About Sara Beth Rubin, LMP

Facilitating Somatic Awareness

Recent posts

• Follow Following 1 What is the difference between an ankle sprain and a high ankle sprain? Why does a high ankle sprain take longer to heal? Kevin Shurtluff asked Sara Beth Rubin, LMP in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago

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  Calf muscle injuries -- healing and prevention

  0 0 Tremodian: It sounds like a frustrating situation. I definitely support the doctor's recommendation to stretch, and would add that icing can be incredibly therapeutic for bringing down inflammation and helping to repair healthy tissue. I don't believe that you are doomed to a life of sloth. I absolutely believe that there is a way for your to engage in running and/or biking without injuring yourself -- it's just hard to say what that might look like without taking a look at you and reformulating some patterns. If it's sloth that you're concerned about, and you don't think that you can afford to see a physical therapist or massage therapist, I would recommend trying out some new activities that might work your lower leg musculature in a less intensive way, such as swimming or yoga. Also, if you have health insurance, chances are you are covered for both massage and physical therapy. Check into your policy to see what your benefits are. Warmly, Sara Sara Beth Rubin, LMP answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  For a sore or stiff muscle, heat or ice?

  1 0 Generally speaking, ice is best for inflammation, and heat is best for hyper-tonicity (stiffness). There are, of course, many perspectives on the heat versus ice debate, and my general rule of thumb is to do what feels best, and what seems to produce the desired results. Sara Beth Rubin, LMP answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer and comment »

• Follow Following 1 For a sore or stiff muscle, heat or ice? Annie asked Sara Beth Rubin, LMP in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago 1 Answer by Sara Beth Rubin, LMP…

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  How can one improve flexibility?

  1 0 Megan: Congratulations for starting (and sticking to) and fitness routine that you enjoy -- that's exciting. First of all, your body will absolutely adjust over time. Our bodies are designed to adapt and adjust according to the stresses that we place upon them. However, there is a balance involved -- you need to be sure that you're entering into this new activity slowly, and building up little by little so that you allow your body's adaptive mechanisms to kick in. I'm wondering whether you went from no running at all to running 30 minutes a day 3-4 times a week? That's a lot. Are you running for the entire 30 minutes, or are you breaking it up and walking in between? I would urge you to ramp up slowly, so that you can give your body a chance to repair. There are a few things that I would suggest doing to manage stiffness and pain post-work out. First of all, I encourage you to stretch your legs (hamstrings, quads, glutes, calves) before and after your work out. Be sure to hold each stretch for ten to fifteen seconds, and to really be present with the stretch -- try not to multi-task here. Let me know if you have questions about how to stretch these regions of your body. I believe that balancing strength building activities with stretching is imperative to health and range of motion. The other thing that I would suggest is taking an epsom salt bath. This can help quite a bit with achy muscles as you're building up tone. Stretching after your bath can be helpful as well. Last but not least, massage is a really wonderful way to flush painful lactic acid out of your muscles, and to manually stretch your tissue and improve flexibility. If flexibility is your goal here, I would suggest seeking out some structural work, which is really effective in helping to lengthen muscles. Good luck to you, and have fun with your new activity! Warmly, Sara Sara Beth Rubin, LMP answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer and comment »

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  Good stretches for recovery

  2 0 Hey Enigma: I'm so sorry to hear that you've been having to deal with that level of discomfort. It's difficult to get a clear picture of what treatment plan would be best for you without actually taking a look at you. I can definitely recommend a few stretches that I think might help, but I'll give the disclaimer that everything should be done within your comfort level -- stop if there is any pain that doesn't feel like "good pain." I think a great way to open up that underarm area is to perform a "door jamb" stretch, which is a favorite of many physical therapists and massage therapists.  Begin by holding your arm out at a ninety degree angle, with your forearm pointed towards the ceiling. Find a door jamb and place your forearm against it. Step forward into a lunge position. You should feel the stretch in your chest and shoulder.   Hold the stretch for ten to fifteen seconds, and then switch sides. YogaJournal.com has a really great resource for specific stretches with an anatomical focus.  Specifically for the underarm area, I would try the following asanas: Extended Side Angle Pose Cow Face Pose Aside from stretching, I truly believe that ice is a miracle.  Physiologically, it accomplishes a lot of what a good old fashioned Swedish massage can -- it squishes out old blood and allows for new, healthy blood to come in.  As cold as it is outside, I would highly recommend icing the area to decrease pain and increase the vitality of your tissue.  Lastly, I would encourage you to take a look at what activities you are engaging in that might be causing that area to tense up more than necessary.  See if you can go through your day with some added awareness of how much tension you're holding on to in that shoulder.  Can you soften it as you sit at the computer?  Can you drive your car with just a little bit less effort?  Stretching is a great way to move towards health, but I would urge you to take it even a step further and see how much ease you can bring into that area of your body.   Take care of yourself, Enigma!  Thanks so much for writing in. Warmly, Sara Sara Beth Rubin, LMP answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer and comment »

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  Where can I find a yoga sub for my class Thursday?

  0 0 Hey: I do know several yoga teachers who pick up classes, and I will forward this to them to let them know you're looking. I'm also wondering whether you could contact yoga studios around town to see if they might share with you their sub list. I have no doubt you'll find someone -- enjoy your time with your family! With Warmth, Sara Sara Beth Rubin, LMP answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer and comment »

• Follow Following 1 How can one improve flexibility? Megan Seling asked Sara Beth Rubin, LMP in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago 1 Answer by Sara Beth Rubin, LMP…

• Follow Following 1 Good stretches for recovery Enigma asked Sara Beth Rubin, LMP in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago 1 Answer by Sara Beth Rubin, LMP…

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