Health Insights from Austin Massage Therapist and Personal Trainer: Jeaninne Litz

Hello TexStar Buda 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
Austin’s TexStar Chiropractic. Contact us anytime!