For those who have not entered the SPORTZbizz Race Prediction Contest before,  It’s a fun way to figure out how close you can predict your finishing time for your 2010 spring race.  You can even win a SPORTZbizz Massage just for signing up and being one of the closest to your predicted time.

We have 10 races that you can sign up for.  If you wish to change your time we will use the latest (or closest) to the race that you entered.  You can enter more than one race also.

Here’s the link to the Race Prediction Contest.

One of my athlete clients came in yesterday and said jokingly:  Do you know any good Masseuses around here?   Well my first thought was to ignore it because it’s a common mistake almost everyone makes because a masseuse is actually a woman that gives massages professionally.   A male would be called a masseur but nobody really knows the term.  So why am I bringing this up you might ask?

My business model is about helping the amateur athlete achieve and maintain peak performance in their sport of choice and also to help them get through the issues of muscle tightness, injury resolution, and all the other aspects of training that effect performance.  So what should I call myself?  Life Activity Coach?  I perform different kinds of therapy but the term that the industry uses when we provide massage services as being a Massage Therapist.

Continue reading On being a Therapist

There was a question about what to do with an Achilles injuy on the IndianatrailRunning website that I would like to address and wanted to for a long time and that’s:  Being Re-active versus Pro-active toward injuries.

I wrote:  Your note about Achilles brings about a bigger question about being reactive or proactive when it comes to injuries.  While we want to take time off completely and it seems to logically be the ‘right thing’ to do, there are professionals out there that can help provide relief without completely taking time off.  NOW with that said Achilles is one of the tougher ones to treat once it gets inflammed.  I think the big question for me as a professional working with athletes and also a trail runner is:  Do I want (and can I afford) to take time off or is there a better and quicker way to getting back on the trails and even be able to run through an injury?

I see many clients that initially take time off (ice, rest) and then try to come back once it feels better.  The injury then returns in about 2-3 weeks.  Why?  Because the initial injury has not been treated correctly or not treated at all.   I am not saying that it always returns since it sounds like it was an overuse injury but there is a high percentage of these injuries that will always come back until the injury gets addressed.

Ankle swelling?  Sore Achilles?  Is it coming from a tight calf or Plantar?  Is it coming from just overuse? Or is there a bigger issue that may need to be addressed?   Is it only swelling or has scar tissue been created that needs addressed through deep tissue massage or some form of scraping (Graston Technique).  Can a small heal lift simply take off the pressure enough to allow you to run through it and once the swelling goes down you can stop using the heal lift.

So in my opinion -Get a professional opinion…..

I have been thinking about this for a long time but for some reason it just hasn’t been the right time but it seems so right to do now.   The last few years have been very stressful for many of my clients, friends, and I have to admit myself.   Money is tight for many of us so we end up giving up the small luxuries (massage therapy, health centers, spa treatments) that allowed us to escape the real world for just a few minutes.

I decided long ago that my business model was to not to work with the professional athlete and to work with the weekend warrior that puts in effortless miles running, walking, or biking and gets up at 5am because they have kids sleeping and it’s the only time they can get a workout in.  Why do we do it?  For the lifestyle?  For the glory of achieving a goal of long ago?  Or just trying to lose a little weight and be able to have a close network of like minded friends to help us along the way?   It’s a different answer for all of us but we don’t HAVE to do it – we CHOOSE to do it!

So for April,  May, and June of 2010 I have decided to make the first week of each month the ‘paywhatyoucan‘ week.   The rules are as follows:

• Schedule a massage for the first week of the following months.
• The ‘paywhatyoucan’ sessions will only 30 minutes in length (2 sessions max per week) and it can be either relaxing or injury issue work .
• After the massage takes place what you can place whatever you can afford (preferably cash) in a ‘paywhatyoucan‘  box.
• The hours will be Monday through Friday only and prefer the sessions be during the day since most of my evenings are already full with regulars.

It’s as simple as that.   No questions ask.

Email me or call me at 317-496-7401 to make an appointment.

I’ve had this article for several years and can’t remember the author but I think it’s a good article about what the body goes through when you exercise and how massage helps.

Why are so many sports and fitness enthusiasts including regular therapeutic massage as a part of their conditioning programs? There is a growing awareness that a complete workout routine includes not only the exercises itself, but also caring for the wear-and-tear of minor injuries that naturally occur with strenuous movement. The physiological and psychological benefits of massage make it an ideal compliment to a total program.

Who can benefit from regular massage? Anyone who routinely stretches their physical limits through movement such as running, cycling, hiking, swimming, dancing, tennis and other racquet sports, strength training and aerobics. In fact, anyone who uses their bodies strenuously in their work will find relief with therapeutic massage.

Massage is beneficial when starting a conditioning program because it helps you get into good shape faster, with less stiffness and soreness. It helps you recover faster from heavy workouts and relieves conditions which may cause injury. Massage can be something to look forward to after a workout – a healthy reward.

What Happens When You Exercise?

Continue reading The Complete workout

There are several products that I like using with my massages and one of them is called Biofreeze. I now carry it for clients to purchase and was tired of always trying to figure out how my clients cna purchase the product from someone else. Anyway, biofreeze Biofreeze is mostly used in cold therapy pain management. Biofreeze has the same impact on the body as an ice pack except it has the ability to infiltrate deeper into the muscle. Cold therapy is the process in which the area of an injury is cooled below the average body temperature. Since heat is known to increase blood flow to the area in which it is applied, cold does the opposite and reduces the blood flow to the affected area. This process, also referred to as cryotherapy, reduces the ability of your nerves to receive and send pain stimuli. The cold also works as a way to decrease the swelling in the affected area.

You can purchase the 4oz hands free gel tube for $12.50 plus tax. More information about biofreeze products.

Of all the products out on the market I think this is one of the best products for any athlete especially runners. There are plenty of great articles on the internet. I do like the Running Times article and Ehow has an article plus links to videos. Does the foam roller replace Massage? NO! – Oh well actually it does make for a nice temporary replacement but it just doesn’t do the same as a good massage or body flush after a long or hard workout.

I have always remembered a statement that in order to be 100% better next year we only have to improve less than 2 tenths of one percent each day so during 2010 I will be updating Twitter to make daily challenges/thoughts for myself and also anyone that wants to participate. I am also using the Zig Ziglar Wheel of Life since there are 7 dimensions.

Here’s the Plan:

• Saturday – Physical
• Sunday – Spiritual / Ethical
• Monday – Career
• Tuesday – Personal
• Wednesday – Mental
• Thursday – Family
• Friday – Financial

The first month is more about activity and getting used to doing things that expand our horizons but not anything too difficult or challenging at first. If you are interested please follow SPORTZbizz on Twitter.

I found this article a few moths ago and wanted to share some the link and some highlights about it. The link is MASSAGE 101 and provides some of the best basic information. 

Here is the first paragraph:  One of the greatest misconceptions about massage is the idea that massage therapists merely “rub muscles.” What many people don’t realize is that massage can and does have a significant impact on almost every single major system in the body.

I hope you enjoy it.

I recently sent a note to all my current clients about massage specials for Christmas.  About the same time my site got hacked and then spent the last 2 days trying to get it fixed and back to working order.  I also had a few clients that wanted me to extend the time for the specials so the special pricing has been moved out to December 23rd from December 13th.

YES you can use these specials for yourself also!  

 Follow this link to review the Massage Specials from SPORTZbizz.