Running (including regular 10K races), weights, yoga, TRX training… just hearing about blogger and Digital specialist, Inna’s fitness routine makes us feel tired! The active life she leads is the inspiration behind her health blog, Start Up Your Happiness – she really does walk the walk.
As a result, her body can be left feeling tense. Weight training and running in particular have led to lower back issues as well as tension in her upper back.
“I’ve struggled to get a consistent service when going to the spa, which is one of the reasons I tried Urban Massage. Therapists always deliver a professional massage that incorporates particular techniques that remedy my pain points.”
“The majority of the time I book a Deep Tissue massage as I want a treatment that will cure the pain points in my body. I do experience some discomfort during my treatment, but that’s to be expected from a Deep Tissue massage. To ease me into the pain, the therapist has me focus on my breathing – ensuring I breath out deeply before the treatment starts.”
A key theme on Inna’s blog is the deep connection between body and mind – and that if you mistreat your body, your mind suffers too. “With all of the stresses that accompany living in a city, massage is a great way to take your mind off them! At the end of my massage I feel a huge amount of emotional relief as well as stress relief.”
As well as the expert hands of therapist Rima, some of this is surely down to the relaxing setting of her London apartment. She lives in the heart of London, but Inna’s home is a sanctuary that feels far from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets below. Open-plan, flooded with light and decorated with vibrant pieces of art, any visitor can see why Inna would prefer to stay here than drag herself to an anonymous spa.
So how do you get the perfect massage? For Inna, it’s clear communication between you and the therapist. Making time to talk before your treatment means you can let the therapist know what you want from your massage and explain if there are certain ways you want it done – even down to whether you prefer to chat or maintain a soothing silence during your massage.
Juggling her workouts, blogging and work on her startup WandrCard around a busy work life, Inna loves the convenience of being able to use Urban Massage to book a therapist to her chic central London apartment when it works for her, rather than trying to squeeze appointments across town into her already-packed diary.
“I’m guilty of leaving it until the last minute to book a massage – when I’ve worked my body to its fitness limits. The great thing about Urban Massage is that when I’m looking to book a spontaneous treatment they can accommodate. There’s no long-term planning and I can work it around my busy work and personal life.”
As with scheduling time into the diary for a yoga session or going for a run, Inna also recommends booking a massage as regularly as possible. “Stress less. Think back to how you felt when you treated yourself to a massage.”