Tuesday 18 January 2011

The power of touch

I had a lovely massage today which was just what I needed ... afterwards I felt relaxed and calm and pretty much ready for bed!!

I think a lot of people see massage as an occasional treat for a temporary de stress - however it is highly therapeutic and regular massage can help in recovery from various health complaints including tension and anxiety but also compromised immunity, fatigue and toxicity.

The key benefits of massage are:

- relieving muscle tension: Swedish and sports massage are great for easing tense muscles. Even if you don't work out regularly sitting at a desk all day can have your shoulders in knots. Left unaddressed continued tension can lead to postural problems and aches and pains later on in life. Muscle tension is also holding stress in the body so left unchecked can heighten feelings of anxiety and anger.

- Fat breakdown: the pressure involved in massage can breakdown fat cell walls helping release stores fat cells. Lymphatic drainage massage or endermology is particularly good for this and often booked in courses to compliment weight loss programmes or help eliminate cellulite.

- Detoxification and immune function: improving lymphatic drainage isn't just helpful in weight loss, the main purpose of the lymphatic system is to drain away toxins and dead immune cells whilst circulating fresh white blood cells to fight infection. Therefore lymphatic drainage massage (although any massage helps) can be beneficial for detoxification and also for improving immunity, particularly in those who can't exercise so may have poor lymphatic circulation or who are suffering from fatigue conditions.

- Relaxation: most types of massage are relaxing (I have had some very non-relaxing sports and lymphatic massages which is normal!) and as stress is so common in the city and a contributing factor so much ill health, for this benefit alone it's worth having a regular massage. However it is also beneficial through the power of human touch - research has shown that babies don't thrive in the absence of human touch. This is why a hug makes us feel better, so if your partner/friends aren't that tactile then you might want to book in for a regular massage!
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