Self Care

Routine I use to stay pain FREE

Self care is a big part of what I teach my massage clients. I want people to get the best results out of their massage session with me. One of the biggest questions I get asked is how to I don’t care of myself. I see about 20-25 clients a week so it’s important that I stay pain free as much as possible.  So here are some of the tools that I use.

I love going to the chiropractor! I spend a lot of my day applying weight to my forearms, which can cause neck and shoulder issues. Getting adjustments helps to keep my neck into good aliment, so I don’t get wrist issues down the road. I also can get lower back/SI joint issues from leaning over the table.

I am a big fan of yoga. I have been practicing almost daily for 15 years. I do a lot of arm and shoulder postures to help keep my upper body strong and stable. Spinal twists with a bind, wrings out my back and gets my shoulders along with my pectoral muscles open. With me leaning over so much I do extra stretches to keep my chest open.  I also like to do different hips openers because of an old knee injury. I want to keep that knee scare tissue as limber as possible.

I do get monthly bodywork from different practioners. I like to do different things. Sometimes I am in the mood for energy work. Or I just need a relaxation massage to help chill out my mind. And deep tissue work if I am feeling extra tight. I like to change up who I am seeing based on my needs for the month.   

Daily meditation over the past year has been a wonderful addition to my self care. I spend a lot of time guiding people on their wellness journey. And that can take a toll on my spirit. Nightly meditation helps me to just let go and be in the moment. It’s not emotionally healthy for me to take on everyone’s challenges. The meditation has taught me how to leave work and work. Plus I am sleeping better and have much clearer thinking.

Diet plays a big role too. You are what you eat. I have cut out a ton of processed food. Very little dairy, I do like my morning coffee. Yes I do eat meat, LOVE IT! I actually don’t do well on a vegetarian/vegan diet. I get a lot of headaches when I don’t eat enough animal protein. During the summer months I grow a vegetable garden. And eat lots of raw vegetables along with animal protein.

Injury prevention 

Back in October 2016 I started this brand new journey into long distance running. You can read about my 5k journey in another blog post. I am currently training for my first ultra marathon. And I get asked a lot from clients and fellow long distance runners. How to I prevent injury. As of today, I haven’t had and injury that has prevented me from running. And for the most part I am pain free before and after a run. So here are my professional tips on injury prevention.

I have a very regular self care routine just so I can keep performing well at my job. This also helps my running too. I get a 1 hour massage every 3 weeks no matter how I feel. And I just go for a general full body massage. If I feel achy in a certain area I will request deep focused work. I have been seeing the same massage therapist for about 4 years. Sticking with the same massage therapist will benefit you in the long run. It gives the therapist a chance to get to know your body and where you hold your tension. Clients generally have the same chronic issues on a regular basis.

Regular chiropractic adjustments is also a part for my injury prevention. I usually go weekly. The leaning over my table can take a toll on the neck. With the running and weight lifting my body is asked to do a lot. Sometimes this can throw off my aliment. Chiropractic helps to keeps all my joints in their proper place, so that I don’t start compensating in weird patterns.

If my body feels off I will get an extra massage and adjustment. I will keep up with the extra sessions till I feel my normal self again.

Running form also is important for injury prevention. I have personally found Chi Running as a good resource. The goal is to have a short quick stride so that you are running 180 bpm. Most running app can help you track this. If you can tolerate it, running with a metronome set to that beat will help. Spotify also has playlists that has music for 180 bpm.

And we can’t forget about the importance of cross training. I personally like weight lifting. But any other form of exercise counts. Just find another active you enjoy on a regular basis. Cross training helps your body move and use your muscles in a different way. In addition it give your legs a break from running so they stay fresh. My current training routine is a short, medium and long run. I’ll lift just upper body one day and just lower body another day, totaling 3 hours.

Rest, rest, rest is the time your body needs a chance to repair/heal. A rest day needs to be a true rest day. So put your feet up and take a nice nap. How much rest you need is individual. The clients I see in my office aren’t professional athletes. A rest day or 2 isn’t going to effect your gains. Chances it will actually improve your performance.