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Client Case Study – Forty Pound Weight Loss, And No More Neck Pain!

I love it when a client’s simple, positive, changes lead to huge results!

Meet Bill. In the past year he has:

  • Eliminated his neck pain
  • Cleaned up his diet
  • Increased his strength
  • Lost 40 pounds!

 

In August 2016, Bill first came to see me for massage. He suffered from chronic neck pain, tightness, and limited range of motion. Sometimes the pain and tingling sensation would shoot down his arm, and into his head. His job requires him to be on the computer for most of his work day.

For exercise, he was running, and walking his dog, but not doing any strength work. I spent most of his first massage session working on his neck using myofascial release, cranio sacral, gentle manipulation, and passive stretching. I also showed him gentle release exercises he could do at home (nose circles, and puppet arms). I explained that if he did these exercises at home the results would be longer lasting. Guess what? He did his homework!

He felt less pain, and greater mobility immediately after his first massage, and we scheduled his next one for two weeks out. After his second massage we added a few new exercises. He was continuing to feel better, but still had some pain and tightness. We met for 6 sessions over a twelve week period and by the end of October he was feeling so much better we transitioned from massage to strength training sessions. We began a R.O.S.S. training plan, including release work, shoulder stabilization, upper and lower body strength exercises, and neck and shoulder flexibility work. We now had a catalogue of about 20 exercises, plus we went through the Five at the start of each month.

In March of 2017 he decided to clean up his diet. He rarely eats sweets or fried foods anymore, and he and his wife often prepare healthy meals at home together. He has not only lost weight, he has improved his body composition, gained strength, and eliminated his neck pain! Now (January 2018) we meet once a week for thirty minutes, go through that month’s exercises – this month we are working on hamstring flexibility – then he repeats his strength exercises twice that week on his own, in addition to running and walking his dog. Occasionally (maybe four times a year) his neck will flare up and he will opt for a massage in lieu of training.

I nicknamed him “one more” Bill because each week he does one more of each exercise than he did the week prior. So what is the key to Bill’s success? He meets with me consistently, does his homework, and sticks to a healthy diet (with the occasional treat). He is super motivated because he sees the results of his hard work!

 

What are your 2018 goals? How can I help you get there?

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She loves helping her clients reduce pain, increase mobility, and look and feel their best! Call her today to set up your complimentary consultation. (503) 705-4762.

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Cold And Flu Season Is Upon Us

So I got sick with a cold this week, and here’s what I learned.

  1. CHECK IN with my mental and physical state
  2. I have all the love and support I need
  3. Sometimes rest is best

First of all I don’t always base my decisions on reality. I spent two days going “Ok just a runny nose, no need to panic or change your schedule in any way, proceed as planned”. Then on day three, after a less than great night of sleep, I realized that I did in fact have a cold, and I cancelled all my appointments. This meant calling/ emailing/ texting 9 ladies who were planing on coming to classes, or getting a massage. One of my biggest fears is that my clients view me as flaky or unreliable. The first client answered the phone with “well this is a rare occurrence” oh thank god. After checking in with everyone (several of my ladies offered to bring me soup – they are so good to me!) I thought I was in the clear. Then around 10:15 I heard a knock on my door. Uh oh one of my ladies didn’t get the memo. She was totally understanding and we talked about the colds/ flus going around.

I also tend to ignore symptoms that I may be feeling a little run down. I blame my mother for this. We used to joke that you had to be bleeding from the head before she took you to the hospital. When I was in middle school we went to the science museum. I reached in the back of the station wagon just as she was lowering the door (and just after she shouted “hands clear!”) and the metal piece in the center of the door popped me right on top of my noggin. I looked like an extra from a horror move with the blood running down my face. I was actually bleeding from the head and we were ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HOSPITAL and Claire just shrugged, grabbed a towel, and held it on my head til it stopped. Then she got out the peanut butter sandwiches and we all had lunch. End of story. Now this was in the 80’s when seat belts were a suggestion, smoking was allowed in restaurants, and we mostly played out doors, where my favorite activity was climbing trees. To be clear, I tell this story to illustrate our family’s “suck it up” attitude towards illness/ injury. My mother was in no way neglectful. Hi mom 🙂

As I pondered the question of “why is it so hard for me to cancel appointments” I realized that after suffering severe physical pain from both Endometriosis and various back issues over the past 20 years, I had gotten into the mindset of saving up my sick days for when I literally could not get out of bed. A little sniffle, or sore throat? Gargle and get out there girl! No matter that I may be exposing my clients to germs, or missing out on some much needed rest. “But you will disappoint people” says the monkey in my brain. Yep maybe you will. Or maybe they will say “hey look at Anne doing a good job taking care of herself”. So I rested for two days, my symptoms abated, and I was able to get back to work.

One of the first questions I ask my clients when they walk in the door is “how is your physical state/ mental state?” This helps me to decide where to take our program that day to best meet their needs. This year, to keep everybody healthy and happy, I will do better job of asking myself these questions, then responding in a way that is loving and supportive to Anne.

How about you?

  • How you doing with self care?
  • What about asking for help?
  • How does it feel to be vulnerable (yikes!)?
  • Do you have a monkey that lives in your brain?
  • What are his or her favorite stories?
  • Are these stories working for you?

Shoot me an email with your best self care strategies. I am here to support you, let me know if you’d like help treating yourself like the star that you are.

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She loves helping her clients tame their inner monkeys!

The December Five

Each month Fluid Movement + Massage offers five exercises to build strength and increase flexibility.

Want a personal demo for these moves? Join one of Fluid’s weekly classes or call Anne to schedule a one on one session. (503) 705-4762.

The December Five are complicated multi-joint moves that require strength, balance, and coordination. These should feel challenging, but not painful. Please use your best judgement as to whether these are suitable for you right now. Shoot for one minute of each of these moves moving at your own pace.

 

Big Twist

Open Leg Rocker

Single Leg Dead lift

Crow

Bow

Three Ways To Stop A Cold Before It Starts

It’s that time of year again, cold and flu season. If you have kids, your family may have already had the pleasure of hosting whatever is going around. Yuck! Exposure to germs is unavoidable, but with proper self care (including frequent hand washing, eating a healthy diet, managing stress, getting plenty of exercise and getting plenty of rest) you may be able to limit the frequency and severity of an illness. The next time you feel a tickle in your throat, go on the offensive with these three tips:

1. Hydrate hydrate hydrate!

The often quoted recommendation is half your body weight in ounces. Drinking plenty of water, tea, or juice will help to thin mucus so your body can more effectively eliminate it.

2. Gargle

Dissolve a large spoonful of sea salt in a mug of warm water and gargle at least three times a day. This will help flush viruses from your throat. If you have a neti pot or saline nasal spray, flushing your sinuses will help to clear mucus and bacteria, and speed recovery.

3. Rest

Stay home and rest! If you must work, go in for a half day, wrap up any important tasks that absolutely must get done that day, and stay away from your coworkers (the first 48 hours of a cold is when you are most contagious), then go home and go to bed. If your dry throat is keeping you up, try taking a spoonful of honey. This coats your throat and has antimicrobial properties.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers these tips to keep you feeling your best. Please see your medical professional for specific health advice.

Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Growing up, my Grannie Mattie’s cornbread dressing was my hands down favorite Thanksgiving dish! Actually, I like the trifecta of turkey, dressing, and the bright red cranberry sauce that slides right out of the can (hey, don’t judge!). The consistency of this dressing is closer to mashed potatoes that a crumbly stuffing. And no sage here, the secret ingredient is… curry powder!

I called my Grannie once to ask her for the recipe, and she started off with “oh honey, it’s so easy!” Then she proceeded to rattle off more of a list of suggestions than an actual recipe. I’ll paraphrase what she told me: you take some cornbread and some day old hot dog buns, then you cook down your celery, onion and green pepper (the holy trinity as it’s known), then you mix it all together with some milk and chicken stock, or better yet, pan drippings from your turkey, then you pour it into a pan and bake it. When I asked her how much milk she said “Oh, just enough to moisten it.” I found this very frustrating.

What I’ve learned from making this over and over is no skimping on the butter and stock (or whole milk). If you think I’m kidding about this, the next time you see me ask me how I feel about low fat dairy. BOOOO! It is not only unhealthy, but just does not taste good. It’s Thanksgiving people! Bring on the butter! I use Jiffy cornbread mix because it always comes out great and just fits into my small iron skillet.

Oh, and I’m talking about my Florida grannie Mattie; my Louisiana grannie Mary Del also made a version of this, but she put oysters in hers. When I was a little kid my reaction was “ew gross.” Now my reaction is “YUM!” The oysters cook down so you don’t really notice them (no slimy texture) and they give you a salty seafood flavor, so even if your family says they are not into oysters, they may actually like this. But please, no tricking people with stealth oysters.

Cornbread Dressing

*This recipe serves six, and can be doubled it if you are serving a crowd. Not sure if your people are into oysters? You can pour dressing into two smaller casserole dishes, then add the oysters to only one pan. If using a smaller pan, reduce cooking time to about 35 minutes total.

Cornbread Ingredients:

  • 1 8.5 oz box jiffy cornbread mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup of milk

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 8 tablespoons butter (reserve one tbsp. to grease the pan)
  • 4-5 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 1 small green pepper, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 5 slices white bread, dried in warm oven, and crumbled
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2-3 cups chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup whole milk

Optional: 1 pint fresh oysters, drained

Directions:

  1. Make cornbread according to package directions. Cool and crumble (you can do this a day or two ahead).
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the celery, green pepper, onion, salt, pepper and curry powder until the veggies are soft (5ish minutes).
  4. In a large bowl, place the veggie mixture. Add the cornbread, white bread, eggs, chicken stock and milk and mix well (add the oysters if you are using them). You want the dressing to be moist and pourable, but not so wet that there is liquid floating on top.
  5. Pour into prepared dish and bake at 350 for 30 – 45 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. (to test for doneness, carefully and gently jiggle the pan, and if the center of the dressing moves cook it a little longer, til it is set).

Anne McCranie is a Portland based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to bring Thanksgiving happiness to your belly. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.