You might be thinking that a massage is a luxury you can only afford once in a while. Maybe part of a spa treatment or physiotherapy after an accident. The idea of incorporating massages into your daily routine has likely never occurred to you before now. If it has, maybe only as part of the fantasy of winning the lottery and retiring on a tropical island!
But the reality is that a massage a day has a lot of health benefits. There are even ways to self-massage, either with massage tools, a little help from a friend, or with your very own massage chair. And with all the health benefits, it’s a great technique, whether you’re an athlete, a busy parent, or just finding it tough to get through your workday.
Here are five good reasons to incorporate massages into your daily routine.
1. Stress Relief
The most obvious reason to get a daily massage is stress relief. We all carry stress in different ways, and we each have different parts of our bodies that carry the bulk of our stresses. Whether you hold your stress in your jawline, neck, back, or shoulders, there’s a massage technique for you.
A daily massage will help you with your day to day stresses, whether they’re work-related, personal, or you’re struggling with something particular. A daily massage can help release stress from your body you don’t even know you’re holding. It’s also great for anxiety, depression, and can help you with meditative practices and deep breathing techniques.
2. Reduces Pain Related To Muscle Tension
Lower back pain is common among many. Women may experience lower back pain during pregnancy and menstrual cycles, or as a result of being particularly active. Men and women may be subject to back strain and injury at work. Years of posture issues can lead to back strain.
If you’re active, even when you’re taking every precaution, you may experience muscle tension in the body when you over-work certain muscles or abuse certain joints. Especially as we get older, our hips, knees, and shoulders are prone to aches and pains, which can be relieved with regular massage. If you struggle with chronic pain or have simply reached a plateau in your workouts you’re trying to push past, a massage can go a long way toward easing regular muscle pains and strains.
3. Improves Flexibility and Stamina
As we age, we lose flexibility in our joints, and, as we’ve talked about, this can cause a lot of pain. But regular massages help ease tension and exercise joints. If you’re a yoga fan, you’ll be happy to know that regular massage keeps your joints at their most flexible. Because it also helps with pain relief, it also helps push the body past its limits and increases stamina and pain tolerance. Daily massages before or after workouts are common for both amateur and professional athletes since they can help prolong your workout.
4. Helps With Depression
Touch starvation can be a very real phenomenon. If you’re someone struggling with depression and anxiety, you might find that regular physical contact helps alleviate some of the pressure you feel. Physical contact and care have a very real link to our psychological state. Not only does massage relieve anxiety by releasing physical tension, but studies show it also impacts our mood and makes it easier to connect and empathize with others in your life.
Daily massage also boosts endorphins and helps to lower your cortisol levels. These are the same chemicals released as you exercise, to boost your mood, and keep you pumped throughout the day.
5. Improves Stability And Quality Of Life As You Age
As we age, we are subjected to many ongoing health issues. From pains in our joints, muscle aches, and even lowered immune system. Studies have shown regular massage helps with all of these things. It can also improve stability and flexibility, which leaves you less likely to succumb to a fall, and promotes brain function, helping to stave off the effects of dementia, and the isolation which leads to depression as we age. In all these ways and more, massage can help to keep you sharp, active, and youthful, even into your twilight years.
A massage may seem like a luxury in your life. It’s something you do as part of a spa package, or when a doctor prescribes it after an injury. But daily massages have been shown to have many health benefits. From boosting your immune system to helping with your depression, and of course, coping with stress, you will find many benefits to regular massage.
If you can get to a professional massage, it will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your health. Sometimes, this isn’t practical, financially or otherwise. You should know for certain health conditions, you may even be prescribed regular massages by a doctor, which can make it easier and less expensive for you. If not, there’s always a partner. Using a hand massage tool or finding yourself a massage chair is another way to get in your daily massage.
It all depends on what you’re physically capable of, and where you carry the most stress or have the most pains. However you choose to get them, a daily massage carries with it benefits that will last a lifetime.
