How to Naturally Calm Sore Muscles After Your Big Workout

When you’re working out, you’re in the moment. You’re feeling the power and enjoying that aliveness that’s taking over. However, the next day is a different story. It’s pretty normal for you to wake up sore and stiff after a challenging (or even light) work out. At Eurospa, we here a lot about muscle pain and we are used to helping out our happy customers with tips and tricks. There are ways to prevent the ‘normal’ soreness and also natural ways to help heal it quickly.

Stretch Well.

This is first tip because it’s so necessary. No matter how you eat and live, your muscles need to be stretched. Its best to stretch them before (once you’ve warmed up) and after each workout and before bed.

Drink Water.

Muscles need water. If the muscles are dehydrated they can’t function smoothly and will also cramp up.

Calcium / Magnesium.

This is a supplement you should definitely look into. Calcium with magnesium feeds the muscles with what they need to grow, contract well and relax. Take before bed to fall into a restful sleep and avoid sleep cramps.

Limit Caffeine and Alcohol.

Both are incredibly dehydrating to the muscles and both deplete your body of calcium and magnesium. If you do need to have one of the above, drink extra water and boost your vitamins and minerals.

Heat and Eucalyptus.

When eucalyptus essential oil is of a high quality and not processed or diluted, (like our pharmaceutical grade eucalyptus) it has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties that make it a great option when treating sore or over-exercised muscles. Eucalyptus oil can help relax stiff muscles, allowing for pain relief and ease in range of motion and muscle movement.  The best way to enjoy eucalyptus is in the steam of a shower or in the heat of the sauna.  Need tips on that? See below:

• Add 3-5 drops of straight (neat) eucalyptus oil directly onto sore muscles. Slowly massage into skin. (It's a strong oil thought and it may be best to dilute with coconut oil first, until you know how your body responds)
• Add 15-50 drops of eucalyptus oil to a hot bath. Combined with the benefits of the oil, the heat of the water encourages muscles to relax and helps reduce next-day stiffness. For additional benefits, Epsom salts can be added to the water as well.
• The easiest and our favorite option, is to get our Top Grade Eucalyptus Oil Shower Spray and simply spray into the hot steam of your shower - or even into the warmth of any sauna or steam room. You'll not only enjoy the relaxation in your muscles, but you'll be breathing in the anti-inflammatory properties of the eucalyptus, along with every molecule of oxygen that enters your body.

Remember, the body has an amazing ability to heal itself when supported well through lifestyle and proper healthy habits. Pain in the body is also a sign of something else going on, so in addition to getting relief naturally, be sure to investigate the cause with your doctor or natural medicine practitioner.

Eurospa is dedicated to your health on the inside and out. As always, contact us with any questions as we want you on the road to body freedom as joyously as possible!

Fast and Simple Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Workout

If you are working out, you probably want to look and feel good.  In order to get the most out of your workout, it's important to act in ways that help your muscles to recover

quickly and healthily. We need to be careful not to neglect the most important aspects of our routines as a result of our busy lives. Yes, let's find ways to be fast and efficient, but it's also smart to have a few tips on hand to make recovery both faster and smoother!  So - keep up your (healthy) routine and enjoy some of these all natural, post workout recovery tips!


STRETCH

Gentle stretching before AND after a workout is a key component not to be dismissed. Trust me, I've been there and sometimes you just don't want to 'waste your time' stretching.  I want to emphasize the gentle part for a minute as well.  Especially before a workout, your muscles are not warmed up. This will cause them to be more tight and stiff - like a dry rubber band.  Over stretching or stretching to forcefully will actually weaken the muscle, making injury more likely. Once your workout is complete - consider stretching in a sauna (still gently) and really make use of the extra heat.  More about saunas below...  

WATER

Water is so easily lost during exercise and you've to to replace it during and after the workout to not only hydrate those cells, but also to speed up recovery time! Water aids your metabolic function and supports the transfer of nutrients in the body.  So staying properly hydrated will improve each and every body function.  This is even more vital for endurance athletes who sweat more during periods of strenuous and peak activity. 

GROOVE

Music is a great tool that can help us through a tough workout, at least by distracting us from the burning feeling in your legs.  But on a more serious note, listening relaxing tunes can surprisingly aid in your workout recovery.  So my recommendation is to listen to the faster heavier beats during the workout and switch it up to the slower tempo songs while you stretch and cool down, as the slower music can reduce blood pressure and pulse rate, which is especially useful after an intense workout!


FEED

Are you feeding your body with the right fuel?  Machines require fuel and so do our bodies.  You've got to make sure you eat within 60 minutes of a hard workout.  Your energy stores have just been depleted pretty badly, so you've to restore them if you want your body to recover, repair, gain strength and be prepared for the next challenge! So great go-to and simple snack ideas that will speed your recovery along are protein shakes, bananas, nut butters, hummus and red peppers, yogurt with berries, fish and all green plants.  Let's not forget the obvious- green plants are the foods to eat pre and post anything, really!



HOT & COLD THERAPY

Take alternating hot and cold to an even better level.  The traditional advice of alternating applied ice and heat have great purpose but are better for targeting specific areas.  Instead, try taking a really hot shower and then switching to the coldest setting for about 30 seconds (or whatever you can handle) and then switching back to hot again.  You could even include the sauna with this one. Sit/stretch in the sauna for 5-10 minutes, go out and take a cold shower (or ice bath if that's available) and then return to the sauna.  Repeat this process 2-3 times for best results. 


SWEAT IT OUT

Sauna is the word on the street these days for health and fitness advocates all over the world.  For good reason too.  The health benefits that saunas deliver cause me to wonder why homes all over the world don't invest in installing one in their own homes. If you're already going to be stretching in all that heat, enhance that experience further and add Eucalyptus Oil Spray to the heat and even steam. Simply spritz the spray into the steam or heat.  The oil in the air will then be activated by the heat, enter your lungs and be carried off to nurture those needy parts and well-worked muscles!

Congratulations.  You are working out more regularly and committing to bettering your health.  You will soon be looking and feeling better and that's something to be proud of. Please take care of yourself with proper diet, rest and recovery as you life your life to it's absolute fullest!  

From all of us at Eurospa, we toast to your health!

5 Ways To Defeat Seasonal Allergies and Feel Better Fast!

Allergies and hay fever seem to be at their peak this year and the world is feeling their misery!  There's a certain torture about the never ending sinus pressure, itchy eyes and relentless sneezing and leaving you with your arms in the air begging for relief.

Well put your arms down.  Relief is on it's way.  You're welcome to reach for the nearest OTC pills, but we'd like to suggest something a little healthier on the short and long term.  

The added bonus is how fast relief will come! 

Here are 5 ways to defeat seasonal allergies and feel better fast!

DIY ACUPRESSURE FACE MASSAGE
You can heal yourself.  It's true.  The Chinese have been working with the body's immune system for thousands of years with unexplainable results!  There are many points all over the body that when pressure is applied to them, relief and healing is found.  (it's how the ninjas were treated after rigorous kung fu training!) For allergy relief, simply see the photo below and use your index or middle fingers of each hand to apply a firm pressure to each of the points marked.  Be sure the pressure is firm enough to create slight discomfort, but not enough to hurt. You will know you are on the right spot as it will be a little tender.  Stay on each point for about 30 seconds. Please drink a lot of water after performing this on yourself. You need to dilute the toxins that have been released! 

DRINK WATER
Old news rings true.  Water is our KEY SOURCE for ridding toxins and stagnant bacteria out of our bodies.  It's THE necessary ingredient to our kidneys and livers functioning well.  Guess what? It also thins your mucous.  Want to get that mucous flowing and the anti-histamine to calm down?  Drink water.  As stated above, it will also get things diluted and expelled faster! (Additional side note?  Dehydration is one of the biggest causes behind halitosis; bad breath! During allergy season (and daily life) bacteria accumulates in our sinus passages, mouths and stomach (from the mucous) and sits there.  You can't brush or rinse these guys away, but you can dilute and flush them.) So drink up.  

WORK OUT AND SWEAT
Sorry, to bring it back to water, but it's a vehicle that moves things. When you need relief from seasonal allergies, get your blood moving.  When you exercise, you increase your circulation and begin to sweat.  Both blood and water carry the pollen and anti-histamine out of yours system faster.  Think of a stagnant river vs. a flowing river.  Which one's going to have more bugs, slime and bacteria? If it's so bad, stay indoors for your work out.  OR, get above it and hike on a mountain where it's less concentrated. Lastly, try going for a swim. It's great exercise and there's no pollen in the water! 

HOT SHOWER // STEAM ROOM
A relaxing option is to breathe in the steam.  The steam will break up the mucous and relax the uptight muscles involved.  You can enhance this option by using the acupressure mentioned while in the heat.  Also, adding essential oils like our Eucalyptus Oil Shower Spray to the steam WITH the acupressure IN the steam, will give you peak relief.  Try it!  We'd love to hear how it worked out for you!

WATCH YOUR FOOD
Stay away from foods that dehydrate or add to histamine production.  Beverages with high caffeine, like coffee and black or alcoholic drinks are all dehydrating.  Beer is even worse as it's both dehydrating and the hops add to histamine production.  It's best to stay away from too many tree fruits, bananas, mushrooms, tomatoes and all breads and pastas.  I know that sounds difficult, but it won't be forever.  These foods carry their own histamine in them and will only make things worse.  Just think of it as a cleanse for a few days while you get your health and sanity back!

At Eurospa, your health is our priority.  We enjoy bringing the quality back to your life. Please stop by and let us know what else we can do to make your experience a better one!