Be Physically and Mentally Well

So how do you exactly beat the heat this summer? Are you planning to try something new but don’t have the time? Sometimes the planning phase already stresses us out. After all the worry, summer flashes by without us doing anything exciting.

Try these recharge and relaxation tips this summer!

1. Run, swim, and bike.
Some people like to run, others enjoy swimming, but not everyone can bike. For someone who has done three Ironman 70.3 races (1.9-kilometer swim, 90-kilometer bike, and 21-kilometer run), Architect Ruel Ocampo Salgado, Generika Drugstore’s Regional Operations Manager, can attest to how Ironman races have allowed him to reconnect, recharge, and become a better version of himself.

For Ruel, swimming is the easiest yet scariest discipline. Once one has mastered gliding, streamlining, and proper breathing, swimming does not take up so much of your energy. But there’s the fear of not knowing what is lurking under the water, Ruel keeps focused and does not let his imagination get ahead of him. Biking is the most tiring and may be the hardest part of the Ironman. This is the time of the race when the sun is high, and the heat unbearable. Ruel sprays himself with water throughout the race to keep cool. Running is the most draining, according to Ruel, being the last leg of the race, you have used most of your energy and strength in the first two courses. This is where leg training, such as leg press, lunges, and squats, helped Ruel gain lower body strength.

“You need to adopt the right mindset. The biggest bully in your life is your inner critic. When I first started in 2009, I kept second guessing myself. But I learned to silence the bully and turned the criticism into motivation. I stopped comparing myself to others. A triathlon is not a race against others, but a race against your personal best record. This lesson applies to everything I do,” Ruel shares.

The Ironman Mindset means conquering body battles with the right mind and attitude.

2. Breathe and find your center.
Yoga has become one of the go-to exercises for people who want to breathe and find their peace. Katia Bunyi, Product Manager of Mynt, Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc., discovered a deeper way of meditation and self-awareness through yoga.

Katia recommends two techniques: Vinyasa and Reiki. “Vinyasa is freer flowing and creative which is what I love about it. When I teach classes, creativity plays a big part, but so does safety,” she shares. “I want to ensure that people understand the basics of yoga, and what it means to practice it.”

Reiki, on the other hand, is an energy healing technique. Katia earned her second degree Reiki certification and has been training others through Zoom. “I didn’t have a solid meditation practice until quarantine, which blossomed from my hunger to seek for new relaxation techniques. I found out about Reiki and its energy healing techniques which has been proven to manage stress,” Katia explains.

Katia’s advice to people who want to try yoga or meditation: start with 1-minute techniques and move up gradually. She emphasizes that when you decide to start yoga – cultivating mindfulness is most important.

Here is a 15-minute midday yoga video. Try it for yourself:

3. Move and decide to be fit.
Getting up to exercise and controlling food intake takes a lot of discipline. We can learn from the experience of Adrian Philip Manabat, Physician and Customer Relations Associate Manager of QualiMed.

A self-confessed food lover, Adrian admits to having a high-maintenance body structure that easily bloats up when he gets complacent with his exercise routines. His fitness secret? Running regularly after work and on weekends, non-stop jump rope – at least 500 skips, and volleyball. Even when on vacation, Adrian still finds time to exercise. He goes for a swim, long walks, and watches his diet. Staying fit is important to Adrian. When he feels good about himself, the same energy extends to doing good for his patients, co-workers and family.

Take a break and enjoy something new! Find an activity that suits you. Summer activities should be relaxing, fun and benefit your physical and mental health.