Self Care
Sample Class: Mindful Restoration and Recovery
High-intensity interval training has been all the rage for a while now, but participants are finally starting to recognize the benefits of recovery. During this restorative phase, the body repairs itself, which leads to optimal training improvements. The following class supports the recovery process by exploring mindfulness, relaxation and breathing techniques. It also addresses body awareness, muscle tension and myofascial trigger points. Make this a stand-alone 60-minute class or condense it to a 30- or 15-minute session.
Take More Steps to Ward Off Sickness
Good news for regular exercisers: The more active you are, the less likely you are to get sick. At least that’s according to data compiled by Jawbone®, a manufacturer of wearable tracking devices.
The company wanted to determine a person’s likelihood of becoming sick, so it compiled a variety of self-reported data pulled from the Jawbone UP app. Based on that information, data analysts developed a sickness likelihood score. Here’s a rundown of what Jawbone learned:
A Break From Intensity
There’s no denying the growth and popularity of high-intensity interval training. HIIT classes— which also ride on the coattails of CrossFit®—sometimes use fast paced, complex movements against external resistance. While this type of training can yield impressive physical and mental results, it can also lead to injuries and burnout. Why not end your sessions with a mind-body-cool-down designed to calm the nervous system and potentially lessen the chance of injury?
Heart-Opening Breathing Practice
Welcome to Inner Idea. I’m Kelly McGonigal, and today we’ll be practicing a heart-opening breathing exercise.
The intention of this practice is to dissolve restrictions of the heart—both around the physical heart center
Guided Relaxation Script: Breathing the Body
Whether you teach a group or one-on-one, the following guided relaxation script is a great way to lead a full-body awareness exercise.
Guided Meditation Script: Route to Relaxation
These days, it seems, we’re all more familiar with feeling stressed than with feeling calm. Luckily for us, we’re designed to relax. The breath is our route to relaxation, and our senses help to personalize the process. The heart lifts slightly when we inhale and drops slightly when we exhale. Because it is the only muscle in the body that never stops working, it has to have built-in breaks. Exhalations are the heart’s resting phases.