The average American spends around 22 percent of his or her expendable income every month on items and experiences to treat themselves.
Whether you are above or below the average, spending a little money on self-care each month is always a good idea.
One great self-care experience that you’ll never regret is a massage.
If you’ve been putting it off for a while, keep reading to learn just a few of the benefits you could be enjoying when you get a massage.
Recover Faster After Active Events
No matter what your family is into, odds are you’ve found yourself dead on your feet after a long day of doing something that was supposed to be fun.
Maybe you spent the weekend camping and hiking. Or you walked 10-plus miles at your local theme park. Even hosting a birthday party for your child can mean hours of running around, leaving you sore and exhausted.
Unfortunately, you’re also busy taking care of your kids, running them from one activity to the next, while also trying to keep your house clean or keep up with your job. For most moms, taking a day off to bounce back after a big, active event isn’t an option.
That’s where a massage can help.
Scheduling one after a day when you know your body is going to be tired and overworked is a great way to help you bounce back and recover faster.
Prepare Your Body for Physical Activity
Not only are massages great for recovering when you’re sore, but they can also be used before physical activity to prepare your body, help you perform better, and leave you feeling less sore afterward.
Whether you’ve signed up for a marathon, plan to participate in a fun run, or just enjoy staying active, scheduling regular massages is a great way to keep your muscles loose and ready to go.
Even if you don’t get them regularly, scheduling just one massage before a big physical event can help improve your performance and help you bounce back faster.
Eliminate Lower Back Pain
More than 80 percent of Americans will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their lives.
If you suffer from lower back pain, you know how frustrating it can be.
You try to treat it with pain medications, stretches, or supportive seats. But everything you do just seems to make it worse. And when you don’t have time to take a break and let your pain go away completely, you end up just repeating the same motions that make your back sore, to begin with.
Regular massages can help reduce lower back pain. You can choose from any kind of massage, from deep tissue to Swedish, and each session is guaranteed to reduce pain throughout your back.
Over time, it may even help eliminate your pain entirely.
Reduce Anxiety and Stress
Parenthood can leave even the most cool-headed among us stressed out and anxious. Individuals already prone to anxiety suffer even more.
Massages are the ultimate form of self-care because they help relax your mind and your body at the same time.
A regular massage session gives your mind time to relax and reset. Take advantage of being stuck on the table and let yourself rest and enjoy the massage.
Your body will be relaxed as well as your masseuse targets trouble spots where stress leaves knots and tension in your muscles.
Lessen the Effect of Long Hours at a Desk
Staying seated at a desk, hunched over a keyboard for 7, 8, or more hours a day is far from a natural position for our bodies. But if we want to bring home a paycheck, most of us don’t have a choice.
After a while, these long hours in a desk chair leave our postures severely lacking. This can make your shoulders, back, and neck aches, even when you aren’t at work.
Regular exercise can help strengthen your muscles, which in turn will improve your posture. Massages help as well. They loosen the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and upper back that tighten from sitting in a desk and are what cause your poor posture.
Boost Your Immune System
Massages, specifically deep tissue massages, have even been shown to boost your immune system.
During a deep tissue massage or Swedish massage, the kneading motion helps push blood towards your heart. This actually increases the number of blood proteins present in your body.
Studies show that individuals with higher levels of blood proteins have fewer tumors, suffer from viral infections less often, and are overall healthier than those with lower levels.
The stress relief factor of a massage could also boost your immune system, helping to ward off colds and other common ailments.
Fall Asleep Easier
Not all massages are focused on the muscles in your back or shoulders. In fact, there are tons of different types of massages, each designed to target certain symptoms or relax a specific part of your body.
For instance, Symmetry Massage Centre offers everything from sports massages to help athletes recover, to pregnancy massages to target the aches and pains of soon-to-be-moms.
Facial massages have been shown to instantly lower your blood pressure. In as little as 20 minutes, you feel more tired, and be able to fall asleep easier.
If you are someone who suffers from insomnia, scheduling regular massages for your face, as well as the upper half of torse where soreness might keep you from getting comfortable in bed, can help.
Get a Massage This Month
Now that you know just a few of the reasons why you should treat yourself and get a massage each month, it’s time to start planning your day of relaxation.
Check out this article next to learn how to plan the ultimate soothing and therapeutic day so that you can unwind, let go of stress, and finally treat yourself.