Benefits of Massage - Physical and Emotional

© Michelle Howard Smith - All Rights Reserved

The benefits of a massage are both physical and emotional. Other experts also list mental benefits but I believe that mental and emotional issues are intertwined. For example, when you are experiencing stress, while it may be considered a mental issue by some, it certainly carries an emotional burden and even begins in most instances with the emotions.

A massage is more than just a nice luxury for you to enjoy to help you relax. While the art of massage does provide you with relaxation and stress relief, there are specific benefits of massage that can be obtained when massage is performed on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly. Obviously, how often you are able to get a professional massage is based on your budget. If finances are an issue, you can also experience the benefits of massage on a basic level with personal massage products.

Some Physical benefits of massage include:

• Loosening and relaxation of stiff sore muscles
• Improved balance and posture
• Reduced headaches
• Lowered blood pressure (this is beneficial for those with high or borderline blood pressure problems)
• Boosted immune system (Massage encourages the release of toxins from the body)
• Improves sleep
• Reduces muscle spasms
• Improves the health of the skin
• Reduces pain by stimulating the endorphin hormones
• Promotes deeper breathing which is more effective
• Relaxes the body overall
  

Some Emotional benefits of massage include:

• Stress and tension is released as the body is massaged
• Soothes and calms the emotions (i.e. bad temper)
• Helps clear the mind for better mental clarity

As you can see, the benefits of massage impact your overall wellness and stress levels when experienced on a regular basis. Combining massage with heat or aromatherapy provides enhances results. Regardless of what area of your being you are focusing on, the benefits of massage will be seen in other areas that you may not have considered.