Hot Stone Massage Benefits
Hot stone massage therapy is a derivative of stone massage therapy in which water-treated stones are placed at particular places on the body of the client. The particular placement of these stones is intended to promote relaxation and work to open up blocked energy pathways throughout the client’s body. While heated stones are featured prominently during this form of massage, they are not exclusively used throughout the massage. Generally these heated stones work as way of pre-treating muscles before the therapists performs deep tissue massage with their hands. The stones can be heated or chilled, depending on the needs of the client. In almost all cases, a hot stone massage involves the use of some kind of massage oil. The oils are just as natural as the stones themselves.
There are many benefits to receiving a hot stone massage. The heat from the stones create a deep level of muscle and tissue relaxation. This form of massage also works at relieving stress, releasing toxins, pain relief, improvement of circulation, and a calming of the psyche. Therapists prefer this form of massage as the heat from the stones makes the skin much more pliable and receptive to deep tissue massage.
While everyone can receive the various therapeutic benefits associated with a hot stone massage, there are certain health conditions that have seen marked improvements with the incorporation of hot stone massage. Clients with muscular aches and pains associated with both acute and chronic conditions can greatly benefit from hot stone massage. The heat from the stones penetrates even the sorest of muscles and with regular sessions, muscular pain can be greatly reduced.
Back pain is common among people that sit for long periods of time. This back pain is commonly associated with overworked/underworked muscles that become tight and knotted. Hot stone massage coupled with the deep tissue massage a therapist often incorporates into the session can gradually loosen these muscles and provide great degrees of comfort to the client.
Unfortunately, stress and anxiety are health conditions commonly experienced by people. When clients allow themselves to set aside time on a weekly basis for simple relaxation, they will instantly experience a decrease in their stress and anxiety levels. While this may only be temporary at first, over time, these reduction levels can be more lasting.
There are some types of stones used in hot stone massage that lend themselves to providing clients with relief from insomnia. The natural healing properties of some of these stones stimulate receptors that make it easier for clients to fall asleep.
Health conditions like MS, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and depression can also be improved with the use of hot stone massage along with more conservative treatments. While massage obviously cannot “cure” some health conditions, the relief provided by its benefits can make clients a lot more comfortable.
I write for TIR Massage Stone about performing hot stone massage therapy and obtaining a proper hot stone massage kit.
Exercise With Your Kids
You and your children can have a ball spending quality time together when you exercise. The first thing you want to do is to set a specific scheduled time of day to exercise. If a certain time of the day works for everyone, keep it at that time. Of course emergencies or appointments will arise but for the most part this will be your special fitness time.
You can use a timer to let your kids know when 4:00 pm rolls around. Once the timer goes off, it is time to exercise. You may all meet in your family room, outside or in your basement where there is a rug.
Start with a few minutes of body stretching. You can lead your children into the stretches. Keep the stretching routine the same. Once everyone knows it, you may want to switch it up. Let your children choose which stretch you all will perform next. Let the kids take turns.
Once your stretching is completed, you and your children can do floor exercises. Start out with sit-ups. You will want to start out slow and have your kids do ten sit-ups. Make sure you demonstrate to them how to do a sit-up correctly. You can hold your children’s feet when they do their sit-ups for the first time. Once your kids get the idea they can help each other by taking turns and holding each other’s feet.
Next your child can do push ups. At first they will probably have to do an easier push up where their knees touch the ground and they do the upper body part of the push up correctly. As they get used to bending their elbows and their nose towards the ground, you can introduce holding the weight of their body up by positioning their feet correctly. Stick with some push ups and work from there.
All of you sit on your buttocks and put both legs up in the air as well as both arms so you are in the shape of a V. You are now doing what is called the V-sit. Your kids and you can take turns trying to figure out ways to make all of the letters of the alphabet. This is a great way to use their imagination and tone up their muscles.
Now your children can do twenty jumping jacks. Have fun listening to music while all of you have fun exercising.
All of you can form a circle and jog in place. Next make sure that you are far enough apart where you can do arm circles, leg lifts, waist twists and turns, etc.
Have fun mixing up different exercises. You may want to start out with only ten minutes of exercise per day until your children get used to it.
You can spend quality time with your kids and exercise at the same time. You should not exercise right before bedtime or else you may have a difficult time sleeping. You definitely do not want your kids up all night.
Morgan Turley is a yoga instructor at Essence Yoga Studio, providing a variety of gilbert yoga classes and yoga Mesa AZ classes.