Hello and thank you for reading my blog. This week we've been giving you lots of tips and ideas to help with various New Year's resolutions. Today I have some great ideas for those of you who are starting a new exercise regime. Click to read more.
If your aim this year is to get in shape then you may have decided to join a local gym, take part in exercise classes, take up yoga or join a sports team. There are so many fun ways of staying active that there’s something to suit everyone and although it is always challenging, at least we can find ways of making exercise enjoyable.
It will all be worth it when you start to reap the wonderful benefits from it. I hope you’ve got off to a good start if this is one of your goals for 2015!
As with all new starts, one of the hardest parts is to get going in the first place. In these dark, winter months it can be a challenge for us to muster up the energy or motivation to get out for a run, get down to the gym or get up extra early for a yoga class.
Stimulants found in caffeinated drinks can offer us a quick fix, but we often find ourselves paying for it later when the energy levels crash.
For a natural alternative you can gently boost your energy levels with the use of essential oils. Aromatherapy can not only offer you a boost of energy, motivation and inspiration but there are also many oils which are valuable in treating sore and aching muscles.
An aromatherapy bath could be just what you need after a long session at the gym to help you revive and rejuvenate. Even better, maybe you can persuade your partner to give you a lovely soothing Aromatherapy massage. Either way, it’s a lovely way of soothing achy muscles and giving yourself a little treat at the same time.
So, essential oils can be of great benefit before, during and after exercise. With that in mind, we thought we’d give you a few blends to help you kick start your new fitness regime!
Get up and go!
3 drops Lemon – Fresh, uplifting and energizing. Lemon is a great oil to offer that lift you may be in need of. Inhaling its aroma will help promote clarity of thought and stimulate the mind. Its calming affects can also help beat feelings of anxiety or stress you may be experiencing when starting something new.
2 drops Rosemary – An oil renowned for its stimulating effects, Rosemary is the ideal oil to help you get up and go. It’s a great oil to help you de-stress (maybe to convince yourself that the idea of going to gym really isn’t that bad!?) and it’s a useful oil to use as a decongestant, helping you to breathe more easily which can be helpful during a strenuous exercise session. A great oil to keep with you at all times – simply inhale once or twice directly from a bottle as and when desired.
1 drop Peppermint – One of the most invigorating oils. The fresh aroma of Peppermint is an incredibly stimulating scent, helping to awaken the mind and energize you. It is a cooling oil which promotes mental clarity and alertness. It’s also naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic, so it’s a great oil to use in massage either before or after sports to help protect and restore your muscles.
When combined with good nutrition, sufficient rest and a proper warm up session, essential oils can offer wonderful assistance to your workout.
Next, we have a blend to use after your workout.
Revive and restore - a post work out blend to help you recover.
Of course the most effective way of reducing injury is to ensure you stretch well before and after every session, stay hydrated throughout and try not to push yourself too hard.
Essential oils with warming properties can also offer valuable assistance with your recovery. Many contain natural anti-inflammatory properties, helping your muscles to recover effectively.
You can use this blend either in a well-deserved warm bath or dilute in 15 mls of a carrier oil such as Grapeseed or Sweet Almond and use to massage over the affected areas.
3 drops Juniperberry – the detoxing effects of Juniper will help draw out impurities and help to stimulate circulation. It’s believed to be useful in treating cramps and sore muscles, whilst its stimulating affects will help combat post-workout fatigue
2 drops Black Pepper – Renowned for its warming properties, Black Pepper is a naturally effective treatment for sore joints and muscles. Its anti-spasmodic properties offers relief from cramp and soreness of the muscles. It’s commonly found in many muscle & joint massage and gel blends.
1 drop Eucalyptus – Eucalyptus is a natural analgesic and anti-inflammatory which makes it ideal to use on tired and over worked joints and muscles. Its invigorating aroma will help you to breathe easy after an intense work out session and its stimulating properties will help you keep those energy levels up throughout the day.
I hope that you’ll enjoy finding a way to incorporate some basic Aromatherapy into your workout routine.
If you’re finding yourself constantly on the go, you may prefer to use a pre-blended product. Here at Amphora we have a great range of ready to use products specifically designed for treating tired and overworked muscles. This includes our ‘Athletic’ and ‘Muscle and Joint’ products which come in the form of a massage oil, bath oil or body lotion.
Or you might like to consider our bestselling ‘Muscle and Joint Gel’ which is ideal for applying directly to problem areas to gently ease pain and warm the muscles.
If you’re getting fitter this year then stick at it, enjoy and look forward to those positive results. Keep your mind on your goal and you’ll be surprised how quickly you reach it :)
