Directly from the expert
This is a series of posts that will now be available to give you, the customers, expert advice and knowledge you may need to make informed decisions with the correct facts regarding your general health.
I know how much information is on the web and how confusing something as simple as health improvement can be. Understanding your health and how you can improve needn’t be difficult so I am bringing you advice from the experts to help you on your journey.
Weight control and general health boosts are the main complaints after the festive season, although magical and as incredible as the season can be, it does leave most of us feeling tired and stressed.
Add a virus on top of that and you have a run down and frazzled client. I promote immune boosting and self-care especially through January with a side order of gut health and abstinence from alcohol and sugar.
Self-care
Self-care is not just about January though, we should install it throughout the entire year in my opinion. It is difficult to deal with daily stresses when we are already depleted of energy and this is when our willpower is at it’s lowest.
There is also the danger of deeper levels of unhappiness, low self-esteem, and feelings of resentment, all when you neglect to care for yourself.
When I talk about self-care I am specifically targeting the exercise regime in this particular instance, obviously, sleep and hydration and general nutrition is part of self-care but today we are covering exercise and the care advice that goes with it.
I know you are probably thinking “exercise is enough” but when you take on any kind of exercise you will no doubt suffer niggles here and there and certain twinges, it’s normal, we all get them, the importance of warming up before a workout so your muscles are ready is vital.
The importance of stretching after your workout is also vital. All this is about looking after yourself and covering all the angles.
If you are going to exercise, you may as well go all in right? I recommend the product below as an add-on to your regime. I take it personally.
Excellent source of glucosamine, it’s formulated with vitamin C, manganese, and other important nutrients essential for optimal joint health. (Discounted through this link only)
https://www.usana.com/s/qrzpb
Expert
Today I have some advice from the expert Katie Barnes on the importance of sports massage and physiotherapy while taking on a training programme.
Katie is fantastic and from personal experience has helped me get back to my own training programmes when I have had injuries with little disruption to my schedule.
Katie has kindly written the following to help you understand just how imperative an all-around approach is to self-care.
Importance of sports massage and physiotherapy in training and exercises.
We are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of health and fitness which has lead to an increase in exercise participation, this can lead to sports injuries such as tendinitis/tendinopathy, muscle strains, ligament sprains muscular and joint stiffness.
Physiotherapy and sports massage can help to reduce your pain, increase function, range of movement and return to sport/training as quick as possible. They can also help as a preventative measure. Here is how they help in a little bit more detail?
MORE FLEXIBILITY / MOBILITY: Aggressive training can tighten and toughen the muscles, preventing them from stretching correctly; the ‘pumping’ (focussed stroking) of soft tissue, both longitudinally and laterally, will improve muscular mobility and can correct imbalances, as well as releasing accumulated tensions from the sheaths around the muscles.
EASE STICKY BONES: specific techniques can separate muscle fibers that have either become adhered to one and another, or to other soft tissues structures around them, and even to bones. This again will all help with mobility.
STRONGER FLOW OF BLOOD/NUTRIENTS: Overtrained muscles are tough and rock-like, which can squeeze out blood and nutrients, thus depriving the muscles of what they need! Better circulation which comes from softer, massaged muscles will consequently improve the supply of nutrients to tissues improving their health and aiding in healing and repair. Blood vessels dilate and membrane pores widen during the massage, which allows better oxygen passage, as well as nutrients for the restoration of muscles. Great!
EJECTS METABOLIC WASTE: through increased blood flow, sports massage helps in the removal of metabolic waste products (e.g. lactates) from tissues, further assisting in recovery from activity.
REDUCES PAIN: by removing the pressure build-up suffered from congestion and metabolic irritants, sports massage can help to relieve pain. This is compounded by the release of endorphins.
EASES DELAYED ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS: also referred to as ‘DOMS’, is the muscular discomfort experienced a day or two after a training session. The pumping and squeezing action of massage strokes will encourage blood and lymph flow throughout the body, which can help prevent muscle fatigue and encourage better oxygenation.
PROMOTES RELAXATION: Sports massage stimulates your mechanoreceptors (sensory receptors which respond to touch), and as your body relaxes, endorphins are released which lift the mood and de-stress the body, minimising anxiety.
BOOSTS PERFORMANCE: More oxygen flowing to muscle tissues which are lithe and mobile, nourished and free from toxins and knotted tension, is surely going to lead to a higher quality and more sustainable level of activity
www.barnesphysiohertford.co.uk
So you have all the information on how important it is to get those sports massages booked in. It is a cost, yes, but can you cannot afford to miss out on something as important as self-care?
We all have goals and targets to hit in general but January seems to be the month most people put those goals in place.
Have a great week
Maria Tait
Nutrition
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