Wellness Archives - Foot Palace

How to Make Good Posture a Habit

January 18, 2019 By Heather

That pain in your back and neck could be from bad posture. Millions of people suffer from this, and many rely on pain medication to get through the day. What if you didn’t need any drugs to fix it?

Good posture, like poor posture, is habitual. By making good posture a habit, you can avoid eventual debilitating pain, medication, and chronic symptoms like headaches and heartburn.

yourfootpalace.com discusses the differences between good and poor posture, ways to correct and improve your posture, and how to make it a lasting habit.

What is Good Posture

Awareness of what good posture is will help you make it routine. Posture is the manner in which you hold your body while sitting, standing, or sleeping, known as static posture and walking, running, or lifting, known as dynamic posture.

Good posture refers to the three natural curves present in a healthy spine, one at the neck, one at the mid-back, and one at the lower back. Correct posture maintains these curves without increasing them.

Likewise, if you were to look directly at the front or back of the body, the 33 vertebrae that form the spinal column should appear completely vertical.

Furthermore, having good posture depends on the constant awareness of holding your body in a way that results in the least amount of strain on your back.

What is Bad Posture

Bad or poor posture results from certain muscle groups tightening or strengthening, while others lengthen or weaken. This causes a muscular imbalance which results from daily repetitive activities.

While you may not notice it in its beginning stages, poor posture may result in the following:

• Back Pain
• Headache
• Poor Balance
• Muscle Fatigue
• Difficulty Breathing
• Incontinence
• Acid Reflux
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Slouching
• Body Aches and Pains

If you suspect that poor posture is a contributing factor to any adverse condition you are experiencing, make an appointment with your primary care physician to rule out other potentially more serious causes.

How to Improve Your Posture

To change your posture habits, you need to identify the static and dynamic positions that created the problem.

The following will help you make good posture a habit, taking stress off of your back and reducing the ill effects of poor posture:

Neutral Spine Position – The neutral spine position relieves pressure from the spine, promotes better breathing, and even reduces abdominal pressure. To achieve this position while sitting:

Bring your shoulders down and back
Pull your head to an upright (slightly back) position
Tighten your core muscles
Pull in your stomach as if you were tying the drawstring on a pair of sweats

When standing, shift your weight to the balls of your feet, keep your feet about shoulder width apart, and slightly bend your knees while repeating the 4 steps above.

At first, this may be slightly uncomfortable. Keep in mind that you are engaging specific muscles in a way that they are not accustomed to and telling others to relax. This slight discomfort will quickly fade away as you regain a balance between them.

Use this position as your example when adjusting your chair, standing, or walking posture. The more you practice, the more easily it will become habitual.

Core Exercises – Core muscles in the abdomen, back and pelvic floor all work to support the spine. The following easy exercises will help you strengthen your core muscles and further improve your posture:

• Seated Leg Lifts (Can be done practically anywhere)
• Sit-Ups (Crunches are very effective as well)
• Push-Ups (On the floor or inclined)
• Practice Yoga (Nearly everything in yoga engages the core muscles)
• Walk with Proper Posture (20 minutes to 1 hour per day)

Note: If you have lower back pain, consult your primary care physician, or a physical therapist before beginning any exercise routine.

Reminders – Old habits are hard to break, and when you are dealing with posture, your own muscles are working against you in the beginning. Until you have made good posture a habit, use the following to remind you to “straighten up:”

• Leave sticky notes in plain sight on your desk and in areas where you spend a lot of time.
• Get lumbar support pillows for the chairs at work and at home (these can be a bit uncomfortable at first, but are terrific reminders to straighten up).
• Enlist your coworkers, friends, and family to help you avoid poor posture.
• Adjust the seat and mirrors in your vehicle so that you are compelled to sit in a neutral spine position.

Over time, good posture will become habitual, just as poor posture did. Fortunately, this is one habit that serves a healthy purpose and costs nothing to feed.

Good Posture is a Habit Worth Keeping

Don’t let poor posture rob you of your quality of life. By making simple adjustments throughout your daily activities, you can improve your health and avoid developing some chronic conditions.

In this article, you discovered the differences between good and poor posture, what you can do to eliminate bad posture, and how you can make it a healthy habit.

While the effects of habitual bad posture are gradual, they can cause serious health problems as you mature and get older. Just by making a few simple changes, you can make good posture a permanent habit and help your body perform at its peak.

Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/3-surprising-risks-of-poor-posture
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/4485-back-health–posture
https://acatoday.org/content/posture-power-how-to-correct-your-body-alignment
https://medlineplus.gov/guidetogoodposture.html

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Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

 1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106, Athens, GA 30606
 (706) 521-5290

Heal Those Heels

January 15, 2018 By Heather

With temperatures dipping into the freezing range, your skin is likely to receive some damage. Below are a few effective tips to help you avoid dry skin this winter season.

6 Important Tips to Prevent and Treat Dry Winter Skin

Moisturization is key – An obvious solution to dry skin is using a moisturizer, but picking out the best moisturizer for your skin type can add additional benefits. During winter months choosing an ointment based lotion can be especially helpful as it helps retain moisture throughout the day. Water based lotions also work but can quickly fade. If you’re having trouble with dry heels and hands, Foot Palace offers a hand and foot hydration treatment that could surely be beneficial.

Avoid Hot Showers – During the cold months it’s often tempting to jump into a hot shower to escape the cold, however this can be detrimental to retaining the skins natural oils. When you take hot showers, the water is stripping the skin of its self-produced oils and leaving your skin dry and itchy. You can avoid this by taking room temperature (or even cold) showers. Despite the negative connotation associated with cold showers it can actually be incredibly beneficial to not only your skin but to your overall health.
Checkout the benefits of a cold shower here – yourfootpalace.com/5-surprising-health-beauty-benefits-cold-showers/

Keeping a Room Humidifier – Although its not the first solution that comes to mind, keeping a humidifier in your room can actually help keep your skin and lips moist throughout the night. This added moisture can also be beneficial in keeping your sinus cavities moist as well as keeping indoor plants healthy. All in all, a win-win.
Indoor Home Heating – Surprisingly enough overheating in your home can be a large contributor to dry skin. Setting your heat to a comfortably lower setting can not only help save some money but can also help keep your skin a little less dry. This paired with the humidifier (mentioned above) can show great results for keeping your skin during the cold months.

Over Washing the Hands – During this time of year its best to avoid over washing the hands as this can result in dry and even cracked hands. Popular remedies for countering this are using soft soaps that will help to reduce stripping of oils, applying your own oils such as vitamin E oil and different topical creams.

Drinking Water – Last and most important is staying hydrated from within! If you’re not drinking the proper amount of water your body is going to have trouble replenishing its natural oils. This rule goes for chapped lips, dry hands and feet and itchy skin. The body needs sufficient amounts of water to ensure your skin health is as healthy as can be. During the winter you might not feel as thirsty because you’re often less active than in the summer months. But your body needs the same amount of water to function correctly.

Hopefully these tips can help keep you a little less dry this winter!

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Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

 1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106, Athens, GA 30606
 (706) 521-5290

Seasonal Affective Disorder

November 27, 2017 By Heather

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that occurs in relation to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months. Customers of Foot Palace have expressed a draining of energy, and feeling moody or often frustrated. Although SAD might feel like a normal case of rainy day blues, it should be taken seriously and treated effectively.

Helpful treatments of Seasonal Affective Disorder are light therapy (phototherapy), regular exercise, vitamin supplementation and plenty of water.

Symptoms of SAD

The usual symptoms of SAD include depression throughout the day, frequent thoughts of suicide, low energy, having trouble with sleep, and loss of appetite. Winter specific depression (often referred to as Winter Depression) has similar symptoms and can be treated the same. Although absolute causes are unknown there are several factors that can play into your disorder. As mentioned in last month’s blog, the disruption of your circadian rhythm plays a major role in your sleep pattern. This disturbance in your sleep schedule can lead to a decrease in serotonin as well as melatonin, both of which can increase SAD. Family history can also play a role in SAD, the link being that those with a family history of depression are more likely to experience seasonal affective disorder. As well as those with depression, people with bipolar are also at higher risk.

If you feel down for a prolonged period of time and can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor. This is especially true if you begin to have suicidal thoughts, start to lose sleep or your appetite begins to decrease.

Alternative Therapy and Treatments Are an Option

Although treatments such as phototherapy and psychological help are shown to be beneficial, alternative therapies such as reflexology and acupressure can help lift you out of your winter funk. If exercise doesn’t seem to be a realistic option for you, a reflexology service can help to increase the bodies’ circulation and help with the production of melatonin. Helping your body fully relax is also great way to beat the winter blues.

For more wellness related articles, visit https://www.yourfootpalace.com/blog/

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Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

 1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106, Athens, GA 30606
 (706) 521-5290

Preparing the Body for Winter Weather

October 23, 2017 By Heather

Colder weather is officially here and with Fall being the precursor to the sick season, the Foot Palace team compiled a few tips to help keep your physical and mental health on the up and up.

Sunlight Interacts with the Body’s Circadian Rhythm

During the winter months we lose about 5-6 hours of direct sunlight a day. This lack of sunlight has a direct impact on how our circadian rhythm (internal clock) affects the body. With limited exposure to day light, the body becomes tired earlier in the day. To make matters worse, a majority of the sunlight is burned up throughout the work day when most people are inside. An effective way to counteract the loss of sunlight is by purchasing a dawn simulator. The simulator is placed in the bedroom and acts as a substitute for natural light sources (aka the Sun) in the morning.

Hydration During Winter Months

Hydration is more important than you think. Drinking water during the summer months seems much easier because of the constant heat and the amount of time we spend outside, but with the cold of winter keeping us inside more, it’s often easier to neglect proper hydration. The winter air means less humidity which means dry air, dry skin and dry mucus membranes. Proper hydration can help to keep your bodily functions running smoothly and decrease your chances of catching an illness. An added level of protection would be placing a humidifier in the home to keep your mucus membranes moist despite the dry air.

Taking Preventative Measures with Vitamin Supplements

Taking your vitamins throughout the winter months can be incredibly beneficial! Research has shown that despite Nordic countries receiving far fewer sunlight hours during winter, they still have incredibly low percentages of “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Studies show that this is in part due to the high amount of fish consumed in these countries. Fish contain high amounts of key vitamins and nutrients, notably vitamins D and A, which help to maintain a healthy body during times when fresh produce and limited exposure to light are certain. Alternatives to eating more fish are supplementing with fish oil. Standard fish oil capsules can be picked up at most grocery stores as well as super stores. Additionally, taking vitamin D3 and vitamin C capsules (or gummies) is also a great preventative measure.

Following these tips isn’t guaranteed to prevent sickness but it can definitely help, and a healthy winter is a holiday season filled with fun! For more health and wellness topics like this one, visit www.yourfootpalace.com/blog/

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Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

 1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106, Athens, GA 30606
 (706) 521-5290

Why Proper Sleep Posture Translates to a Happier Body

June 20, 2017 By Heather

Your sleeping posture may be comfortable, but it could ultimately be the cause of some health issues. Improper sleep positioning has been linked to neck/back pain, poor circulation, sleep apnea, next day fatigue and even premature wrinkles. For the appropriate amount of sleep and tips to fall asleep faster, visit yourfootpalace.com/regular-sleep-promotes-healthy-minds/. For the common sleep positions and how they compare to one another, read on.

Sleeping On Your Side

Side Sleepers (Arm’s/Leg’s straight): Over 15% of adults find this position to be most comfortable. Although relatively few people sleep this way it does show to have positive benefits, notably its help for those with sleep apnea. Because the body is on its side gravity prevents the tongue from falling back into the throat passage, restricting airflow. This position has also been shown to help with acid reflux and alleviating back pain since the spine is elongated. The only downside to this is the increased likelihood of wrinkles via face to pillow contact throughout the night.

Side Sleepers (Fetal Position): By far the most popular sleep position with 41% of people favoring this pose, the benefits are fewer but the comfortability is definitely greater. This position is ideal during pregnancy (specifically lying on the left side) because it helps improve circulation in not only your body but the baby’s as well. Lying on your left side can also help relieve pressure being placed on your liver when you sleep. Although this is the most comfortable position, sleeping with your knees too tightly tucked and your chin tucked down into your chest/pillow can tighten the diaphragm, making it harder to breathe and leaving you sore in the morning. A trick to help with posture in this position is to tuck a pillow in between your knees.

Sleeping on Your Stomach

Stomach Sleepers: A majority of people find this pose to be uncomfortable and understandably so. Because you are on your stomach your neck and spine have a hard time lying flat, especially with a pillow under head, causing serious neck and back the next morning as well as trouble breathing. The upward angle of the neck constricts air flow and this is more so the case when the head is turned to either side. This angle also puts the most stress on the lower back of any sleeping position.

Sleeping on Your Back

Back Sleepers: Without a doubt, sleeping on your back allows for the greatest amount of support along the spine and neck. This support as well as spinal elongation helps to prevent upper and lower back pain as well as keeping your neck in a neutral position throughout the night. Keeping a pillow underneath the head will prevent acid reflux occurring during the night. One of the only downsides to sleeping on your back is airway blockage from your tongue. This can be a serious threat to those with sleep apnea due to the increased lack of breath. Your snoring might increase but with no face to pillow contact your likelihood of developing wrinkles earlier in life will definitely decrease.

Posture Affects Your Sleep

Although posture plays an important role in your sleep there are other factors such as your mattress and pillow type. For side sleepers placing a pillow between your legs helps to correctly align the spine. At the end of the day everyone falls asleep in the position which is most comfortable for them, but taking your health into consideration might just help you make the switch to a better night’s sleep.

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Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

 1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106, Athens,GA 30606
 (706) 521-5290

5 Surprising Health & Beauty Benefits of Cold Showers

April 27, 2017 By Heather

For me, waking up to a hot shower is one of the most relaxing ways to begin the day. However, there is the occasional morning where I am the last one to make it into the shower, leaving me with nothing but icy water and frustration. Despite how much we all might dislike cold showers, the benefits of taking them far outweigh the negatives.

In addition to your active wellness therapy at Foot Palace, simply turning the shower temperature down may help to improve your long-term physical and mental health.

Improved Hair & Skin Health

Although that hot shower may be the most comfortable way to wake up in the morning it may not be the best for your skin. Hot water can leave your skin dry and itchy long after you’ve gotten out of the shower, so it’s best to use cold water to tighten those pores which helps to prevent clogging. This tightening of the pores helps to prevent dirt and sweat from being trapped inside. Not only do cold showers show positive results with skin but with hair as well. The cold water helps to tighten the follicles, leaving you with the appearance of healthier, stronger and shiny hair.

Stress Relief

Surprisingly enough, research has shown that cold stimulation can actually lower stress levels. When exposed to cold stimuli the body increases its glutathione, an antioxidant that helps keep other antioxidants performing at optimal levels in the body. A 1994 study found a drastic decrease in uric acid levels during and following the body’s exposure to cold. According to the study repeated exposure to cold water led to adaptation of oxidative stress.

Ease Depression

Cold showers have been shown to relieve depression symptoms due to the intense impact of cold receptors in the skin, which send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from the peripheral nerve endings to the brain. Thus, it produces an antidepressant effect, and boosts moods, making it a pick-me-up. A 2008 study found that cold hydrotherapy has an analgesic effect, and does not appear to have noticeable side effects or cause dependence. This treatment included one to two cold showers of 38 degrees Fahrenheit, two to three minutes long, followed by a five-minute gradual adaptation to make the procedure less shocking.

Faster Muscle Recovery

We all know taking ice baths after training can reduce muscle soreness, but a quick cold shower after breaking a sweat at the gym can be just as effective. A 2009 study analyzing 360 people over seventeen trials found that 24-minute cold water baths were effective in relieving sore muscles one to four days after exercises with a water temperature of 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.

Greater Circulation and Immune Health

Cold water can improve circulation by helping blood to surround our organs, which can then help combat some problems of the skin and heart. When cold water hits the body, its ability to get blood circulating leads the arteries to more efficiently pump blood, boosting our overall heart health. It can also lower blood pressure, clear blocked arteries, and improve our immune system.

If you enjoyed this information, visit yourfootpalace.com/10-wellness-tips-to-a-healthier-you/ for other health and wellness tips, and consider turning down your temperature so you can experience these benefits.

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Foot Palace Massage Spa Athens

 1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy Ste 106, Athens,GA 30606
 (706) 521-5290