Chapter 13 speaks about violence. I would like to focus on sexual assault/harassment etc, because it is more often than not occurring on college campuses. It also seems that many people don’t fully understand what is considered consent and what does not count as consent. Sexual assault is defined as simply any sexual intimacy with someone without their consent. This can include something simple as a touch to penetration. There is a aggravated rape and simple rape. Aggravated rape is violently raping an individual whereas simple rape is rape without physical violence. Pearson also explains that ⅕ women will experience sexual assault and 1/58 men will experience sexual assault (Pearson 2019). Most perpetrators are known to the individual who has been raped. At college people have parties where there are drinking and drugs involved. This impairs the judgement and sober thinking of an individual. No matter if the perpetrator or the victim is impaired/intoxicated, consent cannot be given. Even if the person seems like they are able to make decisions, since they are intoxicated, legally consent cannot be given. Most people do not understand this. This can happen between two individuals who are strangers, friends, in a relationship or marriage. Victims often do not speak out from fear of embarrassment, privacy issues and not wanting to get the perpetrator in trouble. Sexual harassment has specific criteria, however any sort of unwanted or unwelcome sexual advances to another individual is considered sexual harassment. To avoid unwanted harassment and violence there are precautions than can be taken. Don’t post anything online that you wouldn’t want a stranger to see. Examples being your phone number or address. Recently, a lot of my friends who are girls have used their middle name as their last name to protect them from strangers. When an attacker comes at you, it is best to be loud and assertive. Keeping eye contact and being confident can sometimes deter an attacker. I heard a funny story a while ago where one of my sister’s friends who was a theater major was stopped by a robber. He began shouting at the robber with shakespeare lines and the robber actually backed off and walked away. I guess if you pretend be insane and assertive, it may actually work! Something unfortunate that this chapter talks about is keeping evidence. When sexual assault occurs, the victim may want to clean up or just sterilize themself because they feel violated and gross. However that can impede evidence of an investigation and stop a criminal from going behind bars. This is super important for everyone to understand even though it is devastating.

Chapter 14 talks about environmental pollution. The book talks about air quality index. It measure on a scale of 0-500, higher side being more polluted. Above 100 is observed as unhealthy to be in. This is how air pollution is measured, although it is not specified how this measurement is performed. The chapter also talks about UV light that says it actually causes damage to the immune system and DNA. I was only aware of a possibility of skin cancer. Secondhand smoke in an indoor area, according to Pearson, is 4,000 times more polluted than normal air (Pearson 2019). This is why indoor smoking has been banned in the United States in most places. The greenhouse effect is greenhouse gasses making a layer around the atmosphere. This layer allows heat to come in, but traps it, making the planet hotter. A climate change factor is the cutting down of trees. Trees take in CO2, but when they are cut down, they release this O2. There are also other factors such as the fossil fuel that we are burning at high rates. The United States tap water was tested in 2014 and according to Pearson they found a plethora of pharmaceutical and OTC drugs traces in the water. That is kind of disturbing.

Chapter 15 is pretty straightforward, yet a lot of people don’t properly understand. There’s a time to go to the doctor and there’s a time to stay home and rest. Reasons to see a doctor would be a high temperature of 102 or a temperature above 99 for a long period of time. Obviously bleeding, nerve pain, chest pain and others are also good reasons to go. Basically anything out of the complete ordinary, you should be going. If you’re coughing and have a small fever for a couple days, it’s really not necessary to see a doctor. It’s a waste of your money and the doctor’s time. If you’re sick and your symptoms because worse after 3 days, that’s also an indicator you should see a doctor. Often it’s nearly impossible to get an appointment with your primary care doctor. To keep your own costs low, go to an urgent care clinic, not the emergency room. Unless obviously, there is a reason to go to the emergency room. You always have the right to say no, what exactly the treatment and diagnosis is and whether a drug is experimental or not. If you’re over 18, no one can access your medical records other than the medical professionals who are currently taking care of you. If they want to give it to a medical professional who is not currently treating you, you must give written permission. Pearson explains that in ¾ doctor visits, prescription is given (Pearson 2019). In my opinion this is very sketchy. Obviously some issues require medicine. However a lot of problems can be fixed simply by doing certain things, and they don’t require medicine. The problem with taking prescriptions, especially for a long period of time, is your body becomes dependent on it. For example, some who has anxiety takes anti-anxiety medicine. After 5 or 6 years, this person tries to cycle off the medicine and experiences extreme mood swings and inability to handle situations. They end up with worse anxiety because now what made there anxiety go away is no longer there, and they have no way of coping with how to deal with it because the medicine they took is no longer controlling the chemicals in the brain. This isn’t always the case, but it is something to watch out for. In my own experience, I had dealt with headaches for a couple months, and the neurologist told me she could put me on anti-depression medication which would actually relieve the headaches. However anti-depression medication would cause a serious chemical change in my brain and it would be hard to cycle off this medicine, so I declined the offer. Dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA. Know what every dietary supplement can do, but also know its side effects.

Over all of these weeks, I have found better ways to stretch and better times to stretch. The most benefit I have received is post workout, after doing bike or treadmill cardio. At this time my muscles are warm and circulating blood which makes stretching more effective at increasing sarcomere length. I have found the best ways to stretch. An example being, being able to use the wall to do a stretch so I am not straining my neck to complete a stretch. I have tried different stretches such as an oblique stretch on a large medicine ball. Instead of that, I plant my feet and hold on to a door frame which gives me a better stretch. I have realized that not every stretch works for everyone. Sometimes we need to modify things to make it work for ourselves as individuals. In total, I have learned piriformis, gluteus medius, paraspinal, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, quadratus lumborum, oblique, hamstring and iliopsoas (hip flexor) stretches. It has been a successful journey in flexibility, and I have felt an improvement in low back pain. From here on out, I will continue flexibility but I will also work on core strengthening of the deep lower back abdomen muscles. I will also work on proper lifting form and minimize risk of injury. I believe that setting this goal has helped me obtain more flexibility and put me on a routine. I stretch about 5/7 days of the week, before this class I maybe did 1 day out of the week. My final picture shows me being able to touch beneath my toes, with slight knee bend, with khakis on. This is a huge improvement from the beginning, and I cannot wait to continue with my flexibility goal.

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In Chapter 10 we talk about fitness. Approximately 30% of the population does not do any physical activity. This sets them up for long term health risks and cardiovascular diseases. There are 4 types of fitness. Cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance, muscle strength and flexibility. Unfortunately you can’t have everything. For example, having cardiovascular fitness will increase the volume of blood able to be pumped in the heart causing it to be more efficient and hold more blood. Muscle strength training causes hypertrophy of the heart which causes thickening of the walls. This allows for less volume and harder contractions. You can only train for one of these categories at a time or you are contradicting yourself. Physical activity can combat mental health issues like depression, it can keep the risks of cardiovascular disease low and can keep you in shape. If you don’t have the motivation to get fit, get a work out partner. They can make you accountable for every day you are supposed to work out and they can motivate you. Be SMART – Be specific, measure your goals, be action oriented, realistic, and time oriented. You have to be intentional and know exactly what you want. Personally I would say to anyone develop your core strength first before you start jumping into a workout. It is simple, you need your core stabilization to reduce risk of injury. These are deep abdominal muscles and back muscles that keep you in line and safe. Then be sure not to jump into heavy weights. Be gradual and start off easy to adjust your body to what you are trying to do. No you going into the gym and doing crunches and situps is not going to get you a six pack. You already have a six pack. Six packs are made in kitchen with proper nutrition and weight loss. If you cannot see your six pack, you are more than likely covering it in fat. Be smart, buy clothing that is not loose but not tight. Buy shoes that give you the proper arch support and don’t take unnecessary dietary supplements like protein, when you eat a 4 oz piece of chicken for dinner.

In Chapter 11 it talks about different health problems. Specifically stated cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2 and cancer are all things that could be decreased in risk if every individual was physically active and not sedentary or obese. 1 in 3 adults die from cardiovascular diseases. There are so many cardiovascular problems that people can run into. One that I think is particularly preventable is hypertension. A good diet and physical exercises regularly would basically demolish this issue. Instead of prescribing medications, we should be getting people in shape and getting them a diet to follow. Atherosclerosis is very common and is also a dietary issue. We feed people junk, and the government subsidizes processed food which makes no sense. People intake processed food which contains VLDLs (very low dense lipoproteins). These break down into LDLs and cholesterol and basically clog up the arteries. HDL (high density lipoproteins) do the opposite and eat up the plaque and prevent it from forming in arteries. It is such a simple fix, yet we make what kills us cheap, and what keeps us alive expensive. Everything is interconnected. We eat too much food because we do not monitor our calories, then our extra carbohydrates and proteins turn into triglycerides. This leads to fat build up which leads to problems like hypertension. This in turn can make atherosclerosis even worse. Keeping a healthy body and a healthy diet is key to longevity. Obviously what can not be changed is your past environment, race, gender and genes. The book talks about C-reactive proteins that occur from inflammation. Theoretically if bread causes inflammation, then that would cause C-reactive proteins to release and further increase risks of CVD. Cancer is another huge problem. Risk factors for it are alcohol, tobacco use, and obesity. Again, there are heredity things that can’t be changed. In women, highest rate of cancer is breast cancer, and for men it is prostate cancer. Another interesting thing is that researchers believe that type 2 diabetes is most common when the environment, genetics and lifestyle are determined. Therefore if your family has it, you will be more likely to have it. If you live in a house with processed food or you let yourself eat whatever and don’t do any exercise, it is also a risk factor.

In Chapter 12 we talk about the immune system. We fight off antigens (bad stuff) with antibodies. The antibodies are able to understand shape and size of antigens and do whatever has to be done to eliminate them. We have T and B cells. T cells activate B cells. There are helper, suppressor, attacker and memory T cells. You can imagine what each of those does just by the name of the T cell. When attacked by the same virus/antigens, the body remembers what it did to kill it and the immune system will eliminate it. Some people suffer from autoimmune disease. Basically this is the body attacking parts of itself because it believes it is foreign. For example type 1 diabetes, the antibodies attack insulin cells. The signs of inflammation are hot, red, swollen and painful. This means the body is uptaking and trying to destroy and fix the problem at large. The body will also uptake its body temperature because it can kill certain organisms at that temperature and it release more white blood cells. A vaccine is simply the dead organism/disease put into the body so that antibodies can understand how to handle it. This makes it easier to overcome this illness in the future. Unfortunately for flu vaccines, it is questionable. These are simply so called ‘clinically educated guesses’ on what the strands will be for this season. Therefore, you may get a flu shot, and it not protect you at all because that  strand is not what you got vaccinated for. This is why I never got flu shots because I’ve never had the flu and don’t believe that it is necessary. Now I have no choice because I have clinical rotations with patients. Viruses like measles are less worried about because majority of us now receive vaccinations as kids. All in all, if you don’t want to get sick, or at least want to minimize your risk, be smart. Wash your hands with soap and water frequently. Don’t touch anything on your face. Don’t be binge drinking, taking drugs, not sleeping or eating unhealthy. If you take good care of your body and are aware, illness risks are greatly decreased. When taking antibiotics, ALWAYS finish your dosage. If you don’t finish it just because you feel better, you are at high risk to allow the bacteria to become resistant, and be even harder to treat. There are many sexually transmitted infections that everyone is at risk for. Some are even asymptomatic in individuals. The best way to stay safe is simple, abstane, or have your partner get a check.

This week I obviously worked on my stretching. My back has felt very good. Last week I did a lot of standing at work and it gave me back aches. This is simply because I don’t have a heel lift in and it causes asymmetry in my pelvis. This week, I am also paying more attention to form. I am beginning to work on deadlifting form, which is also a way to pick things up properly. When lifting items, they should be close to your body. Items should be picked up with knees bent, back straight, pushing through your heels and contraction your glutes. This ensures you put the least amount of strain on your back. I have photos of examples on how to properly pick items up with one and two legs. Flexibility is important, but without correct form, injury can easily occur.

Throughout chapter 7, I learned about alcohol. It is more of a review than anything. Binge drinking is categorized as 5 drinks or more for males and 4 or more for females in a 2 hour period. Binge drinking among college students is common. It used to relieve stress and social anxiety. Majority of college students who binge drank had experienced a bad consequence. “In the last year, nearly 33 percent of college students who drank reported doing something they later regretted; 28 percent forgot where they were or what they did due to intoxication; just over 21 percent had unprotected sex; and 12.4 percent accidentally injured themselves” (Pearson 2019). These consequences can be avoided when drinking responsibly. Drinking responsibly includes: having 1 drink for every hour or less, having a non alcoholic beverage between alcoholic beverages and not participating in drinking games. Drinking alcohol late at night is even worse because it disrupts the sleep cycle, causing less REM sleep to occur. Alcohol can lead to dehydration because it is a diuretic. Alcohol and sexual decisions should not be made. Having sex with anyone who is intoxicated means you do not have their consent. Therefore it is rape. Tobacco is a huge issue that leads to many detrimental health problems. These include COPD, emphysema, bronchitis and other respiratory problems, among other issues. It is also one of the leading causes of medical expenses through insurance. It takes just one cigarette to be addicted to nicotine.

Chapter 8 discusses macronutrients, micronutrients and calorie limits. Macronutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, water and fats. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. The average amount of calories that is recommended to intake by the FDA is 2000 per day. Eating about 3 meals per day. Our portions from the 1980s until now have drastically increased. Humans are mostly made of water. A human can live with just water for up to 10 days. The average amount of water that an individual should drink is 2 liters per day. Most individuals drink less than that, and don’t realize when they are dehydrated. There are 20 amino acids (that are protein building blocks). 9 of them are essential amino acids which means they are needed from the diet. Average healthy diet gets all essential amino acids. Vegetarians need multiple sources of plant based protein in order to receive all essential amino acids. Carbohydrates are simple and complex. Simple come from food that is processed and not as healthy. Where as complex carbohydrates come from starch and healthier sources of carbohydrates. Each carbohydrate has 4 calories, each protein has 4 calories and each fat is 9 calories. Fiber is very important to health. Fiber helps the digestive system. It is not absorbed therefore it helps push and bind food out into the intestines and then expelled.

Obesity in the United States is very common. About ⅓ of the population is overweight and/or obese. The portions we serve are too large and cause overeating. We also provide fast highly processed fat foods at a cheap price. The convenience of fast food is the reason why it is so easy to gain weight. There are multiple factors that influence weight management. Some of those include: environmental conditions, income, genes, metabolism and stress. There are many others but these are key. Those with low income can not afford to buy healthy food. A slow metabolism will result in less calories burnt. Those who have gained weight and increased fat cell sizes will have an easier time losing weight, but a harder time keeping weight at a healthy level. When the fat cells swell and meet maximum limit, they make more fat cells. Overweight can be measured by BMI which is inaccurate because it does not factor in muscle. The most accurate way to measure body fat is through hydrostatic weighing. This may be uncomfortable because you are submerged in water. There are two main types of eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is mostly characterized by not eating and see yourself as overweight when you are normally healthy weight or underweight. Bulimia is similar except individual will binge eat and then binge vomit because they feel guilty about eating too much food. I learned about Other Unspecified Eating Disorders. These are actually the leading cause of death. These individuals do not have the criteria to be an eating disorder, however that does not mean they do not have one.

This week I had a lot of trouble stretching formally. I wasn’t able to hit the gym because I started work this week, along with keeping up with this class and another winter intercession class. I absolutely paid the price for it. I started at chipotle on tuesday. By wednesday, I would get home and could feel my back aching. Today at work it was extremely stiff. I try to get at least the super important stretches being: piriformis, glute medius and hip flexor. Today I did it after work for a long 10 minutes and felt some instant relief. The problem is I need a heel lift to balance out my left short leg. I tried using a heel lift but it caused pain in the foot. My left foot is flat, and my right foot is neutrally arched. I found out a couple weeks ago that shorter legs usually cause flat arch in the short leg. Realistically I need to get orthotics made, especially if I am doing sports or long standing times. I also added in oblique stretching. I was not able to go to the gym so the stretching that I have done for it has been using a door frame. I also added in the latissimus dorsi stretch which can be done on the railing of the stairs (picture). This loosens up my back a lot. For those who want to learn. You simple put two hands parallel to each other, push your butt out into a romanian deadlift, and then bend your knees. When you are in this position when you breath in and out, it moves your thoracic spine which ultimately contracts and lengthens the latissimus dorsi. I like to educate others even though this is my own goal. Next week I am hoping to stretch more at the gym and utilize the space and equipment since I am not working 5 days in a row.

Standing –> Romanian deadlift position —> Bent knees

This week I have gone to the gym and done stretching after working out. Stretching is not very useful before a workout because your blood is not circulating and your muscles are not warm. You are stretching and are not really obtaining the long term increase in sarcomere length. Doing the stretching after blood circulation helps the sarcomeres really stretch to increase in length. (Sarcomeres are referring to a deeper part of the muscle cells) I have been constantly looking up stretches that would best suit me. I have started with hamstring stretches, which is simply putting my leg up in the air and holding it with a band while lying supine (on my back) on the ground. I have done glute medius stretches by lying supine on the ground and placing one leg at 90 degrees of hip flexion while crossing the other leg on top. (Depicted in picture) I have also done a piriformis stretch, simply pulling one leg across to the other side without allowing that hip to leave the ground. I have also done hip flexor stretches which is simply a lunge position and pushing the pelvis forward. I have not been able to complete any back stretches because my abdominals are extremely sore from coughing so much. I had pneumonia this past 2 weeks so I have gotten a nice little abdominal workout from coughing my life up. I am doing better now though being on antibiotics. What I also noticed that helps sometimes is to simply heat up a heat pack and place it parallel with my spine underneath me. It is nice and warm and usually loosens up that area if it is very tight in the morning. I also do this for the lower back. I am hoping next week I will be able to do more back stretches once my abdominals don’t feel like a sore brick.

Reading chapter 4, relationships and sexuality, opened my eyes to a lot. I recently broke with a girlfriend of 2.5 years over the summer. It was interesting reading some of the warning signs and things that more than likely caused things to go south. I am going to talk about more of the interesting things that most people don’t think about. In Sternberg’s triangular love theory, he explains the three basic components being: intimacy, passion and commitment. You can have any combination of those three components, however the most beneficial is to obviously have a balance of all three. So basically you can be committed and intimate but not have passion. In instances like this, you may lose attraction to the person you are with because you lack the passion in the relationship. Love can be considered a drug in some instances simply because it allows the release of dopamine, norepinephrine and phenylethylamine. All of these chemicals make you feel really good, almost like you’re on top of the world. However the chapter explains that, as good as a person can make you feel as they become closer and know you more, the more they can hurt you and you can hurt them if the relationship goes south. We take this risk because we don’t go into a relationship expecting to leave or be left. The main way to have a successful relationship is trust. Trust according to Pearson, includes predictability, dependability and faith. Basically what this means is that you can predict what they are going to do, they are there for you when you need them, and you feel confident about their intentions. Without these aspects, a relationship is bound to fail, or at least is more prone to not last a lifetime. Individuals must be very careful with what they post on social media. Just because you believe it is okay or might be funny, doesn’t mean your partner, friend or family member will. Always check with the person you are posting about to make sure they consent to the image, post or whatever it may be. A huge issue is lack of communication about sexual history. It is super important that both participants know the sexual history and about any possibilities of having or acquiring sexually transmitted diseases or infections. Although there are many protective barriers that can prevent these, there is always a chance of exposure based off user error. Another issue is having a partner as an abuser. Signs of someone is abusive is shouting and swearing, excessive jealousy, controlling, threats, unwanted sex, and shutting out family members and friends. Abusive relationships are obviously not healthy, and anyone found in these situations should immediately discontinue and find help if necessary. I am not going to go into detail about female and male reproductive parts. Menopause occurs in women between ages 45-55, which is simply a cessation of menstruation.

Chapter 5 is all about productive barriers for sex. Women have a lot more choices on what they can use to prevent pregnancy which makes sense because it is there body. Males really only have the option of using a male condom, everything else is related to the female’s body. Male condoms are about 86% effective which is really not that great. The average male also does not really follow the rules of storing it correctly. It should be stored in a cool dry place and not be crushed or pushed. Your average male sticks it in his wallet or pocket which can cause rips, tears, punctures and temperature differences. These all can significantly decrease the effectiveness of preventing pregnancies. A lot of women take the issue into their own hands not trusting their partners. There are female condoms which can be up to 95% effective if used correctly, however these are not as commonly used. The most commonly used preventative method is birth control. There are pills that provide a combination of hormones and some that are singular like progesterone only. Each pill has its purpose. Birth control is usually preferable because it can lighten menstrual period and provides 99% effectiveness as long as it is taken consistent and on time everyday. For some people that is hard. There are also other alternative like skin patches, vaginal rings, injections and implants. I was surprised learning about some of these implants. Nexplanon is an implants that is put in every 3 years and it is 99.95% effective. The only complications and removal and replacement. There is no user error. This to me seems like the most effective and easiest way to prevent pregnancy. They also have IUDs that sit inside the vagina, however there are multiple common side effects that mimic a menstruation period that can occur for months. This does not seem desirable, however this method can last for up to 10 years. There are also emergency contraceptives. These are for people who might have made a mistake and need immediate contraceptives in order to prevent a pregnancy. These are most common for within 24-48 hours. Obviously if one does not want to get pregnant, they can practice abstinence. This is the only true way to prevent pregnancy because it is 100% effectiveness of no pregnancy. When individuals are older they can choose to either getting a vasectomy (men) or get tubes tied (women). This is permanent and once this is chosen, no pregnancy can occur. If one chooses to want to a child, they must prepare. They should make sure they have finances ready and be healthy. This means not smoking, drinking, or being near harsh chemicals. They also may take certain vitamins like iron that the fetus will need from the mother.

Chapter 6 is about addiction. Most people think of drugs when they think of addiction. Addiction can be to anything. This could include gambling, working, money, shopping, gym, and alcohol. There are many things one can legitimately addicted to. Addiction can start from multiple ways. The most common are taking a painkiller opioid and the individual becomes dependent or the drug is not strong enough, so they grab a stronger opioid and become hooked. The other way is through using a drug to suppress emotions or forget about life. Once a drug or other forms of addiction are used to cover up parts of life, the brain uses it and then dependents on it. For example if one uses alcohol to suppress emotions about a break up, and never addresses the situations and goes on for years using alcohol, they will experience serious withdrawals when they try to stop. It becomes a part of the brain and biochemicals, this is why addiction is so intense and such a huge problem. A huge indicator of having a problem is when a loved one addresses it, and the individual does not see it as a problem. They often try to make excuses or become defensive about it. The drugs that change the biochemicals of the brain are called psychoactive drugs. These include drugs like: heroin and LSD. These drugs change what is happening on the neurotransmitters. Other drugs like cocaine can interrupt and change the chemicals at the synapses of the motor neuron plates. Any drug that is labeled as a psychoactive has a high risk for addiction. Most commonly we take in over the counter drugs through oral ingestion. However the fastest route of intake is through intravenous injections. These are done with hypodermic needles and that is why if you ever see one lying around you should NEVER touch it. You don’t who had it, what was in it, or what that person carries. There is a high risk of exposure to bloodborne diseases. In fact recently on vacation, we found a hypodermic needle in a decoration at an AirBnb, you can imagine how settling that was. Obviously you can inhale drugs, inject them through skin or even analy. However intravenous and oral are most common routes. I could talk about all of these drugs, but I am going to focus on marijuana, because it is increasingly common and being legalized. Marijuana is either rolled up into a blunt or smoked through a bong. They can also be ingested in food. THC is the chemical in marijuana that gives the person the “high”. Common ways you’ll know someone is high is they will have bloody looking cornea and dilating pupils. Some enjoy marijuana and feel relaxed, others can begin to panic and be anxious. Most effects only last for 3 hours, but obviously the more the consumption, the longer it will take to wear off. Marijuana can be dangerous because it impairs reactions and quick decisions when driving (Pearson 2019). Long term use of marijuana can be worse than cigarettes for the lungs because it has more tar. Also since there is smoke going into the lungs, you can develop medical conditions like emphysema or bronchitis in your lungs. That is why all of my friends that smoke always sound sick, because they can’t stop smoking. Pearson also explains that men are more likely to get testicular cancer when smoking often and for a long period of time. Most evidence is inconclusive on long terms effects of marijuana on the body. Moral of the story is, try not use drugs or certain bad behaviors to cover up parts of your life that you don’t have control over or don’t want to deal with. Talk to a therapist and/or a medical provider to see what can be done for you before participating in drugs and bad behavior.

In chapter 1, I learned and was most impacted by mindfulness. Mindfulness, according to Pearson, is being in the moment and not dwelling on the past and future. Dwelling on the past and the future is a huge cause of stress, anxiety and depression. Mindfulness also includes being grateful for the people and things around you. This helps take you off the negative thoughts and mindset that often accompanies throughout the day. Being mindful can help cognitive behavior and increase sleep at night. A way that mindfulness is used is through yoga. Yoga practices being in the moment. Yoga may be helpful for me on my journey to better flexibility.

In chapter 1, I also looked at the transtheoretical model. This model consists of 6 parts. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and termination. After reviewing each part of the model, I realized that I am consistently dipping in and out of the maintenance category. I need to re-evaluate my reasons as to why I need to work on flexibility and why it will help me in the future. This will help me stay in the maintenance category and further move on to the termination category, where it is a way of life.

In chapter 2, I connected the fact that just because you’re doing good mentally, physically, or spiritually, does not mean you’re doing well in all of these categories. One thing I did not know which I found interesting is spiritual health does not refer to only religion. I always thought spiritual meant religion. Pearson describes spiritual health as a “sense of belonging to something greater” (Pearson 2019). Belonging to something that is not physical. I thought this was intriguing. Also a huge component of psychological wellness is having a support system. Having a support system helps you bounce ideas about your future and support you when times are tough. This is often underestimated, and it is super important to have friends and family to look to.

In chapter 3, it is all about stress. Stress can basically change and control your entire life. It can cause you to die sooner and be more prone to disease and different illnesses. It can run down your immune system, it can affect your everyday life and ultimately determines how you feel. Indirectly, after reading this, I noticed that I had already been putting strategies to reduce stress into place. I constantly write goals, write down deadlines, take breaks when doing work, reward myself when finishing work – chocolate and I say no when I am overwhelmed with school work. However I know that stress still plays a huge role in my life. Stress also can relate to lower back pain which is something I am trying to fix with flexibility. Reducing stress will help me reach my goal of pain free lower back and flexibility.

This past week I have worked on figuring out what muscles need to be targeted the most by flexibility. After doing some thinking and research, I figured out what needs to be targeted. I have an excessive anterior pelvic tilt, this is sometimes caused by weak abdominal muscles and tight iliopsoas (hip flexor). I also experience pain in my PSIS (low back area). PSIS pain is often related to tight gluteus medius and piriformis. I also noticed that I can not touch my toes and my back is very tight every morning. So far I am finding stretches for the paraspinals, quadratus lumborum, piriformis, iliopsoas, gluteus medius and hamstrings!