by Andrew Penry, EMP
The question I am most frequently asked is, "Why should I spend so much money on a massage? I can relax just as easily doing something else." The answer is simple. Massage is the most cost efficient way to gain tremendous heath benefits while doing something that is both relaxing and great feeling.
Massage offers an almost limitless number of health benefits. One huge benefit is increased lymph flow. Lymph is used to transport cellular waste, bacteria, and viruses to the sigmoid colon, where they can be processed and expelled from the body. Muscle contractions are the primary source of movement for lymph, as the human lymphatic system has no central heart-like pump. Those people who have inactive lifestyles can not move lymph effectively through the body. Massage is the most effective way to manual stimulate lymphatic flow, boosting the immune system. (See Massage Therapy for Health and Fitness at spineuniverse.com) Inactive people who do not get regular massage are putting themselves at risk to contract disease, extend periods of sickness, and build up cellular toxins that cause fatigue.
Massage has been shown to increase alertness and reduce anxiety. The following study is cited from Massage reducing anxiety and improving alertness at internethealthlibrary.com. Two groups were tested, a group that received massage, and a control group that was told only to relax.
The results revealed the following:This small-scale study suggests that massage therapy offers benefits in not just alleviating the physiological effects of anxiety, but also in improving mental alertness.
- Frontal delta power increased for both groups, suggesting relaxation;
- The massage group showed de-creased frontal alpha and beta power (suggesting enhanced alertness); while the control group showed increased alpha and beta power;
- The massage group showed in-creased speed and accuracy on math computations while the control group did not change;
Other benefits include improved muscle tone, quicker recover times for athletics, improved flexibility, and reduced pain.
In-Home massage allows the client to relax in the setting which may be most comfortable: the home. It is recommended that all distractions be eliminated from the home before a massage session. Let Andrew Penry transform your home into a relaxation paradise through the arts of massage, Reiki, aromatherapy, and Feng Shui.