When it comes to relaxation, there are a couple of things all of us relate to that it: health club days, cozying up by the fire, remaining in bed till 2 p.m. and, naturally, getting a massage. And although massage is fantastic for helping you relax, it has more restorative benefits, too. The term "massage" itself actually encompasses a wide range of different types of massage, ranging from Swedish massage (the most common type), to massages that have a more targeted and specific purpose, like a sports massage, which is focused on helping athletes recover.No matter the type, the advantages of massage really come down to one thing: pressure. "The skin is moved during a moderate pressure massage, which results in a soothing and slowing of the anxious system," says Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. And that slowing down of the anxious system causes other physiological results, too, like a reduction in heart rate, reduced blood pressure, and changes in EEG patterns (electrical activity in your brain), says Field.
Plus, in order to see those effects, it takes less time than you may believe. "For research study, we're able to document positive results for massages that are just 20 minutes long," states Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, chief of psychiatric services at Emory Healthcare, who has led multiple research studies concentrated on the impacts of massage. That implies when you go to get a massage (the majority of which are usually marketed for being around 50 minutes long, states Dr. Rapaport), you're Additional info under pressure for sufficient time to see ideal benefits.And if you can't pay for to head to the day spa down the street? "You do not need to go to a massage therapist all the time," says Field. "You can offer yourself a massage." Given that we have the ability to reach most locations on our body, you can do a 20-minute self-massage by using a massage brush in the shower or perhaps rubbing a tennis ball versus your limbs, she discusses.
So if you're thinking about scheduling a time or investing in a self-massager, here are 6 of the therapy's greatest advantages to understand about. Relieve anxietyIf you experience anxiety, one study recommends that a massage can really help substantially minimize your symptoms. "What we think is going on is it's reducing the supportive tone that we see with people with generalized stress and anxiety condition and increasing this sort of parasympathetic response," states Dr. Rapaport, who led the research study.
Your body in fact has two different worried systems: the supportive nervous system and the parasympathetic nerve system. "Your supportive is fight or flight," states Rudy Gehrman, DC, a sports medication chiropractic specialist and founder of Physio Logic in New York City. "If you're getting chased after by a lion, that's your sympathetic worried system.
And equally great news? Those results of massage on decreased stress and anxiety can really be long-lasting. "We did a casual follow-up, and a substantial number of these people stayed anxiety-free anywhere from six months to 18 months later,