Krystal Walden is the Founder/CEO of KRYSTAL SPA®. She is a former World-Class and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Track Athlete with a Master of Science in Gerontology from the University of Southern California (USC).
The art of cooking has been widely used as a therapeutic method and has become increasingly popular. This therapy method is known as kitchen therapy, culinary therapy, and cooking therapy. It is proven to be a self-care therapeutic practice used to support those who struggle with psychological and emotional stress. Cooking brings wonderful benefits such as mindfulness, self-expression, focus, stress reduction, connection, and a sense of accomplishment.
So, let's talk about your interest, enjoyment, love, and passion for cooking. Are you new to cooking? Are you an expert at cooking? Do you love cooking for yourself or others? As you think about these questions, you might be saying to yourself,
“I am interested in learning more about cooking.” “I would enjoy discovering new recipes.”
“I am passionate about improving my cooking skills.”
“I love cooking for myself, children, spouse, partner, family and friends.” “I am excited to share new recipes with others.”
What are the essential skills for cooking?
Cooking requires many different body movements, such as standing, reaching, chopping, stirring, and kneading. As a cook, it is imperative to have the abilities of body awareness, endurance and stamina, strength, and balance.
Body awareness
In psychology, body awareness is the ability to recognize, acknowledge, understand, and take actions necessary for the health of the human body. Body awareness is a mindfulness and self-compassion practice that increases awareness of how you hold, move, care for, and respect your body. This awareness will help you understand your body's physical conditions.
While you are cooking, be aware of your body mechanics and posture. Focus on how you reach for things, how you squat to pick things up, and how you stand when preparing your food.
Endurance and stamina
In biology, endurance is the ability of the human body to transfer and utilize as much oxygen as possible for the muscular system. The muscles convert the oxygen to store energy that sustains actions within the body. This long-lasting action becomes more imperative for the efficiency of the cardiovascular system. Stamina is the ability of the human body to perform an activity at maximum exertion for an extended period of time.
While you are cooking, be aware of your breathing patterns, focus on your energy levels, and monitor your stress levels.
Strength and balance
In physiology, strength is the measure of how much weight the human body can hold and lift or how much force the human body can apply to a single isolated movement. Balance measures how much center of gravity the human body can maintain over a particular support base. This base of supports is an example of standing on one leg. Strength and balance go hand in hand. Strong muscles help the human body maintain stability, which is needed to prevent falls.
While you are cooking, be aware of your body’s ability to lift and move things, focus on each step that you take around the kitchen, and monitor your levels of fatigue.
5 simple movements to enhance your ability in the kitchen
Cooking can sometimes cause discomfort to your body. This discomfort varies depending on how long you spend preparing and cooking food in the kitchen. Here are some basic exercises to help prevent discomfort while cooking.
Wrist pumps
Bring your arms down by your side. Spread your fingers out and away from each other. Keep your arm straight. Gently lift your open hands up from your wrist towards the ceiling. Your palms should be aligned with the floor. Slowly bring your hands down. Gently lift your hands back and up from your wrist towards the ceiling. Your knuckles should be aligned with the floor. Repeat each direction 10 times.
Bicep curls
Grab two 8 -12 ounce water bottles and place one in each hand. Bring your arms by your side. Gently bend both of your elbows. Turn your hands up with your palms facing the ceiling. Slowly lift the water bottles up and towards your shoulders. Carefully bring your arms and hands down by your side. Repeat both arms 10 times.
Shoulder circles
Bring your arms by your side. Keep your head facing forward while your neck and spine stay straight. Slowly raise your shoulders towards the ceiling. Gently squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other and roll your shoulders back. Drag your shoulders down towards the floor. Repeat both shoulders 10 times.
Sit to stand
Grab a steady chair. Stand in front of the chair with your feet hip-distance apart and pointing forward. Keep your chest up and your spine straight. Pull your belly button back towards your spine to stabilize your back. Place your hands on your hips. Slowly bend your knees and gently sit in the chair for 2 seconds. Then press your feet down against the floor. Lean slightly forward. Slowly stand straight up for 2 seconds. Repeat this movement 10 times.
Weight shift
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and pointing forward. Stuck your stomach in to stabilize your spine. Lift your chest up towards the ceiling to keep your spine straight. Slowly shift as much of your body weight as possible to your left leg. Keep your feet flat on the floor and your legs straight. Hold that position for 10 seconds, then switch to your right leg. Repeat on each leg 10 times.
Expanding upon new hobbies, like cooking, is fun. Be encouraged to use this opportunity to learn, taste, and cook natural, unprocessed, and unrefined whole foods. Eating whole foods is the best way to reach your healthy daily intake of vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Improving your digestive system can lower your risk of chronic and acute diseases. Learn more about ways to enhance your cooking abilities with one of our experts. Contact Krystal Spa® to schedule a personal virtual session.
Krystal Walden, Master of Science in Gerontology
Krystal Walden brings to the health and fitness spa 25+ years of experience as a competitive athlete, offering her unique fusion of athletic gifts and accreditations. Krystal specializes in helping individuals (from beginners to athletes) get back in touch consciously with their minds, body, and soul. She strongly emphasizes body awareness and alignment for maximum injury prevention and recovery. With the kind of strength, flexibility, balance, and compassion that Krystal possesses, there is no doubt that she will meet her goals to enhance the global image of how to live a stronger, healthier, and balanced lifestyle.
