Walk this way…..for the month of May

“Walk to Work Week” (14-18 May) and “Get Walking Day” (26/27) are great campaigns to encourage active lifestyles and wellbeing.  Walking is one of the easiest ways to increase your fitness regime and improve your health measurably.  Best results can be achieved by applying the following techniques:

Check your posture. Make sure your neck and spine are straight and your shoulders are back and down

·         Be aware of pulling your stomach in and lifting your pelvis

·         Make sure your heel hits the ground first then roll through to your toes

·         Take short steps as it’s easier on the joints and aids better workout

·         Swinging your arms helps you to propel along

Keep up the regime with a mobile personal trainer to help you achieve your fitness goal.

Stop Nail Biting London

Statistics indicate that 44% of teenagers, 20-30% of young adults and 5-7% older adults regularly bite their nails. Often linked to anxiety, nervousness, hunger or boredom and viewed as an OCD, the chronic and recurring habit of biting nails can look unsightly and unappealing.

Professionally applied acrylic nails and gel nails are fast and effective solutions to stop nail biting, whether you’re a long-term nail biter and/or suffer with damaged nails as a result of nail biting.  Acrylic –v- Gel! Acrylic nails are applied using a liquid and powder formula to create a hard protective layer over natural nails which harden when exposed to the air providing the perfect canvas for nail colour.  Gel nails provide the strength of acrylic nails but with the appearance of natural nails and only hardens when exposed to UV light.  However, both types of nails bond to the natural nail.

Regular maintenance is a must for acrylic and gel nails to help desist from nail-biting, assist natural growth and to keep nails looking healthy and strong.  ‘Gel Polish Three Week Manicure’ is the hero beauty service nail addicts love.  Lasting up to 3 weeks, this treatment guarantees super glossy nails that are instantly dry and chip resistant. Stop nail biting now and start nail loving with the three week manicure.

Chelsea Flower Show

London will be blooming on 22-26 May with the beautiful floral displays at the London Chelsea Flower Show.  The spring colour spectrum paints a vivid picture which influences our mood as well as our fashion and beauty wardrobe.  So why not spring into full bloom with an uplifting mobile massage using our natural therapies partner Neal’s Yard Remedies essential oils Geranium (balancing), Rosemary (energizing). Be inspired with a style/colour consultation from a London mobile personal stylist and learn how to colour-up your make-up bag and wardrobe, carry off different colours, shapes and textures confidently and welcome the new you!

Steeped in mysticism and ancient tradition, reflexology massage has soothed and revitalised tired toes for centuries. Although this treatment stems from such primitive times, reflexology has recently enjoyed a resurgence among people looking to introduce this ancient art into their own relaxation routine.

So can reflexology actually benefit modern-day Londoners with our fast-paced hectic lifestyle and busy schedules?

The main characteristic of non-intrusive reflexology massage therapy is the act of precise pressure applied to specific points – 'reflexes' – on the feet (and sometimes even hands and ears). It is thought that certain areas on the feet directly correspond with areas of the body, and that by manipulating these, the body's state can be altered.

Reflexology, according to one of our most experienced reflexologists at Return to Glory, Aluna Dewji: "…works by stimulating, un-blocking and balancing these points to help the body to heal itself.  Reflexology has been known to help with many conditions such as back tension, migraine, insomnia, PMT, hormone imbalances, and digestive and respiratory problems."

Reflexology specialists are sensitive to your particular health issues and will work to tailor a session that treats your symptoms and balances your overall health.

There's been a bit of scepticism in recent decades over whether reflexology actually has any real physical health benefits for long-term health problems.

But, as the treatment becomes more popular and more widely-studied there are more claims of effectiveness coming to light. A recent PhD thesis from the University of Portsmouth has revealed that manually applied reflexology can increase both pain threshold and pain tolerance in healthy volunteer subjects (Samuel, Carol (2011)  An investigation into the efficacy of reflexology on acute pain in healthy human subjects. PhD thesis, University of Portsmouth.)

While there have been reports of significant symptom relief and increased pain tolerance as a direct result of reflexology massage therapy, we believe this treatment works best for serious health complaints when paired with support and advice from a medical practitioner – as a complementary therapy.

Return to Glory clients have reported that reflexology massage – especially when combined to include other types of massage therapy – is really useful in alleviating body aches and pains and encourages a feeling of wellbeing and relaxation not achieved with any other therapy.