We all know that exercising regularly and eating nutritious foods are important for good health, but what if you have pain when you exercise? How are you supposed to get fit or stay fit if exercising hurts? Should you just "push through it"? The answer is it depends.

Pain does not equal tissue damage. It is not a one-to-one ratio. Pain is our body's natural protective mechanism. It serves to protect us from injury. Think of it as your body's smoke alarm: Imagine cooking bacon in the kitchen and the grease gets so hot that it starts to smoke. The smoke alarm alerts you of the smoke. You are present in your mind and body, actively cooking the bacon, so you know why the alarm is going off. The first steps you take (if you're like me) are to a) turn down the stove, b) open the window and c) fan the smoke away from the alarm. You don't run out of the house because you are well aware of why the smoke alarm is sounding.

Treat your pain the same way. If you are doing push-ups and your shoulder starts to hurt (rated a yellow on the traffic light) at the bottom of the push-up, then don't go as far down, decrease the range of motion of your push-up and feel if that decreases the shoulder pain. You know the trigger -- it's the bottom of the push up -- instead of stopping, try to modify the activity.

When pain rears its ugly head, our brain has to determine 'HOW BAD IS THIS?' And the way our brain makes that decision is by recalling past experiences and relating them to your current situation. This is not in your control, but what is under your control is what you do when you feel pain.

Chronic pain is slightly different. When our body experiences unrelenting pain for months or even years on end, there are proven changes that occur in our brain. Our brain adapts to a new norm and becomes OVER-protective, and not as informative.

Let's take the smoke alarm analogy again; this time the smoke alarm is more sensitive. You are about to cook the bacon, so you turn on the stove and open the package when all of a sudden the alarm gets extremely loud because it detects the heat from the stove, nothing to do with an actual fire. You respond with intensity and run out of the house! The alarm system did not do its job well, it alerted you, but not for the right reason. It has lost its ability to gather the right information and has therefore failed in helping you to make an informed decision. 

You're here reading this because you have experienced some level of pain or discomfort with exercise, and you're wondering how to manage it in order to get the outcome you want (whether that outcome is injury rehab or trying to lose the "covid-19 pounds" it doesn't matter). The main takeaway is: Exercise is positive stress to the body, and the body might respond with a gentle alarm (green & yellow on the traffic light). You know your body better than anyone. Listen to what your body is telling you. Don't be overly cautious because sometimes in an effort to consciously protect yourself, you end up holding yourself back from progress.

Katie Mazur will be offering a special version of her Barre class via zoom on May 8th to celebrate Mother's Day. Bring your favorite pet and/or child to perform some high intensity moves to get EVERYONE involved in the fun! (be sure to turn on your camera so everyone can enjoy the laughs for this crowd pleasing fitness class)

This is a great read debunking the myths propagated for ratings and power that humans are generally selfish and diabolical. Instead giving evidence of the kindness of the human spirit and our evolutionary social characteristics that have enabled us to thrive on the planet by working together.

A must read as an antidote for all the negativity we are surrounded with daily.

As of April 14, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had received reports that 5,814 fully vaccinated people had developed COVID-19 infections. Nearly half of these infections (45 percent) were in people at least 60 years old. Seven percent of people with breakthrough infections—infections that occur after complete vaccination—were hospitalized and one percent died.

With more than 85 million people in the United States fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the CDC has been cautiously expanding guidelines about what those fully vaccinated people can safely do. The expansion has been gradual as experts awaited data on not just how well the COVID-19 vaccines prevent disease, but also whether a fully vaccinated individual could develop an infection—without symptoms—and unknowingly pass the virus along to someone else.

The distinction is important because many people do not realize that vaccines primarily prevent the disease but not necessarily infection. That means not all vaccines block fully vaccinated people from transmitting the pathogen to others.

“The holy grail of vaccine development always is to stop people from ever getting infected, but it is monumentally difficult to get that,” says Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of virology at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. That holy grail is called sterilizing immunity, completely protecting a person from disease as well as stopping the microbe from getting into cells in the first place, he says.

3 steps to start tackling your ‘Productivity Fatigue’

BY AYTEKIN TANK- the founder of JotForm, a popular online form builder

Now is the perfect time to reset our vision of productivity. I often return to author James Clear’s excellent definition: “We often assume that productivity means getting more things done each day. Wrong. Productivity is getting important things done consistently. And no matter what you are working on, there are only a few things that are truly important.”

For many of the participants, “letting their mind run freely is a big resource for their creativity,” Andreasen told The Washington Post. In other words, productivity requires a steady supply of novel thoughts that arise only through rest. We need to restock our mental shelves if we want to do meaningful work.

To replenish your mind throughout the day, consider the latest lifestyle philosophy to follow called niksen, which is the Dutch art of doing nothing. While it’s bewildering to think we need encouragement to watch the coffee brew or stare out the window, niksen is a rare experience for many of us.

Notice I didn’t say “follow your passion.” When we obsess about productivity, we miss daily opportunities to experience joy, even in tiny slices. The pandemic reminded us that life is fleeting. We can’t take simple pleasures, like drinking coffee with a friend, for granted. Work is another chance to explore what makes us happy. It’s a privilege, of course, but when you follow your curiosity, stretch your skills, and take creative risks, stress diminishes and you’re more likely to enter a flow state.

By Anahad O’Connor

The widespread fear, frustration and social isolation surrounding the tumultuous events of the past year — the pandemic, civil unrest, political upheaval — caused stress levels to skyrocket, with many people increasing their alcohol intake. Women and parents of young children seem to have been hit particularly hard. A nationwide survey commissioned by the American Psychological Association in February found that one in four adults reported drinking more this past year to manage their stress. That rate more than doubled among those who had children between the ages of 5 and 7.

Another study published in JAMA Network Open in October found that Americans increased the frequency of their alcohol consumption by 14 percent compared to a year earlier. But the same study found a 41 percent increase in the number of days on which women drank heavily, defined as having four or more drinks in a couple of hours.

The psychological damage from the past year has caused sharp declines in physical health, including widespread weight gain and disruptions in sleep. Hospitals around the country have reported an increase in admissions for hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver failure and other forms of alcohol-related diseases. Almost no group has been spared.

The Garden Club of Old Annapolis is inviting residents and businesses in the Downtown Historic District to join in their 66th Annual May Day celebration by putting baskets of fresh cut flowers in front of their homes and businesses by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 1.  

Blessed in Tech is in need of helpers at the Eastport Annapolis-Neck Library this Friday 4/30 starting at 2:00pm to help with food distribution to those in need.

The First Sunday Arts events will resume on Sunday, May 2nd starting its second decade on the first block of West Street from 11 am to 5 pm. The event will feature 50 artisans selling paintings, photography, jewelry, woodturning, glass art, home décor, and more.

Maryland Hall in Annapolis, Maryland, is anticipating the arrival of renowned environmental artist Patrick Dougherty to create a Stickwork sculptural installation on their campus this May. For over 35 years, the public has been mesmerized by Dougherty’s whimsical sculptural creations in botanical gardens, museum grounds, universities, and other settings around the world. He has honed his craft at bending and weaving natural materials into over 300 monumental interactive sculptures for an unforgettable experience.

Starting May 3, 2021, the front lawn of Maryland Hall – adjacent to the Nature Sacred meditative labyrinth – will be transformed over a three-week period serving as the setting for Dougherty’s Stickwork sculpture. His vision will be executed through a team of community volunteers helping to create what will be an installation evoking Maryland Hall’s historic surroundings and creative sensibility. The monumental scale sculpture will envelop visitors as they wander through the installation.

Registration for entry will open on Tuesday, April 27 for HA Members (Become a Member Now!) and on Friday, April 30 for the general public.