John Aaron Wellness

Alright! The holidays are officially over… and Public schools officially resumed classes today. Yeah!!! (For those of you with kids, you know what I’m talking about…) Anyway, two weeks of vacation – holidays, family, food-food-food, flus and lots of late nights all came to an end this past weekend. Whew! Now I’ll bet I’m not the only one left to deal with the aftermath of all that less-than-healthy eating… Is your body puffy and bloated? Your joints are achy? Your clothes feel tight? Me, too… ;-) So to help us both through this “recovery” plan, I've outlined the 5 awesomely easy steps you’ll need to quickly and seamlessly get back on the fitness fast track. Step One: Get Focused. The holidays happened. You ate things from your “never eat these” list, you drank more that you should have, but now the party is over. Draw a line in the sand. The bad eating stops now. Today. Don’t beat yourself up for falling off the fitness wagon particularly if it was shared in the...

Remember the ridiculous mantra of “No pain. No gain” from Schwarzenegger wanna-be, gym-rats in the 90’s? It was always funny to me but I’ sure that you would agree there’s sometimes a ‘feel good hurt’ that we can get when a massage therapist works on just the right spot. My massage teacher would call it the point of “exquisite pain.” And what’s wrong with that? Considering the price of good body work these days, you should expect to feel results, right? Unfortunately many people misconstrue pain as evidence that they are getting a “good” (if not great) deep tissue massage. Well – I think the whole thing is hogwash, and let me tell you why… It’s my contention that holding your breath and gritting your teeth under the pressure of a too-rigorous kneading simply defeats the purpose of massage. And asking your masseuse to “go deeper cause I’m tough [guy/girl] and can take the pain” only adds to your body’s tension levels, making those muscles that desperately need to soften do the exa...

It’s holiday fat gain season! After all, they don’t call it the “festive fifteen” for nothing! It’s a time when nearly everyone packs on a few pounds. But what if, instead of loosening your belt another notch this year, you use these 5 Holiday-Proof Fat Loss Hacks to avoid putting on a single pound? Believe it or not, these hacks just might result in a few pounds lost before New Year’s… Holiday-Proof Fat Loss Hack #1: Eat a sensible meal before the party. It goes without saying that you should never arrive at parties in a ravenous hunger. I realize that this goes against the popular trend of starving yourself before a party, but that’s exactly why most people gain weight. With your hunger in check, you’ll have the clarity to pick and choose the treats that you really want, rather than stuffing yourself with everything in sight. Holiday-Proof Fat Loss Hack #2: Bring a healthy dish to share. Even if the party that you’re going to isn’t a potluck—hostess gifts are thoughtful, ...

Before you have your first massage, you may have already had a much idealized picture of what your session will be like. However, a massage delivered by a licensed professional should certainly differ from the occasional back rub you might have received from a friend or a loved one. What a massage therapist targets during treatment includes: Releasing the tension in the muscles Promote the healing of soft tissue Facilitate the flow of blood Reducing emotional stress Reducing pain and inflammation Some studies also support the use of massage as a supplemental treatment for depression and anxiety, and has also shown promise in successfully alleviating symptoms associated with multi-dimensional illnesses such as fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. More than one way to exercise muscles However, even without secondary health issues, a massage can affect muscles much more vigorously than most people realize. As a massage therapist, I work diligently on knotted areas...

Have you heard? The latest trends in fitness are leaning toward the ‘shorter is better’ philosophy! It’s true, but what everyone really wants to know is this; do dramatically shortened workouts really get the job done??? No one can deny that modern life is beyond busy. We simply don’t have the time to spend hours running, biking or doing any number of other slow, cardio-based exercise sessions. Besides that; long drawn-out workout sessions just don’t give us the best return on our time investment. But is there true science behind the claims that 10 minute workouts deliver results? Well, the fact is new research supports the very true benefits of short, intense bursts of exercise. This is great news for all of us with hectic schedules, especially during these crazy holiday months. Short, intense workouts are manageable and I find them to actually be enjoyable. So here are my top 3 reasons that 10-minute workouts are worth your time… #1. It Burns Fat Do I have you attentio...

It's here - whether you're ready or not. Just look at the seasonal shelves in your favorite store. Retailers like to call it ‘holiday season' but let's be more accurate – it’s “weight gain” season and it starts now and runs straight through New Year's Day... These next six weeks will bring ample opportunity for all of us to expand our waistlines. So why discuss it now just days away from Thanksgiving? Because now is the opportunity to plan for the weeks ahead. Once the craziness begins, you'll be too busy to put a plan into action. So I want to help you take this moment of clarity, this calm before the storm, to outline a two-part plan that will save your waist from unwanted holiday inches. Part One: Your Exercise Plan.  Exercise always seems to be the very last thing people think of doing when they get overwhelmed, and the holiday season is notorious for empty gyms. This year do something different - MAKE yourself to exercise. Making a promise to “t...

Some of my best clients for massage are weekend warriors who give their all in the gym or on the playing field... Hey - no pain, no gain – right? Well, in most cases, the saying is true. But that's not always the case with exercise. In fact, some exercise-induced pain simply can't be treated with massage, but CAN put you on the injured list for a very long time. So before you go to the gym all “Beast Mode” with a no-holds-bar attitude, remember which exercises to avoid. These are six common ones that can leave you hurting for an uncommonly long time. #1: Behind-the-Head Military Press It looks good when done properly, but rarely is. By doing this exercise with incorrect posture and technique, you run the risk of painful pinching and inflammation of the shoulder tendons. In rare cases, you may even suffer a tear in the rotator cuff. The same danger is present in other behind-the-head exercises, so be cautious any time you hold weights in a position that places them behind...