Keep your muscles healthy and safe this fall.

As the weather turns cooler, our bodies begin to change to find balance with shifting environment.   As temperatures go down, the ability of our muscles to get oxygen from our blood decreases.  This shift can lead to stiffness and tightness in our muscles and joints which we may not feel during the summer and warmer weather.

Knowing about this change is important.  Tight and stiff muscles are much more vulnerable to strain or injury when we exercise or make sudden movements that our body is not used to.

What can you do?  Be sure to warm up your muscles before launching into exercise or exertions (this includes raking your leaves, gardening or going for a hike!)  Warming up your muscles with gentle movements increases your circulation and blood flow (and oxygen) to your muscles, helping them contract and stretch with more ease.   Even five minutes of moving your body around, marching in place, or doing some yoga can make a difference in how your muscles respond.

Need some ideas on how to warm up your muscles?  Come try one of our morning yoga classes!  (We offer recordings for up to 72 hours after class if you miss it!)

And if your muscles are feeling tight, crampy, painful or stiff, a massage might be just the thing you need to transition to the cooler months!

At The Gentle Place, we want to help you and your muscles feel healthy and balanced!