Regular massages aren’t just about treating yourself to a pampering every now and then; they can be an essential component in you staying healthy
We all know the drill. An arm, a leg, our stomach or our head starts to develop a pain or an ache. So what do we do? We take a tablet. Our sleep starts to deteriorate, so we indulge in insomnia-combating medication. Things get on top of us and we’re regularly stressed out, so we seek out drugs to help with that too. It soon can become a cycle of popping painkillers and other pills, stopping when things improve and starting again when things worsen. Moreover, how much do we (especially women) spend each month on creams and cosmetics to help maintain our skins’ natural shine and glow?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were a simpler, easier, cheaper way to take care of ourselves that also makes us feel good, deep down? Well, one way to cut down on the tablets and the creams is to visit the local spa and treat you to regular massage. Doubtfull? You wouldn’t be the first. But if you’re unsure, you should definitely read on…
Increased Flexibility
Granted, it doesn’t take a genius to conclude that regular massage will help make your body and muscles more flexible, but the clever thing is knowing why this flexibility is so important. In short, flexibility aids muscles in retaining their strength even when the body grows old. Moreover, muscle injuries are more common now than they were just a few decades ago – and it’s not because we’re exercising more and harder; it’s actually because we’re generally leading more sedentary lifestyles.
What this means is that, as we age, our joints tighten, ensuring the range of motion and flexibility of our limbs and bodies becomes increasingly restricted. So this is where effective massage therapy comes in. By working on muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and joints, regular massage improves the flexibility and range of motion, thus maintaining the fluidity around joints and ensuring they’re less injury prone.
Improved Blood Circulation
Better blood circulation is one benefit of massage therapy that may not automatically spring to mind, but don’t doubt it, it’s one of the major gains from a decent massage. The squeezing and pulling involved in a massage will flush lactic acid from muscles, thus increasing and improving the circulation of lymph fluid (which carries metabolic waste away from the muscles and internal organs). This, in turn, results in lower blood pressure and improved body function. Moreover, improved blood circulation leads to sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the bones. Therefore, regular massages can help deliver long-term relief from joint pain and sore muscles and also aid in illness recovery and disease prevention.
Obviously then, improved blood circulation is a universal benefit of regular, professional massage sessions – in order to choose a masseuse you’re sure you can trust to deliver massage therapy of an effective, high quality, you’re best advised to book a session (or several)at a well-respected spa, such as the Spa at the Montcalm London.
Busting Stress
The monotony and pressure of daily routine doesn’t just negatively affect your mood, personality and mental health, it also affects your physical body. When we feel like we’re under the cosh, so to speak, it’s natural for many of us to stoop our shoulders, which bends the spine and scrunches up our torso and inner organs. There’s nothing good about this. Posture is important; we even fall into bad posture habits when we’re merely sitting and working at a desk, whether we’re stressed or not.
Obviously, massage therapy can help here (for the reasons above outlining how you can stay healthy with massages). Aside from this, though, research has shown that regular massages can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, relax your muscles and increase the production of endorphins, the body’s natural ‘feel good’ chemical. Massage also releases the similarly positivity-spreading serotonin and dopamine – the effect of this release being that a client starts to feel relaxed, their breathing follows a natural, easy rhythm and a sense of calmness pervades the mind. Overall, the relaxation generated by good massage aids in combating chronic, habitual or short-term stress.
Particularly Good for Women
Some modern research suggests that issues and problems associated with premenstrual tension (alternatively referred to as premenstrual syndrome) can be aided by regular massage. Why is this so? Because the effects of PMT aren’t just obviously physical, but also emotional and impact on one’s day-to-day personality and behaviour.
The manner in which a good massage session can combat these symptoms is linked to its capacity to reduce symptoms of stress and generate the production of ‘feel good’ chemicals in the brain, as well as, of course, improving blood circulation throughout the body. Indeed, the calming and soothing effect of a massage enables the client to relax, let go for the duration of the session and focus on the moment and the space which they occupy at that point – if you will, to focus on the ‘now’.
