Self-care, the buzzword that just keeps on, well, buzzing. More sleep, more meditation, more tea, more of the things that keep you rejuvenated. Another key component to keeping your body, mind, and spirit healthy, limber, and refreshed? Massage. A topic we’re clearly really into here at Zeel, we started a whole business around it. Why? We believe the physical and mental benefits of massage will greatly enhance your life. “Massage helps with headaches, tension, sleep, your perspective for the day, repetitive stress on your body (like sitting at a screen) , circulation improvement for sedentary behavior, like driving, and more,” says Eva Carey, our National Community Director at Zeel. Carey notes, massage is beneficial for everyone, “nurses, drivers, tech geeks; they all need bodywork to keep them moving. When it becomes a part of your wellness routine it becomes as necessary like brushing your teeth.”
Below, we’ve highlighted four of our favorite massage benefits that will seriously change your life, one Zeel at a time.
- Stress
While we’re all striving for more “work-life balance” and regular self-care the reality is, sometimes life gets uber difficult! Once stress works its sneaky way into your day (and your body goes into cortisol overdrive), you will notice it can lead to disruptions in your mood and even lower your immune system. By adding massage (we love a relaxing Swedish massage for stress), your body (and mind) will start to relax, and your cortisol levels will decrease. While one massage will bring immediate benefits, your body will really say merci beaucoup if you and massage start going steady.
- Sleep
Massage is so beneficial for sleep, we created an on-demand sleep massage to our menu—a perfect evening blend of reflexology, scalp, face, neck, back and shoulder massage. It makes us sleepy just thinking about it. If insomnia or sleeplessness is a constant struggle, incorporating a massage will increase the serotonin in your body which in turn increases your melatonin (a hormone that regulates your sleep). Toss those sleeping pills aside and try a gentle massage instead.
- Digestion
Feeling bloated post-flight or after an indulgent day/week/month? Been there. The good news? There’s a massage for that. A full-body massage helps your body process food, nutrients, and gets your parasympathetic nervous system (which regulates your digestion) producing needed chemicals (like saliva, gastric juice, and insulin). Once these chemicals get going, this stimulates peristalsis (a process of contractions which moves food through your intestines).
Zeel tip: For better digestion, book a classic Swedish massage. A Swedish massage includes an optional abdominal massage that acts directly on your large intestine to regulate the final stages of digestion.
- Immune System Champion
Have you ever noticed that when you’re stressed, you get sick more frequently? That’s because cortisol (the stress hormone) interferes with your immune system. By adding massage into your life, your cortisol levels will lower, which in turn increases your bug-fighting white blood cells that will keep you at your healthiest (and happiest!).
