Health & Wellbeing

Health & Wellbeing Massage myths - here’s the truth

It’s supposed to hurt. Massage is just for relaxation. All massage is the same. Wrong! Massage is not supposed to hurt. Of course, during the massage treatment there may be points that are tender or sore but communication is key, and as a massage expert, I never want you to be uncomfortable. Sometimes, those sore spots are actually trigger points, commonly referred to as ‘knots’ and these areas may require some work, but that doesn’t mean that I will be pushing into them and causing more pain. With trigger points I work on a waithold process to release the trigger point and I am sure to be communicating with you throughout the process as well as keeping an eye on your pain levels. Massage is not just for relaxation and we shouldn’t see it as something to do just for a treat. Massage has the benefit of relaxing the body and mind and who doesn’t enjoy time to switch off and relax? Although I use clinical massage techniques I still bring the all-important element of relaxation into the treatment. The more relaxed you and your body Jemma Sandell is an Advanced Massage & Beauty Therapist and owner of Relax & Remedy, Ferndown. Visit: relaxandremedy.co.uk.

are, the more receptive you are to treatment. All massage is different! It’s certainly not the same, no two therapists will ever massage the same even if they had the exact same training. That’s why sometimes it’s about finding the right therapist for you and it may take a few treatments to find that person. I incorporate a wide range of massage skills and clinical massage techniques into what I do so I have a number of ways in which I can treat you. From Eastern to Western techniques, trigger points, deep tissue, acupressure, stretches and lots more - creating a real fusion of beneficial techniques. What your body needs your body will get with a massage tailored to your particular needs. I’ve heard so many people say over the years that they wouldn’t have massage again after one particular unenjoyable experience. It’s important to remember that massage can vary so much and so can the standard of therapists! One person’s experience can be completely different to someone else’s in the same way that two therapists will work differently, so it’s important to find a therapist that suits you. I will always work with you throughout each treatment to ensure you are comfortable, relaxed and pain free. My goal is always to help you manage pain, look good and feel better.

Recently, I’ve seen a huge increase in enquiries from people who want to stop smoking. And it’s no wonder - the cost of living has gone up dramatically and everyone is wondering where they can make savings. When I work with someone to help them become a non-smoker I am most interested in finding out their beliefs about smoking: Do they believe they can quit? What does smoking do for them, if anything? Do they think they are addicted or have a habit? My role is to help them understand how any unhelpful beliefs have come about - and more importantly, help them see things in a brand new way. By the time a smoker comes to see me they have usually tried all sorts of things to quit - going cold turkey, patches or gum, even medication. Hypnotherapy is seen as a last resort, which is a shame, as it’s probably the least painful way to stop smoking! It’s normal to believe that becoming a non-smoker will involve a certain amount of pain. But a craving for a cigarette is essentially the same as any other kind of craving. Smokers have them, and non-smokers have them. Cravings are all about instant gratification - and because smokers always have something to smoke close to hand, they rarely explore their ability to surf the urge. Many people believe they are addicted to smoking. But when you think about it, smokers pretty much always settle on a number. They know exactly how many times they will smoke during the day. If they want to take time off from smoking to go to work, get on a plane or sleep, they can do that. Settling on a number and taking time off is a luxury that an addicted person does not have - they need to take more of a substance for it to have an effect - or decrease the amount of time between taking it. So smoking is absolutely a problem of habit. If you believe you are physically addicted to something, it goes without saying you will believe it will be painful to give up and difficult to do. Therefore smokers are likely to believe there must be a price to pay when they quit, and this sets the mind up for an expectation of suffering and side effects. If you’re a smoker, think about this; every single time you smoke it is prompted by something you are about to do, something you were doing, something you have just done, or perhaps a way you are feeling. Every single one has a prompt, cue or trigger. There is a huge amount of habitual behaviour connected to smoking, and this simple fact alone is often enough to empower someone to quit smoking forever, now.

Health & Wellbeing Addressing the smoking habit

By Susie Carver, consulting hypnotherapist with Sea Change Hypnotherapy in Wimborne seachangehypno.com

Tempt the kids out with an adventure

by Lorraine Gibson

The school summer holidays are here and while we know that walking’s good for the soul, the head and the heart, getting children excited about going for a walk can be hard. As a creator of family-friendly walking tours, my main tip is this – make going for a stroll a series of mini-adventures and it’s a walk in the park. When my daughters were toddlers, I invented make-believe characters who hid in parks, rockpools and so on, then got them to find signs of them. Tree stumps became dancefloors, lumps of moss mini-sofas and shells transport. When they morphed into tweens, walking for walking’s sake held little appeal, fossils, however, did, so on went the wellies and goggles and they’d hammer lumps out of stones at the beach in the hope of revealing a glistening ammonite. Get yours to search for clues, guess the purpose of odd objects and add a challenge, quiz or activity en route. These short activities help turn their idea of boring into fun. They’ll hardly notice they’re exercising, it costs nothing and you’ll be amazed at the mysteries right on your doorstep. If you know your area, earmark landmarks. Not just statues and buildings. Think small. Think hidden. Think something on a building, like a carving or a date telling how old it is. Look up – I’ve found many a curiosity on roofs. And down, entire worlds lie undiscovered on pavements and paths. Use hints to direct them to stuff with tales to tell. In my ‘Christchurch Miracles and Mysteries’ tour if they find a medieval ducking stool, they get to hear an audio clip of the dip! Locate the Priory and you also hear a miraculous fact. Spooky tales, depending on age, work, and repeating odd names or phrases - a favourite is ‘crinkle-crankle wall’ - really fast five times cracks them up. Get them guessing how many steps lead to something - closest chooses when to stop for lunch. Other nearby locations include Beaulieu, Buckler’s Hard, Sherborne, Lyme Regis, Shaftesbury, Abbotsbury, Wimborne, Dorchester, Mudeford, Blandford, Portland, Purbeck and Milton Abbas. Visit shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/apps/ secret-stories.

Health & Wellbeing Tuning in to the ‘ultimate wave’

‘It’s as if I’ve paddled out to sea on my board and I’m just floating,’ my client said. ‘I’m really comfortable, but I know that I want to take action and attempt to catch a wave.’ I conjured up an image of my client sitting astride a board, sun on their back, gentle lapping of cool waves against their legs. At ease, relaxed, knowing that they wanted to up the ante and feel the buzz in pursuit of the ultimate wave. I’m sure you’ve heard about ‘the comfort zone.’ You know the feeling, almost verging on a teensy bit boring because you know exactly what you’re doing, and you’re not being stretched whatsoever. Like wearing a lovely pair of wellworn slippers. All very safe and reassuring. Sometimes I think we need a little bit of pizzaz to make us feel alive. I’m not suggesting that we start abseiling, skydiving or swimming with sharks – although that would give some of us a rush – I’m talking about just moving things up a notch, taking a teensy step outside the comfort zone and pushing yourself a wee bit more. When you first learn to drive, initially it may feel like a stretch, even a bit of a panic, but with experience it becomes comfortable. For as you learn, adjust, build confidence and expand the richness of your soul, what starts as a stretch can become the ‘every day.’ Deliver a one-hour presentation to a roomful of 100 people…. Does this cause you to panic? Feel a bit of a stretch? Or maybe a breeze? If it’s a panic for you, then what if I told you to deliver that presentation on a subject that you were an expert in and passionate about? What if you had two weeks to prepare? What if you worked with a team of experts, drawing on their knowledge, even practice the delivery in front of them? And a colleague is a PowerPoint whizz and will help you create a fabulous presentation? And the audience know nothing on the subject? And I would pay you £10k for doing it? Does your thinking change? Could this be a possibility for you now? What’s my point? Well, those things that might cause you to panic, can often be broken down into smaller parts and by tackling each of those one at a time, you can find that the initial panic, is merely a stretch, and actually when you get into it, what presents itself as a stretch, you might actually end up being comfortable with. Remember my client - comfortable, bobbing about on the waves, wanting to feel something more? Where are you right now in your life?

n Victoria Arnold is a life coach from Wimborne Victoriaarnold.co.uk

Swims for free Hospice welcome for Hayley

Thanks to additional new funding, kids can escape the heat and swim for free in a number of Dorset Council pools over the school summer holidays. Pools at Ferndown, the Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre at Wimborne, and Blandford Leisure Centre are part of the package which runs until September 4. Some of the locations require advance booking, so swimmers must contact the swimming pool before travelling to avoid any disappointment and remember that accompanying adults still have to pay. There is no restriction to the number of times children and young people can access this offer although they must provide proof of living in the Dorset Council area. Families who are looking for a wider range of summer activities can also take part in Summer In Dorset, a wide and vibrant collection of enriching activities that all include a nutritious meal. Young people who are eligible for benefit-related free school meals, can access all Summer In Dorset free of charge. More details here: dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/ children-families/holiday-activities-andfood-programme As plans to increase their crucial services get under way, LewisManning Hospice is delighted to welcome a new team member to help realise their goals. Hayley Bonner joins them as director of clinical services and, having worked in the health care sector for many years across secondary and primary care teams within the NHS, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the endeavour. She said: “I’m really looking forward to my new role. “I love change management, setting up and developing new services which is what I shall enjoy bringing to Lewis-Manning and helping them to grow their clinical services. “There are busy times ahead!” CEO Clare Gallie said: “It’s great to have Hayley as part of our team. “We have ambitious plans to continue our expansion of services as part of our ongoing strategy to bring hospice care ‘Closer to home’, and Hayley will play a pivotal part in this growth.” For more information about the hospice, visit: lewis-manning.org.uk.

If you’ve ever tried to prise something out of a baby’s or toddler’s hand, you’ll know that their grip strength is phenomenal. The grasp reflex is strong for babies, possibly as they need to grasp onto their parents as a newborn. As they become older and start to use their fingers, learn new skills and become more dexterous at picking things up using the tripod of thumb, index and middle finger, the grip reflex and their strength start to decrease. After middle age, our grip strength reduces naturally. This is significant, not just for opening stubborn jam jars; there are indications that a weaker grip is linked to increased cardiovascular risk and higher mortality rates. This is because grip is a marker for healthy aging, linked to muscle mass and general physical functioning. Although some decline is inevitable and may be associated with conditions like arthritis, grip is something that can be improved with training. In fact increased grip strength is another bonus benefit of strength training as grip has to increase with increased load. Simple home exercises like squeezing a palm sized foam ‘stress’ ball or wringing out a waterlogged t-shirt or tea towel, over time can help and are a good way to start. In the gym, I encourage clients to squeeze the resistance machine handles as they work out other muscles. Progressive strength exercises such as lifting barbells and dumbbells are going to challenge and improve grip and forearm strength as well as build and preserve muscle. There is always a big focus in health on promoting weight loss, but weight loss on its own is a very narrow definition of improved health. When we lose weight, we also lose muscle mass which we can ill afford at any age. This is another reason why strength training is optimal for someone losing weight; it will help preserve the strength and muscle that weight loss alone will take away. Aspects of fitness that are massively underrated and correlate to quality of life and longevity include; balance, strength, grip, reaction, stride length (walking gait) and mobility.Next time you try and take something out of a baby’s hand – admire their superhuman strength and remind yourself that you’d do well to start clutching tightly to things yourself to improve your own grip.

Be sure to get a grip

Katrina Keeling is a Wimborne-based Personal Trainer. She coaches at WOW Ladies Fitness and independently. Her specialisms include functional strength for ageing. kkfitness.co.uk kkeelingfitness@gmail.com

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Health & Wellbeing Increasing threat of sewage in our water

by Lorraine Gibson

Human faeces in our water represents ‘a serious public health issue for government and regulators and it is clear that the water companies are not doing enough.’ The words of Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, Jonson Cox, Ofwat chair and Emma Howard Boyd, Environment Agency chairman, in a damning joint-opinion piece on the NHS website. In the article, we’re reminded of the huge, life-saving leap forward in public health that came from the realisation that sewerage can harm or even kill us. ‘One of the greatest public health triumphs of the last 200 years was separating human faeces from drinking water,’ it reads. ‘It was the basis for preventing cholera, typhoid and other bacterial and viral diarrhoeal diseases that killed millions.’ Now, after two centuries of visionary engineering, only vaccination matches it in preventing infectious diseases. Risk, however, remains and is growing. ‘When bacteria from human faeces (coliforms) are ingested, it increases the risk of significant infections. ‘Keeping human faeces out of water people might ingest remains a public health priority.’ The report says UK tap water is safe and that while no one expects river water to be drinkable, places where people swim or play should not result in ingesting human waste. And they make no bones about who is to blame. ‘Raw sewage from storm overflows and continuous discharge of waste containing viable organisms from sewage treatment works is increasing. ‘This is a serious public health issue for government and regulators and it is clear that the water companies are not doing enough.’ The authors emphasise the importance of rivers for recreation and exercise, saying they should be celebrated and encouraged. ‘Children have always played in waterways and always will, irrespective of notices. People of all ages use them for recreation. ‘Our rivers, seas and waterways should therefore be free from sewage. There are two major issues to tackle. ‘The first is raw sewage discharge and in particular from storm overflows.

RELAXING: A tranquil Dorset river scene

Picture: JO GREEN

‘This should be exceptionally rare. The engineering logic of overflows is that if the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed, sewers get too full and can back up into homes or overflow into streets.’ Storm overflows were designed as safety release valves for this and intended only for exceptional circumstances. Since the Environment Agency required the water industry to monitor its overflows, data shows that their use is now not exceptional. ‘In some cases, up to 200 discharges a year are occurring. This is obviously unacceptable. Nobody wants a child to ingest human faeces.’ Solutions to return storm overflows to only functioning in high rainfall involve better management, innovation and investment - rightly seen as the job of water companies. Four have agreed to reduce overflows to an average of no more than 20 discharges a year by 2025 - but Ofwat says they need to go much further and the Environment Agency will hold companies to account for delivering this. The second major issue is with continuous normal discharge from sewage works. While raw sewage is not discharged into waterways from these, viable bacteria and viruses are. Eliminating discharges of coliforms from sewage works upstream of popular recreational areas will help reduce this, something that’s been somewhat achieved for beaches using ultraviolet treatment but other forms of less energy-intensive treatments need be pushed with urgency. ‘It will inevitably require investment. But it is not just a question of money - it needs preventive engineering, better sewer management, innovation and commitment.’ Ofwat has asked all companies for an action plan on how they’ll rapidly improve river health showing a commitment to public health that matches public expectation. Perhaps the most thought-provoking comment is: ‘We have two stretches of river in England and Wales with bathing water status. There are over 500 in France.’ ‘Yes, managing sewers is made more difficult by plastic wet wipes flushed down toilets and congealing with fats that form fatbergs that block sewers. ‘This directly results in avoidable use of storm overflows, so the plea to put wet wipes in bins is real and would immediately help.’ Saying that, the report insists that the true responsibility for keeping human faeces and bacteria out of our waterways rests squarely with the water companies and their directors. ‘Ministers have signalled they want significant action, requiring companies to deliver a multi-billion-pound programme to tackle storm sewage discharges. ‘Companies should take the initiative and go faster. Regulators will hold companies to account. It is time for wastewater companies to act.’ For more information visit deframedia. blog.gov.uk/2022/06/25/governmentaction-on-water-quality.

Tigerlilly nails it with top beauty award

by Andrew Diprose

What a perfect way to celebrate the 10th anniversary year of your first nail salon! A delighted Olga Clapcott, owner of Tigerlilly in Wimborne and Westbourne, collected the award for Nail Salon of the Year at the Professional Beauty Awards 2022. It was a case of third time lucky after being a finalist on two previous occasions. Olga, 40, said: “I couldn’t breathe when they announced the result – I was just so excited. “The other four finalists included

WINNER: Olga with husband Alex

some very big salons, including one with a salon at Harrods. “It still feels surreal and hasn’t really sunk in yet.” The Professional Beauty Awards are regarded as the most prestigious and established in the country for the beauty, spa, nails and aesthetics markets. They seek to recognise those who go above and beyond as a beauty business and make a significant difference to the industry. Eve Oxberry, head of editorial for Professional Beauty magazine, said: “Being crowned as a winner at the Professional Beauty Awards is an accolade to be incredibly proud of. “The judging process is one the most rigorous in the industry, to ensure that every winner provides an outstanding customer experience.”

A night to remember for home residents

by Lorraine Gibson

A group of residents from a specialist dementia home who supported their nurse’s debut performance at a concert, were still talking about it over breakfast the next day. Margaret Goodland, Joyce Holden, Phyllis Haine and Mary Castle of The Aldbury made sure they were in the audience to offer their support to nurse, Catherine Moyse. Catherine, who cares for them at the Colten Careowned home, was playing trombone for the first time with the Broadstone Community Band. The concert was to raise funds for both High Mead Farm, a therapeutic farm at Longham supporting people with mental and physical health issues and Going for Bust Ferndown, Wimborne and Westbourne - the UK’s only exclusive breast cancer charity. The Aldbury ladies were accompanied by the home’s companionship staff, Sue Miles and Cara Duroe. Sue said: “Catherine only joined the band six months ago when she joined the Aldbury team. “She practices every other week and finds it helps her unwind from work and helps towards her wellbeing. “She is very popular and our residents were extremely excited about going to see her. “We were all bowledover by the concert which featured songs from West Side Story and Grease, as well as Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, the Jitterbug, The Charleston and the hymns Abide with Me and Deep Harmony.” Of her debut at Poole’s Lighthouse, Catherine said: “I was excited to play my first concert with Broadstone Community Band because I’ve not played in the Theatre’s Wessex Hall since I was at school. “I was also thrilled when I found out that staff and four residents were able to come along, because it felt like two very important aspects of my life were crossing over. “When I looked out and saw everyone in the audience,” says Catherine, “I felt immensely proud and happy that I got to share what I love with everyone.” Cara said: “It was such a joyful night. Margaret took a shine to the conductor who made jokes and encouraged audience participation, calling him a ‘cheeky chappy’. Mary had her hands in the air clapping along throughout.” Mary said: “It was a wonderful evening and Catherine was fantastic.” Cara added: “We had fun on the taxi ride home, making jokes with the driver and we all got back very late. But Joyce said: “Who cares when you’re having fun? “We were told that Mary and Phyllis were still talking about their evening out the next day over Sunday breakfast! “Now, we’re looking forward to attending the band’s Christmas Charity fundraiser at Wimborne Minster.”