Breathing

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It’s funny but breathing is something we do all day every day but people can be doing it “wrong” (For the record, there isn’t a wrong way to breathe, just less efficient ways). To breathe more efficiently, you want to breath diaphragmatically. Here’s how:

  • Relax your body, especially the neck and shoulders
  • Place one hand on your stomach
  • Breath in through your nose and feel your hand expand outwards
  • Breath out through your mouth and feel your hand sink back towards your spine

This is the most efficient way to breathe. Take a look at your breathing in a mirror. If you are not using your belly but using your chest and neck muscles to breathe, you are using the wrong tools for the job. Try diaphragmatic breathing to relax those chest and neck muscles or just to breathe more efficiently.

2017 Christmas Hours

Our Holiday Hours

Seasons Greetings from all of us at Form & Function!

Monday, December 25,2017           Closed

Tuesday, December 26, 2017          Closed

Monday, January 1,2018                  Closed

Tuesday, January 2,2018                 Resumed 9:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m.

 

Health Tip: Routine

Conceptual clock for a healthy life

Routine is a funny thing for our bodies. On one hand, routine stabilizes the rhythms of our bodies (ie sleep, hormonal, digestive systems, etc.) and minimizes the stress put on these bodily systems. On the other hand, our body can get lazy with routine and needs to be challenged to become stronger and better (ie. Muscular, cardiovascular, neurological, etc.). So what’s the best way to live? Try to have a regular routine with your day to day tasks. Try to rest/sleep, eat, exercise at similar times everyday but challenge your body differently when it comes to the details. Find ways to rest more soundly, eat healthier foods and exercise with more advance exercises when you are used to the old ones.

The professionals at Form and Function can analyze your daily routine and help you create a better routine to fit your desired lifestyle.

Channel your inner Kung-Fu Master!

Balance and proprioception (where your joint is in space relative to the rest of your body) play an important role in everyday activities:

– walking on the sidewalk and suddenly the curb dissapears (or you didn’t notice it!)

– walking on uneven terrain or an unexpected hole

– performing basic activities of daily living and knowing how your form is (and what it should be)

– balancing and recovering when you find out there’s ice under the snow on the sidewalk

Single Leg Stork Stance

stork

A simple everyday exercise where you stand on the floor supported by each leg for 30s at a time.

-stay close to a wall or railing you can grab on to if this is difficult for you

-try this on a pillow if this is too easy

Contact Form and Function’s Kung Fu Master John for more tips on how to improve your balance