2869: No Pain ALL Gain AND Heal Yourself With Water by Randi Kay of Naturally Randi Kay

[00:00:00] Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:24] So, press play on Good Sleep Tonight because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. This is Optimal Health Daily. No Pain ALL Gain. And Heal Yourself With Water. Both by Randi Kay of NaturallyRandyKay.com. And I'm Dr. Neal, your host and narrator.

[00:00:51] Hey there, welcome to another Saturday edition of Optimal Health Daily. Remember, this is just one of a bunch of podcasts where we read to you from blogs for free so that you don't have to read them yourself, except on Fridays. Like yesterday, that's where I usually answer your questions. Oh, and to check out our other shows, just search for Optimal Living Daily wherever you're hearing this.

[00:01:13] Now, today, I have two posts for you. So, when I read you two posts, it usually means that both are on the shorter side, and I want to make sure we maximize our time together. So, let's get right to today's two posts and start optimizing your life. No Pain, All Gain by Randi Kay of NaturallyRandyKay.com.

[00:01:38] In my early days as a massage therapist, a big, macho male client would walk into my office, wanting a deep tissue massage. He would look at my small stature and youthful glow, this is 10 years ago, mind you, and ask if I was capable of offering such a massage with the pressure they required. I would smile and assure him that it would be okay, while inwardly rolling my eyes and wishing I could dig my elbow in as hard as I could, just to teach him a thing or two about the power of proper body mechanics.

[00:02:09] Though I did take the high road and not punish him with my deep pressure wrath, I did take a moment to tell him that deep tissue means getting deep into the tissue, not always using deep, painful pressure. You see, the body tenses up when it doesn't feel safe. When we push too hard, be it with pressure, while we work out, or just life in general, it can actually cause us to tense more, instead of releasing and relaxing.

[00:02:37] I see this a lot with stretching as well. We want to rush and force ourselves into a certain stretch, but that force can signal a stress response and keep us from stretching further. Most of us are more flexible than we think. It's our approach that's the problem. One of my yoga teachers would say, With yoga, it's no pain, all gain. Meaning that when we don't feel pain, that's when the magic happens. That's when it becomes therapeutic.

[00:03:06] And I have come to believe that 100%. When we feel actual pain, that's when injury can happen. And it's important in any activity or treatment to be present and recognize the good kind of discomfort versus the bad. In my body work sessions, I tell my clients that the pressure intensity should never go above a 7 on a scale from 1 to 10.

[00:03:30] Once you go above a 7, that's when other areas of the body tend to tense up and have a hard time receiving the therapy. Now let's say you don't ever get massages or spend time stretching, etc. How does this all apply to you? This same kind of tuning in can be used when exerting yourself in any way. Powering through shoulder pain when doing yard work, for example. Seems like an okay idea for the short term.

[00:03:57] But before you know it, you've got some serious shoulder issues going on. Remember, if you don't listen to your body whisper, you will have to hear it scream. There are always exceptions and times we gotta feel some pain. But the point is, that way of life needs to become the exception, not the norm. Now, whatever happened to our well-intentioned macho man client? The interesting thing is that he actually couldn't handle deep pressure at all.

[00:04:24] He would ask for deeper pressure through clenched teeth. But his body was so wound up that he automatically resisted any intervention, poor guy. But through easing up and working with the tension instead of against it, progress was made. As with all things self-care, tune in. Get to know your therapeutic stopping points. When we aren't in constant pain, we have so much more to gain.

[00:04:53] Heal Yourself with Water by Randy Kay of NaturallyRandyKay.com Water, a magical elixir that creates and sustains life. It's where we all began. Civilizations were built around it. Wars were fought over it. It can be used to soothe. It can be used for destruction. And though its purposes are varied and vast, I would like to expound upon the fact that it's one of the most healing substances in existence.

[00:05:23] Water is not just for drinking. In fact, hydrotherapy is a thing. And there is a whole world of therapies that simply involve water. Living in Fargo, we are constantly seeking out ways to make winter more enjoyable. Scandinavians have it down. And so inspired by them, my friends built, I did help a little, a Finnish mobile sauna. Its name is Log the Sauna, and it's adorable.

[00:05:49] When I enjoy the sauna, it reminds me of all of the ways we can use the magical healing powers of water. When it comes to saunas, did you know that there are over 5 million inhabitants of Finland and over 3 million saunas? They take their sauna-ing very seriously, and for good reason. Saunas have shown to promote deep relaxation, help with muscle and joint pain, opens up pores in the skin, increases blood flow,

[00:06:17] and may help alleviate conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. In the same vein, steam rooms are also great. They use wet heat instead of dry heat. And they have similar health benefits as saunas, but they are better for congestion and asthma. When I lived in Utah, I was lucky enough to live by some natural hot springs. If you happen to live in Utah or are traveling near some hot springs, I highly suggest chilling in those. They not only feel great, but the natural minerals are great for your skin,

[00:06:46] and possibly for your circulation, and all sorts of other things. Just do your research to make sure they are healthy hot springs, and not some gnarly ones. Alternating hot and cold water is also an interesting form of therapy. This can be done with different compresses, going from a hot bath to a cold bath, changing the temperature of water while in the shower, or my favorite, rolling in the snow, and then jumping in a hot tub. Cold water can be stimulating, and causes the blood vessels to constrict.

[00:07:16] Hot water can feel calming, and opens up the blood vessels. So switching between hot and cold water causes a flushing action, that may be good for cleansing the muscles and other tissues. There are many other cultures around bathing, and many forms of hydrotherapy. But just like any therapy, it can get pretty extreme. I suggest using it as a complement to your life, instead of relying on it to heal major conditions. But simple and enjoyable uses of hydrotherapy are easy to find.

[00:07:45] Incorporating them into your daily life can really improve your quality of life. It could be taking a warm bath, or finding a sauna or steam room in your area. And of course, stay hydrated. Don't get me going on that. Just be sure to drink water. But I'll save my tangent on that for a future post. You just listened to the post titled, No Pain, All Gain, and Heal Yourself With Water,

[00:08:13] both by Randy Kay of NaturallyRandyKay.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. I want to talk about the no pain, all gain idea some more. You've probably heard countless times about the importance of, say, stretching. But let's face it. Stretching is super uncomfortable. And the most recent research says that the best time to stretch is after a workout. Let's put that in context for a second.

[00:08:42] This means that after already making ourselves uncomfortable for the last 20, 30, 45, or 60 minutes during our workout, we now have to force ourselves to continue that discomfort by stretching? Look, it was hard enough to find motivation to exercise in the first place. Now you expect me to spend another 10 or 15 minutes stretching and making myself feel even more uncomfortable? I just want to be done already. Does that sound familiar?

[00:09:12] Look, I get it. I have to force myself to stretch after my workouts. I'm usually so exhausted by the end, I just want to be done and cool off in the shower. But stretching is so important. And yes, it needs to feel a bit uncomfortable. If you don't feel even a little bit of discomfort when you stretch, then you're probably not improving your flexibility or mobility. As today's author Randy said, this doesn't mean you should feel pain when you stretch.

[00:09:40] Instead, we like to say you should experience some slight discomfort. Remember that by stretching, you're pushing your muscles, ligaments, and tendons beyond what they're used to doing. Whenever we push ourselves beyond what we're used to, whether it's physical or mental, there will probably be discomfort. So embrace the discomfort. But if you experience true pain, it means it's time to stop.

[00:10:06] And if the pain persists, please have it examined by a healthcare professional. But again, a little bit of discomfort, especially when you're stretching, is okay and very normal. All right, that's it for today. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you for being a subscriber of the show. Thank you for sharing this show with someone. I hope you have a great rest of your Saturday. And I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.