Stress Awareness Month Guest Blog: Move and Feel Happy

As part of our Stress Awareness Month we are getting top stress tips from lots of different viewpoints. Today its Tracy Griffen, a professional personal trainer, on how exercise can lift your mood and help with stress…

“Exercise makes you feel happy. It’s proven and it’s true. It’s one of the easiest and cheapest ways to boost your mood. Have you ever been for a walk up a big hill and remember the feeling when you got to the top? Elation? Exhaustion? Satisfaction?
When you exercise, various feel good neurotransmitters are pinged around your brain. It’s a similar reaction to eating lots of chocolate – the endorphins, including serotonin and dopamine (the same stuff that’s in morphine) are the ‘pleasure principle’.

These feel good neurotransmitters are released after undertaking cardiovascular exercise, such as running. So why is exercise not more addictive? Some would argue it is, and I sure you will know someone who has been hooked on exercise. However the flip side of the coin is that you need to exert a certain amount of effort, and even go through a certain amount of pain, for these neurotransmitters to be released.

Whatever the reason for the release of these neurotransmitters, it has been shown that physically active people recover from mild depression more quickly. In fact I have found that if someone is feeling blue, getting them outside for a long brisk walk or jog really helps turn their mood around. I feel this is a combination of both the body’s reaction to exercise and also the change of scenery. In Edinburgh it’s easy to find some green space, even in the most built up areas, and just being outside and getting extra oxygen moving around the body creates a noticeable shift in mood.

Add to this, I find creativity is heightened by a good bout of cardio exercise. If I’m ever stuck on writing an article, I put it aside until I’ve been out for a bike ride. If you’d like to read an excellent book relating to exercise and creativity, try the best-selling Japanese author Haruki Murakami’s excellent memoir ‘Things That I Talk About When I Talk About Running’, where he links the concentration required for his work as a prolific novelist, and his daily hour long runs.

Whatever way you look at it, pulse-raising exercise in any form is something that your body benefits from on both a physical and emotional level. So if you’re waiting for inspiration, wait no more!”

Do you agree with Tracy? Can fitness help combat stress and anxiety?

Tracy Griffen is a Leith-based Personal Trainer, her Healthy Living Yearbook is available from PureSpa Ocean Terminal and Lothian Road. Follow Tracy on Twitter @tracygriffen or Facebook griffenfitness or visit http://www.griffenfitness.com/

Stress Awareness Month: What is Stress?

This month we are launching our Stress Awareness campaign. Clients have told us that they look forward to our spa & beauty treatments so they can relax and de-stress. It got us thinking. What is stress? How common is it? What causes it? And how can it be prevented & helped?

Keep your eyes peeled this month for top tips from industry professionals, our highly trained therapists and other PURE customers about what stress means to them and how they deal with it.

 

What is stress?

The NHS recognises stress as “the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional
pressure”. It is when this pressure becomes too overwhelming that the stress begins to occur. A bit of pressure for work deadline never hurt anyone but controlling the pressures in your life is key.

Stress can affect how you feel, how you think, how you behave and how your body works. Sleeping problems, sweating, loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating are all common signs of stress.

What causes stress?

Just like everyone has a different opinion or they have a different style, stress and what causes it depends on the individual. The most common causes include:

  • money problems
  • job worries
  • relationships
  • death of a loved one
  • family problems
  • exams

What do you think causes stress? We want to hear your thoughts…

You can join in the converstion on our Facebook page or on Twitter too.

Brands at PURE Spa in the Mags

PURE Head Office is full of magazines. We are very guilty of hording masses of mags to keep up to date with the latest beauty and skincare trends. But there is nothing better when flicking through the beauty pages than finding a fab review of our favourite brands and products available and used in treatments at PURE Spa. Heres the lowdown on the latest reviews of our much-loved products in the glossy mags this month:

Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak in Star Mag 20th August 2012

“After a long day training you can’t beat a bath in Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak” says Jessica Ennis, Olympic Gold Medalist. You can purchase the Elemis Body performance range from salons or on PURE Spa Shop and if its good enough for Jess its good enough for us!

REN Clear Calm Replenishing Night Serum in Glamour September 2012

“To calm redness, ClearCalm 3 Replenishing Night Serum will tackle spots overnight without stripping skin”. The staff at PURE Spa are firm believers in the magical powers of REN’s Clear Calm range. The products work wonders on blemish prone skin and are available in salon or on PURE Spa Shop.

Leighton Denny Maroon Me Not Nail Polish in Net a Porter in August 2012

 “Get a jump start on next season’s violet colour crush now and coat your nails with a slick of Leighton Denny’s ‘Maroon Me Not’ Lacquer”. Maroon Me Not is £11 and is part of the Limited Edition Summer Castaway Collection available at PURE Spa. This vibrant purple is the perfect hue to take you from summer getaways and lazy days into autumn.

Have you tried any of these products? Is there a products available at PURE Spa that you rave about? We want to know…

PURE in the Press: A Manicure at PURE Spa

At the beginning of the month the Scotsman came to review our new Leighton Denny nail polish range. A rave review was published…

By Gaby Soutar
Published on Sunday 5 August 2012 20:18

“What’s the point of a manicure? You sit for half an hour while someone makes a beautiful job of your nails, and when they’re done you dip your hand into your bag to get your wallet and scratch your still-soft polish with your keys.

Well, that’s what I always thought until I went to one of Edinburgh’s branches of Pure Spa (they also have a spa in the capital’s Ocean Terminal, as well as places in Glasgow and Aberdeen, see the website for full details) with a friend to try out their new range of Leighton Denny polishes. The key to a great mani, I’ve discovered, is to go with a pal and make an event of it. The ladies at Pure appreciate that getting your nails done is an indulgent treat and pamper you accordingly. Cup of freshly brewed tea and a delightful little cupcake? Don’t mind if I do.

As my buddy Ashley had opted for a deluxe pedicure, I had my hard-to-pin-down friend as a captive audience for 40 minutes while our therapist, Nadine, buffed and polished her scandalous city feet into sandal-worthy shape. That’s a lot of gossip time. While Ash’s toes were soaked in a softening solution (amusingly entitled Sole Pleasure) I was able to bring her up to speed with the ins and outs of my complicated love life (here’s hoping beauty therapists honour the same code as doctors, I’m sure they do). And after her feet were massaged with a fresh and minty exfoliant, Ash dispensed advice as our therapist dispensed with her cuticles. When Ashley’s toes were all soft and pretty, Nadine painted her nails with two coats of Leighton Denny’s Whatever polish, a flattering mauve shade, and a protecting glossy 
top coat.

Then it was Ashley’s turn to hold court while I put my hands into Nadine’s hands for my deluxe manicure. After my uncouth mitts were soaked, exfoliated, massaged and oiled, my nails were shaped into perfect “squovals” (that’s a square oval in case you were wondering) ready for painting. If you can’t decide on a polish colour (I never can) Pure are happy for you to mix and match from the range on offer. They will also allow you to devise “colour cocktails” by layering different lacquers. I opted for an incredible metallic blue called Ink Jet, plus showstealing Golden Girl for the nails of my ring fingers.

Did my manicure endure trial by keys? Not quite. Did we have the best girl date ever? I think we nailed it”

MERCY BREHENY

Pure Spa, 138 Lothian Road, Edinburgh (0131-221 9133, www.pure spauk.com)

Do you agree with the Scotsman? Have you tired the new Leighton Denny Colour Collection?

Tried and Tested: 10 Years of PURE Spa Package

Marie Claire, the Spa Manager of PURE Ocean Terminal tried and tested our new 10 years of PURE Spa Package

Therapist: Adele
Location: Ocean Terminal

“Many of my friends and family assume that because I manage a beauty salon and spa I spend most of my time getting my nails done or in a state of relaxation on a massage bed.  In reality however most of my time is spent either helping the girls out on the floor or neck deep in paper work.  You can imagine my delight then when I was asked to blog about this month’s special offer. Pure is 10 this month and as part of our celebrations we are offering our customers ½ price Beauty and Spa packages.

After finishing my shift on Monday I decided to test out the Spa package which consists of ½ hour infra-red sauna session, 25 minute booster massage, 25 minute booster facial and a hot stone treat.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the sauna; anything that burns 800 calories in a half hour sitting gets my vote!  I use the sauna frequently especially after visiting Pure Gym.  As well as setting you on the path of becoming Britain’s next top model the sauna helps to rid the body of its toxins and warms your muscles, which is great before any spa treatment.

Following the sauna I was taken to a one of the treatment rooms for the next part of the package where Adele my spa therapist performed a consultation on my needs. During the consultation a foot ritual is performed; I am always amazed at how quickly I am sent into a state of relaxation the moment the therapists soak my feet.

I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders so following a thorough consultation Adele performed a deep tissue massage focussing on my neck and shoulders.  After my massage I received an Elemis facial tailored to my skin type.  Adele used the pro-collagen range as unfortunately the first signs of aging have started to creep in!  Whilst the mask was on Adele performed hot stone treat on my feet and legs, by this point I was nearly asleep.  I always enjoy hot stones; I find it such an indulgent treatment and personally think it feels like the therapists have liquid heat coming out of their finger tips.

I came out feeling extremely relaxed, almost forgetting that I was still at work.  My skin felt amazing and the tension in my shoulders gone.  Even my husband commented on the radiance of my skin so the proof is in the pudding there ladies!  That night I slept like a baby, waking the following morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world…well maybe after a coffee and croissant.

I am confident that if I can have such a great experience in my workplace, with treatments performed by my staff that our customers are definitely in for a real treat”.

Buy the 10 Years of PURE Spa Package at PURE Spa Shop now or book in salon. A beauty package is also available as part of the 10 years of PURE special offers.