Feed Your Muscles to Promote Healthy Healing

The old saying, “You are what you eat,” doesn’t only apply when you’re looking to shed a few pounds. How you fuel your body is also important to how your muscles respond and recover after a vigorous workout or injury. To promote peak muscle performance and improve the body’s healing process, it may be helpful to evaluate your diet so you’re consuming healthy nutrients and reducing/eliminating unhealthy options.

Healthy Foods May Promote Healthy Healing

According to the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), inflammation can cause pain and swelling in your body and muscles when your immune system begins the process of healing a wounded or stressed area in your body. To help minimize the effects of inflammation and promote healthy healing, the ABMP suggests making simple changes in your diet by adding the following foods into your nutrition routine. 

• Cold-Water Fish
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole Grains
• High-Fiber Foods

Some Foods Better Left Off the Menu

After adding healthy food options like the above into your diet, it also may be helpful to avoid foods that could potentially increase inflammation. As such, the ABMP suggests avoiding the following foods.

• Processed Foods
• Red Meat
• High-Fat Dairy Products
• Sugar
• White Foods

In addition to fueling your body with foods to promote overall health and healing, adopting a regular massage therapy routine also can help in increasing the health and wellness of your muscles and mind. 

Routine Massage Supports Bone and Joint Health

When your muscles are tight, achy and sore, it is common to turn to massage therapy to help relieve muscle pain and discomfort. But, did you know that massage can also be beneficial to helping relieve pain and soreness associated with common bone and joint conditions? 

Alleviates Pain

According to the United States Bone and Joint Initiative, bone and joint conditions are the most common cause of severe long-term pain and physical disability worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of people. While massage in most cases can’t cure common bone and joint conditions, it can improve circulation throughout the body, which in turn can help alleviate the common pain associated with such conditions.

Promotes Functionality

People who suffer from common bone and joint conditions such as arthritis tend to lose range of motion as inflammation builds up in certain joint capsules. Through the use of various massage techniques, pressures and strokes around the inflamed joint area, licensed massage therapists can help improve blood flow, reduce pain, and ultimately improve overall range of motion and functionality.

Research Points to Massage

Research has shown that massage is one of the most popular complementary therapies used by Americans today. And, when it comes to the benefits of massage for bone and joint health, many leading organizations have found routine therapeutic massage to help with relieving pain, improving circulation and increasing range of motion. Some industry findings include:

• A 2010 review concluded that massage therapy may help temporarily reduce pain, fatigue, and other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.  
• Various recent studies on the effects of massage for arthritis symptoms have found that regular use led to improvements in pain, stiffness, range of motion, hand grip strength and overall function of the joints. 
• A recent study found that a weekly 60-minute Swedish massage therapy session was beneficial for relieving pain due to osteoarthritis. 

Ultimately, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach to well-being based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. 

Getting Back to Basics: Importance of Focusing on What Really Matters

Happiness is Key

Whatever goals you set or journeys you venture on in the New Year, striving for true happiness should be one of your biggest motivational factors. The people in your life, the goals you want to accomplish and the things that you want to do in your life should all be built around what makes your heart sing and your soul live. At every intersection in your life, always ask yourself whether the next step you’re going to take is going to lead to a life of happiness and fulfillment. If the answer is yes, then move full speed ahead. If you aren’t sure, then it might be a good idea to take some more time to think about your next step. 

Family, Friends Matter Most

The important people in your life and the experiences you’ve had with them over the years are what really matters most over property, possessions and promotions. If you’ve lost touch with your loved ones over the holidays or even during the past year/s, make it a point to reach out again to your friends and family members to not only rekindle your relationship, but to focus your energy on those who make you feel loved and happy.

Health, Wellness is the Gift that Keeps Giving

When you make it a priority to take care of your mind and body’s health and wellness, you’ll reap the benefits in all facets of your life. When you feel good about yourself and focus on promoting healthy lifestyle choices, you set an example for yourself and for those around you that your health and wellness is one of the most important factors that matter most to your life.