While there may be accident injuries outside of our control, majority of our injuries are preventable. The main concept to understand in preventing injuries is Mobility vs. Stability. Too much or too little of either leads to pains and imbalances in our musculoskeletal system, ultimately making things much harder on our physical body. In this article I’ve outlined not only why each are important, but the types of injuries that are associated, and exercises you can do for both.

Looking at Heart Health, we are primarily taking a look at your Autonomic Nervous System. This is the part of you that does all of the essential survival mechanisms automatically, that way you don’t have to remind yourself to do things like breathe all day long. This is also the part of you that breaks down into that fight-or-flight mode or the rest-and-digest mode. When we look at vital signs (heart rate, respiration rate, temperature, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation) we are ultimately looking at how well regulated that automatic system is working. Your vitals are a direct correlation of your heart health- for example one of the leading risk factors for a heart attack is high blood pressure. To better understand not only what each vital sign says about your health, but also to understand how to improve each one, keep reading!

A new year brings in new resolutions, goals, and opportunities. The new year calls attention to the things we would like to see shift in our lives, and shines light on an opportunity to grow. As we settle into 2024, you may be focusing on your health, finances, relationships or something else to make this your best year yet. Looking to really capitalize on the opportunity this year? Keep reading to see my 4 tips to making this your best year yet!

When it comes to weight loss, there is definitely truth in the fact nothing will work long-term without proper diet and exercise. But for many it seems like we feel like we are eating the right things, and making time for movement, and yet we can’t seem to move the needle. Or we lost some of the weight but still can’t seem to reach our goal. Or we lost the weight, but can’t seem to keep it off. So where are we going wrong? If you fall in any of these categories and are looking for some insight, keep reading!

With the school year quickly approaching, it’s our priority to help prepare our kids to thrive all school year. So often we see students getting back to school and getting that fall cold right away. Going from the sunny summer days to meeting the mental and physical demands of sitting in a classroom all day can take a toll on our immune system. Looking for ways to stay healthy during school? Check out these 5 tips to having a healthy school year

In order to making sure we are retaining the proper amount of fluids we need to be replenishing our water frequently. How do we know if we are drinking enough water? Your body will always tell you! And feeling “thirsty” isn’t the only way your body communicates that you are dehydrated. Read more to learn the everyday signs that your body needs more water.

Gut Health goes far beyond just tummy aches or irritable bowel syndrome. Our gut microbiome plays a huge role in the health of our skin, brain, and immune system. Symptoms in any of those areas can be rooted in an unhealthy gut. Looking to understand how they are connected? Read about it here!

At Be Optimal, we preach treating causes, not symptoms. A symptom is just the smoke signal indicating something deeper going on. Hormonal imbalance, is one of the causes often creating or contributing to symptoms. Looking to get your hormones regulated? Check out my helpful hints to healthy hormones here!

We’ve all heard the phrase that some people are just “injury prone.” Most of the time we chalk it up to genetics or bad luck, but nothing could be farther from the truth. While injuries often seem like bad timing or just bad luck, it is actually the state of the body prior to incidence that predisposes us to getting injured. That’s why not every athlete that endures a ‘plant and twist’ motion to their knee tears their ACL. That’s also why two people can both twist their ankle but only one ends up with a sprain. The name of the game in injury prevention is ultimately to keep the body in a state of equilibrium structurally, nutritionally, and emotionally so we have the capacity to handle any physical stress that might otherwise cause injury. Want to know what you can be doing to avoid getting injured? Here’s 4 Tips for Injury Prevention.