MELT Training in Portland

MELT Method creator Sue Hitzmann is coming to Portland for a two-day training on August 27 & 28.

Learn about the neurofascial system – the integration of the nervous system and the connective tissue – and how it’s constantly trying to bring the body into balance. Discover how this system works – and why it often doesn’t work well, particularly as we age. Learn what you can do to keep it functioning efficiently. Then find out how the MELT Hand and Foot Treatment taps into this system to improve whole-body connection, communication, and alignment.

Even if you have no interest in becoming a MELT instructor, you can immediately apply what you learn to whatever you currently practice to give your clients and students greater body ease, reduced pain, and results that are more dramatic and more long lasting. Plus, you’ll be taking an important step to extend your own professional longevity.

This course is ideal continuing education for personal trainers, group exercise instructors, yoga and Pilates instructors, hands-on bodyworkers, chiropractors and physical therapists, and anyone interested in helping people live better longer. (CEUs available for ACE, NASM, and AFAA.)

The cost of the training is $395 ($295 if you register by July 27). If you have any questions, contact me at sara@meltmethod.com or 503-915-4734. To register, go to https://www.meltmethod.com/store/08272011-nshb-pdx

If you’re interested in the practical application of this science in a group fitness setting, I hope you’ll join me at one of my MELT classes at Northwest Women’s Fitness Club – Tuesdays at 11 am, Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, and Saturdays at 3:30 pm. I also teach at Urban Pilates (check online schedule for details).

I’ll also be doing a series of 90-minute MELT Intro Classes at Studio Nia over the next few months. (The schedule of classes is posted at meltmethod.com and meltpdx.com)

Hope to see you soon!

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ACE, AFAA, CEU, continuing education, fascia, group exercise, Hitzmann, melt, myofascial, NASM, neurofascial, nia, oregon, pain, personal training, portland, training

May 23, 2011

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Happy New Year!

Not into resolutions? Already given up on the lofty goals you set before January 1? Here’s the number one small change you can make that will help make 2011 your healthiest year ever.

Make water the first thing you drink every morning.

If you like it cold, drink it cold. If you like it room temperature, great. Hot with lemon? Sure. But make it the first thing – before coffee, tea, juice, whatever you like to drink in the morning.

If your diet could use some extra fiber, you might want to try adding a soluble fiber supplement to that morning glass of water. (I’m a fan of Heather’s Tummy Fiber. It’s flavorless, dissolves easily, and doesn’t thicken up.)

You don’t need to focus on drinking an exact amount of water every day. Just make it the first thing you drink every morning. And then have some more water in an hour or two, and some more after that. Go for small amounts throughout the day rather than downing a liter at a time.

To get the best results from MELT, drink before you MELT and then again after. MELT is about getting hydration back into the connective tissue, and the first step is making sure there’s enough hydration in the body. (Drinking water isn’t enough. If the tissues are chronically dehydrated, the water will pass right through without going where it’s needed.)

If your past is cluttered with abandoned resolutions to lose weight, try this one instead. Your body will work better and feel better, and maybe that will make you more likely to go to that class you like at the gym and pass up the snacks when you’re not really hungry.

Have a happy, healthy new year!

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melt, new year's resolutions, water

January 3, 2011

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Quick MELT hand treatment

Here’s a quick and easy treatment to make your hands feel great. You can do it right at your desk, and best of all, it takes just minutes. You’ll need the small firm MELT ball and the big soft MELT ball. (You may want to take off any jewelry.)

First, decompress your knuckles. Take the small firm ball and wedge it between two of your fingers, right against the webbing, as shown. Gently squeeze two or three times, taking a nice easy breath.

Repeat between each finger of both hands, including between your thumb ad index finger. If you like, you can hold the small ball with the opposite hand and give a little rub to the area between the thumb and index finger.

Next, we’re going to get the fluids moving through the hands. Place your left hand flat on the table and use the right hand to gently rub the soft ball from wrist to fingertip of the left hand. Get on top of each finger and between each finger.

Notice how the ball is moving from fingertip to wrist on that top hand. To make your wrists feel even better, try to move the ball from your hand through your wrist toward your lower arm.

Repeat on the other hand, lying the right hand on the table and moving the ball with your left hand.

These quick steps are designed to decompress your knuckles and restore hydration to the tissues in your hands and wrists. Feel the mobility of your joints – your hands should now have more movement and more strength and feel less fatigued.

The MELT Hand and Foot Treatment Kit includes six MELT Treatment balls (two of each size) and one bunion band, a 60-minute instructional DVD, and an illustrated step-by-step guide in a clear travel case. You can order one at shop.meltpdx.com (makes a great gift for anyone with hands or feet!)

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arthritis, balls, carpal tunnel, carpal tunnel syndrome, hand, knuckle, melt, MELT kit, pain, self-treatment, wrist

November 7, 2010

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MELT classes in the Portland, Oregon, area

Here’s a quick look at the schedule of classes in the Portland area. This schedule should be good until the end of December. Got a location or time you wish there were a MELT class? Send an email to info@meltpdx.com

Wednesday
MELT Class (co-ed) – 5:30pm. Urban Pilates, 1737 NE Alberta St., Portland. Drop in, $15. 503-505-9203

Wednesday
MELT Class for Women Only – 7:30pm.  Northwest Women’s Fitness Club, 2714 NE Broadway, Portland. Drop-in day rate, $15. 503-287-0655

Thursday
MELT Class (co-ed) – 6:30pm.  Northwest Personal Training, 1011 Broadway St., Vancouver, WA. Drop-in, $15 plus tax. 360-574-7292

Friday
MELT Class (co-ed) – 8:30am.  Urban Pilates, 1737 NE Alberta St., Portland. Drop in, $15. 503-505-9203

Saturday
MELT Class for Women Only – 3:30 pm. Northwest Women’s Fitness Club, 2714 NE Broadway, Portland. Drop-in day rate, $15. 503-287-0655

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class, fitness, foam roller, gym, health club, massage, melt, myofascial, pdx, pilates, portland, self-treatment, workout

November 2, 2010

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Choosing a foam roller

The MELT Method uses foam rollers to simulate the touch of a hands-on bodyworker. The rollers we use in class may be softer than those you’re used to. I can’t count the number of people who’ve told me after class: “I have a foam roller at home. My [friend, physical therapist, chiropractor, personal trainer, you name it] said I should get it. I don’t use it. It’s hard.”

There may be a good use for hard foam rollers. (Oversize pool noodle?) But for MELT, we want a softer touch – for several reasons.

MELT is a connective-tissue rehydration technique that’s based on scientific knowledge and hands-on discoveries of how the connective tissue responds to pressure. We want to stimulate this tissue to draw in more hydration – not irritate it and create more inflammation.

We also want to send a whole-body message of calm to the nervous system. When the nervous system is more relaxed, it can do its job better and the body can allow the changes of MELT to occur. The body is designed to heal, but it can’t do that when it’s under stress.

A softer roller enables you to apply more or less pressure on an area. Although some new students (men especially) assume a firmer roller is going to be “better,” I have actually found that I can work deeper with a soft roller, as the body allows the compression to occur slowly without the resistance of tension and pain.

Front line length on the blue foam roller

The blue foam roller provides a more firm compression than the pink roller. Try it for all the MELT hydration exercises or just for those areas that can take a more firm touch, such as the upper back. The blue roller provides a firm base for MELT Length techniques and for MELT core exercises.

The soft pink foam roller provides a more gentle compression than the firm roller. Use it for all the MELT hydration exercises or just for those areas that are particularly tender, such as the inside or front of the thighs. (You’ll be glad you did.)

The pink roller is recommended for first-time MELTers and those who need a more gentle touch. If you are over a certain age, particularly thin or heavy, injured, pregnant, or dealing with chronic pain or bone issues such as osteoporosis, the pink roller is for you.

Single leg lift with soft pink foam roller

The squishier surface of the pink foam roller creates a more gentle approach to some MELT exercises while it offers increased challenge for the MELT core work. (Less stable = more challenge to your stability!)

The soft roller is built to be durable, but don’t leave it lying against a sunny glass window. It will literally start to melt (and not in a good way). Ask me how I know this, but if you leave a bunch of them in your car wrapped in a yoga strap, you will see an indentation from the strap if the car gets hot.

Which to choose? Well, I like both of them for different reasons. Find a MELT class near you and try both of them to find out which works best for your body.

If you have a roller at home, you can use it every day to improve the way your body looks and feels. (If you’re in the Portland area and you’d like to purchase one, go here.) In just minutes, you’ll feel the difference MELT can create.

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core, foam rollers, hips, knee, lower back, lumbar, melt, pain, self-treatment, shoulders, stability, upper back

October 1, 2010

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For Runners Only!

This 90-minute workshop will focus on the specific needs of runners. Learn how you can run longer, recover more quickly, and avoid injuries, so you can enjoy running without pain.

This workshop will go far beyond stretching and familiar “myofascial release” techniques to address the cause of chronic tightness, pain, and recurring injuries: dehydrated connective tissue.

Join Sara Bethell, Portland’s only Advanced MELT Instructor, for a 90-minute class created just for you. We’ll use soft foam rollers and MELT Hand and Foot Treatment Balls to rehydrate the connective tissue throughout your body and make your muscles happy!

The MELT Method® is an innovative science-based self-treatment program that’s being taught in some of the country’s most prestigious health and fitness centers.

This workshop is limited to 8 people. Reserve your spot today at meltpdx.com!

Saturday, September 18, from 1:30 to 3 pm
$25 – to register click here

Concordia Movement Center

NE 33rd Avenue & Killingsworth (across from New Seasons)

Portland, OR 97211

For more information, sara@meltpdx.com or 503-915-4734.

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exercise, fasciitis, foam roller, foot, marathon, melt, pain, portland, portland marathon, run, runners, running

August 22, 2010

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Two-Hour Intro Workshop for Whole Body Ahhh!

This should be amazing – two hours to take care of your hands, feet, and everything in between. Learn simple self-care techniques using soft foam rollers and MELT Hand and Foot Treatment Balls (all equipment provided for class). Relieve aches and pains brought on by aging and active living. Reduce inflammation, ease chronic neck and low back strain, improve alignment, and learn how to keep your whole body working efficiently. For more information, sara@meltpdx.com or 503-915-4734.

Registration is strongly recommended: $20. The first 10 to register will receive a MELT gift!

Register and pay now through Paypal

Sunday, July 18
12 – 2 p.m.

Studio Nia

918 SW Yamhill St, 4th Floor

Portland, OR 97205

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ankle, elbow, foam rollers, foot, hand, hips, knee, lower back, lumbar, melt, self-treatment, shoulders, upper back, wrist

July 13, 2010

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Treat Yourself!

Two workshops will break down MELT’s unique self-treatments for the upper body and lower body. Learn how to take care of yourself to prevent and heal common injuries – and make your whole body work better.

Saturday, July 10: Learn simple self-treatment techniques for the shoulders, neck, upper back, arms, and hands using small MELT balls and soft foam rollers.

Saturday, July 24: Learn how to care for the lower back, hips, legs, knees, ankles, and feet. Soft foam rollers and MELT Hand and Foot Treatment Balls will be available for all participants.

Register now for both sessions for the price of $25 – a third off the regular price!

For more information, sara@meltpdx.com or 503-915-4734.

Concordia Movement Center

5425 NE 33rd Avenue

Portland, OR 97211

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ankle, back pain, elbow, elbow pain, foam rollers, foot, hand, hips, knee, low back pain, lower back, lumbar, melt, myofascial, self-treatment, shoulder pain, shoulders, upper back, wrist, wrist pain

July 5, 2010

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MELT Hand & Foot Treatment Intro Class

This simple self-treatment melts away pain and tension in your hands, feet, neck, and low back brought on by everyday stress and overuse. The MELT Hand and Foot Treatment makes your whole body feel better and provides relief from neck and low back pain, arthritis, bunions, plantar fasciitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Join MELT Instructor Sara Bethell for an introduction to the MELT Hand & Foot Treatment. Learn how the connective tissue in your hands and feet gets dehydrated, the common aches and pains it can cause, and how to rehydrate this essential system in our bodies for vibrant health and pain-free movement.

When: Sunday, May 30, 12 – 1 pm
Where: Studio Nia, 918 SW Yamhill, 4th floor
Cost: $15

Register now and receive $5 off the MELT Hand and Foot Treatment Kit, available for purchase at the event (cash or check only).

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arthritis, bunion, carpal tunnel, event, foot, foot treatment, hand, hand treatment, melt, pain

May 4, 2010

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Fight the Fuzz!

I challenge you to watch this video and not start moving around and stretching. This video from Gil Hedley, Ph.D., is a great answer to my students who were asking what fascia looks like! Gil explains how this fuzz layer forms and how injuries and a sedentary lifestyle create more and thicker fuzz, leading to a spiral of decreasing movement – and more fuzz! You’re not getting older, you’re getting fuzzier!

Gil prescribes regular movement and stretching for daily fuzz maintenance, as well as manual therapy for when just stretching isn’t enough. MELT Method creator Sue Hitzmann has done dissections with Gil (the woman is fascinated by the body and how it works!) so this is all part of the background of the MELT Method. MELT translates manual therapy techniques into a self-care program you can use to take care of your body to make it work better and feel better. MELT the fuzz!

(I got to see the Bodies exhibit with Sue and Gil a couple of years ago. What a cool experience!)

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fascia, fuzz, Hedley, Hitzmann, hydration, movement, myofascial, science, self-care

April 16, 2010

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