Healthy Steps with Mary Jo Brown

By

Move Better Feel Better

Bust a Move for you Brain!

Exercise has always been a part of my lifestyle, due to making me feel better, lessening my stress and connecting with others. What is refreshing is the latest research on how it benefits our brain, too. As the years are flying by this is outstanding news for me and others. 

 I recently watched a TED Talk by Wendy Suzuki that focused on the brain-changing benefits of exercise.  As a Healthy Steps Instructor and educator, I know how important staying active is for your overall health and well-being, but Ms. Suzuki’s talk really opened my eyes to just how therapeutic it can truly be. I wanted to share what I gleaned from her talk with all of you, but I encourage you to watch her inspiring talk, too.  The link is below.

She started off by discussing the long and short-term impacts of exercising.  Did you know that at once after just one session of exercise, there are an increased number of neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline in the brain?  They positively affect our mood, focus, and reaction times for up to two hours after exercise. In addition, neurotransmitters are the chemical messages that our bodies use to keep our brains functioning, managing everything from breathing to heartbeat to learning and concentration. In the long term, exercise rewires the brain in many positive ways.  Adding aerobic exercise produces new brain cells and improves long-term memory and overall attention. They serve as protection from cognitive decline and neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.  They aid us to navigate a full, enriched life. 

Exercise always been a way to release stress for me but to have it document by science elevates it up to the gold standard. 

 She adds that no triathlete regime or expensive gym membership is needed.  She recommends adding 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week for around 30 minutes. Simply a no-brainer.   

I highly suggest you watch her video, stand up, and do some simple healthy steps dance moves along with it.  

        https://youtu.be/BHY0FxzoKZE

By

Fall Prevention is for Everyone!

Fall Prevention Day falls on September 22, 2022, right at the start of… you got it, Fall. All joking aside; fall prevention is an important topic that will better your life. Many people think falling is a topic only relevant to older adults, but in reality, falls can happen to anyone. Children, adults with compromising conditions, and even people at peak physical health can suffer greatly from falls and accidents. Everyone can benefit from learning about fall prevention.

Falls can happen to anyone. This is why it is so important to learn about positive prevention methods to reduce your risk of falling and to know what to do if you do fall. Understanding fall prevention methods can help you feel safer doing everyday tasks, such as doing the laundry or simply getting out of bed. I have learned throughout my life that there is nothing like understanding and education to eliminate the fears that hold us back.

As a Healthy Steps Instructor and educator, I regularly engage with these topics and interact with people who have expertise in fall prevention. I recently conducted an interview with Physical Therapist, Nylah Hazard, an expert on fall prevention, in which I learned a great deal. Using  skills and information from my other trusted resources, I have created a short list of tips I think are most helpful:

  1. Exercise that strengthens your core muscles and legs is key. Recent research shows that strength and balance are the most important attributes for fall prevention. Choose an activity that you enjoy: walking, biking, dancing, or golfing in order to develop more strength and balance.. Activities that you enjoy are self-reinforcing so you are more apt to keep doing them.
  1. Your environment matters. Home safety, lighting, and good shoes are all very important. Here is a free, printable PDF checklist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to use in your own living space.
  1. Keep moving throughout the day. Get up and move more often, at a minimum every hour or so. Even seated stretching and movement can help safeguard us from losing our balance when we get up too quickly or when our feet and legs go to sleep on us. Daily walks, even just to the mailbox or out in the garden, give us frequent ways to stretch our legs and build strength.
  1. Consider a medical alert device. If you live alone or have a medical condition in which you are at risk of falling, it’s important to invest in a device that can alert others should you need help. It can provide great peace of mind to you, your loved ones, and your caregivers. There are many types of medical alert systems, all ranging in price and functionality. Here are a few things to think about when choosing a device:
  • Is it waterproof? Nearly 80% of falls happen in the shower/bathroom, so this is definitely something to consider.
  • How is a fall detected? Devices can be so sensitive that they trigger 911 at times when you don’t need help, such as when you’re looking for a missing sock under the bed.
  • How does it connect? Medical alert systems vary in the way that they contact emergency help.  Some common ways are through wifi, a cellular connection, or via a landline. The most important thing is that your connection is reliable, wherever and whenever you may need it.
  1. If you have had balance issues or ever had a fall or fracture, work with a professional. We have many wonderful physical therapists here in Chico who can target your areas of need. Check out my interviews with a local physical therapist, Dr. Nylah Hazard, who describes some great tips on fall prevention, and Chiropractor Dr. Jason Gonzales who shares some great ways to work on balance.

I hope you find these tips as helpful as I did and that you have learned that falling and getting injured doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of aging, but rather, that you can feel more in control. Knowing fall prevention skills will reduce the risk of your falling and getting seriously injured which in turn will inspire you to have the confidence to continue doing the things that you love.

-Be well,

Mary Jo

 

Web Resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/STEADI-Brochure-WhatYouCanDo-508.pdf

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/in-depth/fall-prevention/art-20047358

By

Do you hear that?

I think humans come with an inner jukebox of rhymes, melodies, and beats. Even before we are born, we are hearing our mother’s heartbeat; quieted by lullabies and the white noise of a car ride.  A 3-year-old child is adept at finding wooden spoons to create patterns. Then with training and perseverance, 15 years later they could be playing the violin in a symphony. Music is complex and simple all at the same time, with the ability to touch and reach us in a place that is not visible to us.

(Photo credit B. Ducey 2020)

The Best and Most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or heard, but felt with our heart. ~ H Keller

How else can we account for Beethoven’s musical genius despite his hearing loss. When he conducted his magisterial symphony in 1824, He had to be turned around to see the audience cheering, He was unable to hear the thunderous applause.

For me it can lift my spirits, energize me, or bring a sense of peace. Songs popular when I was in high school bring me right back to driving in my first car over the winding highway to the Half Moon Bay.

As a young child I remember dancing in the living room with the soundtrack of Camelot and Sound of Music on the stereo, Hi-FI. That is short for High Fidelity for those born after 1970.

Now 60 years later, I am still dancing in the living room to music now replaced with a laptop, zoom account and cloud-based play list for the Healthy Steps Classes.  It is the same eternal melodies, patterns and beats that keeps me moving but using the today’s technology. The need to move and feel better is hard wired into us. Music can be accessible, easy to use, non-habit forming and safe unless the decibels are cranked up to ear-damaging levels.

It is reassuring that what I have known to be true for me, since a young age, now has some recognition by others. In the book, Your Playlist Can Change Your Life: Ten Proven Ways Your Favorite Music Can Revolutionize Your Health, Memory, Organization, Alertness, and More, gives the background to why it works for many situations.  The authors explain how music can have a powerful effect on our brain and ways we can use it to enhance our lives. To gain focus for studying, motivation to exercise or inducing a calm mental state. They give simple and straightforward strategies on how to put together a playlist for your needs.

So, when I am planning a class for Healthy Steps, the playlist is important. Music for warming up, cardio and stretch all have their own pace. It is fun to pick out songs that are easy to sing to and have positive themes.  “I feel good” by James Brown, is one of my favorites. It is difficult to feel otherwise when you are singing and dancing along to it. It is almost magical, taking you wherever you may need to be, without the need to find the passport or wish for a magic carpet.

Mindlin, Galina, et al. Your Playlist Can Change Your Life: Ten Proven Ways Your Favorite Music Can Revolutionize Your Health, Memory, Organization, Alertness, and More. Sourcebooks, Inc., 2012.

By

Stress Reduction: Just a Few Breaths Away

Yes, our world is spinning and changing ever so quickly; like a “Tilt-a Whirl” carnival ride.  One of my favorites as a nine-year old, but lately I am ready to step off and regain some stability. Like most of us we have developed our menu of self-care from being out in nature, family connection or reading; all good but it does take some time and effort.

This one is easy, affordable, and simple: breathing.  Often, we overlook and take for granted this powerful tool for self-calming and stress reduction.

It just takes a moment, and a little practice, to get back into a calm state. Ah yes, practice is the key.

Take a minute, breathe deeply from your diaphragm, your stomach should expand outward. My yoga teacher Tulya calls this the “beautiful Buddha” belly. Then exhale long and slow. Do this several times over a minute or so. This is a great simple technique to slow down and activate your “Vagus Nerve” that, when stimulated, interrupts flight and fight response.

Here are two articles that give more information:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ease-anxiety-and-stress-take-a-belly-breather-

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201905/longer-exhalations-are-easy-way-hack-your-vagus-nerve

Stay Informed – Sign Up Today!

Let’s Connect