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3 Simple Ways to Relieve Tight Lower Back and Hips

by Heather Allard on May 4, 2018

For the past year, I’ve had problems with my lower back and hips being really tight and painful. I knew that the best way to fix things was to stretch my muscles and strengthen my core, but I had thrown my back out twice before and was worried that it might be too much for my back to handle.

On April 24th, I was truly in agony and nothing seemed to be helping. Not anti-inflammatories, not ice packs, not heating pads. I decided that day that I wasn’t going to live that way anymore. I decided to strengthen my core slowly and gently.

Fast forward to today, May 4th, and I’m happy to say that just TEN days later, I feel like a new woman.

Three super simple things helped me relieve my tight lower back and hips, and I’d like to share them with you. :)

3 Simple Ways to Relieve Tight Lower Back and Hips

Sit less

I’m currently reading Younger by Dr. Sara Gottfried (a must-read for any woman over 40), and Chapter 7 made me realize that I’ve been sitting way too much and how it’s affecting my back and hips. She says,

“Yes, sitting is the new smoking because of how it increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease – but it can also make your belly look fat by tightening your poor hip flexors and increasing your waist circumference. Here’s how that works: When you slump in a chair, abdominal muscles go slack while lower back muscles tighten, leading to swayback. The sway in your low back pushes out the abdomen, and your hip flexors are too tight to pull the belly back into the core.”

In other words: me. LOL.

Between working from home (and sitting at my computer for most of it) and waiting in school pick up lines, I realized that I sit for about 5 hours each day. While my sitting time is lower than the average American who sits for 8 hours a day, it’s still a lot of sitting.

So, how do we sit less? Here are a few simple suggestions:

When waiting in school pick up line, get out of the car and get some fresh air
Reserve the last 10-15 minutes of every hour to get up from your desk, stretch, and walk around a bit – if you work from home, do some jumping jacks, jump rope, or jog in place
Try a standing desk or a treadmill desk (you can find them on Amazon)
Watch less TV – take a walk instead and listen to an audio book

Stretch more

We all know that stretching is the best thing for tight muscles, but mine were so tight, that even basic stretches were impossible.

I searched through my DVD collection to see if I had anything that might help, and found Yoga for Energy and Stress Relief by Rodney Yee. I scanned the back to see what it was about, and zeroed in on the second sequence which uses a chair for support, called Gentle Relaxation. It said, “Use your breath to relax the body and quiet the mind. This practice is designed to help you release tension in the hips, back, and side body.”

Bingo! That was the one for me.

On April 25th, I started doing that 20-minute sequence every day and by Friday, April 28th, I noticed a remarkable difference in my lower back and hips. For the first time in over a year, they didn’t hurt and I could actually sit in a cross-legged pose without wanting to cry. The “quieting the mind” part of the sequence also made me realize that I hold all of my stress in my lower back.

Now when I’m feeling anxious about something (like, oh I don’t know… my daughter getting her driver’s license ;), I know to (and this might sound weird) inhale deeply into my lower back and exhale all the tension out.

Strengthen your core

After a few days of doing the yoga DVD, I decided to add some gentle core strengthening exercises to the mix.

Doing standing exercises was still too much for my back and hips, so I chose these floor exercises to help strengthen my hips, butt, and abs. I started off with 10 reps of each exercise, and now do about 25 reps of each of these 6 exercises, for a total of 50 reps per body part. When I’m feeling stronger, I’ll add more. :)

Floor exercises for hips, butt, and abs:

Hips: Set 3 and Set 4 of these exercises
Butt: The Glute Bridge and Donkey Kicks from these exercises
Abs: Regular crunches and these bicycle crunches

Who knew it could be this simple?

These three simple things totally relieved my tight lower back and hips in under two weeks.

Today is May 4th and I have zero pain in my lower back and hips. I can bend and stretch easily, and I can even tie my shoes, sit in lotus pose, and clean the tub without wincing. :)

11 Must Try Diffuser Blends

by Heather Allard on June 10, 2017

When my favorite candle company, Illuminations, went out of business in 2009, I was really bummed out.

Illuminations was the only store that sold candles that didn’t nauseate me, give me a migraine, or send black smoke pluming through the air. My very favorite candle was rosemary grapefruit, and the last one I owned is now a small slab with a pitiful buried wick.

Luckily, I don’t need scented candles anymore. Why? Because I have my essential oil diffuser and my list of trusty essential oil diffuser blends! Yay! :)

And, essential oil diffusers are even better than candles because they’re:

Great to diffuse for sleep without worrying about burning the house down.
Awesome at purifying and humidifying the air in your home instead of polluting it like candles do.
Convenient and can be used anywhere there’s an outlet and a flat surface.
Portable for diffusing at home, at work, or even in the car.
Natural mood boosters, to relax and calm, invigorate and uplift, or ground and balance.
For everyone – babies, kids, adults, elderly – in the home, workplace, gym, or car.

Awesome, right? Best of all, you can make your own essential oil diffuser blends. You can combine your favorite oils for truly custom scents.

So, let me share my 11 favorite essential oil diffuser blends with you to inspire you to get started.

11 Must-Try Essential Oil Diffuser Blends

1. Illuminations Blend

Of course I recreated my favorite Illuminations candle in my diffuser. :) It’s so fresh and clean!

4 drops grapefruit + 2 drops rosemary

2. My Favorite Blend

This is my all-time favorite blend, to diffuse and to apply topically on the back of my neck. It’s so beautiful!

2 drops frankincense + 2 drops wild orange + 2 drops peppermint

3. Mr. Brightside Blend

This blend is so clear and bright, it almost sparkles.

2 drops cardamom + 2 drops bergamot

4. Winter Wellness Blend

Want to be well this winter? Try this immune and mood boosting blend!

2 drops On Guard + 2 drops frankincense + 2 drops lemon

5. Warm + Inviting Blend

The last time my plumber was here, I had this blend diffusing. He kept commenting on how good it smelled, and finally asked me what it was and where he could buy one. LOL.

2 drops cinnamon + 2 drops wild orange + 2 drops cardamom

6. Jump Around Blend

Need a mood boost? This blend’ll have you hopping!

2 drops Cheer + 2 drops peppermint

7. Chillax Blend

Grab your meditation pillow, get in lotus position, and prepare to chill.

2 drops lavender + 3 drops sandalwood

8. Enchanted Forest Blend

Want to know what it feels like to walk through magical woods? Then close your eyes and breathe in this enchanting blend.

2 drops Balance + 3 drops cedarwood

9. Christmas Tree Blend

This blend smells like a freshly cut Christmas tree. It’s perfect for the holidays!

3 drops Douglas fir + 2 drops juniper berry + 1 drop cedarwood

10. Heaven On Earth Blend

Uplifting and grounding at the same time, this blend is heaven on earth. :)

2 drops bergamot + 2 drops frankincense

11. C’mon Get Happy Blend

I’m singing that Partridge Family song just thinking about this blend! It’s pure happiness.

2 drops lemon + 2 drops wild orange + 2 drops bergamot + 2 drops grapefruit

As you can see, there are tons of essential oil diffuser blends! The combinations are truly endless, and so much better for you than yucky candles.

How to Create the Life (and Business) You Really Want

by Heather Allard on December 14, 2016

A few years ago, I sold my website and started a new venture in mobile apps.

Apps were a big failure (lesson?) for me, and after floundering around for a bit, I moved on. Before selling my site, my yearly income was high five-figures, so I knew I wanted to earn at least that (and more), but I wasn’t really sure how or what I was going to do to achieve that. I figured following the crowd was a good idea. (Side note: following the crowd, is never a good idea.) It was 2014 and podcasting was BIG, so guess who decided to start a podcast? Yep, this gal.

I named my podcast. I registered a new domain with that name. Grabbed that name on all the social media platforms. Had podcast artwork created. Bought the best podcasting mic. Learned GarageBand. Lined up some guests.

And then, luckily, I did one thing that opened my eyes and set me straight.

Are you ready?

I defined my ideal day. Simple, I know. Right?

Yet most people never take the time to do it. Most people build a business and then try to squeeze their life in around it.

But we’re not like most people. We’re going to define our ideal day and build our business around it.

Now, keep in mind that there is nothing new here, folks. The “ideal day” exercise has been around for years.

I first heard about the “ideal day” thing back in 2008 in Chris Guillebeau’s manifesto when he referenced Paul Myers’s Ideal World exercise. But I never actually took the time to do the exercise, and I just forgot about it. Then I listened to Pat Flynn’s interview with Josh Shipp. They talked about scaling your business, and how defining your ideal workday is the first step in doing that.

So I printed out the workbook from Josh and for the first time ever, defined my ideal day.

Here’s a peek at my ideal day:

6am: Wake up, take James (my dog) out
6:15am: Chat with my husband and Hope before they go to work/school
6:30am: Sit on the couch with James and read a daily devotional
6:45am: Brush teeth, put my makeup on, get dressed
7:15am: Help Brendan and Grace get ready for school
7:30am: Make breakfast for Bren and Grace
7:40am: Eat breakfast (green smoothie + 2 tablespoons of almond butter out of the jar ;)
7:55am: Take Bren and Grace to school
8:30am: Take James for a walk on the bike path
9:20am: Meditate for 15-20 minutes
9:45am: Shower quickly and change my clothes
10:00am: Make my Bulletproof coffee, sit at my desk, and call my mom
10:30am: Get to work
1pm: Have lunch (KIND bar, salad, or another green smoothie)
1:30pm: Brush teeth, hang out with James in the yard
1:45pm: Leave to pick up Brendan, Grace, and Hope
3:15pm: Help the kids with homework
3:45pm: Pack lunches for the kids and get coffee ready for tomorrow
4pm: Answer emails, socialize on FB/Twitter, chat with the kids
5pm: Start dinner
6:15pm: Eat dinner with the family
7:00pm: Clean up after dinner, take James out, scroll through Instagram, chat with Scott and the kids
7:30pm: Fill out my Desire Map Planner for the next day
8:00pm: Shower, put on my pajamas, brush my teeth
8:30pm: Read in bed
9pm-ish: Turn the light out, say my prayers, snooze :)

That’s when it dawned on me that launching a podcast was definitely not going to be part of it.

Once my ideal day was on paper, I saw that I have just three hours to work each day. Three hours to do everything to make earning a six-figure yearly income a reality. There was just no way that a podcast fit into this time slot. Podcasting has a steep learning curve and production takes hours (and hours) per week for a novice.

Seeing this didn’t scare me one bit. I didn’t feel compelled to adjust my ideal day to fit more work time in. I just realized that I would have to be focused, efficient, and intentional in every single business-related activity. And that’s when I scrapped the podcast idea and never looked back.

This isn’t Fantasy Island

Let’s get back to defining your ideal day. I’m not talking about your fantasy day. The one where you don’t work at all and you’re sipping margaritas on a beach in Bali. Save that for your vision board.

I’m talking about the kind of day you would like to have every day. The one that includes your favorite people, activities, and yes, work.

Let’s do this.

Grab a pencil and a sheet of lined paper and make two columns. The first column is for the time of day and the second column is for the activity.

Now close your eyes and envision what your ideal day is like from start to finish. Please don’t worry about what your current day looks like. Focus on your ideal day.

Ask yourself these questions:

What time do you wake up in the morning?
What do you do when you first wake up?
When do you eat breakfast? What do you have? Who is with you?
What activities or work do you do before lunch? Where do you do them, and with whom?
What time do you eat lunch? What do you have?
What activities or work do you do in the afternoon? Where do you do them, and with whom? What time do you have dinner? What do you have? Who is with you?
What activities or work do you do in the evening? Where do you do them, and with whom? What time do you go to sleep?

When you’re done, take a deep breath. You did it! You know what your ideal day looks like and how many hours you have for the work that will support it.

This is a Test

by Heather Allard on December 4, 2016

This weekend, I did a little experiment. I deleted the Instagram app from my phone (I deleted FB long ago). Over the past few weeks, I found myself mindlessly opening IG while doing the following:

– Taking James out in the yard, any time of day or night
– Standing in the kitchen
– Sitting in the car waiting for the kids at school
– Waiting in line at the grocery store
– Going to the bathroom (c’mon, you know you do it too)
– Talking on the phone with anyone, whether on my home or cell
– Literally any moment I had idle time

I felt like this constant, unconscious scrolling was training my brain to be judgmental.

Look, judge, like. Look, judge, don’t like. Look, judge, mutter to myself. Look, judge, comment. Look, judge, unfollow. Look, judge, compare myself. Look, judge, feel badly about myself. Look, judge, feel better about myself. Look, judge, get depressed. Look, judge, become overwhelmed. Look, judge, feel sad.

Look. JUDGE.

It’s only been about 36 hours, but I’ll tell you what. It feels GOOD. It feels FREE. It feels SPACIOUS. It feels AMAZING to look out and UP, instead of down. My brain loves not having to JUDGE silly things.

It feels like a gift to myself, to my SPIRIT. One that I highly recommend you give yourself. Even if only for a weekend.

6 Essential Oils for Winter Wellness

by Heather Allard on September 18, 2016

My mom came up on Tuesday and she brought eight gigantic boxes of Kleenex® that she got on sale at our local market.

We thought that having eight boxes of Kleenex might be like buying a snowblower and then having a snowless winter, but alas we were wrong: it’s the 12th day of school and my son is home with a cold.

Fortunately, in addition to my stockpile of tissues, I have six essential oils that can help boost winter wellness. ;)

6 Essential Oils for Winter Wellness

Here are the best essential oils for winter wellness plus the many ways to use them below. Be sure to read the whole post because I included my very favorite winter wellness essential oil recipe at the end. ;)

(As you’ll notice, dōTERRA is my brand of choice and the only essential oils that I will take internally. That’s because their oils are put through rigorous in-house and third-party testing, and I know they are safe for me and my family.)

1. On Guard®

On Guard is a blend of essential oils that are known for their positive effects on the immune system – wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus leaf, and rosemary. This blend helps protect against seasonal and environmental threats, supports healthy immune and respiratory function, and smells like something yummy is baking in the kitchen.

Winter wellness uses:

Take 2-3 drops in a veggie capsule or 1 drop in a 4oz glass of water for an immune boost
Combine a few drops with fractionated coconut oil for a natural hand cleanser
Add to a spray bottle of water for a non-toxic, all-purpose surface cleaner

2. Lemon

Lemon essential oil is one of my favorites – I love the smell of it and it has so many uses! This is totally unrelated to winter wellness, but lemon oil is awesome at getting sticky stuff off of anything. One time, my dog got pine sap on our microsuede couch, and a few drops of lemon oil got it right off!

Winter wellness uses:

Use 3-4 drops of lemon in a diffuser to boost your mood when long winter days have you feeling down
Take a drop of lemon in 4+ ounces of water to stay hydrated and assist with any seasonal respiratory discomfort
Put a drop of lemon in the bottom of a mug and add 6-8 oz of near-boiling water for a warm, cleansing morning drink

3. Tea Tree

Tea tree oil has been used for centuries for its purifying benefits.

Winter wellness uses:

Take 1-2 drops in a 4 oz glass of water to support healthy immune function.
Diffuse 3-4 drops to promote clear breathing

4. Peppermint

A best-seller, Peppermint essential oil promotes healthy respiratory function and clear breathing. Plus, it smells like candy canes. :)

Winter wellness uses:

Rub a drop of peppermint between your hands and inhale for clearer breathing + an all-natural pick-me-up
Add a few drops of Peppermint to your favorite smoothie or hot chocolate for a minty twist
Combine a drop of peppermint plus a drop of lemon in water for a refreshing mouth rinse

5. Oregano

Oregano is one of the most potent and powerful essential oils and has been used for centuries in traditional health practices for its cleansing and immune-boosting properties.

Note: Due to its high phenol content, use caution when inhaling or diffusing oregano; only a drop or two is needed. Also, oregano should be diluted with a carrier oil (like coconut, olive or jojoba oil) when applied to the skin.

Winter wellness uses:

Take one drop daily for a seasonal immune boost
Dilute 1-2 drops with a carrier oil and apply to the bottoms of the feet when seasonal threats are high

6. Breathe®

Breathe is an essential oil blend that combines laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, lemon, ravensara, and cardamom. Whenever my son is stuffy, he asks me to rub Breathe on his chest, then he sticks his head under his pajama top and takes the deepest breath. LOL.

Winter wellness uses:

Apply a few drops on chest and bottoms of feet for clear airways and easy breathing
Diffuse at bedtime for a calming aroma that promotes a restful night’s sleep
Rub a drop between your palms and inhale before going outdoors to minimize the effect of seasonal threats

Uh oh, guess who got it?

By the time I finished writing this post, I caught my son’s cold and was down for the count for a week. So, I’d like to share an amazing essential oil recipe that really helped my immune and respiratory function.

Essential Oil Steam Cup

Heat one cup of water (in a microwave safe container) in the microwave (or the kettle if you prefer) for about a minute or two, until steaming. I use a Pyrex measuring cup.

Then add these essential oils:

1 drop of oregano
1 drop of tea tree
1 drop of lemon
1 drop of peppermint

Once you’ve added the essential oils to the container of steaming water, cup your hands around your face and close your eyes. Breathe deeply in and out, taking turns breathing through your nose for a minute and then your mouth for a minute. Repeat as necessary.

Note: I find this steam cup to be quite strong, so I place it on the counter while I’m breathing it in rather than holding it in my hands close to my face. You can decide what works best for you.

Fun and Freeing Fridays

by Heather Allard on May 19, 2016

One Thursday morning in 2011, I saw my friend Charlie Gilkey tweet, “What can you do today to make your weekend more spacious?”.

As a mom of three kids, my weekends were anything but spacious. They were the opposite of spacious. They were filled with laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, and yard work. Sometimes, school projects and hair appointments too. There was zero time for relaxing.

That one tweet from Charlie stuck with me and from that day on, I started thinking about his question. What could I do to make my weekends more spacious?

Little by little, I started doing things during the week instead of waiting to do them on the weekends. Laundry on a Wednesday, grocery shopping on a Friday, bathroom cleaning on a Monday. Soon enough, my weekends had a lot of white space.

Introducing Fun and Freeing Fridays

Five years and several iterations later, Charlie’s tweet lives on in my newly coined “Fun and Freeing Fridays”. Yep, I spend each Friday doing things that are FUN and FREEING to kick off my weekends on a high note and spend them however I choose.

FUN things I do:

Take an extra long walk with my dog (we walk every day, but our Friday walks are more leisurely so James can sniff, sniff, sniff everything in his path)
Go for a pedicure
Have lunch with my mom
Get ice cream with the kids
Eat chocolate
Make a new playlist on Spotify
Take an Epsom salt bath with grapefruit + cedarwood essential oils (my latest combo obsession)
Listen to an inspiring podcast
Look for new recipes on Pinterest
Chat with a friend
Nothing at all :)

FREEING things I do:

Pay bills
Track my income and expenses (here’s the bookkeeping tool I use for this)
Do laundry
Clean the bathrooms
Dust the furniture and woodwork
Vacuum
Make a batch of green smoothies
Make my grocery list
Have my groceries delivered
Run errands
Help the kids finish school projects or book reports

How about fun and freeing…weekdays?

Even if you work a 9-5 Monday through Friday job, you could still use some time each evening to free up space in your weekend. Enlist your kids. Make it fun. Invite your spouse to do “Cocktails + Cleaning” one night. Fold laundry while you watch TV. Set a 30 minute timer every night and bang out a task. It’s totally doable. You just need to decide.

And now back to Charlie

As my friend Charlie asked, what can you do today to make your weekend more spacious?