On the market today, there are endless products and methods that promise to help you lose weight, build muscle or look and feel better with very little or next to no work. The issue is, feeling good isn’t a quick fix. It does take some work. It requires a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, self care, self love and so much more.
Essential oils offer natural qualities that can be used as part of a healthy routine supporting the body inside and outside.
They have a variety of uses and benefits that make them useful for fitness. As we learn more about each oil and their characteristics we learn to identify which oils will benefit us most and support a healthy lifestyle.
Essential oils have unique chemical properties which is what makes them so versatile. The Chemical properties found in essential oils are what give it the certain smell and specific benefits. With so many different oils to choose from with each containing different properties you can tailor your oil to fit your preferences.
Essential oils can provide warming, or cooling components. Although these oils do not actually change the temperature of your body they are referred to as “warming and cooling” because their properties interact with nerve receptors to provide a warming or cooling sensation. Essential oils with these properties can be very useful to athletes before, during and after workouts as they can help to soothe different areas of the body.
Warming essential oils can be useful for:
- warm ups
- keeping the muscles and limbs loose
- resting and recovery periods
- massage.
Some examples of warming essential oils are:
- Black Pepper
- Cassia
- Cinnamon Bark
- Clove
- Frankincense
- Wintergreen.
Cooling essential oils can be useful for:
- cool down or post work-out
- providing the body with a cooling sensation
- soothing the body after strenuous exercise
- massage.
Some examples of cooling essential oils are:
- Basil
- Cardamom
- Peppermint.