Best wishes for a very happy festive season and a wonderful 2009!

Have you ever tried a new form of therapy - be it acupuncture, osteopathy, reiki, massage etc and felt really good afterwards? Think back and then remember how long you felt different for. Was it an hour, a day, a week or maybe longer? Maybe if it was only a short while you discounted that particular therapy as "not working".

A good complementary therapist will no doubt have given you some aftercare advice. It may have been stretching, postural advice or de-stressing techniques. Did you take these on board and implement them. In many cases, for whatever reason, the answer if probably no.

The time spent on the therapists couch is only a small piece of the jigsaw puzzle. In any week you will spend one hour on the couch and another 6 days and 23 hours going about your everday life - doing things the way you've always done them.

As powerful as a therapy may be there is simply no way it can maintain magically transform you. Ultimately it is what you do once you are off the couch that really counts. It takes commitment, courage and dedication to make any sort of change.

So take the first step on your journey today and implement any aftercare advice your therapist gave you. You'll be amply rewarded.

Are you a very organized sort of person? Your christmas present list already distributed to friends and family. Making their lives easy and taking the guessing out of present buying?

Or are you leaving everyone in the dark - giving them no ideas at all and yet secretly hoping you won't get any of those horrid "gift sets" which adorn the aisles of Boots, M&S and big name supermarkets. You know the ones ...... which end up in the charity shop.

Well ....... thinking ahead......... are you planning to start 2009 fit and healthy? If that's the case then maybe popping a few healthy gift ideas on your list will help get you started in the New Year.

Here are some ideas to get you going:

• a pair of cross trainers, which you can use in the gym or for running

• a new workout outfit which you'll be dying to show off on Boxing Day
  

• some personal training sessions to overhaul your exercise regime and keep you motivated
  

• six month gym or leisure centre membership

• a massage [see how I slipped that in?]

• a subscription to an inspirational magazine such as Ultra-Fit or Runners World

• an I-Tunes voucher so you can download some new workout music

• an exercise DVD
  

I've valiantly attempted to try and ignore, or at least keep in perspective, the constant naysaying and doomsday scaremongering which is pretty much on constant media loop these days. However, I came across this excellent article in Massagetherapy.com and thought I'd share it with you.

"Consumers may be tempted to trim their wellness budgets when economic times are tough. Yet a recent national consumer survey showed most holistic therapy minded people are committed to maintaining the health benefits they experience with massage. It only makes sense. The better you feel, the better job you can do of caring for yourself and your loved ones.

Now, more than ever, massage should play a role in reducing stress and strengthening health. When people feel their best, they are more likely to be able to face the challenges difficult times present. With greater health and peace of mind, consumers can face difficulties with poise, clarity of purpose, and strengthened emotional reserves.

Truly, massage is more than a luxury--it's a vital part of self-care that has a positive ripple effect on us as we work, play, and care for others.

Invest In Yourself and Those You Love

If you think about it, massage is an excellent value. The price of massage has remained stable in recent years, as the cost of movies, meals out, and sports events has risen. Which of these has the power to improve your health and your outlook on life?

Massage makes sense because it:

* Reduces anxiety
* Reduces the flow of stress hormones
* Improves sleep
* Boosts the immune system
* Improves energy levels and reduces fatigue
* Improves concentration
* Increases circulation
* Improves self-esteem
* Reduces frequency of headaches
* Releases endorphins

The positive effects of regular massage can have benefits in many areas of your life.

Home
Massage therapy will also help families under stress create healthier households with clear-thinking and more relaxed moms and dads. Children are very sensitive and often pick up on tension in a household, parents who are taking care of themselves are more likely to be better caregivers and provide a sense of security to their kids. This goes for caregivers of aging parents and other family members.

Work
The health benefits of massage can help forestall illnesses and lost work time, especially when you may be asked to produce more with fewer resources. Decision-making skills will be better and your performance is likely to be improved with a clear focus and more energy. A hint for the boss: Research shows employees exhibit less stress and improved performance when given twice-weekly, 15-minute massages in the office!

Health Conditions
Those with already existing health conditions can continue to reap benefits in the following ways. And proactively caring for health through massage may help reduce costly doctor visits and use of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Research shows:

* Massage can reduce sports-related soreness and improve circulation--good to know when you may be exercising more to reduce stress.

* Deep-tissue massage is effective in treating back pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia patients receiving massage also have less pain, depression, anxiety, stiffness, fatigue, and sleep problems.

*Massage reduces symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

* Oncology patients show less pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety and depression following massage therapy.

* Stroke patients show less anxiety and lower blood pressure with massage therapy.

* Massage therapy is effective is reducing postsurgical pain.

* Alzheimer's patients exhibit reduced pacing, irritability and restlessness after neck and shoulder massage.

* Labor pain. Massage during labor appears to reduce stress and anxiety, relax muscles and help block pain. Some medical professionals believe massage also reduces tearing, shortens labor, reduces the need for medication and shortens hospital stays.

* Preterm babies receiving massage therapy gain more weight and have shorter hospital stays than infants not receiving massage.

* Massage is beneficial in reducing symptoms associated with arthritis, asthma burns, high blood pressure, and premenstrual syndrome."

EVERY BODY DESERVES A MASSAGE!

Do you ever page through fashion magazines, or even the Sunday paper supplements and look aghast at the cost of some body lotions?   Case in point being Creme de la Mer Body Lotion which is £100 for 200 ml.

In society today being able to survive on very little sleep is lauded.  After all, just think how much more can be achieved, how much more work can be done.  I had a colleague once who used to brag about waking up at 3 a.m to check his Blackberry for e-mails from our U.S head office!

These days it's not enough just to be able to run for the bus without getting out of breathe. True fitness means having endurance, flexibility and strength.  For example,  even if you can run a marathon, can you do a set of push ups, can you touch your toes? If not, then esentially you're only partially fit. 

This can be depressing and can make the fitness mountain seem just too hard and too high to climb. However, the benefits of overall fitness are fantastic. Imagine if the wheels of your car worked but your shock absorbers were shot.  It wouldn't be a comfy ride.  Cultivating overall fitness needn't be intimidating.  In fact, if you vary your regime it makes exercising more interesting and keeps you motivated.  Three activities a week such as running, weights and yoga will cover all bases and keep you looking and feeling fabulous.

Whether you work out regularly or are a stranger to exercise, it's good to know what your general fitness level is and identify the areas that need attention.

Start with these simple tests brought to you by The Guardian online.