Joanna James
When you get a full-body massage, you hear soft music, the lights are low, and you feel calm. But what most people don't know is that during a massage, even though you might feel completely relaxed, your body is in full activation mode. A massage wakes up your muscles, organs, and glands, moves your blood and lymph fluid and tells many of your cells to make and release chemicals and hormones.
The lymphatic system is a key part of keeping your fluids in balance and making sure your immune system works well. Throughout your body, lymphatic vessels run parallel to blood vessels, and large groups of lymph nodes can be found in the neck, armpits, and groin.
As your massage therapist works to move blood through your muscles and tissues, they are also draining your lymphatic system. The lymph nodes in this system filter out dead cells, organic waste, and possible pathogens. Fluid retention can be caused by slow lymph flow, and draining the lymphatic system may help reduce edema in some parts of the body.
Did you know that your bones also get blood and that massaging them is just as good for them as it is for your muscles? Blood circulation brings calcium and other nutrients to your bones, which help them stay strong and work well. This is why massage is so good for your skeletal system.
A massage that works on your whole body is also good for your heart. Massage opens up your blood vessels, which makes your veins return blood. This increases blood flow and oxygen to all your organs. Your whole cardiovascular system relaxes, and blood flow gets better all over your body. When the "rest and digest" mode of the parasympathetic nervous system is turned on, it helps control the heart rate and blood pressure.
If you have a plan to visit a Mirissa spa hotel, be sure to check out the Sri Sharavi Beach Villas & Spa for a relaxing massage as well.
Stress is bad for the digestive system, and a full-body massage can help your body process food and nutrients in a healthy way. The parasympathetic nervous system controls digestion by making needed chemical compounds (like saliva, gastric juice, and insulin) and stimulating peristalsis, which moves food through your intestines.
In a Swedish massage, you can choose to have a massage on your stomach, which works directly on your large intestine to control the last stages of digestion. When food moves easily through your digestive system, your stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, and intestines all work together to help you absorb as many nutrients as possible, which is good for your overall health.
At the start of the massage, your therapist may tell you to take a deep breath. One of the fastest ways to reduce stress is to be able to breathe freely, and your first breath on the massage table may feel like a sigh of relief. Aside from the diaphragm, there are breathing muscles in your ribs, chest, and neck. Since so much tension builds up in our shoulder, chest, and neck muscles when we're stressed, it's no surprise that our breathing slows down. As you relax more and your breathing gets deeper and more even, your massage therapist can work on your tight muscles to loosen up the ones that help you breathe.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
