Do Pilates. It’s a twofer!  Strengthen your body AND your mind.

Contrology, now Pilates, was initially designed by Joseph Pilates to improve physical and mental health. Over the years, both anecdotal evidence and research have borne this out. Regular practice promotes strong, healthy bodies with balanced flexibility, strength, and muscle tone. You can achieve a flexible spine and a strong core. Improve your flexibility, dynamic balance, and muscular endurance. And, as you get older, you can benefit from relief for back pain, fall prevention, and overall quality of life and physical fitness (Fleming & Herring, 2018). 
​

Practitioners of Pilates are aware of its many benefits. Having experienced the method firsthand, practitioners provide ample anecdotal evidence of its impact on improved physical outcomes. They report feeling “taller,” more “flexible,” or “bendable,” “stronger,” “leaner,” and “energized”-- just to name a few.  Indeed, Joseph Pilates stated, “In 10 sessions, you’ll feel the difference; in 20, you’ll see the difference; and in 30, you’ll have a new body.”  Start practicing Pilates for a stronger body today.


Pilates also improves mental health outcomes. People who practice regularly experience increased feelings of energy, self-efficacy, and overall mood. They may also have enhanced self-concept and sleep quality while experiencing decreased anxiety symptoms and fatigue. We realize these benefits by participating in an activity incorporating mindfulness and visualization.


What ARE mindfulness and mindful movement?

Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment or distraction. By focusing on your breathing, body movements, and thoughts, you can learn to stay present and avoid preoccupation with worries or negative emotions. Incorporating mindful movement into your daily routine can support your wellness. Research shows that it nurtures the mental health of healthy adults and those with anxiety and depression (Fleming & Herring, 2018).  Mindful movement has been demonstrated to promote positive affect, attentiveness, vitality, and emotion while decreasing anxiety and depression (Tihanyi, Sagi, Csala, Tolnai, & Koteles,2016).


How does visualization support mindful movement?

Pilates teachers enhance your practice by using visualization to help you stay present and focused on your breath and body. Visualization involves using your imagination to create positive mental images, allowing you to feel more relaxed and confident as you become attuned to your body and develop an increased awareness of your body moving in space.


The mindful movement component was highly regarded in a recent well-being program incorporating Pilates.
Program members were people like you and me. They were teachers and parents and men and women. They cared for others while caring for themselves. They expressed some degree of overwhelm by balancing life’s many demands, especially those presented by COVID. They were former, current, and aspiring exercisers. They enjoyed doing Pilates. They liked exploring something new. Pilates made the members feel successful. Pilates helped relieve stress and increase personal feelings of strength and confidence. Members' reports of benefits from the program reflect the research and widely known benefits of Pilates.
 
What are they saying? How did Pilates impact them?
Some of the big ideas expressed by the program participants include the following:

• Connection: I appreciated the opportunities to hop online with others and dedicate some time to myself this summer.
• Challenge: The instructors provided the right level of challenge. I felt successful and liked doing something new.
• Exploration: Pilates!! I like physical activity, and this was something I had wanted to explore. I will try to continue to do it.
• Stress Relief: Pilates classes were a great way to relieve stress and unwind after the day.
• Confidence: I loved the Pilates component. Since participating in the program, I have joined Pilates classes because Pilates makes me feel stronger and more confident. And I really like the routine.

 
Joseph Pilates said, “The Pilates method of body conditioning is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.” 

Wait a minute, friends, it's a “threefer”!  

Are you ready to explore all Pilates offers for your body, mind, and spirit? Subscribe below to receive access to Uplift Pilates and Wellness’ Introduction to Pilates Series. Explore three videos to learn Pilates fundamentals and complete a beginner mat class. 

We need to be able to celebrate ourselves to truly flourish. Accomplishment is one of the five elements of human flourishing, as outlined in Martin Seligman's well-being theory (PERMA). Feeling a sense of accomplishment contributes to developing positive well-being over time. The research contributes to this understanding. For example, developing achievement, a strong sense of purpose, and persistence help us improve at school and work. We are less likely to give up on tasks when we are confident that we have the necessary skills to be successful. Aligning a task to our sense of purpose increases our likelihood of completing it. Working towards a goal, especially one with personal value, and mastering an endeavor can give one a sense of accomplishment. These achievements can contribute to our well-being when we actively savor our successes and the acknowledgments we receive from others.
​
Unfortunately, most of us could be better at acknowledging our accomplishments AND enjoying praise from others. In general, we tend toward the self-critical rather than the self-compassionate, toward negative self-talk rather than positive self-talk. Research indicates that when we are kind to ourselves, we feel more confident and view ourselves more positively. People who are kind to themselves, including acknowledging and receiving praise for their accomplishments, have increased motivation and improved productivity, relationships, and physical health. They are flourishing. 
​

One way to be kinder to ourselves and increase our well-being is to get better at receiving kudos, compliments, and praise so that we may savor our achievements. Like everything else, it is easier to do with a plan and practice. Here's how to do it—four simple steps.

1. Thank the person for noticing.
2. Appreciate their attention and intention.
3. Look for good quality in the other person and return the compliment.
4. Take the acknowledgment you are given as an opportunity to be grateful to your teachers. (Shetty, 2020).

Thank the person for noticing. Appreciate their attention and intention. Making this a regular practice helps us to train our brains to shift to a positive mindset and overall improved well-being. Expressing gratitude leads to lasting changes in the brain's prefrontal cortex, known for attention, memory, and self-regulation.

Look for a good quality in the other person and return the compliment. Turnabout is not only fair play but also good practice! Help nurture someone else's well-being by noticing one of their strengths or helpful contributions. Every time you give a compliment or share praise, it lights up the same area of the brain as when one receives cash—the reward system! Our brains are pre-wired to focus on the negative; giving and receiving compliments or praise creates the opportunity to retrain the brain to think more positively, which reduces stress and burnout.

Take the acknowledgment you are given as an opportunity to be grateful to your teachers. This is an opportunity for you to reflect upon your strengths. What was your achievement? What went well? What allowed you to be successful? Who helped you to learn these skills? When we feel grateful, our brains release dopamine, a reward chemical that makes us want to feel that way again. This promotes gratitude as a habit. You are setting up the brain, a pattern-seeking device, to keep looking for things to be grateful for. 

Learn more about promoting your well-being overall and gratitude specifically by reading
Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day, 2020, and
Martin Seligman’s Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, (2011).

A lot of stress

• Did you know that one in three people report feeling extreme stress? Are you surprised?
• And about three in four people experience stress that affects their physical and/or mental health. 
• Also, almost half of all people have trouble sleeping because of stress.

Are you reflected in these statistics?  (American Institute of Statistics, 2022)
How stressed are you? And how do you know it? How do you feel it?


​The impact of stress
Stress is a natural part of the human experience; we all feel it. It is our reaction to the various experiences and events of daily living. Stress can include anything from everyday school, family, and work obligations to serious life events such as conflict on the job, the death of a family member, or one’s own significant illness. Some stress can be positive and healthful, providing one with the bolster they need to cope with potentially challenging situations. Ultimately, stress's long-term consequences are contingent upon one’s perception of and reaction to events. Stress, therefore, is in the eye of the beholder. 

When one perceives a situation or event as being outside their coping abilities, frustration, overwhelm, and demotivation can set in (Matthews, 2019). When one is in this state of distress, stress hormones keep firing. Your nervous system releases a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which activate the body for emergency action. When stress levels remain elevated, your body is significantly impacted. Chronic stress affects your immune system, sleep, and ability to heal. Some other common symptoms include:

• Tension headaches
• Increased depression
• Heartburn
• Rapid breathing
• Risk of heart attack
• High blood sugar
• High blood pressure
• Stomachaches
• Tense muscles, which can lead to neck and back pain

Walking away stress
Hippocrates encouraged us, “If you are in a bad mood, go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood, go for another walk.”  Walking can help to decrease our stress and boost our mood. Research and neuroscience provide strong reasoning for us to lace up and hit the sidewalks or trails. Whether you trot a quick urban pace passing your fellow city dwellers, stroll on the sidewalk of your suburbs offering greetings to neighbors and petting dogs, or meander along a wooded path, stopping to smell a flower here and there, walking has potential benefits for you.

Walking it off works. It can help to relieve stress--even a short, ten-minute jaunt can improve mood. Research showed these short walks as effective as a similar brief meditation session.  In fact, walking is sometimes considered “meditation in motion” as one shifts to concentrating only on their body’s movements rather than ruminating on daily worries.  Research indicates that shedding tensions through walking can result in energy and optimism; the resulting sense of calm and focus is carried forward in other endeavors. Of course, one can also engage in purposeful mindful meditation while walking.  This might include listening to guided meditations, such as those provided on the Calm app, supporting one to establish new mental patterns and avenues for growth and change. 

Change your brain. Walking can build brain health by improving memory, learning, and concentration. It creates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which Dr. Mark Hyman calls “miracle grow” for the brain. When you walk, your brain becomes more elastic.  Like other physical activities, walking helps increase the production of endorphins, your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. You improve your mood, boost your energy and reduce overall stress in your body and mind (Mayo Clinic, 2022). 

Gain control. Walking has both psychological and physiological benefits. Done routinely, it can increase self-confidence, improve mood, support relaxation, and lower symptoms of mild depression and anxiety.  It can also improve sleep.  Lower your stress levels by walking and increase your command over your body and life.
Give it a try! Get more walking into your daily routine with one or more of the following suggestions. While one may begin experiencing benefits with 10-minute walks, 150 minutes of moderate weekly exercise is suggested (OASH, 2021). You could start building toward five 30-minute walks per week.:

•  Nature Walk: Get outside to walk, whether around your neighborhood or in a park. Being out in nature has added health benefits. For example, it boosts short-term and working memory, lowers cortisol levels, lowers blood pressure, and increases self-esteem (Loria, 2018). 
• Walk and Talk: Walk with a friend. Catch up on your news. Share your successes and celebrate your accomplishments. People with robust social support networks tend to manage stress and maintain mental well-being more effectively than their socially disconnected peers.  
• Walking Meeting: Take your work meetings “on the road” or on a path or sidewalk.  Plan to take some of your work calls “multi-tasking.”  Pop on a pair of headphones and walk while you talk with colleagues. 
• Dog Walk: Get in some steps while you walk your dog. Research indicates that dog walkers are more likely to build their social support networks than their sedentary peers. They acknowledge and greet others, exchange favors with neighbors, and meet others in the neighborhood (Betterhealth, 2015). 
• Brainstorm Walk: Walking is a fantastic time to get creative, whether alone or with a friend or colleague. Whether walking inside or outside, research shows that walking boosts creativity during and after. In fact, a Stanford study found a person’s creative output increased by an average of 60%  (Opezzo & Schwartz, 2014).

How do you embed walking into your daily routine? We would love to hear about your walking strategies and successes. Email us to connect and share.  We look forward to it!

​What is optimism, really?
Optimism is a mindset of hopefulness and confidence about the future and is a construct that often gets misconstrued. It is frequently mistaken as thinking ALL the time positively, but this is not true. Optimism is NOT toxic positivity or the obsession with positive thinking. People with this belief look to put a positive spin on all experiences, even those that may be highly stressful or profoundly tragic. Toxic positivity can silence negative emotions, which must be experienced as part of the total human experience. It can also demean grief and/or pressure people to feign happiness despite their feelings and circumstances. ​

​Dr. Martin Seligman defines optimism as responding to problems with a sense of confidence and high personal ability. Fortunately, optimism exists on a continuum and is a learnable skill. As we learn to increase our optimism, we benefit as it serves as a protective factor against depression and several serious medical issues. Research indicates that optimistic people deliver healthier babies than their less optimistic peers, have better sleep quality, and have better immune system function. Optimistic individuals have increased life satisfaction and self-esteem. In fact, a recent study followed 70,000 women for eight years finding that those who were optimistic were much healthier; they had a considerably lower risk of dying from a number of significant causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, infection, and respiratory diseases. People with optimistic mindsets had improved quality of life,   energy levels, better psychological and physical health, faster recovery from injury or illness, and fewer colds.

But the world around us can sometimes be negative and challenging. How do we stay positive? Uplifted? Optimistic? Three steps toward a more optimistic you:
1. Be curious, and be a learner. Charlie Mackesy, author of “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse,” includes a theme of optimism in his story. Explore this delightful book for opportunities to read and reflect on the nature of optimism and enhanced well-being.

“This storm will pass,” the author writes above, a drawing depicting the boy and his animal friends huddled amidst a menacing storm.
Optimistic people believe that adverse events are temporary, limited in scope, and manageable. By limited scope, we mean one does not expect adverse events to permeate every aspect of a person's life.

“The greatest illusion,” said the mole, “Is that life should be perfect.”
Optimism understands that one does not have to think all the time positively. One knows that life is rich with a wide range of experiences, including challenges and uplifting ones.

“One of our greatest freedoms,” explains the mole to the boy, “Is how we react to things.”
Research indicates that we can influence our ability to regulate our feelings,  thoughts, and behavior under stress simply by shifting the way we talk to ourselves. Are you kind to others but critical of yourself? Negative self-talk creates a negative opinion of oneself, influencing our feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Reframing our negative self-talk with positive messages takes time and practice. It is like creating a new blueprint for how you relate to yourself. It takes some work, but well worth it. Examples of positive self-talk include the following.

• Instead of saying to yourself, “It’s too complicated for me.” Say, “I’ll take this as a challenge.” Or, “I like a good challenge!”
• Instead of saying to yourself, “I’m not good at this.” Say, “This is hard, but I will do it with practice.” Or, “I have lots of strengths to draw upon for this.

2. Surround yourself with positive people. Both negativity and positivity are contagious. Which one do you want more of? So, consider the people with whom you spend most of your time. Surround yourself with people who are positive whenever you can. Research shows it will improve your self-esteem and increase your chances of reaching your goals. Choose people who will lift you, not drag you down. Choose people who will shine a light on the bright side of things, not emphasize the problems and the pitfalls. Find or create your high-frequency tribe.

3. Practice gratitude. Research shows that practicing gratitude reduces stress, improves self-esteem, and nurtures resilience even in tough times. Writing down the things you are grateful for can improve your optimism and overall sense of well-being. Write notes of gratitude or keep a gratitude journal. Think of people or experiences that bring comfort or happiness and express your appreciation to them in a handwritten note, and/or write about them in your gratitude journal. On difficult days, jot down a list of things you are grateful for. Deliver your handwritten gratitude notes to the intended recipients while also sharing your message verbally. Select a strategy and do it consistently. Develop a habit through regular practice and build your gratitude muscle.

Follow the advice of Michael J. Fox, an actor and an advocate:
“And if you don’t think you have anything to be grateful for, keep looking. Because you don’t just receive optimism. You can’t wait for things to be great and then be grateful for that. You’ve got to behave in a way that promotes that.” 

He also says, "With gratitude, optimism is sustainable." Remember, optimism is a mindset. Let's grow it!

Explore Charlie Mackesy's work here
Learn more about Michael J. Fox's reflections on his 30th anniversary with Parkinson's disease here
Share your email (Subscribe) below to receive helpful information and tips on positive self-talk.  We promise not to send junk mail. We will send occasional emails when we update or create an awesome resource to share!

Find the book at www.charleymackesy.com

How will you know that your sleep debt is impacting you? Look for the following tell-tale signs that your sleep habits affect your overall health.

1. Brain Fog: You may notice diminished alertness, concentration, and perhaps even confusion or forgetfulness. Poor sleep interferes with the movement of short-term memories to long-term memories resulting in the symptoms of “brain fog.”
2. Weight Struggles: Poor sleep is linked to excess body fat because it can disrupt appetite regulation, causing you to feel hungrier. The resulting increased calorie intake leads to weight gain.
3. More Frequent Illness: Lack of sleep can cause lowered T-cells and increased inflammation, making one vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. One is more perceptible to acute illnesses (i.e., colds) and at risk for heart disease and other inflammation-related conditions.
4. Emotion/Mood Changes: Lack of sleep can hinder the production of neurotransmitters and the regulation of hormone production resulting in changes to your mood and emotions. You may notice difficulty regulating emotions, feelings of heightened stress, and low mood. 

Good news! Even though you can’t repay your “sleep debt,” you can start feeling better soon by improving your sleep habits now. Strive for 8 hours of sleep each night to boost mood and energy, stabilize weight, facilitate memory and learning, support a healthy immune system, and more. Refer to last year’s blog post for simple tips to improve your sleep. Invest in your sleep for short-term and long-term benefits.

​Improve your sleep, not only for yourself but for those around you. Alert, focused, healthy, happy, and energetic adults are the best brain architects (learning facilitators and caregivers).

References and Resources: 
Hyman, M. (2023). Young Forever: The secrets to living your longest, healthiest life. Little Brown Spark: NY
Dr. Mark Hyman. Why Sleep is More Important Than Diet-Optimize it Today! Podcast Episode 487
Walker, M.  ( 2018). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner: NY
Precision Nutrition. Hacking Sleep www.precisionnutrition.com/hacking-sleep 

​How is your well-being, my friend? Are you kind to yourself? Research suggests that people who are self-compassionate or kind to themselves experience many benefits (Neff, 2009; Allen & Leary, 2010; Zessin, Dickhauser, & Garbade, 2015). They have greater life satisfaction, less anxiety and depression, greater mindfulness, and more compassion for others. Individuals experiencing stress and challenge (i.e., infant and early childhood brain architects, K-12 teachers, and parents) exposed to self-compassion strategies demonstrate higher levels of well-being, such as optimism, positive affect, and personal initiative. When we practice self-compassion, we feel more confident and view ourselves more positively. Be kind to yourself to have increased motivation, improved productivity, better relationships, and better physical health. 

But why is being kind to ourselves so hard? Do you find yourself being self-critical sometimes? That's okay, my friend. It's natural and healthy to experience a wide range of thoughts and feelings, including less pleasant ones like unhappiness, disappointment, or guilt. There are no right and wrong thoughts; some serve one well while others do not.

Are you worried that being kind to yourself is self-indulgent? That is a common concern, but research shows that being too self-compassionate will NOT undermine motivation. Instead, people who practice self-compassion tend to have the greater personal initiative to make needed changes and are likelier to take on new challenges (Zessin, Dickhauser, & Garbade, 2015).

Are you convinced yet?! Let’s go for it! Treating oneself kindly can look like taking time and space to give oneself a break emotionally. Or, it can look like mental acts of self-kindness, such as engaging in self-talk that is positive, encouraging, and forgiving (Allen & Leary, 2010). Learning to turn negative thinking into positive thinking takes time and practice as one creates a new habit. One positive self-talk exercise you can do to help increase your self-compassion is the practice of reframing your inner conversation or “quieting your inner critic.” This exercise should be repeated over several weeks to eventually form the blueprint for changing how one may relate to oneself long-term.

1. First, notice when you are being self-critical. Become aware of your inner dialogues. Begin to notice when you say or think things to yourself, such as “I can’t,” “I don’t know,” “This is too hard for me,” or “I’m not good at it.”
2. Second, pay attention to both your inner speech and tone. Note the language or phrases you use when talking with yourself, but also be aware of the tone. Do you sound kind and loving? Or do you sound judgmental? Harsh? Or, like a snappy, irritable teen? ​
3. Third, soften your critical voice from judgment to compassion. Now that you have identified the message and tone,  ease or change it to one of kindness.

Always remember to stand in a friend’s shoes. Relate to yourself as you would relate to a friend. Steps 1, 2, and 3 are more accessible and productive when we do this. If a friend said to us, "This is so hard, I just can't get it." We would never say, "You are right, Sally; it’s too hard for you. You’ll never get it." Instead, we would encourage our friend Sally by saying something like, "Sure you can, Sally. With some more practice, you will get it!" Be kind to yourself, and talk to yourself like you would to a friend.

Learning to turn negative thinking into positive thinking takes time and practice; you are creating a new habit. One way to set yourself on a positive path is to practice "outside" of the moment. Then, the next time you have a negative thought, you will have a positive thought prepared and ready as a substitution. Following are some common self-critical phrases and sample positive statements or reframes. These include ideas shared by educators who have participated in our various professional developments and presentations. Use these as examples to support you in quieting your inner critic. Try brainstorming additional positive phrases, and/or reach out to us for even more examples.Then, substitute these scripts to replace your negative or self-critical talk. 

Get your new year off to a good start. Go for a walk and share some well wishes.

Offer a secret or undercover "well-wish" to those that you pass by. This is a simple phrase of loving-kindness in your head, such as “May you have a peaceful day.”  Or, how about “Have a healthy and happy day/New Year!” Move onto the next person you see and repeat.  Can you share five well-wishes each day? Allow yourself to enjoy the practice of sharing stealth kindness, or dropping “kindness bombs," on the other people you see. You are sure to find your mood lifting as you offer your stealth well-wishes. You can also try this at the grocery store or at work, walking down the hallway.  

Did you know that kindness creates positive changes in the brain? It boosts the chemicals serotonin and dopamine.  And, endorphins can be released. These neurotransmitters in the brain give you feelings of satisfaction and well-being. They cause the pleasure/reward center of your brain to light up.  Regularly performing kindness behaviors improves mood and can enhance thinking skills such as creativity and flexibility. Research has shown that “agents” or givers of kindness demonstrate increases in self-esteem, empathy, and compassion. They also become more resilient, both psychologically and physically. Important physiological impacts include decreased blood pressure and decreased cortisol (i.e. Post, 2005; Mayo Clinic 2020). 

And, kindness is a two-for!! It has benefits both the giver and the receiver. So light up your brain while wishing someone else well. Let’s get our new year off to a great start!
​
Happy New Year to you…. We wish you a healthy and bright brain in 2023!

Dr. Amit Sood at the Mayo Clinic works in the field of positive psychology. His research shows that up to 50% of our happiness depends on our conscious choices that, with time, become enduring habits. Most material gains, on the other hand, provide happiness only for a short time because of our tendency to quickly discount the good and rearrange our expectations. The afterglow of " happiness" from purchasing a shiny new car or  those cool new shoes is fleeting. We end up looking for another happiness fix.

Dr. Sood's research also found that the happiest people in our society are the young children and the elderly. Children's happiness centers on feeling loved, having pleasant immersive experiences, and not spending time overthinking--aka getting caught up in negative ruminations.  Think about a familiar two or three-year old you know... It's all about the process and not the product. The joy is in the doing! Just like the kiddo pictured here. Young children are immersed in the experience without wondering how it will turn out or what others will think about their "work." 

At the other end of the age continuum, elderly gain wisdom as they age. A mature perspective generally includes lower expectations and concern about other peoples' judgements, as well as a focus on savoring experiences and relationships.  They recapture a sense of that younger child who immersed themselves in the experience --though maybe without making such a mess...

So, choose happiness today. Make it an enduring habit. Reconnect with your inner toddler. Find something you enjoy doing and really do it! Be present. Enjoy the "process" without worrying how it will turn out or what others with say or think.  Have more immersive and joyful experiences.  What will that be for you?  Joyful movement? Time with a loved one?  An artistic endeavor (even finger painting?) Go get your happy on!
​