Wealthy----Inside and Out

Are you wealthy inside and out? Darren Hardy, SUCCESS Magazine Publisher & Founding Editor, writes in the March 2013 issue, "Wealth is not a state of bank account. It's a state of mind." You decide....is it more important to be wealthy in spirit, heart, and mind or in material goods? At Aqua Flex'n Stretch, our purpose is to keep you wealthy and healthy in body and mind with classes that stimulate you inside and out. Here's to your health and wealth!!

Ai Chi for Fibromyalgia

Medical professionals recommend exercise for those with fibromyalgia; however, many sufferers live with chronic pain and are aerobically unfit, with little muscular strength and poor flexibility. Data analysis showed
that compared with the control group, tai chi participants experienced a clinically significant reduction in symptom severity over the 12 weeks and were still maintaining this reduction at the 24-week mark. The tai chi group improved in measurements of pain, sleep quality, depression and quality of life. Scientists do not know the mechanisms for why tai chi positively affects the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Study authors hypothesized that the combination of physical exercise with a mind-body focus, controlled breathing and movement may help in both overcoming fear of pain and coping with the experience of pain. At the same time, tai chi practice may stimulate certain neurochemical and analgesic pathways, leading to an overall improvement in quality of life.

The New England Journal of Medicine (2010; 363, 743–54).

Ai Chi (water Tai Chi) is the best for exercise with the healing properties of water to gain benefits from both. People with Fibromyalgia usually have complications with either or all: shoulders, knees, back, feet, neck, hands. Being in the water allows for relief along with the benefits of the specific movements of Ai Chi such as synchronized breathing for a duration of 45 minutes to an hour.

PSYCHING YOURSELF UP TO EXERCISE

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Denny Bender, Let's Move Together Blogger
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Want to exercise, but just can’t seem to get moving? When it comes to health and fitness, your state of mind, or emotional conditioning, is as important as your physical conditioning.  Here's some tips from the Arthritis Foundation to help get you mentally prepared for physical fitness.

  Results of a recent study show that fear of pain (not pain itself) ranked as the No. 1 barrier preventing people with arthritis from exercising. Other mental hurdles, like a lack of motivation and not enjoying exercise, also ranked high.

Few people focus on the mental aspects of physical fitness, whether it’s overcoming injury-related anxiety or simply getting motivated to lace up your sneakers each day. Changing your mind-set can help you live a more active life. So, before you exercise, get your mind ready.

So how do you get your mind and your body prepared for exercise? Follow these three emotional conditioning tips:

1.Be flexible. People who adjusted their exercise routine to accommodate their arthritis are more likely to keep exercising than those who don’t. Avoid an all-or-nothing mentality. If your knees hurt, resolve to walk more slowly. If you’re stiff in the morning, then exercise in the evenings. Or cut the length of your workout in half, if you’re really sore. Having a Plan B keeps you from giving up when things seem tough.

2.Focus on the benefits. People who exercise regularly do so because they believe it makes them feel better, promotes weight loss and increases their ability to move. Reminding yourself of how good exercise is for your health can motivate you to make the effort, even when you’re feeling tired, sore or nervous.

3.Soothe yourself. Being anxious or afraid can amplify pain, which is why it’s important to get calm before you get moving. Before you start exercising, spend several minutes breathing deeply while picturing yourself doing your chosen activity. Also practice positive self-talk before and during exercise, saying or thinking phrases like “I can do this,” and “I feel pain, but doing this will help me feel less pain.”

10 Longevity Tips

According to Dr. Smith of the Jewish Home for the Aging in a recent article, living to 90 and beyond is pretty straightforward. He says, "the overall lesson is a simple one: Get out of bed in the morning and get active."

Apparently the Jewish Home has the highest number of residents living beyond 90. Based on their collective wisdom, here are Dr. Smith's top ten tips to increase your chances of reaching the century mark:

"1. Decide what is most important to you and focus on it. A lot of life's little annoyances don't seem so great if you keep your priorities straight.

2. Participate in some kind of physical exercise, depending on what your body will allow you to do.

3. Keep your mind sharp through mental exercise. The mind is a muscle. It must be used.

4. Have a balanced diet and pay attention to what you eat. In short, eat right.

5. Avoid isolation. Find someone to love and something to keep you engaged.

6. Relax. Don't let stress eat you up. The older people get, the more they seem to understand that it doesn't pay to sweat the small stuff.

7. Don't smoke at all and don't drink too much.

8. Remain spiritual. Believe in something.

9. Laugh every day. Happiness breeds contentment and laughter remains one of the best medicines.

10. Keep 'spice' in your life. Either in your food, your reading or your love life."

Makes a lot of sense! 

Tips from tennis pros

Other sports, like tennis, are great for your body and mind. Here are some tips from the pros.

How to get fit and stay healthy on the courts:

Take lessons to learn proper techniques
Play with friends to keep it social
Maximize time on the courts
Keep hydrated
Eat proper/nutritious food
Start out by playing two days a week
Allow body to get used to movements
Give body some time to rest
Maintain a positive outlook
Wear proper tennis gear, shoes