Stretching

 

Today I had a patient come in to see me with questions on how to stretch her calf muscle.. I thought what a great thing to share with all of you.. here are some suggestions and also some other stretches for other parts besides the calf..

 

Why is stretching important?

• Stretching decreases pain and soreness after you exercise so it’s important to stretch before and after. When you stretch your muscles, you send them a signal that they will be working and so they are more willing to move and bend in ways they wouldn’t if you didn’t stretch.
• Stretching improves circulation.  When you stretch out your muscles, the blood flow to your muscles improve which also is a reason why you won’t feel so sore after you workout.
• Stretching improves your posture.  When you have good posture, you will do exercises and strength training the proper way to reduce your risk of injury.  Most workouts require that you use proper posture so that you don’t strain your back or your muscles.  When you stretch everyday, you will improve your posture and your risk of back injury is diminished.

Want more information? contact me @ miracletouchmassagetherapy@gmail.com
-Heather Miracle LMT

Massage Facts

Some interesting facts about massage therapy.. enjoy :)

• touch stimulates the release of endorphins (the body's natural pain killers)
• touch is the first sense to develop in humans, and may be the last to fade
• massage before an athletic event, makes the athlete more flexible, enhanced speed and power, and less prone to injury
• massage therapy is the third most commonly used form of alternative medicine in the U.S.
• massage and bodywork therapy is sought out by a large number of people in age brackets: 18-24 (22%); 25-34 (31%); 35-44 (25%); 45-54 (22%); 55-64 (19%); and over 65 (9%
• by massaging and gently pulling on your ears – top, middle, and bottom of outer earlobes once per day improves your immune system
• a 60 minute massage is about the same as 7-8 hours of sleep to your body

more information on massage coming soon! if there are any specifics you would like me to inform you on just let me know miracletouchmassagetherapy@gmail.com.

-Heather LMT