Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Incorporating Meditation for Pain Management

GettyImages-1803004450Acute and chronic pain is something almost everyone must deal with in their lifetime whether it is from an injury, overuse, or a degenerative condition such as arthritis. This consideration becomes much more common as exercisers move into the active aging portion of their fitness journey. Meditation in various forms has been shown to provide relief in both acute and chronic situations and in many cases may increase an exerciser’s overall pain tolerance. Techniques that correlate well with pain management are mindfulness meditation, body scans, visualization, guided meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation.

Mindfulness meditation popularized by John Cabot Zinn, PhD focuses on acknowledging the thoughts and emotions connected with pain cycles. Studies have shown that there are specific neural mechanisms at work during this type of meditation that provide analgesic benefits to the body while also triggering endorphins in the brain. Body scanning is another technique used by Zinn and others that incorporates the focus of the mind to scan the body for pain, tension, and discomfort. This technique is best done while lying comfortably on the floor or bed face up and can employ rhythmic breathing to match the pace of bodily scanning.

Guided meditations have been found to be useful in pain management with apps such as Calm and content driven websites like YouTube providing a multitude of options that range from simple spoken word to videos with intricate visuals and binaural beats audio to help reach a deeper state of relaxation and pain relief. A recent study revealed a 77% in pain reduction with the use of binaural beat technology versus the placebo. In addition, simple visualization is also an effective technique in reducing symptoms of pain, most specifically concentrating on the area in distress and focusing on healing and reduction of discomfort in the area.

Progressive relaxation is another option for pain reduction and utilizes breathwork and muscle contractions to ease pain symptoms. This technique can be performed sitting or lying down and involves beginning with the feet and lower legs being strongly contracted with an inhalation and relaxed during the exhalation. Moving all the way up the body, then back down with contractions/inhalations lasting about 5-10 seconds and the relaxation period being double the time or longer based on preference.

Starting out, a person could perform 5 minutes of meditation and slowly work up to 20 minutes a session. Also, throughout the day a ‘mini’ meditation of 30 seconds to a minute may be applied when acute pain flares up. In conclusion, different styles of meditation for self-management of pain are low risk options that are easily available and can also strengthen the mind-body connection while improving overall physical functionality.

Subscribe to our blog

Topics: meditation mindfulness mindset pain management

Tips for Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is about tuning into your body’s hunger/fullness cues and cravings when eating. One uses mindfulness to acknowledge and honor any physical cues the body is feeling, and eating based off of those signals. So how is mindful eating different from dieting?

Picture1-1

Most diets require you to restrict certain foods, food groups, or even a whole macronutrient. They tend to cause a sense of guilt when you do indulge in a particular food that is deemed “off limits,” and often times cause you to binge on those very foods down the road. Mindful eating does not require any restriction. Instead, by listening to your body’s physical cues and cravings, you are allowed to eat what you want, when you want, and stop when fullness is achieved or the craving is satisfied. Many people find that they feel more satisfied, and may even lose weight, when eating mindfully because they are more aware of their body’s signals.

Tips for Mindful Eating:

  • Learn to differentiate between hunger and non-hunger cues. Are you hungry or bored?
  • Eat when you feel hungry, do so slowly, and put down the fork when you feel full.
  • Eat without distractions – turn off the TV, put down social media, and focus on your food.
  • Learn to avoid phrases like “guilt” and “guilt-free” when talking about food. Food is not tied to morality, and therefore should not make you feel guilty.
  • Appreciate your food – engage your senses by observing smells and flavors.
  • Eat to maintain overall well-being – what foods will make you feel good? Eating cake all day every day will taste great at first, but it will get old very fast. You may find that your body begins to crave vegetables or lean proteins instead, as they will make you feel good afterwards.

How are you choosing healthy when it comes to food choices?  Do you find yourself being mindful at meals?

New call-to-action

 

Topics: diet and nutrition mindful eating mindfulness

Being Mindful of Your Time, Scheduling for Success

GettyImages-1091264670Sometimes it’s hard to juggle all the daily responsibilities in life. Balancing work responsibilities can be difficult enough but trying to also maintain a social life at the same time can feel impossible. Being able to manage your time can be invaluable in many ways. There many benefits of having time management skills and having the right strategies can improve your skills. 

To start, time management is a process in which you plan and control the amount of time dedicated to certain tasks. This will in turn boost your efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity during the day. Controlling your time will allow you to become better at organizing and in turn will help you control your time both personally and professionally. Having the necessary skills to manage your time has different benefits for people, including:

  • Increased time for self
  • Improved feeling of accomplishment
  • Improved self esteem
  • Increased satisfaction in life

The more you can limit work stress and the more time you spend on yourself, the happier you will be. So how do we improve our time management skills? Here are some strategies you can implement:

  1. Know How You Spend Your Time: Making a time log of what you do during a day can help determine how you are already using your time. Over the span of a week or two, record everything you did in a 15-30 minute interval. Evaluate how you used that time. What time of the day are you most motivated? What tasks took the most time? Where do you value your time the most? Reflect on if you’re investing your time wisely, or if you need to reinvest time in other things.
  2. Set Priorities: Distinguishing what is urgent and what is important determines whether you’re managing your time effectively. Some of the most important tasks are not the urgent tasks, but that does not mean that you should let the urgent tasks control your life. Determining what tasks must be done can help you gain control of your life while reducing the amount of tasks that may become urgent.
  3. Use a Planning Tool: Utilizing a planning tool can increase your productivity. Writing down  tasks, making notes on your schedule, and jotting down items to remember can free up brain space to focus on other, more important tasks. Review your calendar daily, synchronize your apps if you use two different types of planning tools, and always have a backup. Some examples of a planning tool: Time Trackers, Time Savers, Calendars, Task Managers, Habit Developers, etc.  
  4. Get Organized: You can’t manage your time if you’re disorganized, and research has shown that clutter has a  negative impact on perceived well-being.
  5. Stop Multi-Tasking: Humans in general are not efficient at multi-tasking. Studies show that multi-tasking doesn’t save time or increase efficiency. In fact, it does the opposite. Routine multi-tasking may lead to difficulty concentrating and maintaining focus.

Time management is a skill that can be vital to one’s success. What are some other strategies that you have found to help manage your time?

 

Topics: success corporate wellness success mindfulness

Smart Snacking Makes for Healthy Eating

ThinkstockPhotos-513806816Some people think that snacking can sabotage your healthy eating plan. However, snacking keeps your energy levels up and prevents you from becoming overly hungry, which can lead to poor food choices. Eating every three to four hours can also help regulate your metabolism, which ensures that you burn calories throughout the day. Strive for at least two small snacks per day, but try to limit yourself to 100 to 150 calories or less per snack.
Also, be sure your snack is balanced—that it offers complex carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscle building and repair, and a small amount of fat for satiety. You can ensure nutritional balance and prevent snack boredom by varying your daily choices.
Best Snacks for Great Nutrition
Here are some great snack choices:
  • 6 oz Greek yogurt topped with ½ cup of berries
  • ¾ cup of whole-grain cereal, nut, and dried fruit trail mix
  • 1 apple and 1 oz. low-fat cheese
  • 1 cup yogurt smoothie made with real fruit
  • 1 oz. baked tortilla chips with ¼ cup bean dip
  • 2 oz. low-fat cheese on five whole-grain crackers
  • 1 whole-wheat tortilla with 1 oz. melted cheese and ¼ cup salsa
  • 1 cup raw vegetables and 2 Tbsp. low-fat dip or hummus
  • 1 Tbsp. nut butter on a banana
  • 1 cup berries topped with ¼ cup low-fat granola cereal
  • ¼ cup whole-grain cereal and ¼ cup raisins with ¼ cup skim milk
  • ¾ cup pasta salad made with raw veggies, cheese, and low-fat dressing
  • ½ pita pocket stuffed with raw vegetables and 1 slice low-fat cheese
  • 1 cup low-fat vegetable-bean sou
  • ½ turkey and cheese sandwich on whole-wheat bread
  • 1 handful almonds and ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup cottage cheese and ½ cup pineapple
  • ½ peanut butter/banana sandwich on whole-wheat bread
  • ½ whole-wheat English muffin toasted and topped with a slice of tomato and low-fat cheese
The Benefits of Snacks
You might feel guilty about snacking, but snacks aren’t necessarily bad. In fact, mini meals several times a day can be beneficial. Here’s how:
 
Binge control. If eating several low-fat, whole-grain crackers, a few pretzels, a piece of fruit, or some raw vegetables keeps you from taking second or third helpings at your next meal, you may actually consume fewer total calories for the day.
 
Extra energy and nutrients. Traditional, made-at-home meals often lose out to busy schedules. A grab-and-go snack can be the difference between some nourishment and none at all.
 
Satisfaction for small appetites. Young children’s tiny stomachs can hold only small portions of food at a time. Older adults who are less active and who burn fewer calories also may feel comfortable eating smaller meals more frequently.
 Like what you just read? Subscribe to our blog.
Topics: diet and nutrition mindfulness fruits and vegetables