Massaging Babies and Toddlers

Evolving Massage

I teach infant massage, and have been massaging my own daughters since the day they were born.  They are getting older, and although they still get their bedtime massage, the touch they get during the day has changed. 

It is much easier to massage a newborn, as they really can't move around much, and you and baby get use to the same massage routine each time.   When they learn to crawl, it becomes a bit more difficult to give an entire massage routine.  So what can you do?   Play massage games!  Below are some examples of massage games to play at various stages of childhood. 

**Remember to get your child's permission before you massage them.


Crawling Around

Get on the floor with your child. If you were doing a belly rub, and your child decides it is time to crawl around, massage whatever is up and facing you.  If it is his back, then rub his back, if it is her side, then massage her arms or legs.  You don't have to go in any specific order. 


This Little Piggy

I'm sure you are familiar with this nursery rhyme.  It is a great way to give a massage for your child's toes.  Roll your child's toes, wiggle them, but don't pull/tug so hard on them.  Make sure not to tickle their feet!



Learning Shapes

My older daughter loves this game.  I stand behind her as she stands in front, and I draw shapes on her back with my hands.  She has to guess the shape.  Sometimes she lays down.  Just be sure that you don't have anything going on that can be distracting for your child, ie...TV on or radio on.  You can do any variation of this game that you find appropriate.  Learning Numbers, or Learning Letters, whatever you are focusing on with your child.

Do you have any massage games to add to this list?  We would love to hear what you do to incorporate massage into your child's life.  Let us know by leaving a message in the comment section.

Kids have it easy commercial

I saw a commercial today that left me feeling a bit horrified. It was a 14 year old boy talking to some younger boys about how they have it so easy nowadays. The younger kids were on the couch with their laptop computers. The 14 year old boy spoke about having to wait 1 whole minute sitting in front of his computer for something to download, and now he has back problems. As amusing as this may have been for the commercial, I couldn't help but think how the newer generation will most likely have more back issues due to sitting in front of their computers for hours each day. Technology has taken us all a long way. Many of my older clients that work at a desk position for 8-12 hours a day come in with persistent back pain. Many have smartphones, or ipads, or some other device in which they hold it in a way that they are looking down at their machines. They complain of neck pain, headaches, and other back related issues. As our society becomes more dependent on these devices. I can't help but think about the issues we will be facing in the future. Take this as a reminder to get up, move around, at the very least each hour. Set a timer at your desk while at work. Set a timer for your children when they are doing their homework. Make sure you stretch a bit. Just get up and move. The more mobile we are now, the more mobile we will be in the future.

Keeping Cool in the Summer Heat

I have been watching the Olympics, and this evening the short distance women runners caught my interest. I used to be a runner during my high school years. I remember how difficult it was to run in the heat during the summer, and at the beginning of the school year. Here are a few tips for you if you are feeling inspired by this years Olympics, and have begun running, or any other activity out in our current heat waves.

Keep hydrated. I say this a lot to my clients throughout the year, but if you are active, it is even more important to avoid dehydration. When you drink anything with caffeine (coffee and teas included), or alcohol, it actually acts to dehydrate you.

Wear cool clothing. Wear lightweight fabrics that allow your skin to breathe. Wear a visor or hat to protect your face. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Pick the most comfortable route. On really hot days, try to run in the morning or evening hours when the temperature is a bit cooler. If you do choose to run in the daytime, find a path that has a lot of shade.

Protect your skin. Wear sunscreen with a high SPF. (If you have already been sunburned, schedule yourself for a 'Cool as a Cucumber' Body Treatment and Massage.)  =)

Don't overexert yourself. Heat exhaustion is no fun. Make sure to listen to your body when beginning a new program, or when adjusting your current routine.

What tips do you have for any new runners, especially in the summer heat? Let us know by commenting below.

How to fit in exercise with newborns and toddlers

I've been getting the same questions a lot lately from other moms:  How did you loose all that baby weight? How can you have time to exercise when you are taking care of your kids all day?

The following quote pretty much is the answer.

"PLAY with your kids.  Playing can be the single best way to really get to know your kids.

Get down on the floor, follow their lead, and PLAY with them."

~Lyle Perry

Do you need some ideas on how to get your exercise in while playing with your kids?  It is all about unstructured play.  If you have a newborn, get on the floor with her, and roll around, crawl, laugh.  Just get moving.  Hold him in your arms and dance around.  If you feel like you aren't moving because you are so tired, then that is more reason to get moving.  It will give you energy.

Lay on your back, have baby on your belly, and raise your knees up.  Now raise up baby over your head and lower down again, keeping your legs raised.  This will work your arms, back, abdominal, and thighs.

Do you have a toddler that has so much energy that you get tired just by watching them?  I have those days too.  There are so many things you can do with your tot that will get you moving, having fun, and enjoying time with your child.

• Play tag -Depending on the age of your child, tag may just be chasing them around and around until someone gets caught, and you will just do that over and over again.
• Freestyle dancing - turn the radio on, and dance like a crazy person with your child.  Do this for a few songs and I promise you will feel your heart beating faster
• Dance and freeze - a variation of the previous bullet.  Turning it more into a game. Also teaches your child how to follow directions
• Skipping - Teach your tot how to skip.  When was the last time you skipped?  I bet its been a while.
• Jumping Rope - There are a lot of games that you can play with a jump rope.  If your child is really young, you can lay the rope on the floor and jump over it from side to side. Teach them their left from their right.
• Hopping - An older toddler will be appreciative of learning this one.  Once you have the basics down, count how many hops you can do in a row without losing your balance.
• Hula Hoop - Your toddler may not be able to hula, but you can use a hula hoop to jump through, crawl around, learn inside/outside, and when your child is tired, you can try to hula yourself.  =)

What are some ways that you play with your child?  Post your ideas in the comments below.

Make your own foam roller

Have you heard about foam rolling and its benefits? It is basically a way for you to be able to massage your muscles on your own.  It is a great way to save some money, and take care of yourself between massage appointments.  The use of foam rollers has become widely popular to athletes and workout enthusiasts, but you don't need to have an intense workout routine to get the benefits of self massage through foam rolling.

Foam rollers come in different sizes, and vary in density.  There are ways to make your own by covering pvc pipe with layers of foam, but I have found an even cheaper way to make one.  You know those pool noodles that keep you afloat?  they make monster size ones, and that is what I used.  To give it a bit of support, insert a broom stick, or a skinny pipe, or you can even cut the noodle in half and use one half cut to size to fit inside the other.

Here is a picture of the homemade foam roller that I created.  It works great and better yet it cost less than $5 to make.  I cut the noodle in half, and took a plastic broom handle to add support.

Here it is!  My DIY foam roller.

That's it.  How simple is that? 

Now you want to know how to use it?  A quick search on youtube will get you many results, but we found this very well put together video.  http://life.gaiam.com/video/roll-it-out-myofascial-release
I would just suggest going a bit slower to really feel out the areas that need extra attention, and when you find one, sit there for a while with your foam roller pressed into that area and breath into that spot until it relaxes a bit.

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.

More exercises to do at your desk

As promised, here are some more exercises you can do at your desk while at work. As always, if any of these bother you, as in they really hurt to do, then please don't do them, but try another exercise.

Calves

1. While sitting, lift up your legs onto the balls of your feet and then release.
2. Continue until your legs and calves are tired.
3. Repeat every 10-15 minutes for an hour.
   

Leg

1. Holding abdominal muscles in, extend leg until it is level with hip.
2. Hold for a few seconds and then repeat with other leg.
   

Hips

1. While seated, lift one leg off the floor a few inches with knee bent.
2. Hold for a few seconds and then repeat with the other leg.
   

Exercises you can do at your desk.

Our bodies were not made to be sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day.  Our bodies were designed for movement. Think about how stiff your body feels when you first wake up in the morning.  Now think about how fluid your body moves after you have gotten up and walked around a bit.  Movement of the body helps you to move your body.  Does that make sense to you?  Try these exercises while you are at work so you don't feel so stiff during the day.  You may actually be able to get more work done by taking small breaks to take care of yourself.
**If any of these exercises bother/hurt you to do, please don't do them.  


Wrists

1. Extend your right arm in front of you placing your palms up.
2. With your left hand, grab your right hand's fingers.
3. Gently stretch your hand down, bending your wrist backwards. Stop when you start to feel the stretch in your forearm.  Hold for a few seconds, then gently let go. 
4. Repeat with the other arm.
   
5. Extend your right arm in front of you placing your palms down.
6. With your left hand, grab your right hand's fingers.
7. Gently stretch your hand down, bending your wrist forwards. Stop when you start to feel the stretch in your forearm (hairy side).  Hold for a few seconds, then gently let go. 
   
8. Repeat with the other arm.

Wrists and Forearms

1. Press palms of hands together in front of chest. Keep elbows bent and parallel to the floor.
2. Gently bend wrists to the right and left.
3. Repeat several times.
   

Back

1. Sit straight in your chair and place your right arm behind your right hip.
2. Twist to the right and hold for a few seconds.
3. Switch to your left arm on your left hip and repeat.
   

I'll post more exercises soon!

Prevent and Relieve Back Pain

It is getting colder out, and I seem to be hearing many more stories of people injuring their backs this time of year. Following are some easy stretches for the back (especially that lower back) that can help prevent that soreness you feel after putting up those holiday lights.  The lower back resting pose is also great for if you already feel you may have slightly injured your back.  (If you have injured yourself, it might be a good idea to go visit your doctor or chiropractor first to rule out any serious injuries.)

 As with any exercise, if it hurts to do any of these, please do not do them!  Consult with your doctor if you have any concerns.


Lower Back Resting Pose (my favorite!)
This exercise is done near an ottoman or chair.
1. Lie on your back with the chair at your feet and raise your legs in the air.
2. Bend your knees and place your lower leg on the top of the ottoman or chair. Your lower legs should be at a 90 degree angle with the floor and your bottom should be near the base of whatever you are using as a leg rest.
3. Relaxing your lower back, rest in this pose for 10-15 minutes. You should feel a decrease in the strain on your lower back muscles. If not, try adjusting your position.
4. While in this position, concentrate on your breathing.  Take a few deep breaths and as you inhale, your belly should rise, then your chest and then your shoulders.  As you exhale, bring your shoulders back down, your chest falls, then your belly falls as well.

Lumbar Vertebrae Stretch
1. Lie on your back with knees bent.
2. Pull in and tighten your stomach muscles while flattening your lower back to the floor.
3. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat several times.

Neck and Lower Back Wall Stretch
1. Stand with your back straight against a wall.
2. Gently move your lower back and neck toward the wall. Without over stretching, hold for a few seconds.
3. Repeat several times.