YOUR HEALING KNEADSMay 2015

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Bodywork & ExerciseIncrease Body Awareness While Increasing Your ActivityRuth Werner

Moderation is key when beginning a new exercise program

Life isn't aboutfindingyourself. Life isabout creatingyourself.-Geo. Bernard Shaw

Office Hours and Contact

Knead For Healing Therapeutic MassageBarbara Khan, LMT602-326-0422 Sunday-Thursday by appointmentwww.kneadforhealing.massagetherapy.com

In this Issue

Bodywork & ExerciseRelief for Computer UsersSleep and Your Skin

You have to give us credit: as a culture,Americans are incredibly interested ingetting fit. We invest every year in newdiets, exercise programs, andsupplements for weight loss andimproved energy. Low-range estimatessuggest that Americans spend about $2.6billion each year on gym membershipsalone.We also tend to pitch full speed into anygiven commitment. If we're going to getfit, by golly, we're going to do it now,regardless of how long it took us to getinto our current state. We don't dothings by half measures, and moderationis not in our nature. So how do we keepourselves injury-free while honoringour commitment to exercise and gethealthy?

Does It Have to Be All or Nothing?We all know that starting an exerciseprogram doesn't actually mean we'llfinish it. When we throw ourselves intoan ambitious new routine, we are likelyto overdo it and get hurt. Then, we getdiscouraged, and may give up entirely,only to start the cycle over in anotheryear or so.Overdoing things in the gym or on the

sports field seems to appeal to ourcompetitive spirit--especially when we'resurrounded by others who all seem to bedoing better than we are. Combine thiskind of human drive with poorly trainedathletic trainers who give bad adviceabout form, pacing, and effort, and wehave a recipe for potential problems.Exercise is only effective when it occurswithout injury. Any new exerciseprogram requires some caution, even ifit is comparatively easygoing. And morechallenging programs are safest andmost successful when new participantsbuild up their activity levels carefully andreceive excellent guidance about form.

When It Goes WrongWe accrue musculoskeletal and fascial

injuries throughout our entire lifespans.In the best circumstances, they heal well,with a minimum of internal scar tissue,and function returns to practicallynormal levels. When things are ideal,that sprained ankle you got playingsoccer at age 12 doesn't affect yourability to walk in your 30s. The lumbar

Massage can get you back on track following an exercise-related injury

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strain you got from picking up the heavylaundry basket 15 years ago resolved well,so at 62, it won't hinder your golf game.We are able to adapt to minor injuries,and we learn how not to exacerbatethem.But when we introduce a new exerciseprogram, especially if that exerciseprogram is more demanding, ordemanding in different ways than wehave experienced before, we risk theflaring up of old injuries. Scar tissuedoes not have the weight-bearingcapacity of healthy muscle or connectivetissue. This is when that old sprainedankle may make itself known, and thatweakness in your back will definitely haveopinions about your new routine.Sometimes you might feel like your newcommitment to fitness was not the bestidea.

Injuries Can Happen Any TimeCrossFit is one program that gets a lot ofattention because of its reputation forbeing especially demanding. But anytype of exercise can lead to injury ifcorrect form is not observed. Zumba,Jazzercise, and other dance-likeprograms bring a risk of foot and leginjuries, including sprained ankles,plantar fasciitis, and stress fractures,because the risk for twisting at the kneeis so high.If you aren't paying close attention toyour own limits, even yoga can be asource of soft-tissue injury: delayedsoreness, problems at the neck andsacroiliac joints, or other injuries. Onemassage therapist reported seeing severalinjuries related to a prolonged yogaheadstand, probably in a student whowas not ready for this challenge.

How Can Massage Help?Massage can help you deal with pain orsoreness from your exercise regimenand can also help shorten recoveryperiods so you can train moreefficiently. Although massage therapistsare not primary care providers, andcannot diagnose conditions or prescribespecific treatments, your therapist maybe able to offer excellent advice fordealing with a fitness-related injury. Heor she may also have suggestions aboutwarm-ups, cool-downs, and postexercisestretching, or be able to point you to anappropriate coach or other professionalfor specific exercise needs and to helpprevent future injury.The incidence of exercise-related injury

has a lot to do with people not payingattention to their own needs. One of themany things massage therapy offers topeople who want to become healthierand more fit is the chance to becomemore aware of your own body in apowerfully positive way. Increased bodyawareness and self-appreciation may bethe best tools for helping you increaseactivity levels without hurting yourself.In this way, you can reach your goalswith power and joy, rather than withpain and injury.

Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer,and a continuing education provider. She wroteA Massage Therapist's Guide toPathology(Lippincott Williams + Wilkins, 2013).

Take frequent breaks to avoid eye strain.

Relief for Computer UsersMary Betts Sinclair

Sleep and Your SkinShelley Burns

According to the American OptometricAssociation, 46 percent of Americansspend at least five hours a day on acomputer or smartphone. When lookingat a screen, many people hold their headforward of center and slouch, which putsmany upper-body muscles in ashortened position.

Here are some ways to avoid pain andstrain:Computer users tend to blink very littleand stare straight ahead, not using theirperipheral vision. Be sure to keepblinking, which washes your eyes innaturally therapeutic tears and breaks upyour stare.

Take frequent rest breaks using the20-20 Rule: every 20 minutes, spend20 seconds looking at something faraway, preferably gazing out a window.Also, stand up and move as much apossible. This is a great time to doeye-muscle stretches andrange-of-motion exercises for your backand neck. Use your fingertips to gently

massage around your eyes, temples, andforehead. Finally, rub your palmstogether and gently cup your closed eyes.Relax and breathe freely.

Make sure you have good light, andcheck that your monitor is the correctdistance away from your eyes and at theright height. Also, adjust the screensettings to where they are comfortable interms of resolution and flicker.

If you wear eyeglasses, have themchecked. For example, in order forsome people to see clearly with theirheads held in an upright and balancedposition, and without chronic tightnessin the back of the neck, they may need tohave a prescription for a longer focallength or larger bifocal inserts, or havean adjustment of their eyeglass frames ifthey are bent or twisted. Some peoplemay need a stronger or weakerprescription. If your doctor hasprescribed a pair of glasses specificallyfor seeing the computer screen, wearthem.

Mary Betts Sinclair is an Oregon-based educatorand bodyworker. Learn more about her atwww.marybettssinclair.com.

We have all encountered a sleeplessnight or two. Upon waking, we look inthe mirror and are traumatized by whatwe see: puffy eyes, dark circles, droopyeyelids, and sallow skin. To add insult toinjury, more wrinkles may be visible dueto tossing and turning. Poor sleep for aprolonged time is a recipe for disaster.There are three hormones affected whenwe don't get adequate amounts of sleep.These are cortisol, growth hormone,and melatonin, and they all have a directeffect on how our skin ages.-Cortisolis our stress response hormone. Whenwe are not sleeping well, we're like abattery that does not have the chance torecharge. Our body identifies this as astressful situation and starts producingcortisol. Like a jolt of caffeine, thisspike in cortisol keeps us moving, but at

a cost. Elevated cortisol levels breakdown collagen, resulting in less skinelasticity.-Growth hormoneis responsible for building muscle,bone, and tissue--including skin. It isone of our antiaging hormones thatreplenishes as we sleep, rehydrating theskin and allowing for cellular repair.-Melatoninis our sleep hormone, and it also plays arole in the immune system. It is asignificant contributor to the functionaland physical integrity of our skin.Without quality sleep, growth hormoneand melatonin are not produced insufficient quantities, while cortisol isoverproduced. The result is overall poorskin condition, including dryness,dullness, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Even how you position your face on yourpillow affects your skin. Sleeping onyour back will avoid the risk of "sleeplines."While there are some over-the-countersupplements to remedy sleeplessness, it'sfar better to eat well, exercise regularly,and develop healthy sleep habits (at leastseven uninterrupted hours every night)to let the body regulate its hormones ina natural way. And don't forget toschedule your massage!

Shelley Burns, a doctor of naturopathic medicine,completed studies at the Canadian College ofNaturopathic Medicine, and has certification incomplementary and integrative medicine fromHarvard University.

A life is notimportant exceptin the impact ithas on otherlives.-Jackie Robinson

KNEAD FOR HEALING THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE2740 N 21st Drive Phoenix, AZ 85009Encanto Park Area

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