How Massage Reduces Stress

We all want less stress, right?

Here are 5 different ways massage is proven to reduce your stress:

Massage Relaxes the body

Massage is relaxing.

When you get a massage your brain releases seratonin. Seratonin is the hormone that makes you feel happy, as well as helping with digestion & sleep. This boost in mood is what gives you the sense of wellbeing & relaxation you get from a massage.

The slow, repetitive movements that you experience during a massage encourage you to relax & slow down your breathing. This in turn slows down your heart rate & activates your Parasympathetic Nervous System, this is basically the opposite of your “flight or fight” response & delivers more oxygenated blood & nutrients to your organs as your stress levels lower.

Massage reduces muscle tension

When you are stressed your muscles tighten up & your body sends more blood to the limbs so that you are ready to respond to stressful situations or stress. Think of it kind of like how a cat’s fur will fluff up when it sees another cat.

This muscle tension can lead to chronic pain & reduction in range of motion if left untreated, which would obviously not be good for stress levels.

Massage is a very effective way to return the muscles to a loose, relaxed state as well as increasing the elasticity of the muscle tissues. This relieves pain & improves flexibility & range of motion of the muscle.

Massage reduces blood pressure

Massage improves your circulation by reducing tension in the muscles, making it easier for blood to flow freely through the muscles, imagine having being stood on a hosepipe & then taking your foot off of it.

This improvement in circulation lowers your blood pressure.

When you are in “flight or fight” mode or are experiencing stress one of the body’s reactions is to actually raise the blood pressure, as massage calms the Sympathetic Nervous System (responsible for the “flight or fight” response) your blood pressure lowers further.

Massage improves sleep

During a massage your body releases seratonin, which makes you feel good & relax. In turn this decreases Cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress. These changes in hormones helps your body to release melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for sleep.

The reduction in stress & muscle tension you get from a massage help to create that relaxed state of mind needed for good quality sleep.

Massage improves mental health

Massage has been shown to increase Vagal nerve activity, when this nerve is stimulated Cortisol levels decrease which lower stress levels & puts the body into a happy & relaxed state.

Massage also stimulates the brain receptors, hormones & nerves that are responsible for mood regulation. Some studies have even shown that after a massage you have more brain activity in the part responsible for positive emotions & less activity in the area responsible for negative emotions.