Massage has been practiced for over 5000 years for its long-term benefits to the body. And even with the rise of new technology, massages are still in trend for their benefits. In this blog post, you will discover the 7 key things that happen to your body after a massage.
1. Improved Circulation
More often we feel pain and aches in the muscles after workout sessions and exercises. These rigorous physical movements often cause microtears or damage to the muscles which may end up as pain. As a solution, people perform massages, which deliver oxygen to the muscles and help repair them.
This delivery of oxygen is due to improved blood circulation and it is one of the main benefits that results from the massage session.
The improved circulation happens as a result of the manual pressure applied to the body. The pressure on the body’s blood vessels helps the blood to pass freely through them breaking the congestion. Also, the release of pressure allows the new blood to have a greater flow through the vessels.
Moreover, the message signals the nervous system to release nitric acid, which is a great factor that affects vasodilation. During vasodilation, the blood vessels dilate improving the blood flow.
2. Reduced Muscle Tension and Pain
Muscles are prone to tension and stiffness from various factors such as stress, new exercise patterns, poor posture, dehydration, etc. Massage can be a really easy way to release all the stiffness and strain from the muscles.
Massage applies pressure to blood vessels improving the flow all over the muscle tissues. This improved blood flow helps reach the oxygenated blood and nutrients to the muscle tissues, helping in the muscles’ relaxation and repair process.
The massage not only aids in oxygen circulation but also helps in the removal of toxins and metabolic wastes, which may also cause muscle cramps and hinder the body’s functioning. Also, the techniques in massage such as kneading, strokes, and stretching help in the breaking of knots and scar tissue which is a crucial part of alleviating the pain.
Moreover, massage stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the body’s relaxation cycle. The activation of this system helps in the relaxation of muscles releasing stiffness.
3. Lowered Stress Levels
Stress is one of the main compounds that affect human beings at this instant. Stress may seem like a trivial condition, but when left unattended, it can turn into something deadly. What the term ‘deadly’ denotes here is how chronic stress can introduce you to chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and mental conditions.
There are many reasons why you could get stressed, but some of them are lack of a balanced diet, hydration, lack of physical activities, and lack of sleep. One of the ways you could help your body partake in physical sessions is through massage, where the therapist often uses techniques to rub and knead the soft tissues.
Indeed, Massage is very helpful in lowering cortisol levels, which when heightened can lead to other chronic diseases. The release of hormones like serotonin and dopamine aids in relaxation and lifting the mood naturally, which impacts by releasing pent-up stress and negative emotions.
Furthermore, good sleep can reduce stress levels. Massage can bring back the normal sleeping pattern after regular massage sessions, giving you better sleep quality which could be proportional to lowering stress levels.
SEE MORE- 10 Proven Massages to Relieve Anxiety
4. Improved Lymphatic Drainage
The lymphatic system is vital for the balancing of the extra fluids called lymph which is important for the immunity function. However, the excess accumulation of lymph may cause edema or swelling. Since lymph does not have a central system for pumping, it relies on muscle contraction, breathing, and manual stimulation such as massaging.
Massage therefore helps stimulate the lymph system and reduce the swelling with techniques such as gentle strokes employed in the massage session.
Additionally, older individuals have more chances of swelling and edema due to the reduced movement of muscles and tissues. So massage is really helpful in draining the lymphatic vessels.
5. Enhanced Skin Health
Massage is not only beneficial for muscles and joints but is also very productive for the skin. The massage helps enhance blood circulation which helps in circulating oxygen and nutrients for the tissues which are important for the repair and regeneration of cells. This helps provide the skin with a healthy and youthful look.
The massage aids in releasing swelling and fluid retention by improving the lymphatic system, thereby releasing excess fluids and toxins and thereby reducing inflammation and redness.
Also, the massage helps in releasing stress from the body by lowering the cortisol levels which helps in avoiding conditions like eczema, acne, psoriasis, etc. Techniques such as gentle strokes and rhythmic tapping help in making the muscles and tissue relaxed aiding to release the tension from the skin.
In addition to that, the oils used in the sessions such as jojoba oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil, etc have unique properties that help the skin at different levels such as sealing moisture and fighting premature aging and fine lines, giving you an enriched skin.
SEE MORE- 7 Remarkable Skin Benefits of Massages
6. Better Sleep
With Insomnia your life may feel like a war with a wrecked lifestyle that hinders your daily functioning and mental health. Sleep is very crucial for the functioning of the body. Many factors may affect sleep quality, including stress, cognitive issues, and other factors such as pain.
It is essential to keep a healthy sleep schedule, or the body starts to develop diseases and may start to show premature aging including poor skin health, hair loss, and other chronic diseases due to the high cortisol levels.
The massage session activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the rest of the body. So after a massage, you may certainly feel drowsy and relaxed as a signal by the brain to your body to relax.
SEE ALSO – 9 Biggest Myths About Massage Therapy
7. Boosted Immune System
Immune functioning is very crucial for the body’s functioning to fight the illnesses and pathogens that may enter the body. Indeed, massages are proven to improve the immunity function
Massage enhances blood circulation which improves the flow of oxygen and nutrients to different parts of the body. This helps in the regeneration and repair of the cells and tissues. Along with that, it also facilitates the discretion of toxins and wastes from the body so it doesn’t cause any complications in the body.
Moreover, the improved lymphatic function also helps in the removal of toxins from the body. Indeed, it helps to fight against the pathogens that may enter the body as the lymphatic system helps in the production and circulation of lymphocytes or white blood cells. This cells are vital for immunity functioning.
The lowered stress levels also improve immunity functioning.