Massage has become a very popular form of alternative therapy. There are many types of massage, and techniques have been developed and used in various parts of the world. Sometimes, people like to unwind, and massage is a great way to do that, especially after a hard day or week at work. However, more is at play when you are having a massage. You will discover 10 of the most exciting health benefits of having a massage in the following article.
Can Help You Look Good
Facial massages have various beauty benefits, as well as relaxing and comforting your skin. There have been studies that have found that facial massages can prevent skin from aging prematurely and remove any fine lines and wrinkles. There are various scalp and facial massage techniques and types that can be used to help give you better and healthier skin and a more contoured face.
Overcome PMS
Most women tend to suffer from a lot of lower back pain during their menstrual cycle, specifically when they have PMS. Rather than always opting for painkillers, you should consider investing in a massage or two. There have been recorded studies that have proven a strong connection between having a massage and experiencing a reduction in depression, water retention, and other symptoms related to PMS and periods.
Enhance Your Quality of Life
Investing in a professional massage at least once, twice, or even more regularly a month can significantly enhance your overall quality of life. This will help if you get older and start to suffer from more health problems with time. According to the authoritative American Massage Therapy Association, massage has been proven to help reduce dementia’s harmful effects while tackling the negative aspects of osteoarthritis and high blood pressure, thus improving overall health and quality of life.
Improve Your Mood
There is no denying it. Massages can and do help people feel happier. You know how good you can feel after a massage if you have ever had one before. There is much concrete evidence to show how it benefits your mood. Part of what is at work is that massage can decrease cortisol, the stress hormone while increasing your dopamine and serotonin (the happy hormones) levels. Both hormones are essential in improving your mood, so your mood will be much better when they are at higher levels in your body.
Warm Muscles Before Exercise and Physical Activities Like Sport
Before exercising or participating in any physical activities or sports, you should consider having a massage. Massage can help to remove any tension in your muscles. It also helps to warm up key areas you may be focusing on during your workout and warm those muscles up, so you have a more effective and enjoyable time. This should not be a surprise if you are familiar with the pre-game and event routines many sportsmen and women go through to ensure they are at their best physical and athletic.
Fight Insomnia
While melatonin is effective at helping you to sleep better, it is not the most effective solution to winning the fight against insomnia. Rather than trying melatonin, another supplement, or a more severe and more potent medication, try massage. Many massage experts swear by massage to help people with insomnia to get more and better quality sleep. Massage is obviously drug-free and is very relaxing. There has been substantial evidence to show the link between a reduction in insomnia and getting massages.
Help Improve Your Intelligence
One of the most intriguing reasons you may want to consider getting a massage is that it could help improve your brainpower and intelligence. Evidence has shown that it can enhance alertness. During a study, participants could perform mathematical computations two times quicker and with two times the accuracy than without a massage. Massage can help to improve your brainpower and EEG pattern.
Alleviate Stress and Anxiety
If you feel stressed, anxious, or even severely depressed, massage can help. This is perhaps one of the first reasons many people will think about getting a massage to help with – stress and anxiety. As massage is designed to alleviate tension that builds up in the muscles, it’s that tension that often kickstarts the feelings of depression and anxiety. So, when you remove the pressure and tension, there is a strong possibility you can remove stress and depression.
Safe and Drug-Free Pain Relief
Massage is a strong, effective, safe, and drug-free form of pain relief. As well as targeting and alleviating the pressure and tension that builds up in muscles sometimes and causes pain, massage can also help reduce cortisol levels in the body (that’s the stress hormone) while increasing serotonin levels. Serotonin is well-known as a natural and effective painkiller. Again, it all comes down to muscle tension and hormone imbalances.
As massage relaxes your muscle tissue, it helps to prevent and reduce painful contractions. In turn, it can also effectively remove headaches and reduce acute inflammation.
Helps You to Relax
Last, we have the benefit that most people associate with massage therapy. This is the primary reason why so many people seek out massages and why they sometimes turn to their partners. Although there is no harm in that and it’s a lot of fun and can enhance bonding, there is no substitute for going to a qualified, experienced and certified massage therapist. Massages are relaxing to both your mind and your body. Massages can target sources of pain and eliminate tension from muscles which can relax you. When you have a massage, dopamine and serotonin levels, increase, helping you relax.
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Conclusion
Even if you knew that massage could help you relax and alleviate stress, some of the above benefits might have come as a complete surprise. Therefore, if you want to improve your mood, quality of life, sleep, and health in general, as well as the other things highlighted above, you should consider investing in a massage.