Do Your Body a Favor: Get a Massage

Not only does a massage feel awesome, but research suggests it can ease insomnia, boost immunity, prevent PMS, lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce pain and more.

Regular rubdowns are especially effective for aches like back pain, sore muscles and tight shoulders. Some research has found that massage works better than other pain-reducing treatments like chiropractic therapy and acupuncture. Massage reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol while boosting the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. Those changes slow your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and block your nervous system's pain receptors. Massage also increases blood flow to the muscles, which may help them heal. It can also reduce the severity of migraines, labor pain and fibromyalgia.

Getting a massage helps with sleep too. The relaxation of the body promotes an increase in delta waves, which are associated with deep sleep. That's why so many people find it easy to drift off to sleep during a massage. Don't worry that you'll be ready to snooze all day though. After a massage, the drowsiness can disappear leaving people with increased energy and alertness.

Massages can help boost the immune system. By decreasing cortisol levels in your system, the body's natural defense mechanism is increased. This can help ward off colds or flu bugs during the winter months when they are most prevalent. Massage has also been shown to improve immunity in people with more severe illnesses, such as cancer.

Reducing the stress hormone, cortisol, and increasing the feel-good hormones, serotonin and dopamine, in your body can translate to less stress, anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that massage decreases activity in the right side of the frontal lobe of the brain, which activates sadness, and it increases activity in the left side which activates happiness. The overall well-being people feel after a massage is a big reason why some hospitals offer it to patients who are anxious or stressed when undergoing surgery or chemo treatment.

Massages aren't just for adults either. It can also benefit infants and children. Some studies prove that massage given to premature babies can stimulate weight gain and growth while reducing the number of days in the hospital. When offered to children with diabetes, massage enabled them to maintain their medication and diet requirements, which helped reduce their blood glucose levels.

Now that you know all of the benefits, learn how to get the best massage.