Massage always sounds like a luxury, doesn’t it? A guilty pleasure of time for yourself and a little pampering.

You might be surprised to learn that massage has a number of physical benefits that make it a key ingredient to a healthy lifestyle!

“Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind,” reports the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) website (http://www.massagetherapy.com). “There are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply a luxury.”

Believe it or not, massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you. Take a look at some of the known benefits of massage:

1. Increases circulation

2. Stimulates the flow of lymph

3. Relaxes and softens injured muscles

4 Reduces spasms and cramping

5. Increase joint flexibility

6. Reduces recovery time

7. Releases endorphins

8. Improves range of motion and decreases back pain

9. Relieves pain for migraine sufferers

10. Relieves stress

There’s that word: STRESS. Experts estimate that 80 to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. That’s pretty remarkable. But, “massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening number by helping us remember what it means to relax,” explain the folks at ABMP. “The physical changes massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood pressure, increases circulation, improves recovery from injury, helps you to sleep better and can increase your concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations.”

So, the next time you try to talk yourself out of the “luxury” of a massage, think again. It may be just what the doctor ordered!

Excerpt from an article originally published in Body Sense magazine,  Fall 2001. Copyright 2001. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.

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