What Massage Modality Is Right for Me?
10 Ways Massage Can Improve Wellness
In this day and age, if you’re not stressed out there ‘must’ be something wrong with you. High levels of stress in our daily lives is simply the norm for most of us. Luckily for this generation, there are many ways to de-stress—travel, yoga, exercise, movies, dining and more, but when it comes to shrugging off life’s daily grind and compensating for that toxic blend of anxiety and stress, nothing beats a great massage.
Besides feeling so damn good, massage provides us with a number of meaningful health benefits you may not be aware of. Here are 10 ways your body responds to a massage and why making massage a wellness habit is a great idea for prolonged health and well-being.
1. Improves Blood Circulation
A pain in the shoulders and the neck can be a result of postural stress – you get it from sitting too much at your desk job or at home. When you don’t stretch out much, walk less, and it often, you compromise your body’s blood circulation. This leads to a poor immune system and slow digestion among other chronic diseases.
You can help get your circulation back on track by integrating a regular massage into your routine to counteract that “sitting” energy. According to Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center, exercise is great but a massage for your body is just as beneficial in stimulating blood flow which helps keep your digestive and immune functions going smoothly.
2. Relaxes Muscular Tension
Too much stress leads to muscular tension. Got stiffening legs or sore muscles? Free your muscles from it’s tensed stated and let a massage therapist knead away those aching muscles, headaches or back pains.
The Annals of Internal Medicine published a study in 2011 concluding that getting a massage can be extremely effective in managing chronic back pain.
A good massage therapist will have a full quiver of techniques to help bring muscles back to their natural supple, healthy state. What’s amazing is that with regular massage, this suppleness will last longer and longer.
3. Combatting Anxiety and Depression
Hippocrates defined a massage as the “art of touching” because human touch can change lives or it can simply be relaxing.
Some cancer patients get regular massage therapy as part of their treatment and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry disclosed that a 30 minute back massage given daily for a 5 day period to 52 hospitalized depressed and adjustment disorder children and adolescents, reduced stress levels. When happy hormones are induced and neuromuscular pathways are calmed, anxiety and depression are significantly reduced.
4. Sleep Better
When your blood circulation improves, you feel calmer and more relaxed – as if you have just been rejuvenated. You can’t help but have a better perspective.
When your mind is clear after a good massage, you’ll indulge in long and deep sleep. Even infants who have no worries in the world sleep better and longer when massaged correctly, according to a study from the University of Warwick.
5. Strengthens Immunity
According to the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, people who get regular massages have better immune functions based on a study in 2010 conducted among HIV patients.
When you are stressed you are more prone to viruses and diseases. Help keep your body’s defenses up and running and treat yourself to a relaxing massage which can help reduce the level of stress hormones floating around your bloodstream
6. Soothes Headaches
Instinct will tell you to rub or apply pressure on an aching part of your body or head to relieve the pain so next time you get struck by a terrible headache you can self-massage or someone can do it for you, either a loved one or a professional.
7. Get that Skin Glowing
As blood circulation dramatically improves by simply massage your face or body so will your pale skin. Get that natural glow from the inside and save your skin from the harsh effects of stress!
8. Invigorate your senses
There are days when you just seem lifeless and weak. It can be a combination of life’s drudgery both physical and emotional so how do you fight back?
Try booking a massage. Massage therapy has been shown to help rebalance not only a person’s body, but their mind, and spirit as well. We’ve all experienced at one time the feeling of being “centered”, that everything was right with the world. Massage can help get you back there.
9. Connect with yourself
There are depressed people, there are anxious people. There are also those who seem distracted and detached from the world or themselves.
Did you know that regular trips to a massage therapist can get you into the zen zone? That zone of relaxation and solitude where your worries are being kneaded away.
10. Improves Your Body’s Flexibility
Most athletes never miss a massage. It’s because it brings therapeutic relief in their system and enhances their flexibility which is necessary for agility, or simply a break from the world of competition.
Whether you are an athlete, a confused millennial, a hard-working mother, a busy business owner or a simple-minded nature lover, you could use a non-invasive, humanistic, heart-warming massage.
In short, we live in a stressful world. A simple and effective massage can help relieve the growing tension in our lives.
Want to learn more about which style of massage is best for you? Check out this article highlighting the different types of massage techniques and their benefits.
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It’s awesome that facial massages can get the blood circulating so that your skin will glow more! I’ve been looking for some natural ways to get my natural glow back, and I think a massage would be a great way to do that. After all, you get to relax and enjoy it while it’s happening! I’ll have to book an appointment with a masseuse in the next few weeks.
Yes, you are right. Massage is a very effective way to get rid of stress and weakness. Thank you for sharing this informative content. After reading this content, anyone can know the benefits of massage therapy.
It got me when you said that massage therapy can improve your blood circulation that can help you to feel more relaxed and indulge in a long and deep sleep. This is something that I will share with my sister because she has been complaining about sleepless nights due to stress. Her mind can’t stop thinking about her future because she is afraid to be alone in the future.
It sure was nice when you said that massage therapy can help you to feel more relaxed and calmer that can help you to have good sleep. This is a perfect tip for my mom who has been complaining about headaches and sleepless nights. She has a hunch that she’s suffering from stress due to the demands of her job. Thanks for sharing this.
You got me when you said that massage therapy can relieve headaches because pressure can be applied on an aching part. My husband and I have been experiencing intense headaches. Maybe because of too much stress at work that’s giving us a hard time to sleep at night. We’ll be sure to do all your tips.