Definition
Massage can improve your mood and reduce pain across your body, especially in your back and neck.
How to Do It
There are many varieties of massage that all involve applying pressure to the body to reduce tension in the muscles. Most types of massage should have similar benefits.Sessions as short at 20 minutes have been found to be beneficial.
Benefits
- May improve mood and reduce anxiety[1, 3]
- May reduce blood pressure[1,4]
- May reduce back and neck pain[2,4]
- May alleviate problems sleeping[3]
Time Commitment
At least 20 minutes
Why it works
- Releasing tension from our muscles may also release psychological tension, i.e., anxiety[6].
- Massaging the body directly stimulates nerves, causing them to send signals that reduce the ‘fight or flight’ response in the brain[3].
- Massage also releases oxytocin, a chemical associated with positive emotions[3].
Suggested Frequency
Once or twice a week
Supporting Studies and Articles
- https://the-intrepid-therapist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/A-Meta-Analysis-of-Massage-Therapy-Research.pdf
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744388116300214
- https://focus.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.focus.20170043
- https://www.nature.com/articles/jhh201452
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12646-017-0404-z
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088761850800090X
- https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/42/9/1101/1772218
Side Effects
You may risk injuries such as nerve damage and severe bruising when receiving a massage. However, this is unlikely to occur if a trained professional is giving the massage[7].
Gurus/Celebrities/Doing it
Dwayne Johnson
Jim Carrey
Simon Cowell
Lauryn Hill
Related Products
Massage chairs
Category Health/Productivity/Focus:
Health
Mood
Notes
Scientists have found that massage chairs have similar benefits to regular massage[5]. If you think it would be practical, why not buy one?
