The party is over. Warm weather is winding down. The kids are headed back to school. Your summer vacation is now little more than a Facebook memory. If you are not watchful, it is a perfect time to settle into a rut and start feeling tense.

Beyond dealing with this shift in your lifestyle every fall, you are also faced with decreasing temperatures and dwindling sunlight. All these changes can add up to a negative outlook, blue mood, and a decreased ability to manage stress.

Although it may seem to be a perfectly normal part of your life, stress is far from benign. In fact, experts claim that stress either causes or worsens an amazing 95 percent of all physical illnesses. However, with a little attention, you can reduce the ill effects of stress and enjoy your life to the fullest.

​How Stress Affects Your Health and Life

The Elements of Stress

​Thoughts affect feelings, which in turn affect behaviors. Each physical and mental element of stress can interact with and worsen the others. If your boss just reprimanded you for poor performance, your heart may race and your stomach may drop on the floor.

To ease your discomfort, you may run to the “aid” of caffeinated beverages, sweets, cigarettes, or alcohol. The resulting stomachache or hangover can cause guilt and even more stress. It can be tricky to escape this vicious cycle.

Fortunately, you have more control over the problem than you think. You can beat this dangerous enemy by modifying how you respond to it internally and externally and by allowing yourself time to unwind.

​Five Ways to Outsmart Stress

1. When you feel your jaws clench and your stomach churn, stop immediately and take several deep, slow breaths. Using your entire lung capacity oxygenates your body and helps regulate your heart rate. Breathe mindfully by softening your abdominal muscles and pushing your stomach out as you inhale. As you exhale, pull your belly button towards your spine.

2. When you feel your jaws clench and your stomach churn, stop immediately and take several deep, slow breaths. Using your entire lung capacity oxygenates your body and helps regulate your heart rate. Breathe mindfully by softening your abdominal muscles and pushing your stomach out as you inhale. As you exhale, pull your belly button towards your spine.

3. Avoid multitasking and be sure to take regular breaks. Doing so will increase your productivity and reduce your stress level.

4. Get yourself a hug. Receiving physical affection such hugging or cuddling with a person you care about produces chemical changes that reduce your stress level and support your general health.

5. Enjoy a professional massage. It will relieve your physical discomfort directly and reduce your anxiety by flooding your system with stress-busting endorphins.

More on How Massage Beats Stress

When you relax, all the effects of stress begin to reverse. Imagine lying on a massage table, surrounded by soft music and mild, calming scents. You have already begun to escape the frantic pace of your life. As you relax further, your heart rate and brainwaves slow. Your immune system can work more efficiently. In addition, you generally feel better mentally and physically.

A massage increases the positive effects of relaxation. Human touch increases the production of certain hormones that make you feel good and lowers levels of cortisol and other stress hormones. Not to mention that a massage is an affordable mini-vacation that you can schedule any day, any time of the year. There is no need to wait until your next holiday to relax and recharge. In fact, for many people, the winter holidays usually cause more stress than they relieve.

Benefits of In-Home Massage

An in-home massage experience may be the most relaxing type of massage around. When you can stay in your house or apartment and have a massage therapist come to you, you do not have to face the stressors of traffic, pollution, and so forth.

An in-home massage therapist brings the table and all supplies to you. All you need is a bit of floor space, some time, and the willingness to put yourself in the hands of a professional. Trust Vivanti to help you beat stress and get back to living with a fresh perspective.

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Late summer and early fall are some of the most enjoyable time for runners in Montreal and its suburbs. Whether you are running for a social cause or achieving personal goals, sheer willpower is not going to be enough. You will need to be smart and strategic knowing when and how to utilize your body to best support you in achieving your goals, staying injury free and enjoying your journey. A gradual increase in volume and intensity brings results that will significantly affect your long term and overall wellness.

Do you spend a lot of time focusing on recovering properly, maintaining your health and being proactive with injury prevention? Like Alexander, Graham Bell said: “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”How often should a runner receive a massage? Should it be before or after the run?Ideally, runners should receive a regular massage at least every 3-4 weeks to support muscle health, alleviate built up tension in the joints, and minimize the risk of injury. Runners and other athletes that take a massage on a regular basis may want to also receive it 3-5 days before a long jog or race. This will support your healing process, relax your muscles, release natural endorphins, and prepares your body to be strong and healthy.

Hydrate your body after your massage​

​The lymphatic stimulation that massage therapy provides along with the proper hydration facilitates the process of muscles healing to be in top condition. Massage after a long run can significantly reduce recovery time and is an excellent way to reward your body for accomplishing an incredible achievement. The type and intensity of your massage will be determined on your body’s needs. This wouldn’t be the time to endure pain but to listen to what your body is asking for.

The primary goal is to quiet muscle spasm, flushing metabolic wastes and to release endorphins that are needed towards your healing process.

Proper hydration is critical in conjunction with a post event massage. The benefits of post event massage are greatest within the first 48 hours following the run. Congratulations on your dedication towards your health, wellness and injury free running. Happy running!

​​Recovery

If you love sports or simply thrive on living an active, adventurous lifestyle, you work your body hard, sometimes pushing the limits of endurance. And while the thrill of competition or the satisfaction of achieving your personal best can be exhilarating, your body knows when it’s time for rest and recovery. To stay at the top of your game in any physically demanding activity, it’s important not only to rest, but also to keep your body limber, relieve post-workout muscle soreness, and speed recovery from the stresses, strains and repeated traumas your muscles endure as they face greater-than-average activity.

The Right Treatment for Enhanced Performance

​5 Underlying Goals of Sports Massage

Sports massage targets specific physiological and mechanical functions to help you get to the heart of the problem, rather than simply treating the symptom. Here are five goals an experienced sports massage therapist can accomplish for you:

1. Eliminate cellular waste products that accumulate during muscular exertion. Lactic and uric acids are natural by-products of exercise that build up as you push your muscles to perform when you work out or compete. This buildup leads to muscle soreness. By speeding the removal of these substances from muscle tissue, sports massage reduces muscle soreness and speeds recovery. By moderating your activity level, you may be able to do your part to help prevent some soreness before it starts.

2. Increase lymphatic flow, making cellular waste removal more efficient. As lactic and uric acid—along with bacteria, toxins and other harmful waste products—are broken down and carried away from muscles and other body tissues, the body is free to begin the healing and rebuilding process. You can also help this process by eating a healthy diet to keep your immune system working as it should.

3. Enhance blood flow to carry more life-giving oxygen and nutrients to muscles for faster healing and rebuilding. As waste products are carried away through the lymphatic system for breakdown and disposal, a new surge of oxygen-rich blood flows in, providing the nutrients that the muscles, bones, joints and connective tissue need for optimal health, recovery and performance. Sports massage can improve circulation so the healthy foods you’re eating can nourish your tissues and help you excel.

4. Reduce inflammation caused by traumatic overuse of muscles and joints, speeding healing. As long as any inflammation remains, full recovery will be stalled, future performance compromised and cumulative injury more likely to occur. A skilled massage therapist knows which techniques work best to keep inflammation at bay and can tell you what you can do to aid the process.

5. Improve range of motion by reducing joint and muscle stiffness, and increase flexibility by minimizing scar tissue buildup. By using the appropriate muscle manipulation technique, your sports massage therapist can help you restore full function more quickly, while advising you on the best ways to maximize flexibility.

As your sports massage therapist works to relax muscle tension and ease any existing muscle cramps and spasms, he or she will also be working to accomplish each of the five results described above.

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Giving the Gift of Wellness

Five Great Reasons to offer the Gift of Massage

1. A Health Gift continues to provide beneficial effects long after the holiday season

2. For many, a brief introduction to the benefits of Home Massage sets the tone for better physical and emotional fitness

3. A Gift Certificate or Massage Package is a truly appreciated gift because of its personal and attentive value

4. Everyone welcomes a relaxing break from the stress and chaos of the holiday season. Your gift will not go unused

5. If your loved one receives the same gift from another person, it’s even better

​Who Can Appreciate the Gift of Home Massage?

Virtually anyone can benefit from a gift of home massage. Young men and women with athletic aspirations can use massage to help support their performance and reduce pain from injuries. Expectant mothers and their babies both benefit from prenatal massage. Busy professionals often find that getting a massage is the perfect way to combat stress and relieve related muscle tension.

People who suffer from chronic conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, neurological disease and many other illnesses can live less painful and more productive lives through massage therapy. Even seniors can benefit; massage helps alleviate pain caused by age-related changes and improves circulation, sleep patterns, and mobility. It can also help battle depression and anxiety in people of any age.

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Easy for You & Perfect for Them

If you’re like most people, your holiday season involves a lot of running around and making last-minute decisions. Anything that makes your life less stressful during this time is a treasure. When you purchase our convenient home massage gift certificates online, you can print them out right at home. Save yourself and everyone on your gift list from this year’s seasonal retail madness. Make the holidays and the coming year healthier and brighter by choosing the gift of wellness today.

Offer A Gift Certificate

As you can imagine, it’s high time to get organized for holiday shopping. Instead of racing in department stores, why not give those you love an original and sure value gift? A healthy gift is never disappointing and at the same time relieves pain, depression and stress in the comfort of the home, which will surely exceed all expectations of the person who will receive your gift.

Nothing can help you feel more relaxed and refreshed than a great massage. You already know that massage takes away the frustrating pain of sore muscles and helps boosting your immune system, relieve stress and build up tension but do you know how it influences the five pillars of Optimized Health? According to specialists, five elements of health combine to ensure that we feel and function at our best. Massage therapy has a distinct effect on each.

Your Nervous System

Since massage can influence almost every aspect of health and well-being, you should make it a permanent part of your life plan. Call today to book a relaxing massage in the comfort of your home.

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Is Your Massage Therapist the Right One?

Why Is the Right Fit So Important?

​Being physically and mentally relaxed and comfortable ensures that you get the most benefit from massage therapy. If something occurs during a session that makes you feel nervous, irritated, embarrassed or otherwise stressed, your muscles will tense involuntarily, your cardiovascular system will react, and the chemical makeup of your brain and body will change in a negative way that counteracts the very benefits provided by massage. In a nutshell, a bad interaction between you and your therapist can sabotage the entire process. unwind.

Finding the Right Massage Therapist

Choosing a massage therapist involves both checking credentials and following your gut instincts. It also involves defining your personal preferences and needs. Before making an appointment, decide what characteristics you are looking for in a therapist. For example, you may have an age or gender preference. If you have a medical condition, you may seek a therapist who has worked with others who have the same problem. You may also prefer a certain style of massage or a particular environment. Once you narrow down your choices, you can make appointments to meet your prospective providers in person to see if you click in person.

​How you’ll know it’s time for a change

Certain behaviors and feelings can help you determine when it’s time to walk away from a provider. If your therapist says something that offends you or makes you uncomfortable, crosses personal boundaries, has little or nothing to say that is supportive or comforting, makes you feel misunderstood or judged, or simply doesn’t make a connection with you, he or she is probably not the right choice.

​Speak up and Get the Most from Your Therapy

Therapy sessions that leave you feeling uneasy are not delivering maximum benefits. If you and your therapist just don’t make a connection, don’t be afraid to request a change. There’s no need to feel guilty or wait to see if things get better. Everyone is different. The therapist you don’t like may be a perfect match for someone else. If you have a bad experience, don’t give up. The right therapist is always out there.

​Is your massage therapist the right one?