Body Firm – ProCRNA

CRNA Fitness: Decompress the stress

PROCRNA asked me to mount the March podium on the issue of stress-reduction which would be nearly laughable…except for the fact that I have so much personal experience. So here it is, the Body Firm method to decompress the stress.

Where do most of my clients turn for comfort during or after a tough day with the head, hands or heart? Why, food, of course. The number one method of coping with pretty much anything these days is comfort food or drink. Some of you will turn to the box of goodies in the lounge, some of you will opt to ingest a 16-ounce cola, and some (more of you than would like to admit it) will eat two or three doughnuts pretending it’s breakfast. But be careful of calorie-dense stress relievers. Sugar elevates your mood very briefly before acting as the downer it really is, dropping you as fast as a plumb line, and leaving unwanted calories and irritation behind. And in the long run, useless food raises your stress. Instead, munch on an orange, or snack on a handful of almonds, or both. An orange will administer quick sugar, it’s true, but it’s loaded with vitamin C and will provide nutrients along with energy. Nuts are a great source of protein that can hold you over until a real meal or simply sustain you through another case. Try walnuts or pecans, too, and limit your serving to a clean, even dozen. The crunch of the munch is very satisfying and brings fast relief.

You may be tempted to just flop on the decrepit sofa in the lounge when someone relieves you in the OR, not always a bad idea. But even better: Walk the hallway, stop to do squats every 12 strides, stretch your calves and quads and stretch your arms above your head, jog down the stairs to 2nd floor and jog up the stairs to 4th. Pause to do a couple of Yoga positions and bring your heart rate back to normal, then re-enter your case room with mental peace restored.

Dr. Coyote howled, Dr. Hound bit, Dr. Wolf snarled throughout the last heart case and, quite possibly, the patient’s heart is now doing better than yours. Instead of chatting it up with staff and cohorts when you exit the room, pull out a good read. Weird Sisters is a current hoot for chicks, and author, Olen Steinauer can capture either gender’s attention in short order. Try reading the daily “funnies” for comic and cardiac relief, or read anything cheerful that will take your mind off the present and help restore your equilibrium and your gift for humor. LOL.

You may not be in charge of selecting music for the gall bladder room. Pink Floyd or
George Strait may be the surgeon’s consistent choice of genre, but when you get to choose, or when you go on a break, listen to music that relieves tension. Relax with alternative sounds like waterfalls or crashing waves from a Narada collection. Classical melody from Smetana’s “The Moldau” or Debussy’s “Daphnis and Chloe,” and even big Wagnerian themes from “Tannheuser” or “Lohengrin” can fill your soul and remove the excess tension. Schubert piano solos or symphonies, unrestrained strains from LAGQ, Chis Botti love tunes on the trumpet or any of the music you simply know and love can take off the edge, and pull you back from it. Massage your hands and feet while you listen to music and get maximum de-fusing.

Finally, here’s one of the best stress-busters known to Venus or Mars – Meditation. You’ll need a quiet corner for this activity unless you’re an excellent self-hynotic. Close your eyes and preferably a door, get seated and settled with good core support, then start with slow, deep breaths in through the nose, out over the lips, switching to all nose breathing when you’re fully “centered.” Tune out any and all distractions and focus on the breath (Toothpaste trumps garlic!); in…and out….in ….and out…”…he loves me….he loves me not….one for you…one for me…” Relaxation is in the focus and in the rhythm.

K, I hate to wake you up, but there you have it – Body Firm’s favorite decompression session. An anesthetist has almost no time to relax during the workday. Morning break is not a given. Lunch can be 11:00 or 2:00 or not at all. The comfort and outcome of the patient will always be your ultimate concern. But put your own health next in line and treat your stress with safe, un-medicated relief. Your patient will benefit, and it may keep you from becoming one.

Visit Liz online at www.bdyfrm.com Read daily Lizlines and leave a stress-free comment!

CRNA Fitness: Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardio is probably the most common form of structured exercise in America.

In the 1960’s Dr Kenneth Cooper, the founder of The Cooper Institute in Dallas, TX, introduced aerobic exercise to the fitness world and made cardio a common household word. Cooper soon after became crowned the “king of hearts.”

Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is any structured exercise that elevates the heart rate for a sustained period of time such as jogging, power walking, elliptical training, treadmill walking, and lifecycle pedaling and is essential to any quality fitness program. Not only does aerobic exercise strengthen the heart, it raises the metabolism, which burns calories, which helps you lose or maintain weight, not to mention releasing feel-good endorphins which makes you feel good to be around. And you’ll notice that someone who has just completed a cardio work-out doesn’t usually slouch out the gym door..they hustle out. Cardio is better than Boost for raising your level of energy and it’s lower in calories, too.

To get the most out of your cardio, allot a specific amount of time, start out a tad slowly, then pick up the pace, sustaining a challenging speed for the majority of the work-out. Turn on your i-pod or watch a video flick, but take mental time to focus on form and breathe smoothly, with rhythm. Did I mention water? Drink before, drink during, drink after. You do not need any beverage other than cool water for normal work-outs. Remember, you’re trying to burn calories, not drink them. Allow a two to five-minute gradual cool down, wipe up the sweat and stretch. It’s okay to stretch before the session begins, but you won’t be warm enough to do a great job of it. Better to simply be fully awake, get a few calories from an orange or tiny bowl of oatmeal, get partially hydrated and “hit the road.” If you’re really slow at getting warmed up, you can stop after five minutes to stretch before continuing, especially if you’re on pavement, otherwise, five to ten minutes of long leisurely stretching following your cardio is ideal.

Stay off the pavement if you have bad knees, wear padded pants if you cycle, don’t carry anything heavy when you power walk, make like a camel for all cardio, and burn, Baby, burn. You, too, can be crowned the King and Queen of Hearts.

You can visit Liz at www.bdyfrm.com where the unique, informative and entertaining Lizlines are posted Monday through Friday. Don’t miss the weekly Lizlimerick, always a Liz original!

CRNA Fitness: Procrna Fit-tips

Integrating healthy concepts into your life is like riding a tandem bike. It takes two participants and a bicycle that works. To meet the challenge of getting in shape this month, be sure to integrate both sound nutrition (see January posting) and efficient exercise into a quality plan. Once you have tweaked or completely revamped your daily diet and selected a venue for structured exercise, start supplementing your coffee break with some gentle stretches like slow, easy toe-touches to loosen hamstrings and relieve stress on the lower back. When the lunch-break-boy finally makes it into your room, take a few minutes in the lounge to do seated leg raises and neck rotations. And if some kind soul mercifully shows up to give you a potty break, take an extra minute to carefully lunge back down the hall on your way to relieve the reliever. As your 8-hour day stretches into 12, remember, careful stretching provides relief, while too much coffee requires it.

To read Lizlines and to view seated leg raises, click on www.bdyfrm.com.

Liz Sanner Davis is the owner of Body Firm Integrated Fitness Solutions. She is the author of Lizlines, posted each weekday on her web site.