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Archive for July, 2010

Forget the Stairmaster–Climb a Waterslide

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , , , , on July 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to take an entire day off work to visit Deep River Water Park in Indiana. Four of us traveled to this outdoor water park and we spent a good 5 hours climbing up the stairs to different water slides and then swooshing down on inner tubes into the cool refreshing water.

Tuesday the park was fairly crowded so the cardiovascular benefit of climbing up and down the stairs to the Storm Tube Ride over and over was reduced since we had to stand in line quite a bit. However, the act of climbing the stairs is a great way to work out some of the stress from sitting at a computer. And riding down an inner tube with friends (also known as having fun and laughing) is also great stress relief!

When the park is not as crowded (and it wasn’t when I visited last year towards the end of the season and shared my favorite water slide ride, the Double Dueling Cannon Bowl, with a handful of teens) you can get great cardio and stress relief by climbing the stairs, sliding down the ride and then climbing the stairs over and over until you are waterlogged!

One of the other nice benefits of visiting this particular water park is that they allow you to bring in your own coolers and lockers. So you can bring in healthy food and beverages. They do provide snack shops, but the food is not that healthy (nachos, dipping dot ice cream and hot dogs).

Deep River Water Park has a large wave pool which gives you a chance to swim against a man-made”current” and float among your fellow waterparkers. They boost two lazy rivers in which you can float along on one of their comfy inner tubes.

Deep River also has a few “splash zones’ for young children and the wave pool has a gentle wadding area for toddlers.

Avoid Injuries and Concussions

The only down side to our water park adventure was my last trip down the Double Dueling Cannon Bowl ride. I love this ride because you get to ride down two slides and spin around in a big twirling bowl AND you have to climb about 4 flights of stairs to reach the top. However, the slide can be dangerous, as I can now attest. On our last run down the slide, we ended up flipping our tube and I fell on my head before I slide down the last portion of the slide. I don’t recommend this as a way to build cardio fitness or manage your stress! After my fall, I took it easy and didn’t go on any more rides as I could have had (and likely did have) a minor concussion.

Based on my experience, I say, stay on the tube! And don’t try to force your way out of the bowl, let the ride spin you round naturally. Call for help if you do get stuck on a ride and the lifeguards can shut it down to assist you.

Water Park Safety Tips

• Wear sunscreen. Even if it’s waterproof, apply after every 2 hours in the outdoors. Water park water is heavily chlorinated!

• Don’t swim or slide if you feel nauseated or dizzy.

• Do not drink the water in the pools or water attractions.

• When riding on inner tubes, make sure you keep your hands and feet inside the tube.

• When sliding down a ride with inner tubes, make sure you stay on the tube!

• Obey lifeguards and posted signs.

• If you do injure yourself on  a ride and have an open cut or sore, seek medical attention and do not get into a pool or continue to ride.

• Drink plenty of clean water as the sun and activity can dehydrate you.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions  has more safety tips here.

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Find Hiking Trails Near You…By Zip Code!

Posted in Fitness, Nature and Stress, tagged , , , , on July 29, 2010| 2 Comments »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

 

Back in 2010, Backpacker Magazine had a feature that is fantastic for my clients and readers that are in a new town or traveling to a new locale. It was a trip search feature that lets you find hiking trails near you by zip code.

EDIT as of 5-25-17, this feature no longer works. Instead, Backpacker, com allows you to search for trips by state. It is only available for some states, however. Check the link here.

For trails in the Chicago area specifically, Backpacker now this this link available here.

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Healthy is Boring, But Pain Relief is Not

Posted in Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , , on July 29, 2010| 1 Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Massage for Pain and Stress Relief

Massage for Pain and Stress Relief

I’m really happy for Jennifer Love Hewitt. After being bashed in the tabloids for being a bit chubby, she has lost weight, got her body into great shape and graced the cover of People Magazine in a  swimsuit. She looks great and she worked hard to get back into shape! But now she uses her new curvy but fit body to star in a made for TV movie on Lifetime network that disparages massage therapists. Her film is called  “The Client List.”

In the movie, Love Hewitt plays a woman who turns to illicit activity to feed her family during the economic downturn. Love Hewitt’s character takes a job in a massage parlor that turns out to be… a front for prostitution. Despite claims that the movie is “based on a true story,” it is fiction.The movie, it turns out, is not a biography of the woman in Odessa, Texas that was arrested for prostitution which the movie is “loosely” based upon. The movie is a fictionalized account. (According to new reports, in real life, the woman arrested in Odessa did not have a current massage license, did not have a husband and used the money she made to pay for her cocaine habit, not for her family. )

Normally I wouldn’t protest Ms. Love Hewitt’s choice of movie role.  But right now, there seems to be a disturbing trend in the media, from The View to Lifetime to just about every media channel I turn to. The trend is to depict the entire profession of massage as prostitution.

Think about it, what if other professions were used by criminals to hide their real business dealings. What if prostitutes pretended to be interior designers or accountants and then professionals from these businesses had to prove that they were legit and not prostitutes. What if it became a trend for prostitution rings to set up shop as fake dentists offices? Would dentists then have to submit to fingerprinting and police background checks? Would Elizabeth Hasselbeck then joke on The View about being nervous when her husband goes into his office with a hot looking “interior decorator” to discuss “fabric swatches”?

Massage is Boring
The recent Zoning change in the city of Chicago shows just how damaging movies like The Client List can be for the massage therapy profession. Few Hollywood movies or TV shows depict the massage profession in a favorable nonsexual light.

It’s not that Hollywood has it in for us. It’s just that healthy is boring. Watching someone get a sports massage or deep tissue massage is about as entertaining as watching someone get a tooth filled. If Elizabeth Hasselbeck had stayed in the room with her husband while he was getting his massage, she would have likely fallen asleep due to boredom instead of sitting outside letting her  imagination run wild. (Previously this month, members of the View were disparaging the entire massage profession to make light of a complaint against Al Gore here.)

Watching people get muscle pain relieved is not a big ratings draw, it seems. It’s not life threatening as in an Emergency Room drama. And Massage Therapy lacks the excitement of a forensic lab. Or does it?

The Real Stories of Massage

Hollywood is really missing out on the real stories, the real drama behind legitimate massage therapy. Instead of waiting until someone dies and trying to find the cause of death like on many police drama, Licensed Massage Therapists try to find the source of your muscle pain while you are still living. It may not be as interesting to watch, but if you have ever had chronic low back pain or neck and shoulder pain, finding relief for that pain is pretty darn exciting!

Legitimate massage therapist also give clients a safe place to relax from the stress of every day life. In the massage room or even the massage chair, massage therapy clients get a little bit of time and space that’s all about them. It’s the one time they get to be the center of attention. Getting a massage is one place where you can talk about yourself, have someone attend to your aches and pains and literally get a break from stress and demands for your attention.

In some ways I do blame myself for Hollywood’s insistence on showing sensationalized sexual massage versus healthy but boring legitimate massage. I blame myself because, if I had followed a different dream and gotten my MFA in creative writing, I could have written a lot of great scripts about the world of massage!  But then my clients would still be in pain and I would not have had the benefit of helping many people over the past ten years to recover from muscle tension, pain and stress. Which is the real story about massage therapy!

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Have a Summer Adventure in Wisconsin at Wildman Ranch

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Nature and Stress, tagged , , , , , on July 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

When I talk to clients with children looking for a place to take them for a summer vacation and when I talk to young clients looking for a challenging way to spend a few days, I know there are a lot of options for travel this summer. Wisconsin may not stand out as a big destination, especially for those born or raised in the West Coast. But fear not, the Midwest is not all flat and boring.  Aside from Starved Rock and Devil’s Lake, Northern Wisconsin has a lot to offer the outdoor enthusiast.

This past Spring when I attended the Adventure Travel Expo, I stopped by the  booth of Wildman Ranch.  The representatives there were super friendly and a little…wild. They had a white water raft in their booth and one of the gentleman agreed to pose in their raft!

Wildman Ranch Booth at Adventure Travel Expo. Image by Sue Shekut

What can you do at Wilman Ranch?

Be a wild man or wild woman. Or even a wild family!

• Wildman Whitewater Ranch is an outdoor adventure resort and whitewater rafting center in the Midwest.

• The ranch offers whitewater rafting trips down the scenic Peshtigo and Menominee Rivers in Wisconsin near the Michigan border.

• Challenge yourself on their 60-ft tall High Ropes Course and adrenalin-pumping Giant Swing.

• Explore the Northwoods wilderness on an ATV Trail Tours and, in the winter, on a Snowmobile Tours.

• Scale the terrain of the Rock Dam Gorge with a supervised Rock Climbing and Rappelling adventures.

• Team up with your friends or family in an exciting afternoon of Wildman Paintball Pursuit.

If you are feeling mellow, try out the “Lazy River” Tubing, Lake Touring in a Sea Kayak, or a round of golf on the Wildman USGA Golf Course.

Wildman ranch also provides campsites and cabins nestled among towering hemlock trees along the river’s edge just beneath the famous Horse Race Rapid of the Peshtigo River, the longest stretch of whitewater on the entire river.

Rates for rafting run from $32 for an adult up to $54 depending on the rafting course you select. Children rates run less. Click here for rates on all Wildman activities.

Wild Man Ranch is located just north of Door County,  4.5 hours from Chicago.

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Fixes for Food Desert Neighborhoods and in Your Own Home

Posted in Health and Wellness, Nutrition, tagged , , , , , , on July 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Licensed Massage Therapist, ACSM Personal Trainer, Certified Wellness Coach, Owner, Working Well Massage

Grocery Store Aisle. Image at Wikipedia

For some time now, we’ve heard about “food deserts,” those areas of Chicago and other cities where there is little to no access to healthy food such as fruit and vegetables. In food deserts, access to food within walking distance of residents homes is often limited to convenience store sand gas stations. this means feeding a family requires a car ride or public transportation ride to a grocery store outside the neighborhood or a dinner of potato chips pop and candy. Public health officials and groups like Building a Healthier Chicago, are working on improving the options for “food desert” areas by helping plant community gardens, creating farmers markets and providing nutritional education. Now the home delivery grocery service, Peapod, provides a 2010 alternative for families needing healthy food in food deserts–Peapod brings the food to the neighborhood!  Read more about PeaPod new offerings in Chicago areas considered food deserts here.

A Food Desert in Your Own Home

But food deserts are not only found in low-income neighborhoods. You may have a food desert in your own home! How can this be? Well, if the majority if your food is frozen, sodium-laced dinners like TV dinners, if your shelves are stocked with many packaged products with high fructose corn sweeteners, high sodium, partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats) and if your refrigerator is full of corn sweetened soda pop and juices, you may be under nourishing yourself and your family.

When I was growing up, my mom was so proud that she could afford to feed her family the latest new convenience foods. As a mom and a nurse, she tried to give us what she thought was healthy food. In my childhood (lo so many years ago, but long after fire was invented), TV dinners were a hot new thang. Tang tasted odd, but the astronauts drank it, so it must be good. Canned vegetables meant we could eat veggies year round. (Versus in my mom’s day when she could only get veggies and fruit in season.) Hamburger Helper did help my working mom. Shake and Bake Chicken, Rice a Roni, all these were staples in our kitchen.  My mother and other working parents did the best they can to feed their children what they believed was healthy food.  At the time all theses products came out, my mother thought she as feeding us the very best there was to offer her family. Years later, after childhood and adult obesity has become a national health crisis, we learn that all that new and exciting packaged, astronaut-endorsed food was not so healthy for us. Yet old habits are hard to break. And high fat, high sodium, high sugary foods taste great and are addicting.

If the majority of food in your home is heavily processed and you have few or no fresh fruit or vegetables, you are living in your own food desert. Don’t despair though, help is one the way!

What can you do to change your home from a food desert to a food oasis?

• Reduce your purchase and family consumption of processed foods. Processed foods are usually found in the center aisle of the grocery store. When you read the label, even if the box says “NO trans Fats”, if you see “partially hydrogenated oil” or any kind of fat that is hydrogenated at all, that food has trans fats in it. The FDA allows manufacturers to label a food Trans fat-free if a single servicing size has less than .5 grams of trans fats in it. So, if a servicing size is half a cookie, then the whole cookie could have 1 gram of trans fat. The labeling and serving size restriction is easy to circumvent by food manufacturers. Savvy shoppers know to read the label and look for the words “partially hydrogenated” versus the big “Trans Fat Free” label, which often is meaningless as you can see by my illustration.

• Increase your purchase and consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. This is difficult for many people because they lack the skills to cook and prepare fresh veggies. Fruit is easier to serve and prepare. Most fruit can be eaten by itself. Apples, pears, peaches, bananas, even watermelon needs little to no preparation beyond washing to outer skin. But small children (and even many adults) used to sugary foods, may have a hard time switching to the real thing: Fresh fruit. Try fruit bowls with multiple types of fruit.  Get in the habit of feeding your children or yourself at least a piece of fruit a day or twice a day. pack a banana for lunch or apple or pair. Fill a ziplock baggie with a serving of dried fruit like raisins and almonds or pecans.

An easy and super healthy way to prepare vegetables is by steaming them. Use a small stainless steel veggie steamer (which you can get a Target or Kmart or Bed Bath and Beyond for about $5.00) to cook your veggies without leaching out a lot of the valuable nutrients. brocoli, asparagus, zucchini, even spinich quick quickly in a vegetable steamer. If you or your family can’t stomach veggies alone, put a small, very very small amount of butter (a sliver not a pat of butter) or olive oil on the veggies to season them. (Over time reduce the amount of  butter or oil you use as you become more accustomed to the taste of fresh steamed veggies).

• Eliminate soda pop from your diet and your family’s diet. I know this is a tough one for many people. But soda pop is simply sugary water. Highly sugary water at that. “Diet” sodas are not much better for you. The number one drink for hydration, health and great skin is, water. Not juice, not beer, not tonic water. Just plain water. If you or your family have a hard time drinking plain old water,  try adding a squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice for flavor.  If you must have some sweetener, stir in a bit of real sugar, not corn syrup-sweetened soda!

• Try serving a meatless meal from time to time (especially, if your dinner menu tends to be meat and potatoes). Meatless does NOT have to be tasteless. A dinner of rice and beans is high in protean and can be favored with a variety of spices to increase the taste. Falafel, a Middle Eastern staple, is a fried pattie made of spices and garbanzo beans. That may not SOUND appetizing, but try it out before you pass it up!

• Try baking snacks from scratch. Do it yourself, “Lara bars” are easy to make and super healthy. If you must have cookies or cakes, make them yourself at home instead of from a box or bought from a store. Sorry Sara Lee and Entenmann’s but there is no substitute for homemade. And by making goodies at home you teach your kids to cook, can control the ingredients, and can spend some quality time with your family. If you don’t have time to cook during the week, make it a regular family weekend event!

We want to hear from you!

Share your food desert transformation stories with us in the comment section!

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Find the Best Food, Restaurants and Chefs at the Tasting Table!

Posted in Health and Wellness, Nutrition, tagged , , , , on July 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Want to find out about Chicago area restaurants, the best food is, reviews, recipes  and more? Check out  the Tasting Table here. I can’t say that all of their recipes and recommendation are healthy, but reading about food options in your city can give you more options for healthy eating.

What is Tasting Table?

According to their website, it is a free daily email that brings the best of food and drink culture to adventurous eaters in major U.S. Cities. Each weekday, Tasting Table send their subscribers a delicious idea about dining, wine, cocktails, cooking or restaurant personalities. Tasting Table  feeds you only first-hand recommendations that they have tested thoroughly themselves—one bite at a time.

In their local editions in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington D.C., they’ll alert you to a must-try dish at a forgotten restaurant, a hot new bar, under-appreciated shops for cooks and neighborhood food stores.

The national edition, Tasting Table National,  keeps you up to date about the most interesting dining trends  and the best new wines, spirits and cocktails around the country. They’ll direct you to essential new websites, kitchen tools and ingredients. And if you like to travel Tasting Table will cover that, too, with weekly updates about where to eat on the road and how to plan your next food-driven vacation.

Twice a week, their other national edition, Tasting Table Chefs’ Recipes, serves up an exclusive recipe adapted and tested for you to cook at home. These recipes offer a behind-the-scenes bonus from the kitchens of America’s hottest new restaurants and a preview of recipes from the latest essential cookbooks.

Read this months offerings to find out what happened to Ukrainian Village eatery Dodo. Also read more about Joeys Shrimp House, Ruxbim and a slew of international restaurants.

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Golf For A Lifetime of Good Health

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , on July 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Today I have a guest post about golf from, you guessed it, an actual golfer. I am not a golfer, but many of my clients and friends golf. Today’s post is about the health benefits of the game. Read on…. Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Article By Brian Bujdos – Editorial Manager of accessrx.com

Image by Wikipedia

Golf is not only enjoyable for many people–it’s also intensely healthy. It provides sustained exercise for the body and focus to strengthen the mind, helps develop the muscles of the back and upper body, and—best of all—can still be played into your sixties, seventies, and even eighties in some cases.

Walking

The trick to getting the most out of golf for your health is to walk the links. The United States Golf Association argues that golf can offer major health benefits, but that these are greatly diminished with the use of a golf cart.

On the other hand, by walking all eighteen links, you will have the benefit of getting through several miles of good solid walking. However, since these miles are walked with leisure, and in between strokes, they will not feel like as much work. This makes golfing a very healthy addiction. By golfing every weekend—and walking the links—you can lose weight, improve your heart health, and develop an overall healthier stamina.

Burning Calories

Studies have shown that golfing burns calories. However, you will burn the most calories if you walk the links yourself, and even more if you carry your own bag rather than if you use a caddy. You could burn as many as 700 calories in a nine-hole course.  If you find walking every hole to be a bit strenuous, get a cart and take turns walking every other hole with your golfing partner. You’ll still get a great work out! Don’t forget to drink plenty of water so that you stay hydrated and your muscles don’t begin to cramp up and get strained.

Cardiovascular Workout

Both the energetic use of long distance strokes and the long walking distances will benefit your cardiovascular health. Also, the more calories you burn every week, the lower your chances of developing heart problems later on in life. In fact, it is said that burning around 2,500 calories each week can heavily reduce your risk of developing heart problems. By playing just one eighteen hole course and carrying your own bag every week, you can get more than half way to this goal.

Sunshine

Getting a workout outdoors is far more beneficial than working out in a gym, simply because this allows you to get access to the sunlight, and therefore your body’s own stores of vitamin D. And this means strong bones and healthy blood and skin. Of course, always wear proper protection against the sun, which usually entails an SPF of at least 30.

What better way to get in shape and stay healthy into your later years than by playing a sport that is so easy to love and enjoy?

Who is Brian Bujdos and Why Should We Listen to Him?

Brian Bujdos is a professional writer with 15 years of experience in newspaper and magazine journalism, public relations and marketing. He is a former award-winning sports reporter, has worked for professional sports teams and also served as a public relations professional in the tourism industry for five years. His latest duties include serving as the lead contributor and editor of medical-related content for numerous websites. Brian is a native of Pittsburgh, Penn., a graduate of Syracuse University and a resident of Scottsdale, Ariz. He is a former staff writer for the Albuquerque Tribune, Phoenix Suns, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He has written freelance golf articles and course reviews for numerous publications. He professes to be familiar with every player who has a PGA Tour card, yet his swing resembles none of them.

Brain works for the eDrugstore.MD writing team. They write and blogs hundreds of articles published online and in print, covering everything from sexual health to parenting to beauty, fashion, entertainment and more. eDrugstore.MD, provides safe medications online, prescribing medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.

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The Status of Massage Business Zoning in Chicago

Posted in Massage Therapy, tagged , , , , on July 19, 2010| 6 Comments »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

A week ago I posted about the massage business situation in Chicago regarding zoning. Unfortunately my information was out of date and inaccurate. So I apologize profusely for anyone that read my blog post and celebrated this incorrect info.

Here is what happened. I’ve been monitoring the city’s movement on the zoning issue since it was first proposed in the Zoning Committee.  The only news I had heard recently about the proposed change to zoning of massage businesses by the city of Chicago was on City Clout blog which said that on June 6, the Amendment to zoning for massage businesses passed.  I went digging through the City Council web page and could not find anything about the amending to zoning changing. The only document I could find was what turned out to be  minutes from changes made to the Massage Establishment Act in 2007. At that time, in 2007, Chicago City Council had done a really fantastic job of updating the massage establishment ordinance and made no changes to zoning.  I called the Zoning Department last week and the City Business Affairs division and was told no changes were made to zoning of massage businesses. I inaccurately reported that the changes to massage business zoning were not made. But, as I later found out from a representative from the AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association), changes WERE made–they city council had simply not yet communicated the changes  to the Zoning and Business Affairs division, nearly a month after the changes were voted in during City Council’s June 9th meeting.

Once I found out my post was in error,  I removed my post from my blog, made phone calls to alderman’s offices and dug deeper into the city’s website. I was able to find out that the proposed amendment to the city’s zoning code DID indeed PASS as it was originally proposed, meaning it restricts new massage businesses to C districts. Now any new massage business that wants to operate in the City of Chicago must locate their business in a C district. What is a C district? A business zone relegated to used car lots, warehouses and industrial corridors.  IF the new massage business applies for special use approval and receives approval, they may be able to locate in a B3 district. A B3 district is a district that allows for body piercing shops, taverns, liquor stores and “auto-oriented” commercial use. (Meaning you need to drive up to a  massage business in a more commercial neighborhood, not walk to the massage business in your neighborhood.)

The Downside of this Zoning Change

• Any new Massage Business that wants to open in Chicago is now relegated to areas with bars, used car lots, storage warehouse and industrial corridors. So, in effect the city council is saying, any new massage therapy business is considered a house of prostitution and, even if it’s not, it’s too hard to enforce existing regulations so we are just going to limit where these businesses can set up shop.

Sadly, this zoning change actually benefits prostitution much more than anyone else. Why? Because businesses that are actually houses of prostitution masquerading as massage businesses will do far better in these isolated districts than a legit massage business would do. At first glance, it almost seems as though the Chicago City Council wants to promote prostitution, doesn’t it?

However, after watching video footage of the City Council vote on the zoning amendment, I think what is happening is actually more about confusion and ignorance of the massage profession among some Council members. If you watch the ten-minute video I link to below, you will see Alderman Burke reciting a list of articles from 1975 about “nudie joints” and how “massage parlors” are nudie joints, and how police officers, in 1975, wanted to close them down. I know many of my fellow massage therapists will be angry about this characterization of massage businesses as “massage parlors” and “nudie joints.” I, however, found this approach entertaining. A lot has changed in the past 35 years! I am glad the Aldermen are trying to protect their constituents from topless “massage parlors” opening up in retail districts. But, the Massage Establishment Act is not about regulating strip clubs and nudie joints.  It’s about regulating legitimate massage businesses like Urban Oasis, Exhale, Chicago Touch and Working Well Massage’s chair massage stations.

I also saw the need for much greater education and outreach to the entire city of Chicago. Aldermen and their constituents in affluent downtown wards that have high end massage businesses like Urban Oasis, tend to be more knowledgeable about the differences between legit massage businesses and massage “parlors.”  But those in less affluent wards, with more residential neighborhoods than retail shop areas,  tend to have more problems with people opening non-legit “massage parlors.” Understandably, Aldermen in those wards tend to have less experience with legitimate massage businesses. It’s time to educate them and bring more legitimate massage businesses to their wards! This won’t happen overnight, but the wheels of change do turn, they  just turn more slowly than some of us might like.

Watch the video of the City Council vote and discussion here. (Click on “Unfinished Business” in the lower left-hand column and the video for the massage zoning will play, starting with Alderman Burke’s statements.)

The Massage Establishment ordinance does try to place limits on those operating non-legit “massage parlors,” but the penalty for doing so is really a slap on the wrist: if a business owner is convicted of operating an illicit business, not a legit massage business, then they must close their business and can’t open a new massage business in that location or anywhere for one year. But what my police officer contacts tell me is that, since illicit businesses raise a lot of money, illicit business owners can afford to close up shop, wait a few weeks, then open with another “owner” in another part of the city and start all over.  I say, how about making the penalties for being convicted of running an illicit (aka non-legit, aka house of prostitution) business a fine of $100,000. That may be a greater deterrent than a zoning change or a one-year moratorium on opening a massage business.

The upside (And there is ALWAYS an upside) of the Zoning Change

Existing massage businesses may continue to operate where ever they are now, in whatever district they are now, as long as they comply with city rules and the Massage Establishment Act. (According to Alderman Suarez, they are being “grandfathered in.”) So those of us with previous massage business licenses, hold on to them with all you got!  If you ever lose it, if you decide to close your massage business, or if you want to sell your business to someone else, your massage business cannot be located in the same location again unless it ‘s in a C district or B3 district. If a massage business is now located in a B1 or B2 district it will be grandfathered in. But if that business closes, etc. no one else will be able to open or take over that business in that location. So if Massage Envy, or Exhale, decided to move to a new location, the space they are now in may not be approved for a new massage business.

Although Chicago Massage Therapists have lost this battle for today, we haven’t lost the “war.” Watching the video of the City Council meeting, I can see that massage therapists have much more to do to educate our representatives and the public about what legitimate massage therapy really is and how we are different from nudie joints and massage parlors. I trust that our massage associations such as AMTA and ABMP are working diligently behind the scenes to change this ordinance and improve the legal situation for Chicago Massage therapists.

What You Can Do to Help

Once again, its  time to email and or call your Chicago Aldermen and women. Tell them you are opposed to this zoning change and that you want them to repeal the change. Tell them if you frequent a legitimate massage business and that you want new massage businesses to be located in safe retail areas, not near strip clubs, used car lots, and taverns.

Licensed Massage Therapists can help out by being active in local AMTA and ABMP chapters. Volunteer to take part in upcoming outreach and education events.

A Sample Email to Your Alderman

“As a client of a legitimate massage therapy business, I implore you to repeal the amendment to limit massage therapy establishments to only C Zoning Districts and B3 Districts.  I value the health care benefits of massage and do not want my legitimate massage therapist penalized for the actions of a few illegal massage parlor operators. I visit my massage therapist in a safe convenient location and I do not want to have to travel to an industrial corridor to get massage therapy. This amendment to the zoning for massage businesses will put a huge financial strain on legitimate massage therapy businesses if they are need to expand or relocate, would make it unnecessarily difficult for new massage therapists to open a business, and could increase the city’s unemployment by putting legitimate massage therapists out of work. Please repeal this amendment.”

Feel free to cut and paste our sample email or write your own!

City of Chicago Alderman Names and Emails by Ward

1st Ward Proco Joe Moreno ward01@cityofchicago.org
2nd Ward Robert Fioretti ward02@cityofchicago.org
3rd Ward Pat Dowell Pat.Dowell@cityofchicago.org
4th Ward Toni Preckwinkle tpreckwinkle@cityofchicago.org
5th Ward Leslie Hairston lhairston@cityofchicago.org
6th Ward Freddrenna Lyle flyle@cityofchicago.org
7th Ward Sandi Jackson Sandi.Jackson@cityofchicago.org
8th Ward Michelle Harris mharris@cityofchicago.org
9th Ward Anthony Beale abeale@cityofchicago.org
10th Ward John Pope jpope@cityofchicago.org
11th Ward James Balcer jbalcer@cityofchicago.org
12th Ward George Cardenas ward12@cityofchicago.org
13th Ward Frank Olivo folivo@cityofchicago.org
14th Ward Edward Burke eburke@cityofchicago.org
15th Ward Toni Faulkes Toni.Foulkes@cityofchicago.org
16th Ward JoAnn Thompson JoAnn.Thompson@cityofchicago.org
17th Ward Latasha Thomas lrthomas@cityofchicago.org
18th Ward Lona Lane ward18@cityofchicago.org
19th Ward Virginia Rugai vrugai@cityofchicago.org
20th Ward Willie Cochran Willie.Cochran@cityofchicago.org
21st Ward Howard Brookins ward21@cityofchicago.org
22nd Ward Ricardo Munoz rmunoz@cityofchicago.org
23rd Ward Michael Zalewski mzalewski@cityofchicago.org
24th Ward Sharon Dixon Sharon.Dixon@cityofchicago.org
25th Ward Daniel Solis dsolis@cityofchicago.org
26th Ward Roberto Maldonado Contact by Phone 773)395-0143
27th Ward Walter Burnett wburnett@cityofchicago.org
28th Ward Ed Smith ehsmith@cityofchicago.org
29th Ward Deborah Graham (no contact info)
30th Ward Ariel Reboyras ward30@cityofchicago.org
31st Ward Ray Suarez rsuarez@cityofchicago.org
32nd Ward Scott Waguespack ward32@cityofchicago.org
33rd Ward Richard Mell rmell@cityofchicago.org
34th Ward Carrie Austin caustin@cityofchicago.org
35th Ward Ray Colon ward35@cityofchicago.org
36th Ward John Rice Contact by Phone 773)622-3232
37th Ward Emma Mitts emitts@cityofchicago.org
38th Ward Thomas Allen tallen@cityofchicago.org
39th Ward Margaret Laurino mlaurino@cityofchicago.org
40th Ward Patrick O’Connor poconnor@cityofchicago.org
41st Ward Brian Doherty bdoherty@cityofchicago.org
42nd Ward Brendan Reilly Brendan.Reilly@cityofchicago.org
43rd Ward Vi Daley vdaley@cityofchicago.org
44th Ward Thomas Tunney ttunney@cityofchicago.org
45th Ward Patrick Levar plevar@cityofchicago.org
46th Ward Helen Shiller hshiller@cityofchicago.org
47th Ward Eugene Schulter ward47@cityofchicago.org
48th Ward Mary Ann Smith msmith@cityofchicago.org
49th Ward Joe Moore ward49@cityofchicago.org
50th Ward Bernard Stone bstone@cityofchicago.org

Chicago Aldermen ‘s Votes on Zoning Change for Massage Businesses

One of the reasons it has been so difficult to find information about the zoning change is that it is buried in a part of the City Council web page that few people would think to look at. The link tot eh roll call page showing votes on this issue is here. I reproduce it here for you.

1st Ward: Proco Joe Moreno-Yes to restrict massage businesses to C and B3 Districts
2nd Ward: Robert Fioretti-Yes
3rd Ward: Pat Dowell -Did not vote on this matter
4th Ward: Toni Preckwinkle- Did not vote on this matter
5th Ward: Leslie Hairston-Voted No-Thank you, Alderwoman Hairston!
6th Ward: Freddrenna Lyle-Yes
7th Ward: Sandy Jackson-Did not vote on this matter
8th Ward: Michelle Harris-Yes
9th Ward: Anthony Beale-Did not vote on this matter
10th Ward: John A. Pope-Did not vote on this matter
11th Ward: James A. Balcer-Yes
12th Ward: George A. Cárdenas-Yes
13th Ward: Frank J. Olivo-Did not vote on this matter
14th Ward: Edward M. Burke-Yes
15th Ward: Toni Foulkes-Did not vote on this matter
16th Ward: Joann Thompson-Did not vote on this matter
17th Ward: Latasha R. Thomas-Did not vote on this matter
18th Ward: Lona Lane-Yes
19th Ward: Virginia A. Rugai-Yes
20th Ward: Willie Cochran-Did not vote on this matter
21st Ward: Howard Brookins Jr.-Did not vote on this matter
22nd Ward: Ricardo Muñoz-yes
23rd Ward: Michael R. Zalewski-Yes
24th Ward: Sharon Denise Dixon-Yes
25th Ward: Daniel S. Solis-Yes
26th Ward: Roberto Maldonado-Yes
27th Ward: Walter Burnett, Jr.-Yes
28th Ward: Ed H. Smith-Yes
29th Ward: Deborah Graham-Yes
30th Ward: Ariel E. Reboyras-Yes
31st Ward: Ray Suarez-Yes
32nd Ward: Scott Waguespack-No -Thank you, Alderman Waguespack!!!
33rd Ward: Richard F. Mell-Yes
34th Ward: Carrie M. Austin-Yes
35th Ward: Rey Colón-Yes
36th Ward: John A. Rice-Yes
37th Ward: Emma Mitts-Yes
38th Ward: Thomas R. Allen-Yes
39th Ward: Margaret Laurino-Yes
40th Ward: Patrick J. O’Connor-No-Thank you, Alderman O’Connor!
41st Ward: Brian G. Doherty-No-Thank you, Alderman Doherty!
42nd Ward: Brendan Reilly-No-Thank you, Alderman Reilly!
43rd Ward: Vi Daley-No-Thank you, Alderwoman Daley!
44th Ward: Thomas Tunney-N0-Thank you, Alderman Tunney!
45th Ward: Patrick J. Levar-Yes
46th Ward: Helen Shiller-No-Thank you, Alderwoman Shiller!
47th Ward: Eugene C. Schulter-Yes
48th Ward: Mary Ann Smith-Yes
49th Ward: Joe Moore-Absent
50th Ward: Bernard L. Stone-Yes

Chicago City Zoning Language Defining B and C districts

B1, Neighborhood Shopping district is intended to accommodate a broad range of small-scale retail and service uses. The purpose of the B2, Neighborhood Mixed-Use district is the same as the B1 district, but with the added objective of providing a greater range of development options for those streets where the market demand for retail and service uses is relatively low. By allowing ground-floor residential uses by-right, the B2 district is intended to help stimulate development along under-developed streets. The primary purpose of the B3, Community Shopping district is to accommodate a very broad range of retail and service uses, often in the physical form of shopping centers or larger buildings than found in the B1 and B2 districts. In addition to accommodating development with a different physical form than found in B1 and B2 districts, the B3 district is also intended to accommodate some types of uses that are not allowed in B1 and B2 districts.

The primary purpose of the C1, Neighborhood Commercial district is to accommodate a very broad range of small-scale, business, service and commercial uses.  C1 zoning is distinguished from B1 zoning by the range of use types allowed: C1 permits more intensive, more auto-oriented commercial use types than does B1. The C1 district also allows taverns and liquor stores by-right.

For the full, City of Chicago zoning ordinance click here.

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Rate Your Yoga Teachers and Studios, Chicago!

Posted in Yoga, tagged , , , , on July 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

First came Ratemyprofessor for students to rate college professors.. Then there was Yelp for consumers to rate just about everything. Now there are  a number of websites offering reviews on all kinds of things. One of the latest review websites to catch my eye is the new Rate my yoga.

On this new website, you can rate your yoga teacher, rate your yoga studio or look up a variety of products offered such as yoga videos and props.

Listings for studios and teachers that want to promote themselves are on the site are FREE. (Don’t you love Free in this day and age.) And the cost to write a review: your time and effort only.

So, if you are looking for a yoga studio, or are a yoga teacher or studio owner that wants to get yourself listed, check out Rate my yoga.

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Runners, Save Your Joints!

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , , on July 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Knee Joint Xray. Image from rbatina's photostream on Flickr

Summer is here and many of my clients are preparing for the Half Marathon September 12, 2010 and the Chicago Marathon, October 10, 2010. Training is a good time to think about proper joint care. Recent research indicates that running can help maintain the health of your joints by providing your body with proper blood flow, oxygen and stimulation of healthy bone and connective tissue. However, over the years, many runners sustain injuries that can lead to arthritis. And if a runner has poor form or a gait imbalance (runs on a pronated foot, for example) this can also lead to uneven wear and tear on joints.

Tips for Runners to Help Avoid Excessive Joint Wear

• Limit your running to soft surfaces like grass, cinder and sand. Running on concrete and asphalt is a great way to wear down your joints. The pounding can help accelerate the degenerative process. It always amazes me that Marathons are run on concrete and asphalt.  Sure running is great cardiovascular workout and many people love to run. But running pounds your joints much like the ocean wears away rock by pounding over and over as waves hit the shoreline.

• Cross train. Fitness experts don’t tell you to cross train simply to sell new Balance Cross Trainers. Cross training gives your body the chance to work muscles differently and wear your body in different areas. For example, if you run and swim, running pounds on your hip, ankle and knee joints (and yes it can also tighten your low back). But running does little for your upper body. Swimming, on the other hand, allows you to get great cardio, work your upper body and core muscles differently and take some of the strain off your joints. BY alternating between the two, you get better recovery from one exercise and less wear on your joints A the same time, if you swim all the time, you may be more prone to rotator cuff and shoulder injuries. So alternating between the two (and throwing in some bicycling) can help extend the life of your joints.

* Wear proper footwear! Wear Proper Footwear! I am going to say it one more time: Wear Proper footwear. If your shoes are old or they give you blisters or your knees hurt after you run in a new pair of shoes, go get fitted for a better pair of new shoes. You should not have to “break in” a pair of shoes. They should fit properly and be comfortable from day 1.

• Do NOT run when you are injured. If you feel a sharp pain in your knee, ankle, hip or muscle when you run, stop and rest.  And get it checked out by your doctor to avoid further injury or complications.

See Running Times Magazine for joint care tips for runners here.

Check out the book “The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook”, here for tips on self-treatment of trigger points that cause pain in joints.

MSN has a great article here on running and your joints.

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