When it concerns relaxation, there are a few things we all connect with that it: health club days, cozying up by the fire, remaining in bed until 2 p.m. and, of course, getting a massage. And although massage is great for helping you relax, it has more therapeutic benefits, too. The term "massage" itself actually encompasses a wide range of different types of massage, varying from Swedish massage (the most typical type), to massages that have a more targeted and particular purpose, like a sports massage, which is targeted at assisting athletes recover.No matter the type, the advantages of massage truly come down to something: pressure. "The skin is moved during a moderate pressure massage, which results in a soothing and slowing of the nerve system," says Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medication. And that slowing down of the anxious system leads to other physiological impacts, too, like a decrease in heart rate, decreased blood pressure, and changes in EEG patterns (electrical activity in your brain), states Field.
Plus, in order to see those effects, it takes less time than you may think. "For research study, we have the ability to document favorable effects for massages that are just 20 minutes long," says Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, chief of psychiatric services at Emory Healthcare, who has actually led multiple research studies focused on the results of massage. That implies when you go to get a massage (the majority of which are normally advertised for being around 50 minutes long, states Dr. Rapaport), you're under pressure for more than sufficient time to see optimum benefits.And if you can't pay for to head to the spa down the street? "You do not require to go to a massage therapist all the time," says Field. "You can offer yourself a massage." Because we have the ability to reach most areas on our body, you can do a 20-minute self-massage by utilizing a massage brush in the shower and even rubbing a tennis ball against your limbs, she discusses.
So if you're thinking about reserving a time or investing in a self-massager, here are six of the treatment's biggest advantages to learn about. Eliminate anxietyIf you suffer with stress and anxiety, one study recommends that a massage can really help considerably reduce your signs. "What we think is going on is it's reducing the sympathetic tone that we see with individuals with generalized anxiety condition and increasing this sort of parasympathetic response," states Dr. Rapaport, who led the study.
Your body in fact has two various nervous systems: the supportive nervous system and the parasympathetic nerve system. "Your sympathetic is battle or flight," says Rudy Gehrman, DC, a sports medication chiropractic doctor and creator of Physio Logic in New York City. "If you're getting chased by a lion, that's your supportive nervous system.
And similarly great news? Those impacts of massage on reduced anxiety can in fact be long-lasting. "We did a casual follow-up, and a significant variety of these yoga people stayed anxiety-free anywhere from 6 months to 18 months later,