MINDBODY
Massages aren’t a luxury – they’re a necessity for your overall health and well-being. Getting bodywork done regularly has many benefits, and some of them might surprise you! Here are five benefits you’d enjoy from incorporating this important act of self-care into your regular routine.
- Massage therapy helps reduce cortisol, a stress hormone that accumulates as a result of mental and physical stress. Even if you’re not feeling stressed, your body is producing cortisol when you’re working out. Normally, it’s a short-term release that helps give you that energy burst to get the most out of your workouts. However, prolonged elevated cortisol levels can lead to weight fluctuations, sleep problems, digestive complaints, and increased anxiety. Massage physically lulls the body into a restorative mode, thereby decreasing cortisol and its accompanying problems.
- Massage therapy reduces muscle tension, stimulates recovery, and can increase mobility. It’s not a secret – many professional athletes and Olympians get massages before or after an event to help with athletic performance or recovery. Massages help flush the lactic acid out of your system, which helps prevent or reduce soreness. It can also increase mobility by reducing swelling around your joints. This magic formula will help you maintain top-level fitness performance during your workouts!
- Want to keep colds at bay? Massage can help build a stronger immune system! Massages increase circulation throughout your body, which aids in flushing out toxins in your system. It also increases your white blood cell count, which helps your body fight diseases, and stimulates the lymphatic system – a critical component in your body that acts as an immunity shield.
- Massage aids in releasing endorphins like serotonin and dopamine, which decreases the effects of depression and anxiety. Environmental stimulants like phones, traffic, work-life balance can put the body in constant fight-or-flight mode. Massage can help ease the body into a ‘rest-and-digest’ state so the mind and body can heal.
- Pain relief. Studies have shown that massage can help relieve acute pain or soreness, as well as chronic pain. Issues like fibromyalgia, low back pain, myofascial pain syndrome, temporomandibular joint pain, digestive complaints, and nerve pain can all be relieved with bodywork.
What Kind of Massage is Best for You?
There are a variety of massage styles, with their own unique benefits. So how can you tell whether you should book a Lymphatic or a Myofascial Release massage?
Do you have chronic pain or high blood pressure? Try a Deep Tissue Massage.
Studies have shown that deep tissue massages can help lower blood pressure. This particular style can also provide relief from chronic pain, especially low back pain and plantar fasciitis. In deep tissue massage, the therapist will use pressure to target specific areas. While sessions aren’t painful, you may experience some discomfort..and then relief!
Need an immune boost? Try a Lymphatic Massage.
Our lymphatic system helps defend our bodies against infection. This type of massage uses gentle techniques to move the body’s lymphatic fluid back into circulation, and can also help clear your skin and give you a nice glow! All of our lymphatic massage therapists have completed additional education for this specialized type of massage.
Have knots in your neck, shoulders, or back? Myofascial Release Massage is for you.
Your fascia is the connective tissue that runs throughout your body, keeping all your muscle fibers and bones in place. Fascia, which is usually pliable, can get tight or “stuck” from stress, workouts, or even the way you sleep. Myofascial release uses gentle, sustained pressure on those affected areas that feel especially sore or knotted.
Are you a professional athlete or work out a lot? You need Sports Massage.
When you’re doing frequent high-intensity workouts, your body builds up lactic acid. Sports Massage helps flush lactic acid out of your system quickly, and speed up your recovery from tough workouts. This type of massage is also ideal for injury prevention by increasing your range of motion and flexibility. If you’re recovering from an injury, a sports massage can also be effecting in relieving pain or muscle soreness.
Need some zen? A Swedish/Relaxation Massage will help.
Swedish, or Relaxation, massages use very gentle strokes to promote a full-body sense of relaxation. While some other styles of massage can be slightly painful as the therapist works out tension, this style is pain-free. Swedish massage works wonders for reducing feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. It’s one of the best styles for releasing endorphins like oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, which boosts feelings of happiness and emotional balance. An Ashiatsu Massage offers the same relaxing benefits, but the therapists use their feet!
Ready to feel your best?
Browse our massage services and book with one of our experienced professionals. First-timers in our Spa can also enjoy $25 off their first massage!
