Considerations on whether to lose or leave Your accessories. Let's talk jewelry, folks! At the risk of this sounding like a blog about LMT’s pet peeves (which isn’t entirely untrue), I figured I would point out some things to consider about jewelry and massage therapy.  While some jewelry is just fine leaving on, some may affect the quality of the massage or can even be damaged during the process. While it is completely your massage, and we want you to be as comfortable as possible, here are some things to keep in mind when wearing jewelry during your massage.  Necklaces  While ..read more

What's the difference and which one should I book?  Recently, I started offering a new service at Rest Day Massage Therapy.  You can now book an Integrative Sports Massage! Exciting stuff, but I’m assuming most people don’t really know what that is.  I would say about 95% of what I do is deep tissue massage, so I’ve haven't really dove into explaining the differences in modalities of massages. (Plus there are 100’s of them, so I wouldn’t even know where to start).  There are lots of similarities and differences between deep tissue and sports massage. I’m going to give you a ..read more

It’s been many a fortnight since I got my last tattoo, and I gotta tell ya, I’m itching for a new one!  As a massage therapist, I know the timeline that needs to be followed before someone with a new tattoo can get bodywork done; however, I figure most people don’t. So here it is what you need to know about massage and new ink!   Prior to your tattoo Appointment Regular massage prior to your tattoo appointment is just fine! However, I would avoid cupping, blades, or kinesiology tape to the area starting at least TWO WEEKS prior to your tattoo appointment.  Cupping and blade ..read more

how to take care of your feet this spring Spring is finally here!!!! (Knock on wood!) The grass is greener, the birds are chirping, and Fargo is experiencing the menacing traffic of Clean-Up Week.  Spring gives rise to some unique issues. Plantar fasciitis, shit splints, tight ankles, tight calves, and a whole mess of foot problems.  I see countless foot and ankle related issues in my clients once the weather warms up, and many of them are avoidable. So I’m here to share some of my favorite tips and tricks on keeping your feet healthy during spring.  New Shoes! My rule of thumb ..read more

Why A Deep Tissue Massage Doesn’t Have to Hurt Confession time! When I first started massaging, I made the mistake of thinking that I needed to massage super deep all of the time. I would base and adjust pressure off of a client’s body language. So as long as they weren’t squirming or “fighting” the massage, I was doing great.  Unfortunately, that’s not the case!  During the time that I was shut down during the pandemic, I took a lot of continuing education classes. Many of the classes touched on the Biopsychosocial Model, or the idea that health and wellness is influenced by Biologi ..read more

Foam rolling has become a popular form of recovery and pain relief for athletes and couch potatoes alike. It is safe, effective, and fairly easy to do; because of this, it is something I typically recommend for my clients to do at home.  I believe that foam rolling is both a science and an art. It is adaptable to many different conditions, situations, and needs, which is why I’m such a fan of this recovery method. However, there are best practices on how, when, and where to foam roll. I’m here to give you the basics to help you better recover, perform, and get out of pain via foam rolling ..read more

Through my experience as a massage therapist, I’ve learned that whether to start face up or down at the beginning of the massage can cause some anxiety for my clients. Whether it's a newbie who just doesn’t know how a massage starts, to a client who secretly prefers to start face up, or the veteran massage client who is just really indecisive, here is your guide on whether you should start your massage face up or face down. Did the therapist specify? There usually is a method to our madness. Sometimes we might need to start with working pecs if we have any hope of shoulder relief. Or maybe we ..read more

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have already passed, but I know many of you still have lots of holiday shopping to do (or at least I know I am still helping my dad pick up gifts for the family). Personally, I know I’m a hard person to shop for. I’m kind of a meathead. I’ve been doing CrossFit for about 5 years, so most of the gear I need I already have. I am also very specific about what brands/styles of clothing and accessories I like, so I just avoid putting them on my Christmas list altogether. In the spirit of tough to buy for people everywhere, I decided to compile a list of i ..read more

I recently took a course called “Helping Clients Manage Migraines.” It was very informative on migraines themselves and all the different types. Unfortunately, my biggest takeaway is that just like migraines themselves, a migraine sufferer’s reaction to a massage can vary greatly. I’ve seen lots of massage studios in- and outside of Fargo, North Dakota, advertise that massage can help with migraines—myself included! I just sent out a list of conditions that massage can help with in my latest newsletter. I’m realizing that’s a very unfair statement to say because most places don’t tell you how ..read more

If you have even dabbled in the competitive sports world, you’ve likely seen someone with funny tape on their back, knees, or shoulders. If you are like me, you’ve probably wondered what it actually does. As a CrossFit athlete, I live in a world that LOVES their name brand stuff. So when I learned that RockTape was offering Kinesiology Taping classes, naturally I NEEDED to take the class. You guys, this funny tape that you see on people, is magical! I couldn’t believe how many benefits something so simple can offer, but I’ve experienced firsthand and through friends how RockTape can help repai ..read more