As you get older, it can seem that the every day activities you once enjoyed can leave you feeling sore and 
tired. Instead of leaving you energized, the slightest bit of exercise can drain you for days. It doesn’t have to be this way. With age, the body may require a bit more upkeep, but with just a little love and care there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be as active and healthy as ever.
Massage therapy is a great tool in helping your body recover and strengthen. Recent studies have shown that massage therapy is one of the most powerful ways to combat the health problems often associated with aging.
The benefits of massage are many, but we’ve listed some of the most popular ones below.
Improve Your Balance, Posture and Agility
Just a single 60-minute full body massage can have a stabilizing effect on your body. By addressing the causes of instability and connecting your mind with your body, massage therapy can help improve your ability to balance. Long-term massage therapy has been proven to restore muscle balance and function, restore appropriate activation, decrease spasms, correct postural imbalances, and improve movement confidence.
Reduce Stress Levels and Depression
A good massage can flood your brain with serotonin and dopamine, helping you to relax and de-stress. It also reduces cortisol, which is known as the “stress hormone”. When you’re stressed out, your body produces cortisol, which can wreak havoc on your health. Studies have proven that a single massage can greatly reduce the amount of cortisol in your system, keeping you happy and healthy.
Strengthens Your Immune System
Cortisol is known to kill immune cells, especially those that fight cancer and viral cells. By reducing the number of cortisol hormones and increasing the body’s natural killer cells, just one massage can help strengthen your immune system. Remember, stress “eats” away at your immune system, so anything you can do to reduce stress will boost your immune’s system ability to function and protect you.
Strengthen You Emotionally and Physically
A recent study in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodyworks has found that massage therapy can create positive results in a person’s ability to deal with the intense physical and psychological aspects of their health condition. By allowing your body to enter a relaxed state, massage therapy helps you heal, both emotionally and physically from whatever may ail you.
Relieve Arthritic Symptoms
By improving circulation, easing muscle tension, and increasing the body’s natural pain-killing endorphins, massage provides much needed relief for your arthritic symptoms.
Sleep More Soundly
Studies have proven that massages can improve the quality of your sleep. By reducing stress and chronic pain, massage therapy takes away the factors that often contribute to restlessness.
Equalize Your Blood Pressure
By lowering stress levels and improving circulation, massage therapy can help balance your blood pressure, Research has shown that a single massage can lower blood pressure temporarily, and that continuous massage therapy can help equalize your blood pressure on a permanent basis.
Alleviate Dementia and Alzheimer’s Symptoms
Massage therapy has been shown to improve certain symptoms of Alzheimer’s, especially aggravated physical forms of expression. Symptoms of dementia have also been alleviated by massage. One study showed that dementia patients who received hand massages were prone to reduce their verbal aggression and non-aggressive behaviors.
Increase Your Blood Circulation
The physical manipulation of soft tissue paired with the chemicals released during a relaxing massage are said to improve the circulation of blood and lymph cells. Improved circulation enhances the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to muscle cells, and helps carry away waste, paving the way for your body to achieve optimal health.
So the next time you’re feeling a little under the weather or if you just want a little pick me up, think about getting a massage by a licensed massage therapist. Or better yet, work massage therapy into your health practices to help you grow stronger on your journey to health, happiness and longevity.
Author: Kimberly Recor, staff writer at Designing Brighter Tomorrows
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