| Psoas Massage + Bodywork Newsletter
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Here's to Your Health in the New Year
Greetings!
 Happy 2009 all, and welcome to the first newsletter of the year. We
at Psoas are feeling some positive change in the air, and are excited
to take on this next year with even more gusto. Our pledge is to keep
providing you with excellent client service, increase our bodywork
education, and continue investigating new ways to make you better as much as possible and as fast as possible.
We are not here to tell you the typical banter of how to lose weight and how to change your life in 2009. We are here to motivate you to enjoy all the fun activities that the Bay Area has to offer like PacWest's new Boot Camp and Yoga for Runners Series, Fleet Feet's 13.1 mile Training Team, and snowboarding with greater efficiency. We are so lucky in San Francisco to be able to still work out outside in the winter (albeit sometimes in cold rain) and get up to Tahoe and ski the same day. The beauty is that these activities help you beat off the winter blues and naturally shed the pounds in the meantime. Our goal at Psoas is to keep your body in the best shape possible to enjoy these activities to the fullest without injury and as late into life as possible.
Also in this newsletter -- introducing a Psoas favorite, Jon Geralds,
who has already been practicing here for several months, a
partnership with Kirkwood Ski Resorts to provide you with discounted ski lift tickets this 2009 season, and stretches to help you on the mountains!
Finally, don't miss the last section of this newsletter - we are giving away a snowboard! And not one of Jenny's 1993 boards but a Brand-spanking-new Axin board.
Peace out,
Psoas
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Snowboarder - ride hard and stay healthy.
 Well, it's that time of the year and some of you are thinking, "ugghh,
it's cold and rainy in San Francisco...", (ok maybe not this week) but those of you that share my love for the mountains, are thinking,
"heck, yeah, it's dumping up in Tahoe!" This article will help all the snow lovers, specifically snowboarders, get prepared for the slopes and learn some stretching tools that can help you recover quicker and be more agile and skilled on the slopes. I am aiming a bit towards the more experienced group, those that are actually doing 15-20 runs a day.
It is not that I am trying to leave out you beginners, because kudos to you, for getting started on one of the best sports around. However, when you are a beginner, you are pretty much using every
muscle in your body and falling on every part of your body, so it is a
bit harder to isolate the muscles to stretch out before. My advice for you is brief:
- Get an
instructor and learn how to fall right.
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Stay aware and be careful - 80% of all injuries happen in your
first 2 days. -
Most of your falling happens on your upper extremities so
protect your wrists with guards, use your fists instead of your
wrists, and learn how to roll when you fall.
- Remember, it is really worth it once you reach the other side.
Just like any sport, it is important to know what muscles you are
using while snowboarding to design a proper stretching and
strengthening routine. For all of these muscle groups, refer to the stretching section of this newsletter in the following section.
Wrist Flexors ---
For all the beginners out there - keep at it - the more you board the
better you will get and the less sore you will be. Until then, all the
stretches below will help but... you will be pushing yourself up from
a seated position a bunch - so learn to stretch your wrist flexors -
you will thank us for this.
Feet ---
Stretch your feet before, during, and after your snowboarding day.
All snowboard boots are tight especially the first couple seasons with a new pair. Foot cramps are very common, but you can definitely help decrease them, by taking the boots off during your break and moving your feet around, spreading your toes, and even walking around a bit in the warmup hut. (If you are going for a few days, bring your Healthy Toes, sold at Psoas, with you. Your feet will really appreciate the nice stretch of the 7 layers of muscles on the bottom of your feet!)
Calves ---
Stretching days before and the day of snowboarding will help prevent
your calves from cramping. Remember, one of the hardest parts of
snowboarding is that your muscles are engaged in tight contraction the entire run, especially your calves and especially in the powder. Not only are your calves extremely shortened from bending your knees, but they also have a lot of pressure on them from your tight boots.
Quads ---
Oh, the burn of the quads is so good. One important part of
snowboarding is to keep those knees bent and soft so they are ready at all times for the quick surprises that happen as you are blasting down the slope. In the bumps, you will be jumping into turns, and in the powder, it's all about that back leg being bent and the quad acting as the main support the entire run.
Gluteals ---
The beginners are definitely going to have a sore bum their first
couple days, but that is mostly from impact on the snow. In the
powder, your back leg's gluteus medius is going to be on fire from
supporting and helping steer the board. In snowboarding, you really
aren't using your upper torso, it is your gluteals that are helping
your body do all the carving.
Aside from stretching, it's good to strengthen and get those lungs
ready for the altitude and the cardio of snowboarding. If you are
anything like me, I don't get up to Tahoe as much as I would like, so
I want to be ready to go strong from the moment the lift opens to as
late in the day as possible!
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Cycling is good for cardio and helps strengthen the quads
- Running on flats for cardio and running SF hills to get those
lungs trained - Squats,
squats, squats
Of course, maintenance massage is going to help keep your muscles flexible and in shape for the season. Psoas therapists will be here to help you after your snowboarding trip to increase your recovery time and help out with any extremely tight areas. If you are really sore, wait for about 24-48 hours to get your massage so we can really access the muscle tissue without too much discomfort for you.
Lastly, drink tons of water and electrolytes before and during your
trip; it will help you with the altitude as well. Always bring water
on your person, an energy bar, and yell as loud as you can when you are hauling down that sweet powder run making fresh tracks. I know I will be!
Written by Jennifer Lighstone - co-owner and snowboarder of 17
years
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Stretching for Snowboarding
The Psoas Massage + Bodywork Stretching Guide - conveniently located on our website - can help you find the right stretch for almost any part of your body. Here are three stretches that should help any snowboarder and the general masses. Wrist Flexors - more detail  This will be real good for the beginner during their day on the slopes but real good for later that evening and great the next morning. - Extend right arm in front of you, palm up.
- Extend fingers down towards the ground and reach with your left hand helping to open the palm side of the hand and stretch the flexors of the wrist and forearm.
Feet -
Stretch - more detail Ball - more detail You are going to need to have strong flexible feet and toes to hold on
to your hard lines while carving. Try this stretch to keep them ready.
This can be very painful for some and others may not even feel a
stretch. If you feel nothing you may want to gently roll your feet out
on a tennis or golf ball (shown below). - This stretch must be performed without shoes on.
- Kneel - knees on floor and balls of toes on floor - not resting on the tops of your feet, curl toes under
- The bottom of your toes and the balls of your feet should be pressing into the floor.
- The bottom of your feet from the balls of your toes
 to your heel should be facing the wall behind you. - Many people will feel the bottom of their feet stretch at this point - go slow and breath.
- Sit on your heels, lightly increasing the stretch.
- This may be intensely painful for those with short structures in the bottom of the feet and 10 seconds may be all that is possible.
Calf Muscles (Soleus, Gastrocnemius)
* A note on stretching your calf. There are two major muscles in your calf - one crosses the knee joint, the other does not. Therefore, in order to stretch both muscles, you must stretch your calf two ways - with the knee bent and with it straight.
 Gastrocnemius Stretch - more detail
The Gastrocnemius is your most superficial calf muscle. You must keep a straight knee in order to fully stretch this muscle. You should feel this high on the calf. Take your time and let the stretch happen - don't force it. Any form of leg activity - snowboarding, skiing, walking, running, cycling etc... will be aided by this and the Soleus stretch.
 Soleus Stretch - more detail
The Soleus lies deep to the Gastrocnemius. this stretch should be felt lower on the calf but remember to keep your knee bent. By stretching both of these muscles in close proximity you may be able to break up any adhesions built up between the two. If you feel pain in your achiles tendon during this stretch consult a Psoas therapist to detretmine your condition.
 Quadriceps Stretch - more detail
Tight quads are responsible for knee and low back pain, decreased stride length, and chronic psoas issues. If you are out on the slopes, you will want try this quadriceps stretch twice a day for a week and see if it leads to more efficiency in your runs.
(If this stretch causes sharp knee pain, come see a Psoas Massage + Bodywork therapist!)
 Hip/Gluteus Stretch - more detail
Whether boarding, skiing, running, cycling, hiking, golfing - okay, pretty much anything - you're going to want to keep your hips stretched. The Glutes are essential to snowboarders - and we are not talking about a good landing place for your falls. Tight hip and gluteus muscles will decrease range of motion in your butt and upper legs and increase back strain and sciatic pain occurance.
And, as always, we recommend regular stretching of the psoas muscle for all of you heading up to tahoe (unless your sport is poker, in which case...).
Learn to stretch your psoas.
Check out our stretching guide for more stretches.
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PacWest: Yoga for Runners
Season Begins Jan 20, 21, 22
Yoga and running do not need to be in opposition. If you thought you had to choose between the track and the mat, think again! The pain and discomfort most runners feel is not from the running in and of itself, but from imbalances in the body.
This 6-week Yoga for Runners series will promote physical balance and strength throughout the whole body; increase flexibility and range of motion (lengthen your stride) and most importantly, will help prevent injury. Series will provide a thorough understanding of how yoga can compliment your running.
Two San Francisco Programs!
Each program will include 12 total workouts: 6 energizing yoga sessions focused around a specific Yoga for Runners concept (i.e., hips, hamstrings, IT Band, etc.) and 6 coached track workout to build stamina, endurance and help you better understand pacing and running form.
Lululemon (Cow Hollow) Program:
Yoga Tuesday @ 7:30pm: Lululemon (Cow Hollow)
Track Thursday @ 6:30pm: Kezar Stadium (Golden Gate Park)
Planet Granite (Presidio) Program:
Yoga Wednesday @ 7am: Planet Granite (Presidio)
Track Thursday @ 6:30pm: Kezar Stadium (Golden Gate Park)
Voted "Best of the Bay" 4-years in a row by Competitor Magazine and Citysearch, PacWest Athletics is a complete outdoor fitness organization. Training programs throughout the Bay Area include: Running, Triathlon, Cycling, BootCamp and Yoga.
Psoas clients receive special $10 off with promotion code: PSOAS.
Cheers,
Richard-
Co-founder & Executive Director
Pacific West Athletics
(415) 409-5900 x112
(415) 830-7579 - Cell
richard@pacwestathletics.com
www.pacwestathletics.com |
Granola Bars
Jenny saw these prepared on the food network as an alternative to mass-produced nutritional bars with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. They are healthy, and great to take with you on the mountain for that quick energy boost! Also, they keep well for 2 weeks in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them.
 Nutritional Facts:
30.52 g carbs
4.5 g protein
6.8 g fat
3.66 g fiber
61.28 mg sodium
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins Yield: 16 (2-inch) squares
Ingredients:
8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries
Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract
and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until
the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce
the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the
liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture
out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing
the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake
for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut
into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Enjoy! |
Using Your Flexible Spending Account
 Do you have a flexible spending
account? Do you know what one is? It allows you to save up to 40% on health
related expenses not covered by your insurance plan. You can use your account
for a variety of things...including therapeutic massage! According to the federal
tax code, a qualified expense "must be to alleviate or prevent a physical or
mental defect or illness". The majority of the clients at Psoas seek our
bodywork for help in conjunction with training injuries, chronic pain, stress,
and other issues, which all qualify!
For those of you who haven't
started reaping the benefits, an FSA is a tax-advantage financial account
designed to help pay for qualified health-related expenses, offered through
your employer's benefits package. The money you designate for your FSA is taken
from your check, before taxes. This can create a 40%+ tax savings! Check with
your provider to see if you have a Flexible Spending Account option.
What do you need to do? Schedule
your appointment, and let us know that you will need a receipt to submit for
your FSA. We will provide you with a receipt that has the correct medical
documentation (a classification code and description of the therapeutic
bodywork). We can either email this receipt or print it for you.
You also may want to talk with
your representative of your plan to see if a doctor's recommendation is
necessary.
Some plans need it - some don't.
And for all of you already using
your flexible spending account - let us know if you need receipts for 2008.
Peace and have a healthy year.
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Discount: Ski Kirkwood this Winter
 We have recently partnered with Kirkwood, and they are offering all of our clients discounted lift tickets for the entire 2008-2009 season! The tickets are valid every day of the
2008-2009 winter season. E-tickets are $58.00 per ticket for the duration
of the 08-09 winter season. Full ticket rates at the window will be
$72.00 Sunday - Friday and $75.00 on Saturdays and Holidays.
Purchase Single Day Adult Lift Ticket VouchersClick on the Group Login at the bottom right. Group Name: psoas Password: bodywork Upon purchase a bar coded voucher will be available for
print. It is this voucher which is available for redemption at any lift
ticket window at Kirkwood for a full day adult lift ticket. Happy boarding, and enjoy!
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Spotlight: Jon Geralds
Jon came to bodywork while working on a graduate degree in integrative health. His background in yoga and exercise physiology led him to develop a practice that is energetically aware, but focused on how structure connects the body's patterns of movement. He has worked with competitive runners, cyclists, swimmers, and for the past year and a half, extensively with the dancers of Ballet Austin before moving back to the Bay area. His focus is to create pain-free sessions that integrate myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and muscle energy techniques to inform and create lasting change in the body.
Jon graduated from a 570 hour program in structural bodywork at the Institute of Conscious Bodywork in Corte Madera, California. In addition to that program, he has studied advanced myofasical release techniques with teachers from the Rolf institute and worked extensively with the leaders in the field of orthopedic massage over the past few years. This approach is utilized to restore structural balance throughout the body which will allow you to focus on the prevention and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal dysfunctions, chronic pain and sports injuries.
Jon is passionate about functional anatomy and is pursuing studies in physical therapy.
To read reviews about our other therapist - check here >>>
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Marin 13.1 Training Team
Sign Up Now to Join the Marin
13.1 Training Team!
 Spring is just around the
corner, and with it comes the beginning of a fantastic new running season!
There are lots of great races out there to train for, but one of the more exciting races promises to be the inaugural Marin Half Marathon on April 19. Fleet Feet
Sports and Marathon Matt invite you to join our popular Half Marathon Training
Team as we gear up to conquer the gorgeous landscape of Marin. We are eagerly anticipating another
fun-filled, energetic training group to kick off the new season!
Our current training
program, Superbowl Sunday 13.1, sold out, so we encourage you to sign up for
Marin 13.1 before it's too late. During
your training, you'll enjoy meeting new friends and receiving professional
coaching by USATF-certified "Marathon" Matt Forsman and his crew, who promise to help
guide you to glory. And did we mention the swag?
- Every Marin 13.1 participant
will receive:
-
$25 Gift Certificate to
Fleet Feet Sports
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Technical Training Shirt,
courtesy of Brooks Running
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Sports Massage and Discounts
from Psoas Massage + Bodywork
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Weekly E-mails Detailing
Your Running Routes and Tips for Success
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Social Events: Breakfast
of Champions, Bar Nights and Post-Race Party
Fleet Feet Sports will
host an info session, where you can meet Marathon Matt and ask any questions
you might have. The session will be on February 6 from 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
The Marin 13.1 Training
Team will hold its first run on Saturday, February 7 at 9:30 a.m. at the Marina Green Monkey Bars (corner of Marina Blvd. and Webster St.). We will meet every Tuesday (and alternate
Thursdays) at 6:30 p.m. at the
monkey bars for maintenance runs, and every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. for long runs. Most Saturdays will launch from the
monkey bars, with occasional runs at OceanBeach. The cost of the program is
$120 before February 8, and $130 after February 8, assuming there are still
spaces available. Check out our website for further information.
You can also
register in-store at Fleet Feet Sports (2076 Chestnut St.) or online.
Fleet Feet Sports and
Marathon Matt look forward to running with both old friends and new this
Spring. Come out and join us!
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Snowboard Raffle 
Psoas
will be doing a snowboard raffle for an Axin Snowboard.
These boards were locally made but are no
longer manufactured. The sizes available
are 146, 148, and 153, you can choose between the sizes; these sizes fit women
and children the best.
Sorry guys but maybe there is a lady in your life who would like a sweet new board.
We will be drawing the winner from all those who receive a massage at
Psoas Massage + Bodywork from Friday, 1/9/09 through Sunday, 1/25/09.
Winner will be picked Sunday 1/25/09
Happy riding! |
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The Psoas Newsletter
- Monthly -
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Disc of the Month
You won't hear whale sounds or rustling leaves at Psoas. We take our music almost as seriously as our bodywork.
Almost!
The Killers
Day & Age
Genre: Rock
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Happy New Year people-let's jump right in
for this month's music recommendation. Usually I try to tailor the
picks to be things that lend themselves to being played in the Psoas
studio-but seeing how this month at Psoas is "Get out there enjoy the snow" month,
I've decided to go with something way more upbeat and rockin'.
"Day & Age" is the third full length album from Las Vegas' The
Killers. If you're like me, you wrote them off after their second
album "Sam's Town" dropped-it seemed bloated, uninspired, and wasn't
the raw fierce energy that made their debut album "Hot Fuss" so well
received. Then, a few months ago, "Day & Age" was released without
much fanfare.
I however, have done the dirty work for you. When I get into a
record, I play it over and over and over. I obsess over it, getting
intimately familiar with every track, to the point of totally OD'ing on
the album. I can honestly say that "Day & Age" is a GREAT rock
record, to the extent that it made me go back and revisit "Sam's Town",
which I now love as well. Back to "Day &Age", though...
The composition of this record is pretty much straight forward
anthemic rock. And it should also be noted that while The Killers
really can rock, they can't really write lyrics that well. If lyrical
content is important to you, then this might not work. How about
"..And I'm down on my knees, looking for the answer...are we human, or
are we dancer?" or "the song maker says it aint so bad, the dream
maker's gonna make you mad. The space man says everybody look down,
it's all in your mind".
Huh?
I, for one, am a music guy, and lyrics aren't the
biggest deal to me. One thing's for sure-these guys know how to write
power rock tracks that get caught in your head. And you'll be humming
them in bed. In the shower. At work. It gets kind of anoying.
Seriously. However, that doesn't make you stop playing the record, and
that's what this is all about. It's time to stop eating all this damn
holiday food and get out there, get a sweat on, and be active. This
record in the iPod is PERFECT for that. Short tracks, powerful,
emotional, and most of all, fun.
The band even delves into steel drum calypso at one point which
sounds terrible on paper. But it works. And did I mention that the
album is awash in 80's sounding instrumentation? From keyboard synths to vocal backup styles, you can tell these guys grew up in the 80's and
love that music (as did I). I even had one friend compare the lead
singer's voice to Robert Smith's of The Cure, and I can see that.
Like the other 80's inspired rock album (Keane's "Perfect
Symmetry") that I recommended last year, this record is truly an
excellent piece of music. Form start to end, it moves. And the last
track "Goodnight, and travel well" is the only dark, slower tempo song
on the record. Actually, this was the first track that really got me
going on the album, and for what it's worth, it's a pretty amazing
finale-complete with a string and horn section, it reminds me of Bjork,
Sigur Ros, and a little bit of Broken Social Scene.
Finally, it should be said that this album is receiving negative
reviews, for the most part. But we don't care about indier-than-thou
music revieiwers, do we? Didn't think so. Music is all about the
experience-no one can tell you that a song isn't wonderful if you think
it is. And I'm here to tell you that The Killers' "Day & Age"
would go great with Snowboarding, hiking, running, and tons of other
activities. I know for a fact that it goes great with sitting on the
couch and eating popcorn, but...that was LAST year, right? On with
2009!!
-- DJ Split Have any questions or suggestions for
DJ Split?
Contact DJ Split at
djsplit@psoasbodywork.com
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