Just Muscles

Gear questions often pop up: what do I like, what do I use, what do I wear.

Here’s one answer: I’m a huge fan of sunnies as a sporty girl. 🦩🩷

They are fun (well priced! colorful!irreverently & whimsically named!) and functional (stay on your face even when you crash snowboarding and so far haven’t broken in crashes, as well as running so many miles in all sorts of weather!) and fashionable.

Check out, for instance, this new frame style called the PopG.

I wore them to the hardware store and the clerk loved them so much I had him try them on … and he loved them even more after that.

I love them also because my dad and I have had a (friendly) flamingo 🦩 war of sorts for probably 30 years. Goodr’s mascot is a flamingo named Carl
and that makes me love them all that much more.

Have you tried them? Be sure to store them in the fabric case they come with to protect the polarized lens (great for water glare and shadows on the trail!).

RUN goodr

Working on smiles (neck tightness!) everyday!

This fabulous guy didn’t know he had a habit of tilting his head to the side and pulling that shoulder up.

He’s had bouts of Bell’s Palsy before where the face muscles don’t work…but as we get that upper back to loosen up his smile literally and figuratively gets bigger!

So excited for you Wayne!

Thank you for sharing your smile progress with the world 😊

How’s your neck feeling?

⚠️ This summary is for informational & educational purposes only and should not substitute for medical advice. Please seek the advice of your physician before starting any exercise program.


Just Muscles

“Focus on the things you CAN do… not on the things you can’t.”

Tried snowboarding yesterday thinking that the stiffness and stability in the snowboard boot would mimic the actual boot that I’ve been wearing to heal the 3 torn muscles in my feet.

It’s been 8 long weeks and I’m not out of the woods yet, but I desperately needed mountain time and forest time and my time in nature to keep my spirits up & stress levels down.

I had no idea how much I relied on that until it was taken away from me.

This was midweek so I worked on the way up to the mountain, at lunchtime, and just before we got in the car to drive home.

That’s the beauty of this ability to work anywhere anytime!

More than that, we had a young man along with us who was trying out snowboarding for the second time ever.

On our first run, we stopped about a third of the way down to check in to see how he was doing.

He let out a whoop of joy 🥹 that still makes me laugh when I think about the sheer amount of happiness I got to hear in his voice!

Check out his ear-to-ear grin( at end of video!) - it’s infectious!

My heart is filled back up, thanks to Mother Nature, Mt. Hood Meadows, and Jack Frost. Grateful for the snow, trees, sunshine, and flurries that were all a part of yesterday.

How do you increase happiness and decrease stress?

⚠️ This summary is for informational & educational purposes only and should not substitute for medical advice. Please seek the advice of your physician before starting any exercise program.
🏂

Just Muscles RUN goodr

Follow this lady Kimberly Berg's Portland Rock Steady Boxing for some amazing info!

I was interviewed by Brain & Life magazine about online workouts for people with neurological conditions. Should be available in Dec sometime. 🥰

plan complete! 🥳

Congratulations Tara Bowen-Biggs on tackling this big accomplishment with some music and laughter and 6am FriYAY run walks (with some backwards and sideways walking thrown in!)

Having a good friend as an accountability partner is valuable beyond measure. I promise you, there are days I do not want to haul my b***y out of bed to come meet you at (RIP Jim 🥺) but I’m always happy I do.

Every time!

Who do you have in your life to help keep you on track?

This summary is for informational & educational purposes only and should not substitute for medical advice. Please seek the advice of your physician before starting any exercise program.



Thanks for the gorgeous mural 🥳

Ooooh that rainbow back, anyone? This is a perfect example of using your back to lean over and not hinging at your hips to lean over.

This particular person I snapped off the TV watching Wimbledon last night.

He should take those tennis balls and put them in the middle of that rainbow!

Have you looked at yourself from the side?

⚠️ This summary is for informational & educational purposes only and should not substitute for medical advice. Please seek the advice of your physician before starting any exercise program.

Nourishing Excellence by Holly Morello is a prime example of what you can do to optimize your health, and I’m super proud of all she’s accomplished. I’m also happy to help when she needs it!

How running is healing…for me.

A lot of folks in the wellness space dis running & suggest ditching cardio for optimal health. I used to think this too. Now I say, context matters. You can still run & optimize your health by training smarter, not harder. If you want to run, find a coach/practitioner/trainer who will enthusiastically support you to do what you are passionate about.

I am super diligent about fueling & hydrating adequately - my nutrition is top notch. I prioritize sleep & practice what I call, “radical recovery.” I strength train to help me build & maintain my muscles so I can tackle hills & sprint to the finish line. My weekly mix includes easy runs, a track workout, 1 long run, cross training, & a full rest day (or 2). I listen to my body. I consult .coleman27 (of Just Muscles) if I’m feeling a ni**le.

With those foundations in place, below are some other healing benefits.

Vitamin D from the sun (& much of the year most of my skin is exposed since I normally wear shorts & tanks)!

Forest bathing (I regularly run on forest trails) - spending time in a forest can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, & anger; strengthen the immune system; improve sleep, cardiovascular & metabolic health; & boost overall well-being. [Source: Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li]

Fresh air!

Brain boost - My brain feels better when I run! [“...regular running raises dopamine activity in the brain & may protect nerve cells from damage. In addition, past research has tied exercise-driven boosts in the dopamine-triggering chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) & in dopamine levels to improvements in learning & memory. “- https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-a-key-reason-why-running-boosts-brain-health/]

Mood boost - the runner’s high…especially when running with friends, which creates joy.

Built in regular therapy - Solo runs are good for clearing one’s head, problem solving, & coming up with ideas. Running with others creates strong bonds & studies even show that socializing & supporting one another in recovery actually enhances recovery!

What does running do for you?

Stretches in bed to prime your body for movement- from the brilliant Kimberly Berg's Portland Rock Steady Boxing!

I’ve been asked many times to put together a sequence of exercises that you can do in bed before getting up in the morning. Getting your body primed for movement will make it easier to get around the rest of the day. Even more importantly, it could prevent an accidental fall when you stand up or start to walk. Click below to see Part One of my bed stretches series, starting with the head and eyes:

https://rebelfitclub.com/do-these-morning-bed-stretches-for-people-with-parkinsons-part-1/