Aspen Club and Spa

Massage has become pretty mainstream, you can see people getting massages at the airport, in the grocery stores, even at the local coffee shop thanks to the portable chair.   Massage shops have popped up all over, and what used to be a luxury is now affordable and part of people’s to do lists. There’s got to be something to it, as our harried lives demand a breather now and then. I need a massage and I needed one yesterday. I don’t know if it’s all the downward dogs and peacocks I’ve been doing in my Yoga class or this not so fancy futon I have been laying my head on for months, but I wake up sore as all heck, some mornings are worse than others. Oh yeah, a little voice in the back of my head says, it could also be stress. Stress knots our muscles, tenses our shoulders, and seeps into our skin and bones.

Massage, in addition to kneading our tired backs, also loosens the tissues and things that get deposited there. I have read massage increases circulation, is good for the digestive system, and also allows fresh blood and energy back into our systems.

I had a chair massage recently from a woman who called herself an “energy healer”…Not only could I feel the tension sliding away as she worked on me, but after she pushed on a few pressure points, I felt toxins and stress literally being drained from my body, out through the hipcreases and then the ankles. It was a great experience and I am due for another, as I have a deadline looming and bills to pay. Me first! I say! I can’t work or focus when I am all twisted up in a ball. I need some release. Go get a massage today, your body and brain will thank you.

Who doesn’t like to get a massage and to lose weight. I saw this article and I thought I should pass it along.

By Scott Haywood

There is no question that having a massage makes you feel great. Even having a deep-tissue, sports massage makes you feel wonderful afterwards. Massage can relieve stress, help you recover from hard physical activity or injury and even reduce anxiety, but can it help you to achieve your weight loss goals?

Research shows that massage can have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness levels, which in turn increase your capacity to control or loose weight.

Healthy strong muscles burn calories and give you the freedom to participate in all sorts of sports and activities that can help you burn excess calories and improve your overall fitness and wellbeing.

Massage has the following benefits that can directly influence your ability to control or loose weight.

1. Massage has been shown to improve circulation and the supply of nutrition to the muscles. Massage increases the interchange of vital substances between the blood and tissue cells, which increases tissue metababolism. After muscles are exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied to them so that theyu can recover and rebuild themselves. Massage maximizes the supply of these nutrients and oxygen though increased blood flow, which helps the muscles to grow and burn more calories as a result.

2. Massage improves your muscles’ range of motion and their flexibility. This allows them to maintain maximum powerand performance while active, and burn the maximum number of calories in the process.

Improved range of motion and flexibility also reduces muscle soreness during periods of recovery and muscle repair.

Having a wide range of motion and maximum muscle flexibility also reduces the danger of experiencing injuries during exercise which can severely limit activity, exercise amd weight loss progress.

3. Massage helps to shorten the recovery time needed between your workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles during and after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxic debris buildup caused by these waste products and in doing so shorten recovery time.

Shortened recovery time means you can safely have more workouts over a given period of time, which in turn means that you have the opportunity to burn more total calories in your effort to achieve your individual weight loss goals.

4. Massage can also help reduce the chance of you over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles and a sedative effect on the nervous system. By helping you rest, which is a very important element of any exercise program, massage can reduce the likelihood of you experiencing over-training syndrome, which is known to limit your ability to build strong healthy muscles and therefore loose weight with maximum efficiency.

5. In addition to all of the above, massage may directly aid in fat loss. Accoding to some research studies, massage is thought to be able to burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition and exercise, massage may actually help in weight loss.

6. As we have already touched upon, massage helps prevent and heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions and scar tissue that result from muscle tears and other common muscle injuries. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosporous, sulfur) that aid in tissue repair. Fast and effective recovery from injuries means that you can begin exercising sooner after suffering an injury and getting your weight loss progress back on track.

Regular massage is just as important a component as regular workouts and correct nutrition in any comprehensive fitness and weight loss programm which is great news for those of us who thought that exercising and loosing weight was all hard work! Remember, weight loss is all about leading a balanced lifestyle and massage is an essential part of any balanced lifestyle.

If you haven’t had a massage lately, what are you waiting for? Get on the phone and make yourself a booking. If you haven’t had a massage before, just remember to have your massage done by a qualified massage therapist.

If you are are unsure about a massage practitioners qualifications and experience, ask for referrals, professional training information, and make sure they are certified by reputable agency or institution.

And remember, have fun!

Scott Haywood