It’s officially here! Let the summer begin! And, with the nicer weather usually comes a full schedule of injuries for me to care for. This, of course, is not my most favorite thing in my job but I do feel honored that I am able to help so many.

Here are some tips to get you through pain-free and feeling your best for all the great summer things you want do do:

1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK DAILY!!!
If you have never done a personal training session with me, it’s time… even if you have no pain signals going off. Actually, it’s much better that I see you before your have a pain signal. We all fall out of a healthy alignment… if you’re going to use your body, it’s going to happen. The “homework” I am referring to is to help you maintain good alignment… or get it back once you’ve shifted it. I compare this to brushing and flossing your teeth… we use our teeth daily and, thus, they need daily care. Well, how many other body parts do you use daily? They need the same exact thing… daily care. Set up a session ASAP and let’s get you some homework to prevent any injuries from even starting.

2. If you do get pain, do not wait to call to get in.
Sometimes it takes me a longer time frame to help your body rebalance itself if you wait too long to undo what’s been done.

3. Drink water!
I know you hear this all over the place… it is SO important to be hydrated. Your body should be over 70% water at any given time. With the heat, alcohol, salty foods, injuries, poor circulation, and many other functions that our body’s water gets used for, we are way too often running low and don’t even feel thirsty.

4. Eat healthy!
The repairing process of your body is completely dependent on what nutrients are available to use to heal…with the water being needed to keep the blood volume healthy to transport these nutrients. Cellular inflammation from eating unhealthy foods is a big issue in healing and thought to be the main cause for mots diseases to start.

5. Get good rest…
Just like in the formula for a sprain…”RICE” = rest, ice, compression, elevation. Just one example of what happens when we sleep is that our body repairs cartilage (which is in all joints and is also in the lining of our spine discs) when we are in deep sleep. I know the days are longer and there’s a long list of fun things to do, but we NEED rest.

Of course, my hope for you all is a wonderful summer with family and friends creating amazing memories and enjoying all the beautiful things life has to share. I’m here to help if your body signals the need so you don’t miss out!

This article was originally posted in the Essence Mind Body Studio eNews, June 2015.