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Healthy Living: The Benefits of Massage Therapy

Theres been a lot of talk recently about how to live a healthier lifestyle. TV documentaries, articles, blogs, tweets and media as a whole are publicising how important it is to maintain healthy living. It is common to hear such things like eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, exercising on a regular basis and avoiding anything that may be hazardous to your health as significant contributors to a healthier life. What you dont hear about however, are the benefits of massage therapy and how they can contribute to healthy living. When people think of massage, the majority usually think of its common conventional uses such as relaxation and relieving muscular tension. Its not very often that one reads about how a regular massage can actually improve your overall well-being through reducing stress, increasing relaxation, addressing depression or anxiety issues, and aiding general wellness.

Massage therapy circulates healing throughout the body as the masseuse or therapist presses, rubs, and otherwise manipulates the muscles with their hands and fingers. Other types of massage have also been known to use forearms, elbows, and occasionally feet, and new research is starting to reveal just what happens in the body after this kind of specific pressure is applied. While there have been theories about how massage can work, like releasing endorphins and improving circulation, there has been little evidence to prove them. However, one study has recently found that a single 45-minute session leads to a boost in white blood cells that help fight illness and infection.

Massage therapy dates back thousands of years, with a long history in societies and cultures around the world. More recently it has developed into, and is often considered a complimentary form of medicine and has been introduced into educational curriculums as a vocational course. With so many health-related benefits, massage therapy is now a sought after business and career path with massage schools offering a variety of massage therapy courses specialising in Acupressure, Deep Tissue, Medical, Postural, Reflexology and Remedial.

Whether youre interested in the health benefits of a good massage and how it could improve your lifestyle, or youre considering a change in your career, discovering massage therapy is highly recommended.