Self Care Self Massage

March 13, 2023 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

Do you ever feel neck and shoulder tension? Pain? Do you get headaches? Do your arms, wrists and hands hurt? Are your jaw muscles tense?

I hear all of these from most of the postpartum moms I see. The energy it takes to care for a newborn can take a toll on your body.

And really getting weekly or daily massages would be the best, but who has time for that?

Self massage is one tool that you can have in your toolbox to help you find relief quickly and at home.

Imagine this. The baby is nursing non-stop for hours it seems like. They must be in a growth spurt and you finally put them down for a nap. Your neck and shoulders are on fire (actual words from an actual client). You haven't slept well in years it seems like. And your exhausted.

Movement Matters during Pregnancy

February 28, 2023 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

I want to share a little about moving while pregnant. I feel like there is this weird notion that pregnant mamas should not exercise. I totally understand if you are on bed rest, that will limit the kind of movement you will be able to do, but if you are having a healthy pregnancy movement is so very important.

In my massage office I have a questions on my intake form about exercise. Over the years I have had some women respond with "Not since getting pregnant!" Hmmm. I wonder why that is?

Movement is important while you are pregnant.

6 Simple Ways to Improve your Pelvic floor health

February 28, 2023 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

There are many things you can do in your daily life to help improve the function of your pelvic floor.

Breathe deeply all day long. Holding your breath can create pressure and some Pelvic Floor Disfunction can be caused by pressure!! Try to relax your belly and breathe deeply into your rib cage. I like to practice this by wrapping my hands around my my lower ribs. When I breathe in, I press my ribs out in all directions and when I exhale I try to pull my ribs into a center post. Our ribs move and can help to create more space. It’s funny we never think about this.
Do your feet hurt? Do you take care of your feet? Many people suffer with foot pain and do not realize how healthy feet help to create a healthy body. One of the first things you can do is get out of heeled shoes. I am a big fan of #minimalshoes. They have wide toe boxes to allow your toes to move, no heel; meaning the ball of your foot and your heel are on the same level. The sole are minimal shoes are also flexible allowing your feet to move more!!

Creating Healthy Movement Habits

January 31, 2022 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

Have you been sitting in the same exact way all day?

In your comfy chair with the same leg crossed over the other for hours?

Actually have you been doing this for the last 10 or more years of your life?

Our sedentary habits are creating imbalances in your body. Stiffness, pain, weakness.

Then when you walk or run those same imbalances are present causing wear and tear on certain joints over others. Our bodies need more MOVEMENT not more EXERCISE.

Do you have low back pain? These three movements can help!

January 25, 2022 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

Do your hips hurt? Do you often feel pain in your low back? Sacrum?

Is it difficult to fully straighten up some times when you get up from a chair? These are signs from your body that you haven’t moved enough!

You may think the long bike ride or spin class you do a couple times a week is a good idea, but if you also sit, at a desk or in your car for the bulk of your day, you are pretty much in the same EXACT position ALL DAY.

Update: After the tongue tie release

September 13, 2021 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

I have been meaning to update you for some time about what happened after my daughter had her tongue tie released when she was 8 years old.

I will start by saying it was a whole thing. #1 it is intense. I am not a nurse for a reason. The stretches post op were difficult for me to do. And THEN my daughter got a secondary infection. One of her salivary glands got so swollen. She was getting headaches and stomach pain, pain in her jaw/cheek area and then FEVER. She was sick. And the doctors weren’t sure what to do for her. Needless to say the stretches went out the window at that point. We just needed to get her feeling better.

Recovering from a broken foot

April 13, 2021 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

I went to visit my mom recently! It had been over a year since I saw her and it was great to spend some time with her!!

I will start by saying my mom has been my movement inspiration for my whole life. She has always been active. She walked daily with friends and she played tennis when I was young. In her 60's she was doing pilates classes and walking regularly.

And then almost two years ago she broke her foot. It was a nasty break. Basically shattered her heel. It is all put back together with pins and screws. Lots of metal!!

The last time I saw her she was still in pain and doing physical therapy. Now PT is done and she said she doesn’t remember them giving her any exercises to continue doing.

Movement during Pregnancy

April 7, 2021 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

Movement during pregnancy is very important. Not only does if effect your health during your pregnancy it also effects your birth outcome.

Movement is an essential nutrient for all bodies. It is natural to move often throughout the day. And when I say movement I mean changing positions often. I mean not sitting in the same exact position.

Movement is not the same as exercise.

In our current society we spend much more time sitting then our ancestors did. I’ve worked with pregnant people for many years. I have seen a wide range of pain symptoms that occur during pregnancy and this does not have to be the case.

Could you or your child have a tongue tie?

January 26, 2021 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

I just found out my 8 year old had a tongue tie!!

This took me by surprise. I haven't thought about tongue ties since she was a baby. She nursed just fine for over 2 years. But was it really?

I did have some supply issues on one side, I had mastitis once and other things that didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but now I realize were related to her tongue tie.

The big thing I now realize is that she is the slowest eater EVER! She is a slow eater because she has trouble swallowing things. She could chew and chew on a piece of asparagus and still have trouble getting it down.

Interesting, huh?!?

How to move more while you walk

January 17, 2021 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

On my walk today I was able to go to one of my favorite trails.

It is my favorite because the ground is dirt, uneven and rocky. This means it moves my feet more than the FLAT cement side walk.

This is important because our feet were made for this! They have many small muscles , bones and joints that are meant to be moved.

If you only walk on flat surfaces with stiff rigid shoes your feet are missing this movement nutrient.

Then your feet become stiff and rigid just like your shoes!

Why doesn't anyone talk about this?

September 22, 2020 Heather Josten LMT, CPT-RES

Why Doesn’t Anyone Talk About This?

Do you sneeze pee? Have leakage when working out? Occasionally not make it to the bathroom in time? Do you feel a heaviness in your pelvis?

This is very common in healthy pregnant, postpartum and menopausal women. This is even common in women who have never given birth. But it is not normal!

It seems that many women don't talk about these issues even with their closest friends and family. What’s a Pelvic Floor(PF)? I had a newly postpartum mom say she had never heard of or thought about her PF before having her baby. This needs to change. Women we need to be comfortable talking about these things.

Abundant Balance Blog

Why Doesn’t Anyone Talk About This?