3 IMPROVE YOUR BRAIN FUNCTION
Walking doesn't just make you more creative, it actually improves cognitive function overall. This means walking is good for your noggin in general. In fact regular walking regimens may reduce the risk of dementia. 

​2 COMBAT LONELINESS
Maybe you're like me and have a hard time meeting new people. I'll be honest. I have a really hard time making new friends. I'm very introverted. I have had a primarily self-directed job for a decade. My entire family lives elsewhere. And, I have moved to a new town several times in the last 7 years. The pandemic certainly did not help. It can be excruciatingly lonely at times (...  BTW do you want to grab lunch with me).  But one way I bust out of my loneliness bubble in the middle of the day is to go for a walk. I get to say hello to my neighbors, meet people's dogs, and generally remind myself that the world is much bigger than the thoughts in my head.  

1 IMPROVE YOUR HEART HEALTH
Walking is considered steady-state cardio. There are many ways to improve heart-health and steady-state cardio is just one of them. The benefit here is not about calorie burn or improving your recovery times. Steady-state cardio is about building endurance. Essentially you are introducing the concept, to your heart which is a muscle, that it can sustain elevated work for longer and longer periods of time. Because your heart is a muscle it adapts like other muscles of your body by getting stronger by adapting when encountering repeated stimulus over time.

Let's take a walk in my recent walking mediation on my podcast Personal Practice. 
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Want to test your faith? 
Launch a business!

Then throw in R&D that takes 3x as long as you planned, a global pandemic, and converting your spare bedroom into a lab while still trying to function as a family of five. That will do a little more than shake your faith. It might convince you to throw in the towel. But when your why is strong and you've decided that failure is not an option, you find a way!

I loved this down-to-earth and inspiring conversation with Brad Lepcyzk. He and his wife Erika are the founders of Memore (like memory!) a brain health nutrition brand that makes delicious powdered supplements that keep your noggin healthy. He shares the ups and downs he faced getting the product ready for market, and how he is navigates big emotions of the sales cycle.
Join us as we talk about the emotional ride of business success and failure, why optimism truly takes practice, and how routine can be a God send! 

In this episode Brad also talks about the Maria Shriver Women's Alzheimers Movement. You can visit their website to learn more about the studies that Brad mentions, and how to get involved in supporting a cure. As we discuss in the pod some Alzheimers diagnoses are directly tied to genetic factors, but those genetic factors are not necessarily the deciding factor on developing the disease. In fact the Women's Alzheimers Movement in cooperation with the Cleveland Clinic has prevention guides, which include nutritional and exercise considerations, to equip your brain with its best line of defense. 

Big thanks to Erika, Brad, and Brit at the Memore team. They extended to Personal Practice listeners a huge discount on their first order of the product.  I told you this wasn't an ad... but wowee I take it back. How can I say no to such an offer? So it's official.  I'm legit telling you to go buy this stuff you like to boost your smoothies and morning routines with high quality, whole food supplements.

XOXO.
Julia

Use my code to get 20% off your entire order! Yourmemore.com/juliamarie
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You can also learn more about Memore and follow along with recipe tips and positive brain health conversations by following the brand on Instagram. Instagram.com/yourmemore

What is Controlled Range of Motion?
​Range of motion refers to how far you can control movement within your joint's different actions. For example, how far can you lift your knee to your chest un assisted? How deep can you lunge without giving in to gravity? How controlled can you squat down to the ground and then rise back up?

​Controlled range of motion is a way to think about not only your flexibility, but also your ability to direct the motion amidst resistance. The resistance could be equipment, but this also and primarily includes bodyweight and gravity. 

Why is Controlled ROM Important?
Developing good body mechanics in our controlled ROM means that when more pressure or stimulus is applied in the future we have a better chance of staying safe in the motion! For example if you want to do loaded back squats in a weight rack, it's going to be important that you can perform the motion with your own body weight in good form. 
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The body adapts to repeated pressures, and it also is inherently efficient. This means the body is not going to change or conform without pressure to do so. The principle of adaptability relates this truth: move it or lose it.  But the good news about adaptability is that change is possible. So my introducing controlled ROM we can introduce and reinforce movement pathways between brain and body. Overtime these pathways become second nature. 

For muscles, bones, and joints movement is crucial. Muscles won't adapt unless introduced repeatedly to a stimulus. Bones won't increase in density unless they must. And when it comes to joints, they don't receive the same amount of blood flow that more vascular tissues like skeletal muscles do. This means movement is essential for clearing away debris and maintaining lubrication. Motion is lotion!

To sum it up, if you want to keep your joints happy and as pain-free as possible, they need to move! Movement through controlled range of motion reinforces healthy brain-body pathways, stimulates muscles and bone, and keeps joints healthy.

Yoga Practices for Healthy Hip ROM
One great way to think about improve the controlled ROM in a joint is to first consider all of the ways the joint moves. Hips are ball and socket joints. This means there are MANY movements of the hip. They include flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, external rotation, and circumduction. 

From there we organizes movement practices that drill these actions.

For yoga teachers reading this, consider plugging all of the drills below for a well rounded hip-focused class!

I hope you enjoy this conversation!
XO,
Julia

P.S. if you want to connect and tune in with Kat follow her on Instagram for incredibly supportive, insightful, and compassionate content. ​