor with your arms long by your side. • Float your legs into a tabletop position with your shins parallel to the mat. • Start by tilting your chin to your chest, raise your head and shoulders off of the floor and lengthen your arms away from you so your hands are level with your hips. • From here begin beating your arms as you inhale for a count of five and exhale for a count of five. • Do this for a count of 100. • To finish hug your knees into your chest and breathe.
A morning Juice to give you a zing
To round off your morning routine, why not try this delicious juice to give you a morning mood boost without the caffeine. You’ll need: • a juicer • 5 stalks of celery • 1 apple • 1/2 lemon • 5cm piece of fresh ginger
Gut Health
Sophie Trotman is a registered Nutritional Therapist based in London. Sophie sees clients for one-to-one consultations and hosts workplace wellness workshops. @sophietrotmannutrition sophietrotmannutrition.com
September, the month of fresh stationery and new intentions. Many of us have a back-to-school mindset hangover from our childhoods. While an eagerness to improve one’s health is clearly a positive, the uptake of fad diets and restrictive eating increases in this autumnal month. As a registered Nutritional Therapist, I implore you to look away from those reductionist calorie counting, unsustainable methods and approach health with a more holistic, longterm approach.
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the far-reaching importance of gut health on our health and wellbeing. Gut health impacts every bodily function including immunity, sleep, mental health and much more.
In this article, we explore ways in which we can gently restore balance in our guts and reap the many benefits.
Impact of summer on our gut health
A more laissez faire and sociable summer period can compromise our gut health.
Firstly, a general lack of structure may have caused us to consume more sugar than usual. The bad bacteria in our gut feed off sugar, meaning that an increase in dietary sugar can cause an imbalance between our good and bad bacteria.
Furthermore, the summer months are associated with more relaxed drinking habits. A few too many glasses of rosé can lead to disruptions in the gut microbiome, wiping out beneficial species and causing further imbalance.
Now, I don’t paint a very pleasant picture about the current potential states of our guts. However, the empowering aspect of gut health is the fact that we have a toolbox of dietary and lifestyle measures at our disposal to improve it. Read on to learn more about my top tips for gut health improvement.
Top Tips
Increase plant diversity
Studies have shown that the wider the variety of plant foods, the greater the diversity of beneficial bacteria in the gut. The microbial diversity of Westerners has decreased in recent years, which contributes to the elevated instances of gut issues that we see. At present, the government recommends the consumption of 30 plant foods per week. At first, this may sound overwhelming, but once we acknowledge that this number includes nuts, seeds and grains in addition to vegetables and fruit, the target seems more achievable.
In clinic, I challenge clients to cook with new vegetables. Signing up for a vegetable delivery service such as Oddbox can be useful. In addition, seed mixes and trail mixes provide an easy way to increase dietary plant diversity.
Include probiotic and prebiotic foods
Probiotic foods include beneficial bacteria that populate the gut and offer healthpromoting properties. Fermented foods are a great source of beneficial bacteria and have a delicious umami taste. Try to incorporate foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, miso and tempeh in your diet. Probiotic drinks like kombucha and kefir are also fantastic options. Prebiotics act as a source of food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Gut microbes turn them into useful metabolites like short-chain fatty acids and vitamins. All the more reason to include onion, garlic, artichokes and asparagus in your diet.
Avoid artificial sweeteners
Despite the rise in popularity of artificial sweeteners in recent years, there are an array of reasons why we should avoid these substances. In terms of gut health, these can cause irritation in the gut and unfavourable shifts in our microbiome. Ditch the canned drinks and enjoy sparkling water with fresh fruit or herbal tea.
Ease up on the drinking
Cut down on your alcohol consumption to improve gut health and much more. There are many alcohol-free or low-alcohol brands out there now, and by reducing your alcohol consumption by even just a third, your gut will thank you.
Try to implement some of these tips over the coming months and let us know how you get on via the Cherubs social platforms @cherubsmagazine
Easy yoga morning routine for busy parents
The morning school run can often be extremely stressful especially with little (or not so little) ones running around your feet when you’re trying to get everyone’s cereal on the table and have a morning drink yourself. We end up releasing a little stress cry every morning to “get your shoes on!” and then feel guilty when those eyes look back up at you.
How to break the circle and feel a little calmer in the morning?
A daily morning yoga practice can help massively in setting the energy and keeping the stress at bay. Yoga brings together your mind and body, incorporating breathing exercises, meditation and poses designed to strengthen you from the inside, encouraging relaxation and reducing stress. It doesn’t have to be full on, 10 minutes in the morning before family life takes over is all you need.
Marica Carleschi, European Consumer Marketing Manager at INNOVO, and parttime yoga instructor, discusses the many benefits of a quick yoga morning routine including how it can strengthen your core muscles and give you control over bladder leaks when you jump around with your kids.
Key Benefits of a Yoga Morning Routine
Reduce Stress – when we’re stressed, we hold a lot of tension in the body which makes us feel tight and can cause pain in certain areas. Yoga is known for its ability to relieve stress and encourage relaxation by combining many popular stress-reducing techniques, including exercise, breath control, the ability to clear the mind, and relax the body.
Relieve Anxiety – Yoga helps us to learn how to regulate our stress response and build resilience to stress. The breath work we learn on the mat can be applied to any aspect of our lives, therefore in times of stress or heightened anxiety, taking deep meditative breaths can help us control our emotions and feel a sense of calm.
Prevent Bladder Leaks – a strong pelvic floor is essential for preventing bladder leaks. The pelvic floor is a key set of deep muscles that holds all the pelvic organs (uterus, vagina, bowel and bladder) in place and supports the bladder to provide control when you urinate. Like any muscle group, these muscles need to be toned and strengthened for them to perform efficiently. Yoga is hugely beneficial for your pelvic floor muscles as a lot of exercises focus on strengthening and engaging your core.
Improve Your Orgasms – not only does a strong pelvic floor prevent bladder leaks, but it is possible that strong pelvic floor muscles could increase sensitivity during sex, giving you stronger orgasms.
Improve Quality Of Life – yoga is the perfect exercise to help you unwind, boost your endorphins and put you first. A regular exercise routine has an array of benefits including a boost in self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression and health problems.
Your Morning Yoga Routine Tadasana, Mountain Pose
(Illustrated below left)
Start by standing, with your feet hip distance apart and your hands resting at your sides. Place a yoga block (or a thick book or pillow) between your thighs. Engage your inner thighs and try to lift the block upwards. Close your eyes and focus the attention on your breath. Breathe in, push the tummy out and feel (or be aware that) your pelvic floor moves down. Breathe out, gently pull your belly in and feel the pelvic floor moving up. Struggling to feel your pelvic floor? No drama – this is very common with most of us. Try this: inhale and keep your PF relaxed, exhale and engage your PF by lifting it. How? Imagine you are holding a wee or you are walking into cold water, and you really don’t want your bits to touch the water! With a bit of practice, you can begin to accentuate each end of the breath cycle, relaxing and engaging, relaxing and engaging. Do at least five rounds of full breaths.
Downward Dog
(Pictured above)
From Tadasana, fold forward, bend the knees as much as needed to be able to plant the hands on the mat shoulder distance apart. Press the palms down and step the feet back into a plank position, keeping the feet hip distance apart. Now walk the feet in, push the hips up and back elongating the spine. Keep the knees soft and lengthen the spine. Look at your navel, head and neck are relaxed. Keep breathing deeply and hold for five breaths.
Warrior 2
From Downward Dog, step your right foot forwards (use your hand to push your foot between the hands) and lower your left heel down on the mat so that your right foot is straight but left foot is turned out slightly with your toes pointing away from your body. Lift yourself up and extend your arms straight out to the sides so they are parallel to the floor. Keep Bend the right knee over the right ankle, keeping your left leg straight. Tighten your tummy as though you are pressing your belly button to your spine and pull up the pelvic floor as we did in Mountain pose. Hold for five breaths, then straighten the right leg and turn on the other side. Do five breaths on each side.
Utkatasana, Chair Pose
Step back in Mountain pose, with your arms stretched upwards, and the tips of your fingers lengthened towards the ceiling. If you have a block, hold the block with your hands, pressing the palms into the block and keeping the arms straight. Bend your knees, keeping your back as straight as possible, and push your hips back into a squat, as though you’re sitting down into a chair. Keep your heels connected to the floor, without your hips dipping any lower than your knees. Hold the posture for five breaths. Take long, relaxed breaths. Try to lift your pelvic floor upwards, as though you were trying to hold in a wee. Straighten up again slowly.
Malasana, Yoga Squat
Now separate the feet so that the heels are on the mat and the toes are off the mat. Bend the knees and lower your hips toward the floor. Lift the chest. Lift both hands and press the palms together in front of your chest. Push the elbows into your inner thighs and lift the chest a bit more. Remember: spine is long, shoulders away from the ears, shoulder blades towards each other, neck is long, look forward. Modification: place a block under your seat for extra support. Stay for five breaths.
Navasana, Boat Pose
Start sitting on the floor with both knees as close as possible to the chest, hands behind the knees. Point the toes, feel the ground with both sitting bones, take a deep breath in and push the chest towards the knees, keep the shoulders away from the ears. Exhale and lift both feet up until parallel to the ground. Keep pushing the chest towards the knees. Hold for five breaths and then repeat. Options: You can keep your hands behind the knees for support or extend both arms forward. You can keep the knees bent or straighten both legs. Stay for five breaths. Watch out: do not curve the spine and fold in, keep pushing the chest forward trying to reduce the gap between the chest and the thighs.
Bridge, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Start lying down on your back, arms alongside the body with palms facing down. Bend the knees and place the heels as close as possible to your sitting bones, feet hip distance apart. If you have a block, place it between your knees. Turn the toes slightly in. Take a deep inhale and on the exhale tuck the tailbone under, engage the glutes and lift your hips and chest up. Squeeze the block between the knees. Think about elongating your spine and start actively pressing the palms and the forearms down on the mat to find more lift. Look up at the ceiling. Five breaths, lower the spine down, take a couple of breaths and then repeat.
Happy Baby (and Happy Parents!)
Lie on the matt on your back and draw your knees in to your chest. Hold on to your knees, inhale deeply & exhale. Grab the outside edges of your feet, or the back of your thighs and pull your knees (bent) out to the side, trying to pull the knees as closely to your armpits as you can without causing any discomfort. Keep your heels right on top of your knees and your tailbone and shoulders on the mat. Pull your feet (or your thighs) down with your hands. Tighten your tummy as though you are pressing your belly button to your spine and pull up the pelvic floor. You can rock from side to side to give your back a lovely massage. Hold for as long as you feel comfortable, then release your legs straight to the floor gently, with your arms at your side to relax.
