Relaxation
on the Cheap
There
are many ways to relax without spending a ton of money. Several things with just a minimal investment
can be done at home. Also, for those who
have access to online services like Groupon and Living Social, check out the
location and you can get great deals.
Home
and the Gym
Saunas
Saunas are great places to recover after a
workout. There are two kinds: heat saunas and steam saunas.
Both are good for recovery, despite the fact that proponents of each
claim they are superior to the other. They
can used for:
·
sports injuries
·
chronic fatigue syndrome
·
fibromyalgia
·
arthritis
·
increasing flexibility
·
increasing metabolism
·
promoting skin health by opening pours
·
increasing blood flow
·
detoxing of stress and toxin elimination
·
normalizing blood pressure
It
is recommended that each session last between 15 to 30 minutes. Bringing your inhaler if you need one is a
good idea. Drink water before, during,
and after. I like both both kinds of
saunas. There is something therapeutic
to sweat after a workout. But one caution is to limit the time in the sauna,
making sure it is clean and wearing a towel for hygiene.
Hydromassage
Many
gyms offer this inexpensive massage. It
is a bed where the person stays fully clothed and the machine does the work,
using a water shower inside to create a massage. Machines can be automatic or monitored by the
user.
Foam
Rolling, Tennis Ball and Rollers
There
are many types of rollers––from the soft foam to the killer hard ones with
bristles on them. They roll out like a
rolling pin across your muscles. Be
prepared to find places within your back, shoulders, arms, legs, and hips that
are extremely uncomfortable when you roll. But if you persevere, you will
conquer those tight areas. The Stick and
tennis balls are good tools for rolling out the body. It is like a relative that is hard to deal
with but is speaking the truth!
Hot
Cold Packs
For
these little gems, I would recommend a pack that has the water beads or the Bed
Buddy because they are great hot or cold.
You can also make your own with rice, corn, beans, and beads. My one recommendation is that if you are
transferring your pack from cold to hot, wait until it has unfrozen completely
and watch your pack or buddy every 20 seconds so it is not overheating in the
microwave.
Compression Devices
Air Relax uses the most advanced digitally controlled air-pressure system to provide dynamic compression to limbs compromised by poor circulation.
Compression devices were once only for the exclusive
use of patients with serious muscular and circulatory disorders––such as
lymphedema, venous insufficiency, and peripheral artery disease–– and only
available by prescription. Today, recovery pumps and compression sleeves are
used by sports teams, universities, physical therapists, and professional
athletes to treat their injuries and enhance their training. Most athletes are
interested in reducing their recovery time following intense exercise or
sporting events. Compression devices can run from $300 to $1,500 so it might be
cheaper to go to the local gym or chiropractor.
Salt Caves
Salt caves are great places that first started in Europe
but have become popular in the U.S. as an inexpensive way to relax. They range
from $12 to $40 per session and are great for respiratory disorders, allergy,
asthma and the general muscle ache and pains of age and overuse. The wellness aspect of the salt cave relies
on halotherapy, which is the act of inhaling the salt-infused air that is
pumped into the cave from a halo generator. As you breathe, minerals (like
calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, iodine, bromine, copper, selenium, and
iron) contained in the purest version of salt are absorbed by both the skin and
your air passageways, which can help clear pollens, viruses, toxins, and other
pollutants from the body. The negatively charged ionized salt and trace
minerals that are present in the cave's atmosphere are said to
naturally draw toxins and impurities out of the body, reduce inflammation, and
improve respiratory ailments like asthma by clearing the lungs.
The skin is meant to be purified, as it directly
absorbs the vapors. Halotherapy is also known to help relieve skin
conditions, stress, high blood pressure, respiratory infections, hangovers, and
allergies. Salt is a natural anti-inflammatory, antibacterial,
antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial, which is why the benefits that the
cave promotes are not a huge shock to those informed about the healing powers
of salt.
Your
session starts with you removing your shoes and wearing flip- flops in the
cave. You sit on an anti-gravity chair
and put on headphones. The relaxing
music generally makes you fall asleep and a blanket is provided if you desire
because you can get cold in the cave.
After the session, it is important to drink lots of water; and strenuous
exercise is not recommended due to the fact that your body is dehydrated.
Foot
Spa and Hand Wax Treatment
I
remember as a kid my great uncle had weekly foot spas and paraffin treatments
for his arthritis. Now these machines
are available to everyone. You can enjoy
a water foot spa or paraffin treatment with a machine that usually runs from $20
to $30. The wax, if kept clean, can be
used multiple times, even when you relax and watch your favorite sitcom. For the extremely frugal, you can use a
double boiler to heat up water or put in the wax, using glad bags to protect
the hands and feet after treatment.
After 30 minutes, put the clean wax back and you are all set.
Life
is stressful and it does not cost a lot of money to treat yourself. Even a cooling towel that will stay cool is a
great way to relax and ease that part of your aching body after a long
day. Many health and wellness expos will
even give you one free. Yoga offers the move of legging up a wall so blood can
flow from your legs to your head. For a
variation, it even works putting them up in a chair or couch. So relax and enjoy life. It is possible to relax on the cheap.
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