subject: Health Benefits Of Massage [print this page] There are many benefits to massageThere are many benefits to massage. The average person has no clue to the benefits that they are receiving when they get a massage. Massage is good for health and is therapeutic when applied correctly. If I were to guess about which benefits are the most important I would say that the health benefits that it offers are. There are also many other reasons that massage is healthy.
First of all it increases circulation throughout the area which is being massaged. The increased blood flow flushes the area with nutrients and washes away the free radicals and toxins located in the tissues. Kneading the muscles also helps to promote the production of healthy hormones which are beneficial to growth and health. Massage also promotes warmth and causes the blood to be flushed more thoroughly throughout the area being massaged thereby insuring that the entire area is nourished.
The oxygen that the blood provides helps the cells to perform the daily functions that they need to for survival. More oxygen means more work. It also means more efficient work because the oxygen functions similar to gasoline in the analogy of body function it fuels the mitochondria which increases work output.
Massage is also effective in that it has a calming effect on the person receiving it. We look at it more in these terms nowadays but the relaxing effects are only a partial benefit of the process. The very act of massage produces stimulating heat. Heat is important in that it expands the blood vessels and increases flow. Heat reduces soreness by helping to eliminate the lactic acid which has been stored in the cells. If this work by product is not removed it will remain and irritate the cells thus producing the soreness which so often accompanies hard work. So if you have done an unusual amount of work and want to avoid the soreness get a massage immediately after your work out, followed by a nice long soak in a tub full of hot water. After you have soaked in the water you should go through a series of tough stretching exercises to further stimulate muscle tissue.
If you do these things I guarantee that you will eliminate most of the soreness which comes with physical exertion.
When you get a massage you should use natural essential oils as a medium. Warm the oil by letting it sit in a container of hot water and apply it liberally to the area. The benefit of using natural oils is that they are good for skin and muscle health. They are easily absorbed into the skin where they carry their nutrients directly to the skin cells. Natural oils have natural nutrients. In other words they are in the form where they can be utilized without a lot of extra work. Many times the synthetic ingredients found in cosmetics contain solvents which are not good for the human body. They may also be so heavy that they will clog the pores, which is instrumental to skin infections. In addition they will contain many ingredients which are inert or useless. There is no point in applying ingredients to your skin which dont serve any purpose at all.
When you use essential oils for the skin you get the biggest benefit from long term use. When you use them over long periods of time they will work on the skin until it is as healthy as nature intended it to be.
