Monday, January 19, 2015

Take a stand to workplace stress

How Standing can help your back and well being.

I wanted to republish this article as it has recently become news again that we are living sedentary lives and sitting can be bad for us.
For many of us, me included, having a bad back is a way of life, we get used to it and the pain becomes normal, we know no different. The following is a slight departure from the normal information we share about our products, but we thought this would resonate with a lot of you.
I spent many years before Wildflowers in the furniture industry designing offices that were ergonomically suited for all the users and working with a Swedish manufacturer who were leaders in this style of furniture really made ergonomics a way of life for me as natural as waking up and breathing.
Starting Wildflowers was a natural transition,as our products were able to help people who had stress and bad backs in their life.
I wanted to share with you a simple method of integrating an ergonomic workstation that can be easily adapted to your office environment and your home.
Sitting for prolonged periods of time at the computer can be so disruptive to our posture and how our muscles work and react to these periods of inactivity, so creating a different work method can help keep muscles active.
I have made a simple stand up workstation in my office where I use my laptop, I also have a normal workstation for my larger computer, where I sit.
Standing helps use different muscle groups and you will also find it helps you be more creative, you think more clearly standing, just think when you take a phone call, most of us pace around while talking, standing uses the same principle.
Throughout the day I will swap between workstations, this gives me a stretch break and the walk (20 paces) also helps keep the muscles active.
The workstation shown in the photo only cost me $29, so it doesn't have to cost and arm and a back.
Stand up work station
Hope this helps you as many of us spend a lot of our waking hours in front of the computer so any way we can make it a more enjoyable experience the better our physical and mental lives will be for it.
Let us know if you would like more information on our simple stand up workstation solution.
Kind Regards
Peter and Patricia

Wildflowers Aromatherapy and Gifts


Sunday, January 11, 2015

Sports Therapy and keeping muscle warm

Sports Therapy

An athlete, before a performance, is under immense stress emotionally and physically and the body is also prone to injuries. Practices before the event lead to constant build-up of tension in the muscles and cause stress on joints, ligaments, tendons, as well as the muscles themselves. Apart from muscle tension, the athlete is also bogged down with fatigue and injuries which may hamper the main performance.A Sports therapy wrap is the answer to emotional and physical well being for an athlete before, after and during a performance.
Sports Massage is a specific type of massage which is generally rendered before, during, and after athletic events to help prepare the athlete for desired performance, to relax the nerves and prevent injuries. This type of massage can be rendered only by a professional who has a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology and particularly the muscular and skeletal systems.
Sports Massage works deep to eliminate toxins embedded in muscle fibers, remove adhesions, and minimize scar tissue buildup. Muscle lengthening in sports massage helps restore a range of motion and overall flexibility. Sports massage also leads to improved circulation which aids better cell nutrition, greater elasticity of muscle fiber, and reduced recovery time.
Sports massage is a blend of Swedish massage and Shiatsu specifically designed to cater to the needs of professional athletes. Depending on the needs of the athlete, a variety of techniques are used including classic Swedish strokes, cross-fiber friction, pressure-point work, and joint mobilization.
Types of Sports Massage
Sports massage therapy includes pre-event, post-event, maintenance and rehabilitation techniques that promote greater athletic endurance and performance, reduced chances of injury and faster healing.
Pre-Event
A Sports Therapy wrap helps warm up the muscles by stretching them and making them flexible for optimal athletic performance. A pre-event massage also stimulates the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscle, reduces muscle tension, loosen the muscles and produce a feeling of psychological readiness. A pre -event massage is best done up to two days prior to the main event.
Post-Event
Our Sports Therapy Wrap focuses on relieving muscle soreness, minimizing the effects of fatigue and reducing the stress levels in the body. It also helps reduce swelling, maintain flexibility, promote blood flow to the muscle to remove lactic acid and waste build-up and reduce cramping. This also helps faster healing.
Prevention
This is more of a maintenance massage which can be done at least once a week as a regular part of athletic training programs. Preventive maintenance using a Sports Therapy wrap increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the muscle and helps repair small tears due to strenuous physical activity. It also keeps tissue loose so that different layers of muscle slide over each other.
Rehabilitation
Sports massage is also used as a last resort in the event of injury.Sports Therapy Wrap helps rehabilitate by minimizing the adverse effects of scar tissue and adhesion's caused to the athlete and helps regain lost flexibility and strength.
Techniques in Sports Massage
There are three main techniques of massage frequently used in sport, namely effleurage, petrissage and frictions. Most of the massage techniques ensure the main pressure is directed towards the heart to increase the venous and lymphatic flow. The strokes also ensure that excess pressure does not cause any damage to blood vessels. While effleurage is a preparatory background stroke, petrissage allows detail work on the body in releasing tension followed by friction.
Benefits of Sports Massage and a Sports Therapy Wrap
The benefits of sports massage impact the physical, physiological and psychological levels. A state of well being is achieved only when all the three aspects are in balance. Here is a compilation of the key benefits attained at each level through a sports massage:
Physical effects of massage are:
• Deep massage causes the pores in tissue membranes to open, enabling fluids and nutrients to pass through enabling removal of waste products such as lactic acid.
• Deep massage encourages the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which promote faster healing
• Sports Therapy Wrap stretches muscles to release tension or stress caused due to excess physical activity
• Sports massage helps break down scar tissues which usually affect the muscle, tendons and ligaments which impair performance.
• Sports massage helps improve elasticity of tissues.
Physiological effects of sports massage are:
• Sports Therapy Wrap helps reduce pain.
• Muscles are relaxed after a sports massage
Psychological effects of sports massage include:
• Reduced levels of anxiety and stress caused due to relaxed muscles and nerves.
Sports Therapy Wrap stimulates a sense of well being and health.
Sports Massage Therapist
A sports massage therapist must be trained & certified in Sports massage therapy from a school accredited by the American Massage Therapy Association/Commission on Massage Training Accreditation/Approval (AMTA/COMTAA) or their State Board of Education. A professional therapist may also have completed an additional training program approved by the AMTA National Sports Massage Certification Program. Many sports massage therapists also complete the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.



Thursday, January 8, 2015

Back pain,stress,lack of sleep solutions

Heating pads - back pain

We have the best selection of  Warm Buddy - heating pads & Warm up stuffed animals,all approved medical devices for back pain relief & comfort.
Our Sports Therapy wrap is one of our most popular back pain relief heating pads, can be used hot or cold depending on the therapy required.
We do have other smaller heat packs, our body wrap has a removable cover and a variety of fabric colours to select from as does our spa wrap which is perfect for the back and neck pain and we can't forget our ultra-shoulder wrap for neck/shoulder and stress relief. Plus many other heat wraps for back pain relief and comfort.
Made locally in Vancouver BC

Do you suffer from back pain?Back pain relief in a heating pad

Back pain can be extremely debilitating,painful and frustrating as the simplest of actions can pull or strain a muscle.
Warm Buddy have been making therapeutic heating pads since 1995 and they are all approved medical devices for the relief of muscle pain and stress.
The heat pack can be used hot or cold depending on the required therapy. (Hot for aches and pains and cold for swelling).
For aches and pains, just pop the heat pack into the microwave for the specified amount of time and the warm moist heat will penetrate the muscles and ease the back pain fast.
Sports athletes use them to maintain muscles by keeping them warm prior to stretching and warm ups.Thus reducing the chance of pulled muscles.
Weekend warriors also use them to warm up before weekend chores, because we all know how the simplest of chores can damage our muscles.

Do you suffer for neck & shoulder pain from too much computer work?

Working on the computer for too long can create neck and shoulder pain, stiff muscles and stress. A quick reference check, just take a deep breathe, exhale and relax the shoulders, you will notice that your shoulders will drop and you will start to feel more relaxed, prolonged use of computers and other electronic devices can cause severe neck and shoulder pain if not treated. One quick way to help relax is to take periodical stretch breaks away from the computer, if your neck continues to hurt then try one of our ultra-shoulder wraps to relieve the pain. Worksafe BC use these for there staff when they are feeling stressed out, they have noticed that after using the heat wrap they are more relaxed and productive.

Migraines and headaches?

We all get these from time to time,they can be caused by stress or in my case weather, when it is going to rain I start to get a migraine.
Each one is different to everyone who suffers from them.
Our sleep masks and eye pillows are a perfect remedy for headaches and migraines, you can use them at room temperature, put them in the freezer if you like it cold or in the microwave for 30 seconds to give you a bit of warmth.
The combination of weight to the acupressure points and the natural herbs will take the edge off the pain and help you relax and help take you back to your normal state.

Difficulty sleeping?

With all the stress in our lives sleep can be a rare commodity. We have recently developed a sleep therapy kit to help you get a more relaxed nights sleep. The kit contains a roll on, some stress relief bath salts and our sleep mask. A perfect solution for those of us who can't get that full nights sleep.

Still can't sleep?

Then maybe you need one of our world famous warm up animals. These are designed for the child in all of us ages 1 to 103.
Each stuffed animal has a removable heat pack that can be heated or cooled as required. We have a variety of animals and sizes to select from.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

How to keep warm this winter

How to keep warm this winter.
Warm Buddy have been making heat packs since 1995. There main purpose was to relieve aches pains and stress.


The fact that they are heat wraps lends themselves to keeping people warm for long periods of time.
Just pop the pack in the microwave for a couple of minutes and the pack will keep you warm for an hour or so.
This will also keep your heating bills down,when using the heat packs turn the thermostat down by a couple of degrees and save money.
here’s to a warm winter.
WA+G