Good vs Bad Stress - MATIS Fourways

Stress & anxiety seems to be the new norm these days with all the additional external stressors that we are now faced with, it’s scary don’t you think? In college we studied good & bad stress, how to recognise the difference & all the ailments & dis-ease that come with prolonged bad stress.

Did you know that there is good & bad stress? Yep! Those first date jitters or the “panic” you feel before a competition, that’s the good kind. Good stress is short term, it pushes you with that extra (good) boost of adrenaline.

Then we get the bad stress, the long term one, the one that causes all other things like pain, weight gain or weight loss & even high blood pressure! Those of you who know me a little better, know that I have had chronic neck pain for years, like many many years… Before I took over the shop in 2015 I developed short courses to help therapists better treat their clients, one of those courses is a massage/body therapy course. Here’s the secret, I developed that course because I’d been for so many terrible massages & hardly ever felt that the therapist was able to accurately treat my concern.

So, I tried to make lemonade with that lemon & now there are a few more therapists who give better massages- you’re welcome! Anyway fast forward a few years later, I found a few things that have really helped me handle my chronic pain & stress & wanted to share them with you all

Here’s what I do:

Dance: I started my dance love affair around 2016 with a client introducing me to a Salsa class, I fell in love! I found a fantastic ( & super patient) professional dance teacher, Ryan da Silva, he owns Dancemore with it’s branches in Fourways & Bedfordview; if you’ve ever wanted to start dancing, don’t waste another day! I only wish I started sooner & that I had more time to dance more often. Dancing has truly been so great for my mental health over the past few years & also for fitness (pointing your toes that much doesn’t come easy you know!) Thank you Ryan! 🤗

Ryan & Candice da Silva – Blackpool British Open

Chiropractic: Many people have a fear of chiropractors & I get it, I’ve heard some proper horror stories. I have also been to enough of them to know who’s only interested in temporary relief/treating the symptom & those who are interested in treating underlying issues. I have been going to Dr Nicole Bernic for nearly 5 years; our anniversary is on the 31st of October – gifts are welcome, I’ll accept on “our” behalf 😉 I remember when I first went & I remember how willing I was to pay any amount to feel a little better, pain isn’t fun. Dr Bernic does neurological chiropractic, not many people like her that do torque release therapy! You should give her a try, click here to see their site! Don’t forget to tell Renee you read about them here!

Torque Release Therapy

Torque release technique is a specialized adjustment chiropractic technique that can correct subluxation or spinal misalignments in a gentle and non-invasive means.

Pilates: I actually started my journey to Pilates with yoga many years ago but I find that Pilates is MUCH more beneficial. I’ve also been to a few classes, tried different instructors & having a good anatomy understanding sometimes makes me feel that some instructors really don’t pay enough attention to the small things as they should. If you need the absolute best Pilates instructor/studio, why not come join me at MD Pilates, I go to Brea.

The Reformer

Reformer Pilates is quite different from mat based Pilates as it is performed entirely on Pilates reformers. The reformer adds resistance to your exercises through the use of springs and weights. This results in a more intense and dynamic work out.

Image & text above courtesy of Relinque Sports & Spinal group.

Massage: After being disappointed more that I’d like, I realised bad massages made me more stressed 🤣 life is too short for a bad massage! Many people still don’t really see the benefit of regular massage, not only for pain but for mental wellbeing. Don’t miss out on our upgrade promo available Tuesday-Friday for the rest of the month. If you’ve never had one of our massages, we should really look into rectifying that…

I hope my anti-stress methods help you! It’s that strange time of year where everyone is frustrated & tired, there’s a treatment for that 😉

Wishing you all a relaxing & stress free week

Laurien.

Here’s what I do:

Torque Release Therapy

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