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Feeling Stressed? Learn To Cope With Mindful Movement

Incorporate Pilates, yoga or meditation into your wellness routine to reduce stress and anxiety levels. Read more below.

Americans are no strangers to stress. In fact, the United States ranked as the world’s fourth most-stressed country in 2019. ¹ As a nation, we have a reputation for working too much, viewing self-care as a luxury and not prioritizing mental health.

Unfortunately, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our stress levels have only risen. According to the American Psychological Association, almost 8 in 10 Americans say that the coronavirus pandemic is “a significant source of stress,” with feelings of uncertainty, the current political climate and fear of contracting COVID-19 as the most frequently reported stressors.

Stress is a natural response to life’s experiences. When you’re feeling pressure at work or you’re dealing with a conflict with a loved one, the nervous system releases stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) and turns on your “fight or flight” mode. Once the fear or “threat” has subsided, stress levels usually return to normal. If this does not happen or if the stressor continues to be an issue, chronic stress may set in.

While not all stress has a purely negative affect, it is important to realize the impact chronic stress can have on your overall health and well-being. Stress has the power to compromise our immune systems and is “a major contributing factor to the six leading causes of death in the United States: cancer, coronary heart disease, accidental injuries, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.”²

While the statistics paint a pretty grim picture, there is good news: we can learn to cope with stress and effectively reduce our stress levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created an entire list of healthy ways to cope with stress, which includes meditating, exercising regularly and getting plenty of sleep.

Over the course of this article, we will be discussing the effectiveness of mindfulness and mindful movement as healthy coping strategies for stress. FFC Regional Pilates Manager Kristin Strom and FFC Exclusive Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Pilates Trainer David Bohn share their experiences using mindfulness to combat stress and offer easy-to-follow 10 minute routines you can use to incorporate mindful movement into your daily routine.

Pilates

Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.
Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates founded Contrology (now known as Pilates) in the 1920s as a way to balance the body, mind and spirit. Dissatisfied with the effects of the “modern lifestyle” on his health and well-being, Pilates designed a set of exercises intended to correct muscular imbalances and improve strength and flexibility, while keeping a focus on breath. ³

Nearly 100 years later, Pilates has become one of the most popular group fitness modalities in the US. Publications like Livestrong and Well + Good have written articles surrounding the growing popularity of Pilates and its more contemporary approach, Megaformer classes, in 2020. So why all the hype?

Pilates is considered a low-impact workout that is highly rewarding. The exercises used in a Pilates session target several muscle groups at once, with an emphasis on controlling the deep abdominal muscles and muscle close to the spine (the core). A regular Pilates practice will improve flexibility, balance, range of motion and posture, and it may even relieve aches and pains.⁴

While these physical benefits may be the main attractor of Pilates, the mental health implications are equally impressive. Pilates, at its core (pun intended), is about connecting breath to mindful, intentional movement. The practice forces its followers to slow down, tune in to the body and clear the mind of any distractions, making it both a workout and a study in mindfulness.

The low-intensity nature of Pilates makes it a wonderful exercise choice for all ages and abilities, but for more serious exercisers, the term “low-intensity” can sometimes be misconstrued for “easy workout.” This certainly isn’t the case for Pilates, and there’s scientific proof that throwing in a low-intensity class every now and then is good for the brain.

The Journal of Endocrinological Investigation conducted a study in 2008 regarding the effect of exercise intensity on cortisol levels and found that “low intensity exercise actually resulted in a reduction in circulating cortisol levels” whereas moderate to high intensity exercise raises those levels of stress hormones.

Kristin Strom, Regional Pilates Manager for FFC, has been practicing Pilates for more than 20 years. When Chicago’s shelter-in-place order went into effect in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Strom was experiencing stress and anxiety and was having trouble sleeping. In order to avoid “spiraling into a depression,” Strom decided to challenge herself to move her body mindfully every day at 7 AM with Pilates.

To keep herself accountable and to share her love for Pilates, Strom decided to stream her Pilates workouts on Facebook. At the time of this writing, Strom is on Day 143 of her “Pilates every day” movement.

“When you do something every day, you can really feel the progress and track your progress, which makes [the effects of Pilates] feel so much more real,” Strom said. “When you keep your exercise consistent, you can really notice the nuances in your body. It’s really important to know your body– this is where you live, this is your home.”

Strom received messages from those who take her classes on Facebook celebrating the fact that they can touch their toes for the first time in years, perform a push-up on their toes or have alleviated stubborn back pain by consistently practicing Pilates. Equally rewarding are the messages she receives from folks who have thanked her for helping them establish an exercise routine and create some semblance of structure and accountability.

This social interaction of this digital community, paired with the physical movement of her practice, has given Strom a sense of purpose in an uncertain time and has helped return her to a normal sleep pattern and lowered anxiety levels.

If you’d like to join Kristin’s daily Pilates practice, you can find her at Kristin Strom on Facebook and on the Fitness Formula Clubs page on Mondays and Wednesdays. Ready to join Kristin for an in-person class or private session? Reach out at kstrom@ffc.com to schedule your session today.

If you’re new to Pilates or are looking for an easy way to stay consistent with your practice, try this 10-minute Morning Pilates session with Kristin to start your day off on the right foot.

Yoga and Meditation

Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work.
Thich Nhat Hanh

According to MINDBODY’s 2019 Fitness In America report, yoga is the number one group exercise activity across all ages surveyed. The ancient Indian practice rose to popularity in the United States in the 1960s and has since become a mainstay in the US fitness industry with over 300 million Americans practicing yoga. ⁵⁶

Yoga can be defined as a system for uniting mind, body and soul using specific postures and movements. The practice challenges yogis to quiet the mind, focus on the present moment and link breath to movement. Yoga and the practice of meditation share a number of similarities, with many considering yoga to be a moving expression of meditation. For this reason, yoga has long been identified as a true mind-body form of exercise.

Physically speaking, a regular yoga and meditation practice boasts a long list of benefits, including improved strength and flexibility, weight loss, reduction of harmful inflammation, lowering of blood pressure, increased performance for the immune system and improved quality of sleep, to name a few. The practice has also been linked to longevity and is an excellent source of low-impact exercise for all ages.

The mental health benefits of yoga and meditation extend far beyond reduced stress levels, though that is a major perk of a regular practice. The two modalities can also bring these benefits to your emotional well-being:

It can boost your mood.
It can help you control cravings.
It can improve cognitive performance.
It can make you more compassionate.
It can give you a greater sense of self-awareness.
It can improve your focus and attention span.
It can boost your self-esteem.⁷⁸⁹

FFC Exclusive Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Pilates Trainer David Bohn shared that yoga has greatly improved his flexibility and range of motion. Mentally, Bohn said he experiences a positive mood shift whether he’s taking or teaching a yoga class.

“If I’m teaching a class in the morning, I can tell that by the time I’m done, I’m much more relaxed, and I’m in a better mood,” Bohn said. “I always feel better when I’m done. I always feel less stressed.”

Starting a regular yoga/meditation practice doesn’t have to become a two hour daily chore. Bohn says that carving out a few minutes in your day for mindfulness still has its benefits.

“Meditation has helped me with my internal focus and being able to quiet the mind, especially when it’s running out of control,” Bohn said. “Trying to come to a quiet spot and tuning out for 2-5 minutes even can help me to slow my mind and destress.”

Ready to take class with David in person? Head to FFC.com/group-fitness to reserve an upcoming class with David, or catch him on FFC On Demand!

Start reducing your stress levels today by carving out 10 minutes for these yoga and meditation sessions from David Bohn. Unwind from a busy day with David’s Bedtime Yoga Flow, tune in for a 10 minute meditation that can be done anywhere, anytime or do both back to back!

Sources:

Post written by Natalie Casper, with video content from FFC Regional Pilates Manager Kristin Strom and FFC Exclusive Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer and Pilates Trainer David Bohn.

by Sydney Meyer

Meditation & Wellness, Wellness

Calling All Golfers: Try These Exercises To Prevent Or Treat Aches And Pains

With warm weather and blue skies dominating the forecast, Chicagoans are continuing to find socially-distant ways to enjoy the outdoors this summer. Chicago recently entered Phase IV of reopening, bringing with it newly opened parks and outdoor recreational venues like tennis courts, softball fields and golf courses.

These sports may seem like relatively low-intensity bouts of exercise, but as we get older, each of these rotational sports requires more baseline fitness to prevent injury. In this blog post, we will go over common injuries for golfers and other recreational athletes, along with some stretches and exercises to ensure we are ready to “go low.”

The game of golf requires many different combinations of strength and flexibility, including pelvic stability, thoracic rotation, lumbar to pelvic disassociation, trunk and shoulder mobility, hip rotation and core strength. Common injuries related to golf include low back pain, elbow injuries and knee pain.

Low Back Pain

Starting with the most common injury complaint among golfers: low back pain. The incidence of golf-related low back pain ranges from 15% to 34% among amateur golfers and 22% to 24% among professional golfers. ¹ A major role in the incidence of low back pain is the lack of core stability during the golf swing, lack of warmup prior to a round, loss of posture during the swing and inadequate hip rotation during the swing. While golf is seen by many as a leisure sport, professional golfers are now strength training more than ever to combat sport-related injuries.

Below are two stretches and two exercises to help alleviate low back pain:

Knee to Chest While Walking

Knee To Chest Walking Stretch Demonstration

Standing Quadriceps Stretch

Pelvic Tilts

Lay on back with knees bent, feet flat on ground
Place hands on hips
Draw belly button towards spine and flatten back onto mat
Hold 2-3 seconds
Reset

Prone Press-Ups

Lay face down
Place hands on mat by shoulders
Press into ground and begin to straighten elbows
Keep glutes relaxed as chest lifts off mat

Elbow Injuries

Elbow injuries are common in golf and tennis. Medial epicondylitis (also known as Golfer’s elbow, Little Leaguer’s elbow or Thrower’s elbow) is an injury occurring at the inner aspect of your elbow, while Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) is an injury occurring at the outer aspect of your elbow.

Medial epicondylitis occurs when we “chunk” shots, hitting too much of the grass or sand during our swing, whereas Lateral epicondylitis occurs when we use too much of our right hand for right handed golfers. Elbow injuries most commonly occur from a lack of upper back rotation (thoracic rotation), decreased shoulder mobility and poor shoulder blade (scapular) stability.

The stretches and exercise below will assist with the mobility needed for elbow injury prevention:

Wrist extensor stretch

Lift arm in front of chest palm down
Take other hand and gently press hand down bending at wrist

Wrist flexor stretch

Lift arm in front of chest, palm up
Take other hand and gently press hand down bending at wrist

Press-Up Plus

Start at top of push-up position
Keep elbows straight while squeezing shoulder blades together
Push shoulder blades apart rounding the upper back

Knee Pain

A 2011 study on 504 individuals over the age of 50 revealed that 46.2% reported having knee pain.² In a golf swing, a lack of hip and/or trunk rotation, pelvic stability and “over-swinging” can result in injuries to the knee — most commonly, a meniscus tear. Formerly known as “tearing your cartilage,” a meniscus tear occurs when the body is rotated over a bent knee over a planted foot. The risk of injury increases as our trunk and hip rotation decreases, compensating by having our lead knee bend in during the backswing and bend out and rotate forcefully during our downswing and follow-through. Force can be taken off the knee by improving our hip and trunk rotation, core stability and increasing our gluteal strength.

If you are experiencing knee pain or are looking to improve your rotation, core stability and gluteal strength, check out the exercises below:

Hip abduction

Lay on side
Straighten top leg, bend bottom leg
Lift top leg
Keep toes pointed down towards ground

Book openers

Lay on side, knees stacked and bent
Stack arms in front of face
Slowly open top arm towards sky, following hand with eyes
Rotate chest open

Lateral step downs

Stand on box or step with one foot
Keep weight through heel of standing leg as you tap other heel onto ground
As the knee bends make sure to keep knee in line with middle toes

Hamstring stretch

Lay on back
Lift one leg towards face using strap or towel as assistance
Try to keep knee straight of lifted leg
Hold for 30-60 seconds

1. McHardy AJ, Pollard HP, Luo K. Golf-related lower back injuries: an epidemiological survey. J Chiropr Med. 2007;6(1):20-26. doi:10.1016/j.jcme.2007.02.010

2. Nguyen US, Zhang Y, Zhu Y, Niu J, Zhang B, Felson DT. Increasing prevalence of knee pain and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: survey and cohort data. Ann Intern Med. 2011;155(11):725-732.

Post written by FFC Contributor and NovaCare Gold Coast Physical Therapist Casey Gray.

Casey Gray is a physical therapist at NovaCare Rehabilitation inside FFC Gold Coast. He enjoys using his outgoing personality and positive attitude to optimize treatment of the entire individual. Casey recently graduated with his doctorate of physical therapy from University of Saint Mary, located outside of Kansas City, Kansas. Casey enjoys playing and watching sports like basketball, football, baseball, and golf.

by Sydney Meyer

Meditation & Wellness, Wellness

Suffering From Neck Pain? Try These 5 Activities Today

Technology has brought many wonderful things to our fingertips. However, an undue side effect of all this technology and constant connectivity is a condition a very large percentage of people suffer from known as “tech neck.” In this day and age, so many suffer unnecessary neck pain and headaches due to poor posture when using a computer, tablet or smartphone.

If you find yourself rubbing your neck, dealing with headaches or feel frequent tension around your neck and shoulders throughout the workday, your technology-using habits are likely a contributing factor. There are several muscles around the back of your head and neck down to the shoulders — some are bigger and some smaller — but any number of these can cause intense pain.

When we tilt our head forward, for example when using a smartphone, the amount of pressure on these muscles multiplies tremendously. When you sit up straight, the weight of your head is 10-12 pounds. When you slouch and your head drops forward, the weight of your head can feel more like as much as 50-60 pounds to your neck muscles, depending upon how far forward you slouch. Imagine your muscles supporting as much as five times more weight for several hours each day, and it’s not hard to understand why they’re hurting!

If you’re suffering from tech neck, the good news is that it’s often reversible and very treatable. Here are five strengthening and stretching exercises you can perform to combat this condition:

Chin Retraction

You might often find yourself sitting slouched forward with your head well in front of your shoulders. This is the starting position for retracting your head.

Pull your chin straight backward while looking directly forward. You should feel a “double-chin” forming under your jaw. Repeat 10 times forward/backward once every hour or two while working.

This can be performed while sitting at your work space and should be performed daily when working.

Trap Stretch

Everybody who works on a computer will develop tension in the upper trapezius muscles. This easy stretch can be performed at your desk any time, and you only need 20-30 seconds to help release tension on one side of your neck. If you want to stretch the right side, place your right hand on your waist or lower back, tilt your head to the left while looking back to the right. Place you left hand on top of your head and gently pull toward the left until you feel a comfortable stretch. You can hold as much as 20-60 seconds and repeat for the other side.

This can be performed while sitting at your work space and should be performed daily when working.

Thoracic Extension

Lean forward in your chair as if you’re smashing a pillow between your belly and thighs. Place your hands with fingers crossed behind your head.

Now reach your elbows toward the ceiling while you make sure to keep your belly close to your thighs, causing only your upper back to straighten. This reverses the forward bend and slouchy posture so many assume throughout the workday.

This can be performed while sitting at your work space and should be performed daily when working.

Prone Retraction

Lie face down on the floor with your arms at your side, hands near the hips.

Keep your neck straight (do not look upward) and simultaneously lift your chin, arms, and knees off the ground. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds and release to the floor. Repeat 10 times, 3 sets of 10 repetitions is best.

This exercise should be performed 2-3 days each week to promote strengthening of the muscles across the back of your neck, shoulders, and torso.

Prone Scaption

Lie face down on the floor with your arms reaching upward and slightly outward from your head.

Keep your neck straight and simultaneously lift your chin, arms, and knees off the ground. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds and release to the floor. Repeat 10 times, 3 sets of 10 repetitions is best.

This exercise emphasizes the lower trapezius muscle between your shoulder blades due to the overhead arm position.

This exercise should be performed 2-3 days each week to promote strengthening of the muscles across the back of your neck, shoulders, and torso.

BONUS info nugget: Sit up straight! It’s not that complicated but often forgotten that we need to maintain good posture when working on our computers or viewing our phones/tablets. Be sure your computer screen is elevated, at eye level is ideal. If you’re working on a laptop, this is less than ideal, but do your best to comfortably elevate the computer and you’ll have to direct your gaze downward while you keep an upright posture. If you’re on a phone/tablet, you’ll simply need to make a better effort to hold the device higher in front of your face.

Post written by FFC Contributor and NovaCare West Loop Clinical Manager Joe Zucco.

Joe Zucco graduated from the University of Missouri with a Master of Physical Therapy degree in 2002. He later completed a post-graduate residency program in physical therapy and earned his doctorate and fellowship credentials. He has lived and worked in Chicagoland since 2010 and has been clinic manager of the NovaCare West Loop location since 2016. He has undergone Graston training and also utilizes massage and release techniques. He is also experienced in Dry Needling which he also uses regularly in clinical treatments. Joe’s other manual therapy skills include joint mobilization and manipulation.

by Sydney Meyer

Meditation & Wellness, Wellness

How To Make The Most Of A Mental Health Day

When I moved from sleepy rural Arizona to bustling Chicago, I went from being an underemployed homebody to working multiple gig-based jobs on top of social outings, hobbies, and family commitments. Even my at-the-time stringent yoga schedule wasn’t enough to save me from mental exhaustion. After a particularly overscheduled week, I woke up feeling like I’d been flattened by the mental equivalent of a Mack truck. Needless to say, my focus that day was terrible, which is a real liability in my line of work as a massage therapist.

Americans often view the “mental health day” with suspicion—short of being physically incapable of coming in, why would we skip work? But this very view is something of a false dichotomy. Relaxation is critical to our mental and even physical performance; it gives our brains time to refocus, our emotions a chance to calm down and our whole selves an opportunity to slow down and re-integrate.

Unfortunately, like all of us, when I get busy I have a tendency to drop those “nonproductive” moments first—and I often pay the price. I’ve therefore been undertaking a journey of figuring out how to take care of myself, and I’d like to share some of the tricks I’ve discovered along the way.

Give yourself permission to have the day

I’ve found this to be the single most important ingredient for a successful mental health day. It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in a spiral of shame and depression; I start thinking about how I could push through if I really tried, I’m just being lazy—I’m sure you know the drill.

This is what I remind myself: by definition, my mental state is difficult to directly diagnose because I have no frame of reference. Therefore, I have to be aware of indirect evidence—my mind refusing to focus, my body growing more and more tense, my emotional control wearing thin. So when I have (or make) the luxury of time off, I need to take that time off. Yes, things need to be done—things always need to be done, and they’ll be there for us to tackle tomorrow. This time is to recharge.

Actively practice relaxing

I’m constantly reminding my clients that relaxation isn’t something that magically happens when we’re not doing anything else. Like Pilates or weight lifting, it’s a physical and mental skill that requires practice, and I, like many of us, am woefully out of practice.

So I talked to a professional busy person about relaxing! My friend, Helen Lee, is an artist, dancer and yoga teacher of 13 years and is even busier than I am. She tells me that her key to relaxation is to be present in her body: “When I’m in my bed, I’ve been doing a little body scan. I’ll put one hand on the top of my head and run the other one down my body, going through all the chakras. Or I’ll do a little supine twist—basically it could be anything where I’m spending the time to unravel.”

Aim to accomplish one or two small tasks

My friend, Brittany Vogel, one of the most dedicated runners I know, tells me she used to think that “rest” meant “zone out in front of Netflix,” but she’s discovered there are limits to that strategy. “I think it needs to be a mix,” she said when I asked her about her secret for a successful mental health day. “I want to relax and enjoy some time to turn my brain off, but I know I won’t feel well if I don’t do anything. So I always try to get out and go for a walk or something like that, too.”

I’ve found this to be true for myself—I need rest sometimes, but my brain likes to feel accomplished. Personally, I’ve found that some of the biggest drains on our energy are incomplete tasks—especially the mindless little things that I should be able to address quickly but keep getting pushed to the bottom of my priority list. That basket of laundry that’s been sitting for a week? That shelf that needs fixing? Voila! Finish those and instant energy boost.

Do something that sparks joy—for the joy of it

Not to get all Marie Kondo on you, but for how much I love my career and family life, there’s only so much I can fit in the day, and when I get overscheduled, it’s so easy for even things I like to become drained of their joy.

So what better way to spend a day devoted to recharging than to do something we genuinely love, with no expectation or deadline attached? Maybe there’s a favorite cafe you used to visit or a hobby you’ve dropped. I really love reaching out to reconnect with a friend I haven’t seen in a while. But the key is to take the time to enjoy it—luxuriate in the lack of endgame! When there’s no deadlines involved, it becomes much easier for us to appreciate the moment.

Keep yourself on a sustainable schedule for the future

I think of stress as similar to germs. Some stress is important to keep me motivated, but it’s just as important to practice good mental hygiene. One of my favorite tricks is to set a small but clearly defined boundary; for instance, I’ll set the timer on my watch for a couple of minutes and challenge myself to just focus on my breath. Then, if my brain tries running around in anxiety circles again, I can say, “No, we can do that in a few minutes.” Often that helps me put down the mental load for a bit.

My friend Helen that I mentioned earlier in the article likes to make use of transitory moments: “In the morning, I’ll try to not grab my phone immediately. I’ll try to do a little supine twist again, or a body scan, or just breathe, take five breaths. When I’m commuting—I don’t have a car, so I’m on the bus or a train or walking—I’ll start to breathe calmly while I’m transitioning from place to place. It’s really just about taking the moments in your daily life and finding time to take a pause or some stillness.”

Ultimately, stress will always be a part of our lives—even when things seem to be humming along nicely, life loves to throw us a curveball. The more we practice stepping back, whether through a yoga class, a massage, a run or just a moment’s meditation—the healthier we all will be.

Post written by FFC Contributor Ambrosia Rose.

Ambrosia Rose has practiced massage therapy for five years and can be found at FFC Boystown. To schedule an appointment with Ambrosia, please email arose@ffc.com.

by Sydney Meyer

Meditation & Wellness, Wellness

How to Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

It’s also officially cold and flu season in Chicago. Of course, it’s always best to avoid getting sick in the first place, but if you do come down with a bug, here are some tips to help you get back to better health in a timely fashion.

Basic Tips for Avoiding the Flu or a Cold

Wash your hands often with soap and water, ideally for at least 30 seconds, or with an alcohol-based hand rub, especially after coughing or sneezing and before eating. Because the colder months are typically drier than warmer months, remember to moisturize your hands often as well to avoid cracking in the skin. Breaks in the skin make you even more susceptible to illness because your skin is your first exterior line of defense.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, use the upper part of your sleeve or the inside of your shirt. Cold and flu bacteria and viruses are easily airborne, so the more you can limit those particles floating around, the better the chance you’ll have of avoiding getting sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Those openings are easy pathways for pathogens to enter your system.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick; give them space and time to get better (unless they need help getting some remedies, but then simply drop them off and split!).

Stay home when you’re sick. Don’t be one of those people who goes into work and spreads all those germs around. Stay home a day or two, rest up and catch up on your favorite shows.

Clean and disinfect frequently-touched surfaces, especially when someone is sick. Items like your phone and door handles are frequently forgotten. If you’re working out in a gym, which are cauldrons for germs, consider wiping down any benches or weights you’re using.

Treat your body well; get plenty of sleep, manage your stress, drink plenty of healthy fluids (water, tea, etc.), eat nutritious foods, stay physically active and take quality supplements. All of these actions work in concert to keep your body healthy and immune system active.

Consider getting a flu shot. This is a more personal decision, as the flu vaccine is never foolproof with the flu virus constantly changing, and some believe that the shot can trigger the virus in some populations. For instance, it was estimated that the 2018 flu vaccine was about 47% effective, while the vaccine for 2017 was only 36% effective.

What if you’ve taken all the necessary precautions but you still get sick? How can you tell if you have a cold or the flu?

Cold symptoms are usually milder than the flu, and people with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose than people with the flu. The flu often comes on suddenly and the symptoms are more severe.

Some common symptoms of the flu include:
• Fever or chills (older adults may not have a fever)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children)

Once you’ve determined if you’ve come down with a cold or the flu, it’s time to take action.

Take it easy and stay home. When you’re feeling under the weather, try to get as much sleep and rest as possible. Resting helps your body divert its energy and resources to fighting the infection. Staying home also lessens the chance you will infect others while you’re at your most contagious stage. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you could also call your health care provider. Your provider can prescribe antiviral medication to lessen the impact of the flu.

Speaking of medications, over-the-counter medicines can help. Pain-relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can help with chills, aches and sinus pain.

Drink plenty of fluids. Especially with a fever, you could be sweating more and losing fluids via vomiting or diarrhea. Water, teas and soup broth can help symptoms, especially hot tea with lemon. Try to avoid alcohol and caffeine.

Try to eat healthy foods. Your body needs nutrients to fight the infection, so try to eat fruits and veggies that have an array of vitamins and minerals.

Now that the cold and flu season is upon us, hopefully these tips will help keep you healthy during the holidays, or at least aid in a speedy recovery!

Post written by FFC Pilates and Group Exercise Instructor David Bohn.

by Sydney Meyer

Meditation & Wellness

How to Do a Digital Detox (After Figuring Out If You Need One)

Jeanne Barker has been with FFC for over 8 years, and in addition to her extensive fitness background, she also specializes in stress management and other wellness topics. She is excited to contribute her expertise to the Formula content platform, as a series titled Formula for Wellness. Here, in her first post, she explores the concept of digital toxicity and tips to help you consider if you need a break and how to do a digital detox.

At a time when we have an abundance of virtual communication choices, more may not be better.

As what happens so often with progress, the pendulum swings and the not-so-wonderful-aspects begin to show themselves. When it comes to the amount of technology we have in our lives, the backlash is real.

Digital toxicity is the term used to categorize a set of behaviors that include:

Compulsively checking your phone
Have difficulty completing tasks without checking your devices
Your device is the first and last thing you look at every day
You have trouble making it through a meal or in-person conversation without checking a device (1)

The Evolution of Virtual Communication: Didn’t See That Coming

Thinking back, a glimpse into the current issue of digital toxicity probably started when cable companies began to proliferate. We marveled over how many channels we had to choose from. The pop-culture image became a zombie-like person, clicking, clicking, clicking the remote control – mindlessly scrolling through channels. It was coined ‘channel surfing’.

Then came gaming. There was a time when gaming was a childhood activity, however the evolution and sophistication of gaming quickly made it a mainstay into adulthood. Now, at least 20% of the population continues gaming into their fifties. (2)

Next came the explosion of the Internet and with that, email. Email and Internet access is a near necessity in almost any setting. We rely on the eye in the sky for everything from our GPS system to our nanny cams. There are 300 million cellphones in use in the U.S. and available on them, a myriad of apps. The top communication apps being Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter.

Our Brains Can’t Process Everything Coming at Us

Why be concerned with how much time is spent in the digital world? Because even too much of a good thing is bad for you. Digital overload impacts the health of individuals and groups in different ways. Research has shown that as information input increases, the decision-making capacity in our brain begins to rapidly shut down. At which point, we start to make mistakes and poor choices that can endanger ourselves and others. (3) On average, adults spend over 10 hours a day on devices, teens average 9 hours a day. (4)

Enter Digital Toxicity

A few of the universal negative effects of digital toxicity is its impact on quality sleep, isolation, loneliness and anxiety. Each segment of our society exhibits digital toxicity in different ways.

Kids – a number of troubling studies connect delayed cognitive development in kids with extended exposure to electronic media. (5)
Young adults – screen time replaces other healthier activities creating a more sedentary life. Anxiety is on the rise in young adults, digital toxicity is a major contributor.
Adults – with the advent of the continual news cycle, adults rarely get a break from sensational headlines. Texting while driving impacts the safety of everyone.
Families – the pull of technology reduces the quality time families spend together.
Work life – being available 24/7 is testing the practice of healthy boundaries.

The next five posts of this series, Formula for Wellness, will delve into the impact of digital toxicity in each of these groups. I’ll share the latest research and give tips on how to navigate the bombardment of information coming at us every minute of the day. Until our next chat, consider a digital detox to get the ball rolling on taming the digital hold on your life.

How to Do a Digital Detox

Conduct a self-audit.

Digital toxicity is not just an issue in the United States. The World Health Organization just recently added gaming addiction to their International Classification of Diseases resource. (6)

While very few people will become addicted to digital devices, it is important to have healthy boundaries on digital activity. As with any habit, a healthy balance in accordance to your other values is a must. The telltale sign that you should examine a habit is when you are participating in it to the point where you are excluding other daily activities. Conduct a self-audit. Take an honest inventory of how much time you spend on virtual activities. Consider if that is a healthy placement of your time in looking at your whole health. More on this to come in the next post.

Have the conversation – put digital use in its place.

Discuss the value you place on digital and non-digital interactions with others in your life (your circle).
Ask for their support on your choice of when and when not to use digital technology.
Challenge your circle to scale back on digital technology use.
Value the times technology is a great resource to have; savor the times when it is not.
Check back with your circle in a week and compare experiences.
Enjoy the journey. Don’t be surprised by needing to get re-familiar with quiet or stillness when weaning away from constant digital access.

Post written by FFC Group Fitness Instructor, Pilates Instructor and Personal Trainer Jeanne Barker.

About Jeanne

Jeanne Barker, known as The Chicago Wellness Lady, is a subject matter expert in the field of wellness. She specializes in stress management and resiliency for individuals and organizations. Her mission is to bring the wellness vision of her clients to reality. She can be reached at jbarker@ffc.com.

Resources:

References: (1) Adventist Health, (2) www.statista.com, (3) Center for Neural Decision Making at Temple University, (4) Adventist Health, (5) Psychology Today, (6) https://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/

by Sydney Meyer

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Enter Digital Toxicity

How to Do a Digital Detox

Conduct a self-audit.

Have the conversation – put digital use in its place.

About Jeanne

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