How to Receive a Massage

   I know what you’re thinking. “Don’t I just lie there and accept it?” No! As a licensed massage therapist who’s been working in the field for over three years, I can tell you a few things that you should do to make sure you get the most for your money!

 1) Know which service you want!

     There are many different kinds of massage. The ones I do the most are Swedish and Deep Tissue. You’d be surprised at how many people don’t know the difference!

  During a Swedish massage, the practitioner only works with the hand flat. That means, if you’re looking for them to really “get in there,” you should not get the Swedish massage, you should get the deep tissue. A lot of times, people ask for a Swedish at the front desk, but when they get on the table, they ask for a deep tissue and don’t want to upgrade. The reason for this is that deep tissue massages cost more money. But we don’t charge more because we feel like it, it costs more because the therapist has to work a lot harder. We are loosening up severe areas of tension in your muscles to increase your range of motion and treat muscular-skeletal disorders.

    Now, just because you may not want a deep-tissue massage doesn’t mean you can’t get a strong, firm treatment. Swedish massages can be done at any pressure! If you’re looking more for relaxation and a full-body treatment, get the Swedish.

    Last thing on this topic, if you want a deep-tissue massage, it may not be full-body. It is impossible to fully release all of the tension in your back/shoulders/area of concern and still have time to get to everything else. To increase your chances of getting more work done, go for the 90 minute instead of the 60 minute. Yes, it’s pricey, but it can prevent injuries and the doctors appointments for injuries are way pricier (ever been through physical therapy?).

2)  Talk to your massage therapist!

    A lot of us in the massage business are very intuitive, but we can’t read your mind! If the face cradle is uncomfortable, if ANYTHING is uncomfortable (room temperature, music volume, pressure etc.) speak up! It is the absolute worst to have a silent client tell you after everything is over what could have been better for them, or worse, lying to our faces and then complaining to the spa manager.

   Also, when you meet your therapist tell them how you’re feeling. Not just physically, but mentally. We are, for the most part, a very nurturing people. If someone tells me their day/week was lousy, I will usually work extra hard to make sure their experience is therapeutic. And on the flip side if their day is going AWESOME, far be it from me to ruin that!

3) Feeling talkative?

   If you want to chat during the massage, that’s fine! If you don’t, that’s fine too! If your massage therapist starts chatting you up while you’re on the table and you don’t want that, let them know. Generally, we don’t do that, but I’ve heard stories. “Why didn’t you say anything to them?” “Oh, he/she was so nice…” That doesn’t matter. You’re paying for a service, not a pow-wow.

4) Other:

-Be on time for your service. If it is at 1:00, don’t show up at 1:00, show up 15-20 minutes early so you get your full service. If there is a 2:00 appt, why should the 2:00 person have to wait just because you didn’t show up on time?

-If you’re getting a scrub service, don’t shave your legs beforehand. You could react badly to the exfoliating sugar/salt in the scrub.

-Wait until your massage therapist leaves the room to disrobe.

-Get in the covers on the massage table as though it were a bed. There is a blanket, a top sheet and a bottom sheet. Your therapist should explain that to you, but every once in a while I’ll still come into the room with the person lying on top of everything. That pillow with the hole in it is where your face goes.

-Take off all jewelry beforehand, or don’t wear jewelry. Massage oil/creams ruin pearls. Wedding/engagement rings are fine.

-I know I don’t really get a say in this, but while I have your attention, feel free to wash your feet beforehand, especially if you were wearing flip flops. That’s just a little considerate.

-Don’t drink alcohol before a massage. Alcohol is dehydrating and when you receive bodywork, your circulation increases so your body is doing a lot of work.

-Drink TONS of water after to avoid dehydration, since your body will be all well-circulated.

-Always go to someone who is licensed. Don’t settle for someone who isn’t just to save money. You’re investing in your health and trusting someone with your body. You want to know that they know what they’re doing so you don’t end up injured.

Alright folks, that’s all I’ve got on the subject for today! I hope you’re still working out hard and that you’ll reward yourself by getting a faaaabulous massage!

Abs Are Made In The Kitchen

Top Left: Nov '12 Top Right: Dec '12 Bottom Left: January '13 Bottom Right: Early February '13

    February was a downward slope for me... I achieved killer abs for the first time in my life (you know the type I mean... when you're doing a workout DVD and the main instructor goes over to one of the background models and points to their stomach and says "THE ABS YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED". See bottom right pic in the ab pic-stitch) then I took it for granted. Then I got sick AND celebrated my birthday. Then I was mad at myself and ate my feelings.

  The GOOD news is that I still worked out (once I was healthy) and in my solitary disease-ridden confinement, I did a lot of virtual observation (via blogs & instagram) of the people who share my goal- to live a more healthy life than I previously have. I've seen a lot of great recipes and ways to replace the things I've been eating and in only a few days, I'm starting to see the positive changes shine through again!

Here are some things I've found helpful in eating better:

1) Shakeology

-Shakeology is a meal-replacement shake. It has over 70 natural ingredients found all over the world. There are enough vitamins in it to replace a daily multiple (if consumed daily) and IT'S SO GOOD! The thing I love about Shakeology is that you can do so much with it. You don't have to make the same shake everyday- it comes with a calendar of 30 recipes to choose from. You can also cook with it. I've been making little cakes and ice cream with my chocolate Shakeology. It's absolutely unreal. I love that I can actually have my cake and eat it too without feeling bad about it later. To learn more, leave a comment in the comment section and I'll answer any questions about it or give you some awesome Shakeo recipes!

2) Salad

People are always hating on salads. Why? Ya know the best thing about a salad? THERE ARE NO RULES! You throw things in a bowl and put dressing on it and it is delicious! If you don't "like salads" you need to start experimenting more. Anyway, here are some sub-tips:

   a) Don't use creamy dressing. I'm looking at you, Ranch addicts! I've BEEN there! When I was on my college swim team, I ate NOTHING but salad... but I drowned it in ranch dressing. I couldn't figure out for the life of me how I'd 

 become a victim of the freshman 15 (The 15 lbs college freshmen gain from having freedom for the first time). Now I usually use a light balsamic vinaigrette mostly, and it goes a lot better with the ingredients I use in my salads.

   b) Lose the croutons. They offer little nutritional value. I know, they're pretty tasty, but they're like putting potato chips in there (okay, not as extreme but still). Instead, I use walnuts. If you're allergic to nuts, try bits of your favorite crunchy vegetable instead! 

3) Afternoon snack

 I don't know about you, but I always want junk food somewhere between lunch and dinner. I used to eat whatever I wanted in the afternoon. Ten years ago when I was in eighth grade (ew), I used to come home from school and eat a bowl of potato chips and drink a glass of Pepsi while I sat and watched my favorite shows on TV. The good news is that is also the year I started dance classes and figured out how to enjoy activity... but I didn't know much about nutrition, so I just maintained a frumpy figure for a while. Over the years, my afternoon snacks have shifted. I've cut the soda completely, I only eat chips on Christmas (my Aunt Julie's dip is irresistible), and I've even cut down on granola bars with chocolate chips in them... because I found that a handful of walnuts and raisins is all I need!! They don't have the same "I can't stop eating this" quality that junk foods have and the raisins are nice and sweet. Allergic to nuts? Try apple slices or a small fruit salad instead. 

4) Water

 If you are a big soda drinker, I DARE you to replace soda with water for ten days. Notice how you feel in your body, your thinking patterns and attention and your sleeping patterns change. Not to mention your abs, but that's what all of these tips are for anyway. Also, your body will appreciate the water so much, that the next time you drink soda your stomach might hurt a little afterward. That's your body telling you "this sucks".

5) Tea

  I am a big fan of warm drinks in the winter, especially at night when the wind is howling. Instead of filling my limited-edition Paul McCartney mug with cocoa, I've been drinking decaffeinated tea with a slice of lemon. This may not work for everyone, but I don't know... something about tea makes me feel the warm-fuzzies. Maybe switch up the flavor of the tea? It's also a good way to keep from night-snacking!

I hope these work for you on your quest to achieve "The Abs You've Always Wanted"!