Well?

As in... "Are you well?" Does it seem like everyone is sick these days??? At the beginning of the week, I had a stomach bug, then I caught Strep from my 2 kids! UGH!!! I hate being sick, and it seems like we've been constantly sick since we moved to Texas... I seriously think we should quarantine their schools for 2 weeks and let everyone get well before putting them all back together... And the bugs are getting stronger... the Strep this time was vicious! Several of our little friends had it all at the same time... I seriously thought they might all be sharing a drink at recess together...

Anywho! I'm doing a Wellness posting a bit early this week. Just in case any of you are sick and need some blog lovin to make you feel better. I worked out 1 day this past week - during the one 12 hour span of time that I felt well. It was a good run, but boy did I pay for it later that night. I just pushed myself too hard. After the fever had really kicked in and made me really achy and sore, I learned a few tricks to make me feel better.

First - Take a warm bath. Not so hot that your legs go weak and you can't get out of the tub without help. Just warm. And don't soak too long for the whole weakness reason. It helps to take some of the ache out of your muscles. I also put some Epsom salt into the bath water... just because I was REALLY sore and achy.

Second - After your warm bath, s-t-r-e-t-c-h. I was feeling all sorry for myself when I couldn't work-out so I decided to at least do some stretches and a bit of yoga. Nothing big, just around 15-20 minutes. My neck was sooo sore and my back was sooo stiff and tight. After the warm bath and a few minutes of stretching, I really started to feel better. Toss in a few poses for good measure, and I felt like I had still done something good for my body.

Third - Reflexology. I have an app on my iPhone where you can scroll down different parts of your body and then choose to see the appropriate pressure points on your hands or your feet. I KNOW this sounds hoaky in a New Age sort of way. But seriously people. My neck was very stiff and achy and my sinuses have been bothering me. I grabbed some hand cream and got to work on the parts of my fingers that it showed me. It works. I don't know the how's or why's. I just know that it made me feel better. If you don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch, check this site out for more information.

More on massage...My mom gives the best foot and hand massages ever. (She has ridiculous hand strength) I remember when I was pregnant and swollen with Abby, she worked on my feet and ankles after a shopping trip. Ahhh.... The power of massage. I've seen loads of articles on the positive benefits of massage in hospital patients and I am a FIRM believer. Have you ever gone to a nursing home and just held someone's hand? Have you ever rubbed some hand cream into someone's hands? Have you ever had a manicure? There's something to be said for touch.

Maybe it's the whole reflexology thing, maybe it's just the soothing touch of someone who cares. Whatever it is, I know it works. I also know that after 2 days of working on my hands twice a day, I was feeling much better. I didn't need antibiotics or anything stronger than a few cups of hot tea.

And now that I'm better, I'm back up and running... literally. Off to sweat it out girls. Have a good week, and keep moving!