How the Aging Body Benefits from Regular Massage Therapy

Aging is often synonymous with a sedimentary or inactive lifestyle caused by pain, stiffness, and illness; however, with regular massage therapy, this does not have to be the case. Massage therapy induces relaxation and promotes feelings of calm, which have been shown to provide many anti-aging benefits, and it can be used to help both men and women age healthfully. Some anti-aging benefits of massage therapy include:

It Boosts Circulation 

A properly working lymphatic system enables the body to battle infection and provides clean plasma and tissues by distributing immune cells throughout the body, which helps protect against toxins and filters out waste, including dead plasma, potential cancer cells, and excess fluid. However, with age, the lymphatic system can become sluggish, resulting in various issues, including tenderness, cold feet and hands, fatigue, pain, and fluid build-up in the legs and arms.

Meanwhile, the cardiovascular system's function is to circulate blood, which distributes nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. However, similar to the lymphatic system, as the body ages, the cardiovascular system can become stagnant as a result of various factors, including plaque build-up, decreased vessel function as a result of structural protein loss, and less reactive receptors due to excess stimulation, which can lead to poor circulation and high blood pressure.

Though massage therapy cannot prevent disease, it can help decrease stress on both the lymphatic system as well as the cardiovascular system, which can help boost overall tissue nutrition for improved vessel function and immunity thus reduced factors that influence it. It can also prevent toxic waste build-up and help improve lymphatic flow for improved overall health.

It Prevents Muscle Tension and Improves Posture 

Two of the biggest complaints of aging are arthritis pain followed by back pain, which can be a result of muscular tightness and a misaligned skeletal system.

A misaligned skeletal system, which includes bones, ligaments, cartilage, and other tissues necessary for proper body function, including support internal structures for the body, can also cause poor posture, which can cause some muscles to get more stiff or shorter or completely deteriorate altogether, which can lead to muscle tightness, and in some cases, even deformities. It can also cause pain in various joints that line the skeletal system as well as put increased stress on your digestive, nervous, and circulatory system, which can cause improper digestion, limit your breathing volume, and more.

Studies show that massage relaxes and liberates the muscles and joints, which promotes proper alignment and posture that ultimately leads to healthier movements and positions with ease. In addition, The Arthritis Foundation also supports massage therapy as an effective treatment for alleviating arthritic discomfort after witnessing its results on various sufferers. Numerous massage therapists also support massage for easing arthritic pain, reporting that their clients who suffer from arthritis find enduring relief from massage as opposed to medications.

It Decreases Stress and Improves Your Overall Health 

Stress can not only take a toll on the rate at which the body ages, but it can also affect your psychological health. However, massage therapy can counteract the effects of both physical and mental stress. Studies show that just a five-minute foot massage can induce relaxation as well as decrease blood pressure and cortisol and stress levels, which helps boost cardiovascular health and decreases depression and anxiety.

Massage helps relieve stress by encouraging the release of Oxycontin as well as serotonin and dopamine, which helps calm the body by relaxing the heart rate and breathing. It also increases endorphins, which help inhibit and stop pain transferal, and increases brainwave activity, which helps induce improved sleep.

In the end, massage therapy used in conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle can result in less pain and tension and improve your overall mental and physical health for your own little fountain of youth, so to speak. However, remember, it is important to remain consistent with a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular massage therapy, for best results.

About the Author

Eugene Wood is a Licensed Massage Therapist on Long Island NY. Learn more about the health benefits of therapeutic massage by visiting his website at www.EugeneWoodMassage.com