Getting a massage is a great way to relax.
More and more people who exercise include massage as part of their fitness regimen.
Gone are the days when massage was only indulged in by athletes training for a sports event.
Nowadays, people from all walks of life spare a part of their time to enjoy a weekly massage.
Everyone, with the exception of those who have certain conditions and diseases, can enjoy a massage and its health benefits.
Massage or massage therapy has been in existence since ancient times.
The most acknowledged benefits of massage include relaxation, improved circulation and relief of muscle tension.
Massage is the manipulation of superficial layers of muscle and connective tissues to enhance function, promote well-being and relaxation.
There are 80 recognized forms of massage therapy from all over the world.
Some of which are the popular Shiatsu, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Thai, Reflexology, Ayurvedic Massage and Acupuncture among others.
Massage first became popular in the US in the mid 1800s.
It was introduced by two New York physicians who based it on techniques developed in Sweden.
However, it was only in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that massage was offered as a core medical service.
Health enthusiasts can gain a lot of benefits from regular massage therapy.
It can improve flexibility, decrease soreness and stiffness and helps lessen recovery time.
It helps break down scar tissue from previous injuries, further improving circulation and mobility.
Massage helps flush out toxins from the body.
Environmental toxins cause stress to the body, and this becomes an additional workload for you.
Getting a massage can help you detoxify and make the body focus more on its other functions.
Massage also decreases fatigue levels.
You can work out better and longer if your fatigue level is reduced, and your recovery time becomes shorter and you can get back to the gym sooner.
Massage can aid in weight loss by lowering cortisol levels.
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone.
When we are under stress, cortisol is released by the body and triggers the fight or flight response.
When the body is stressed out, it focuses its efforts to cope with the stress.
The intestines slow or stop the digestion of food.
This is why when we are under stress, we don't feel hungry.
This is detrimental to our weight loss efforts in the long run because our metabolism is compromised.
Massage as a relaxation measure can help lower cortisol levels, and there are claims that massage breaks up subcutaneous fat capsules allowing it to be absorbed back by the body.
These claims however are unsubstantiated and there are no studies to back it up.
Massage directly affects the way you exercise.
It makes you feel relaxed and it decreases muscle tension.
All these benefits help you to perform your exercises better and longer.
The more you exercise, the more calories you spend.
Massage, then, indirectly helps your weight loss efforts.
However, one thing is certain.
Massage makes you feel good and that's enough reason to make it a part of your fitness regimen.
After all, a fitness regimen's goal is to make you feel and look good.