Healthy Choices Begin with a Massage
Welcome to 2014! I hope your year will be fabulous. Now that the excitement (or dread) of Christmas is past, the magazine aisle is churning out the latest recipes and workouts to help us lose a few pounds or firm up. What I don’t see so much of is coverage about how regular massage treatments can actually help you lose weight and reduce stress.
I guess a soothing massage doesn’t quite fit into the bootcamp workout mentality of “no pain, no gain.” But it’s true!
Science shows us that massage therapy can reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which is responsible for many muffin tops (or belly fat). And as a bonus, it also increases serotonin and dopamine to the brain. These are the feel-good hormones, so you’ll feel good about feeling good.
Between three groups of people in a massage study who had mechanical massage, manual lymph drainage (MLD) or connective tissue massage, the results were very interesting. All three groups noted a decrease in the size of their thighs. They even had less fat on their abdomens and increased their hip-to-waist ratio.
If you’re feeling stressed — and would like to lose weight — a regular massage treatment can help you feel calmer, fitter and healthier. And then you can take on those life challenges in a calmer, healthier way… while looking fitter too.