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  • Are massage chairs good after a workout?

    Are massage chairs good after a workout?

    Massage therapy can induce improvement to circulation and breathing and has also been proven to help heal faster after training. As a result, the soft tissues of the muscles become stronger and healthier and create a more effective training and a faster recovery time between training sessions.

    massage chairs

    Benefits of massage after workout

    Benefits of massage after exercise include but are not limited to:

    • Decrease in pain
    • Improves recovery: Massage after strenuous exercise or from injuries to the muscles improves recovery. Massage improves blood flow, which assists healing to the damaged and/or affected areas. If there are minor injuries the lesions can be repaired quickly as well as effectively. Not only does massage quicken the recovery, but it also works to prevent injuries so that future training sessions are not unproductive, allowing for a quicker return to the activity.
    • Prevents DOMS

    What are doms?

    “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness” (DOMS) usually occurs several hours after exercise and is painful, producing stiffness in your muscles, usually occurring after starting a new exercise program.

    • Massage post-workout can also provide many benefits for reduced tension, a more effective removal of waste products, an increased range of movement, and an overall improved feeling of relaxation.
    • Massage after a workout helps by increasing blood flow as fresh blood is pumped to the muscles in need, repairing any damaged tissues by carrying nutrients to be fixed quickly.
    • Often, exercise can be exhausting and have psychological effects on the body. However, regular post-exercise massage has shown to decrease depression, elevate moods, reduce anxiety and motivate the body to return to a normal exercise routine.

    Do massage chairs help recovery?

    Whether it is an in-person massage or a massage chair for home use, a post-workout massage will most certainly improve recovery. So yes, massage chairs are helpful to recovery!

    What are the benefits of massage chairs?

    1. Convenience: Accessibility that meets the needs for scheduling as well as duration. A post-workout massage for as little as 10 minutes is effective in improving recovery and reducing inflammation. 
    2. Relaxation: Stress-reducing benefits are immediate and quite like a good workout, the muscular compressions provided by a massage chair also results in increased endorphins within the body. The feel-good hormones produced are a healthy way to reduce stress on the brain and body.
    3. Improve Post Workout Recovery
    4. Reduce Back Pain: Many home massage chairs have options that focus on specific areas of the body, such as lumbar massage to increase circulation and mobility in the low back, going a long way towards improving low back pain resulting from muscular overuse and instability.
    5. Boosting Immunity: Inflammation after a workout is scientifically an immune response. If it is working overtime, the reduction of cytokines from the massage may improve that response, also assisting in cellular function and repair important to the immune system. So whether it is a cold or if it relates to battling a more severe immune issue, frequent massages at home in a massage chair might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

    You Can Even Get a Chair Massage Before Working Out

    Though most of this article is about getting a chair massage after a workout, using it beforehand can be beneficial, too. Massages help your muscles loosen up. This loosening can be of particular convenience if you are sore before going into a workout.

    You might think that working out with sore muscles is an effective way to get in shape. But, rather, muscles that are relaxed and rejuvenated tend to perform better in the gym. For that reason, feel free to use your massage chair both before and after workouts.

    In fact, that is one great thing about getting a massage chair that has a variety of settings. Take the time to figure out which kind of chair massage helps you relax before or after a workout then go into your next fitness regime, ready to be active and mobile.

    A Chair Massage Can Help Lower Blood Pressure After a Workout

    The circulation system can benefit from massage, too. When you work out, your heart has to keep up with the activity. So it is pumping blood a little bit harder to ensure the muscles get plenty of oxygen while they are being pushed and strained.

    Well, getting a massage after working out can help with that. Lower your blood pressure after a workout to ensure your heart returns to normal. This relaxing time after proper exercise is going to become an essential part of your health routine.

    Massages Can Help with Flexibility, Too

    When our muscles are more relaxed, they can be pushed and stretched that much further. To be specific, using a massage chair on a regular basis can help enhance your body’s flexibility, another reason it might be in your best interest to use the massage chair before as well as after working out. If you have flexibility training coming up, you’re going to want your muscles to be free from any soreness or fatigue, which is helpful in getting that new yoga pose just right.

    Whether you’re getting a massage from a chair or a professional, the results are the same. Massages are known to help release toxins that build up in our muscle system.

    In fact, that is why the practice of massage has been around for thousands of years. People recognize the health and wellness benefits and continue to want that level of relaxation. 

    Best Massage Chairs

    Z-Smart Massage Chair Plus

    Quality massage chair companies like….

    1. Slabway
    2. Zarifa
    3. Infinity
    4. OskaI

    Pre Workout Massage VS Post Workout Massage

    Pre-Workout

    A massage before working out allows muscles to get warmed up and stretched out to be more flexible, helping to get in the right frame of mind to start the workout.

    A study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that the psychological benefits of a pre-workout massage, including reduced stress, tension, and anxiety leaves one more relaxed and focused on getting the best results from the workout.

    The massage should be gentle with light strokes and not deep tissue, which, if done pre-workout, could cause muscle soreness and tightness before even beginning.

    Post-workout

    Receiving a massage once you’ve finished working out helps reduce muscle soreness by reducing inflammation and reduces your recovery time by speeding up cell recovery.

    The answer is there are considerable benefits to having a massage both before and after a workout. Be especially certain to get the correct type of massage to set the body up for true success.

    Can you overuse a massage chair?

    Excessive use is known to lead to muscle damage, inflammation and bruised tissues, in addition to causing harm to the internal massage chair motor. So, take it slow and easy with your massage chair, especially when you’re using it for the first time. The cost of overuse does not outweigh any perceived benefit.

    Many massage chairs have the ability to stretch and knead the problem areas where muscles are too tight, and relaxing them will help calm down the skeletal structure. It is warned, though, that excessive use of massage chairs leads to muscle damage, inflammation and bruised tissues, in addition to causing harm to the internal massage chair motor. 

    It is worthy to note and be aware of the following list of contradictions for massage therapy:

    • Infectious skin disease
    • A rash
    • An unhealed wound
    • Immediately after surgery
    • A tendency to form blood clots or if using blood thinners
    • Circulatory ailments such as phlebitis or varicose veins
    • Inflamed or infected injuries
    • Areas of bleeding or heavy tissue damage
    • At the sites of recent fractures, sprains, or bruises
    • Immediately after chemotherapy or radiation therapy
    • Osteoporosis (use caution)

    Work with a Professional When Implementing New Health and Wellness Practices

    Of course, prior to starting any new form of treatment it is imperative to talk to a doctor. If there is chronic pain, numbness, or tingling, always consult a physician. A doctor can determine the cause of pain and prescribe the right treatment therapies.

  • Do Massage Chairs Have Medical Benefits?

    Do Massage Chairs Have Medical Benefits?

    Massage chairs often seem like luxurious pieces of furniture. But research has demonstrated that these can be helpful tools in a wellness and fitness regimen for everyone, including athletes. 

    Several clinical studies have shown significant improvement in blood circulation, immunity response, muscle recovery, and managing hypertension. The health benefits of massage can be associated with enhanced mobility, muscle recovery, pain management. It’s also effective in treating neck, upper back, and lower back issues.

    The aspect of massage chair therapy that comes as a surprise to people is that medical research has demonstrated that regular use can increase problem-solving abilities. These chairs are also highly effective in lowering stress levels and anxiety. That’s why you see an increasing number of massage chairs in corporate settings, hospitals, and other places where people are usually high-strung. Having white-collar executives and healthcare personnel experience found massage therapy improved mental well being and accelerated their work performance. It was demonstrated to decrease the rate of incidence of work-related injuries.

    Massages help significantly in overcoming anxiety and depression and alleviating insomnia and sleep disorders. We know now that anxiety is a component of many other illnesses, so effective treatment automatically alleviates many other symptoms. Wellness comes from a relaxed body and a serene mind. Getting massages definitely contributes to both. 

    The Zero gravity position first started with the need to decrease the effects of take-off on astronauts as the optimal way to surmount that initial moment without straining their bodies. Furniture manufacturers embraced the same technology to relieve the constant loading off of the joints and muscles. 

    The Benefits from Owning a Massage chair

    Receiving a massage from a trained professional is a wonderful experience.  But having one on call day or night and access to someone at home and work would be an expensive proposition. Access to a massage chair solves many of these problems.  All you need to do is play some instrumental music and light a couple of scented candles near the chair. With a massage chair in your home, you can access daily massages whenever you want. 

    Here are factors to consider when deciding to purchase a massage chair

    1. Enhanced Muscle Recovery After Working Out

    With heating cycles and zero gravity settings, a deep tissue massage adds to rejuvenating the body after a workout. A quick recovery time means that you will want to resume your daily activities with the soreness eliminated and return to your sports routine.  

    2. Handle Anxiety and Stress

    Several clinical studies report that regular massage was effective in decreasing stress and anxiety. Therapeutic massage stimulates the release of ‘feel-good hormones’ such as serotonin and dopamine while decreasing cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. The combination of these reverses a volatile temperament and stabilizes mood swings. Stress and anxiety are quite abundant and will lead to actual illnesses. Massage costs much less than medication without side effects.  

    3. Constant Fatigue

    Many people report a sense of constant fatigue. Between lifestyle issues and digital devices, many things can keep us from a sense of real relaxation.  Massage is highly effective in overcoming sleep problems. , With a massage chair at home, the ability to let go and fall asleep fast is almost certain. 

    4. Alleviate Sore Muscle Pain

    Muscles become sore after exercise, playing sports, or after a long day at work. This ache is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. Massaging the affected areas stimulates blood flow, which delivers more oxygen and helps carry away the lactic acid. A massage chair with a heating element is even more effective at alleviating sore muscle pain.

    5. A Targeted Treatment with Lower Back Pain

    75% of adults report experiencing some form of lower back pain. They get it with varying degrees of severity, but those who have a severe case need to live with it as it becomes a chronic condition. Regular massages increase mobility and aid in pain management. Studies also show a long-term increase in healing. Orthopedic doctors widely recommend massage as a part of the rehabilitation process for lower back pain. 

    6. Decreases Neck Problems

    Most massage chairs have a targeted massage for the neck and shoulders. This is quite successful in relieving the discomfort with a stiff neck and decreasing the headaches that also come from it. Massages that target this area decreasing stress and stimulating dopamine and serotonin. This also increases the pain threshold and assists the soreness in healing. 

    7. Replicates Chiropractic Adjustments for Sciatica

    Many massage chair models were developed with input from doctors and chiropractors. The result has been several impressive features and ergonomic enhancement with these chairs. An ability to twist and tilt and provide both heat and deep tissue massage helps address sciatica-related discomfort. These sessions also have a high success rate in decreasing shooting pain and keeping it at bay afterward.

    8. Improvement In Blood Circulation

    Massage plays a part in a well functioning circulatory system. The zero gravity position is a popular technique employed to decrease the heart’s loading, improve oxygen intake, and fix several circulatory issues.  Massage also decreases stress, improving circulation, as stress increases hypertension, heart rate and constricts arteries.

    9. Increased Oxygen Flow to the Arms and Legs

    While much of what we’ve discussed has concentrated on the torso region, massage chairs can increase the pumping of more blood to the extremities. Tissues that receive more oxygen can heal, renew themselves, and perform optimally.

    10. Improve the Lymphatic System

    Our lymphatic system is a key to our immunity. Vigorous movement helps to flush all the free radicals and toxins that pile up upon our lymph nodes. Massage flushes the lymphatic system keeping us well-defended from pathogens and feeling refreshed after ditching the bio-load that weighs down our systems. 

    When the day is done, unwind with a gentle massage, and slip out of the day’s anxiety and soreness.

  • Are Community College Classes Easier?

    Are Community College Classes Easier?

    Over the years, community college has gained a reputation for being the ‘easy’ alternative to the traditional college experience. Many sports orientated students feel that by enrolling at these schools, they can earn a degree while bypassing some of the stress and demand of attending a 4-year university. Unfortunately for these misguided students, community college is by no means easy, and in some cases, may even be as hard to complete as a four-year university.

    In a recent study, six of ten students who enrolled at a community college to transfer to a four-year school, in fact, dropped out after their first semester. Instead of sliding through what they thought would be an easy first two years, these students hit the wall at the beginning because they underestimated what was involved with community college. A primary reason for this high dropout rate is the difficulty of courses. Contrary to popular belief, community colleges can be quite challenging.

    Most community college programs require students to demonstrate an ability to succeed in traditional subjects such as math and English. These courses can prove problematic if you’ve been away from it for a while. A significant portion of community college students are adults who have been away from school for a while, and their skills in areas like arithmetic, grammar may have lapsed with time. 

    Required courses can also be necessary for a specific major or program. Almost all academic fields have courses that the school has deemed essential. They are often difficult and cannot be avoided. If you don’t pass these, you cannot earn your degree. Examples include an anatomy course in an allied health program or an accounting course for students studying business management. 

    Difficult courses can force students to either withdraw from and/or re-take the class. This has a serious impact on your future chances of graduation. Statistically, it’s been shown that withdrawing from or re-taking twenty percent or more of your classes reduces your chances of graduating by over half.

    Community college courses feature an abundance of unique assignments and projects. No matter what major you choose, you can expect a combination of quizzes, exams, essays, group projects, and presentations to complete as a part of your coursework. Your area of study determines the type of assignment you encounter. For example, students taking a design course will have most of their grade determined by a mid-term and comprehensive final project. Meanwhile, a psychology program from the same school might not include a final exam but rather grades students based on a series of essays, tests, and presentations. It could also feature a series of smaller exams spread throughout the semester. Depending on how you learn, this may make completing a course much harder. Long essays can be difficult for students who are not experienced writers, and students who have problems with public speaking may struggle with making presentations. 

    Regardless of subject matter, community college courses are intended to be engaging. Large universities may seat hundreds of students for a single lecture class. Community colleges have an average class enrollment of somewhere from 25 to 30 students. Rather than listen to a professor lecture for an hour, classes often consist of discussion, group work, and various cooperative projects.

    Many community colleges also grade their students based on their participation and attendance, meaning you can’t just slide into the back of the classroom and chill out while the teacher talks. You’ll be expected to show up for every class and make meaningful contributions to the class discussion. Failure to do so will almost certainly affect your grade. This often-overlooked aspect of community college can take precious points off your final grade. If you’re hovering between a passing and failing grade, poor attendance and a lack of participation could prevent you from passing.

    Many instructors and professors who choose to teach at community colleges do so as a part-time job, meaning they have jobs during the day and teach these courses on the side. Sometimes their jobs are quite industry-specific. This means that your teachers can give you classwork and instruction based on what they’re experiencing in the real world right now. These instructors often teach because they are passionate about their subject. These professors are extremely knowledgeable and able to help students with many different types of questions or concerns.

    The final element as to why community college courses can be as challenging as four-year university colleges involve the transfer of credit and articulation. Many students see community college as the first rung on the post high school academic ladder, with the idea that they will transfer to a university once they complete their Gen Ed requirements or earn their Associates Degree. Universities accepting those credits want to ensure that the courses that students complete are at the same academic level as the ones they offer. Check if the community college has an articulation agreement with the universities which you are considering long term. 

    An articulation agreement is a formal relationship between a community college and a four-year institution to create a seamless transfer process for students. Though many community colleges say they help their students transfer to four-year colleges and universities, only those with articulation agreements can absolutely guarantee admission. An articulation agreement is a signed legal contract that goes into great detail about guaranteed admission, acceptance of transfer credits, eligibility for scholarships, and academic course requirements. 

    These agreements help open communication lines between the community college and four-year institution to hammer out the details for what transfer students need to know. Articulation agreements are also known as transfer agreements or transfer guides. Still, the founding principle is the same: to provide students with a step-by-step guide for completing necessary course requirements and transferring credits to another school.  Having these agreements in place, the community college is responsible for ensuring that the courses they offer are college caliber. 

  • Sports: A Caricature of People

    sports Caricature
    Custom Caricature for Al Kaline created by Goofyfaces Robert Bauer

     

    We love our teams.We love our sports heroes. We follow them through the ups and downs. It’s like life. We celebrate winning years and cry over loss in the troubling years. Sports inspires and motivates some people to take action in their own lives to be a better person, more active or healthier.

    Many people look at individual players as gods and they even gamble on these sports, which is not really healthy, so looking treatments for compulsive gamblers is useful as well. Unfortunately, sports athletes are real people with flaws. Over time they will disappoint and fade. That is why I like to look at players through the lens of caricature artists. 

    Caricature artists have a way of dissecting a person and pull out the imperfections in a comical or exaggerated way. If the artist really knows the athlete they will ad elements to the images about the players strengths and weaknesses. These portraits help me to understand players and their personalities. Maybe, it’s just me.

    There are many ways to remember our heroes. Caricatures are just one way.

    I know of people who have rooms dedicated to their favor team or players. They line the walls with posters, ticket stubs and memorabilia.

    Sometimes an entire nation rallies around a sports team. In Argentina, Reuters reported, a “weary nation” was able to find “rare joy” in the achievements of its World Cup team.

    The World Cup and other major sporting events, like the Olympics or LeBron James returning home all affect people lives. Sports exercises a lot of power over some people.

    Bill Simmons, one of the most influential American sportswriters, once wrote after his team lost the Super Bowl, “I have never been able to answer the question, ‘Why does this matter to me so much?’ That’s just the way it’s always been. Ever since I can remember.”

    Sports affects people emotionally. When your team wins there is a high that lasts for days. If your team loses depression can run your live for days or weeks.

    How about when you are ready to celebrate. Your team fought a hard fight and now you’re planning which celebration party to attend the following evening. And this happens….

    After that amazing play the punter received death threats. Sad. Unfortunately, that is not the first time a game took a turn for the opposing team in the last seconds. It will not be the last and there will always be idiots who put so much emotion into a game that they can’t control their temper.

    The above mentioned Bill Simmons wrote a piece on being a fan. You can find the full version here. I’ve shared some of his thoughts below.

    Fan Behavior
    Be very careful when using the word “We” with your favorite team. Use it judiciously. Just remember, you don’t wear a uniform, you don’t play any minutes, and you’re not on the team. And yes, this was an extremely tough line for me to straddle during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run.8. No hopping on and off the bandwagon during the season with the flip-flop, “I knew we were going to self-destruct! … All right, we won six straight! … I knew we wouldn’t keep playing this well. … I knew we would bounce back!” routine as the season drags along. Just for the record, this is probably my biggest fault as a sports fan — I overreact to everything. I’ve already written off the Celtics three different times this season, and I’ve given up on Antoine Walker roughly 435 times over the past six years. Can I get some medication for this?

    It’s OK to root against your team, if they’re hopelessly out of the playoff race and you want them to keep losing so A) they’ll get a better draft pick, or B) you’re hoping the coach and/or GM will get fired. Don’t feel bad about it.(Note: It’s also OK to wager against your team, if they’re hopelessly out of the playoff race. But only then. And only if you don’t make it a habit.)

    If one of your fantasy guys is lighting it up against your favorite team (scoring goals, rushing for big yards, making jumpers, etc.), you can’t pump your fist, high-five anyone or refer to the player in a “That’s one of my guys!” sense, especially if it’s a crucial game or a crucial juncture of the game.(That’s maybe the No. 1 problem for sports fans these days: When to draw the line between fantasy and real life. It’s an ongoing battle. Even if you can’t help getting secretly excited about your fantasy guys when they’re thriving against your favorite team, at least make sure you feel guilty, too. Don’t you hate that enthralled/guilty feeling? Is there anything worse? I’m babbling …) You can forgive Knicks fan for booing their brutal team this season.

    Don’t boo your team unless it’s absolutely warranted — like with the brutal Knicks situation this season, or if you’re hoping to get a coach fired or a specific player traded or something. When you think about it, what’s the purpose of booing your team? If you’re trying to inspire them, usually you end up sending them into a deeper funk — odds are, your team already knows it’s struggling. And if you’re trying to light a fire under a specific player, usually you end up making him even more nervous and tentative. So why boo in the first place? Trust me, dead silence sends a bigger message than anything. And it’s not potentially destructive.

    (There’s only one circumstance where booing doesn’t cause more harm than good: If you have a great team that seems to be going through the motions. For instance, the Lakers have a tendency to sleepwalk against inferior teams at home; As soon as the fans get a little restless, Shaq and company seem to wake up. Unfortunately for the Lakers, their fans aren’t paying attention that closely because they’re busy either trying to get on the Jumbotron, averting their eyes from Dyan Cannon, or trying to figure out things like “How many points do you get if you shoot one from half court?” or “How come that clock on the backboard keeps counting down backward from 24?”)

    After your team wins a championship, they immediately get a five-year grace period: You can’t complain about anything that happens with your team (trades, draft picks, salary-cap cuts, coaching moves) for five years. There are no exceptions. For instance, the Pats could finish 0-80 over the next five years and I wouldn’t say a peep. That’s just the way it is. You win the Super Bowl, you go on cruise control for five years. Everything else is gravy.

    You can follow specific players from other teams, but only as long as they aren’t facing your team. For instance, it’s fine to enjoy the Brett Favre Experience if you’re a Jaguars fan … just don’t get carried away and start making a scrapbook, collecting all his football cards and so on. That’s a little sketchy. And you can’t purchase his jersey under any circumstances. Patriots fans aren’t allowed to complain about their team for at least five years.

    Just because you supported a team that won a championship, it doesn’t give you the right to turn into a pompous, insufferable schmuck. Remember this.

    Good advice. It is amazing what people will do to support their team. Is it bacause they have no life. Yeah, I went there. No goals and dreams of their own. Maybe it’s an escape. Sports happens.

    Maybe you have the answer. Share you thoughts in the comments.

    Source of note:  http://www.cjr.org/full_court_press/science_sportswriting.php