Staying Fit: Mind, Body & Spirit
(Sing the first paragraph to the tune of “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer)
You know Johnson’s and Manco, and Shrivers and Fudge Kitchen… Blue Cactus, and Augie’s, and Reds, and George’s Candies… but do you recall, how to stay healthy and still enjoy it all?
Staying healthy is important, you know this. Whether it’s during a pandemic, summer, winter, fall, and so on. Sometimes though, the hardest part is simply knowing where to start. We asked a few experts around town for their tips on staying healthy in mind, body and spirit through the year (and still enjoying the delicious treats OC offers.)
Body- Fitness and Nutrition
Staying physically fit doesn’t necessarily require an elaborate two hour routine.
“You can get the job done in 15-20 minutes if you’re going back and forth between weighted movements and cardio. You want to keep your heart rate at a level that’s slightly uncomfortable,” said Amy Rihl, MacroNutrition coach.
If you plan out your workout session and break it into manageable chunks, working out might not seem so daunting.
“Use mixed cardio with weights. Maybe you’re doing 15 minutes of cardio, then you might do 15 minutes of weights, then 15 minutes of body weight movement,” said Amy.
Another easy recommendation? Take a walk!
It’s always best to consult a registered dietitian or a nutritionist if you have specific needs or nutritional requirements. However, a simple nutritional tip is to plan your meals a day ahead so that you’re not caught off guard wondering what to eat. And plan in those treats too! It’s all about moderation.
You can reach Amy at [email protected].
Mind and Spirit
“The act of massaging tissue has numerous stimulating and sedative qualities. The stimulus provided by massage affects many systemic processes at a cellular level that can have healthful effects for the client. These effects can be assessed subjectively and objectively… The client is able to feel the benefits of massage strokes as evidenced by increased range of motion and/or decrease/relief of discomfort in the area/areas being treated,” said Marci Page, RN/LMT and owner of bāsalt bodywork, LLC.
For massages booked during the pandemic, Marci changed her mask and clothes between sessions, and kept her studio clean and well ventilated.
She performed numerous health screenings as well as required her clients to wear a mask unless they are laying on their stomachs.
Basalt had its last session at its 8th Street location this past Halloween. Marci is currently searching for a new location in Ocean City.
Fitness for your kids, too
“Children and teens can stay active this fall and winter by walking, hiking, or jogging with family members and friends safely. Neighbors can organize to play games safely and utilize outside playground workout areas. Families can also contact their local yoga instructors, coaches, and trainers to organize their community around accessible options for outdoor physical activity for children,” said Alexandra Joy Seitz, MSW, psychotherapist and yoga instructor.
Through all joy therapy, Alexandra is offering “small group outdoor deck bay yoga and movement therapy with space heaters for children and teens in Avalon.”
There are other options in the community if you are looking for kid activities.
“Shore Sports offers group training all year round while following all the guidelines laid out by the CDC. It is a great way to get small group instruction that is more accessible in multiple sports. A local tutoring company, BooC Tutors, offers marine biology field trips and outdoor enrichment games as ways to learn and get activity at the same time. Sunstone out of Stone Harbor and Cape May Court House offers Zoom yoga which is appropriate for teens.”
Alexandra knows that children need the opportunity to move safely.
“We all need to come together with inclusiveness and creativity so that our children get movement and connection safely,” said Alexandra.
At RA Development Academy, Jill Adamson, co-owner, is trying to train outdoors for as long as possible.
“We launched our signature fall clinic series: basketball, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and softball. Our plan is for the month of November and two weeks into December is to do weekend clinics.” said Jill.
Jill is happy to offer one-on-one coaching no matter if there’s a pandemic or not.
“We love being able to offer one-on-ones. If someone calls me for something, I can pretty much put together something,” Jill said.
No matter how the business has to operate, Jill is proud to have a fantastic coaching staff.
“One of the hallmarks of the business is that we’re so proud of our coaching staff. Their bios are incredible. We always work in team building and mentorship. At the end of all these fall clinic series, we give the portion of our earnings to a designated charity,” said Jill.
While giving back to the community is a major positive, Jill and her business partner, Tyrone Rolls, stay focused on the kids’ well-being.
“Fresh air and exercise is so important especially now. We provide opportunities that give them something to do, have fun, be active and allow contact with peers outside of their family. It also gives them a chance to socialize,” said Tyrone.
Jill agrees.
“Now more than ever, it’s an important time to keep kids active, engaged, socially connected, but safe.”