Massage and your Immune System

The benefits of massage are vast, it is well known that it can benefit your mental and physical well-being. Massage is great at boosting our immunity because it can reduce depression, anxiety, stress, ease inflammation, muscle tensions and much more.

With a high level of stress, you are more likely to suffer from illness and injury because your body is not working efficiently, over time this reduces your level of immunity. When you are “feeling run down” or overworked, it is well known you are more likely to feel ill, catch a cold or the flu.

Just like a car running out of fuel and working on empty, soon enough the car will stop and it can’t move any longer…… and it won’t go very far. (NB. the recent petrol “shortage” crisis may spring to mind).

A high level of stress is likely to result in an elevated heart rate and cause the stress hormone cortisol which could in turn raise your blood pressure, cause heart disease, digestive problems, sleep disturbances and then there may be headaches, memory and concentration issues too.

So it makes perfect sense to reduce our stress levels as much as we can wherever possible and thus boost our immune system. We can do this in a number of ways, firstly making healthy choices, flush the body of toxins and increase our blood and oxygen flow.

Having a massage will relax you mentally and physically, it also increases the activity of white blood cells (these help our body fight diseases) and reduces cortisol. There is no doubt, our immune system is complex, and it’s not a simple case of increasing white blood cells to improve your health. But many scientific studies have shown, a massage will promote growth and repair on a cellular level and without doubt will help with so many health conditions.

A regular massage in combination with other complimentary and healthy lifestyle choices will benefit your mind, body and soul. The massage will lower your stress levels and boost your immune system. It will help to halt the stress and taking this time out will enable your body and mind to heal.

Give yourself that time, you deserve it! Your body is a reflection of your lifestyle, so take care of it and you will stave off ill health. Do those things you enjoy, like getting a massage, cooking and eating healthily, reading, gardening, relaxation breathing, sleep, exercising regularly and getting some downtime. All these things are incredibly beneficial to keep your body and mind in longer lasting good condition. Keeping yourself fuelled with the right ingredients leads to a happier and healthier life.