Could you be at Risk for Sciatica? And Other Things Your Backside is Telling You

More often than not, our body is smarter than we realize. Rather than acting up for no reason, its pains and aches, even muscle movements, are trying to tell us something. Early warning signs that something is not as it should be. At yet we ignore them time and time again. 

Rather than assuming you slept wrong, or have a wonky pain that’s a one-time thing, consider listening to your body the next time it lets you know something isn’t quite right. 

One of the most telling areas is actually located in the rear – yes really! As it hosts weight (while sitting) or helps even it out and stay upright (while standing), its pains are associated with muscles or other nearby areas of the body. Regular or intense pains can be a cause for concern and should be checked out by a doctor. They can indicate sciatica, a pinched nerve, bad bed or chair support, poor circulation, improper alignment, and more.

Which is why it’s so important to listen to your rear. Pain simply means it’s trying to communicate, and it’s your job to help figure out what that is. That also means symptoms can be caught early on, eliminating the chance at developing more problematic. 

If you’re unsure as to whether your main might be a fluke, it’s a good idea to start keeping track. Keep a notebook or electronic list of dates and times that pains occur. List intensities, as well as how long they last. If a pattern begins to develop, or you have pains more often than you realized, it’s likely time to schedule an appointment. 

Professional insight can also allow you to get a better handle on back or rear communication. Consider scheduling an appointment once you have a better handle on symptoms and schedule.

Continue Reading

Improve Mattress Comfort with the Memory Foam Topper

Ready to sleep like a dream? Without spending a fortune? No matter your reasoning for wanting to upgrade, there is an easy, affordable solution: a mattress topper. It’s an addition that can adhere to all types of beds, all sizes, and comes in a variety of preferences. For instance, if you want a softer bed but your spouse likes sleeping firm, get a topper for half of the bed. Or find an in-between topper for the entire model that can help compromise on both sides of the spectrum. 

Mattress covers can also add incredible amounts of comfort and support. Even if your bed is perfectly new and respectable, this extra layer can bring bone and muscle alignment throughout the entire night. It will also help lengthen the lifespan of your mattress, reducing wear and tear and how weight settles. 

Why Try the Cloud Memory Foam Mattress Topper?

This product not only comes with a Comfort Guarantee, meaning it can be returned for a full 90 days after purchase, but is specifically for a better sleep experience. It’s three layers of complete memory-having, comfort-giving foams. All to allow you as much cushion as possible, in a design that won’t break down over time.  

Layer one – Soft Touch Memory Foam. Made of plush, space-age memory foam, this is perhaps our favorite part of all. It molds to your body’s exact shape and size, creating a cradled sleeping surface. 

Layer two – Yellow Support Insert. You guessed it, this layer adds support where you need it most: the waist, lower back, and hips.

Layer three – Firm Blue Base. Another layer for support, this final section ensures the topper won’t lose integrity or sink with weight. Its firm material holds everything together and makes it last.

Ready to start sleeping on your very own Cloud Mattress Topper? Click to order or learn more today. Adjustable for all bed sizes!

Continue Reading

6 Reasons you Should Sleep for your Skin

Though we often take it for granted, skin is actually the largest organ of the body. It keeps us intact, holds out allergens and other stressors, and helps hold everyone together, literally. And that’s only the beginning of what skin has to offer.

Aside from nutrients and plenty of moisture, however, one of the most important things our skin needs is sleep. By getting the proper amount of rest – something we need to function anyway, the skin, too, can greatly improve upon its health. Including aspects such as:

6. Improving the Immune System

Did you know a large function of the immune system runs through the skin? A lack of rest doesn’t allow the epidermis to perform those same duties with efficiency. 

5. Beauty Rest

It’s not just a myth. Getting better sleep helps you look better, allowing the skin an extra ability to glow and reflect more attractive sections of light. 

4. Slowing the Aging Process

Deep and regular bouts of sleep allows the body to look and feel younger. In contrast, a bad night’s rest can increase that process, something no one wants to encourage. 

3. Jump Starting the Metabolism

Regular sleep can also improve one’s ability to burn calories in a resting state. Staying awake, however, can do the opposite and actually slow down the metabolism.

2. Getting Rid of Skin Conditions

Whether you suffer from blemishes, eczema, or some other skin irritability, sleep can help make it better. This works to let the body to cure itself with rest, rather than stressing while awake, only irritating the situation even further.

1. Rejuvenating During Sleep

Yes really. Skin, just like the rest of the body, needs the opportunity to catch up on down time and relaxation. Through regular and recommended sleep, it can help toward all of the above, and more. Just from getting your daily night’s sleep.

Continue Reading

Want Better Foot Health? Let Your Shoes do the Work

The body is a complicated piece of machinery. When one area is acting up or in pain, it’s often felt in an additional body part – whether or not it’s close to the trigger. Which also means, when one area is improved by way of comfort and or workability, additional sections also feel that vast adjustment. And they react for the better. 

One of the easiest ways to cash in on these “I help you, you help me” bodily situations is through the feet. By offering better support and stabilization, you can create a situation in which the feet are healthier … and helping outside areas become healthy as well. Such as the back, legs, hips, and more. 

It works by first ensuring that your walking surface is steady and firm, allowing your weight to be evenly displaced. When out of whack, continued walking (or running or standing) will cause even further problems on up. But when steady and in place, that same momentum is repeated.

Shoes that Support

Get started by adjusting your shoes. Buy a pair that is made to fit your foot shape, especially around the arch. Inserts can also do wonders for comfort as well as logistics. You should also make sure the type of shoe you’re wearing is best slated for your feet. For instance, flip-flops require the toes to grip and the heels to “flop.” High heels push all the weight forward, and flats rarely offer cushion. 

If you’re not wearing tennis shoes, consider brands that specialize in foot cradling. Or, talk to your doctor, even a shoe expert, about what styles are best meant for your foot shape. 

There’s plenty to be gained from wearing the “right” type of shoe. Plan your next shopping trip to start cashing in on better foot health. 

Continue Reading

What Hiding in Your Air?

There’s plenty of information circling about air purifiers and how they should be used. And while plenty opt to invest in these devices – whether from allergies, family health, or an additional concern – that doesn’t mean the average person knows what they’re purifying the air from. What exactly is in our breathing space that we’re trying so hard to get rid of?

For the most part, it depends on one’s location. Different areas of the country will have different molds, fungus, plant debris, and more. There can also be dust, leftovers from construction, or anything else that might have been released into the air. It’s important to know what’s in your area, as well as what your family might be most susceptible to. This can be done by talking to local experts, checking the weather (including air quality and pollen and/or mold counts, etc.), as well as checking new for upcoming construction nearby. 

Germs are another culprit to be on the lookout for. If one member of the family is sick, or even if they come in contact with someone who is, those germs can be passed through the air. However, generally these germs are transferred direct before they can be caught by any air purification devices. 

The Perks on an Air Purifier

In contrast, using a purifier can help eliminate allergens, irritants, and more. It can help you breathe clearer and deeper, while getting rid of nighttime symptoms. Or, at the very least, reducing side effects. Over time, this can work to improve your health. 

Changing the filter regularly can also allow you to see exactly what’s been cleaned from the air. And it might surprise you. However, those who can see the actual evidence are more likely to stick to their air purifiers and understand the benefits they can provide.

Start sleeping better and breathing easy with the addition of an air purifier today. 

Continue Reading

Sit in Style with the Kabooti

For those who sit all day, you know just how terrible it can be. Hours upon end on the rear, likely perched upon a surface that’s lacking in the way of support. Or even if it’s not, over time, your chair will begin to sink and sag with your own weight. It’s just a necessary evil from working behind a desk. 

Thankfully, however, there’s something you can do about it. With the help of a specialized cushion, such as the Kabooti, you can help reduce pains that are associated with long-term sitting. As well as increasing comfort in the process. 

How it Works

Because the Kabooti Cushion has a coccyx cutout, it allows the tailbone to essentially “sink” and settle in its own weightlessness. While reducing pressure, but still offering plenty of support with the surrounding areas of the rear. That way the meatiest parts are held into place, which keeps the back aligned and in better posture. 

When associated with long-term sitting, this means better back and muscle health, better back alignment, and reduced pain from continued weight and how it previously settled into the chair. It can also help you sit up straight on your own, making you more alert to continue the workday. Not to mention stronger abdominal muscles and body memory to sit correctly without even thinking about it.

The Logistics

• Three sections in one: a donut ring, coccyx cushion, seat wedge
• Unique lobes improve seating balance and comfort
• Provides comfort for hemorrhoids, surgeries, or other rear pain
• One continual foam piece to increase function and longevity
• Tapered front end to reduce pressure points and better fit under tables or desks

And because the Kabooti is made of specialized foam, it won’t wear or break down. It was made to support for hours on end, and has the material integrity to do so. Best of all – it’s incredibly comfortable! 

Head to our product page to learn more or start shopping today.

Continue Reading

Are you Suffering From “Text Neck”?

Whether or not you’ve heard this new-fangled term, it’s likely you know exactly what “text neck” is referring to. The uncomfortable, bent, and ready for anything our phones may send us position that we always seem to find ourselves in. Where the head is hunched over, our shoulders hiked up, and the back bent and in no sort of routine. And after a while, it starts to hurt. We might not even know it at the time, but this continued position will create incredible amounts of stress within the shoulders and neck.

So why do we keep doing it? Chances are, you don’t even know you’re texting this way. The habit just creeps up on you, until it simply feels natural to communicate in such a position. 

You Likely Have Text Neck if: 

• You have tight or painful shoulders
• Cricks in the neck
• Your neck or shoulders “pop” regularly
• You regularly sit in a hunched position
• You fail to sit up straight
• You send multiple texts per day

The good news, however, is that you can train your body to stop texting this way. Just like you trained it to start hunching (even if you didn’t know it). By remembering to stay aware of how you’re sitting or standing, you can reverse the unhealthy behavior. You should also be aware of how your shoulders are sitting, the position of your neck, and how close the phone is to your face. And if you really need it that close to your face, move the phone instead. It’s that easy.

Over time, this behavior will become muscle memory, and the body will eliminate its next neck behavior without even thinking about it. Start incorporating these small changes today for an easy, yet effective way, to eliminate texting-based side effects once and for all. 

Continue Reading

5 Surprising Moves to Reduce Back Tension

A stiff back is a condition that can affect anyone. At any time. Whether or not they regularly suffer from pains or muscle twinges. A “wrong” sleeping position, excess exercise, or even a rogue spasm can cause the body to act up unexpectedly. When these pains take place, however, it’s important to know how to naturally reduce their effects. While medicines certainly take care of pain, they fail to work on the issue at hand.

The next time your back acts up, consider one of these surprisingly easy moves to help reduce tension in a natural and effective manner. 

5. Leg Swings

Stand up straight and swing one leg at a time to work and loosen the lower back muscles. This can be done back and forth or side-to-side. Hold onto a chair or counter for additional support. Swing each leg approximately 8-10 times, then switch as many times as desired to ensure equal muscle movement throughout the lower back.

This is an exercise that will become easier over time, especially as your muscles develop and you become more flexible. 

4. Tuck and Stretch

For this move, lay on the ground and tuck your legs into your chest as closely as possible. (This too will become easier as you get more flexible.) Here you can experiment with what feels best. Roll side to side, or up and down to increase blood flow in the upper and middle back. 

This is also a good way to essentially give yourself a massage, reducing tension in strained nerves. Hold until you feel your back begin to relax and distress (generally about 45 seconds).

3. Child’s Pose

So this one might not be so surprising, but child’s pose is a great way to remove weight from the back. Lean and hold as necessary, especially when cooling down or if the back needs a break in the middle of a workout session.

2. Hula Hooping

You don’t even need the hoop! By twisting the hips in this familiar motion, you can work the hip flexors as well as the lower back. (Bonus: it’s a great workout for the abs.)

Whether or not you choose to invest in the actual equipment, remember this move for some easy back relief. 

1. Toe Touches

Seriously. Bending at the waist and reaching for your toes can bring incredible relief to the back. All of it. This is one more move that will allow you to get more flexible as you go. Allow yourself to hang for maximum relief, then push further to the ground to obtain a deep stretch. 

Continue Reading

What Sleepers Have to Say About the Mattress Genie

Sleeping in comfort has always been the way to go. But just because you’re heading to bed doesn’t mean you’re ready to sleep. Sometimes you schedule a little reading or TV watching. Or are ready to check out that latest magazine before catching some Zs. With the help of the Mattress Genie Motorized Bed Wedge, however, those activities are no longer an issue. 

Sit up straight and read until your heart’s content. Without losing any comfort in the process. This mattress accessory is also great for sleeping with a cold, helping to reduce acid reflux symptoms and more. But don’t just take our word for it. See what real-life users have to say about the product. 

“The Genie exceeded our expectations. It works great with our 14-inch mattress on our queen size bed. My wife recently had heart surgery and needs to change bed positions often to be comfortable. The Genie works great.” March 2015

“This is a great product to raise the head of the bed.” February 2015

“I slept in a recliner for two years because I have sleep apnea and was afraid to sleep in my bed. I have now slept in my bed using the genie and have had three solid nights of sleep, waking up at a decent hour with my cats tucked around me. I couldn't be happier. I have a product that has saved me thousands of dollars over an adjustable bed and taken away my fear of having a sleep apnea attack. After all, if a Genie can lift a garage door, why can't it lift a mattress!” December 2014

“Because of knee and back problems, I've had to sleep in a recliner for years. Now I'm back in bed because of the Mattress Genie! Works great! Thank you so much!” November 2014

“Se were on the verge of getting a hospital bed when we discovered Mattress Genie. We have been using Mattress Genie for 6 years and wouldn't trade it for anything. Mattress Genie gives us total control and comfort and the Contour Living Products staff provide excellent customer service. Who could ask for more!” July 2014

Continue Reading

5 Things you Didn’t Know About Stretching

Stretching is often seen as a basic human need. Before exercise it helps loosen up the body, while after allows muscles to tighten and ease back into a resting state. But did you know there’s more too it than just prep and cool down work? Stretching can actually create better muscle health. And when done correctly, and on a regular basis, it’s a routine that can create flexibility and comfort, even after a serious workout. 

5. “Static” Stretching Helps Make You Flexible

However, it should be done after a workout, not before. Static stretching means poses that you hold vs. easing or moving back and forth. It’s also a great way to ensure muscles won’t be sore the next day. Remember to use this method at the end of your workout to obtain the best results.

4. Traction Decreases Joint Pressure

Rather than stretching with your own body parts (limbs or range of motion), using a prop will get you a deeper reaction. It’ll also reduce pressure on the joints. This can be done with a stretching band, leaning up against a machine or even a wall. It’s a simple way to create a more thorough stretch with equipment that’s already in your vicinity. 

3. Stretching Will Improve Posture

Do you generally slouch and slump? Whether sitting or standing, stretching helps strengthen your core. Which will then allow you to have better posture without even thinking about it. Abdominal workouts can also create killer abs that will sit upright on their own accord.

2. You Can Control What Part of the Muscle You Stretch

Seriously. Like, to a minuscule degree. This is a great way to further your exercise routine … without actually working out harder. Talk to a trainer or muscle pro about areas you should be targeting in order to get the best results. 

1. You Should Stretch Sore Muscles … And the Ones Surrounding Them

We’ve been stretching where it hurts for years, but have you been stretching where it almost hurts? It’s a simple fix to help heal faster, and strengthen for each of your next workouts. 

Continue Reading