Supporting your life balance is our aim! We look at the whole person; within the business we have three elements:

The First element – Fitness walking, from wellbeing walks for those who have suffered an injury and who want to get back to a suitable standard of fitness, to our Nordic Adventure and fitness walks, in the stunning Bedfordshire countryside.

The Second element – Sports massage, also incorporating various techniques from myofascial release, sports taping, traditional Chinese massage (Tui Na) as well as using Chinese cupping modality and Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation (IASTM), exercise prescription, assisted stretching and stretching instruction.

The Third element – We teach Shibashi Tai Chi Qigong, bringing balance to people’s hectic lives, there are many benefits of doing Tai Chi Qigong. The set is designed to improve the flow and balance of Qi (energy) in the body, leading to an improvement in the general health and well-being of the practitioner.

It’s really all about balance, all 3 elements focus on the following: your posture and your physical and mental wellbeing.

What are the benefits of Nordic Walking?

• It’s enjoyable – and anyone can be good at it!
• Helps with weight loss
• Tones your muscles and helps keep your bones strong
• Protects your hip and knee joints
• Strengthens your heart and lungs and benefits those with asthma
• Boosts your circulation
• Improves your lymph drainage
• It’s outdoors and can help with your overall Mental wellbeing

 What are the benefits of Massage?

•  Optimise performance.
•  Increase muscle tone
•  Encourage a good range of movement (ROM) in your joints
•  Removes toxins
•  Allows the therapist to assess for injury or tissue damage
•  Relieves muscle cramp or spasms
•  Increase blood flow to tissue

•  As we get older massage maintains optimum body condition
•  Maintains optimal movement patterns
•  It decreases muscle tension
•  It allows our aching muscles to relax
•  It releases muscle and fascia restrictions

What are the benefits of doing Tai Chi Qigong?

• Improves health and increases energy, agility and flexibility
• Loosens and strengthens joints and muscles
• Control’s weight
• Rejuvenates body, mind and spirit
• Reduces stress and increases relaxation
• Improves concentration and intuitive abilities
• Helps control emotions
• Easy to learn and follow

Hi, I am Mike Neary, the owner of Under The Thumb Sports Massage & Fitness Walking and Tai Chi Qigong.

We know that massage improves people’s lives, being able to realign tissue improves posture and daily function. I have been involved in sporting activity all my life, from athletics to playing rugby, basketball, triathlon, martial arts, to finishing my competitive sporting activity road cycling. The love of sport was my main drive and the reason I chose to qualify as a sports massage therapist. I have a major interest in how people move and maintain function. I love teaching Tai Chi Qigong, showing people how this relaxing style of exercise can really help them balance themselves, working with your own body’s energy is great physically, mentally, and spiritually. I teach the movement and handling of people as well as inanimate objects for the NHS. I am also a fitness walking instructor and have an advanced diploma in wellbeing, fitness, and Nordic Walking. I have recently completed the Heads Up on Exercise for Parkinson’s and the Walx Training for Rehab Professionals. Our focus at UTT is the whole person, from the physical aspect of exercise as In Nordic Walking, to the spiritual element of Tai Chi Qigong, the maintenance of the body with sports massage we try to cater for the body as whole. www.uttsportsmassage.co.uk