Category: Healthy Living

Use Self-Massage To Help You Achieve Your Best Body

How To Perform Self-Massage Using The Foam Roller by Personal Trainer Jennifer Ledford

When you think of being physically fit, massage may not be the first thing on your list of to do’s. Oftentimes, when one hears the word massage, a luxurious experience in a fancy spa comes to mind. You probably know it’s good for relieving stress levels but may be wondering how it contributes to helping you fit into your jeans.

There are three main components to physical fitness.  They are strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.  All three are equally important and work together to help your body move more efficiently, prevent injury, and burn calories optimally.  Tight muscles can pull on joints which can lead to pain and/or injury. Once a body is suffering from pain or an injury, it can be difficult to follow through with an exercise routine, normal lifestyle activities, and in some cases even work responsibilities.

For years, stretching has been one of the most popular ways to maintain flexibility and is still a good practice.

However, over the years, the fitness industry has come to realize that one of the best ways to maintain flexibility and release tight muscles is to learn the practice of self-massage using tools like foam rollers and tennis balls.  Massage, also know as release work or trigger point therapy, has proven to be more effective than stretching when it comes to releasing tight muscles and improving the body’s range of motion for the long term.

Self-Massage

Since massage is really more of a necessity than a luxury, I recommend learning self-massage.  When you know how to release tight muscles on your own, it allows you to have unlimited access to massage without taxing your schedule or budget.  Even a few minutes a day can make a BIG difference when it comes to improving range of motion and relieving stress (which also helps with weight loss).

In today’s video I demonstrate how to use a foam roller to massage and release your neck, shoulder, and mid back areas.  I’ve included some links below to help you purchase a roller of your own if you don’t already own one and a book that I recommend to all of my private coaching clients.  The Trigger Point Therapy workbook is inexpensive and walks you through step-by-step self-massage in a way that’s easy to understand.  Foam rollers are a low cost investment that are worth every penny.

Enjoy the video and here’s to achieving your best body!

Shared with Love,
Jennifer

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO:

Foam Rollers
The roller is a great tool every home gym should have available.  My clients use them to help develop balance, postural alignment, and flexibility or as support for dynamic strength exercises. Also, foam rollers come in various sizes and denseness, with the more dense rollers being ideal for self-myofascial release and massage therapy. Foam rollers are available in round or half round with the option of 12 or 36 inches in length to fit all levels of user’s abilities and needs.  CHECK THEM ALL OUT HERE

 

The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition

Trigger point therapy is one of the most intriguing and fastest-growing bodywork styles in the world. Medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists are all beginning to use this technique to relieve formerly undiagnosable muscle and joint pain—conditions that studies have shown to be the cause of nearly 25 percent of all doctor visits. The technique involves applying short, repeated massage strokes to trigger points, tiny contraction knots in muscle tissue where restricted circulation and lack of oxygen cause referred pain. Trigger points create pain throughout the body in predictable patterns characteristic to each muscle, producing discomfort ranging from mild to severe. Trigger point massage increases circulation and oxygenation in the area and often produces instant relief. This dynamic technique has made a huge impact among health professionals and the public alike, becoming an overnight classic in the field of pain relief. The book has sold over 220,000 copies since the release of the first edition in 2001. The second edition is a complete update and includes a new chapter specifically for massage professionals, as well as a chapter on systematic muscle relaxation techniques that can reinforce the therapeutic power of trigger point work.

This post contains an Amazon affiliate link which means that if you click on the product link, I’ll receive a small commission. Twenty percent of all Amazon commissions will be donated to charity.  It’s a pleasure to serve you! 

 

A Labor Day Travel Tip

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Happy Labor Day!

My husband and I decided to take some time off to hang out with good friends and all of our fur babies at the Russian River here in Northern California.  Total bliss!  It’s SO important to take time off periodically to play and rest.

In honor of the long weekend, I’m sharing one of my favorite travel tips with you.

Years ago I traveled twice a month for business and experienced my fair share of hotel life.    Business travel is different than traveling for pleasure and it can often times cause you to want to stay home and nest rather than travel when vacation time comes around.  The desire to stay in a hotel is simply not there.  Even the fancy ones!

A Labor Day Travel Tip

To remedy this situation my husband and I do our very best to rent a home or an apartment with a kitchen when we travel.  Having access to a kitchen allows us to prepare our own meals and having extra space feels more homey to us.

My husband and I enjoy eating out.  However, after a few days, eating every meal in a restaurant can become a bit much even for a couple of  foodies.  Spending time searching for restaurants can take time away from your outdoor activities and after a while you may find you just want to hang out in your own private home and eat a casual meal.

When it comes to maintaining your weight loss goals cooking your own meals while on vacation is a great way to avoid weight gain and it’s much easier to stick to your meal plan if you have any special dietary needs.

We’ve rented homes and apartments here in the United States and in other countries as well.  On one of our trips to Mexico we stayed in a timeshare and had the cab driver stop at the grocery store on our way to the resort.  Talk about some amazing produce!

The nice thing about having a kitchen when you travel is it allows you flexibility.  You can eat in or out as much as you want to.  When we travel to new places we normally like to go out to lunch and then eat something a bit lighter for dinner.  It’s all about what works for you.

Here’s to creating that home away from home while you travel!

With Love,
Jennifer

The Most Common Regret For Older Americans And How You Can Avoid It

shutterstock_370418675 - The Most Common Regret

My ninety two year old grandfather passed on last week.  We will miss him dearly.  It’s always sad to lose a loved one; however, there is something slightly comforting about the fact that he lived to be ninety two years of age.

His passing does have me wondering if, in his mind, his life was a full one.  This question prompted me to do a little research on the most common regrets of the elderly.  Based on the life expectancy in this nation, the majority of us will live well into our golden years.  Personally, I would like to make the most of my time here on earth and I’m guessing you would too so even if the senior discount seems a long ways away from now, I believe you will be interested in what I discovered.

The Most Common REGRET OF THE ELDERLY

In 2004, a Cornell University professor by the name of Karl Pillemer launched The Legacy Project.  Fifteen hundred Americans over the age of sixty five were asked about the most important lessons they learned over the course of their lives.  Apparently Professor Pillemer was not prepared for the answer.  He expected “big” regrets like addictions, affairs, bad business decisions, etc.  Nope, it turns out that the most common regret was worrying too much.  

After reading multiple lists of the top regrets of the elderly, I’m not surprised that worry came in at number one because it tends to be the root of many of the other common regrets this age group shares.

Here are some of the other regrets I discovered:

  • wishing they hadn’t cared so much about what others thought
  • been happier
  • pursued the career they dreamed of instead of what their parents wanted for them
  • working too much
  • playing it too safe
  • passing up on the “dream job”
  • never asking her or him out on a date

All of the regrets above can be tied to fear of the unknown, otherwise known as worry.

According to scientists who study worry, the key characteristic is that it takes place in the absence of actual or real stressors.  In other words, most worrying occurs when there is nothing concrete or “real” to worry about.

How To Reduce Regret

To reduce the number of regrets in our lives experts recommend spending more time on problem solving and less time worrying.  Another way to look at it is to focus on the solution rather than the problem.  For example, if you are worried about money, then start a savings account and create a realistic budget that helps you to build up wealth.  Focus on the solution rather than the problem.

Or, if you are worried about what others think of you, ask yourself why you care.  If it’s your boss and you want to improve your performance, continue to sharpen your skills and be the employee you would want to hire.  If you are worried about something like how you look in a bathing suit, remind yourself that most people are more worried about how they look in their own bathing suit and focus on enjoying yourself and the environment around you.  Be the empowering example that sets others free at the beach. 🙂

It’s also important to remember not to worry about things we can’t control.  I can’t make anyone like me.  However, I can continue to work on my people skills and do my best to be someone that others like to be around.  Not everyone that walks this earth is going to like me so as long as I know I’m giving it my best shot, I can’t worry about pleasing everyone.

Worrying does more than just steal your joy.  It’s hard on your health and can keep you from walking toward your destiny.

Fortunately, problem solving has the opposite effect of worry.  Focusing on solutions will empower you, relieve stress, and help you move forward toward success.

One of the most valuable things a seasoned or elderly person can share is their wisdom and experience.  Let’s learn from their regrets and do our best to have less of our own when we’re asked the same question at their age.

Shared with love,
Jennifer Ledford