The Barrett Blog

Diet, Exercise, Sleep…And there’s one more!

When it comes to wellness, there are the big three plus one – diet, exercise and sleep, then there’s time management. Diet is what you eat, exercise is how you move, and sleep is when you restore. Time management is how you structure and schedule your days. Today, I thought it might be insightful to gaze into your typical day with these three+one components in mind.  I’ll use myself as an example:I’ve got the exercise part down....

Be Strong, Go Long

What if I told you there is something you could do every day, that brings increased mobility, energy, and youthfulness…it’s free and easy, requires zero equipment, and could take as little as 10 seconds? Well, that something is elongate your glorious spine! I know,  I know…this might seem too good to be true, and you may assume I’m greatly exaggerating its effectiveness, but seriously, have you elongated your spine today?  Sitting, at a desk or in a car...

The Three Beliefs of the Very Well

I just spent an afternoon with human resource directors from some of the biggest companies in the world. I listened in on parts of their conversation concerning their employees. The primary conundrum that each of these HR directors faced was how can they keep employees healthy and strong, and thus productive? Many of their employees work long hours and when their workday ends, family responsibilities begin. Basically, everyone’s busy and exhausted, so how does anyone...

All Knees Are Not Created Equal

There are two major differences between the male and female knee: 1. the female’s ligaments are softer and thinner, and 2.  a female’s femur bone connects at the knee at a more pronounced slant. There are other physiological differences too, from lower bone density to higher percentage of body fat, but the two I mention above makes the female knee especially vulnerable to excessive high-impact activity and to reactive/sudden pivot-action, a.k.a., masculine training.  Over the years, I...

Health. Care.

It was a big “aha” moment when I realized movement is actual medicine. When we twist and bend our spines during exercise, we energize our core organs. Yes, our kidneys, liver, and spleen, to name a few, get space to circulate and a fresh batch of blood flow, helping them function more optionally.  We’re trained to see medicine as some sort of substance that comes from a doctor’s order, a pill or sophisticated medical treatment we need our insurance...

Low and Slow

There are year-long courses on breathing and whole books written on breathing. There are breathing specialists and hundreds of breathing studies currently going on around the world. Breathing is a big deal and when it comes to quality of living, society is seemingly getting hip to the vital role it can play. But if you are like me, and you “breathe just fine,” then breathing is super boring. At least that’s how I viewed breathing for most...

Workout Colors?

The deeper into winter I go the more black I wear. It’s a habit from way way back. This year, I’m attempting to kick this habit to the curb and wear splashes of color as much as possible. On Friday, I wore a cheerful yellow cropped sweater, and I honestly felt happier, and everywhere I went people said, “Oh, great sweater,” but I think what they really meant was, “Oh, it’s so nice to see a...

Empowerment Is Inevitable

Ellen Barrett

Empowerment Is InevitableBecause it is so easy to feel disempowered today, I am obsessed with helping you stay empowered. I actually obsess over it! I’ve complied the five big ways we can use exercise to boost our sense of empowerment. These five things help us look, feel and function great, and the best part? We’re in charge. Yes, you and I can work on them ourselves, nothing standing in our way. Here they are: Almost all kinds...

It’d be in your best interest to have this mindset

There is an empowered wellness mindset, and it is as important as the movement portion of wellness (or maybe more so) because, to paraphrase Joseph Pilate, “The mind is the master behind the movement.”  There are three big overarching pillars to the empowered wellness mindset – three things, that when I see them in other people, I just know they’ll achieve their goals and shine brightly. Here they are, accompanied by a simple self-talk affirmation:  A “can-do” attitudeI can do it.Many people, especially those...

Zoom Out

Way back in 2000, I was living in Los Angeles and driving all over the city for work. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time in my car. My car was littered with coffee cups, takeout containers and granola bar wrappers. I think I consumed 80percent of my meals in that Jeep Cherokee! For my resolution that year, I averred: I’m not going to eat in the car. I was disgusted with myself and I thought this...