Hello TexStar Austin Chiropractic blog readers. Dr. Henry, DC, here. I have had the privilege of writing advice columns for several years now. I am planning from time to time to ask other health care providers in the area to guest write a column for us. This month I asked local massage therapist and personal trainer, Jeaninne Litz to tell us what in her opinion are the most important things to do to keep your body well. Here is what she had to say:
To live a life of many years and of high quality, we must begin by taking care of ourselves. This includes a regimented fitness program, a healthy diet, and finding great health care providers that specialize in keeping your body functioning at its best like chiropractors and massage therapists.
My three principles to good health are Regimented Exercise, Massage, and Yoga or Advanced Stretching Techniques. When combined with a Sensible Diet, these principals can add quality years to your life. We’re going to discuss some of the basics in this article.
Regimented Exercise is the first and most pro-active of all our physical well-being approaches as well as one of the most rewarding. It is one of the best ways that we can take control and of our bodies and shape them into what we want them to be. This is where the dedication of a personal trainer and client working together can achieve the greatest results. Additional benefits of Personal Training Include:
Education- Being educated while exercising is essential in maximizing effectiveness and reducing risk of injury. They will put together the perfect routine to help you achieve your goals, work relentlessly on technique, and demonstrate the correct posture for each exercise.
Motivation- Being disciplined and aware of the importance of personal training isn’t always easy. Having regular sessions with a personal trainer may give you the boost you need and someone in your corner to push and encourage you can be rewarding.
Massage, my second principal to good health is perhaps one of the oldest healing traditions around. Its inception goes back 4,000 years and the therapeutic properties of massage were used to treat a variety of ailments. Let’s talk about some different types of massage and their benefits:
Remedial – Often a deep-tissue therapy, its objective is to locate signs and symptoms of pain or injury. This type of therapy goes to the knots that we all develop and works the surrounding areas in a semi- circular pattern around the knot until it begins to dissolve.
Reflexology – This is a popular therapy based on the principle that certain parts of the body reflect the whole. Reflex points, which relate to all parts of the body, can be found in the feet, hands, face and ears.
Sports or Deep-Tissue – A sports massage can be very diagnostic in nature. For instance, if a pitcher develops a sore arm, the massage can be focused on both alleviating the pain and strengthening the exact muscles needed to throw again properly. Thus, this is an application of massage, not a particular massage technique.
Advanced Stretching or Yoga, my third principal, goes way beyond just increasing flexibility. Did you know that a muscle can stretch up to one-and-a-half times its original length? Stretching can relieve physical, mental, and emotional stress. Anything that tenses our body and mind can find relief from a good stretch. By releasing vital endorphins, tension and stress can be alleviated. Stretching our bodies is an important part of staying healthy. But the importance can be easily forgotten, especially when the results are often not as visible as weightlifting or as spectacular as crossing a finish line. But the benefits of a good stretch are vast and long-lasting.
In my Practice, stretching is best used when it is taken as a whole. When thinking about stretching, most folks think about the neck, back or hamstrings, but there are many body parts that benefit from a good stretch besides the obvious tight muscles.
I like to practice stretch therapy which improves the feelings of deep relaxation and the rejuvenation that one feels after a deep tissue massage.
The best stretching techniques will involve deep breathing techniques with challenging stretches which synchronize both mind and body. I tend to begin with the head and neck and work through the tension of the nervous system that controls the mental functions of our brains. Other areas I work on with my clients is their Flexibility, Range of Motion, and Posture. This is where chiropractic care has also been really helpful to a lot of my clients.
The Big Picture
A good physical trainer can help you go beyond the moment so you can focus on the bigger picture, helping the client feel more toned, more beautiful, and more alive. We develop fewer limitations which result in doing activities that keep us young and vibrant. When you put these few principals together and add the help of a skilled personal trainer to guide you can add years to your life and make sure that you have the physical well-being to enjoy them
Jeaninne is a licensed massage therapist and an ISSA certified Physical Trainer who has been working in the Southwest Austin area for the past 15 years. She trains clients of all ages at Evolve Personal Fitness on the westbound Hwy 290 service road just before Old Fredericksburg Road. You can reach her at (512) 799-2514 to find out more or to schedule a session.
Of course, we invite you to learn about the wide range of chiropractic care offerings provided here at Buda’s TexStar Chiropractic. Contact us anytime!
