Get Fit!WITH KERA KESTER

Hello beautiful people! I am pretty excited about this month’s topic because it was requested by a wonderful lady that I had the pleasure of meeting at my gym. So, without further ado, let’s jump in! Movement is a beautiful thing! The benefits of taking care of our bodies go far beyond just feeling good about, and within, ourselves. It extends to our family and job life, as well as our quality of experience. However, just like all things, too much of something can have adverse effects. Being injured or feeling dangerous pain and discomfort are some issues that my heart hopes for you to avoid as much as possible. Therefore, I’d like to share three warning signs of injury or overtraining.

Skin discoloration, swelling or sharp, stabbing and deep bump pains are a few indicators of injury. Your body will use these signs to signal inflammation, overtraining and the need for rest and recovery. There is much emphasis on paying attention to how our muscles and energy levels feel; however, these outward signs are just as telling and should get attention as well.

Muscle cramps or pain during contraction, persistent stiffness or soreness that remains for excessive periods of time are something to look out for. If you cannot even walk in a day or two following a leg day, then you may have pushed a little too hard. You do not have to go max effort every single workout. This is why cardio days or de-load weeks are so common. Bodies thrive on balance, and no goals should require you to hit or dramatically pass your energy and muscle peak limits during every single session.

Mobility and range of motion regressions, significant weakness and changes to your gait (walking pattern) are common tells of present injury or the risk of. Of course, dynamic stretching or warming up may make all the difference you need. However, if after stretching or warming up, you are still unable to utilize your usual range of motion then taking a rest day may be a good idea. We all have off-days but if you do not have the strength you normally have for a lift or activity, then forcing your body may have the opposite effect that you desire.

We all have limits to what we can endure and what we can do. There is a healthy pain of discomfort that requires pushing past our limitations for the sake of progression. On the other hand, there are types of pain that we should yield to instead of aiming to tough it out. So, what do you do if you are currently facing any of the above?

Here are some great ways to give your body the rest and recovery it deserves for all the hard work it does day in and day out.

• Get adequate sleep and hydration.

• Eat well-balanced and nutrient-dense foods.

• Consume enough calories to fuel your activity level and internal organs.

• Attend to your stress levels and mental health.

• Cut back on your degree of exercise output for a necessary amount of time.

• Use helpful agents like ice or Epsom salt baths, heating pads, massage tools or light stretching.

• Speak with professionals in the healthcare and fitness industry.

Our bodies are extremely resilient! With the right amount of attention and care, we can conquer the world. I pray nothing but the best for you on your fitness journey and in each of your beautiful lives, in general. Recovering or not and in whatever state we find ourselves in, let’s aim to keep our hope, joy and vigor alive! Happy first month of summer!

(Not required by Medicare):

• Community bereavement support including Butterfly Wings support for those who experience a miscarriage or infant loss

• We Honor Veterans Program

• Community equipment loan program

• Educational in-services to the community

BASIC CARE (Required by Medicare):

• Nursing service with 24/7 emergency care

• Personal care by Certified Nursing Assistants

• Medical social services

• Spiritual support and counseling

• Light housekeeping services

• Volunteer services

• Bereavement services

• Ancillary services: Occupational therapy, Physical therapy, Speech therapy and Dietician service

• Durable Medical Equipment and supplies for palliation of the symptoms for terminal illness

• Medications used to treat symptoms of the terminal illness

I know you’re thinking “Rachel, why would you confess a crime? Four, five, even upwards of ten people will read this and will immediately call 911 and turn you in to the police.” Well, because it was funny and embarrassing, and I will always choose entertainment over dignity (and a potential arrest). Chief Bohon, if you’re reading this, please stop now. Let me paint the scene for you…I’m shopping at Marshalls, and I see my best friend. She has her back to me, but we’ve been best friends for 23 years, so I could recognize the back of her head in a crowd of 10,000 people. Blindfolded. That’s how confident I am. I am absolutely beside myself with excitement because, while she is my best friend, we don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like, so to spend a few moments shopping with her is such an unexpected treat. So, as quietly and swiftly as a fox, I sneak up behind her, and because of who I am as a person, instead of greeting her with a “Hi!” like a normal human being, I pinch her on her butt. And for added measure, I give a little “woo!” as I pinch. She whips around, and mid-whip, I realize I have made a grave error. This is not my dear friend Jessi. This is a stranger. It felt like slow motion. Her butt cheek is still firmly squished between my fingers as I realize it isn’t her, but the action is already in motion, I can’t stop it now. She screams. I snatch my hand back off of her butt. We make eye contact. A mixture of emotions cycle across both our faces. Shock, fear, horror, confusion. Apologies start falling out of my mouth like vomit. I am talking so fast trying to explain myself, I sound like an auctioneer. After I finally was able to spit out my explanation, we were both able to laugh about it, and thankfully, she was very kind, but what I’m even more thankful of is that she didn’t beat me up. Or have me arrested. So what’s the lesson here, folks? Don’t assault people, unless you’re absolutely certain they’re your friend.