One of the key ways of staying healthy and happy in life is keeping your body healthy and in good condition. That’s why it’s important to safeguard your body against viruses and disease, especially during the winter months, and even more especially during a dangerous outbreak such as the coronavirus.
It well behooves those seeking ways to boost their immune system to consult with a massage therapist!
According to several scientific studies, massage therapy bolsters the body’s response to viruses and other illnesses in the environment by strengthening the activity of the white blood cells. This phenomenon appears to take effect to a higher degree if one receives regular massage (one 60-minute massage every 7-10 days).
Not only that, but massage has been proven to reduce the body’s cortisol levels (the “stress” hormone) by an average of 30% per massage, as well as increase its production of serotonin and dopamine, reducing stress, anxiety and depression symptoms! It’s worth mentioning since less stressed, happier people tend to get sick less often.
Jeff Smoot, President of the American Massage Therapy Association, said the following back in 2015: “Researchers working with patients with compromised immune systems have found massage therapy can improve how the immune system functions. Those same benefits can translate to people seeking to fight off the common cold, flu and other seasonal illnesses.”
In conclusion, massage is a terrific (and pleasurable) way of keeping your body in good shape so it can fend off viruses and other ills, make you feel less stressed and overall enable you to enjoy life more. It’s particularly important now, during the coronavirus outbreak, but it’s something that you can always avail yourself of to build a stronger you.
1. Mark Hyman Rapaport, Pamela Schettler, and Catherine Bresee. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. October 2010, 16(10): 1079-1088. doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0634.
2. Diego, M., Field, T., Hernandez-reif, M., Shaw, K., Friedman, L., & Ironson, G. (2001). Hiv Adolescents Show Improved Immune Function Following Massage Therapy. International Journal of Neuroscience, 35-45.
3. Hernandezreif, M. (2004). Breast Cancer Patients Have Improved Immune And Neuroendocrine Functions Following Massage Therapy. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 45-52.
American Massage Therapy Association research