A good rubdown is a godsend treatment. Not only it feels nice, but it also has some health benefits. Yes, you read that right. The relaxing massage you got just to calm your mind and body, can absolutely help you with a number of ailments. And let’s be honest, you cannot argue with science.
With that in mind, here are 10 health benefits that will make you run to the beauty salon as soon as possible.
Helps alleviate pain
A good massage is basically a painkiller. And when your masseur gets his hands on your bare skin, your brain activity goes nuts. And the best part is, you do not need a prescription to get a massage.
Any time you feel pain in a particular area, just ask someone to press his/her fingers into the specific pain point. That pain point is often referred to as a knot, or contracted muscle fibers. Just 10 seconds is enough to help with your blood flow and circulation.
Get a deep breath and release it while you are at a massage treatment.
Improves immunity
Massage helps get your blood flowing, which helps deliver healthy nutrients to all parts of your body. But a good massage will also change the composition of your blood for the better.
Swedish massage is one technique that involves long strokes, deep kneading, and circular movements specifically to improve blood flow to the heart. Recipients of Swedish massage have higher levels of blood proteins, which improves the protection of the heart.
Reduces stress
We call it relax massage after all, right? Regular treatment with massage oils can alleviate tension in your muscles and your mind. No matter whether you are under stress for a big job interview, date, or any other stressful situation, a proper massage will slash most of the physiological markers of stress.
In Japan, some doctors recommend five minutes of hand massage before cataract surgery to reduce heart rate, the stress hormone, and blood pressure. This ensures you go into surgery feeling more confident and relaxed.
Boosts your mood
Feeling blue? Feeling down? No problem, get a massage. Is it Monday? Or any other depressing day of the week? Even when you feel miserable, a good massage can work as a treatment and therapy.
Studies have shown that massages increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine in your brain. Serotonin is linked to happiness, while dopamine with motivation, reward, and arousal. Combined, these two neurotransmitters can boost your mood and make you feel positive.
Helps with headaches
There are many triggers of headaches. And the good news is, most of those triggers come from tension in the neck or feeling down. When you have tension in the neck, it can restrict blood flow to the brain.
If that is the case, a quick neck massage will boost blood flow to the brain, and alleviate the pain. Regular massage treatments will even reduce frequency and severity among chronic headache patients.
Fight off insomnia
If you have troubles sleeping, a massage might be just what the doctor ordered. No more counting sheep, given you do that. Even more good news, you can learn how to perform a facial massage on your own face. You need just 10 to 15 minutes of facial massage to reduce blood pressure and increase sleepiness.
Foot massage works as well, but not as good as a facial massage. If you want a foot massage, that is great, as it reduces blood pressure as well. And it is relaxing when your partner does it.
Reduce muscle soreness
Your muscles can be sore due to different reasons. One, they might be sore due to too much exercise. Or, they can be sore because you haven’t been moving a lot. Remember, even if you lay in your bed for the whole day, your muscles might be tired.
Yes, sleeping for the whole day does not relax your muscles. With that in mind, for reducing muscle soreness, we suggest getting a foam roller. You can self-massage the hamstrings for 10 minutes, a muscle group that does so much for your body.
Alleviate strain from typing and texting
Let’s be honest for a second, we live in the typing era. We type and text on our phones constantly. Whether that is Facebook Messenger, Viber, Whatsapp, or any other instant messaging application. Some of also work in front of a computer and need to type.
If you spend most of the time on a keyboard, your forearms can definitely benefit from a massage. Do your muscles feel tight and ropey?
If that is the case, blood flow is nowhere near ideal. We suggest the following exercise if you do not want to get a professional massage. Grab your forearm with the thumb underneath the arm. Then, dig your finger pads into tight muscles in your forearm like a claw.
Last, rake your fingers back and forth to separate and spread the muscle fibers. You can try the same technique on your hamstrings as well.
Alleviate morning stiffness
Let’s be honest, most of us do not sleep in proper positions. In fact, we sleep in a way that strains the muscles in the neck. How many times have you woke up with a stiff neck? If this happens regularly, you are sleeping wrong.
The damage might be done, but a neck massage will help get the blood flowing. You can use the massage to loosen those muscles and make mornings less painful.
Help with exercise
There are so many ways regular massages help with your exercise. For starters, a quick massage can help you warm up your muscles before an exercise. Try some foam-rolling before a workout, and even before you stretch. This will help your quads.
Not only it helps warm up your muscles, but a massage will also make exercise feel easier. If you exercise with sore and tight muscles, chances are, you won’t go through your entire routine.
Tight muscles create resistance that can make your limbs feel heavier. Think of it as a net holding you down. You need a quick massage to release the tension, so grab the foam-roller and prepare for your workout.