6 ways massages can benefit you and your health

A massage might sound a great way to indulge in a spot of pampering, but did you know that it can have a whole range of health benefits too? That’s right, massages are not just relaxing, they are actually good for you! They have long been used to tackle problems in both the body and mind and provide a beautiful and natural solution to many different ailments.

Here, Beauty Temple share their insight into some of the key benefits that a massage can bring.

1. Relieving stress and anxiety

In today’s world, we all suffer from a build up of stress and anxiety, and that can manifest itself in a number of ways. It may be that your mind races and cannot switch off, or it might create a build up of tension in your muscles. A massage can help with both of these problems. A massage can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a calming affect on the body and mind and can still be felt for some time after the treatment.

2. Improved sleep

There are strong links between the nervous system and your sleep patterns, so by slowing down the nervous system with a massage, you are able to achieve deeper, better sleep. This in turn has its own benefits when it comes to your physical and mental health and so the restorative effects will have you sleeping like a baby in no time.

3. Cognitive sharpness

As a massage works on your nervous system, it can start to reduce your heart rate. This is because certain pressure sensors stimulate particular nerves in your brain that link to different areas of the body, including the heart. Once this is achieved, your concentration and cognitive sharpness are both improved. That means if you have an important meeting or a project deadline, a massage might be the perfect way to get you performing at your best.

4. Soothing aches and pains

We all have the odd ache, whether it is from sleeping the wrong position, an injury, or just getting older. These are often known as knots, but are actually soft tissue restrictions, joint decay or ligament damage. Whilst a massage cannot necessarily cure all your problems, it can certainly ease the effects of them. By explaining what you are experiencing, a professional massage therapist can work on those restrictions, freeing them up and reducing any pain that you might feel.

5. Reduce fatigue

Many of us suffer from fatigue, and it can seem to be a cycle that is difficult break at times. Massage is a great way to deal with this as it can ease the causes of fatigue, such as stress and helps you to get better sleep. A weekly massage has often been found to have a significant effect on fatigue.

6. Relieve tension headaches

A tension headache can often be brought about by stress, which triggers the contracting of the muscles in the neck, face, scalp, and jaw. Massage can help to soothe the physical symptoms by relieving the tension in the muscles, and by reducing the stress levels that are thought to cause the problems in the first place. Massages are also thought to help tackle the frequency of migraines for regular sufferers as it can reduce the tightness felt before a migraine takes hold.

Massage is a fantastic treatment that can be enjoyed by anybody and can help to solve a variety of problems that you might not have expected. Booking a course of regular massages can help to keep the body and mind in tip top condition in a way that is still enjoyable and relaxing.