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Total BodyWorks LLC

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Sac City, IA
Total BodyWorks LLC

Total BodyWorks LLC provides massage therapy, personal training, and health coaching Online/Virtual training or Health Coaching option is available!

Owner: Justina Higgins, LMT, CPT, & CHC

Total BodyWorks LLC is located at 1015 W High St in Sac City, IA (in the Sac Community Center)

TBW offers massage therapy, personal training, fitness classes, & health coaching. Call or text 712-887-0126 to schedule an appointment time! Gift Certificates are available! A great gift idea for any holiday, birthday, etc. As of January, 2015, there will be a one year limit on all gift certificates. Prices:
Full Body Massage: $45 (30 min) / $80 (60 min) / $115 (90 min)
TBW also offers lymphatic drainage, cupping therapy, deep tissue, hot stone therapy, aromatherapy, raindrop therapy and spa packages for an additional $5-$15 extra.

10/13/2026

Why Do You Feel Tired After a Massage?

"Why am I so tired after my massage?"

It's a question I hear pretty often.

And while everyone's response to massage is different, feeling relaxed or sleepy afterward isn't unusual.

During a massage, you're intentionally stepping away from the constant stimulation of everyday life. You're lying still, breathing, slowing down, and giving your body an opportunity to relax.

For some people, that can leave them feeling:
😴 Sleepy
🌿 Calm
💤 Ready for a nap
🧘‍♀️ Mentally quieter
💧 A little sluggish or "mellow"

Sometimes you don't realize how much tension you've been carrying until you finally stop carrying it.
Think about how you feel after being "on" all day and finally getting to sit down. Your body may essentially say, Okay... we're safe to slow down now.

Massage can also be physically demanding for the tissues being worked on, especially when areas have been tense or you're receiving deeper pressure.

That doesn't mean you should feel exhausted after every massage, though. And more pressure isn't automatically better.
Your response can depend on the type of massage, pressure used, how you're feeling going into the session, hydration, sleep, stress levels, and plenty of other individual factors.

So if your post-massage plan is to go home, drink some water, eat something nourishing, and curl up on the couch... I'm not going to argue with that. 😌
Sometimes your body doesn't need more productivity.
Sometimes it needs a little space to come down from being "on." 💛

**And as always, if you experience unusual, severe, or persistent symptoms after a massage, that's something to discuss with your healthcare provider.**

10/06/2026

🥑 What I Mean When I Say “Eat More Whole Foods”

When I tell my clients to eat more whole foods, I’m not telling them they need to eat perfectly, eliminate processed foods, or spend three hours meal-prepping every Sunday.

I mean let the foods that provide the most nutritional value make up more of your everyday diet.

Think:
🥦 Vegetables
🍓 Fruits
🥔 Potatoes and other minimally processed carbohydrates
🌾 Whole grains
🥩 Meat, poultry & fish
🥚 Eggs
🫘 Beans & legumes
🥑 Avocados
🥜 Nuts & seeds

These foods provide things like protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and carbohydrates that fuel your body.

But here's the important part:
Whole foods don't have to mean “all foods must be whole foods.”

There is absolutely room for:
🍞 Bread
🥣 Cereal
🍝 Pasta
🥫 Convenient foods
🍫 Treats
🍕 Pizza
🍿 Snacks

Food doesn't have to be labeled “clean” or “bad.”

Instead of asking, “Is this food healthy or unhealthy?” I encourage my clients to ask:
“What can I add to this meal to make it more nourishing?”

Maybe it's adding berries to your breakfast.
Adding vegetables to your dinner.
Adding protein to your snack.
Choosing a baked potato instead of always reaching for highly processed sides.
Or simply keeping a few easy whole-food staples on hand so healthy choices are convenient when life gets busy.

This is what sustainable nutrition looks like to me:
More nourishment. Less restriction.

We're not trying to eat perfectly.

We're building eating habits that support strength, energy, recovery, and long-term health while still allowing food to be enjoyable and realistic.

Because healthy eating should be something you can actually live with. 🌿💪🥗

10/01/2026

🌿 The Peaks & Valleys of Healthy Living

I think sometimes we get the idea that if we're serious about our health and fitness, we should be able to stay consistent all the time.

Perfect workouts.
Perfect nutrition.
Perfect sleep.
Perfect routines.

But real life doesn't work that way.
Health has peaks and valleys.
And I've been reminded of that quite a bit lately.

I'm currently pregnant, I've taken a couple of vacations, and I'm also navigating an incredibly painful season of grief after losing my nephew.

My training doesn't look exactly like it did before.

My routines aren't always consistent.

Some days I have the energy to move and train. Other days, my body or my heart needs something completely different.

And I'm learning to be okay with that.

There are seasons where we build.
There are seasons where we push.
There are seasons where we maintain.

And there are seasons where simply taking care of ourselves and getting through the day is enough.

That doesn't mean you've lost your progress.
It doesn't mean you have to start over.
It doesn't mean you've failed.

It means you're living a life.

And sometimes healthy living means adapting to what's happening around you instead of trying to force your body and mind into the routine you had six months ago.

Right now, I'm focusing on what supports me in this season:
🤰 Moving my body in ways that feel appropriate
💪 Maintaining strength where I can
🥗 Nourishing myself without chasing perfection
😴 Prioritizing rest and recovery
🌿 Giving myself space to grieve
❤️ Allowing my body and heart to have their own timeline

Eventually, the valley changes.
Energy returns.
Routines evolve.
Strength rebuilds.
New seasons begin.

And when you're ready, you start climbing again.

You don't have to be at your peak all the time to be making progress.

Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is meet yourself exactly where you are and give yourself permission to be there.

That's still health.
That's still progress.
And that's still worth celebrating. ❤️🌿

09/06/2026

Hi TBW family.
I will be out of the studio this week. I will still be slow to respond to any messages.
Thanks for all your understanding and kind words in regards to the loss of my nephew.
Hold those you love tight. 💙

09/03/2026

Due to a death in the family, I will be out of the studio today. I'll be slower to reply to messages. Thank you all for your understanding.

08/31/2026

What If the Goal Isn't to Change Your Body, But to Build a Body You Can Rely On?

We live in a world that constantly tells us our bodies need to be smaller, leaner, younger, or somehow better.

But what if we changed the question?

Instead of asking:
“How can I change my body?”

What if we asked:
“How can I build a body I can rely on?”

A body that can...
🏋️‍♀️ Lift your kids
🛒 Carry the groceries
🥾 Hike with your family
🧳 Handle travel and busy days
💪 Build and maintain strength as you age
🧘‍♀️ Move with confidence and less fear
😴 Recover from the demands of everyday life
🌿 Support you through different seasons of life

That's a very different goal.

And it's one I believe in deeply as a coach.

Strength training isn't just about how your muscles look. It's about what your body allows you to do.

Nutrition isn't about earning food or shrinking yourself. It's about fueling your body so it can perform, recover, and thrive.

Recovery isn't something you earn after working hard enough. It's part of building a body that can continue showing up for you.

And progress isn't always visible in the mirror.

Sometimes progress is realizing:
“I can do things today that I couldn't do a year ago.”

That's the kind of health I want to help my clients build.

Not a body that simply looks strong.

A body that is strong, capable, resilient, and supported for the long haul. 🌿💪

Let's focus less on changing your body and more on building one you can count on.

08/24/2026

🎒🌿 Your Busiest Season Is When Your Health Matters Most

School is starting again, which means the calendar is filling up fast.

School drop-offs.
Homework.
Sports and activities.
Work.
Appointments.
Meals.
Laundry.
All the things. 😅

And when life gets busy, one of the first things we tend to push aside is ourselves.

But here's the thing:
Your busiest seasons are often when your health matters most.

You don't need to suddenly find an extra hour every day or follow a perfect routine.

Instead, look for ways to make your healthy habits fit into the season you're actually in.
💪 Short workouts count. A 20-minute strength session is better than waiting for the "perfect" time.
🥗 Keep easy staple meals on hand. Your anchor meals can save you when everyone is hungry and you're running out the door.
💧 Keep your water bottle nearby. Make hydration part of the routine rather than something you remember at the end of the day.
😴 Protect your sleep. You can't pour from an empty cup.
🌿 Schedule recovery. Stretching, walking, massage, or simply taking a few quiet minutes can make a difference.
📅 Plan for the week you're actually going to have. If you know Tuesday is packed with activities, don't build a plan that requires a two-hour workout and a complicated dinner.

And most importantly...
Don't use a busy season as a reason to completely abandon your health.

This might not be the season for making huge changes.

Maybe it's a maintenance season.
Maybe it's a season of small wins.
Maybe it's simply about keeping the foundation you've already built.
That's still progress.

As the kids head back to school and routines change, remember to put yourself on the schedule, too. ❤️

Because taking care of yourself isn't one more thing you have to accomplish.

It's what helps you keep showing up for everything else. 🌿💪

08/23/2026

I will be out of the studio this week!
I will be back next week.
Enjoy your week! 💙🤲🏼

08/18/2026

🌿 Things I Notice as a Massage Therapist That You Might Not Notice Yourself

One of the things I love about massage therapy is that sometimes your body tells a story before you even realize what it's saying.

Over the years, I've learned to pay attention to the little things that can be easy to overlook.

For example:
👀 One shoulder sitting higher than the other
You may not notice it, but your body can develop patterns from posture, work, exercise, stress, or daily habits.
💆‍♀️ Tension you're completely used to
Sometimes I’ll find tightness in an area and hear, “Oh, I didn't even realize that was tight.”
When something has been there long enough, it can start to feel normal.
🦷 Jaw tension
Clenching and grinding can be connected to stress and can contribute to tension through the jaw, neck, and shoulders.
🪑 What your daily habits are doing to your body
Hours at a desk, driving, working on your feet, carrying kids, repetitive movements, or even the way you sleep can all contribute to patterns of tension.
🌿 How your body responds to stress
Sometimes the body holds onto stress through muscle guarding, shallow breathing, elevated shoulders, or an inability to fully relax.

And sometimes the area that hurts isn't necessarily the only area that needs attention.

That's why I don't believe massage should simply be about finding a sore spot and pushing on it.

It's about listening to the body, looking at the bigger picture, and understanding the patterns that may be contributing to how you're feeling.

Your body is constantly communicating with you.

Sometimes it just takes someone trained to help you notice what it's been saying. 💛

When was the last time you really checked in with your body?

08/10/2026

💪 Your Workout Should Match Your Life

One thing I believe strongly as a coach:
Your training should fit your life. Your life shouldn't have to revolve around your training.

There will be seasons when you have more time, more energy, and more capacity to push yourself.

And there will be seasons when your body, schedule, stress levels, sleep, or life circumstances require you to adjust.

That doesn't mean you're failing.

It means you're listening.

As a coach, I look at more than just someone's fitness goals when creating a program. I consider:
✔️ Your current fitness level
✔️ Your schedule
✔️ Your available equipment
✔️ Your energy and recovery
✔️ Your stress and sleep
✔️ Injuries or limitations
✔️ The season of life you're currently in

And sometimes, that season of life means pregnancy. ❤️
As I'm navigating pregnancy myself, I'm experiencing firsthand what it means to adjust training to meet my body where it is.
I'm still moving and strength training, but my workouts don't necessarily look the same as they did before pregnancy.
I'm paying closer attention to energy, recovery, how movements feel, and what my body needs on any given day. Some days I may be able to do more, and other days the smartest choice is to modify, slow down, or simply give my body more recovery.
And that's okay.

Training isn't all or nothing.

Your program should have room for real life.

Pregnancy. Parenthood. Busy work seasons. Stressful weeks. Travel. Poor sleep. Recovery. Life changes.

The goal isn't to force your body through every season exactly the same way.

The goal is to continue supporting your health through each season in a way that makes sense for you.

That's how I coach.

Not perfection.

Not punishment.

Not one-size-fits-all programs.

Intentional training that meets you where you are and helps you build strength for where you're going. 🌿💪

**As always, pregnancy is an individual experience, and exercise should be appropriately modified with guidance from your healthcare provider

Address

1015 W Main Street
Sac City, IA
40483

Opening Hours

Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm

Website

http://tbwmassagetherapy.massageplanet.com/

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