Hair Stylist Wellness

Wellness for the Body and Mind are a consistent set of daily routines designed to strengthen self.

One of the hardest professions I know is that of a hairstylist. What other professional can not only transform your look, but also profoundly effect our confidence and self esteem.
Who else can stand on their feet for 12 hours a day, arms in the air, with a positive attitude while catering to all of their clients needs? AMAZING !!

As caregivers we need to remember, in order to take care of others we must first take care of ourselves

* Nutrition
* Hydration
* Exercise
* Moral support for those around you (what goes around comes around)
* ABSENCE or moderation of alcohol, caffeine and tobacco products

Yes, Lets start with Water

Why is water so important?

Approximately 70% of the body Is Water
The brain is 75% water; Lungs are nearly 90% and 83% of our blood is water.
Water provides a means for nutrients to travel to all organs, which also transports oxygen to your cells.
It helps digest food, removes waste (toxins), controls body temperature and protects joints and organs.
Beautiful complexions with less aging and wrinkles are accomplished by consuming lots of water. water. Natures hydrator.
Each day you must replace 2.4 liters (at least)
Only 20% of water comes from the foods you eat. The rest must come from beverages you drink.

Strength in the Core

To understand how important core strength is you first must understand what core muscles are!

Most people believe it is just the abdominals, or in some cases, the abs and lower back.

The muscles that are all important when we talk about the core are Erector Spine, Rectos Abdominals, Altissimo Doris, Internal Oblique, External Oblique, Transverse Abdominals, Multifoods, Hip Complex, TFL, Rectos Femora's and the gluteus (maximums, mediums and minimums). A little more than just the abs!

Why You Need A Strong Core

The key role of the core is to support the upper body, primarily to prevent injury to the spinal column. The spine is an amazing design with each joint allowing about four degrees of movement. If the muscles are not strong enough, the body may well push the boundaries of this limited range. If the limits are exceeded too much and/or too often, it can cause damage to the ligaments, facet joints or disc between the vertebra.

Poor core strength causes poor posture and can lead to lower back pain. If you have poor posture, you are causing undue strain on your muscles and putting excessive stress on your backbone. If you let bad posture become habitual over the years, your spine may change structurally, which can in turn constrict your blood vessels and nerves, and may also impact your discs as well as nearby muscles and joints.

These changes can cause pain or discomfort in your back and neck, headaches and fatigue. Researchers from UCLA examined over 100 studies and discovered that poor posture is associated with a higher incidence of breathing issues, falls and depression

Pain Associated with a Weak Core

If you do no other exercise at least do these

* Lower back pain
* Poor posture
* Neck pain
* Headaches
* Fatigue
* Sciatica

Plank or Bridge
This involves holding the body rigid and parallel to the floor, keeping everything from shoulders to ankles in a straight line. Start by lying on your stomach, then push up onto your toes and elbows, keeping your body straight. I do this when watching TV. Instead of sitting on the couch, I'll lie on the floor and each time an ad comes on I'll do a plank for as long as I can. You'll realize how long the ad breaks are when you do this!

Side plank
This is similar to the plank except you lay on your side on one elbow and the outside of one foot. Hold your body in a straight line for as long as you can and make sure you do both sides.
Working on these is a good start to strengthening your core muscles. Just a few minutes each day can make the difference and could potentially prevent you from experiencing pain.
If you are more committed (I hope you will be) 10 minutes of Pilates and 10 minutes of Yoga can do wonders over time. Please check with your doctor before starting any exercise routines.

Speaking of Sciatic Nerve

The sciatic nerve is a large nerve fiber in humans and other animals. It begins in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb. It is the longest and widest single nerve in the human body. The sciatic supplies nearly the whole of the skin of the leg, the muscles of the back of the thigh, and those of the leg and foot.

Sciatica is pain, tingling, or numbness produced by an irritation of the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is formed by the nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord into the lower back. It goes down through the buttock, then its branches extend down the back of the leg to the ankle and foot.

Stretching and strengthening exercises that target the muscles of the lower back, abdomen, and thighs can help reduce the symptoms of sciatica. Possible prevention can be attributed to core strength training.
If you are experiencing symptoms of sciatica, consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program to prevent further injury.

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is pain, tingling, and other problems in your hand because of pressure on the median nerve in your wrist.
The median nerve and several tendons run from your forearm to your hand through a small space in your wrist called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve controls movement and feeling in your thumb and first three fingers (not your little finger).

What causes Carpal Tunnel

Making the same hand movements over and over, especially if the wrist is bent down (your hands lower than your wrists), or making the same wrist movements over and over.

What are the symptoms?

Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain in the fingers or hand. Some people may have pain in their arm between their hand and their elbow.
Symptoms most often occur in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger. If you have problems with your other fingers but your little finger is fine, this may be a sign that you have carpal tunnel syndrome. A different nerve gives feeling to the little finger.

Simple Daily Exercises to Help Prevent Carpal Tunnel

3-5 Repetitions, Each Exercise, Both Sides, Several Times Daily

These simple exercises can be performed through out your daily routines. Stretching these muscles can relieve stress on the nerves and increase blood flow.

Pilates 6 Principles

* Centering
* Concentration
* Control
* Precision
* Breath
* Flow

These six principles are the foundation of the Pilates approach to exercise.

Centering
Physically bringing the focus to the center of the body, the powerhouse area between the lower ribs and pubic bone.

Concentration
If one brings full attention to the exercise and does it with full commitment, maximum value will be obtained from each movement.

Control
Every Pilates exercise is done with complete muscular control.

Precision
In Pilates, awareness is sustained throughout each movement.

Breath
Joseph Pilates emphasized using a very full breath in his exercises. Pilates exercises coordinate with the breath, and using the breath properly is an integral part of Pilates exercise.

Flow
Pilates exercise is done in a flowing manner. Fluidity, grace, and ease are goals applied to all exercises. The energy of an exercise connects all body parts and flows through the body in an even way.

Pilate Exercise Instruction

Warm-up exercises prepare the body for safely executing more challenging exercises later. Yoga is a great way to stretch and warm the muscles before you begin your pilates routine. Keep reading Yoga is in the next part of this article.

Chest Lift
This is not a crunch. The abdominals must be pulled way down into a deep scoop as you use them to control a slow, smooth curl up and roll down.

The Hundred
Your abdominals will be deeply pulled in, so you will have to use your full lung capacity by breathing into your back and lower ribs. Use your abs to hold yourself up--don't get caught up in your shoulders and neck. Lightly bounce your arms up and down while breathing in and out to the count of 5 each time. Breathe in to 5, out to 5. (20 sets)

The Roll Up
Use your abdominals to roll up and down with control. Do not rely on momentum or letting your legs lift off the mat.

One Leg Circle The abdominals keep the pelvis stable as the leg moves. No rocking and rolling!
Inhale: Cross the extended leg over toward the opposite hip.
Exhale: Drop the leg a few inches. Use control as you open the leg out and then sweep it around in a small circle back to center.

Rolling Like a Ball
Stay in your curve for the whole exercise. Initiate the roll back with the abs and not by throwing the upper body back.

Open Leg Balance
Use you abdominals to control the pose. Try not to pull on your legs for balance.

The Side Kick Series
The ribs should stay lifted throughout each exercise. Do not let them sink to the mat. Setting good alignment and maintaining it throughout the exercises is the key to making them effective. Move your legs slightly forward of your hips. This will help your balance and protect your lower back.

These are just examples for full instruction visit http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesmat/tp/BeginnerExercises.htm

my personal favorite Pilates DVD is 10 minute Solution Slim & Sculpt Pilates complete with Pilates band and 5 different targeting 10 minute workouts. Outstanding video with quick results.

Pilate Exercise Photos

The Hundred

The Roll Up

One Leg Circle

Rolling Like a Ball

Open Leg Balance

The Side Kick Series

Chest Lift

Yoga

The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit.

Many people think that yoga is just stretching. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement, or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. The poses are a constant.

Pelvic Tilts
The first few pelvic tilts reveal any traces of low back pain, but after 10 to 20 pelvic tilts, the pain is gone. Do them slowly, and keep going until any pain is gone and the movement feels fluid and good. Just a slight lift and slight squeeze.

Cat - Cow Stretches
The movement of the pelvis in a Cat - Cow is similar to a pelvic tilt, but the Cat - Cow stretches that movement along the entire spine.

Downward Facing Dog
Press back into Downward Facing Dog. Pedal the legs, bending one knee and then the other, reaching each heel towards the floor. Settle into the pose and hold 5 to 10 breaths.

Lunge
Step the right foot forward next to the right hand, coming into a low lunge. I like to drop the back knee down to the floor for a nice stretch in both hips.

Straight Leg Lunge
Restraighten the back leg if you have dropped that knee to the floor. Slowly straighten the front leg as you forward bend over that leg. Try to keep the front foot flat on the floor and don't force the leg to come straight. Go back and forth between a bent and straight front leg several times. Step back to Downward Dog, and then step the left foot forward next to the left hand and take the lunge on this side. Come back to Downward Dog.

Child Pose
Resting Position

The following images are just examples of some yoga stretches.
For complete instruction, purchase a DVD for home use or join a yoga class near you. Reap the rewards!!

Please check with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.

Yoga Poses

Pelvic Tilt

Cat Stretch

Downward dog

Lunge

Straight Leg Lunge

Child Pose

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