5 Work Outs To Do With Your Baby

Carpool, laundry, runnings errands, work...was you time anywhere in there? Probably not! According to the Mayo Clinic, “Regular exercise can increase self-confidence, it can relax you, and it can lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety.” Exercise is a wonderful stress relief which is especially important when you are a Mom.  One way to show your little one that fitness can be FUN is to incorporate your baby into your workout! Here are a few exercises that you can perform with your little one.

Plank

This is a great exercise that works both your back and your abs. Your elbows and hips should be in alignment with your shoulders, with your head in a neutral position. Try to avoid high or low hips. When first getting back into exercise you can start by planking from your knees. Try holding the position for 10 to 20 seconds, or you can incorporate your little one by placing them on the mat face up in front of you holding the plank long enough to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

Glute Bridge 

This exercise engages your core, hamstrings and glutes. Start from a reclined position with your feet placed shoulder width apart and your arms and head relaxed. With your knees lined up over your heels tighten your abs as you slowly lift up from the ground. If you feel comfortable place your baby on top of your thighs with their head near your knees. Then lift up and hold the pose for about 20 seconds. Add some fun learning for your little one by singing through the alphabet instead of counting!

Bent Knee Push-up

This exercise works your arms, chest and shoulders. From your hands and knees keep your hips in alignment with your body (making sure not to bend your hips) and engage your abs as you slowly lower your upper body down to the floor. It’s important to remember to keep the abs engaged when you push yourself back up to the starting position. If you place your little one on the mat in front of you during this exercise you can give them a kiss as you lower down for the push-up for a sweet reward!

Walking

Take your little one out in the stroller for a walk! This is a great form of cardio exercise that gets you outdoors into the fresh air and allows you to show the world to your little one. Make sure you aren’t just taking a stroll, but are focusing on your form. Keep your abs engaged by pulling your belly button back toward your spine and open your shoulders so that you are not hunched over your stroller.

Squat 

This exercise works many major muscle groups while helping to strengthen and tone your glutes and thighs. Remember to keep your head neutral, your shoulders down and back, contracting your abs, while making sure your knees do not go past your toes and imagine you are sitting down onto a chair. If you have your baby in the stroller you can hold a squat in front of them and either play “Peek a Boo” or sing them my daughter’s favorites, “I’m a Little Tea Pot” or “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

If you have recently had a baby it’s important to wait to be cleared to exercise from your doctor (generally six to eight weeks postpartum) before resuming any exercise program. As with all exercise it is important to listen to your body, breathe, drink plenty of water and modify exercises as needed. These exercises are some ideas you can perform on your own but it is always important to see a qualified healthcare provider for advice or to address any concerns before beginning any fitness program. 

 Looking for more fun ideas to exercise with your little one or meet other new Moms? Come try Baby Boot Camp!

Baby Boot Camp is an innovative stroller fitness program designed to balance the fitness needs of new moms while spending time with their children. Delivered by nationally certified fitness professionals throughout the United States, Baby Boot Camp stroller-fitness classes include STROLLFIT, STROLLGA, 5K Training Program, and Nutrition Solutions. Created in 2001 by Kristen Horler, Baby Boot Camp strives to help moms regain or enhance their pre-pregnancy fitness levels and meet the physical challenges of parenting by emphasizing strength training in a supportive environment.

Visit your nearest Baby Boot Camp location  for more fun exercises you can perform while being with your child!

Guest Blogger

Samantha Bartholomew is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and RRCA Run Coach. She is the owner and instructor at Baby Boot Camp Cupertino, Los Altos & Mountain View. This 

soon to be mother of two enjoys going out to class to help show both Moms and babies that fitness can be FUN! Visit her website for more information on her classes, scheduling a personal training session or run coaching.

Seven Benefits of Regular Massage Therapy

If you are like majority of people, you most likely schedule a massage when you are feeling a bit of stress or tweak something, which could be once a month or even less often like 3-4 times a year. What many people don’t realize is that more frequent massages can help with common ailments we all deal with in our day to day lives. Here are seven common health issues that frequent massages can help with! 

1. Management of Emotional Disorders

Massage therapy is a great technique used in the management of emotional disorders as it increases the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. The increase of both serotonin and dopamine in massage goers leaves them feeling more relaxed and less anxious since depression and anxiety are primarily caused by a drop in both of these brain chemicals. 

2. Stress Management

Similar but not exactly the same as the previous benefit regular massages can leave you feeling less stressed due the decrease of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is the stress producing hormone which can lead to higher blood pressure. By seeing your therapist twice a month you can dramatically reduce your cortisol levels as well as seeing drops in your blood pressure. 

3. Raise Alertness

This might surprise you as a good massage can easily put you to sleep. However, massage therapy actually boosts brain power! Research shows that a 15 min chair massage resulted in recipients being more alert and being able to do a series of math problems more quickly. Massage also stimulates brain-wave activity which is directly linked to improved attention. Touch to Heal Spa does onsite chair massages which is perfect for your office!

4. Improve Sleep

Studies show that massage increases the stimulation of your brain's sleep regulators, called delta waves which offers insomnia relief and aids in a more satisfying sleep. So put down your sleeping pills or melatonin and book a session with your favorite massage therapist. 

5. Relieves Headaches

Tension headaches and migraines can be made worse by muscle tension in your back, neck and shoulders. A study published on TRI showed that twenty-six adults with migraine headaches received two 30-minute massages per week for five consecutive weeks, and they reported less pain and more headache free days. Also by working out the tension in your neck and shoulder muscles you can reduce the frequency and severity of your tension headaches. 

6. Pain Management

Massage therapy treatment is about as strong as those reported for other affective treatments such as medication, acupuncture, and exercise. Not only does massage work out knots, the increased blood flow to the muscles helps reduce pain and increase trunk range in motion.  

7. Immune System Support

Deep tissue massage is fabulous for boosting your immune system since it increases blood circulation. This boots your white blood cell count, which are responsible for fighting disease, and even helps flush out toxins! Adding essential oils to your massage also helps boost your immunity system and fight allergies. 

So how frequently should you be seeing your massage therapist to reap these benefits? If you are a hard core athlete you are looking at once a week, and for others every other week is ideal but no fewer than once a month. Adding essential oils to your massage is another great way to increase the benefits. So whether you are constantly suffering from a cold and allergies or work is leaving you super stressed, pick up the phone and give you massage therapist a call to set up a standing appointment!

July Oil Add Ons

This month our featured oils are Digest Zen and Melaleuca. Melaleuca is great for skin allergies, rashes, and sunburns. Digest Zen is great for those of us who might indulge too much and grab lots of food on the go. All July aromatherapy treatments with these oils are only an additional $10.

Sport's Massage

Most people when they hear sports massage think super deep intense pressure, and those of us who prefer a lighter touch might shy away. There are actually many different types of sports massages and they all are tailored to your specific needs! With spring cleaning upon us and marathon season in full swing there are lots of extra reasons to make your body a priority. 

This technique gets its name from its use in warming up for a sports event, recovering from one, or working scar tissue and sore muscles to prevent injury. You don’t have be a major athlete to need a sports massage either! Lots of us tweak things just doing stuff around the house or sleeping in a weird position.  

If you are getting ready for a physical feat like running a race, moving, or an intense day of yard work you’ll benefit from techniques that will get the blood flowing to your muscles. This type of massage is usually a bit lighter in stroke and involves stretching and compression and friction to get blood pumping.

After a beating to your muscles, a stronger touch can feel amazing as it loosens tension in your muscles and keeps you nice and loose so that you can recover further by stretching at home. Longer firming strokes with the use of lotion are perfect for working out those knots and keep you feeling nice and loose. 

If you are recovering from an injury, a sports massage is great for making sure you form proper scar tissue and targeting specific pressure points to help you heal faster. Lighter touch massages involve the use of oils for easy gliding and help your masseuse gently work out those knots. 

In addition to all these great techniques your therapist can also recommend at home stretches and techniques to help extend the benefits of your massage. With Father’s Day just around the corner treat the Dad’s in your life to a little TLC!

Call 408-217-8729 to schedule your appointment today.

For the months of May and June you can add aroma therapy treatment to your massage for $10 instead of the normal $15. This month's aroma therapy treatment consists of: 

Lavender (relaxing):  Helps with stress, anxiety, and certain types of inflammations
Peppermint (soothing): It helps with clarity, cramping muscles, headaches, and congestion
Lemon (energizing): Helps with digestion, lymphatic cleansing, and water purification

Raindrop Massage

Just like no two raindrops are exactly the same, no two people are the same. With spring upon us and allergens and colds at an all time high, your favorite therapists at Touch to Heal Spa are providing customized Raindrop Massages to cure whatever ails you! The name Raindrop Massage comes from a variety of natural essential oils being dropped along your target areas like little rain drops to work out anything from stress to an allergy attack. We use many different essential oils which have special healing qualities throughout your body. It’s a very relaxing way to use natural organic products to take your standard massage to the next level!

Oils your therapist might use…

●      Oregano: battle viruses and allergens
●      Thyme: anti-viral
●      Basil: relaxes sore muscles
●      Wintergreen/Birch: relieves joint and muscle pain
●      Peppermint: promotes liver and respiratory health
●      Marjoram: anti-septic
●      Cypress: anti-inflammatory
●      Valor: helps align your body and mind


Before your massage your therapist will talk to you about any issues you are experiencing to identify the combination of oils that will work best for you. These issues might be things like, seasonal allergies, colds, weakened immune system…as well as back pain, mild spinal misalignment and much much more. The oils used can kill bacteria, battle allergens, promote organ health, and relieve joint and muscle pain. As a lot of these ailments can get worse over time, this massage is a great way to naturally manage your symptoms and experience both short and long term benefits. You can expect to leave feeling aligned in both body and mind and with a boosted immune system ready to take on your daily life! Namaste!


Call 408-217-8729 to schedule your appointment today.

Touch to Heal Spa does accept Spafinder Gift Cards on regular priced treatments.