Jill's Favorites - Foam Rollers

Hello:

This week I'd like to tell you about one of my favorite things, the foam roller.

I was having nagging aches in my quads this summer (the kind where your legs just hurt all the time) from cycling and wanted to find an alternative to popping ibuprofen and regular massages weren't an option due to my limited budget. A personal trainer at the gym suggested using a foam roller to get rid of the places in my legs where my muscles were chronically tight. Basically, you use your own body weight and roll on the roller to break up trigger points in the muscles, and soothe tight fascia (connective tissue) while increasing blood flow and circulation to the soft tissues.This technique works as a kind of deep tissue massage and feels similar to Active Release Therapy. The foam roller can be used on the legs, calves shoulders, lower back etc.

The first few times, the pain was so intense, especially on the knots (which is where it's important to focus the rolling), it literally brought tears to my eyes. But it was a good kind of pain - I could literally feel those knots breaking up. Breathing while you do it certainly does help (as there is a tendency to not). Wanting to be able to roll my legs at home, I bought one at Relax the Back. SPRI products also sells them. Now I use it before and/or after I cycle or run on my quads, hamstrings, IT band and lower back and my muscles feel less gunky, tight and heavy.

It's ideal if you can have a fitness instructor show you the variety of ways to roll. Also there are many instructional videos on You Tube that explain in greater detail different ways to use it. The first few times can feel a bit awkward, though, once you get the technique down it's pretty easy to use.

Rollers are pretty affordable and make a nice gift for the fitness fanatic (even if that fanatic is you).

Perhaps the foam roller will become one of your new favorites.

Happy Thanksgiving. Talk to you next week.

xxoo,

Jill


Photos: Relax the Back, About.com

Jill's Favorite - KP Duty

Hello

Thanks for taking the time to ready my blog. Each week I will be sharing with you some of my favorite things that make life a little bit better. Hopefully you will like what you read to follow it on a regular basis and pass the info along to your friends.

One morning, I noticed a myriad of tiny little bumps that resembled chicken skin on the back of my legs and elbows. Being the obsessive - compulsive type, I couldn't stop rubbing the ones on my elbows (which of course only made them look worse). A search on "dry skin bumps" revealed this is a hereditary condition, Keratosis Pilaris, and according to Mayo Clinic's web site, it's a common skin condition that causes rough patches and small, acne-like bumps, usually on the arms and thighs often from a build up of keratin. Keratin, a hard protein, protects skin from infection. Many people have it and there are a multitude of web sites that go into more detail about it in case your really want to know more.

Harmful? No! Icky? Yes!

Enter DERMAdocotor's KP Duty scrub. It's a combination microdermabrasion and chemical peel. While the combination of those two things may sound harsh, it gets rid of the bumps while leaving your skin smooth. It was developed by Andrea Kunin, an actual MD who knows a thing or two about keeping skin in tip top shape. On both the DERMAdoctor and Sephora web sites, it received excellent reviews. I ordered from DERMAdoctor; with your purchase you get to select three samples of other products sold on the site. The scrub is $40 for a 16 oz jar.

At first, I used it 2x/day (AM & PM) for about a week then once a day for a week, now I use it only when I notice the bumps coming back (KP isn't really cured). The scent is somewhat medicinal, but it's not bad and goes away pretty quickly. I also tried it as a foot scrub during my regular home pedi, and it works quite well to smooth out calloused heels. Any product that does double duty rates high in my book.

Perhaps KP Duty will become one of your new favorites to keep your skin looking its best.

Talk to you next week.

xxoo
Jill