Hi guys, it’s Tricia here with Live Free Massage, and today I want to talk to you about dynamic
stretching versus static stretching. So before we workout we usually do something called
static stretching – like this picture shows. Now what that does is, it will usually increase your
flexibility, which is good, but at the same time it relaxes your muscles, which we don’t want
when we’re about to workout and we want our muscles to perform. Instead, try something
called dynamic stretching. It includes active movement, but at the same time increasing your
range of motion. It’ll warm up the muscles, activate and fire up your muscles and get them
ready to perform, and at the same time increasing range of motion and flexibility to reduce
injury. So, before you workout next time, take two minutes and try one of these dynamic
stretching routines. I’ll see you next time.
Foam Roller
Hi guys, it’s Tricia with Live Free Massage and today I want to talk to you about how to get
the most out of your foam roller. So there’s many benefits to foam rolling like increased
flexibility, circulation, and reducing soreness after a workout, but today I want to show you
how to effectively release those troubled spots and reduce those tight muscles. So let’s get
started.
Tip number one: When you feel a specific spot that’s tender – stop, and let the roller sink in.
Don’t keep rolling quickly across it, because that could cause the muscle to guard and
contract, which we don’t want. Instead, be patient and hold it there.
Tip number two: If you’re having a hard time releasing a tender spot, you can make little
movements at the joint to help it release quicker.
Tip number three: When you’re working a muscle that feels extra tight, you wanna go slowly
through the muscle. The slower you go, the deeper the roller will sink.
For more videos like this, go to my website Livefreemassage.com, and I’ll see you next time.
Smoothie Tropical Cafe
Hi guys, it’s Tricia with LiveFree Massage, and today I want to share with you one of my
favorite restaurants that I go to pretty frequently. I’m on my lunch break right now and I work
in the Perimeter area in Atlanta, and when I want to stay healthy and eat right, this is the
place I go to, it’s called Tropical Smoothie Café. It has a ton of options to eat, and it has great
tasting smoothies. They have wraps, and bowls, and salads, and pressed sandwiches, and
flatbreads, and they’re all really good. And you can install an app on your phone and order
online and just go pick it up and be on your way. So if you’re in a hurry and you want to eat
right, try out Tropical Smoothie Café. I’ll see you next time.
Smartphone Thumb
Hi, I’m Tricia from LiveFree Massage. Do your thumbs hurt a lot because you use your phone
too much to browse the Internet and text a lot? If so, you could be developing chronic pain
from that repetitive use, so today I want to show you three ways that you can reduce your
pain. Number one, try using your fingers instead of your thumb. Hold the phone with one
hand and you can use your fingers with the other hand to text, or to browse up and down. And
if you want to text, try using the “Voice to text” function, it’s pretty accurate.Number two,
stretch your thumb muscles that can get tight. Do this by making an “L” with your hand.
You’ll feel the stretch in those thumb pad muscles.Number three, massage and release trigger
points in the muscles. These muscles are tight and can harbor trigger points that radiate pain
into your thumb and hand, like in this picture. There are trigger points in your hand area as
well as your forearm, so check and release them all. Just feel for the tender spots, then hold
and release. I hope these tips help you with your thumb pain, and I’ll see you next time.
Breathing From The Right Place Reduces Stress
If you’re alive, you have stress. Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to good and bad experiences that can be beneficial to your health and safety. However, if this stress response becomes chronic, it can affect your mind and body negatively, resulting in high blood pressure, muscle tension, anxiety, headaches, fatigue, and more.
You probably know by now that your Central Nervous System (CNS) controls whether you are in stress (flight or fight response) or relaxation mode. Did you know your CNS also controls breathing? When stressed, breathing becomes shallow, centralizing in the upper chest. This is not what you want for long periods of time. If you’ve ever watched a baby sleep, you’ve noticed their belly going up and down. It’s because they’re in relaxation mode, which results in abdominal breathing. That’s what you seek.
The good news is you can control your breathing, which means you can reduce your stress. Studies have shown that practicing this style of breathing can reduce muscle tension and anxiety levels within 60 seconds. So let’s give it a try:
- Sit or lie down.
- Place the palm of your hand on your abdomen, between your ribcage and navel.
- Close your eyes and start to focus on your breathing.
- Begin to inhale through your nose (not your mouth), feel the air flow through your nostrils. Breathe in for a slow count of 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . then exhale to a slow count of 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . .
When you inhale try to allow your belly to expand NOT your chest. Your chest can expand slightly, but your belly should be moving more than your chest.
Note: This can be hard to do in our culture where we are unconsciously tucking in our belly to look thinner. Fight that instinct and let your belly come out. - Do not take deep breaths. When you inhale, your fingertips on your abdomen should only slightly part, this will help to reduce the risk of over breathing. 7. Start by practicing for a few minutes per day. It will become easier over time.
- If you feel dizzy, stop the exercise and let your natural breathing rhythm take over; you are probably breathing too deeply and/or too quickly.
So when you feel stressed, stop and do this exercise to calm down to help your body shift into relaxation mode. Follow these steps and you will feel a difference.
