Summer is the Best Time to get a Massage

Summer is the best time to get a massage for several reasons.

ONE:

Your muscles are already warmed up!  It’s true, the weather does actually have a physical effect on the body.  This is also why I hate being cold. When you’re body feels cold (not actual cold, like hypothermia, just uncomfortable the air is colder than my body cold) your body automatically tenses up as a way of conserving heat.  Your veins actually contract slightly, (called vasoconstriction) so that your body disperses less heat. SO, if your body is already warm and mobile (from vasodilation), then your muscles will already be in an enhanced state of relaxation.  That means that your massage session will be that much more productive. (This is also the reason that we use table warmers and hot towels!!)

TWO:

Summer is often synonymous with travel.  Think cross-country road trips, flights to foreign countries, or just hopping home to visit your parents for the summer if you’re in school.  As advanced as humans have become at globe-trotting, we still have not really figured out how to make it exactly ergonomic. Travel often finds you in cramped spaces, sleeping in odd configurations, not sleeping enough, and just generally keeps your body out of whack.  Massage is a great way to get you back into whack, relaxing your muscles, improving your sleep, and returning your body back to balance.

THREE:

Summer is often synonymous with travel.  What’s that you say? I’ve said that already?  Well, here’s the thing. Here at Mantis, we have a some really great, oft-sought-after therapists.  Sometimes it can be challenging to get a prime spot on their schedules. But summer means that some of our other clients might be going out of town just as you are coming back into town, opening up a spot for you on our schedules.  Now that’s what I call a symbiotic relationship.

Self-Care: Hands Edition

If you have hands, they probably hurt.  My clients are often surprised by this, until I remind them that we use our hands for everything! **If you don't have hands, your wrists, forearms, etc probably hurt, in which case most of the following still applies**

So what can you do about it?

First and foremost, book a massage.  And when you’re talking with your therapist pre-session, make sure to mention that your hands hurt and that you’d like to have some work done there.  Your body has a lot of soreness to attend to during your session, so if you don’t mention a specific area, we might forsake it in the interest of spending more time on, say, your tired shoulders.  

Now that you have your massage booked, there’s actually a lot you can do for your tired hands in the meantime!

ICE

Depending on the level of inflammation and soreness in your hands (did you type a 20-page essay and then go rock climbing for 3 hours?), you may need to start with ice.  Use either a couple of ice packs, or a bowl full of ice water. When using ice packs, never apply directly to the skin. Instead, use a cloth or towel to protect your body’s largest organ.  Limit your cold therapy to about 10 minutes. Longer than that and you can actually trigger an inflammatory response from your body, thereby creating MORE inflammation, and MORE soreness.

HEAT

Run warm water over some towels and then wrap them around your hands until the towels cool off.  Test the heat of the towels on the inside of your wrist, as this is your most temperature sensitive area, to avoid burning your hands.  Never use boiling water or a microwave, as they can get too hot or heat unevenly.

EPSOM SALT

Add about 1 tbsp of epsom salt for 8 oz of water.  You won’t need much if you’re just soaking your hands.  Whole body sore? Try a whole body epsom salt bath. You’ll need about 2 cups of salt for a standard bathtub.  Make sure to soak for about 20 minutes to help rid your body of inflammation.

STRETCHES

Whether using a soft ball to squeeze, silly putty, or just your average wall, stretching each finger and each individual joint in your hand will help increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and get your hands back to feeling like themselves again.  

MASSAGE

You can also use your hands to massage your hands (Whoa.).  You can even use some tiger balm, lotion or massage oil to make your hands feel really pampered.  Use your opposite hand to clamp down on the webbing between each finger, especially the meaty muscle between your thumb and forefinger.  Take your time, and do what feels good. There isn’t really a wrong way to do it. Just know that just because something hurts doesn’t make it good for you (more on that in a future post!).  In fact, if your self-massage hurts in a bad way, you should probably stop. Sometimes massage hurts so good, but when it doesn’t, it’s ok to ease off and try another technique.