Turn your H2O into H2Ohhhhhhh!!!

You know you need to drink more water, yet you just can't stand the taste of it. Or maybe you are just getting a little bored with water each day and you just want a little variety. Here are some ways you can turn a boring glass of H2O, into something you will actually look forward to having added to your day!

Almost everyone has heard of adding certain fruits to your water to help flavor it. There is your standby lemon, or even the popular cucumber water. But what if you want something more? I have experimented with this all month, and have come up with some great ways to spice up water!

Citrus Blend

Not just lemons, but adding oranges and lime. Mmmmmmm....tangy.

What I did was take one small lime, one small lemon and one large orange. I sliced the middle of the fruits thinly, and added that to a pitcher. I saved the ends of each of the fruits and juiced them by hand. I added the little bit of juice to the pitcher. Now add cold water, place in your refrigerator and in a couple of hours you will have a refreshing citrus water! Not only does this water taste good, but it looks great as a centerpiece for your table. =)

Strawberry Ginger

I tried just strawberries at first, but felt it needed something more. I added just a bit of ginger and that made all the difference in this flavored drink.

Slice up 3-4 small strawberries and place in a glass. Mash it up either with a fork, or better yet, a muddler. Now add a pinch of freshly grated ginger. Remember, a little ginger goes a long way. Add ice cold water, mix, and enjoy!

Strawberry Basil

A different twist of flavor.

Slice up 3-4 small strawberries and place in a glass. Chop up some fresh basil and add to the glass. Now muddle it all together. Add ice cold water, mix, and enjoy!

Minty Fresh

Try growing your own mint, and this can be a great way to save money too!

Chop up fresh mint leaves, and add to ice cold water. That's it. This one is very simple. =)

So now you have a few recipes that you can enjoy. Be adventurous and tell us what you have tried to flavor your water. Which one is your favorite?

An object in motion, stays in motion....works for me!

A client of mine recently told me about this video.  It holds true to what I tell many of my clients. 

Notice how stiff you feel when you wake up in the morning.  Lack of movement does that.  It leaves you feeling stiff.  If you want a better range of motion, you have to get moving.  Even a little movement will help you get going.  Moving your joints, moving your muscles helps to get you to feel fluid again.  So let's get moving!!!! 

If you are feeling too stiff, and it is difficult to get moving, maybe a massage would help?  =)

Exercise while in your car. Did you know you can?

Whether you have a long commute to work, driving is your job, or even if you are just waiting for your kids to get out of school, sitting in a car for a long period of time can leave you feeling a little stiff. Here are a few exercises you can do while waiting at a red light, and a few you can do while driving. As always, take caution when doing these exercises. It won't be helpful if you are too distracted to drive and end up causing an accident!

The easiest exercises to do while driving all have to do with holding, tightening, then letting go. These are called isometric exercises. Let's start with the feet, and work our way up the body.

• Lift toes, hold 10 seconds, relax and repeat. Then curl your toes, hold 10 seconds, relax and repeat. Now wiggle, wiggle, wiggle those toes!
  

• Now concentrate on your calves. Activate your muscle, hold for a few seconds, now release. From this point forward, I will just say squeeze and release.
  
• Now concentrate on your quads (thighs). Squeeze and release.
  
• Now your butt is probably the most numb from sitting in your vehicle for so long. Squeeze your gluts, hold for a few seconds, now release. Try that again. Ahhhh! So much better. =)
  
• For the abs and chest, let's try a breathing exercise. This will also mobilize your spine a bit. Think of an empty glass that you are about to pour water into. It fills from the bottom up. Then picture drinking it through a straw, it empties top to bottom. Now imagine you are the glass and the air you breathe is the water. Take a breath in and concentrate on where you are filling up. Your belly will expand first, then your ribcage will open and finally your shoulders will rise just slightly. Now exhale by lowering your shoulders back down, your ribcage will close back in, and your belly will shrink. Do this a couple of times, but not too many! You don't want to get dizzy from all that fresh air while you are driving.
  
• Back to the isometrics. Your abs. Tighten them (make sure you are still breathing), hold a few seconds, and release.
  
• Arms. Squeeze those biceps, and release.
  
• Hold on to that steering wheel really tightly, and now relax your hands.
  
• Now on to your neck and shoulders. Shrug your shoulders up, hold for a few seconds, and release.
  
• Your back. While holding onto the steering wheel, pull your shoulders down and back, as if you were trying to touch your shoulder blades together. Hold it...and release.
  

So, how do you feel now? Do you feel like you already worked out for the day? =) You can always find time to do your exercises, even if you have a long commute. Let me know what your favorite exercise is to do, or if you have any more to share.

Happy New You!

Its a new year, and many people take this moment as a chance to make a new you.   They work on being a better person (either for others, or for themselves).  When you are responsible for taking care of others, you may forget to take care of yourself.  It is hard to remember that if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to help many others. 

Some New Year's Resolutions:

I will give myself more me time.
I will take the time to relax.
I will take better care of myself.
I will remove a lot of stress in my life, or learn better ways of how to deal with it.

Melrose Muscle Therapy has your Resolution Solution!  Become a happier, calmer person.

Our therapists can teach you stretches to help relieve sore muscles after your massage.  We can teach you different breathing techniques that not only help you to relax, but can assist you in taking a minute for yourself.  With as little as 30 minutes, we can help make your stress disappear - even if only for a little while.  We then give you ideas that you can take home with you, so you have a way to relieve your stress at home, in the office, with the kids...where ever it may be.

So take some time for yourself this year.  And if you break your resolution too soon, just jump right back on and try again.  Read our blog, check out our tips on facebook, sign up for our email list, and make an appointment to visit us.

May 2012 be your year to realize everything is possible!