Can Massage Help Stop the Clock on Aging?

For most individuals, massages are a pampering treat they only indulge in every once in a great while. You may even make an entire day of it–disconnecting from the noisy, busy world we all live in and surrendering to the calming atmosphere of the spa. When you leave the spa, you feel relaxed and refreshed, and may attribute this to the fact that you just took some much-needed time for yourself (which is totally okay).

It may be true that many people look to massage therapy as a wonderful way to indulge themselves, but the true fact is that massages provide so many fantastic benefits that you shouldn’t feel guilty about scheduling them on a regular basis! It’s actually encouraged for the overall wellness of your body. Not only can massages work to relax the body and mind, but they can also help to reduce stress, improve circulation and even provide some amazing anti-aging benefits!

The Benefits of Massage 

Our bodies actually have an amazing capacity to repair themselves–provided they are running properly. This is where massage can provide anti-aging benefits in a way that skin care cannot–it stimulates the body’s natural ability to repair itself, improving function and appearance. More specifically, massages: 

• Improve circulation, which in turn fights cellulite and the swelling of veins. Good circulation is vital to healthy cells, but as we age our cardiovascular system function tends to slow. This can lead to the signs of aging we all dread, such as swollen veins, cellulite, and sagging, dull skin.
  
  Massage therapy improves the circulation of the lymphatic system, which helps eliminate toxins from the body. It also reduces the metabolic waste that accumulates to cause leg vein swelling and increases sebum production, which helps protect, cool, calm and maintain the skin’s youthfulness. (Yes, natural sebum is highly beneficial!) Finally, it helps to strengthen connective tissue, which can work together alongside a good diet and exercise regimen to help fight against cellulite.
  
  
• Reduces stress so the body is better able to rest and repair. When an individual is stressed their body tends to focus its time and energy fighting this, rather than resting and repairing itself. This can cause the individual’s appearance to change, making them look older and more tired.
  
  Massage therapy helps reduce stress by lowering the production of cortisol and insulin while also increasing the production of serotonin and dopamine (the good chemicals in the brain). It also increases the release of oxytocin and endorphins, which help reduce stress, slow breathing, and the heart rate, relax muscles, improve digestion, and reduce pain signals. The stimulation of delta brainwave activity during massage therapy also leads to deep sleep induction that allows us to have a rested night, even when stressed!
  
  
• Improve posture. Poor posture not only reduces your height and makes your body look worn and tired, but it can also adversely affect your circulatory, digestive and nervous system functions. Needless to say, poor circulation, digestion and nervous system function can deprive the body of those things it needs to run well. Massage therapy works to relax the muscles and joints of the body, which in turn allows for natural, good posture, and movement. This helps to improve one’s height and appearance, and also to protect the optimal function of the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems!

These specific points help to drive home the fact that massage therapy is highly beneficial to an individual’s health and appearance. Therefore, massage therapy is far more than simply a pampering treatment that feels nice to receive every now and again–it is actually directed at helping the various systems of the body to run properly and benefit a better, healthier you!

In doing this, massage therapy allows the body to perform both its resting and repair functions more optimally so that you can benefit in ways that cannot only improve comfort but also help to prevent or reverse some of the more common signs of aging. Now, who wouldn’t love that?

Call Botanica Day Spa today to book your massage appointment and browse our amazing list of massage types online! It’s your life and your body, so choosing to receive a regular massage is not anything that should be persuaded to stop doing. Feel and look as young as you want with massage therapy (and a facial never hurts either)!

Love,

Gen