A Healthy Indulgence: The Many Benefits of Regular Massage Therapy

Getting a massage may seem like an indulgent pastime, a treat rather than a necessity, but regular massage can actually be incredibly beneficial to health and energy levels. Living in a busy city, like the bustling metropolis of Toronto, surrounded by work opportunities, theatre and entertainment, as well as some of the most beautiful countryside in the world, it becomes important to learn to relax, and a massage is the perfect way to achieve this.

We spend a lot of time hunched in one place, working on a computer, driving long distances, or even sprawled watching television, and our muscles can begin to cramp and tense, causing lower back pain, shoulder tension, and other painful but minor issues. Lying down, relaxing under the hands of a massage therapist forces us away from the constant interaction with phones, emails, and computers, allowing our minds a moment of respite even as our bodies are kneaded and pressed back into shape.

Cortisol is known as the ‘stress hormone’ and has been linked to weight gain and retention, poor sleep and anxiety. Massage has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, which means that a regular massage can actually help you to lose weight. You will also sleep more deeply following a massage, and good sleep is refreshing and energising as well as being very healthy.

Humans are basically social creatures and there is something soothing about a friendly human touch, such as that provided by massage. While many people associate being touched with sexual interest, massage is sensual without being sexual – which enables greater relaxation and even more benefits.

If you suffer from tension headaches, a regular massage can help you too. Tension headaches are often caused by mental stress, which leads your muscles to be held stiffly or under tension. This tension affects the whole body and can manifest as a needle-sharp niggling headache that could be enough to ruin your day. Massage will physically force the tension and knots out of your body, and with the muscle relaxation, the headache will ease and let go.

Everyone should go for a regular massage, be it once or twice a month. or once or twice a week. The benefits are excellent, the costs usually modest, and any worries or fears you may have (‘Will I have to be naked?’ being the most common: answer, ‘No.’) are sure to be quickly allayed. Find a reputable wellness facility in Toronto, such as Sage Health and Wellness, and find out for yourself why a regular massage should be part of your lifestyle.

Sources
Mmm, Massage: Surprising Ways Massage Heals The Body And Mind, experiencelife.com
How Can Massage Help My Health and Wellbeing?, takingcharge.csh.umn.edu