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| Having the power to determine your actions without constraint |
Freedom vs Lacking
By Coach Anita
A philosophy I’ve been learning about is that every topic is like a stick with two ends. On one end of the stick is a perspective of lack and on the other end a perspective of abundance. Keeping with the theme of this week’s post, I think you can interchange the word abundance with freedom. We often speak of freedom in relation to health, as in being free of something. I challenge the idea of freedom as being from something. When we speak of freedom from something it is viewing it in the concept of lacking - lacking disease, lacking restrictions, lacking obstacles. Instead I encourage the view of freedom as a full state in itself - freedom to do, to be, to have. What’s the difference? Consider the following statements: I am free of disease vs I am healthy. Which one feels better, more powerful? I am free of that place (e.g. work, school, prison) vs I am free to pursue my goals. By using what we don’t want in statements to define us - a lacking of something perspective - we continue to associate ourselves with the unwanted. Using statements of what we value and want is a freedom perspective - the ability to do, to be, to have.
Read the following statements and assess how each one feels to you. Then ask yourself whether it’s a lacking perspective or a freedom perspective.
- I want a loving relationship vs I don’t want to be alone.
- I don’t want to be sick vs I want to be well.
- I want financial security vs I don’t want to be in debt.
- I need to stop snacking vs I want to eat healthier.
- I want to exercise regularly vs I hate how my body feels.
- I’m not as good a paddler as they are vs I am still developing.
Another way to look at this is to ask the question Why? to each lacking perspective.
- I don’t want to be sick. Why? (Because I want to be well.)
- I need to stop snacking. Why? (Because I want to eat healthier.)
- I’m not as good a paddler as they are. Why? (Because I am still developing.)
Each Why? answer to a statement of lack can be expanded but they all lead back to a perspective of freedom.
You can ask Why? to each freedom perspective statement but it doesn’t circle back to the lacking perspective. Instead, the answer further expands the perspective.
- I want a loving relationship. Why? Because I enjoy the feeling of experiencing life with someone with whom I can have fun, who shares my interests, who supports me.
- I want financial security. Why? Because It will enable me to do more things I find fun and rewarding.
- I want to exercise regularly. Why? Because I enjoy the feeling of developing strength and stamina. I enjoy being confident in my ability to move through my daily activities. Regular exercise assists me in meeting my paddling goals.
Applying freedom perspectives to our everyday experiences helps us to expand more into what we want rather than remain tied to the unwanted. Health research supports the effects of a positive attitude in healing. I encourage you to stay positive for your health, and use a freedom perspective for growth.
The Freedom You Will Feel When You Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
By Suzanne FrankFreedom means different things to different people. Consider that fitness and a healthy lifestyle also give you the freedom to do the things you like to do. This may be dragon boating, going on hikes, walking up stairs or even bending down to pick something up off the floor.
In previous blogs we have provided information about health and fitness. This week I want to discuss the freedom you will feel when you stop comparing yourself to others.
If you took the strength of others, and compared them to your weaknesses, how do you think you would compare? Do you think this would make you feel good? The answer is no way. The odd thing is, this is what most of us do at one time or another-and some of us do it pretty often.
Effects of comparing yourself to others may include feelings of unhappiness, resentment, dissatisfaction and doubting our own capabilities.
Being able to look at your strengths and see your true value is one of the keys to success. The reason is because without this ability you would be unmotivated and might not believe in yourself.
Here are some suggestions for freeing yourself from the habit of comparing yourself to others:
Awareness: we often make comparisons without even realizing we are doing it. We will have to practice being aware of comparisons and stop doing it.
Focus on your strengths: we sometimes focus on our weaknesses. Identify your strengths and focus on them.
Accept where you are: make decisions that will move you in the right direction.
Be okay with imperfection: No one is perfect. We all know that, but we seem to feel bad about ourselves when we don’t achieve perfection. It's that imperfection that makes you who you are.
Compare yourself with you: You should be the only person you can compare yourself to. Are you building better habits and moving closer to your goals?
Focus on your journey: We are all on a journey to learn, improve, and be able to achieve our goals.
You are SPECIAL and not a replica of someone else.
Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better. (Albert Camus)
A friend is someone who gives you the freedom to be yourself. (Jim Morrison)
Freedom of Movement
By Coach Pat
When I put the word “freedom” with “fitness” I immediately thought - freedom of movement. Such a little phrase, but so important for those who have at times not been able to move their body without pain. This has been a personal journey. If you have Arimidex side effects or arthritis you understand waking up and feeling 100 years old for the first 100 or 1000 steps. It feels like there is no way to increase mobility and be pain free. The best thing to do is to keep moving .
The benefits of staying active are numerous. Exercise can help control joint pain and swelling. Slow deterioration of arthritic joints and help you recover from a flare up. Strengthening the muscles around the problem joints is key to reducing pain. Exercise strengthens muscles, and stronger muscles can better support joints. Strong muscles greatly reduce the amount of stress placed on arthritic joints. Strengthening exercises also help muscles develop shock-absorbing abilities to protect joints from further pain and injury. Weight training and resistance band programs are common ways to progress. As you work , you become stronger and the ability to move increases.
Take a look at your knees. In fact, research suggests regular exercise can be as effective as acetaminophen or NSAIDs in reducing knee arthritis pain. By strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, and other muscles surrounding the knee, the knee becomes more stable and bones experience less impact during weight bearing, which in turn reduces pain. The joint cartilage needs motion and a certain amount of weight-bearing stress to stay healthy. Synovial fluid is stored in cartilage like water in a sponge. When the joint is used, the cartilage is squeezed and synovial fluid is released from the cartilage, delivering nutrients and lubrication to the rest of the joint.
You may wonder how hard you need to work at this. How much pain do you need to endure to move pain free. Two or three, 20- to 30-minute, weight-training sessions each week are sufficient to start reaping noticeable benefits within four to 12 weeks, such as improved energy and muscle tone. Within six months, most people increase their strength 40 percent or more. (Arthritis Foundation).
I have some videos for you.
This is a great video about modification for arthritis when doing yoga . https://youtu.be/pBSfTPesZVU
Hip stretches for arthritis : https://youtu.be/tQNk6mpFsww
https://youtu.be/_RN3AVn2ovM Stretches for your knees.
Hip stretches for arthritis : https://youtu.be/tQNk6mpFsww
https://youtu.be/_RN3AVn2ovM Stretches for your knees.
I like the Dr Jo videos because the reason for the exercise is explained. And the progression is explained as well. Some of these are probably too easy for you but it’s good to feel what is easy and take the next step.
Coach Oden is on the move this week and will return next week. On Wednesday night we will do one of the previous workouts. Be there make a date with yourself. Workout Wednesday.
