The Benefits of Massage

Everyone who has had a massage knows the obvious benefit; relaxation. What if I told you there was many more reasons (or should I say 'excuses') as to why you should book a massage now!

Over the years massage is getting more and more popular in both men and women. Men are now realising why us women are so addicted to treating ourselves to a massage. Which is great when it means they want to take you on a spa day so they can benefit too!

So why is massage so beneficial? Well as stated before the main benefit is relaxation. When the body is tense and under stress, it produces unhealthy levels of the well-known stress hormone, cortisol. Massage therapy has been shown to decrease cortisol levels in the body, which helps the body to recover. This also helps to relax the muscles and reduces stress levels, even after the massage. Massage therapy reduces stress over a prolonged period of time. Especially with the use of essential oils, such as lavender. So the more you have- the better! We don't need to argue with that.

It relaxes the muscles- The purpose of massage, including deep tissue, is to target your aches and pains by increasing flexibility and helping to relax the muscles. This type of therapy helps to release endorphins (pain-killing hormones), which boost the dopamine and serotonin levels in the body. promoting healing and pain management. You'll walk out of your treatment feeling like a new person.

Posture! I think everybody's job affects their posture in some way. Chronic back pain is often the result of incorrect or poor posture while standing and/or sitting. Being hunched over all day can take a serious strain on your body. The more tired you get then the harder it is to maintain a good posture. But although massage can improve your posture it is important to try and train your body to keep aligned. Being overweight, poor posture, and repetitive or overuse of muscles can also contribute to the strain on the body. As a result, the added strain often causes spasms, pain, and tense muscles. Having a course of massage treatments allows the body to relax and loosen muscles made tense and sore via bad posture, this allows the body to position itself in a pain-free posture.

Massage also promotes circulation to the muscles, which increases nutrients and oxygen to the damaged tissues. This moves the blood through the damaged and congested areas of the body and pressure causes new blood to flow into tissues. This brings stiff and tense muscles the blood supply they need to promote healing which also helps to reduce pain and relax the muscles. Certain massage movements removes lactic acid from the muscle tissues. As a result, this action improves the lymph fluid circulation, which carries metabolic waste products away from internal organs and muscles. In turn, this results in lower blood pressure levels and improved overall body function.

Overall, massage makes you happy and can benefit people in different ways. Not had a massage before? Let the therapist know and they can explain the process and help make your first experience stress free. Book now to improve your overall wellbeing!

Thank you for reading- if you have any questions feel free to ask.