Are you excessively tired?
Fatigue and depleted energy could be addressed with weekly Swedish or Thai massages according to researchers at Teeside and Leeds Universities . One in 5 people experience excessive tiredness at any given time, while one in 10 people have chronic fatigue (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2018).
They invited 20 participants with fatigue and/or depleted energy to receive trestments with a massage therapist. The participants all agreed to commit to a six-week study and complete diaries describing how they felt after their treatments. The participants were split into two groups and half of them received three 45-minute sweedish massage treatments and then three Thai massages in weeks 4 ot 6. The treatment order was reversed for the other ten participants.
The results showed that both Swedish and Thai massage relieved symptoms of fatigue or depleted energy by
- reducing stress
- promoting relaxation
- relieving pain
- improving energy
Swedish massage was more effective than Thai massage in improving sleep, promoting relaxation and de-stressing. Thai massage was more energising, rejuvenating and motivating and had longer lasting benefits than Swedish massage.
Note: Vitality Therapy offer relaxing massage (which is our term for Swedish Massage) at Barclays in London.
Reference
https://www.bodyworkmovementtherapies.com/article/S1360-8592(17)30238-3/abstract?code=yjbmt-site
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Do you have tight hips? – Part 2
I know many of my clients sit at a desk for very long hours which can lead to tight hips. So in this post I want to show you how to stretch them.
How to stretch your hips
Single knee hugging Lying on your back, grab your right knee and pull it toward your chest until you feel a stretch. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat on the left side. Bilateral knee hugging Lying on your back, grab both knees and pull them toward your chest. Hold for 20 seconds. "Cobra pose" Lie face down on the floor, hands parallel to your shoulders. Straighten your arms, lifting your upper torso off the floor. Your lower back should be arched, with your pelvis making contact with the floor. Hold for 20 seconds, then lower yourself back down Hip flexion with abduction/adduction Lying on your back, bring one knee up toward your chest. Holding your knee with both hands, roll your knee from one side to the other for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. External hip rotation Lying on your back, pull your right knee toward your chest. Place your right hand on the knee and your left hand on the ankle. Gently pull your right ankle in the direction of your head. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on your left leg. Internal hip rotation Lying face down, bend your knees 90 degrees and let your feet fall outward. Hold for 30 seconds. If after trying these stretches you are still strugling with tight hips why not book a deep tissue massage.
Reflexology may reduce the intensity of migraines
Migraines affect twice as many women as men and are experienced by one in seven people in the UK. (Migrane Action, 2018). Reflexology could be a beneficial treatment for people who are experiencing migraines a recent study suggest. A randomised control trial was conducted with 75 male subjects who all had a nitrogylcerine induced migraine-type headache. The subjectes were divided into three groups. The first group received 20 mins refleoxlogy while the second group received an ineffective foot massage (a placebo) and the third group no intervention. Three hours after the first treatment the subjects received a second treatment. Data on pain intensity was created before the first treatment and after the second treatment. The results showed a statistically significant reduction of headache intensity in the reflexology group when compared with both other groups after treatments. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30028477

Is this you…
Like a trusty guard dog, your smart phone probably rests right next to you (or even under your pillow) every night when you go to sleep. You’re able to answer calls, texts and emails at a moment’s notice – even during the wee hours of the night. And isn’t that the best part about technology? Always being connected and never truly shutting down or logging off? Not so fast. You probably don’t even realize how your smart phone habits are affecting your sleep. 1. It keeps your mind psychologically engaged Smart phones were designed to make us more productive and our lives easier. They’re designed to entertain us and provide information. But when it’s time to turn off the lights and go to sleep, the last thing our brain needs is more information and more entertainment. (And that seems fair enough – we give our brains enough to think about during the day!) The smart phone era has forced us to feel like we can never really log off, even when we’re sleeping. Your mind can stay active and engaged long after you’ve scrolled through Instagram or responded to a few work emails. Going to bed and falling asleep should be a peaceful, happy and relaxing experience. Engaging with your phone too close to bedtime can negatively impact those feelings. 2. The blue light from the screen suppresses melatonin Blue light from screens of laptops, tablets and smartphones supresses melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle. So when your body runs low on it, you can experience insomnia, tiredness during the day and irritability. 3. Alerts delay REM sleep Knowing your smartphone is at hand can mean you are aware of new email alerts or social media alerts. These alerts or simply waiting for these alerts can delay REM sleep. So if you want to improve the quality of your sleep simply have 1 hour technology free before bed. Reference https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.01413.2009

