Beat Summertime Troubles with Massage
Sure, summertime is full of fun activities. You grill, garden, travel, and more. However, more activity also means more sore, aching muscles. It is time for some much-needed self-care.
In Longmont, we work hard and play hard. What better way to recover after traveling, hiking, and adventuring than to get a massage.
In this article, I’m going to share with you
4 summertime troubles you can beat with a massage.
1. Heat = Swelling of Joints and Limbs
Imagine this, you step outside to work in your garden. The breeze is light, but the sun continues to climb higher in the sky.
By the time you have finished pulling the weeds and watering the plants, you are hot and sweaty.
You enter the cool house, grab a glass of water, sit down, and begin to read the newspaper.
The phone rings and when you stand up to retrieve your cell from the table across the room you notice stiffness in your movements. You look down and notice a bit of puffiness in your hands.
Heat may not be the enemy, but it can cause issues according to instituteofliving.org,
“It is not uncommon for the feet or hands to become swollen when a person sits or stands for a long time in a hot environment.”
This can often lead to stiffness and even in some cases pain. In mild cases, massage is beneficial to move the excess fluid out of the area relieving the strain. (Mayo Clinic)
2. Increased Exercise = Sore Muscles
Second, longer days and warmer weather mean more opportunities for travel, swimming, and hiking.
The limited time we often have to enjoy various activites often lead to craming as much activity as possible into a short periord of time.
You may go swimming in Hawaii or climb a 14’er which means you are likely using muscles often ignored in our desk job-oriented culture.
In translation, you are using your body more than normal.
Never fear!
You can lessen the duration of soreness after exercise by getting a massage.
Check out our article on how soreness doesn’t have to slow you down this summer to learn more.
3. Lack of “You” Time = More Stress
Thirdly, school is out and children are home for summer vacation.
While in many ways a blessing, it is often also a stress-inducing experience where self-care and “you time” make way for youthful activities and laughter.
The damaging effects of stress are well documented. In recent years, more studies have been conducted to find the best strategies to reduce its damaging ramifications.
Medical News Today reports that in one study researchers who measured the HRV (Heart Rate Variability) of subjects noticed a measurable difference in those who receive massage.
“For example, when the body is in fight-or-flight mode, there is very little variation because the heart beats quickly at a steady rate. This will provide a low HRV value. When the body is relaxed, a greater degree of variation occurs, resulting in a higher HRV. All of the participants had significantly higher HRV levels afterward. However, the most dramatic increases in HRV belonged to those who had received massages. The type of massage did not matter.”
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for our #SelfCareSunday tips. Self-care and stress relief doesn’t stop after you hop off the table.
4. Traveling = Increased Risk of Sickness
Finally, the question of the year. “Does massage boost my immune system?”
It is common for people to question whether or not massage provides a positive physiological difference in its participants, but with a return to a public lifestyle, it is now crucial.
Mark Rapaport, MD in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine comments,
“People often seek out massage as part of a healthy lifestyle but there hasn’t been much physiological proof of the body’s heightened immune response following massage until now.” -Mark Rapaport, MD
In a study from Cedar-Sinai, people who receive just ONE massage experience significant changes to their immune and endocrine responses.
This is great news for people who are ready to move from “daydreaming about your next vacation” to “let’s travel again!”
