Quick Ways to Relieve Stress

We all have had those days where we were so stressed out that we couldn't think straight. We couldn't concentrate on anything. It was just not possible to be productive at work or at home. We became easily aggravated, and we felt like we were just mad at the world. These are the short term affects of dealing with a lot of negative stress.

Photo courtesy of ABMP.

Quick Ways to Relieve Stress:

Take a moment to laugh, even if you have to force one out. Did you know that if you start laughing on purpose, eventually that laugh will become a real laugh.

Give yourself a timeout. Close your eyes, picture yourself surrounded by your favorite things, or picture yourself surrounded by nothing at all. Take a few deep breaths, and concentrate on your inhale and exhale.

Act like a kid. Put on your favorite show when you were a kid. Odds are it had some music in it that you can still sing along to. Pretend like no one is watching and sing and dance along, just like when you were a kid.

Spend some quality time with some animals. Petting your dog or cat has a very relaxing effect, even if only for a few minutes. Seeing their unconditional love for you helps you to feel happier, decreasing the stress hormone cortisol, and increasing oxytocin.

Clean up! Being surrounded by a messy area can be very distracting and nerve wrecking. So take some time to clean a bit of it up, whether it is a drawer, a closet, or your workspace.

10 Reasons to Get a Massage Today!

Here are my top 10 reasons to get a massage:

1. Reduce Fatigue – If you are really tired, a massage can give you a few moments to relax, even if it is just a few minutes out of your day. That can leave you feeling re-energized!
2. Increase Mental Clarity – At some point I'm sure you have felt mentally exhausted either from a project you are working on, or from a personal problem that has taken all of your energy. You may feel like you have a foggy brain. The simple act of touch, as in a massage, will help you to focus your energy. All that tension you had been experiencing begins to dissipate. Once that mental stress is reduced, you will feel more alert and energized.
   
   
3. Reduce Stress - Recent scientific research has found that massage affects the immune system in the following ways: it decreases arginine vasopressin, a hormone that contributes to aggressive behavior, and also decreases the amount of cortisol also known as the stress hormone.
   
   
4. Relieve Muscle Tightness and Tension – This one is no secret. You make an appointment to get a massage because your body is sore from working out, gardening, or moving boxes, etc... and after the massage is over, you feel like you can climb Mt. Everest. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration there, but if you have ever had a really good massage, you know what I mean. And if you haven't, then make your appointment now.
   
   
5. Increase your Range of Motion (ROM) – When a muscle is so tight that it begins to hinder your range of motion, say to raise your hands over your head, or behind your back, it can really start to affect your daily life. Getting regular massage will help you to regain and keep your full ROM.
   
   
6. Reduce Muscle Cramping – Have you ever ran a race, and afterward you begin to cramp up? If there is a massage therapist on site, he/she can take care of the cramp right away. Being hydrated will help too!
   
   
7. Boost Immune System – Massage increases the amount of lymphocytes in your body, cells that help the immune system defend the body from harmful substances. 
   
   
8. Improve Posture – Ever really notice when you are slouching during the day? When you do, do you find your self automatically stretching your arms back behind you? Your body knows which muscles are feeling tight, and that is your automatic response to slouching. Now, getting a massage on those tightened muscles can help you improve your posture so much more. Ask me to assist you with a Snow Angel stretch for your pectoral muscles, and you will notice your upper back feeling less tense.
   
   
9. Get Healthier Skin – Depending on the massage people are getting from me, I use different emollients. Most of the time it is pure jojoba that I use. Technically not an oil, it is a liquid wax ester from the jojoba plant. This emollient is the closest to our natural oils. It does not clog your pores and it soothes and conditions the skin. Jojoba is naturally full of Vitamin E.
   
   
10. Improve your workout - Think of a cold rubber band. If you stretch it what will happen? Probably will snap and break off. Now think of your muscles. If you don't warm them up, stretching them can be harmful. They say to 'never stretch a cold muscle' for a reason. Getting a quick sports massage right before a 5k walk/run or marathon, or game, or even a workout can help to warm up your muscles so that you can have a longer endurance and work stronger.

So tell me, why do you get massage? Enter your comment below to let us know.

Deep Tissue vs. Deep Pressure Massage - Do you know the difference?

Have you ever become nauseous from a massage before? To my knowledge none of my clients ever have, but I had someone the other day ask me about that very thing. A friend of hers had a very “deep tissue” massage while on vacation and became very ill right after the massage. Notice I put “deep tissue” in quotes here. Here is why:

Myth: Deep tissue massage should hurt, and have a huge amount of pressure.

Truth: Deep tissue massage is not deep pressure massage!!! Rather, it is quite slow and not so painful, unless the therapist and client are working through some trigger points. Trigger points can be painful, but should never go above the 4-6 range on a pain scale. (0=no pain and 10=worst pain you have ever felt) Deep tissue massage is also not a full body massage. It is contained to only a couple of areas of the body.

There are a few possible reasons behind why this person became sick after her massage.

1. She was dehydrated. You definitely want to make sure you are drinking enough water each day, and especially before and after a massage. Not because it removes toxins from the body, but because keeping hydrated helps your body do what it needs to do on a cellular level. When you are dehydrated, your body has a difficult time coping with anything you put it through. If you don't like water, then read my post about how to give your water some excitement.

2. It wasn't a deep tissue massage, but a deep pressure one. Much too deep a pressure of one. When causing so much pain to someone through a full body deep pressure massage, the body can go into shock. This can cause the nausea that this person was feeling.

3. The face cradle was not positioned correctly. I stress to my clients of how important it is for them to tell me if they are ever uncomfortable before, during and after a massage. This is a key in point reason. If the face cradle was positioned so that it was hitting pressure points on the client, it can cause sinus pain, headaches, dizziness, and of course nausea. Please don't be afraid to speak up to your therapist if you are ever uncomfortable on the table, or in a massage chair for that matter. Even if you started out comfortable, but after a few minutes, or even halfway through the massage, let your therapist know. A skilled therapist will be able to work on your muscles in any position that you need to be in. I can work on your back, even if you are laying on your back.

So now you have a bit more information about why a massage could not make you feel so great afterward, and what do to to make sure that doesn't happen. Drink plenty of fluids, talk to your therapist about his/her pressure, and let your therapist know if you are ever uncomfortable during the massage. If you do become sick after a massage, please let your therapist know about it, so you can figure out why that happened, to prevent it from happening again.

We all love a little chocolate!

When people think of dieting, they think of things they are going to stop eating.  One that comes to mind are sweets, especially chocolate.  Well, I've figured out a way to cure that chocolate craving, without any of the guilt!

Introducing Melrose Muscle Therapy's newest offering:

Chocolate Indulgence Massage

Chocolate Indulgence Massage in Melrose Park, IL

No, I will not be rubbing chocolate syrup all over you, or anything messy such as that.  What this massage is - is a Swedish or Deep Tissue (or a combination of the two) massage with a special oil.  This oil is infused with cocoa, and the smell will just take you away to the most decadent place.  You can book your appointment by clicking here.  The 60 minute massage is only $90, and if you 'Like' Melrose Muscle Therapy on Facebook, you will get 10% off any and all massages!

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.