Tagged: feet

Tips for Attending the Atlanta Market

Posted by on in Blog, Events, self care 0 comment

Entrance to Building 2 at Atlanta Market

 

As a massage therapist that has worked shows at AmericasMart Atlanta, newly rebranded as The Atlanta Market as a massage therapist for over 11 years, there’s a lot you learn while you are there. Here are a few things that will help you have the best Market visit ever –

  1. Get insoles/proper walking shoes. Your shoes may go with
    Take care of your feet.

    If you’ve been on your feet for most of the day, and you haven’t taken care of them, be prepared to be taken hostage by them.

    your outfit, but they may not be suitable for walking thousands of steps a day. A shoe with good arch support goes a LONG way. Take care of your feet, so they won’t take you hostage later.

  2. Get the AmericasMart app, and have it updated. Carrying the app on your phone weighs less than carrying the book.  You won’t have to find the maps at the end of the hall, you’ll have the most updated information, and you will have a good idea of where the showrooms are that you’re looking for.
  3. Charge your extra backup batteries for your phone/laptop. Sockets are at a premium at lunchtime. Don’t be that person trying to maintain an important call with a 5% battery.
  4. Before you even leave the room, put 2 bottles of water in the room’s fridge. Use a cold one to roll under your sore feet. The other one is for drinking since you will probably be dehydrated by the time you get back.
  5. HYDRATE! Bring a water bottle with you. With all the walking that you will be doing, getting dehydrated is a definite possibility.
  6. Have a reasonable plan to shop. You are NOT getting to every showroom in the Market in one day. Don’t even think about it. The campus is too big and overwhelming. Find where the bridges that connect the buildings are. Take the campus in sections, so that you see everything you want in the time you have. Use the app to plan your trip, so you don’t miss anything.
  7. Take Breaks/ EAT! There are plenty of places to eat within AmericasMart, as well as the surrounding area. There’s a mall across the street that has a pretty big food court and a CVS next door. Get an idea as to when you are ready to eat, so you know what foods are available where you are.  Remember – the lines at Chik-fil-a are ALWAYS LONG, and will ALWAYS be closed on Sunday. Pack small snacks with protein when you are hungry and in the middle of a shopping binge.

    View of the inside of the Atlanta Market.

    The Market Campus is sprawling, bringing new products in every Market! Don’t be overwhelmed. Use the app to plan your trip.

  8. You are going to be buying a lot of products or carrying a lot of fliers and files. The load is going to get heavier, as the show progresses. Get a bag with wheels.  Make yours distinctive; lots of people will have the same idea.  Take out the things you won’t need the night before.  Putting the work on the floor frees up your body to carry itself.
  9. Last but not least, GET A MASSAGE! The Mart has a showroom that has massage therapists that will get those knots out of your shoulders and back as well as treat your feet. The earlier in the day you go, the less likely you’ll have to wait. I promise you, the massages are worth it; your feet and body will be rejuvenated!

EXTRA TIP: Know what end of the train you need to be on to get off at the correct side of the station. If you exit on the South end of Peachtree station, you will be at the Library. The North end is where you will want to be!

Most of all, have fun! Can’t wait to see what you get while you’re here.

 

10 Things – (Part 2 of 2) From the Massage Therapists’ Point of View

Posted by on in Massage Therapy, Mind/Body 3 comments

I came across a hilarious blog named HaHasforHooHas.com, and a post written by Susannah named “Ten Things You’ll Probably Think While Getting a Professional Massage”. I loved it so much, I wanted to post my reply to her (and many of your) concerns. Here’s my response. Now mind you, this is my view on the subject, not on behalf of any other therapist. The first half of this post is here, if you missed it.

6.  What if someone secretly slips into the room, murders the massage therapist and then proceeds with my massage, all the while I have no clue because my face is buried in this terrycloth donut hole? Your mind had a tendency to roam when you want it to be quiet, even to the extreme, sometimes. The trick is to nip these thoughts in the bud as soon as you can, so that you are able to enjoy your session. There is a very low likelihood of a murder happening during the session, so just take a nice deep breath, hold it a sec, and exhale.

7.  I wonder if my body feels weird. This is the last thing you need to worry about, yet everyone worries about this very thing. Everyone’s body – even twins – is unique to itself. Each body feels weird, yet none of them are. Loving the skin you’re in is the trick.

8.  I bet my feet stink. Unless I’m passed out on the floor, with my nostril flaps bolted shut, your feet are fine. If you have malodorous feet, there are things that can be sprayed on them, such as wintergreen or lavender, that smell wonderful, and clean your feet at the same time. If you are truly concerned about The State of the Feet, here is a recipe to treat them, from Aura Cacia, or your could buy my Diva’s Bathtime Tea, on Etsy. Just do me a favor; please don’t walk through any garbage dumps barefoot. That will help both of us.

9.  Would it be weird if I moaned? No, so as long as it doesn’t go any farther than that. I used to have a regular client getting chair massage at when I worked at Logan Airport, who sounded like he was straight out of an Herbal Essences commercial. This was at a booth that had a modest privacy screen, meaning that you saw my head, when I stood up to work. You should have seen the faces of the people that walked by that heard the client, and saw just my head, until they walked around the wall, to see what I was doing. He didn’t care; he was getting his back taken care of, so that he would be able to enjoy his flight. Sometimes, clients will cry or laugh uncontrollably during a session. Emotional releases tend to be spontaneous and not always controllable.

10.   Will I ever shut off my mind and relax? You are not the only one with this challenge. Mindfulness is something that we are all challenged with. Your mind shoots off in so many directions, never wanting to be quiet. It’s called ‘monkey mind’ in many circles. Again, catching runaway thoughts and nipping them in the bud helps. Refocusing on quiet, calming thoughts takes practice and diligence, and always is a work in process.

I’m sure that you have more things on your mind than just these 10. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I’ll do my best to to answer them!

Are your feet holding your whole body hostage?

Posted by on in Massage Therapy, self care, Stretching 0 comment

I walked a 5K this past weekend for the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. Now normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but I’ve had breathing issues most of this year, so walking even at a brisk pace was a challenge.

I walked it, in better time than I had the last time (I came in with the truck that picked up the cones at my last 5K). I was so happy that I went shopping to treat myself for a job well done, and was out for hours.

When I got home, hours later, I was tired, but wasn’t as tired as I had been in the past walks. My feet felt fine, but apparently were beginning to throw a serious hissy fit. As I slept, my feet held a meeting with the muscles in my calves.

If you've been on your feet for most of the day, and you haven't taken care of them, be prepared to be taken hostage by them.

If you’ve been on your feet for most of the day, and you haven’t taken care of them, be prepared to be taken hostage by them.

They regaled my calves with stories of abuse and mistreatment, and after all the stories, the calves believed my feet! In solidarity with my feet, my calves began to twitch, ever so slightly, my brain didn’t even notice. My feet were really upset that the brain still didn’t tell me to get up, that they gave an ultimatum – move that leg one more time, and SEE what happens next!

Again, as far as the brain was concerned, it was off the clock. ‘Time for maintenance, please come back later,’ the message replied. As I fell back to sleep, my legs shifted into a more comfortable position, and the feet seized the opportunity to wake me up.

The foot began to curl, as the calf muscles contracted. Just before it fully seized up, I bolted out of bed, and almost stood up on my foot, like I used to when I would get a Charlie horse. Once I calmed down, I took deep breaths, massaged the muscles, and got in that knot before any of the other muscles tried to gang up on me.

Now, as a massage therapist, I should know better. Yes, I see you shaking your head as you read the post. Everyone has a slip now and again.

Here’s how you can do better than I did. If you don’t take care of your feet, no matter how long your to-do list is, your feet will take your whole body hostage.

– After doing an activity, such as a 5K or a run, have a banana. The magnesium in the banana will help feed the muscles the nutrients they need to regulate and repair. Don’t like bananas? Here is a link of magnesium rich foods.

– A cool water bottle rolled under foot will help soothe sore soles. A golf ball will help address knots, but don’t press so hard, the cramp in your foot may just get worse. Apply pressure to your level of comfort only.

– Self massage always helps when you just want to take care of that knot that’s been bothering you. Again, digging into a knot may not be the best idea; bruises look cute on noone.

– Warm ups before and gentle stretching afterwards helps the muscles prepare for and recover from an activity. This is a hotly contested idea, and opinions vary widely. I’d rather let my muscles know that they’re getting ready to work, than to cramp up in the middle of an activity. Check out the last post – Leg Cramps – for some great stretches that you can do for your legs.

– A pre-event massage helps warm the muscles up and prepare them for your upcoming activity, as a post-event massage will help the muscles calm down and recover. If your event has therapists on site, go and check them out. They are there to help you!

How to survive AmericasMart Atlanta

Posted by on in Massage Therapy 2 comments

Hi, this is Sonia, your Positive Attitude Adjuster with a few tips to survive the International Gift & Home Furnishings Market® at AmericasMart Atlanta!

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The Campus is HUGE! Pace yourself, and don’t get intimidated.

First – have an idea as to what you are looking for. The campus is huge, and it is easy to get intimidated trying to survey everything all at once. Map out your day & stay focused! Take breaks often, stay hydrated, and filter your fliers & handouts. See if you can get online catalogs, to cut down on carrying so much.

Second – as I said before – the campus is huge; Wear some comfortable shoes! You can always tell who is new to the Mart- they have beautiful high heeled shoes in the morning, and by the end of the day, they’ll be barefoot. You have no idea as to what’s in the carpet, so please, for your sake wear shoes that won’t have your feet talking about you by the end of the day! (And if they are, get a foot massage!)

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Third – TAKE A BREAK! There are massage therapists all over buildings 2 & 3, that are looking to help you have a great experience while you’re here, so take advantage of the services – Treat your body AND your feet!

Fourth – Don’t try to carry everything home. Your back, neck and shoulders can only carry so much; You are NOT a pack animal! Get a modest piece of rolling luggage and put the work on the floor, where it belongs. There are plenty of shops in Building 3 that sell rolling bags.

Lastly – The AmericasMart has many social media accounts, including an APP! If you are trying to streamline your visits to the shops, or discover new ones on your trip, get the app – it’s a great resource.

P.S. – It’s a few days until the show, so be on the lookout for an external battery for your phone/laptop. Service isn’t great for AT&T users, but there are a few Wi-Fi spots in building 3, so pack your patience!

I hope that you have a GREAT time the next time that you are there, and I hope to see you! I tend to be between buildings 2 & 3, so I’m looking forward to seeing you!

Have a great Mart!

Sonia

MHS Mary Kay 6 11