Rolling With It

At what age did you start creating and what were you making?

I’ve been creating since I was a child, but my interests have obviously changed and developed over the years. Until I was a teenager, I wanted to be a cartoonist because I loved drawing funny little characters and making my friends laugh. As I got older, I became interested in painting and drawing. While I was in college, I took my first fine metals class and quickly learned that I enjoy working three-dimensionally the most.

I recently had a chance to say hi to Hoang Tran OT/L, CHT of www.handsOTS.com over a Zoom call. Hands on Therapy Services has a strong reputation ...

As part of our Beat Tech Neck series, we created a gentle 15 minute (approx) floor sequence for shoulders, neck, fingers and carpal tunnel.    ...

It's a new year, and as we see messages of "seek to find meaning, not happiness," floating around social media, I know we're all thinking "Ah, yes that makes sense, because if you find meaning, happiness is likely going to come along for the ride." In founding RistRoller with Jade, I was able to connect to purpose more deeply. That tagline "feel awesome, do awesome," is really an extension of my life's purpose: helping others feel awesome so they can do awesome ties into my sense of purpose which is to help others claim wellness. (And no, "Others" is not a reference to LOST, though I suppose it is now, now that I capitalized the O. "Others" is meant to include more than just humans.)

Are you an over-worker? Do you find yourself waking up early to get a head start on the work day, working through lunch, or working into the evening hours: rather than spending time with loved ones? According to some studies, you are not alone. Many Americans have taken to the practices of overwork, to the detriment of their wellbeing and/or productivity levels. 

More than half of teens with smartphones say texting is their main method of communication. With more than 75 percent of all teens owning smartphones, according to Pew Research Center, it seems safe to say that texting is a firmly established trend. What’s more, by some estimates, adults spend an average of 11 hours each day using electronic media. As a result, people of all ages are experiencing physical effects that really didn’t exist 20 years ago, such as text neck and texting thumb. These physical conditions are the direct result of overuse of electronic devices or a lack of awareness while using them. The good news is that you can avoid the physical discomfort of text fatigue by making a few elemental changes.

A decade ago, a Men’s Health article caught the eyes of retired federal agent Mario Dispenza, who was, at the time, looking for something new in training. Having been active with cardio and weights all his life, he was drawn to the claim “the greatest workout known to man,” so he picked up their piece about Olympic Weightlifting. Mario found the  sport to be quite captivating, and the article spurred him to find a local USAW coach. Soon he was hooked.

Olympic Weightlifting is about sport: the bar is lifted overhead in a fast, explosive movement. Body mechanics are key. Olympic Weightlifters train to become more efficient with the bar, to better harness their strength and grow their personal records (PR’s).  In the sport of Olympic weightlifting, there are two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk.  The snatch is performed with a wide grip.  The bar is lifted overhead in one single motion.  

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis occurs in in the heel and sole of the feet. When you first get up after a night’s sleep or a daytime rest, you experience sharp pain when putting weight on these areas. Flexing your foot may also trigger pain from plantar fasciitis. About one-third of those with the condition are affected in both feet but most have it in only one. Plantar fasciitis develops slowly over time, usually originating in the heel and moving forward toward the toes. You can often alleviate your symptoms without extreme measures like surgery. The name of the malady comes from the plantar area, or sole, of your foot and the connecting tissue, or fascia, that extends from your heel to your toes. The tissue sustains minute tears that become inflamed, thus causing pain along the length of your foot.

What Are the Symptoms?

Pain in the heel and sole of your foot when you walk is the primary symptom of plantar fasciitis. People typically do not run a fever or have other noticeable symptoms. The most severe pain occurs when you first get up, and it tends to lessen as the fascia and muscles warm up. However, if you remain on your feet for most of the day, the pain will worsen as the day goes on. Climbing stairs may cause a flare-up. Getting off your feet will ease the discomfort. If the pain continues during the night when you are in bed, you may not have plantar fasciitis. Instead, you may have arthritis, a pinched nerve, tarsal tunnel syndrome or a foot injury.

Yes, Active Sitting Can Benefit Your Body

People with desk jobs are tired of sitting all day. So much so, in fact, that many are bringing their gym equipment to work with them in the effort to combine the daily grind with fitness. In a surprising leap of innovation, people from executives to administrative assistants are swapping out their office chairs for fitness balls in the effort to tone their glutes and quads while alleviating the aches and pains that sedentary work can cause, says Prevention magazine.

Why Traditional Office Chairs Cause Pain

One reason office chairs seem so uncomfortable is the result of poor posture. When you sit down to work each day, your body settles in, your abdominal muscles relax and your core muscles take a break. The seat of the chair, no matter how ergonomically designed, bears the brunt of your body weight. Poor posture means your body is not naturally aligned, and when you sit for extended periods in misalignment, your muscular and skeletal structures suffer, according to Prevention.

You might have heard “sitting is the new smoking” lately (or seen the hashtag #sittingisthenewsmoking), and if you haven't, it’s probably time to research it for yourself and make decisions with the facts it mind.


To compare sitting to smoking may seem like a harsh comparison because 480,000 people a year die from smoking, and you might be thinking “Are 480,000 people really dying a year or will be dying per year from sitting?”

Well… No. Not exactly, but perhaps we should all start reflecting on how many sedentary hours in our lives we can begin to modify.

For a brief time in my life I had a personal trainer who always steered me in the right direction. One day he asked me who had a better metabolism: middle school teachers or individuals who spent two hours at the gym every night? Anticipating the plot twist, I firmly stated “teachers” with as much false confidence one could have with fingers spread in high plank and watching beads of her own sweat fall to the mat 90 seconds in.

“Right, but do you know why?” He asked, and of course, I didn’t.

At RistRoller®, our philosophy can be summed up as: Feel awesome. Do awesome. And what better time to share some of our thoughts and antics than during National Employee Wellbeing Month?

Onsite Fitness Facilities and Offsite Antics

An onsite fitness facility doesn't have to look like a hotel gym. Maybe it looks like a pull up bar over a doorway... or a room full of balls. Sure I meant giant yoga balls when I wrote that, but not why not go all out with a Chuck E. Cheese style ball pit?

 

What Does Myofascial Mean?

Beneath your skin, each muscle, blood vessel, nerve and organ are connected with a translucent wrap of fascia, a dense web of organic threads that covers and penetrates each component, much like the membrane of an orange. The fascia is designed to help you move smoothly without friction. 

“Myo” refers to muscles. When you feel muscle irritation, it could be due to fascial restrictions, which cause areas of tightness and irritation. Myofascial restrictions can create tensile pressure up to 2,000 pounds per square inch, causing pain and immobility.