RADIO TONI Every Day Business with Grant Wood and Toni Lontis

Grant Wood is Massage Therapist and Bodyflow Personal Trainer. 68 yr old, Grant enjoys helping others maintain & improve all aspects of healing from injury recovery, flexibility and range of movement to general fitness that does not compromise the spine, muscles, tendons and joints. Grant works with people over 50 to enhance their lives through targeted programs, massage, reflexology, and gentle flowing exercises designed to keep his clients happy and healthy. He uses the concept of being totally present with breath, mind, body and spirit as well as emotional connection.

The vision behind Grants business was to use his knowledge and understanding from his personal experience with sporting and work-related injuries to provide quality solutions to clients around general wellness that doesn’t “hurt”. He likes working with people who want to experience no impact style fitness that focuses on improved range of movement flexibility that will enhance what one loves to do on a daily basis.

(Grant, follow my prompts and I will guide you through the show, track the time and keep us on topic, however sometimes a great question will pop into my head and Ill ask, so I try to keep things organic and flowing to draw out all your years of wisdom and knowledge. )

Good evening and good afternoon Grant!

1. What have you been up to this past week and what fun things have been happening in your work?

2. This week we wanted to talk about the conditioning beliefs that hold us back. What are conditioning beliefs around health and wellness that you see most often in your work Grant?

3. How do you alter and expand these beliefs?

4. Why is it important to understand that this may be preventing us from reaching our heltha and wellness goals?

5. What do you consider all round wellness, healing and fitness looks like?

6. What types of modalities should people consider?

7. Lets talk about massage …Toni’s weekend massage story

Massage notes to follow:

• Massage is perhaps one of the oldest healing traditions. Many ancient peoples – including the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Indians – were convinced of the therapeutic properties of massage and used it to treat a variety of ailments.

• Massage therapy (including myotherapy) is the practice of kneading or manipulating a person’s muscles and other soft-tissue in order to improve their wellbeing or health. It is a form of manual therapy that includes holding, moving, and applying pressure to the muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia.

• Research indicates that massage and myotherapy are effective in managing: subacute/chronic low back pain delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), anxiety, stress, soft tissue injuries, high blood pressure, insomnia.

• It can also be effectively used to support people with: a chronic disease, a life threatening illness such as cancer.

• One of the immediate benefits of massage is a feeling of deep relaxation and calm. This occurs because massage prompts the release of endorphins – the brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that produce feelings of wellbeing. 

• Levels of stress hormones, such as adrenalin, cortisol and norepinephrine, are also reduced. Studies indicate that high levels of stress hormones impair the immune system. 

• Some of the physical benefits of massage and myotherapy include: reduced muscle tension, improved circulation, stimulation of the lymphatic system, reduction of stress hormones, relaxation, increased joint mobility and flexibility, improved skin tone, improved recovery of soft tissue injuries, heightened mental alertness, reduced anxiety and depression.

Different types of massage may include:

• myotherapy – involves the assessment and treatment of soft tissue pain, injury and dysfunction affecting movement and mobility. Myotherapy is applied to restore and maintain the health and function of the soft tissue structure (muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia) of the human body

• remedial – is the objective assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of the signs, symptoms and causes of biomechanical dysfunction or injury, using specific mobilisation techniques, in order to restore normal health and function

• therapeutic – also known as 'Western' or 'Swedish' massage. One of the most popular forms of massage in Australia, this technique is designed to promote relaxation and improve blood circulation

• lymphatic drainage – a gentle whole body treatment which relaxes the nervous system and aids the body's immune system

• aromatherapy – essential oils made from selected flowers and plants are added to the massage oil for their particular therapeutic properties. For example, the scent of sandalwood is thought to reduce nervous tension

• baby massage – can help to treat constipation, colic and sleeping problems. Studies have found that regular massage helps premature babies to gain weight at a faster rate

• reflexology – based on the principle that certain parts of the body reflect the whole. Reflex points, which relate to all parts of the body, can be found in the feet, hands, face and ears. These points respond to pressure, stimulating the body's own natural healing process

• shiatsu – an oriental massage technique that aims to improve energy flow by working certain points on the body. The underlying principles of shiatsu massage are similar to those of acupuncture

• sports – this is an application of massage, not a particular massage technique. The type of technique or treatment applied is dependent on the nature of the stage of training or competition, sports injury or condition and the assessment of the remedial massage therapist. Sport massage is a blend of techniques that aim to enhance performance and help overworked muscles to recover quickly.

Next week we will be going into detail about mind body connection and how that fits in with overall health and wellness, why its is so beneficial, who it helps and why Grant is passionate about a holistic approach.