Image

According to the American Massage Association, the answer is yes! Most people associate massage with a reward at the end of a long day, or a small splurge you make for yourself. Regular massage, though, may be just what you need to reach your peak physical and mental health.

1. Eliminates Stress.
   If stress can cause you to gain weight, then the reverse may also be true. Massage promotes improved blood flow to the muscles, joints and tissues you strain when you exercise. When the blood flow increases, so does the distribution of the body’s opiods, which help ward off pain. In fact, research indicates that massage may reduce pain and soreness as effectively as over-the-counter drugs, including aspirin and ibuprofen.


2. Improves chronic health conditions
   Massage does more than just relax your mind. The increased blood flow has also been found to improve chronic digestive problems, pain associated with fibromyalgia, headaches, and high blood pressure. If you suffer from any of these conditions, talk to your doctor to see if massage is right for you.

3. Wards off injury and soreness
   Whether you’re new to exercise or have been training hard for years, the familiar    soreness that accompanies a new or harder workout doesn’t have to linger. Regular massage can help ease the delayed onset muscle soreness you may have come to expect     from a workout. Massage may also speed recovery of sore or strained muscles, allowing you to get back to your exercise routine more quickly than expected!

4. Promotes self-care
   Self-care is crucial to any happy and healthy lifestyle. Neglecting to provide for your mental health will leave you stressed, unhappy, and unmotivated to follow through with your healthy lifestyle. Taking an hour to relax into a massage not only reduces stress, but facilitates better sleep and improves your body awareness. Throughout the course of the day, we all store stress in different tissues throughout our body; allowing yourself a regular massage counteracts that stress and undoes the negative-self talk you might experience during a difficult day.

If you’ve never tried massage therapy, be prepared to answer a few general questions about your physical health and any soreness or discomfort you might be experiencing. Make sure your massage therapist knows about any sore muscles or injuries you have had, and don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Massage isn’t something reserved for high-performing athletes. FitClub has massage onsite for its members. Before you go another day suffering from stress or sore muscles, stop by the front desk and ask about a massage appointment!

Have you tried a massage at FitClub? Share your experience in the comment section below!